JN0-106 User Interfaces Practice Question
A senior network administrator is logged into a Juniper device in operational mode. They need to make a configuration change to the BGP group 'INTERNAL'. They type 'configure terminal' and receive 'unknown command'. They then type 'configure' and enter configuration mode. They make the needed changes and exit configuration mode using 'exit'. They then try to view the active configuration to verify the changes by typing 'show configuration | match INTERNAL'. They see no output. What is the most likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates familiar with other platforms may expect 'exit' to discard changes (as in some OS) or that 'show configuration' shows the candidate configuration. In Junos, the candidate persists after exit, but the active configuration is only updated upon 'commit'.
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
✓
They should have used 'commit' before exiting configuration mode.
In Junos, configuration changes made in configuration mode are stored in a candidate configuration until explicitly committed using the 'commit' command. Exiting configuration mode with 'exit' does not discard the candidate configuration; the changes remain in the candidate but are not part of the active configuration. The 'show configuration' command displays the active (committed) configuration, which explains why no output matching 'INTERNAL' was seen. The administrator needed to use 'commit' to activate the changes before viewing them with 'show configuration'.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The command 'show configuration' only shows the candidate configuration, not the active.
Why it's wrong here
The claim that 'show configuration' only displays the candidate configuration is false. When issued from the operational (top-level) prompt, 'show configuration' outputs the active, committed configuration that the device is currently running. Only when you are in configuration mode does the same command display the candidate configuration, so the command is context-dependent, not limited to candidate output.
- ✗
They exited configuration mode without committing, so the changes were lost.
Why it's wrong here
Exiting configuration mode does not discard your edits in Junos. The candidate configuration is stored independently of the CLI session, so any changes you made remain in the candidate buffer until you issue a commit, a rollback, or a load replace or overwrite. Re-entering configuration mode later will show those same uncommitted changes still present, meaning nothing is lost simply by moving back to operational mode.
- ✓
They should have used 'commit' before exiting configuration mode.
Why this is correct
To make configuration changes take effect in Junos, you must execute 'commit' from configuration mode. The commit command copies the candidate configuration to the active configuration, activating the changes. If the administrator exits configuration mode without committing, the active configuration remains unchanged, which explains why the changes did not appear to take effect. Therefore, the correct action before exiting is to commit the candidate configuration.
- ✗
They need to be in configuration mode to run 'show configuration'.
Why it's wrong here
The command 'show configuration' is not restricted to configuration mode; it is a valid operational command. You can run 'show configuration' at the '>' prompt alongside other show commands like 'show interfaces' and 'show route'. In configuration mode, the same command instead displays the candidate configuration, but that is an additional capability, not a requirement for using the command.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This JN0-106 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Juniper Networks 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 JN0-106 exam.