NSE4 System and Network Administration Practice Question
Which command is used to display the current FortiGate firmware version?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'get system status' with 'get system statistics' because both commands start with 'get system', but only 'get system status' provides the firmware version, while 'get system statistics' focuses on performance counters.
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
✓
get system status
The 'get system status' command is the correct way to display the current FortiGate firmware version. This command outputs a comprehensive summary of the system state, including the firmware version (e.g., FortiOS v7.4.0), the system uptime, serial number, and HA status. It is the standard CLI command for verifying the exact build and patch level of the FortiGate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
get system statistics
Why it's wrong here
The 'get system statistics' command exposes real-time traffic counters, including session counts, packet rates, and bandwidth utilization across interfaces. While valuable for monitoring data-plane activity, it does not reference the FortiOS build, version number, or patch level. Therefore, it cannot reveal the installed firmware release.
- ✗
get hardware status
Why it's wrong here
The 'get hardware status' command inventories physical components such as CPU temperature, fan speed, power supply health, and chassis model. Although it reports the platform's hardware identity, it never reads the firmware version because firmware is stored as software on flash memory. To find the FortiOS version, you must query the system-level status instead.
- ✓
get system status
Why this is correct
The 'get system status' command is the standard FortiGate CLI command to display the current firmware version, along with build number, serial number, hostname, uptime, and the configured operating mode. This output is essential for troubleshooting, verifying patch compliance, and confirming that the device is running an expected FortiOS release. It is the authoritative source for firmware identification.
- ✗
get system performance status
Why it's wrong here
The 'get system performance status' command delivers a snapshot of CPU load, memory usage, and session setup rates, focusing on system resource consumption under live traffic. It does not include any software version attributes, such as the FortiOS build or branch. Hence, while useful for capacity planning and bottleneck analysis, it cannot answer firmware-version queries.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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