EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. $ lsblk -f NAME FSTYPE LABEL UUID MOUNTPOINT sda ├─sda1 xfs abcdef12-3456-7890-abcd-ef1234567890 /boot ├─sda2 swap 12345678-... [SWAP] └─sda3 LVM2_member ... / sdb └─sdb1
The administrator wants to mount a new filesystem on /dev/sdb1 with the label 'backup' and mount it at /mnt/backup. Which commands achieve this?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates may think mounting by label requires an /etc/fstab entry (as initially stated in the explanation for B), but mount -L works without fstab. Also, they might overlook that both B and C are valid sequences.
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
✓
mkfs.xfs /dev/sdb1 && xfs_admin -L backup /dev/sdb1 && mount -L backup /mnt/backup
Both options B and C correctly create an XFS filesystem with the label 'backup' on /dev/sdb1 and mount it to /mnt/backup. Option B uses mkfs.xfs, then sets the label with xfs_admin, then mounts by label (mount -L works without fstab). Option C creates the filesystem with the label in one step and mounts by device path. Options A and D are incorrect: A includes an unnecessary parted command and uses ext4? Actually A creates an XFS partition but then mounts? Wait A: parted ... mkpart primary xfs ... && mkfs.xfs -L backup /dev/sdb1. It doesn't mount, so incomplete. D uses ext4, not XFS. Thus B and C are both valid.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
parted /dev/sdb mkpart primary xfs 0% 100% && mkfs.xfs -L backup /dev/sdb1
Why it's wrong here
The parted command is misused: mkpart does not accept a filesystem type like 'xfs' as a valid partition type; it expects a partition type (e.g., primary, logical) and optionally a filesystem type on some architectures, but 'xfs' is not recognized and will likely error. Even if the partition already exists, this command chain never mounts the filesystem, so it fails to meet the requirement. Running mkpart on /dev/sdb may also repartition the disk and risk data loss if /dev/sdb is already in use.
- ✓
mkfs.xfs /dev/sdb1 && xfs_admin -L backup /dev/sdb1 && mount -L backup /mnt/backup
Why this is correct
This sequence correctly creates an XFS filesystem on the existing /dev/sdb1, assigns it the label 'backup' using xfs_admin -L, and mounts it by label with 'mount -L backup /mnt/backup'. Mounting by label resolves through /dev/disk/by-label, avoiding dependence on unstable device names, and works without needing an /etc/fstab entry for immediate use. It assumes the partition already exists and that /mnt/backup is a valid mount point, both of which are prerequisites.
- ✓
mkfs.xfs -L backup /dev/sdb1 && mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/backup
Why this is correct
Here, mkfs.xfs -L backup creates the XFS filesystem and sets the label in a single step, eliminating the need for a separate xfs_admin call. The subsequent mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/backup mounts the device directly by its kernel device node, which is correct and immediate. While this works, it is less robust than mounting by label because device names can change across reboots, but the command is still functionally correct for a one-time mount.
- ✗
mkfs.ext4 -L backup /dev/sdb1 && echo '/dev/sdb1 /mnt/backup ext4 defaults 0 0' >> /etc/fstab
Why it's wrong here
This option is wrong primarily because it creates an ext4 filesystem, not the required XFS, so the resulting filesystem does not match the intended configuration or potentially the system's default for new volumes. Additionally, although it adds a valid fstab entry, it never actually mounts the filesystem; a reboot or an explicit 'mount -a' would be needed to activate it. The fstab entry also specifies ext4, compounding the mismatch with the expected XFS filesystem.
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