EX200 Configure local storage Practice Question
After adding a new disk to a volume group, which command is used to extend a logical volume by 2GB?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the commands for extending a logical volume (`lvextend`) with those for adding a disk to a volume group (`vgextend`) or initializing a disk (`pvcreate`), and they often forget that `resize2fs` operates on the filesystem, not the logical volume itself.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
lvextend -L +2G /dev/vg/lv
After adding a new disk to a volume group, the `lvextend -L +2G /dev/vg/lv` command extends the logical volume by exactly 2 GB. The `-L +2G` syntax specifies the additional size to add, and the target is the logical volume path. This is the standard LVM command for increasing logical volume size without specifying a physical extent range.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
vgextend vg /dev/sdb
Why it's wrong here
vgextend vg /dev/sdb is incorrect because this command only adds the new physical volume to the volume group, increasing the VG's free capacity; it does not modify the logical volume itself. Even if /dev/sdb is already initialized as a PV, extending the VG is just a preparatory step. The command that actually grows the LV to use that new space is lvextend.
- ✗
resize2fs /dev/vg/lv
Why it's wrong here
resize2fs /dev/vg/lv targets the filesystem, not the logical volume, so it cannot extend the LV itself. Running it on an unmounted ext filesystem would attempt to resize the filesystem to match the block device, but it would likely fail or do nothing because the underlying LV has not been extended. The correct sequence is to extend the LV with lvextend first, then resize the filesystem with a tool like resize2fs or xfs_growfs.
- ✓
lvextend -L +2G /dev/vg/lv
Why this is correct
lvextend -L +2G /dev/vg/lv is the correct command because it directly increases the size of the logical volume by 2 GiB, consuming free physical extents from the volume group that were made available after adding the new disk. This is the LVM-level operation needed to make the additional disk space usable. After extending the LV, you must separately resize the filesystem to actually use the new space.
- ✗
pvcreate /dev/sdb
Why it's wrong here
pvcreate /dev/sdb initializes the disk as an LVM physical volume, but it does not extend any logical volume — it only prepares the device for later use by a volume group. If the disk has already been added to the VG (as the question states), running pvcreate on it would be redundant and could cause metadata corruption or warnings. The correct command to extend the LV is lvextend, not pvcreate.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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