EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
Which TWO commands are valid for resizing an XFS file system? (Choose exactly two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Red Hat often tests the distinction between file system-specific tools, so the trap here is that candidates confuse `resize2fs` (for ext4) with `xfs_growfs` (for XFS), or mistakenly think `xfs_admin` can resize the file system when it only manages labels and UUIDs.
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
✓
xfs_growfs /mnt
`xfs_growfs` is the dedicated command for resizing (growing) an XFS file system while it is mounted. It expands the file system to fill the available space in the underlying device or logical volume, making it the primary tool for XFS resizing operations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
xfs_admin -L /mnt
Why it's wrong here
xfs_admin is a utility for tuning and displaying parameters of an XFS filesystem, such as setting the volume label, UUID, or other metadata, but it has no functionality to alter the size of the filesystem. The -L option specifically sets the label, not the size, and the command expects a device argument rather than a mount point, so it is invalid for resizing. Attempting to use xfs_admin -L /mnt to resize an XFS filesystem would fail because it is not designed for size changes.
- ✓
xfs_growfs /mnt
Why this is correct
xfs_growfs is the standard tool for resizing an XFS filesystem, and running it with a mount point grows the filesystem to occupy all available space in the underlying device or logical volume. This command works online—meaning the filesystem can remain mounted and in use during the operation—which is a key advantage in production environments. Therefore, xfs_growfs /mnt is a valid and correct answer for resizing an XFS filesystem.
- ✗
resize2fs /dev/sda1
Why it's wrong here
resize2fs is the resizing utility specifically for the ext2, ext3, and ext4 filesystem families, not for XFS. It operates using EXT2_IOC_RESIZE_FS ioctl and expects ext-family superblock structures, so running it against an XFS device like /dev/sda1 will fail with an error about an unsupported filesystem type. Because it cannot understand or modify XFS metadata, this command is invalid for resizing an XFS filesystem.
- ✓
xfs_growfs -D 10g /mnt
Why this is correct
xfs_growfs -D 10g /mnt is a valid resizing command because the -D option explicitly sets the new filesystem size to 10 gigabytes, overriding the default behavior of expanding to the full device capacity. It can be used as an alternative to the plain xfs_growfs /mnt when you want to control the exact final size, and the command still requires the target to be larger than the current filesystem since XFS only supports growing. This option is useful when extending a logical volume to a specific size rather than filling all available space.
- ✗
xfs_repair /dev/sda1
Why it's wrong here
xfs_repair is a filesystem repair tool used to check and rebuild XFS metadata, such as inodes, allocation group headers, and the log, but it does not have any capability to resize a filesystem. It typically requires the filesystem to be unmounted and will refuse to operate on a mounted filesystem, whereas resizing with xfs_growfs is an online operation. Thus, xfs_repair /dev/sda1 is not a resizing command and is invalid for this purpose.
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