300-710 SNCF Practice Exam 2 — 20 Questions

Question 1

An administrator is investigating an issue where connection events are failing to reach the FMC from a managed FTD. Which THREE daemons or logs on the FTD and FMC should be checked to troubleshoot event transport and communication issues? (Choose three)

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

FTD event streaming and SFIMS logs. Option A is correct because the FTD's event streaming process and SFIMS (the Firepower Management Center communication agent) are responsible for generating and forwarding connection events to the FMC, so their logs directly reveal whether events are being produced and transmitted. Option C is correct because /var/log/cisco/sftunnel.log records the status of the sftunnel (Secure Firewall Tunnel) connection between the FTD and FMC; if this tunnel is down or flapping, event transport will fail. Option E is correct because on the FMC, the event collection and correlator components receive and process events, and their logs (for example /var/log/messages or application logs under /var/sf/log) show whether events arrive and are ingested. Option B is not relevant because /var/log/dhcpd.log pertains to DHCP daemon activity, which has nothing to do with FTD-to-FMC event transport. Option D is not relevant because /var/log/samba/smb.log relates to SMB/CIFS file-sharing services, which are unrelated to Firepower event communication.

Answer

/var/log/dhcpd.log

Answer

/var/log/samba/smb.log

Question 2

You need to configure link redundancy on a Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense pair using EtherChannel (Port Channel) across multiple physical interfaces. When configuring LACP (IEEE 802.3ad) for the port channel interface via the Firepower Management Center (FMC), which requirement must be met for successful negotiation?

Accepted Answer

Both the FTD and the connected switch must be configured in LACP active mode or one must be active and the other passive.. LACP (IEEE 802.3ad) requires that at least one side of the link be in active mode for the protocol to negotiate. The valid combinations are active/active or active/passive; passive/passive will never form a bundle because neither side initiates LACP PDUs. On FTD managed by FMC, the port channel must be set to active or passive consistently with the switch side to bring the EtherChannel up.

Answer

The Port Channel must be configured in static mode (ON) regardless of the upstream switch settings to avoid LACP PDUs dropping.

Answer

The EtherChannel must use Source-Destination IP hashing exclusively, as MAC-based hashing is unsupported on FTD.

Answer

LACP fast rate (1-second timer) is mandatory for FTD clustering but optional for standalone firewalls.

Question 3

Which of the following must be identical on both units of an FTD high availability pair to ensure successful synchronization?

Accepted Answer

Software versions.. Both units must have the same model, software version, and license capabilities for the HA configuration to function correctly.

Answer

The management IP addresses.

Answer

The number of configured VLANs.

Answer

Physical serial numbers.

Question 4

An administrator is configuring high availability for Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense using Cisco FMC. Which TWO configuration steps are required during the initial setup of an Active/Standby HA pair? (Choose two)

Accepted Answer

Configure a dedicated failover interface and IP address scheme for stateful heartbeat communication.. Option A is correct because an Active/Standby Threat Defense HA pair requires a dedicated failover link (a physical interface or subinterface) with its own IP addressing scheme, over which the units exchange heartbeat and stateful failover messages. Option D is correct because, during HA configuration in FMC, the administrator must designate which chassis is the Primary unit and which is the Secondary unit, which determines failover precedence and role assignment. Option B is incorrect because HA management interfaces must use static IP addresses on the same subnet, not DHCP, so each unit retains a stable, unique management address for FMC communication. Option C is incorrect because both HA peers must run the same firewall mode (both routed or both transparent); mismatched modes are not supported. Option E is incorrect because stateful failover synchronization should remain enabled so that connections and state tables are replicated to the standby unit for seamless failover.

Answer

Configure the management interfaces to use DHCP so the standby unit can adopt the primary IP address.

Answer

Ensure both units are configured in different firewall modes (one routed, one transparent).

Answer

Disable stateful synchronization to improve failover switching speed.

Question 5

Which of the following is a limitation when deploying an FTD in transparent mode?

Accepted Answer

It does not support dynamic routing protocols.. Transparent mode does not support dynamic routing protocols (like OSPF or BGP) because it acts as an L2 bridge.

Answer

It does not support NAT.

Answer

It cannot handle VLAN tags.

Answer

It requires manual ARP entries for all hosts.

Question 6

Which feature in FMC allows you to group multiple physical interfaces into a single logical zone for policy assignment?

Accepted Answer

Security Zone. Security Zones allow logical grouping of interfaces for easier policy management.

Answer

VLAN Group

Answer

Port Channel

Answer

Bridge Group

Question 7

An administrator integrates Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center with Cisco ISE via pxGrid. After successful registration, the administrator wants to create an Access Control policy rule that blocks traffic from users in the 'Contractors' Security Group Tag. Where in the FMC rule creation wizard should the administrator configure this condition?

Accepted Answer

In the Access Control Rule, navigate to the Users tab and select the desired Security Group Tag.. In FMC Access Control policies, user and tag-based criteria are added under the 'Users' tab of the rule configuration, where Security Group Tags learned via pxGrid can be selected.

Answer

In Objects > Object Management > Access Control > SGT Objects.

Answer

In the Platform Settings policy under Identity Sources.

Answer

In the Access Control Rule, navigate to the Networks tab and select Security Groups.

Question 8

You are deploying FTD in a cloud environment. What is the primary purpose of the 'Management Interface' when launching the virtual instance?

Accepted Answer

To communicate with the FMC.. The management interface is used exclusively for the FMC or FDM to configure and manage the FTD appliance. Data traffic is kept separate to maintain security and throughput.

Answer

To provide high availability heartbeats.

Answer

To perform stateful inspection of internal traffic.

Answer

To handle internet-bound traffic.

Question 9

An administrator is preparing an upgrade plan for an FMC and its managed FTD devices. Which THREE best practices should be followed during the upgrade process to minimize downtime and avoid failure? (Choose three)

Accepted Answer

Take a complete backup of the FMC and export device configurations prior to starting the upgrade.. Option A is correct because taking a full FMC backup and exporting FTD configurations before any upgrade provides a rollback point if the upgrade fails or corrupts data, which is essential for minimizing downtime. Option B is correct because Cisco's upgrade best practice requires the FMC to be upgraded to the target version first, since a newer FMC can manage older FTD versions but an older FMC cannot manage newer FTD devices, avoiding management incompatibility. Option C is correct because running the pre-upgrade checker (e.g., via the FTD CLI or the FMC upgrade readiness check) identifies blockers such as unsupported configurations, insufficient disk space, or deprecated features before the upgrade begins. Option D is incorrect because factory resetting FTD devices after pushing an upgrade would erase the configuration and cause an outage, not minimize downtime. Option E is incorrect because the sftunnel is the management tunnel between FMC and FTD; disabling it permanently would break management and prevent the FMC from pushing the upgrade or policies, and it is not a valid upgrade practice.

Answer

Factory reset all FTD devices immediately after pushing the upgrade package.

Answer

Disable the sftunnel service permanently during the upgrade to prevent packet inspection.

Question 10

You are troubleshooting a port channel failure on an FTD device. The port channel is 'Up/Down'. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Mismatched LACP configuration.. An 'Up/Down' status for a port channel usually indicates that LACP negotiation is failing between the FTD and the connected switch.

Answer

Insufficient license.

Answer

The FTD is in transparent mode.

Answer

Physical cable damage.

Question 11

When deploying an FTD in a virtual environment, what is the primary role of the 'GigabitEthernet0/0' interface by default?

Accepted Answer

Management interface.. In most virtual FTD deployments, the first interface is typically reserved for the management or diagnostic connectivity.

Answer

Failover link.

Answer

Data transit.

Answer

State link.

Question 12

In the context of FTD, what does 'FMC' stand for?

Accepted Answer

Firepower Management Center. FMC is the central management platform for FTD devices.

Answer

Firewall Management Console

Answer

Firewall Monitoring Center

Answer

Firepower Managed Cloud

Question 13

An engineer is troubleshooting a stateful failover issue in a Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Active/Standby high availability pair. The firewall units are passing data traffic, but failover state synchronization fails. Which dedicated interface must be verified for correct physical connectivity and configuration?

Accepted Answer

The Failover and State Link. In a Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Active/Standby high availability pair, stateful failover requires a dedicated Failover and State Link to synchronize state information (such as connection tables and VPN state) between the units. If data traffic passes but failover state synchronization fails, this dedicated link must be verified for physical connectivity and correct configuration.

Answer

The Cluster Control Link (CCL)

Answer

The Management Interface (eth0)

Answer

The Diagnostic Interface

Question 14

Which TWO protocols or mechanisms are used to integrate Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) with Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense? (Choose two)

Accepted Answer

SXP. Cisco ISE integrates with Secure Firewall using pxGrid (for identity/context sharing) and SXP (for SGT tag and IP mapping propagation).

Answer

NetFlow v5

Answer

LDAP direct bind

Answer

SNMPv1

Question 15

Which THREE steps are part of a standard FTD upgrade workflow managed via the FMC?

Accepted Answer

Upload the upgrade package to the FMC. Option C is correct because the standard FTD upgrade workflow managed through the FMC begins by uploading the FTD software upgrade package (image) to the FMC, which then stages it for deployment to managed devices. Option E is correct because after the package is available, the administrator selects the target device(s) in the FMC's Upgrade management page to initiate and schedule the upgrade. Option D is correct because the workflow includes running a readiness/health check on the device and reviewing and approving the resulting health check report before proceeding with the actual upgrade. Options A and B are incorrect: manually deleting all existing access rules is not a step in the upgrade workflow and would disrupt policy, and running a factory reset on the FTD is not part of a standard upgrade—it would wipe the configuration rather than upgrade the software.

Answer

Manually delete all existing access rules

Answer

Run a factory reset on the FTD

Question 16

You are deploying a Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense in an existing core network as an out-of-band intrusion prevention system. Which NGIPS deployment mode should you configure to ensure the firewall performs deep packet inspection and generates alerts without dropping any production traffic in the event of a device failure or high load?

Accepted Answer

Passive deployment mode using a SPAN or tap source. Passive deployment mode using a SPAN or tap source copies traffic to the Threat Defense without placing it inline in the forwarding path, so deep packet inspection and alerts occur without any risk of dropping production traffic. Even if the device fails or is overloaded, the production network is unaffected because traffic never flows through the firewall. This matches the requirement for out-of-band IPS with zero traffic impact.

Answer

Transparent mode with inline bypass enabled

Answer

Inline deployment mode with fail-open enabled

Answer

Routed mode with asymmetric routing tolerance

Question 17

An engineer is configuring an Identity Policy in FMC to enforce user-based access control. Active Directory integration has been established via User Agent, but the engineer notices that some users authenticated via remote access VPN are not being resolved to their IP addresses. Which feature must be integrated into the identity configuration to capture IP-to-user mappings for remote access VPN users?

Accepted Answer

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) via pxGrid or RADIUS Accounting. Remote access VPN users are authenticated by the VPN headend (e.g., Cisco ASA/FTD or ISE), and their IP-to-user mappings are not learned by the User Agent, which relies on Active Directory security event log parsing on domain controllers. To capture these mappings, FMC must integrate with Cisco ISE via pxGrid or receive RADIUS Accounting records, which provide the user-to-IP binding at the time of VPN session establishment. This allows the Identity Policy to resolve VPN users to their assigned IP addresses.

Answer

FMC Captive Portal

Answer

Terminal Services Agent (TS Agent)

Answer

SNMP polling of the DHCP server

Question 18

When deploying a Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense device, what is the purpose of configuring Security Zones?

Accepted Answer

To logically group one or more interfaces together for simplified Access Control Policy application.. Security Zones on FTD are used to logically group one or more interfaces together so that Access Control Policies can be applied to the zone rather than individual interfaces. This simplifies policy management and allows consistent enforcement across multiple interfaces that share the same security posture.

Answer

To establish High Availability stateful synchronization between primary and secondary nodes.

Answer

To assign VLAN IDs to physical switch ports connected to the firewall.

Answer

To encrypt traffic passing between interfaces belonging to different zones using IPsec.

Question 19

When you have multiple overlapping NAT rules, which rule is applied?

Accepted Answer

The first matching rule. The FTD matches NAT rules using a top-down approach, similar to Access Control rules.

Answer

The rule that matches the interface

Answer

The rule with the lowest priority

Answer

The most specific rule

Question 20

In an FTD cluster, what happens if the cluster control link fails?

Accepted Answer

The cluster nodes may disable themselves to avoid split-brain.. If the control link fails, the cluster members cannot synchronize state or status, typically leading to a split-brain scenario or the standby nodes disabling themselves to prevent inconsistency.

Answer

The FMC takes over the cluster.

Answer

The cluster continues to operate normally.

Answer

The entire cluster reboots.