NSE7 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Practice Question
An administrator is troubleshooting high CPU usage on a FortiGate. The administrator suspects that a specific process is causing the issue. Which TWO commands should the administrator use to identify the top CPU-consuming processes? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that general system performance commands like 'get system performance status' provide per-process CPU details, when they only give overall statistics.
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
✓
diagnose sys top-summary
To identify the top CPU-consuming processes, the administrator should use commands that provide per-process CPU usage. 'diagnose sys top' offers an interactive real-time view, while 'diagnose sys top-summary' provides a concise summary. Both are effective for pinpointing the process responsible for high CPU.
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 performance status
Why it's wrong here
This command provides a snapshot of overall system performance, including CPU and memory usage, but it does not break down usage by process. It is useful for a high-level view but does not identify the specific process causing high CPU, so it is not the best choice for this scenario.
- ✓
diagnose sys top-summary
Why this is correct
The 'diagnose sys top-summary' command provides a summary of CPU usage by process, showing the top consumers in a concise format. It is ideal for quickly identifying which processes are using the most CPU without the interactive display of 'diagnose sys top'. This command is specifically designed for performance troubleshooting.
- ✗
diagnose sys session list
Why it's wrong here
This command lists current sessions and their details, including source and destination, but it does not show CPU usage per process. It is useful for session-related troubleshooting, but not for identifying which process is causing high CPU. The administrator needs process-level CPU information.
- ✓
diagnose sys top
Why this is correct
The 'diagnose sys top' command displays a real-time list of processes running on the FortiGate, sorted by CPU usage. It shows the process name, PID, CPU percentage, and memory usage. This allows the administrator to quickly identify which process is consuming the most CPU, which is essential for troubleshooting high CPU issues.
- ✗
diagnose hardware sysinfo memory
Why it's wrong here
This command displays memory information, such as total, used, and free memory. It does not provide CPU usage details or per-process CPU consumption. While memory issues can contribute to high CPU, the administrator specifically needs to identify CPU-consuming processes, so this command is not appropriate.
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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.