EX200 Configure local storage Practice Question
An administrator needs to add a new 20GB disk /dev/sdb to a RHEL 9 server and mount it permanently at /data. The disk is unpartitioned. Which sequence of commands correctly accomplishes this?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often forget the fstab step for permanent mounting, assuming mount alone makes it persistent, or they attempt to format the whole disk without partitioning, which is not the standard procedure for a new disk in RHEL.
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
✓
fdisk /dev/sdb → mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1 → echo '/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults 0 0' >> /etc/fstab → mount -a
It follows the proper sequence for adding a new unpartitioned disk: create a partition with fdisk, format the partition with mkfs.ext4, add an entry to /etc/fstab for permanent mounting, and then use mount -a to mount all filesystems from fstab. This ensures the disk is mounted persistently across reboots, which is required by the question.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
fdisk /dev/sdb → mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1 → mount /dev/sdb1 /data
Why it's wrong here
Using fdisk to create a partition and mkfs.ext4 to build the filesystem is correct for that stage, but the mount command only attaches the device to /data for the current session. Because no entry is appended to /etc/fstab, the mount is lost after reboot; the system will not automatically mount /data unless a matching fstab line or systemd mount unit exists. This makes the procedure incomplete for a persistent, production-ready configuration.
- ✗
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb → mount /dev/sdb /data
Why it's wrong here
Running mkfs.ext4 directly against the whole disk /dev/sdb bypasses partition table creation entirely, which is possible but non-standard and can confuse later administrative operations or partition-based tooling. Although the mount command works immediately, it is only temporary and not recorded in /etc/fstab, so the filesystem will not be mounted at boot. Additionally, without a partition table you lose flexibility for future partitioning, and some systems expect a partition type/ID before mounting.
- ✗
parted /dev/sdb → mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1 → mount /dev/sdb1 /data
Why it's wrong here
The parted utility properly creates a partition table and partition on /dev/sdb, but the crucial missing step is an /etc/fstab entry: the subsequent mkfs.ext4 and mount only affect the live system. Since the manual mount is not registered in fstab, it does not survive a reboot and will not be mounted by mount -a. Even though parted is more modern than fdisk, the persistence requirement is still unmet, so the solution is incomplete.
- ✓
fdisk /dev/sdb → mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1 → echo '/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults 0 0' >> /etc/fstab → mount -a
Why this is correct
This sequence is complete: fdisk creates a partition (/dev/sdb1), mkfs.ext4 places a filesystem on it, the echo appends a persistent entry to /etc/fstab with mount options 'defaults' and dump/pass flags, and mount -a reads fstab and mounts all filesystems listed there. As long as the /data mount point directory exists, this will mount /dev/sdb1 immediately and automatically at every boot. The fstab entry is what makes the configuration persistent and distinguishes this from the temporary-mount-only alternatives.
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