EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
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 has two logical volumes in the same volume group: 'lv_prod' (100% used) and 'lv_backup' (20% used). The administrator wants to allocate 5 GiB from 'lv_backup' to 'lv_prod' without unmounting any filesystems. Is this possible and why?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
No, because ext4 filesystems cannot be shrunk online; they must be unmounted.
Option C is correct because ext4 filesystems do not support online shrinking; they must be unmounted before reducing the logical volume. Since the administrator wants to shrink lv_backup (which is only 20% used) to free 5 GiB, the ext4 filesystem on that LV must be unmounted first. Without unmounting, the lvreduce operation would fail, making the scenario impossible as described.
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.
✗
Yes, use lvreduce and lvextend while mounted; ext4 supports online shrinking.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: ext4 does not support online shrink.
✗
No, because LVM does not allow freeing extents from an LV while it is active.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: LVM allows reduction but filesystem must be shrunk first.
✓
No, because ext4 filesystems cannot be shrunk online; they must be unmounted.
Why this is correct
Correct: ext4 requires unmount for shrink.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Yes, use lvresize to move extents between LVs directly.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: lvresize cannot move extents between LVs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse LVM's ability to resize logical volumes online (which is true for both growth and reduction at the LVM layer) with the filesystem's ability to shrink online, forgetting that ext4 requires unmounting for shrink operations.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, LVM can reduce a logical volume while it is active (using lvreduce with the -r flag), but this relies on the underlying filesystem supporting online shrink. ext4 uses a block allocation bitmap that cannot be safely modified while the filesystem is mounted, as it would risk data corruption. In contrast, XFS supports online growth but not shrink at all, while btrfs and ZFS support online shrink. In a real-world scenario, if you need to reallocate space between LVs with ext4, you must schedule downtime to unmount the filesystem being shrunk.
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.
Create and configure file systems — This question tests Create and configure file systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: No, because ext4 filesystems cannot be shrunk online; they must be unmounted. — Option C is correct because ext4 filesystems do not support online shrinking; they must be unmounted before reducing the logical volume. Since the administrator wants to shrink lv_backup (which is only 20% used) to free 5 GiB, the ext4 filesystem on that LV must be unmounted first. Without unmounting, the lvreduce operation would fail, making the scenario impossible as described.
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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