220-1102 Question 16
Single answerExtended filesystem (XFS)A Linux workstation used for video editing stores large media files on a secondary disk mounted at /data. After an unexpected power loss, the system boots, but the /data volume will not mount. A technician confirms the partition uses the XFS filesystem. Which action is the MOST appropriate to attempt first to restore access to the volume while minimizing the risk of unnecessary data damage?
- A
Run xfs_repair against the unmounted /data filesystem
- B
Run fsck.ext4 on the /data partition to repair journal errors
- C
Convert the XFS partition to ext4 and then remount it
- D
Use chkdsk /f on the disk from a Windows recovery environment
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
XFS is a high-performance journaling filesystem commonly used on Linux systems, especially for large files and large storage volumes. When an XFS filesystem becomes inconsistent after an unclean shutdown and cannot be mounted, the standard repair utility is xfs_repair, and it should be run against the unmounted filesystem. Using ext-family tools such as fsck.ext4 is inappropriate because XFS has different metadata structures and repair mechanisms. Likewise, Windows tools such as chkdsk do not understand XFS. Best practice is to identify the filesystem type first, verify the volume is not mounted, and then use the filesystem-specific repair tool. This is consistent with Linux administration guidance and the xfs_repair utility documentation from the xfsprogs package.
- A. Correct.
Correct. XFS uses its own repair utility, xfs_repair, rather than the generic ext filesystem repair tools. If an XFS volume will not mount after an unclean shutdown, the appropriate first repair step is to ensure the filesystem is unmounted and run xfs_repair. This aligns with standard Linux administration practice for XFS volumes.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. fsck.ext4 is designed for ext4 filesystems, not XFS. Using the wrong repair tool will not properly repair an XFS volume and reflects a common misconception that all Linux filesystems can be repaired with the same fsck utility.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Filesystems are not simply 'converted' in place as a first troubleshooting step after a mount failure. Converting or reformatting would be destructive or require migration steps and would not be the correct initial response when the goal is to preserve data and restore access.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. chkdsk is a Windows disk-checking utility for filesystems such as NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT. It does not repair Linux XFS filesystems. This option reflects confusion between Windows and Linux disk maintenance tools.