FORTINET-NSE123 Nse 3 Fortigate Operational Fundamentals Practice Question
An administrator notices that configuration changes made via the CLI are not persisting after a device reboot. What is the most likely reason for this behavior?
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 administrator exited the configuration block using 'abort' instead of 'end'.
FortiGate saves configuration changes to running memory immediately, but they are only written to permanent flash storage when the command completes successfully. If an invalid command or virtual domain (VDOM) context was left incomplete, or if the write failed, changes may be lost. However, standard config changes auto-save. If flash is full or in read-only mode, it fails. Alternatively, failing to enter 'end' properly or making changes in a temporary session can cause loss. Let's look at options regarding manual commit vs auto-save. FortiGate auto-saves upon 'end'.
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 administrator exited the configuration block using 'abort' instead of 'end'.
Why this is correct
Using 'abort' discards all uncommitted changes made within the current configuration session.
- ✗
The administrator forgot to issue the 'write memory' command.
Why it's wrong here
FortiGate automatically writes changes to non-volatile memory when the 'end' command is entered.
- ✗
The administrator did not issue a 'execute factory-reset' to commit.
Why it's wrong here
Factory reset clears the configuration entirely.
- ✗
The administrator failed to enable manual commit mode in system settings.
Why it's wrong here
FortiGate does not use a mandatory manual commit mode by default for standard CLI sessions.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Fortinet exam blueprint
This FORTINET-NSE123 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Fortinet 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 FORTINET-NSE123 exam.