156-315.81.20 Performance Tuning (SecureXL/CoreXL) Practice Question
An administrator is troubleshooting a Check Point Security Gateway that is experiencing performance degradation. The administrator runs 'fwaccel stats -s' and notices a high number of 'Non-accelerated conns' with the reason 'P' (Policy). Which of the following is the most likely cause for this?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that any non-acceleration is due to encryption or services, when the 'P' flag specifically points to policy-driven deep inspection.
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
✓
The connections are subject to a rule with 'X11' or other deep inspection.
The 'P' reason code in 'fwaccel stats -s' indicates that connections are not accelerated because of policy settings, such as rules that require deep packet inspection or logging. This is common when rules include application control, content inspection, or other features that SecureXL cannot offload. The administrator should examine the security policy to find rules that enforce such inspections and consider whether they are necessary. Other reason codes like 'C' for crypto or 'S' for services point to different causes, so the 'P' flag specifically directs attention to policy.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The connections are matching a rule with a 'Drop' action.
Why it's wrong here
Connections matching a 'Drop' action are typically dropped and do not appear as non-accelerated connections; they are simply dropped. The 'P' flag for non-acceleration usually applies to connections that are accepted but not accelerated due to policy settings, such as logging or deep inspection. A drop action would not result in a non-accelerated connection because the connection is not established. Therefore, this is not the correct cause.
- ✓
The connections are subject to a rule with 'X11' or other deep inspection.
Why this is correct
The 'P' flag indicates that the connection is not accelerated due to policy, which often means the rule requires deep packet inspection or logging that SecureXL cannot handle. For example, rules with 'X11' or other application-layer inspection force the connection to be processed by the Firewall Kernel. This is a common reason for non-accelerated connections with the 'P' reason code. The administrator should review the policy to identify such rules.
- ✗
The connections are using IPsec VPN.
Why it's wrong here
IPsec VPN traffic is not accelerated due to encryption, and the reason code for that is usually 'C' (Crypto), not 'P'. The 'P' flag specifically points to policy-related reasons. While VPN traffic may also be subject to policy, the primary reason for non-acceleration is the encryption requirement, which is separate from policy. Therefore, this is not the most likely cause for the 'P' flag.
- ✗
The connections are being decrypted for HTTPS inspection.
Why it's wrong here
HTTPS inspection causes non-acceleration, but the reason code for that is typically 'S' (Services) or 'C' (Crypto), not 'P'. The 'P' flag indicates that the connection is not accelerated due to policy settings, such as a rule that requires the connection to be handled by the Firewall Kernel for logging or application control. HTTPS inspection would not be flagged as 'P' unless the policy specifically enforces it in a way that prevents acceleration.
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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 156-315.81.20 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 156-315.81.20 exam.