How to Interpret Session Details Output from Palo Alto Firewall
This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of troubleshoot. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The session was matched by the security rule 'allow-ssl'.
Option A is correct because the exhibit shows the session matched the security rule 'allow-ssl', which is explicitly listed in the session details. This indicates that the firewall applied this rule to permit the traffic, confirming the session was matched by that specific security rule.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 session was matched by the security rule 'allow-ssl'.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
The session is destined for a public IP address.
Why this is correct
Destination IP 203.0.113.50 is a public IP address.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the protocol field (TCP vs. UDP) or assume NAT is not translating based on a quick glance at the source IP, without verifying the translated IP column or NAT rule details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The session state 'active' (Option D) means the firewall has established and is maintaining the session, with bidirectional traffic flowing. The destination IP being public (Option E) is inferred from the rule 'allow-ssl' typically used for outbound internet traffic, and the destination IP in the exhibit is not in private ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16). Under the hood, the firewall uses a session table to track state, and NAT translations are applied before the security rule lookup.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Troubleshoot — This question tests Troubleshoot — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The session was matched by the security rule 'allow-ssl'. — Option A is correct because the exhibit shows the session matched the security rule 'allow-ssl', which is explicitly listed in the session details. This indicates that the firewall applied this rule to permit the traffic, confirming the session was matched by that specific security rule.
What should I do if I get this PCNSE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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