EX200 Deploy, configure, and maintain systems Practice Question
This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of deploy, configure, and maintain systems. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 system was recently updated via 'yum update'. After reboot, the systemd-logind service fails to start with the error 'Failed to start Login Service' and 'Permission denied' messages in the journal. The administrator checks the SELinux status with 'getenforce' and it returns 'Enforcing'. The administrator also notices that the '/var/run' directory is now a symlink to '/run'. There are no firewall issues. The service works if SELinux is set to permissive. Which single action should the administrator take to resolve this issue permanently?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Run 'restorecon -Rv /run' to restore default SELinux contexts for /run
After a yum update, SELinux contexts on /run may be incorrect because /var/run is a symlink to /run. When SELinux is enforcing, systemd-logind requires the correct context (typically system_u:object_r:var_run_t:s0) on /run to access its runtime files. Running 'restorecon -Rv /run' restores the default SELinux contexts for all files under /run, resolving the 'Permission denied' errors permanently without disabling SELinux.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 'restorecon -Rv /run' to restore default SELinux contexts for /run
Why this is correct
Restoring contexts on /run will fix permission problems caused by mislabeled files.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Add 'selinux=0' to kernel boot parameters and reboot
Why it's wrong here
Disabling SELinux is not a permanent or recommended fix.
✗
Edit the systemd-logind service unit to add 'Permissions=yes'
Why it's wrong here
No such option exists; SELinux cannot be bypassed per service without changes.
✗
Reinstall the systemd-logind package using 'yum reinstall systemd'
Why it's wrong here
Reinstalling does not address SELinux context issues.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may focus on the symlink (/var/run -> /run) and assume a package reinstall or disabling SELinux is needed, rather than recognizing that SELinux contexts on the target directory (/run) are the root cause, which is fixed by a simple restorecon.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, /var/run is a legacy symlink to /run (a tmpfs mount) since RHEL 7. After a yum update that relabels files or changes policies, the SELinux context on /run may revert to a default that does not match the expected type (var_run_t). The 'restorecon' command uses the file_contexts database to apply the correct context recursively, which is necessary because systemd-logind creates and accesses files like /run/systemd/sessions with specific SELinux requirements. In real-world scenarios, this issue often occurs after package updates that trigger relabeling or when administrators manually move or recreate /run.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the EX200 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Deploy, configure, and maintain systems — This question tests Deploy, configure, and maintain systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Run 'restorecon -Rv /run' to restore default SELinux contexts for /run — After a yum update, SELinux contexts on /run may be incorrect because /var/run is a symlink to /run. When SELinux is enforcing, systemd-logind requires the correct context (typically system_u:object_r:var_run_t:s0) on /run to access its runtime files. Running 'restorecon -Rv /run' restores the default SELinux contexts for all files under /run, resolving the 'Permission denied' errors permanently without disabling SELinux.
What should I do if I get this EX200 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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