This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of manage, monitor and operate. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.
An administrator wants to view real-time CPU and memory usage on the firewall. Which CLI command should be used?
show system info
Why wrong: This shows system information and uptime, not real-time resources.
show routing route
Why wrong: This shows the routing table.
show log system
Why wrong: This shows system logs, not resource usage.
show system resources
This shows CPU, memory, and disk usage in real-time.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
show system resources
The 'show system resources' command displays real-time CPU and memory utilization on a Palo Alto Networks firewall, including load averages, memory usage, and process-level details. This is the correct command for monitoring live resource consumption, as opposed to static system information or logs.
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.
show system info
Why it's wrong here
This shows system information and uptime, not real-time resources.
show routing route
Why it's wrong here
This shows the routing table.
show log system
Why it's wrong here
This shows system logs, not resource usage.
show system resources
Why this is correct
This shows CPU, memory, and disk usage in real-time.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'show system info' (static system details) with 'show system resources' (dynamic resource usage), as both commands start with 'show system' and seem related to system health.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This shows system information and uptime, not real-time resources.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, 'show system resources' on PAN-OS reads from /proc/stat and /proc/meminfo on the underlying Linux-based operating system, providing a snapshot of CPU load averages (1, 5, 15 minutes), memory total/used/free, and swap usage. In a real-world scenario, this command is essential for troubleshooting performance degradation, such as when high CPU from a security policy loop or memory leak is suspected, and it can be combined with 'show system resources limit' to check configured thresholds.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the PCNSE exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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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: show system resources — The 'show system resources' command displays real-time CPU and memory utilization on a Palo Alto Networks firewall, including load averages, memory usage, and process-level details. This is the correct command for monitoring live resource consumption, as opposed to static system information or logs.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
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