Fortinet NSE7_SDW-7.2 Exam Dumps & Practice Test Questions

Question 1:

A network engineer is setting up BGP on a hub router in a hub-and-spoke architecture that uses IPsec overlays. The goal is to enable spoke routers not only to learn routes from the hub but also to receive routes advertised by other spokes via BGP. Additionally, the engineer wants the spokes to obtain multiple BGP paths (additional paths) for the same prefix to improve path diversity. The current hub BGP configuration allows the hub to advertise its own routes, but spokes neither see routes from other spokes nor receive multiple paths.

Which three BGP neighbor settings should be configured in each spoke neighbor group on the hub to fix this issue?

A. Enable soft-reconfiguration
B. Enable route-reflector-client
C. Set additional-path to send
D. Set adv-additional-path to specify the number of additional paths
E. Set advertisement-interval to specify the number of additional paths

Explanation:

In a hub-and-spoke topology using BGP, a common challenge is allowing spoke routers to learn routes from each other through the hub. By default, iBGP does not advertise routes learned from one iBGP peer to another, which means spokes won’t receive routes from their sibling spokes via the hub. To solve this, the hub is configured as a Route Reflector (RR), and the spoke routers are configured as route-reflector clients (Answer B). This setup lets the hub “reflect” routes learned from one spoke to other spokes, effectively enabling spoke-to-spoke route sharing.

Next, to support BGP Add-Path, which allows advertising multiple paths for the same prefix to peers (important for path diversity and better routing decisions), two key configurations are needed. First, additional-path to send must be enabled (Answer C), which permits sending multiple paths instead of just the best path. Second, adv-additional-path specifies how many extra paths the router should advertise (Answer D). Without these, only one path per prefix is advertised, and the benefits of path diversity are lost.

The other options are less relevant here:

• Soft-reconfiguration (A) helps with policy changes but does not enable route reflection or add-path functionality.

• Advertisement-interval (E) controls timing between updates, not path numbers.

In summary, enabling the hub as a route reflector client for spokes, combined with BGP Add-Path settings, is essential to ensure that spoke routers receive routes from one another and can leverage multiple routing paths. This configuration improves network redundancy and routing flexibility in the hub-and-spoke topology.

Question 2:

What advantages does using the Fortinet IPsec recommended template provide when configuring IPsec VPN tunnels in a hub-and-spoke setup managed by FortiManager? 

Choose two correct benefits and explain how this template improves VPN deployment and management.

A. It guarantees consistent parameters between IPsec phase 1 and phase 2 configurations.
B. It assists administrators by applying Fortinet’s recommended best practices for IPsec.
C. The VPN monitor shows enhanced analytics and statistics for tunnels created with the template.
D. It automates the deployment of IPsec tunnels to all spokes when they join the FortiManager ADOM.

Explanation:

When deploying IPsec VPN tunnels in a hub-and-spoke architecture with FortiManager, administrators face the challenge of configuring multiple tunnels with complex parameters. The Fortinet IPsec recommended template simplifies this by standardizing and streamlining the setup process.

One key advantage is that it ensures consistency between Phase 1 and Phase 2 configurations (Answer A). Phase 1 negotiates the initial secure channel (IKE), and Phase 2 establishes the IPsec tunnel parameters. Mismatches between these phases can cause tunnel failures or instability. The template enforces matching cryptographic algorithms, lifetimes, and authentication methods, reducing human error and improving reliability.

Secondly, the template provides guidance aligned with Fortinet’s best practices (Answer B). It includes preconfigured settings for encryption (like AES256), hashing (SHA256), key lifetimes, and Dead Peer Detection (DPD), which are optimized for security and performance. Using these vetted defaults reduces the time administrators spend researching configuration choices and helps ensure compatibility across devices and firmware versions.

Options C and D are incorrect because:

• The VPN monitor tool’s analytics and statistics are independent of the configuration method; it does not provide enhanced monitoring just because a template was used.

• Although FortiManager supports centralized management and bulk deployment, it does not automatically install tunnels on spokes when they are added to an Administrative Domain (ADOM) without manual policy deployment.

In conclusion, Fortinet’s IPsec recommended template significantly enhances deployment by guaranteeing configuration consistency and applying best-practice settings, which in turn boosts security, reduces errors, and accelerates VPN setup in complex hub-and-spoke environments.

Question 3:

An organization uses a traditional hub-and-spoke network topology with IPsec tunnels connecting remote branch sites (spokes) to a central data center (hub). While this design centralizes management, it creates inefficiencies since all traffic between spokes must go through the hub, even when spokes are geographically closer. The network administrator plans to implement Auto-Discovery VPN (ADVPN) on the current IPsec overlay to enhance this setup.

What are two key advantages that ADVPN provides when enabled in a hub-and-spoke VPN topology?

A. It delivers full-mesh topology benefits within a hub-and-spoke network.
B. It allows spokes to form connections to third-party gateways.
C. It establishes direct spoke-to-spoke tunnels as shortcuts.
D. It permits spokes to bypass the hub during shortcut negotiation.

Correct Answers: A, C

Explanation:

ADVPN enhances traditional hub-and-spoke VPN architectures by dynamically creating direct tunnels between spokes on demand, without needing a fully configured mesh of static tunnels. This significantly improves efficiency and performance while retaining the centralized control of a hub-and-spoke design.

Option A is correct because ADVPN enables a hub-and-spoke network to gain the benefits of a full-mesh topology without the administrative overhead of permanently maintaining tunnels between every spoke pair. Spokes dynamically discover each other via the hub and establish temporary, direct IPsec tunnels as traffic demands, improving latency and reducing hub load.

Option C is correct because ADVPN creates "shortcuts"—these direct spoke-to-spoke tunnels—which allow traffic to flow between branch sites without routing through the hub after the initial connection is established. The hub serves as a Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP) server, assisting spokes in discovering the public IP addresses of other spokes and facilitating shortcut creation.

Option B is incorrect because ADVPN focuses exclusively on internal VPN peers within the enterprise network and does not enable dynamic connections to third-party or external gateways.

Option D is incorrect since the hub is involved in shortcut negotiation to facilitate discovery and tunnel setup. While actual data traffic bypasses the hub after shortcuts are established, the hub is not bypassed during negotiation.

In summary, ADVPN provides a scalable and efficient solution that maintains centralized management while enabling dynamic, direct spoke-to-spoke connections—delivering the performance benefits of a full-mesh VPN topology in a hub-and-spoke design.

Question 4:

You are setting up a Fortinet SD-WAN environment to optimize application routing and utilize multiple WAN connections efficiently. FortiGate uses static and dynamic routing combined with SD-WAN rules to decide the best path for traffic. While troubleshooting and creating policies, you want to understand how FortiGate prioritizes routing when both SD-WAN rules and traditional routing methods (such as static, dynamic, or policy routing) coexist.

Which three statements accurately describe the routing behavior of Fortinet SD-WAN in this context?

A. SD-WAN members without a valid route to the destination are ignored by default.
B. SD-WAN rules are skipped if no SD-WAN member has a valid path to the destination.
C. Route lookup happens only when a new session is established.
D. SD-WAN rules override ISDB (Internet Service Database) routes by default.
E. Policy routes have priority over SD-WAN rules.

Correct Answers: A, B, C

Explanation:

Fortinet SD-WAN enhances multi-WAN deployments by creating an overlay to intelligently steer traffic based on link performance, cost, and application requirements. Understanding the interaction between SD-WAN rules and traditional routing is crucial to configuring and troubleshooting the solution.

Option A is correct because FortiGate requires each SD-WAN member interface to have a valid route to the traffic’s destination. If an SD-WAN member lacks a route to the destination network (e.g., no default or specific route), it is automatically excluded from consideration for forwarding traffic, ensuring that only viable paths are used.

Option B is accurate since SD-WAN rules are applied only if one or more SD-WAN members have valid routes to the target. If none of the SD-WAN members can reach the destination, FortiGate bypasses SD-WAN rules and falls back on traditional routing mechanisms. This prevents traffic from being dropped merely because an SD-WAN rule exists but is not currently applicable.

Option C correctly reflects FortiGate’s session-based architecture: route lookups and path selections occur at session creation time. Once a session is active, the routing decision is fixed to maintain session stability. This means any changes in routes or SD-WAN metrics only affect new sessions, not existing ones, preventing problems like asymmetric routing.

Option D is incorrect because SD-WAN rules do not automatically override ISDB routes, which are specialized routes for popular internet services. Both follow standard routing principles based on administrative distance and prefix length unless specifically configured otherwise.

Option E is false since SD-WAN rules have higher precedence than policy routes in FortiOS when SD-WAN is enabled. Policy routes are considered only if no SD-WAN rule applies or if SD-WAN paths are invalid.

In conclusion, Fortinet SD-WAN routing prioritizes valid member routes and applies rules only when viable paths exist, performing route lookups at session start. This design improves routing efficiency and reliability across multiple WAN links.

Question 5:

While troubleshooting ADVPN (Auto-Discovery VPN) tunnel negotiations on a FortiGate firewall in real time, which CLI command offers the most comprehensive and detailed debug information specifically about IKE (Internet Key Exchange) negotiation processes and errors?

A. get router info routing-table all
B. get ipsec tunnel list
C. diagnose vpn tunnel list
D. diagnose debug application ike

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

Auto-Discovery VPN (ADVPN) is a Fortinet innovation designed to streamline IPsec VPN deployments in dynamic full-mesh environments. Instead of manually configuring every possible tunnel between sites, ADVPN allows spokes to dynamically discover and establish direct tunnels to one another, reducing hub congestion and improving performance.

When facing problems during tunnel negotiations—such as tunnels failing to establish or dropping unexpectedly—understanding the underlying Internet Key Exchange (IKE) process is essential. IKE is the protocol responsible for establishing secure tunnels by negotiating parameters such as encryption, authentication, and keys.

The CLI command diagnose debug application ike is the primary tool for real-time insight into IKE negotiations. This command outputs detailed logs that show both Phase 1 (IKE SA establishment) and Phase 2 (IPsec SA establishment) processes, including negotiation proposals, key exchanges, and error messages. This granularity is critical to pinpoint problems like mismatched encryption algorithms, incorrect pre-shared keys, expired certificates, or policy mismatches.

To use this command effectively, administrators typically reset and enable debugging (diagnose debug reset and diagnose debug enable), then initiate the IKE debug with diagnose debug application ike -1. Once troubleshooting completes, debugging should be disabled to conserve system resources.

The other commands, while useful in their contexts, do not provide this level of detailed negotiation information:

• get router info routing-table all shows routing info but not IPsec specifics.

• get ipsec tunnel list shows tunnel statuses but lacks detailed negotiation logs.

• diagnose vpn tunnel list offers general tunnel diagnostics but not detailed IKE debug output.

In summary, diagnose debug application ike is the definitive command for troubleshooting real-time IKE negotiation issues on FortiGate ADVPN deployments, offering the depth of information necessary to identify and resolve complex VPN establishment problems.

Question 6:

In Secure SD-WAN setups, Remote Internet Access (RIA) is a strategy for handling internet-bound traffic. 

Which two scenarios commonly describe how RIA is implemented? (Select two.)

A. Route all internet traffic through the hub
B. Conduct centralized security inspection at the hub
C. Enable security inspection locally at the branch (spoke)
D. Allow direct internet breakout at branch locations

Correct Answers: B, D

Explanation:

Remote Internet Access (RIA) in Secure SD-WAN architecture defines how traffic destined for the public internet is routed and secured. Organizations must balance performance, security, and operational complexity, and RIA offers two primary deployment strategies.

The first common scenario is centralized security inspection at the hub. Here, all internet-bound traffic from branch offices (spokes) is backhauled to a central data center or hub where robust security tools such as next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), sandboxing, and data loss prevention (DLP) solutions inspect the traffic. This approach ensures uniform security policy enforcement and compliance monitoring, which is critical in environments with stringent regulatory requirements. However, it can introduce added latency and bandwidth consumption because all internet traffic traverses the hub.

The second common scenario is local internet breakout at branch locations. This model allows branches to access the internet directly, bypassing the hub, which reduces latency and bandwidth overhead, especially important for cloud applications like Microsoft 365 or SaaS services. Local breakout improves user experience by minimizing delays and is more scalable as traffic grows. In this case, security inspection may still occur locally but often with lighter controls, relying on cloud-based security or endpoint protections.

Options A and C are less aligned with RIA principles. Routing all internet traffic through the hub (A) represents the traditional, non-RIA model, which can be inefficient. Conducting comprehensive security inspection at each branch (C) is often impractical due to the cost and complexity of deploying enterprise-grade security infrastructure at every location.

In practice, many organizations adopt a hybrid approach, routing sensitive traffic through the hub for inspection while enabling direct internet access for latency-sensitive cloud services at the branch. FortiGate SD-WAN facilitates this by allowing per-application or per-destination policies that optimize both security and performance.

Question 7:

You are configuring a FortiGate device in an SD-WAN environment. Which action does the FortiGate take when it detects that a link has failed based on SLA monitoring?

A. The FortiGate reroutes traffic immediately to the next best-performing link.
B. The FortiGate ignores the failure and continues to send traffic over the failed link.
C. The FortiGate shuts down the entire SD-WAN interface group.
D. The FortiGate drops all traffic until the failed link recovers.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

In a Fortinet SD-WAN deployment, the primary goal is to ensure high availability and optimal application performance by monitoring and dynamically managing traffic across multiple WAN links. FortiGate uses Service Level Agreement (SLA) monitoring to continuously check the health and performance of WAN interfaces, typically by sending periodic probes like ICMP or HTTP requests to specified targets.

When the FortiGate detects that a link has failed or its performance metrics exceed predefined thresholds (such as latency, jitter, or packet loss), it triggers an immediate failover mechanism. The device reroutes traffic away from the failing link to the next best-performing link within the SD-WAN interface group. This rerouting ensures minimal disruption to application traffic and maintains service continuity.

Option A is correct because FortiGate actively manages link failures in SD-WAN by rerouting traffic based on SLA metrics.

Option B is incorrect because ignoring a failed link would cause traffic loss and degrade application performance, which defeats the purpose of SD-WAN.

Option C is incorrect because the failure of a single link does not cause the entire SD-WAN interface group to shut down. Only the failing link is excluded from forwarding decisions.

Option D is incorrect because FortiGate does not drop all traffic upon a link failure; it seeks alternate paths to maintain connectivity.

In summary, FortiGate’s SD-WAN SLA monitoring enhances resilience by detecting link failures quickly and rerouting traffic dynamically to ensure optimal network performance and uptime.

Question 8:

Which feature in FortiGate SD-WAN allows prioritization of specific applications to ensure critical business apps receive sufficient bandwidth?

A. Application steering
B. Load balancing
C. WAN link bonding
D. Link health monitoring

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

Within Fortinet’s SD-WAN framework, application steering is the mechanism that enables administrators to define how traffic is routed based on the specific application, user, or traffic type. This feature is essential for prioritizing critical business applications and ensuring they get preferential treatment in terms of bandwidth and link selection.

Application steering uses deep packet inspection and predefined application signatures to identify traffic. It allows traffic to be routed over the best-performing or most appropriate WAN link, based on the policies defined by the network administrator. For example, real-time communications like VoIP or video conferencing can be steered over low-latency links, while less critical traffic like file downloads may use other available links.

Option A is correct because application steering directly addresses application-level control and prioritization in SD-WAN.

Option B, load balancing, distributes traffic evenly or based on predefined algorithms but does not prioritize traffic by application.

Option C, WAN link bonding, aggregates multiple WAN links to increase bandwidth but does not inherently prioritize specific traffic.

Option D, link health monitoring, focuses on assessing the performance and availability of WAN links but does not handle application prioritization.

Hence, application steering is the key SD-WAN feature in FortiGate for ensuring critical applications receive the bandwidth and routing priority needed to maintain performance.

Question 9:

What is the purpose of configuring SLA targets on an SD-WAN rule in FortiGate?

A. To set performance thresholds that determine if a link is considered healthy or degraded.
B. To specify the maximum bandwidth allowed for a specific WAN link.
C. To enable encryption on WAN traffic.
D. To define IPsec VPN parameters.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

SLA (Service Level Agreement) targets in FortiGate’s SD-WAN context are crucial for maintaining high-quality WAN connectivity. These targets specify thresholds for network performance metrics such as latency, jitter, and packet loss. By configuring SLA targets, administrators define what performance levels are acceptable for the SD-WAN links.

FortiGate uses these SLA targets to continuously monitor WAN links. If a link’s performance metrics exceed the set SLA thresholds (for example, latency becomes too high or packet loss is detected), the link is marked as degraded or failed. This status triggers SD-WAN to reroute traffic over healthier links, preserving the quality of critical applications and overall user experience.

Option A is correct because SLA targets directly relate to defining the performance criteria used to evaluate link health.

Option B is incorrect because bandwidth limits are configured separately and are not part of SLA targets.

Option C is incorrect since encryption settings pertain to VPN configurations, not SLA targets.

Option D relates to VPN parameters and is unrelated to SLA performance monitoring.

In short, SLA targets allow FortiGate SD-WAN to make informed, automated decisions on traffic routing by evaluating if WAN links meet the defined quality of service requirements.

Question 10:

Which statement best describes the FortiGate SD-WAN overlay network?

A. It abstracts multiple physical WAN links into a single logical interface for easier management.
B. It requires manual failover configuration for each WAN link.
C. It encrypts all traffic between sites automatically without additional configuration.
D. It only supports MPLS connections.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

The FortiGate SD-WAN overlay network is a key concept that simplifies WAN management and improves network flexibility. By abstracting multiple physical WAN links (such as broadband, MPLS, LTE) into a single logical interface, administrators can manage multiple connections as one entity. This abstraction enables dynamic path selection, load balancing, and failover without manual intervention.

This overlay network allows FortiGate to monitor each underlying link’s performance and steer traffic intelligently based on real-time conditions and policies. It significantly improves application performance, resiliency, and operational efficiency.

Option A is correct because it accurately describes the overlay network abstraction and its management benefits.

Option B is incorrect since SD-WAN automates failover; manual failover is not required.

Option C is incorrect because encryption (e.g., IPsec) must be configured separately and is not automatic in the SD-WAN overlay.

Option D is incorrect as FortiGate SD-WAN supports a variety of WAN types beyond MPLS, including broadband and wireless links.

Thus, the FortiGate SD-WAN overlay simplifies managing diverse WAN links under a unified logical interface, enabling dynamic, policy-driven routing decisions.