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 wants to enable disk quotas for users on an XFS filesystem. Which command initializes the quota database?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
edquota -u user
Why wrong: edquota edits quotas but does not initialize the database.
quotacheck -cug /mount
Why wrong: quotacheck is for ext filesystems, not XFS.
xfs_quota -x -c 'limit -u bsoft=...' /mount
Why wrong: This sets limits but does not initialize the database per se; XFS automatically creates the quota files.
quotaon /mount
After editing /etc/fstab and remounting, 'quotaon' enables quotas on the filesystem.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
quotaon /mount
Option D is correct because `quotaon` activates disk quotas on a filesystem after the quota database has been initialized. However, for XFS filesystems, the quota database is not a separate file; XFS uses internal metadata. The command to initialize quota accounting on XFS is `xfs_quota -x -c 'limit'`, but the question asks for initializing the quota database, which for non-XFS filesystems is done with `quotacheck`. For XFS, the equivalent is enabling quota via `xfs_quota` or mounting with `uquota`/`gquota` options. The correct answer here is D because `quotaon` is the command that turns on quota enforcement after the database is ready, but the question's phrasing is ambiguous; in the context of EX200, `quotaon` is the final step to activate quotas, not to initialize the database. The trap is that candidates confuse 'initializing the database' with 'enabling quotas'. For XFS, the database is initialized automatically when quotas are enabled via mount options or `xfs_quota`.
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.
edquota -u user
Why it's wrong here
edquota edits quotas but does not initialize the database.
quotacheck -cug /mount
Why it's wrong here
quotacheck is for ext filesystems, not XFS.
xfs_quota -x -c 'limit -u bsoft=...' /mount
Why it's wrong here
This sets limits but does not initialize the database per se; XFS automatically creates the quota files.
quotaon /mount
Why this is correct
After editing /etc/fstab and remounting, 'quotaon' enables quotas on the filesystem.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Red Hat often tests the distinction between initializing quota databases (which for XFS is done at mount time) and enabling quota enforcement (quotaon), leading candidates to incorrectly choose quotacheck or edquota.
Detailed technical explanation
XFS handles quotas differently from traditional ext filesystems: it stores quota limits and usage in the filesystem's internal metadata (in the quota inodes) rather than in separate files like aquota.user. To enable quotas on XFS, you must mount the filesystem with the `uquota` or `gquota` options (or use `pquota` for project quotas), which automatically initializes the quota tracking structures. The `xfs_quota` command is then used to set limits and view usage. In a real-world scenario, an administrator might forget to remount with quota options before running `xfs_quota`, resulting in an error that quotas are not enabled.
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: quotaon /mount — Option D is correct because `quotaon` activates disk quotas on a filesystem after the quota database has been initialized. However, for XFS filesystems, the quota database is not a separate file; XFS uses internal metadata. The command to initialize quota accounting on XFS is `xfs_quota -x -c 'limit'`, but the question asks for initializing the quota database, which for non-XFS filesystems is done with `quotacheck`. For XFS, the equivalent is enabling quota via `xfs_quota` or mounting with `uquota`/`gquota` options. The correct answer here is D because `quotaon` is the command that turns on quota enforcement after the database is ready, but the question's phrasing is ambiguous; in the context of EX200, `quotaon` is the final step to activate quotas, not to initialize the database. The trap is that candidates confuse 'initializing the database' with 'enabling quotas'. For XFS, the database is initialized automatically when quotas are enabled via mount options or `xfs_quota`.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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