NSE4 System and Network Administration Practice Question
An administrator wants to upgrade the FortiOS firmware on a FortiGate. Which step is critical before starting the upgrade process?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse operational steps (like clearing sessions or disabling policies) with the critical prerequisite of configuration backup, assuming the upgrade process will automatically preserve settings without risk.
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
✓
Back up the configuration file.
Backing up the configuration file is critical before upgrading FortiOS because the upgrade process may fail or corrupt the configuration, and a backup ensures you can restore the FortiGate to its previous operational state. Without a valid backup, a failed upgrade could result in a complete loss of configuration, requiring manual reconfiguration or a factory reset. Fortinet recommends always backing up the configuration before any firmware upgrade to mitigate risks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reboot the FortiGate.
Why it's wrong here
Rebooting the FortiGate simply restarts the device and loads the existing configuration from flash; it does not create a backup file. While a reboot occurs automatically at the end of a firmware upgrade, performing a reboot beforehand does not safeguard the current settings against a failed upgrade or a need to roll back. In fact, an unnecessary reboot only adds avoidable downtime and does not fulfill the prerequisite of preserving a restorable configuration snapshot.
- ✗
Clear all sessions.
Why it's wrong here
Clearing all sessions (for example, using 'execute session clear' or a firewall policy reset) terminates active connections but has no bearing on the firmware upgrade process. The upgrade itself will drop all sessions when the FortiGate reboots to load the new firmware, so pre-clearing sessions provides no benefit and does not capture the configuration state. This action is not listed as a required pre-upgrade step, and it risks disrupting users without contributing to upgrade safety or rollback capability.
- ✓
Back up the configuration file.
Why this is correct
Backing up the configuration file is the correct and mandatory prerequisite before upgrading FortiOS. Use the 'execute backup config' CLI command or the GUI's System > Backup feature to save a copy of the current configuration to a local host or remote server. If the upgrade fails or you need to downgrade to a previous firmware version, this backup allows you to restore the exact pre-upgrade settings, preventing configuration loss or manual re-entry of policies, routes, and objects.
- ✗
Disable all firewall policies.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling all firewall policies before an upgrade is unnecessary and counterproductive. The firmware upgrade process preserves your configuration, including firewall policies, and a reboot will naturally disrupt traffic; disabling policies beforehand would widen the security gap without any technical benefit. It also introduces an additional failure point, because if the upgrade is interrupted, you may forget to re-enable the policies, leaving the FortiGate in an unprotected state. The required action is simply to back up the configuration, not to alter the running policy set.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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