This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of configure local storage. 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.
An admin is setting up a new RHEL 9 server. He has two disks: /dev/sda (500GB) and /dev/sdb (500GB). He wants to create a 300GB logical volume for application data, with the ability to take snapshots. He decides to use LVM thin provisioning. He creates a physical volume on /dev/sda, a volume group vg_data, and a thin pool with 300GB of data space and 10GB metadata. He then creates a thin volume lv_app of 300GB. Later, he wants to extend lv_app to 400GB as usage increases. He runs 'lvextend -L+100G /dev/vg_data/lv_app'. The command succeeds, but the application reports no additional space. What is the likely issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
He forgot to resize the filesystem (e.g., xfs_growfs or resize2fs).
Option D is correct because when extending a thin volume, the underlying logical volume is extended, but the filesystem on top of it does not automatically grow. The admin must run a filesystem-specific command like xfs_growfs (for XFS) or resize2fs (for ext4) to make the additional space available to the application. Without this step, the filesystem remains at its original size, so the application sees no change.
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.
✗
The thin pool has insufficient free space to accommodate the extension.
Why it's wrong here
If lvextend succeeded, the pool had enough space; but the command would fail otherwise.
✗
The thin volume must be unmounted to extend.
Why it's wrong here
Thin volumes can be extended online.
✗
He should have used lvextend with the --resizefs option.
Why it's wrong here
--resizefs is not supported with thin volumes in LVM.
✓
He forgot to resize the filesystem (e.g., xfs_growfs or resize2fs).
Why this is correct
Extending the LV does not automatically resize the filesystem; a separate resize command is needed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume lvextend automatically resizes the filesystem, but in standard LVM (without the --resizefs flag, which does not exist), the filesystem must be resized separately, and this is a frequent point of confusion in the EX200 exam.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
If lvextend succeeded, the pool had enough space; but the command would fail otherwise.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
LVM thin provisioning uses a thin pool (a special logical volume) that allocates data blocks on demand from a data volume, with a separate metadata volume tracking mappings. When a thin volume is extended, only the logical size is increased; the filesystem must be resized to match, which for XFS requires xfs_growfs (online) and for ext4 requires resize2fs (online or offline). In real-world scenarios, forgetting this step is common, especially when using thin volumes where the lvextend command succeeds silently.
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.
Configure local storage — This question tests Configure local storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: He forgot to resize the filesystem (e.g., xfs_growfs or resize2fs). — Option D is correct because when extending a thin volume, the underlying logical volume is extended, but the filesystem on top of it does not automatically grow. The admin must run a filesystem-specific command like xfs_growfs (for XFS) or resize2fs (for ext4) to make the additional space available to the application. Without this step, the filesystem remains at its original size, so the application sees no change.
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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