Palo Alto Networks PCNSE Exam Actual Questions

Palo Alto Networks recommends following a specific upgrade path when upgrading PAN-OS to ensure compatibility and minimize the risk of issues. The recommended path involves sequential upgrades through major releases.

B) The detailed upgrade path from PAN-OS 10.1 to 11.0.x involves:

First, upgrading to the latest preferred maintenance release of the current PAN-OS version (10.1) to ensure that all the latest fixes and improvements are applied.

Next, upgrading to the base version of the next major release (PAN-OS 10.2.0), followed by upgrading to the latest preferred maintenance release of PAN-OS 10.2. This step ensures that the firewall is on a stable and supported version before proceeding to the next major release.

Finally, upgrading to the base version of PAN-OS 11.0 (11.0.0), followed by the desired PAN-OS 11.0.x version. This step completes the upgrade to the new major version, providing access to new features and improvements, such as TLSv1.3 support for management access.

This sequential upgrade path is designed to ensure a smooth transition between major versions, maintaining system stability and security.

For an application that is currently identified as unknown-tcp and has sessions that often remain idle for long periods, creating a custom application and using an application override rule is the most time-efficient solution.

C) The process involves:

Creating a custom application in the Palo Alto Networks firewall and configuring it with specific timeouts to accommodate the application's idle session behavior. This step ensures that the firewall does not prematurely close the application's sessions due to inactivity.

Next, creating an application override rule that references the custom application. This rule directs the firewall to identify traffic matching the rule criteria (such as source, destination, and port information) as the custom application, bypassing the App-ID engine's regular identification process.

This approach allows for the quick implementation of a solution that ensures the application is properly identified in traffic logs without undergoing threat scanning, meeting the requirements for both identification and reporting.

To enable XML API access to a firewall for automation from a network segment routed through a Layer 3 sub-interface, the most straightforward approach is to use an Interface Management profile.

C) This can be achieved by:

Configuring an Interface Management profile and enabling HTTPS access on it. This profile defines management services that are permitted on the interface, including HTTPS, which is required for XML API access.

Applying this Interface Management profile to the desired Layer 3 sub-interface. This action enables HTTPS access (and thus XML API access) on the sub-interface, allowing devices on the connected network segment to communicate with the firewall for automation purposes.

This solution allows for the secure extension of management capabilities to network segments without direct access to the dedicated management interface, facilitating automation and operational efficiency without necessitating changes to existing access configurations.

The Advanced Routing Engine in Palo Alto Networks firewalls enhances the capabilities of routing functionalities, allowing for more complex and robust routing configurations. To enable the Advanced Routing Engine on a Palo Alto Networks firewall, an administrator needs to navigate to the Network tab, select Virtual Routers, and then access the settings for the specific virtual router they wish to configure. Within the Router Settings under the General tab, there's an option to enable Advanced Routing features. After enabling this option, the administrator must commit the changes and perform a system reboot for the changes to take effect. This process allows the firewall to utilize advanced routing protocols and features, enhancing its ability to manage and route traffic more efficiently across different network segments.

When using certificate authentication for firewall administration on Palo Alto Networks devices, the method used for authorization is typically the Local database. Certificate authentication ensures that the entity attempting to access the firewall is in possession of a valid certificate. Once the certificate is validated for authentication, the authorization process determines what level of access or permissions the authenticated entity has. This is usually managed locally on the firewall, where administrators can define roles and permissions associated with different users or certificates. Thus, the authorization process, in this case, leverages the Local database to enforce access controls and permissions, aligning with best practices for secure management of network devices.