This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of deploy, configure, and maintain 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.
An administrator has a logical volume 'lv_data' in a volume group 'vg_data' with a filesystem. The administrator needs to reduce the size of 'lv_data' by 2GB. Which sequence of commands should be performed?
umount, e2fsck -f, resize2fs, lvreduce
Correct order: unmount, check, shrink filesystem, then shrink LV.
lvreduce, resize2fs, e2fsck, umount
Why wrong: LV must be unmounted and filesystem checked before shrinking.
resize2fs, lvreduce, umount, e2fsck
Why wrong: Filesystem must be unmounted before checking and shrinking.
umount, lvreduce, resize2fs, e2fsck
Why wrong: Shrinking the LV before the filesystem can cause data loss.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
umount, e2fsck -f, resize2fs, lvreduce
Option A is correct because reducing a logical volume with a filesystem requires a specific sequence: first unmount the filesystem to ensure no writes occur, then run e2fsck -f to force a filesystem check and ensure consistency, then use resize2fs to shrink the filesystem to the desired size, and finally lvreduce to shrink the logical volume itself. This order prevents data corruption by resizing the filesystem before the underlying block device.
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.
umount, e2fsck -f, resize2fs, lvreduce
Why this is correct
Correct order: unmount, check, shrink filesystem, then shrink LV.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
lvreduce, resize2fs, e2fsck, umount
Why it's wrong here
LV must be unmounted and filesystem checked before shrinking.
resize2fs, lvreduce, umount, e2fsck
Why it's wrong here
Filesystem must be unmounted before checking and shrinking.
umount, lvreduce, resize2fs, e2fsck
Why it's wrong here
Shrinking the LV before the filesystem can cause data loss.
Common exam traps
Red Hat often tests the misconception that you can reduce the logical volume first and then shrink the filesystem, but the correct order is always filesystem first, then LV reduction, with unmount and fsck as prerequisites.
Detailed technical explanation
The resize2fs command operates on the filesystem metadata to adjust the block group descriptors and inode tables, and it requires the filesystem to be checked with e2fsck -f first to ensure no inconsistencies. The lvreduce command uses the device-mapper to remove physical extents from the logical volume, and if the filesystem is larger than the reduced LV, writes will corrupt data. In a real-world scenario, failing to unmount first can cause the kernel to panic or the filesystem to become unmountable.
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
Deploy, configure, and maintain systems — This question tests Deploy, configure, and maintain systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: umount, e2fsck -f, resize2fs, lvreduce — Option A is correct because reducing a logical volume with a filesystem requires a specific sequence: first unmount the filesystem to ensure no writes occur, then run e2fsck -f to force a filesystem check and ensure consistency, then use resize2fs to shrink the filesystem to the desired size, and finally lvreduce to shrink the logical volume itself. This order prevents data corruption by resizing the filesystem before the underlying block device.
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 30, 2026
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