PCNSE Manage, Monitor and Operate Practice Question
A security engineer is configuring a Palo Alto Networks firewall to send alerts to an external SNMP manager. The engineer wants to ensure that the firewall sends SNMP traps for specific events, such as a link state change and a configuration change. Which two actions must the engineer perform to achieve this? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that security policy rules or log forwarding profiles are needed for SNMP traps, when in fact SNMP trap configuration is separate and managed entirely within the SNMP setup.
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 an SNMP server profile with the manager's IP address and community string.
To send SNMP traps for specific events, the engineer must first configure an SNMP server profile with the manager's details, and then enable the desired traps in the SNMP setup. These two steps ensure the firewall knows where to send traps and which events to report. Security policy rules and log forwarding profiles are not involved in system-level SNMP trap generation, and SNMP operates on the management plane, not the dataplane.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Configure an SNMP server profile with the manager's IP address and community string.
Why this is correct
An SNMP server profile defines the SNMP manager's IP address, port, and community string (for SNMPv2c) or user credentials (for SNMPv3). Without this profile, the firewall does not know where to send traps. This is a mandatory step to enable SNMP trap forwarding. The engineer must create and apply this profile to the firewall's management interface or a specific interface.
- ✗
Configure a log forwarding profile to send SNMP traps.
Why it's wrong here
Log forwarding profiles are used to forward logs to external services like syslog, email, or SNMP, but they are not used for system-level SNMP traps such as link state changes. SNMP traps for system events are configured directly in the SNMP setup, not via log forwarding profiles. This option is incorrect because it misapplies the log forwarding feature.
- ✗
Create a security policy rule to allow SNMP traffic from the firewall to the manager.
Why it's wrong here
SNMP traps are generated by the management plane and sent out via the management interface or a configured interface. They are not subject to security policy rules, which apply to dataplane traffic. Therefore, a security policy rule is not required to allow SNMP traps. This option is a distractor because it confuses management plane traffic with dataplane traffic.
- ✓
Enable SNMP traps for link state and configuration changes in the SNMP setup.
Why this is correct
In the SNMP setup, the engineer must select the specific trap types to send, such as 'linkUpDown' and 'configurationChange'. By default, no traps are sent. Enabling these traps ensures the firewall generates and forwards them to the configured SNMP manager. This is a separate step from configuring the server profile and is essential to meet the requirement.
- ✗
Enable SNMP on the dataplane interfaces to allow trap generation.
Why it's wrong here
SNMP is managed by the management plane, not the dataplane. Enabling SNMP on dataplane interfaces is not a standard configuration and does not affect trap generation. Traps are generated by the management plane and sent via the management interface or a specified interface. This option is a distractor that confuses the roles of the dataplane and management plane.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Palo Alto Networks exam blueprint
This PCNSE 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 PCNSE exam.