Quick Answer
The correct answer is that the session has been active for 1 hour and will expire in approximately 1 hour. This is determined by interpreting the `duration=3600` and `expire=3599` fields in the FortiGate session table output, where both values are measured in seconds; 3600 seconds equals exactly one hour of active life, while 3599 seconds remaining means the session is nearly at its full timeout threshold. On the Fortinet NSE 7 Advanced Security NSE7 exam, this type of `diagnose sys session filter dport 443` output tests your ability to read raw session diagnostics and distinguish between established and half-open states—here, `proto=6` confirms TCP and `proto_state=01` indicates an ESTABLISHED connection, not a half-open SYN state, which is a common trap. A useful memory tip is to think of "duration" as the age and "expire" as the remaining life: if both numbers are close and large, the session is healthy and long-lived.
This NSE7 practice question tests your understanding of enterprise firewall and vdoms. 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.
You run 'diagnose sys session filter dport 443' and see the following output: proto=6 proto_state=01 duration=3600 expire=3599 What does this indicate about the session?
The session is a UDP session for DNS
Why wrong: proto=6 is TCP.
The session is in a half-open state (SYN_RCVD)
Why wrong: proto_state=01 typically indicates established, not half-open.
The session is blocked because duration exceeds the timeout
Why wrong: Duration is 3600 seconds, expire is 3599, so it's still active.
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 has been active for 1 hour and will expire in approximately 1 hour
Option D is correct because the output shows 'duration=3600' and 'expire=3599', meaning the session has been active for 3600 seconds (1 hour) and will expire in 3599 seconds (approximately 1 hour). The 'proto=6' indicates TCP, and 'proto_state=01' is the TCP state code for an established connection (ESTABLISHED), not a half-open state. This is a normal, healthy session.
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 UDP session for DNS
Why it's wrong here
proto=6 is TCP.
The session is in a half-open state (SYN_RCVD)
Why it's wrong here
proto_state=01 typically indicates established, not half-open.
The session is blocked because duration exceeds the timeout
Why it's wrong here
Duration is 3600 seconds, expire is 3599, so it's still active.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'proto_state=01' with a half-open state (like SYN_RCVD) or misinterpret the 'duration' and 'expire' fields as indicating a blocked or expired session, when in fact they show a normal established TCP session with remaining lifetime.
Detailed technical explanation
In FortiOS, 'diagnose sys session filter' outputs protocol and state information: 'proto=6' is TCP, 'proto_state=01' is the internal state code for ESTABLISHED (RFC 793 state). The 'duration' and 'expire' values are in seconds, and the session timeout for TCP established sessions defaults to 3600 seconds (configurable via 'set tcp-timewait' or 'set default-ttl'). A real-world scenario: if you see 'expire=0', the session is about to be torn down, which could indicate a timeout or RST.
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
Enterprise Firewall and VDOMs — This question tests Enterprise Firewall and VDOMs — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The session has been active for 1 hour and will expire in approximately 1 hour — Option D is correct because the output shows 'duration=3600' and 'expire=3599', meaning the session has been active for 3600 seconds (1 hour) and will expire in 3599 seconds (approximately 1 hour). The 'proto=6' indicates TCP, and 'proto_state=01' is the TCP state code for an established connection (ESTABLISHED), not a half-open state. This is a normal, healthy session.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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