EX200 Deploy, configure, and maintain systems Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are common steps to configure a system to automatically mount an NFS share at boot?
⚠ Common exam trap
Red Hat often tests the misconception that /etc/exports is a client-side configuration file, when in fact it is strictly a server-side file used to define exported directories, not client-side automount settings.
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
✓
Ensure nfs-utils is installed
B is correct because the NFS client functionality in Red Hat Enterprise Linux is provided by the nfs-utils package. Without this package installed, the system lacks the necessary tools (such as mount.nfs and rpcbind) to mount NFS shares, making it impossible to configure automatic mounting at boot.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run 'mount -a' after boot
Why it's wrong here
Running 'mount -a' after boot only processes the entries already listed in /etc/fstab at that moment; it does not create or modify any persistent configuration. It is a manual command used to test or apply fstab changes, not a configuration step that makes NFS mounts happen automatically at boot. Therefore, while useful for validation, it is incorrect as a common configuration step.
- ✓
Ensure nfs-utils is installed
Why this is correct
The nfs-utils package must be present on the client because it supplies mount.nfs, a helper binary that the kernel's NFS client calls to perform the mount operation, along with tools like showmount. On Red Hat Enterprise Linux, if nfs-utils is not installed, any attempt to mount an NFS share fails with 'mount: unknown filesystem type nfs'. Thus, ensuring nfs-utils is installed is a fundamental prerequisite for an NFS client.
- ✓
Use autofs
Why this is correct
autofs provides a kernel-based automounter that mounts NFS directories on demand when they are accessed, using configuration files such as /etc/auto.master and /etc/auto.nfs. The autofs service can be enabled with systemctl enable autofs, making it a valid and common client-side approach to establishing NFS mounts without permanently adding them to /etc/fstab. It is explicitly listed as a correct answer for client configuration.
- ✗
Configure /etc/exports
Why it's wrong here
The /etc/exports file is read by the NFS server's exportfs process (via nfs-server) to define which local directories are made available to remote clients and with what access restrictions. A client never reads or writes this file; it is purely server-side configuration. For mounting NFS shares at boot on a client, you would add entries to /etc/fstab or configure autofs, not edit /etc/exports.
- ✓
Add an entry to /etc/fstab
Why this is correct
Adding an entry to /etc/fstab is the traditional persistent method: the line specifies the remote export, the local mount point, the filesystem type 'nfs' (or 'nfs4'), and mount options such as 'defaults,_netdev' or 'rw,sync'. At boot, systemd processes fstab entries and attempts to mount them, and the _netdev option ensures the mount happens after network is online. This is a standard client configuration step for conventional NFS mounts.
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