PSE-SWFW-Pro-24 Paloalto Networks Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

Automation tools enhance management efficiency and consistency.

Why D is correct: Automation tools like Ansible, Terraform, and pan-os-python allow for consistent configuration deployment and management across multiple devices, reducing manual errors and ensuring adherence to standards.  

Why A, B, and C are incorrect:

A: While automation can improve performance through optimized configurations, it doesn't automatically optimize device performance without administrator input.

B: The PAN-OS web interface remains a valid management option. Automation complements it, not replaces it entirely.

C: Understanding PAN-OS configuration concepts is crucial for effective use of automation tools. These tools automate tasks, but they require proper configuration and scripting.

Palo Alto Networks References: Palo Alto Networks documentation on automation and APIs (including the pan-os-python SDK) highlights the benefits of consistency and reduced human error.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:The Cloud NGFW (Next-Generation Firewall) for AWS and Azure is a cloud-native security service that requires specific tools for management and configuration. According to the Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation, the following features are used to manage Cloud NGFW in these public cloud environments:

Palo Alto Networks Ansible playbooks (Option B): Ansible is an automation tool that Palo Alto Networks supports for managing Cloud NGFW deployments. Ansible playbooks use the XML API to automate configuration changes, policy enforcement, and monitoring for Cloud NGFW in AWS and Azure. This allows for scalable and repeatable management, reducing manual effort and ensuring consistency across deployments. The documentation highlights Ansible as a key automation tool for cloud-native firewalls, including Cloud NGFW.

Panorama (Option C): Panorama is Palo Alto Networks’ centralized management platform for firewalls, including Cloud NGFW. It provides a unified interface for managing policies, configurations, and logs for Cloud NGFW instances in AWS and Azure. Panorama integrates with the cloud provider’s APIs to ensure seamless management, offering features like policy push, logging, and reporting. This is a standard practice for customers requiring centralized control over their cloud security infrastructure.

Options A (Azure Firewall Portal) and D (AWS Firewall Manager) are incorrect. The Azure Firewall Portal is specific to Microsoft Azure’s native firewall and does not manage Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW. Similarly, AWS Firewall Manager is a native AWS service for managing AWS WAF and Shield, not Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW. These tools are not designed to integrate with or manage Palo Alto Networks’ cloud-native firewall solutions.

References: Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall, Section: Cloud NGFW Management, Panorama Deployment Guide, Ansible Integration Documentation for Cloud NGFW, AWS/Azure Integration Guides.

When a virtual machine moves between hosts and its IP address changes (or if it's assigned a new IP from a pool), traditional static security policies become ineffective. Dynamic Address Groups solve this problem.

A. Dynamic Address Groups: These groups automatically update their membership based on criteria such as tags, VM names, or other dynamic attributes. When a VM moves and its IP address changes, the Dynamic Address Group automatically updates its membership, ensuring that security policies remain effective without manual intervention. This is the correct solution for this scenario.

B. Dynamic User Groups: These groups are based on user identity and are used for user-based policy enforcement, not for tracking IP addresses of VMs.

C. Dynamic Host Groups: This is not a standard Palo Alto Networks term.

D. Dynamic IP Groups: While the concept sounds similar, the official Palo Alto Networks terminology is "Dynamic Address Groups." They achieve the functionality described in the question.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:Cloud NGFW for AWS is a cloud-native firewall service designed to provide scalable and flexible security in Amazon Web Services (AWS) environments. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation describes the deployment models supported by Cloud NGFW to meet various architectural needs in public clouds.

Distributed (Option B): In a distributed deployment model, Cloud NGFW instances are deployed across multiple Availability Zones (AZs) or Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) in AWS. This model ensures scalability, high availability, and localized traffic inspection, reducing latency and improving performance. The documentation highlights distributed deployment as a key feature for large-scale AWS environments, leveraging AWS’s auto-scaling and load-balancing capabilities.

Centralized (Option D): In a centralized deployment model, a single Cloud NGFW instance or a cluster of instances serves as a central point for inspecting traffic across multiple VPCs or regions in AWS. This model simplifies management and policy enforcement but may introduce latency for distributed workloads. The documentation notes that centralized deployment is suitable for smaller environments or specific use cases requiring unified control, integrated with AWS Transit Gateway or VPC peering.

Options A (Hierarchical) and C (Linear) are incorrect. Hierarchical deployment is not a supported model for Cloud NGFW in AWS, as it implies a multi-tiered structure not aligned with the cloud-native architecture of Cloud NGFW. Linear deployment is not a recognized model in the documentation for Cloud NGFW, which focuses on distributed and centralized approaches to meet AWS scalability and security needs.

References: Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall, Section: Cloud NGFW for AWS Deployment, AWS Integration Guide, Distributed and Centralized Architecture Documentation.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:Palo Alto Networks provides tools to simplify configuration and ensure best practices for Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) like VM-Series, CN-Series, and Cloud NGFW. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation outlines these tools, focusing on ease of use, optimization, and security.

Policy Optimizer to help identify and recommend Layer 7 policy changes (Option A): Policy Optimizer, available in PAN-OS or Panorama, analyzes existing security policies and recommends improvements, particularly for Layer 7 (application-layer) policies. It identifies unused rules, overlaps, and optimization opportunities for NGFWs, ensuring simplified and secure configurations. The documentation highlights Policy Optimizer as a key tool for streamlining NGFW configurations.

Day 1 Configuration through the customer support portal (CSP) (Option D): The Customer Support Portal (CSP) offers a Day 1 Configuration Wizard for new NGFW deployments, guiding customers through initial setup, licensing, and best-practice configurations for VM-Series, CN-Series, or Cloud NGFW. This tool simplifies the onboarding process, reducing configuration errors and ensuring alignment with Palo Alto Networks’ recommendations, as described in the documentation.

Best Practice Assessment (BPA) in Strata Cloud Manager (SCM) (Option E): BPA, available in SCM, assesses NGFW configurations (e.g., VM-Series, CN-Series) against Palo Alto Networks’ best practices, identifying misconfigurations, security gaps, and optimization opportunities. The documentation emphasizes BPA as a critical tool for ensuring simplified, secure, and compliant configurations in cloud and virtualized environments.

Options B (Telemetry to ensure that Palo Alto Networks has full visibility into the firewall configuration) and C (Expedition to enable the creation of custom threat signatures) are incorrect. Telemetry provides data for Palo Alto Networks’ analytics but does not facilitate simplified or best-practice configurations for customers. Expedition is a migration tool, not designed for creating custom threat signatures; it focuses on policy migration and does not align with the intent of simplifying NGFW configurations.

References: Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall, Section: NGFW Configuration Tools, Policy Optimizer Documentation, Day 1 Configuration Guide, Strata Cloud Manager BPA Documentation.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:Flex licensing, also known as credit-based flexible licensing, is a Palo Alto Networks licensing model for software firewalls like VM-Series, CN-Series, and Cloud NGFW, designed to provide flexibility and scalability in cloud and virtualized environments. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation details the benefits of this licensing model for VM-Series firewalls specifically:

Ability to move credits between public and private cloud VM-Series firewall deployments (Option C): Flex licensing allows customers to allocate NGFW credits dynamically across different deployment environments, such as public clouds (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and private clouds. This portability ensures that credits can be reallocated based on changing needs, reducing waste and optimizing resource utilization for VM-Series firewalls. The documentation emphasizes this as a key advantage, enabling cost-effective management across hybrid cloud architectures.

Ability to add or remove subscriptions from software firewalls as needed (Option D): With flex licensing, customers can easily add or remove Cloud-Delivered Security Services (CDSS) subscriptions (e.g., Threat Prevention, URL Filtering) to VM-Series firewalls based on current requirements. This flexibility allows for real-time adjustments without requiring new licenses or lengthy procurement processes, making it a significant benefit for dynamic cloud environments, as outlined in the licensing documentation.

Options A (Credits that do not expire and are available until fully depleted) and B (Deployment of Cloud NGFWs, VM-Series firewalls, and CN-Series firewalls) are incorrect. While credits are designed to be flexible, they do have expiration policies (e.g., typically a 3-year term unless otherwise specified), so Option A is not accurate. Flex licensing primarily applies to VM-Series and CN-Series firewalls, but deploying Cloud NGFWs (Option B) typically requires a separate licensing model or integration, and it is not a direct benefit of VM-Series flex licensing as described in the documentation.

References: Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall, Section: Flexible Licensing Overview, VM-Series Licensing Guide, NGFW Credits Documentation.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:The customer’s requirements involve deploying three different Palo Alto Networks software firewalls—VM-Series (on-premises), CN-Series (Azure), and Cloud NGFW (AWS)—and requiring centralized management. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation provides guidance on licensing and management solutions for multi-environment deployments.

NGFW Software credits and Panorama (Option D): NGFW credit-based flexible licensing allows the customer to allocate credits for VM-Series, CN-Series, and Cloud NGFW deployments across on-premises, Azure, and AWS environments. Panorama, Palo Alto Networks’ centralized management platform, can manage all three firewall types: VM-Series for on-premises data centers, CN-Series for containerized workloads in Azure, and Cloud NGFW for AWS (via integration with cloud APIs). The documentation specifies that Panorama provides unified policy management, logging, and monitoring for software firewalls, regardless of deployment location, making it the ideal solution for centralized management. NGFW credits simplify licensing across these environments, ensuring flexibility and scalability.

Options A (NGFW Software credits and Strata Cloud Manager [SCM]), B (Fixed VM-Series firewalls, Cloud NGFW credits, and Panorama), and C (NGFW Software credits, Cloud NGFW, and Strata Cloud Manager [SCM]) are incorrect. SCM (Options A, C) is designed for cloud-delivered security services and does not fully support on-premises VM-Series or CN-Series management to the extent Panorama does, as Panorama is the standard management solution for all three firewall types. Fixed VM-Series firewalls (Option B) are not flexible and do not align with the customer’s need for scalable, credit-based licensing, which is better suited for software firewalls across clouds. Option C redundantly mentions Cloud NGFW and does not add value beyond what Panorama and NGFW credits already provide, while SCM is not necessary for this specific multi-environment setup.

References: Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall, Section: Multi-Cloud Deployment, Flexible Licensing Overview, Panorama Management Documentation, VM-Series, CN-Series, and Cloud NGFW Deployment Guides.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:The customer’s request for multi-cloud Layer 7 network security in AWS and Azure, with full management control, VPN termination, and BGP routing, requires a flexible and feature-rich firewall solution. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation outlines the capabilities of its firewall products for multi-cloud environments.

VM-Series (Option A): The VM-Series firewall is a virtualized next-generation firewall (NGFW) ideal for multi-cloud deployments in AWS and Azure. It provides Layer 7 application visibility and control, full management control through tools like Panorama or Strata Cloud Manager, VPN termination (e.g., IPSec site-to-site VPNs), and BGP dynamic routing to peer with cloud and on-premises routers. The documentation highlights VM-Series as a versatile solution for public clouds, supporting custom configurations, policy enforcement, and advanced routing protocols, meeting all the customer’s requirements without the limitations of cloud-native or container-specific firewalls.

Options B (CN-Series), C (Cloud NGFW), and D (PA-Series) are incorrect. CN-Series firewalls are designed for containerized environments (e.g., Kubernetes) and do not support VPN termination or BGP routing natively, making them unsuitable for this multi-cloud, Layer 7 security use case. Cloud NGFW, while cloud-native for AWS and Azure, offers limited management control (as it is a managed service) and does not natively support VPN termination or BGP routing, as these features are handled by the cloud provider or require VM-Series integration. PA-Series firewalls are physical appliances, not virtualized or cloud-native, and cannot be deployed in AWS or Azure to meet the multi-cloud requirement.

References: Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall, Section: Multi-Cloud Security, VM-Series Deployment Guide for AWS and Azure, VPN and BGP Routing Documentation.

Firewall flex credits have specific characteristics.

Why A, C, and D are correct:

A: For flex credits, the number of licensed cores must match the number of provisioned CPU cores. This is a key requirement for accurate credit consumption.

C: Deployment profiles are either fixed (predefined resources) or flexible (using credits).

D: All firewalls within a deployment profile share the same Cloud-Delivered Security Services (CDSS) subscriptions.

Why B and E are incorrect:

B: Flex credits are the mechanism used to deploy Cloud NGFW instances in AWS and Azure, not a separate allocation.

E: Deployment profiles are for VM-Series firewalls. CN-Series firewalls have their own licensing and deployment models.  

Palo Alto Networks References: The official Palo Alto Networks documentation on VM-Series licensing, flex credits, and deployment profiles contains this information.

This question asks about common characteristics of Cloud NGFW (specifically referring to Cloud NGFW for AWS and Azure) and VM-Series firewalls.

B. In Azure and AWS, both offerings can be managed by Panorama. This is correct. Panorama is the centralized management platform for Palo Alto Networks firewalls, including both VM-Series and Cloud NGFW deployments in AWS and Azure. Panorama allows for consistent policy management, logging, and reporting across these different deployment models.  

D. In Azure, inbound destination NAT configuration also requires source NAT to maintain flow symmetry. This is accurate specifically within the Azure environment. Due to how Azure networking functions, when performing destination NAT (DNAT) for inbound traffic to resources behind a firewall (whether VM-Series or Cloud NGFW), it's typically necessary to also implement source NAT (SNAT) to ensure return traffic follows the same path. This maintains flow symmetry and prevents routing issues. This is an Azure networking characteristic, not specific to the Palo Alto offerings themselves, but it applies to both in Azure.  

E. In Azure and AWS, internal (east-west) flows can be inspected without any NAT. This is generally true. For traffic within the same Virtual Network (Azure) or VPC (AWS), both VM-Series and Cloud NGFW can inspect traffic without requiring NAT. This is a key advantage for microsegmentation and internal security. The firewalls can act as transparent security gateways for internal traffic.

Why other options are incorrect:

A. In Azure, both offerings can be integrated directly into Virtual WAN hubs. While VM-Series firewalls can be integrated into Azure Virtual WAN hubs as secured virtual hubs, Cloud NGFW for Azure is not directly integrated into Virtual WAN hubs in the same way. Cloud NGFW for Azure uses a different architecture, deploying as a service within a virtual network.  

C. In AWS, both offerings can be managed by AWS Firewall Manager. AWS Firewall Manager is a service for managing AWS WAF, AWS Shield, and network firewalls (AWS Network Firewall). While AWS Firewall Manager can be used to manage AWS Network Firewall, it is not the management plane for Palo Alto Networks VM-Series or Cloud NGFW for AWS. These are managed by Panorama.  

Palo Alto Networks References:

To validate these points, refer to the following documentation areas on the Palo Alto Networks support site (live.paloaltonetworks.com):

Panorama Administrator's Guide: This guide details the management capabilities of Panorama, including managing VM-Series and Cloud NGFW deployments in AWS and Azure.  

Cloud NGFW for AWS/Azure Documentation: This documentation outlines the architecture and deployment models of Cloud NGFW, including its management and integration with cloud platforms.

VM-Series Deployment Guides for AWS/Azure: These guides describe the deployment and configuration of VM-Series firewalls in AWS and Azure, including networking considerations and integration with cloud services.

Strata Cloud Manager (SCM) is designed to simplify the management and operations of Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls. It provides centralized management and visibility across various deployment models. Based on official Palo Alto Networks documentation, SCM directly supports the following firewall platforms:

B. CN-Series firewalls: SCM is used to manage containerized firewalls deployed in Kubernetes environments. It facilitates tasks like policy management, upgrades, and monitoring for CN-Series firewalls. This is clearly documented in Palo Alto Networks' CN-Series documentation and SCM administration guides.

D. PA-Series firewalls: SCM provides comprehensive management capabilities for hardware-based PA-Series firewalls. This includes tasks like device onboarding, configuration management, software updates, and log analysis. This is a core function of SCM and is extensively covered in their official documentation.

E. VM-Series firewalls: SCM also supports VM-Series firewalls deployed in various public and private cloud environments. It offers similar management capabilities as for PA-Series, including configuration, policy enforcement, and lifecycle management. This is explicitly mentioned in Palo Alto Networks' VM-Series and SCM documentation.

Why other options are incorrect:

A. Prisma Cloud: Prisma Cloud is a separate cloud security platform that focuses on cloud workload protection, cloud security posture management (CSPM), and cloud infrastructure entitlement management (CIEM). While there might be integrations between Prisma Cloud and other Palo Alto Networks products, Prisma Cloud itself is not directly managed by Strata Cloud Manager. They are distinct platforms with different focuses.

C. Prisma Access: Prisma Access is a cloud-delivered security platform that provides secure access to applications and data for remote users and branch offices. Like Prisma Cloud, it's a separate product, and while it integrates with other Palo Alto Networks offerings, it is not managed by Strata Cloud Manager. It has its own dedicated management plane.

Let's analyze each option based on Palo Alto Networks documentation and best practices:

A. VMs on VMware ESXi hypervisors can be segregated from one another on the network by the VM-Series NGFW by IP addressing and Layer 3 gateways. This is TRUE. The VM-Series firewall can act as a Layer 3 gateway, enabling inter-VLAN routing and enforcing security policies between different VM networks based on IP addresses and subnets. This allows for granular control over traffic flow between VMs.

Ansible interacts with PAN-OS through its API.

Why C is correct: Ansible uses the PAN-OS XML API to manage configurations. This allows for programmatic interaction and automation.  

Why A, B, and D are incorrect:

A. Ansible can only be used to automate configuration changes on physical firewalls but not virtual firewalls: Ansible can manage both physical (PA-Series) and virtual (VM-Series, CN-Series) firewalls.

B. Ansible requires direct access to the firewall’s CLI to make changes: Ansible does not require direct CLI access. It uses the API, which is more structured and secure.

D. Ansible requires the use of Python to create playbooks: While Ansible playbooks are written in YAML, you don't need to write Python code directly. Ansible modules handle the underlying API interactions. The pan-os-python SDK is a separate tool that can be used for more complex automation tasks, but it's not required for basic Ansible playbooks.

Palo Alto Networks References:

Ansible Collections for Palo Alto Networks: These collections, available on Ansible Galaxy, provide modules for interacting with PAN-OS via the API.  

Palo Alto Networks Documentation on API Integration: The API documentation describes how to use the XML API for configuration management.

Palo Alto Networks GitHub Repositories: Palo Alto Networks provides examples and resources on using Ansible with PAN-OS.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:Automating the deployment of VM-Series firewalls in public cloud service provider (CSP) environments like AWS, Azure, and GCP requires tools that support Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and integration with cloud APIs. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation outlines tools for automation, focusing on scalability and integration with DevOps workflows.

Terraform Automated Config agent (Option B): Terraform is an IaC tool that automates the provisioning and configuration of infrastructure, including VM-Series firewalls in public clouds. The “Terraform Automated Config agent” refers to using Terraform scripts or modules (available in the Palo Alto Networks GitHub repository) to deploy VM-Series firewalls, configure networking, apply policies, and integrate with cloud-native services (e.g., AWS VPC, Azure VNet, GCP VPC). The documentation highlights Terraform as a primary tool for automating VM-Series deployments, enabling repeatable and scalable deployments across CSPs, aligning with modern DevOps practices.

Options A (Panorama), C (Public Cloud Manager [PCM] tenant), and D (Docker Swarm) are incorrect. Panorama (Option A) is a management platform, not an automation tool for initial deployment; it manages configurations and policies post-deployment but does not automate the provisioning of VMs in public clouds. Public Cloud Manager (PCM) is not a recognized Palo Alto Networks tool in this context; Strata Cloud Manager (SCM) or Panorama are used, but PCM is not referenced for VM-Series automation. Docker Swarm (Option D) is a container orchestration platform, not suited for deploying VM-Series firewalls, which are virtual machines, not containers (CN-Series uses Kubernetes, not Docker Swarm, for containerized deployments).

References: Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall, Section: VM-Series Deployment Automation, Terraform Integration Documentation, GitHub Repository for Palo Alto Networks.

CN-Series firewalls are specifically designed for containerized environments.  

Why A, C, and E are correct:

A. Prevention of sensitive data exfiltration from Kubernetes environments: CN-Series provides visibility and control over container traffic, enabling the prevention of data leaving the Kubernetes cluster without authorization.  

C. Inbound, outbound, and east-west traffic between containers: CN-Series secures all types of container traffic: ingress (inbound), egress (outbound), and traffic between containers within the cluster (east-west).  

E. Enforcement of segmentation policies that prevent lateral movement of threats: CN-Series allows for granular segmentation of containerized applications, limiting the impact of breaches by preventing threats from spreading laterally within the cluster.

Why B and D are incorrect:

B. All Kubernetes workloads in the public and private cloud: While CN-Series can protect Kubernetes workloads in both public and private clouds, the statement "all Kubernetes workloads" is too broad. Its focus is on securing the network traffic around those workloads, not managing the Kubernetes infrastructure itself.

D. All workloads deployed on-premises or in the public cloud: CN-Series is specifically designed for containerized environments (primarily Kubernetes). It's not intended to protect all workloads deployed in any environment. That's the role of other Palo Alto Networks products like VM-Series, PA-Series, and Prisma Access.  

Palo Alto Networks References: The Palo Alto Networks documentation on CN-Series firewalls clearly outlines these use cases. Look for information on:

CN-Series Datasheets and Product Pages: These resources describe the key features and benefits of CN-Series, including its focus on container security.

CN-Series Deployment Guides: These guides provide detailed information on deploying and configuring CN-Series in Kubernetes environments.

These resources confirm that CN-Series is focused on securing container traffic within Kubernetes environments, including data exfiltration prevention, securing all traffic directions (inbound, outbound, east-west), and enforcing segmentation

Palo Alto Networks provides various reference architectures for deploying VM-Series firewalls in different cloud environments. Let's examine the options:

A. Cloud NGFW for AWS: Combined Model: While Cloud NGFW is an offering, the term "Combined Model" isn't a standard, documented reference architecture name. Cloud NGFW for AWS focuses on simplified deployment and management but doesn't use this specific terminology for its deployment models.

B. AWS VM-Series: Isolated Transit Gateway: This is a VALID deployment model. It involves deploying VM-Series firewalls in an isolated VPC connected to AWS Transit Gateway. This provides centralized security inspection for traffic flowing between different VPCs and on-premises networks connected to the Transit Gateway.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:Palo Alto Networks uses a credit-based flexible licensing model (NGFW credits) for software firewalls, managed through deployment profiles in the Customer Support Portal. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation describes the characteristics of flex credit profiles within a credit pool.

Each VM-Series firewall deployment profile can be either fixed or flexible until defined and saved (Option A): In the Customer Support Portal, deployment profiles for VM-Series firewalls can start as undefined (neither fixed nor flexible) and are configured as either fixed (specific license allocation) or flexible (using NGFW credits) before saving. This flexibility allows customers to adjust profiles based on needs, a feature highlighted in the documentation for managing software firewalls efficiently.

Allocate credits for use with Cloud NGFW for AWS and Azure (Option D): NGFW credits from a credit pool can be allocated to deploy and manage Cloud NGFW instances in AWS and Azure, in addition to VM-Series and CN-Series. The documentation notes that flex credit profiles enable customers to dynamically allocate credits across different firewall types, including cloud-native firewalls, ensuring scalability and cost efficiency in public cloud environments.

Options B (All firewalls activated to a deployment profile will have the same subscriptions) and C (The number of licensed cores must match the number of provisioned CPU cores per instance) are incorrect. Firewalls in a deployment profile can have different subscriptions based on specific needs, not necessarily the same, making Option B inaccurate. For flexible licensing, the number of licensed cores (vCPUs) does not need to match provisioned CPU cores exactly; licensing tiers are based on performance levels (e.g., Tier 1, Tier 2), not a one-to-one match, so Option C is not a characteristic of flex credit profiles.

References: Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall, Section: Flexible Licensing Management, NGFW Credits Documentation, Customer Support Portal Guide.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:Strata Cloud Manager (SCM) is Palo Alto Networks’ unified management platform for cloud-delivered security services and software firewalls. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation outlines SCM’s use cases, focusing on cloud-native and virtualized firewall management.

Provisioning and licensing new CN-Series firewall deployments (Option B): SCM supports the provisioning, licensing, and management of CN-Series firewalls, which secure containerized workloads in public clouds like AWS, Azure, and GCP. The documentation specifies that SCM provides a centralized interface for deploying and managing CN-Series, including license allocation via NGFW credits, ensuring scalability and automation for container security.

Options A (Supporting pre PAN-OS 10.1 SD-WAN migrations to SCM), C (Providing AI-Powered ADEM for all Prisma Access users), and D (Providing API-driven plugin framework for integration with third-party ecosystems) are incorrect. SCM does not support pre-PAN-OS 10.1 SD-WAN migrations, as it is designed for modern cloud-delivered services and requires PAN-OS 10.1 or later for certain features, making Option A inaccurate. AI-Powered ADEM (Application-Defined Experience Monitoring) is a feature of Prisma Access, not a core use case for SCM, and is not universally provided for all Prisma Access users (Option C is incorrect). SCM does not provide a specific API-driven plugin framework for third-party integrations; it uses APIs for internal management, but this is not its primary use case as described in the documentation (Option D is inaccurate).

References: Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall, Section: Strata Cloud Manager Use Cases, CN-Series Management Documentation, SCM Deployment Guide.

Terraform is an Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tool that enables automated deployment and management of infrastructure.

Why A and B are correct:

A. Cloud NGFW: Cloud NGFW can be deployed and managed using Terraform, allowing for automated provisioning and configuration.

B. VM-Series firewall: VM-Series firewalls are commonly deployed and managed with Terraform, enabling automated deployments in public and private clouds.

Why C and D are incorrect:

C. Cortex XSOAR: While Cortex XSOAR can integrate with Terraform (e.g., to automate workflows related to infrastructure changes), XSOAR itself is not deployed with Terraform. XSOAR is a Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platform.

D. Prisma Access: While Prisma Access can be integrated with other automation tools, the core Prisma Access service is not deployed using Terraform. Prisma Access is a cloud-delivered security platform.

Palo Alto Networks References:

Terraform Registry: The Terraform Registry contains official Palo Alto Networks providers for VM-Series and Cloud NGFW. These providers allow you to define and manage these resources using Terraform configuration files.

Palo Alto Networks GitHub Repositories: Palo Alto Networks maintains GitHub repositories with Terraform examples and modules for deploying and configuring VM-Series and Cloud NGFW.

Palo Alto Networks Documentation on Cloud NGFW and VM-Series: The official documentation for these products often includes sections on automation and integration with tools like Terraform.

These resources clearly demonstrate that VM-Series and Cloud NGFW are designed to be deployed and managed using Terraform.