156-215.81.20 Monitoring and Logging Practice Question
An administrator notices that the Security Management Server disk is filling rapidly because log files are retained indefinitely. The retention policy must keep logs for 90 days and then remove older records automatically. Where should this be configured?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming log retention is a Security Gateway setting, when it is actually configured on the Management Server object that stores the logs.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
In the Management Server object's Logging settings, by defining a log retention period.
Log retention is governed on the Management Server object, where an administrator defines how many days logs are kept. Setting 90 days ensures older records are purged automatically, controlling disk consumption while satisfying the retention policy. Gateway-side settings and manual file deletion do not provide supported, age-based log lifecycle management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
By scheduling a cron job that deletes files from the log directory nightly.
Why it's wrong here
Manually deleting files from the log directory bypasses the database and indexer, which can corrupt the log repository and leave inconsistent index entries. It is unsupported and risks losing more than intended. The supported approach is to configure retention within the Management Server logging settings.
- ✗
By adjusting the log size limit per gateway in Global Properties.
Why it's wrong here
Global Properties offers log-related options, but per-gateway size limits control how much is accepted or stored, not the age-based deletion of management logs. Relying on size limits alone would delete recent logs during high-volume periods while retaining old low-volume logs, violating the 90-day requirement.
- ✗
In the Security Gateway object's Logging and Time settings.
Why it's wrong here
The gateway object's Logging and Time settings control forwarding and time zone behavior, not how long the Management Server retains logs. Retention is a management-side storage concern, so configuring it on the gateway would not cause old logs to be deleted and would leave disk usage growing unchecked.
- ✓
In the Management Server object's Logging settings, by defining a log retention period.
Why this is correct
The Management Server object includes logging configuration where an administrator can set how many days logs are retained. Specifying 90 days causes logs older than that threshold to be removed automatically, directly addressing the disk growth while meeting the retention requirement.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Check Point exam blueprint
This 156-215.81.20 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Check Point certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 156-215.81.20 exam.