This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of manage, monitor and operate. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A user complains that they cannot access internal resources via GlobalProtect. The firewall shows the user is connected with an IP address from the tunnel pool. Which log type should the administrator check first to determine if traffic is being allowed or denied?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
System logs.
Why wrong: System logs contain administrative events, not traffic decisions.
Traffic logs.
Traffic logs record every session, including action (allow/deny), source/destination, and application.
Threat logs.
Why wrong: Threat logs record security threats, not normal traffic.
User-ID logs.
Why wrong: User-ID logs show user-IP mappings, not firewall actions.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Traffic logs.
The administrator should check Traffic logs first because they record every session attempt, showing whether traffic was allowed or denied based on security policies. Since the user is connected with a tunnel IP, the issue is likely policy-based, and Traffic logs provide the source, destination, and action (allow/deny) for each session, directly revealing if the traffic is being blocked.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
System logs.
Why it's wrong here
System logs contain administrative events, not traffic decisions.
Traffic logs.
Why this is correct
Traffic logs record every session, including action (allow/deny), source/destination, and application.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Threat logs.
Why it's wrong here
Threat logs record security threats, not normal traffic.
User-ID logs.
Why it's wrong here
User-ID logs show user-IP mappings, not firewall actions.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may think User-ID logs (Option D) are relevant because the user is connected, but User-ID logs only show authentication mappings, not traffic policy decisions.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
User-ID logs show user-IP mappings, not firewall actions.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, GlobalProtect assigns a tunnel IP from a configured pool, and all traffic is routed through the firewall. The Traffic log entry includes fields like 'From Zone', 'To Zone', 'Source User', 'Application', and 'Action' (allow/deny). A common subtlety is that even with a valid tunnel IP, traffic can be denied if the security policy does not match the user or application, or if the source zone is incorrect (e.g., tunnel vs. external).
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Manage, Monitor and Operate — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Manage, Monitor and Operate practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All PCNSE questions
516 questions across all exam domains
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer PCNSE study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
PCNSE practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to Manage, Monitor and Operate.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to Securing Traffic and App-ID.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to Securing Users and Applications with Authentication.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to Decryption and SSL Inspection.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to Managing Troubleshooting and High Availability.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to Deploy and Configure Firewalls.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to Core Concepts and Architecture.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to Secure Access and VPN.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to Troubleshoot.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to PCNSE fundamentals.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to PCNSE scenario.
Practise PCNSE questions linked to PCNSE troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Manage, Monitor and Operate — This question tests Manage, Monitor and Operate — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Traffic logs. — The administrator should check Traffic logs first because they record every session attempt, showing whether traffic was allowed or denied based on security policies. Since the user is connected with a tunnel IP, the issue is likely policy-based, and Traffic logs provide the source, destination, and action (allow/deny) for each session, directly revealing if the traffic is being blocked.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.