NSE7 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Practice Question
A network administrator is troubleshooting why a FortiGate does not appear to be enforcing a newly configured application control profile. The policy is applied to traffic from the internal network to the internet. The administrator runs 'diagnose sys session list' and sees that sessions are being created, but the application control profile is not listed in the session details. Which action should the administrator take to verify that the application control profile is being applied?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that global application control statistics or logs will confirm per-session profile enforcement, when in fact only detailed session inspection reveals the applied profiles.
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
✓
Use 'diagnose sys session filter' to filter sessions by the policy ID and then run 'diagnose sys session list' to check if the application control profile is referenced.
To verify that an application control profile is being applied to a session, the administrator should filter sessions by the policy ID and list them. The session output includes the UTM profiles associated with the session. This method provides definitive evidence of whether the profile is active, unlike global statistics or logs that may not reflect per-session enforcement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use 'diagnose sys session filter' to filter sessions by the policy ID and then run 'diagnose sys session list' to check if the application control profile is referenced.
Why this is correct
Filtering sessions by the policy ID and listing them will show detailed session information, including the UTM profiles applied. If the application control profile is active, it will appear in the session output. This is the most direct way to verify profile enforcement on a per-session basis.
- ✗
Check the FortiGate's event log for application control violations.
Why it's wrong here
Event logs would show violations if the profile is blocking traffic, but if the profile is not being applied at all, no logs would be generated. This is a passive approach and does not actively verify enforcement. Session inspection is more reliable for troubleshooting.
- ✗
Run 'diagnose debug application ipsmonitor -1' to check if the IPS engine is inspecting the traffic.
Why it's wrong here
The ipsmonitor debug tool monitors the IPS engine process, which handles intrusion prevention, not application control. Application control is performed by the application control engine (cmdb). While IPS and application control are both UTM features, they are separate. This command would not confirm whether the application control profile is active for the session.
- ✗
Run 'diagnose test application appctrl 1' to display the application control statistics.
Why it's wrong here
While 'diagnose test application appctrl' can show application control statistics, it does not directly confirm that a specific profile is applied to a particular session. It provides global counters, not per-session enforcement details. The session list with filtering gives more precise verification.
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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 Fortinet exam blueprint
This NSE7 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 NSE7 exam.