This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of create and configure file systems. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 system administrator needs to create a file system on a new 10GB partition /dev/sdb1 for use with a database that requires high reliability and supports snapshots. Which file system type should be chosen?
xfs
XFS is the default file system in RHEL 9, supports snapshots via LVM, and is optimized for large files.
ext4
Why wrong: ext4 supports snapshots but is not the default for RHEL 9 and is less optimal for large databases.
vfat
Why wrong: vfat does not support snapshots and is not suitable for a database.
btrfs
Why wrong: btrfs is not covered in RHCSA and is not the default file system in RHEL 9.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
xfs
XFS is the correct choice because it is a high-performance, 64-bit journaling file system that supports snapshots via LVM or external tools, and is designed for large files and partitions. For a database requiring high reliability and snapshot capabilities, XFS provides robust data integrity features and is the default file system in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and later, making it the recommended option for this scenario.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
xfs
Why this is correct
XFS is the default file system in RHEL 9, supports snapshots via LVM, and is optimized for large files.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
ext4
Why it's wrong here
ext4 supports snapshots but is not the default for RHEL 9 and is less optimal for large databases.
vfat
Why it's wrong here
vfat does not support snapshots and is not suitable for a database.
btrfs
Why it's wrong here
btrfs is not covered in RHCSA and is not the default file system in RHEL 9.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may choose btrfs because it natively supports snapshots, but the EX200 exam expects XFS as the default RHEL file system for high-reliability production use, and btrfs is not covered as a standard option in the exam objectives.
Detailed technical explanation
XFS uses a B+ tree structure for directory indexing and delayed allocation, which improves performance for large files and concurrent I/O. Its journaling only logs metadata changes, reducing overhead, and snapshots are typically implemented via LVM thin provisioning or xfs_fsr for online defragmentation. In a real-world database scenario, XFS's ability to handle large files (up to 8 exabytes) and its support for direct I/O make it ideal for workloads like PostgreSQL or MySQL, where data integrity and snapshot-based backups are critical.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Create and configure file systems — This question tests Create and configure file systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: xfs — XFS is the correct choice because it is a high-performance, 64-bit journaling file system that supports snapshots via LVM or external tools, and is designed for large files and partitions. For a database requiring high reliability and snapshot capabilities, XFS provides robust data integrity features and is the default file system in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and later, making it the recommended option for this scenario.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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