NSE7 Advanced Networking and SD-WAN Practice Question
An administrator is configuring SD-WAN rules to direct specific traffic types. Which TWO of the following criteria can be used in an SD-WAN rule to match traffic?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse SD-WAN rule match criteria with firewall policy match criteria, mistakenly thinking that source interface or URL category are valid SD-WAN rule options when they are actually only applicable in firewall policies or web-filtering 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
✓
Destination IP address
Destination IP address (C) is a valid SD-WAN rule match criterion because SD-WAN rules can use destination IP address ranges or prefixes to steer traffic over specific transport interfaces or SD-WAN members. This allows administrators to route traffic to particular destinations (e.g., a branch office subnet or a cloud service) through preferred WAN links based on IP-based policy. Application (D) is also a valid criterion because SD-WAN rules can match traffic based on application signatures (e.g., Office365, YouTube) to apply appropriate steering policies, ensuring critical applications use optimal paths while non-critical traffic can be directed over lower-cost links.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Source interface
Why it's wrong here
SD-WAN rules match on incoming interface (the interface where traffic enters the FortiGate), not source interface.
- ✗
Time of day
Why it's wrong here
Time-based rules are not available in SD-WAN rules; they are a feature of firewall policies.
- ✓
Destination IP address
Why this is correct
Destination IP can be used as a match criterion.
- ✓
Application
Why this is correct
Application control can be used to match traffic by application.
- ✗
URL category
Why it's wrong here
URL category is used in web filtering, not directly in SD-WAN rules.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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