Quick Answer
The correct interpretation is that the session is a TCP connection that has been active for 3600 seconds and will expire in 3599 seconds. This is because proto=6 maps directly to TCP in the IP protocol number table, while proto_state=01 indicates an established TCP connection, not a handshake or teardown state. The duration and expire fields confirm the session has been live for exactly one hour and has only one second less before timeout, which is typical for a long-lived HTTPS session filtered by dport 443. On the Fortinet NSE 7 Advanced Security NSE7 exam, this output tests your ability to perform diagnose sys session filter output interpretation under pressure—a common trap is confusing proto_state=01 with a SYN or FIN state, but 01 always means established. A reliable memory tip: think of proto=6 as “6-pack of TCP” and proto_state=01 as “01 = one established connection,” so the session is fully open and counting down to expiry.
This NSE7 practice question tests your understanding of advanced threat protection. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An administrator runs 'diagnose sys session filter dport 443' and sees the following output: proto=6 proto_state=01 duration=3600 expire=3599 What does this indicate about the session?
The session is a TCP connection that has been active for 3600 seconds and will expire in 3599 seconds
Correct interpretation of fields.
The session is a UDP DNS request
Why wrong: proto=6 is TCP, not UDP.
The session is being blocked by a firewall policy
Why wrong: The output shows an active session, not a blocked one.
The session is an SSL VPN tunnel
Why wrong: No indication of VPN in the output.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The session is a TCP connection that has been active for 3600 seconds and will expire in 3599 seconds
Option A is correct because the output shows 'proto=6' which indicates TCP (protocol 6), 'duration=3600' means the session has been active for 3600 seconds (1 hour), and 'expire=3599' means the session will expire in 3599 seconds. The 'proto_state=01' is a TCP state code indicating an established connection. This is a standard FortiGate diagnostic session output.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The session is a TCP connection that has been active for 3600 seconds and will expire in 3599 seconds
Why this is correct
Correct interpretation of fields.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The session is a UDP DNS request
The session is being blocked by a firewall policy
Why it's wrong here
The output shows an active session, not a blocked one.
The session is an SSL VPN tunnel
Why it's wrong here
No indication of VPN in the output.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may misinterpret 'proto=6' as a generic protocol number without recalling that protocol 6 is specifically TCP, leading them to incorrectly associate the output with UDP-based services like DNS or SSL VPN tunnels.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The output shows an active session, not a blocked one.
Detailed technical explanation
The 'proto_state=01' in FortiGate's session table corresponds to TCP state 'ESTABLISHED' (0x01), meaning the three-way handshake completed. The 'expire' value decrements in real-time and when it reaches 0, the session is removed from the session table unless refreshed by traffic. In real-world scenarios, a long-lived TCP session on port 443 (HTTPS) with a duration of 3600 seconds could indicate a persistent API connection or a WebSocket that has been idle, and the firewall will keep the session alive until the expiry timer hits zero or a FIN/RST is received.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the NSE7 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Advanced Threat Protection — This question tests Advanced Threat Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The session is a TCP connection that has been active for 3600 seconds and will expire in 3599 seconds — Option A is correct because the output shows 'proto=6' which indicates TCP (protocol 6), 'duration=3600' means the session has been active for 3600 seconds (1 hour), and 'expire=3599' means the session will expire in 3599 seconds. The 'proto_state=01' is a TCP state code indicating an established connection. This is a standard FortiGate diagnostic session output.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An administrator runs the following CLI output: 'diagnose sys session filter dport 443' and sees 'proto=6 proto_state=01 duration=3600 expire=3599'. Which statement BEST describes the session?
hardWhy B: The session shows 'proto=6' (TCP), 'proto_state=01' (TCP_ESTABLISHED), and 'duration=3600' seconds, which equals one hour. The 'expire=3599' indicates the session has 3599 seconds left before timeout, confirming it is active and established. Option B correctly identifies this as an established session that has been active for one hour.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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