PCNSA Device Management and Services Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. ``` > show system services status Service Status DNS proxy running NTP stopped SNMP running Syslog running ```
An administrator notices that the firewall's time is incorrect. Based on the exhibit, what is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse services like DNS, SNMP, or Syslog with time synchronization, but only NTP directly manages the system clock.
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
✓
NTP service is stopped
The firewall's time is incorrect because the NTP service is stopped. NTP (Network Time Protocol) is responsible for synchronizing the system clock with an external time source. Without NTP, the firewall relies on its internal hardware clock, which can drift over time, leading to an incorrect time.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DNS proxy is running
Why it's wrong here
DNS proxy resolves names for clients and has no bearing on the firewall's own system clock, so it cannot explain the incorrect time. It is tempting because DNS proxy appears in the same services list as NTP, but only NTP servers synchronise the device clock.
- ✗
Management service is down
Why it's wrong here
Management service downtime blocks administrator logins and configuration changes, but it does not stop the dataplane from forwarding or the firewall from syncing time with its configured NTP servers. It is tempting because management-plane outages do cause stale dashboards, yet NTP runs independently of that service.
- ✗
SNMP is running
Why it's wrong here
SNMP provides monitoring and trap delivery; it does not set or synchronise the firewall's system time. It is tempting because SNMP is commonly enabled alongside NTP in the management services list, yet only an NTP server address corrects clock drift.
- ✗
Syslog is running
Why it's wrong here
Syslog only exports log messages to a remote collector; it neither supplies nor adjusts the firewall's clock. It is tempting because syslog timestamps look time-related, but the actual clock source is NTP, so a running syslog daemon cannot explain drift.
- ✓
NTP service is stopped
Why this is correct
A stopped NTP service means the firewall cannot synchronise with its configured time source, so its clock drifts and shows an incorrect time. Restarting or reconfiguring the NTP service restores synchronisation, addressing the most likely cause shown in the exhibit.
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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.