PCNSE Manage, Monitor and Operate Practice Question
Which TWO methods can be used to monitor traffic passing through a Palo Alto Networks firewall?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the 'show session all' CLI command (which shows active sessions) with a method for monitoring traffic logs, when in fact it only displays ephemeral session state and does not provide historical or logged traffic data.
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
✓
Review traffic logs under Monitor > Traffic.
The Monitor > Traffic log is the primary GUI-based method for reviewing detailed session logs, including source/destination IPs, ports, applications, and actions (allow/deny). Option E is correct because the Application Command Center (ACC) provides a high-level, visual dashboard for monitoring traffic patterns, top applications, and threats in near real-time, aggregating data from traffic and threat logs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use the show session all command.
Why it's wrong here
This shows active sessions at a point in time, but is not typically used for continuous monitoring.
- ✗
Enable config drift monitoring.
Why it's wrong here
Config drift monitoring tracks configuration changes, not traffic.
- ✓
Review traffic logs under Monitor > Traffic.
Why this is correct
Traffic logs provide detailed information on each session.
- ✗
Configure a packet capture on the dataplane.
Why it's wrong here
Packet captures are used for deep inspection, not day-to-day monitoring.
- ✓
Application Command Center (ACC)
Why this is correct
ACC provides a visual summary of application traffic.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This PCNSE question is part of Courseiva's 504-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.