JN0-106 Operational Monitoring and Maintenance Practice Question
You are a junior network engineer tasked with upgrading the Junos OS on a pair of EX3400 switches that are in a Virtual Chassis. You have downloaded the new software image to the primary switch. Before performing the upgrade, you must verify the image's integrity and check the current version. Which sequence of commands should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'show system software' (a non-existent command) with 'show version', or think that 'file checksum sha256' alone is sufficient for integrity verification, missing the fact that Junos requires the full 'request system software validate' command to perform a comprehensive package check before installation.
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
✓
Run 'show version' and then 'request system software validate /var/tmp/junos-new.tgz'.
'show version' displays the current Junos OS version running on the switch, which is necessary to confirm the starting point before an upgrade. Then 'request system software validate /var/tmp/junos-new.tgz' performs a checksum verification and package integrity check on the image file without installing it, ensuring the image is not corrupted. This sequence directly addresses the two tasks: verifying the image's integrity and checking the current version.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run 'show system uptime' and then 'request system software add /var/tmp/junos-new.tgz'.
Why it's wrong here
Running 'show system uptime' only displays how long the device has been up and load averages, which has no bearing on software upgrade readiness. The subsequent 'request system software add' without a 'validate' keyword will begin installing the image immediately, bypassing the integrity and compatibility checks that 'request system software validate' would perform. This sequence is both irrelevant and unsafe for a pre-upgrade validation task.
- ✗
Run 'show system software' and then 'request system software add validate'.
Why it's wrong here
'show system software' is not a valid Junos CLI command; the correct way to view the current Junos version is 'show version' or 'show version detail'. Additionally, 'request system software add validate' is malformed because 'validate' is not a subcommand or option of 'add'—it is a separate operational verb used as 'request system software validate <path>'. This option fails on two syntactic grounds and cannot accomplish the intended validation.
- ✓
Run 'show version' and then 'request system software validate /var/tmp/junos-new.tgz'.
Why this is correct
This is the correct approach because 'show version' first confirms the currently running Junos image and software version, which is essential for comparing against the new package and verifying upgrade path compatibility. Then 'request system software validate /var/tmp/junos-new.tgz' performs a dry-run validation of the image file, checking its integrity, checksum, and compatibility with the current system without actually installing it. Together, these two commands give the engineer a clear picture of the current state and a verified upgrade package before installation.
- ✗
Run 'show configuration system software' and then 'file checksum sha256 /var/tmp/junos-new.tgz'.
Why it's wrong here
'show configuration system software' is not a valid operational command; the configuration hierarchy does not contain a 'system software' stanza that displays the running version, so this command would fail. While 'file checksum sha256' can verify the image's hash, a checksum alone does not confirm that the image is a valid, signed Junos package compatible with the current hardware and software. Only 'request system software validate' performs the full Junos-specific image validation, making this option both invalid and insufficient.
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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.