Fortinet FCSS - Network Security 7.6 Support Engineer - FCSS_NST_SE-7.6 Practice Questions

Explanation:

The diagnose debug rating output displays the list of FortiGuard servers used for web filtering and other security services. The server 64.26.151.37 appears at the top of the list with a low RTT (45ms) and has processed 262,432 requests, which is a high number compared to others. This indicates it has been actively used. FortiGate devices contact a FortiGuard server first to validate their license/contract when the service is enabled. The server with the highest request count and prime position in the list is typically the initial validation server.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect:

A. The IP 121.111.236.179 does not appear in the server list provided. The output shows entirely different IPs. This option is fabricated.

B. There is no correlation between the Weight field and the FortiGuard-requests field. Weight is a static priority value assigned to each server (e.g., 10 or 20), while request counts are dynamic and based on actual usage. Servers with weight 10 have both high and low request counts.

D. The TZ (Time Zone) field does not influence server preference. Preference is determined by a combination of Weight (priority), RTT (latency), and flags. The flags column shows statuses like D (down) or DI (down and initial connection failed), which affect selection, but TZ is purely informational.

Reference:
FortiOS uses FortiGuard servers for real-time security services. The command diagnose debug rating shows server selection metrics. The initial contract validation occurs with the first responsive server, often the one with the lowest RTT and highest weight.

Explanation:

Parallel Path Processing (PPP) is a FortiOS mechanism that evaluates multiple processing paths in parallel to determine the most efficient route for handling a packet. It uses firewall policy configuration and UTM/NGFW feature sets to decide how traffic should be processed — whether through fast-path offloading (via CP processors) or deep inspection paths.

PPP is triggered during the first packet of a session, where FortiOS evaluates all applicable paths (e.g., IPS, AV, DLP, App Control) and selects the optimal one based on policy and hardware acceleration availability.

Once a session is established, subsequent packets follow the chosen path, meaning PPP is not re-evaluated for those packets.

❌ Why the other options fail:

B. Only FortiGate hardware configurations affect the path:
Incorrect. While hardware (CP8/CP9) influences acceleration, software configuration (firewall policies, UTM profiles) directly determines which path PPP selects.

C. PPP does not apply to packets that are part of an already established session:
Technically true, but misleading. PPP does apply to the first packet, which is the critical decision point. This option is a distractor.

D. Software configuration has no impact on PPP:
False. Firewall policies and UTM settings are central to PPP, as they define which inspection engines are invoked.

📖 Reference:
Fortinet Docs – Parallel Path Processing (Life of a Packet)

Explanation:

The output shows the diagnostic command diagnose automation test HAFailover returned the result automation test failed(1). This indicates the automation stitch test itself failed to execute properly. Furthermore, the diagnostic output does not show any subsequent log messages that would normally be generated by a successful stitch execution. Therefore, the test was unsuccessful, and the stitch is not being logged due to the failure.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect:

B. The automation stitch test failed but the HA failover was successful.
This is incorrect. The diagnostic command only tests the automation stitch named "HAFailover". It does not trigger, monitor, or confirm an actual HA failover event. The output explicitly states the test failed; it makes no statement about the success of a real failover.

C. An HA failover occurred.
This is false. The diagnose automation test command is a troubleshooting tool to validate the logic and triggering of an automation stitch configuration. It simulates the stitch's conditions and actions in a test environment. It does not execute the actual actions (like forcing an HA failover). No failover occurred.

Reference:

FortiOS Automation Stitches:
These are configured triggers and actions. The diagnose automation test command tests if the stitch's trigger conditions are met and if the actions would execute, without performing the actual actions.

Explanation:

B. Automation stitches support sequential action execution where the output (parameters) from one action can be used as input for the next action. This is achieved using variables (like %%log.time%% or %%results%%) that capture data from a previous step, enabling complex workflows.

D. This describes a primary use case. An automation stitch can be triggered by a CLI script action (e.g., diagnose sys top) and an email action to send the results. The trigger condition can be based on system metrics like high CPU/memory, defined via a System Threshold Monitor or event-based trigger.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect:

A. Automation stitches are configured on the FortiGate Manager (FMG) or locally on a standalone FortiGate. They are not configurable on "any FortiGate device in a Security Fabric environment" unless that device is the FMG or the primary Fabric root.

C. Automation stitches configured for parallel execution run all actions simultaneously when triggered. You cannot insert a specific delay between actions in parallel mode. Delays (pause action) are only available in sequential mode to control timing between steps.

Reference:
FortiOS Automation Guide – Stitches can run actions sequentially with variable passing and are triggered by events (logs, thresholds). They integrate CLI diagnostics with notification actions like email.

Explanation:

A.The column State/PfxRcd shows the number of prefixes received from each neighbor. For neighbor 100.64.1.254, the value is 1, indicating one BGP route (prefix) has been accepted and installed in the routing table.

C. The column MsgRcvd shows the total number of BGP messages received from each neighbor since the session started. For neighbor 100.64.1.254, the value is 18 BGP packets (which include KEEPALIVE, UPDATE, NOTIFICATION, and OPEN messages).

Why the Other Options are Incorrect:

B. The TCP connection with neighbor 100.64.2.254 was NOT successful.
The State is shown as Active, which means the FortiGate is attempting to establish a TCP connection (or a BGP session) but has not succeeded. A successful session would show a numeric prefix count and an Up/Down time (like 00:02:55), not Active.

D. This is incorrect for two reasons.
First, the neighbor IP is wrong (100.64.2.264 vs. the actual 100.64.2.254 in the output). Second, the neighbor 100.64.2.254 is in Active state, meaning no BGP session exists, so there are no prefixes to calculate. The FortiGate is not calculating prefixes; it is stuck trying to establish the initial TCP connection.

Reference:
FortiOS BGP monitoring. In get router info bgp summary:
State/PfxRcd: Shows session state and prefixes received (a number means established; Active means trying to connect).
MsgRcvd: Total BGP messages received from that neighbor.
Up/Down: Session duration; never means never established.

Explanation:

A. The expire=23 field indicates this is a session expectation (a temporary pinhole) that will be removed if the expected return traffic is not seen within 23 seconds. This is a security measure to close dynamic pinholes if the anticipated traffic doesn't arrive.

C. The state=new npu acct-ext complex and proto_state=00 with expire timer are classic indicators of a session expectation created for protocols that use dynamic ports (like FTP, SIP, or certain gaming protocols). The firewall creates this placeholder/pinhole to allow the expected return traffic, which will match this expectation and spawn a new data session.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect:

B. Clearing the master session does impact the expectation session.
Expectations are dependent on the parent session that created them (e.g., the FTP control session). If the master session is cleared (terminated), its associated expectations are also removed because the pinhole is no longer needed.

D. The session is not checked against firewall policy ID 25.
The field policy_id=25 is the policy ID of the parent/master session that triggered this expectation. The expectation session itself bypasses policy check (hook=pre dir=org act=chat shows it's handled pre-policy by the kernel). Traffic matching this expectation will be allowed without re-evaluating policy ID 25.

Reference:
FortiOS Session Helpers and Expectations. In diagnose sys session list output:
expire: Timer for expectation sessions.
state=...complex: Indicates a helper-created expectation.
hook=pre dir=org act=chat: Shows the session is processed in the kernel pre-policy for ALG/helper traffic.