EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
You are managing a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 server that hosts a critical database application. The database stores its data on an XFS filesystem mounted on /data, backed by a logical volume in a volume group named vg_db. Recently, the database team reported that write operations are failing with 'Disk quota exceeded' errors, but the filesystem still shows 40% free space. You check the filesystem quota configuration and find that no user or group quotas are set on /data. The database runs as user 'dbadmin' with group 'dba'. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the 'Disk quota exceeded' error?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume 'Disk quota exceeded' always implies user or group quotas are configured, overlooking XFS project quotas which operate on directory trees and are invisible to standard 'quota' or 'repquota' commands without the '-p' flag.
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
✓
An XFS project quota is configured on the /data directory, limiting the space used by the database files.
XFS project quotas can limit the total space used by a directory tree, regardless of the user or group that owns the files. Even though no user or group quotas are set, a project quota on /data restricts the database files, causing 'Disk quota exceeded' errors despite 40% free space on the filesystem.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The logical volume is thin provisioned and the data pool is full.
Why it's wrong here
A thin-provisioned logical volume draws from a shared data pool: the LV can exceed the pool's actual size, but when the pool fills, all writes fail with I/O errors or 'out of space' conditions at the device mapper layer. This is not reported as a quota error, because quotas are enforced by the filesystem (XFS) based on ownership, group, or project ID, not by the underlying storage stack. The symptom would be generic ENOSPC or I/O errors, not EDQUOT.
- ✓
An XFS project quota is configured on the /data directory, limiting the space used by the database files.
Why this is correct
XFS project quotas are designed to limit usage of a directory subtree by assigning a project ID (e.g., project 42) to /data and setting a hard block limit. All files in /data, including the database files, inherit that project ID, and when the aggregate usage reaches the limit, further writes return the 'Disk quota exceeded' (EDQUOT) error. This is exactly the behavior described in the question, making it the correct explanation.
- ✗
SELinux is blocking the database writes due to a denial.
Why it's wrong here
SELinux denials prevent access based on security contexts and are recorded in the audit log (e.g., /var/log/audit/audit.log). When SELinux blocks a write, the process receives EACCES (Permission denied), not EDQUOT ('Disk quota exceeded'). Moreover, SELinux is a mandatory access control mechanism, separate from filesystem capacity management, so it cannot produce a quota-specific error.
- ✗
The filesystem has run out of inodes.
Why it's wrong here
Running out of inodes on a filesystem means the metadata space for new files is exhausted, even if free block space remains. In this condition, attempting to create or extend a file fails with ENOSPC ('No space left on device'), not a quota exceeded error. Inode exhaustion can be diagnosed with df -i and is unrelated to project quotas, which enforce block/space limits rather than inode counts in this scenario.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This EX200 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the EX200 exam.