A. Disable "Share Unused Address and Service Objects with Devices" in Panorama Settings.

Explanation:
By default, Panorama shares all objects (addresses, services, app groups, etc.) with all managed firewalls, even if they’re not used.
On small appliances (like PA-220), this leads to long commit times because the device has to process a very large object set — most of which it doesn’t need.
Disabling “Share Unused Address and Service Objects with Devices” tells Panorama to only push objects actually used in policy for that firewall, drastically reducing commit load/time.
This is a best practice when a Panorama manages both large chassis devices and small branch devices.

❌ Why the other options are wrong:
B. Update the apps and threat version using device-deployment
Good maintenance practice, but it has no impact on commit time.
C. Perform a device group push using “merge with device candidate config”
This just changes whether Panorama merges its config with the firewall’s candidate. It doesn’t optimize commit time.
D. Use “export or push device config bundle”
That’s for ensuring initial Panorama-to-firewall config sync, especially after RMA or Panorama migration. It won’t reduce ongoing commit times.

📖 Reference:
Palo Alto TechDocs – Panorama Commit Optimization:

A. Verify the NGFWs have the Advanced DNS Security and Advanced Threat Prevention licenses installed and validated
D. Create or update an Anti-Spyware profile, go to the DNS Policies / DNS Zone Misconfiguration section, then add the domains to be protected

Explanation:
To protect public-facing company-owned domains from DNS misconfigurations—such as CNAME, MX, or NS records pointing to expired or third-party domains—the Palo Alto Networks NGFW must leverage Advanced DNS Security, introduced in PAN-OS 11.2.

Here’s what’s required:
✅ A. Licensing Validation
The firewall must have Advanced DNS Security and Advanced Threat Prevention licenses installed and active.
These licenses enable real-time inspection and protection against DNS hijacking and misconfiguration attacks.
✅ D. Anti-Spyware Profile Configuration
DNS Zone Misconfiguration protection is configured within an Anti-Spyware profile, not Vulnerability Protection. Navigate to Objects > Security Profiles > Anti-Spyware, then go to the DNS Policies tab.
Under DNS Zone Misconfiguration, add the public-facing domains to be monitored.
Attach this profile to relevant Security Policy rules to enforce protection.

❌ Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:
B. Vulnerability Protection profile
→ DNS misconfiguration detection is not part of Vulnerability Protection. It belongs in Anti-Spyware.
C. Advanced URL Filtering license
→ Not required for DNS Zone Misconfiguration protection. URL Filtering handles web traffic, not DNS records.

📚 Reference:
Enable Advanced DNS Security – Palo Alto Networks
Let me know if you’d like help crafting a DNS protection policy or simulating a misconfiguration detection scenario.

A. Use the Scheduled Config Push to schedule Commit to Panorama and also Push to Devices.

Explanation:
Panorama provides a Scheduled Config Push feature.

With it, you can:
Commit to Panorama (save changes to Panorama’s running config), and
Push to Devices (send the committed Panorama config down to managed firewalls).
You can schedule both actions to happen automatically at a specified time (e.g., end of day).
That exactly matches the requirement: ensure all Panorama configuration is committed and pushed to devices at a certain time.

❌ Why the other options are wrong:
B. Scheduled Config Push + API call
Overcomplicates it. Panorama already supports scheduled commit and push natively—no API scripting needed.
C. Scheduled Config Export + API call
Config Export only saves/exports the config to a file; it doesn’t commit or push to devices. Wrong feature.
D. Scheduled Config Export to commit and push
Same issue—Config Export is about saving, not applying configs.

📖 Reference:
Palo Alto TechDocs – Schedule a Config Push

D. Select 'Show all signatures' within the Vulnerability Protection Profile under 'Exceptions'.

Explanation:
When a Threat ID is missing from the Vulnerability Protection Profile exceptions tab, the most operationally efficient action is to enable the 'Show All Signatures' option. This reveals all available threat signatures, including those that are disabled by default, not currently triggered, or not visible due to UI filtering.

This step allows the engineer to:
Quickly locate the Threat ID
Add an exception without needing CLI or support intervention
Avoid service disruption caused by false positives
This is a GUI-based solution that requires no downtime and is the fastest path to resolution.

❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
A. Review high severity system logs Logs may show the threat event but won’t help expose the missing Threat ID in the exceptions tab.
B. Open a support case Time-consuming and unnecessary for a known UI behavior. Only needed if the Threat ID is truly unsupported or absent from the content package.
C. Review traffic logs to add the exception from there Traffic logs show the threat event but do not allow direct exception creation. You still need to locate the Threat ID in the profile manually.

References:
Palo Alto Networks KB – Missing Threat ID in Vulnerability Protection Profile
Marks4Sure PCNSE Practice – Threat Exception Efficiency

A. External zones with the virtual systems added.
D. Add a route with next hop next-vr by using the VR configured in the virtual system
E. Ensure the virtual systems are visible to one another.

Explanation:
For virtual systems (vSys) on a Palo Alto Networks firewall to communicate with each other, especially when separate virtual routers (VRs) are used for each vSys, the configuration must facilitate proper routing and security policy enforcement. The key aspects to focus on include:
A. External zones with the virtual systems added:
External zones are special types of zones that are used to facilitate traffic flow between virtual systems within the same physical firewall. By adding virtual systems to an external zone, you enable them to communicate with each other, effectively bypassing the need for traffic to exit and re-enter the firewall.
D. Add a route with next hop next-vr by using the VR configured in the virtual system:
When using separate VRs for each vSys, it's essential to configure inter-VR routing. This is done by adding routes in each VR with the next hop set to 'next-vr', specifying the VR of the destination vSys. This setup enables traffic to be routed from one virtual system's VR to another, facilitating communication between them.
E. Ensure the virtual systems are visible to one another:
Visibility between virtual systems is a prerequisite for inter-vSys communication. This involves configuring the virtual systems in a way that they are aware of each other's existence. This is typically managed in the vSys settings, where you can specify which virtual systems can communicate with each other.
By focusing on these configuration details, the network security engineer can ensure that the virtual systems can communicate effectively, maintaining the necessary isolation while allowing the required traffic flow.

B. Panorama, Dedicated Log Collectors and WildFire appliances must be patched to the target PAN-OS version before updating the firewalls.

Explanation:
In a Palo Alto Networks High Availability (HA) configuration, the link responsible for synchronizing sessions between HA peers is:

✅ HA3 – Packet Forwarding Link
Purpose:
Used specifically for session synchronization, including active session state and packet forwarding information.
Deployment:
Typically used in Active/Active HA setups, but can also be configured in Active/Passive if session synchronization is required.
Technical Note:
Requires jumbo frames because HA3 messages often exceed 1,500 bytes.

🔍 What the Other Links Do:
HA1 – Control link: Exchanges heartbeats, hellos, and configuration/state info.
HA2 – Data link: Synchronizes routing tables, ARP tables, IPSec SAs, and other dataplane elements.
HA4 – Used in HA clusters (not HA pairs) for session state sync across cluster members.

Reference:
Palo Alto Networks TechDocs – HA Links and Backup Links

B. With ‘(port dst neq 53)’ Traffic log filter inside Device > log Settings.

Explanation:
The server team has identified a high volume of logs forwarded to their syslog server, with DNS traffic (using port 53) being the primary contributor. The risk and compliance team requires that Traffic logs indicating port abuse on port 53 (destination port 53) still be forwarded to syslog, while all other DNS Traffic logs should be excluded. In Palo Alto Networks firewalls, log forwarding to external servers like syslog is configured to filter specific log types and conditions. The correct approach is to use a Traffic log filter within the Device > Log Settings to exclude logs where the destination port is not 53 (i.e., non-port-53 DNS traffic), ensuring only relevant port 53 abuse logs are sent. The filter syntax (port dst neq 53) means "destination port not equal to 53," effectively excluding non-port-53 DNS logs while allowing port 53 logs to pass. The Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 11.1 Administrator’s Guide details that log filters in Device > Log Settings control which logs are forwarded, making option B correct.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
A. With (port,dst neq 53)’ Traffic log filter Object > Log Forwarding:
This is incorrect due to a syntax error (missing quotes and incorrect comma usage; should be (port dst neq 53)). Additionally, Objects > Log Forwarding defines where logs are sent (e.g., syslog server), not the filter conditions. The PCNSE Study Guide clarifies that filters are set in Device > Log Settings.
C. With ‘(app neq dns-base)’ Traffic log filter inside Device > Log Settings:
This is incorrect because excluding the dns-base application (which matches DNS traffic regardless of port) would remove all DNS-related logs, including those with port 53 abuse that the compliance team requires. The PAN-OS 11.1 Administrator’s Guide notes that app neq dns-base is too broad for this requirement.
D. With ‘(app neq dns-base)’ Traffic log filter inside Objects > Log Forwarding:
This is incorrect for two reasons: the app neq dns-base filter excludes all DNS logs (including port 53), violating the requirement, and Objects > Log Forwarding is for defining forwarding profiles, not applying filters. The PCNSE Study Guide confirms filters belong in Device > Log Settings.

Practical Steps:
Navigate to Device > Log Settings.
Select the Traffic log type.
Add a filter with the condition (port dst neq 53) to exclude non-port-53 DNS logs. Ensure the syslog server is configured under Objects > Log Forwarding and linked to the Traffic log settings.
Commit the configuration.
Verify via Monitor > Logs > Traffic that only port 53 logs are forwarded to syslog.

References:
Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 11.1 Administrator’s Guide: Details log filtering in Device > Log Settings.
Palo Alto Networks PCNSE Study Guide: Explains log forwarding configuration and filter syntax.