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PCNSA Practice Question: A network administrator notices that the…
A network administrator notices that the firewall's dataplane CPU is consistently above 80% during peak hours. The administrator wants to reduce CPU load without impacting security. Which action should the administrator take?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume disabling logging (Option A) is a quick fix to reduce CPU load, but they overlook that logging is essential for security monitoring and compliance, and that offloading logs (Option B) achieves the same CPU reduction without sacrificing visibility.
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
✓
Configure the firewall to send logs to a separate log collector
Offloading logs to a separate log collector reduces the firewall's dataplane CPU overhead associated with local log processing and storage. The firewall can then focus on core packet inspection and forwarding tasks, maintaining security posture while alleviating CPU pressure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disable logging for all security rules
Why it's wrong here
Disabling logging removes visibility and is not recommended.
- ✓
Configure the firewall to send logs to a separate log collector
Why this is correct
Offloading logs reduces CPU load on the firewall while retaining logs.
- ✗
Upgrade to a higher-end firewall model
Why it's wrong here
Upgrading hardware is costly and may not be necessary if logging is offloaded.
- ✗
Reduce the number of security policies
Why it's wrong here
Reducing policies may weaken security posture.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto 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 PCNSA exam.