A systems administrator is troubleshooting a Linux file server following an unexpected datacenter-wide power outage. The server boots, but an application is unable to access its data directory. When attempting to list the contents of the /srv/app_data directory, the administrator receives an "Input/output error". Other directories on the same logical volume are accessible, but some files appear to be missing. System logs from the boot process show multiple errors related to inconsistencies in the filesystem structure. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of these issues?
The correct answer is a corrupt filesystem table. The combination of symptoms after a sudden power outage-including 'Input/output' errors on specific directories, missing files, and log entries about filesystem inconsistencies-points directly to logical corruption of the filesystem's metadata. A RAID cache battery failure is a potential underlying cause for the corruption if write-back caching was enabled, but the immediate problem causing the errors is the corruption itself. Multiple drive failure or loose connectors would more likely cause the entire logical volume to be inaccessible, not just produce errors on specific directories.
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What is a filesystem table?
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