You run a free-command on a gateway and notice that the Swap column is not zero Choose the best
answer
A
Explanation:
When the free command on a Linux-based system (like a Check Point Gaia gateway) shows a non-
zero value in the "Swap" column, it indicates that the system has utilized its swap space. Swap space
is a portion of the hard disk designated to act as virtual RAM when the physical RAM is fully utilized.
The most direct and accurate explanation for swap usage is that the system's demand for Random
Access Memory (RAM) exceeded the available physical RAM, forcing the operating system to move
some less frequently used memory pages from RAM to the swap space on the disk. This frees up
physical RAM for more active processes.
Let's analyze the options:
A . Utilization of ram is high and swap file had to be used: This is the correct and fundamental reason.
Swap is used precisely because RAM utilization reached a point where the system needed more
memory than was physically available.
B . Swap file is used regularly because RAM memory is reserved for management traffic: While Check
Point gateways handle management traffic, operating systems do not typically use swap "regularly"
due to a fixed reservation of RAM for such traffic in a way that would routinely force swapping under
normal conditions. If management traffic is excessively high and consumes too much RAM, it would
fall under the general case of high RAM utilization.
C . Swap memory is used for heavy connections when RAM memory is full: This describes a common
cause for high RAM utilization on a firewall. Heavy connections can consume significant memory
resources. When this consumption leads to RAM exhaustion, swap will indeed be used. However,
option A is a more general and direct explanation of why swap is used, regardless of the specific
cause of high RAM utilization. Option C is a specific scenario leading to the condition described in A.
D . Its ole Swap is used to increase performance: This statement is incorrect. Swapping to disk is
significantly slower than accessing RAM. Therefore, swap usage generally indicates a performance
bottleneck (or potential for one) rather than a performance enhancement. While virtual memory
(which includes swap) allows a system to run more or larger applications than its physical RAM
would normally allow, the act of swapping itself is detrimental to performance.
Conclusion: The best answer is A because it directly and accurately describes the immediate reason
for swap usage: high RAM utilization necessitating the use of the swap file. Option C, while plausible
as a cause of high RAM utilization, is a specific instance, whereas A is the overarching reason swap
comes into play.
Reference (General Linux/System Administration Principles and supported by CCTE exam preparation
materials): This understanding is based on fundamental principles of how operating systems manage
memory and swap space. Check Point CCTE R81.20 exam preparation materials also affirm this
understanding for similar questions. For instance, a question identical to this one appearing in CCTE
exam preparation resources typically points to option A as the correct answer.
You modified kernel parameters and after rebooting the gateway, a lot of production traffic gets
dropped and the gateway acts strangely What should you do"?
B
Explanation:
If you have modified kernel parameters (in fwkern.conf, for example) and the gateway starts
dropping traffic or behaving abnormally after a reboot, the best practice is to restore the original or a
known-good configuration from backup. Then, reboot again so that the gateway loads the last known
stable settings.
Option A (fw ctl set int fw1_kernel_all_disable=1) is not a standard or documented method for
“undoing” all kernel tweaks.
Option B (Restore fwkem.conf from backup and reboot the gateway) is the correct and
straightforward approach.
Option C (fw unloadlocal) removes the local policy but does not revert custom kernel parameters
that have already been loaded at boot.
Option D (Remove all kernel parameters from fwkem.conf and reboot) might help in some cases, but
you risk losing other beneficial or necessary parameters if there were legitimate custom settings.
Restoring from a known-good backup is safer and more precise.
Hence, the best answer:
“Restore fwkem.conf from backup and reboot the gateway.”
Check Point Troubleshooting Reference
sk98339 – Working with fwkern.conf (kernel parameters) in Gaia OS.
sk92739 – Advanced System Tuning in Gaia OS.
Check Point Gaia Administration Guide – Section on kernel parameters and system tuning.
Check Point CLI Reference Guide – Explanation of using fw ctl, fw unloadlocal, and relevant
troubleshooting commands.
What process monitors terminates, and restarts critical Check Point processes as necessary?
C
Explanation:
CPWD (Check Point WatchDog) is the process that monitors, terminates (if necessary), and restarts
critical Check Point processes (e.g., FWD, FWM, CPM) when they stop responding or crash.
CPM (Check Point Management process) is a process on the Management Server responsible for the
web-based SmartConsole connections, policy installations, etc.
FWD (Firewall Daemon) handles logging and communication functions in the Security Gateway.
FWM (FireWall Management) is an older reference to the management process on the Management
Server for older versions.
Therefore, the best answer is CPWD.
Check Point Troubleshooting Reference
sk97638: Check Point WatchDog (CPWD) process explanation and commands.
R81.20 Administration Guide – Section on CoreXL, Daemons, and CPWD usage.
sk105217: Best Practices – Explains system processes, how to monitor them, and how CPWD is
utilized.
When dealing with monolithic operating systems such as Gaia where are system calls initiated from
to achieve a required system level function?
A
Which of the following commands can be used to see the list of processes monitored by the Watch
Dog process?
C
Explanation:
To see the list of processes monitored by the WatchDog process (CPWD), you use the cpwd_admin
list command.
Option A (cpstat fw -f watchdog): Shows firewall status and statistics for the "fw" context, not
necessarily the list of monitored processes.
Option B (fw ctl get str watchdog): Not a valid parameter for retrieving the list of monitored
processes; “fw ctl” deals with kernel parameters.
Option C (cpwd_admin list): Correct command that lists all processes monitored by CPWD, their
status, and how many times they have been restarted.
Option D (ps -ef | grep watchd): This will list any running process that matches the string “watchd”
but will not specifically detail which processes are being monitored by CPWD.
Therefore, the best answer is cpwd_admin list.
Check Point Troubleshooting Reference
sk97638: Explains Check Point WatchDog (CPWD) usage and the cpwd_admin utility.
R81.20 CLI Reference Guide: Describes common troubleshooting commands including cpwd_admin
list.
Check Point Gaia Administration Guide: Provides instructions for monitoring system processes and
verifying CPWD.
What tool would you run to diagnose logging and indexing?
D
You found out that $FWDIR/Iog/fw.log is constantly growing in size at a Security Gateway, what is the
reason?
B
What is the best way to resolve an issue caused by a frozen process?
D
Explanation:
When a process is frozen (hung or unresponsive), the typical method to resolve it is to kill the
process. On Check Point, you can use cpwd_admin kill -name <ProcessName> or a standard Linux kill
-9 <PID> command if necessary. You then allow CPWD (the Check Point watchdog) to restart it, or
manually restart it if needed.
Other options:
A . Power off the machine: This is too drastic and not recommended just for a single frozen process.
B . Restart the process: While this sounds viable, you typically must kill the frozen process first, then
let WatchDog or an admin restart it.
C . Reboot the machine: Similar to powering off—too disruptive for just one stuck process.
Hence, the most direct and standard approach:
“Kill the process.”
Check Point Troubleshooting Reference
sk97638 – Explanation of CPWD (Check Point WatchDog) and how to manage processes.
sk43807 – How to gracefully stop or kill a Check Point process.
Check Point CLI Reference Guide – Details on using cpwd_admin commands to kill or restart
processes.
Which of the following file is commonly associated with troubleshooting crashes on a system such as
the Security Gateway?
B
Explanation:
When troubleshooting crashes on a Security Gateway (or any Linux-based system), the file type that
is typically generated and used for in-depth analysis is a core dump.
A core dump captures the memory state of a process at the time it crashed and is critical for root-
cause analysis.
Other options:
A . tcpdump: A packet capture file, not a crash-related file.
C . fw monitor: A Check Point packet capture tool, but not for crash debugging.
D . CPMIL dump: Not a common or standard crash dump reference in Check Point.
When a User Mode process suddenly crashes, it may create a core dump file. Which of the following
information is available in the core dump and may be used to identify the root cause of the crash?
i. Program Counter
ii. Stack Pointer
iii. Memory management information
iv. Other Processor and OS flags / information
C
Explanation:
A core dump file is essentially a snapshot of the process's memory at the time of the crash. This
snapshot includes crucial information that can help diagnose the cause of the crash. Here's why all
the options are relevant:
i. Program Counter: This register stores the address of the next instruction the CPU was supposed to
execute. It pinpoints exactly where in the code the crash occurred.
ii. Stack Pointer: This register points to the top of the call stack, which shows the sequence of
function calls that led to the crash. This helps trace the program's execution flow before the crash.
iii. Memory management information: This includes details about the process's memory allocations,
which can reveal issues like memory leaks or invalid memory access attempts.
iv. Other Processor and OS flags/information: This encompasses various registers and system
information that provide context about the state of the processor and operating system at the time
of the crash.
By analyzing this information within the core dump, you can often identify the root cause of the
crash, such as a segmentation fault, null pointer dereference, or stack overflow.
Check Point Troubleshooting Reference:
While core dumps are a general concept in operating systems, Check Point's documentation touches
upon them in the context of troubleshooting specific processes like fwd (firewall) or cpd (Check Point
daemon). The fw ctl zdebug command, for example, can be used to trigger a core dump of the fwd
process for debugging purposes.
Where will the usermode core files located?
D
Explanation:
Usermode core files are generated when a user mode process crashes. They are located in the
$CPDIR/var/log/dump/usermode directory on the Security Gateway or Security Management server.
The core files can be used to analyze the cause of the crash and troubleshoot the issue. The core files
are named according to the process name, date, and time of the crash. For example,
cpd_2023_02_03_16_40_55.core is a core file for the cpd process that crashed on February 3, 2023
at 16:40:55
What is the function of the Core Dump Manager utility?
C
Explanation:
The Core Dump Manager (CDM) is a utility that helps manage core dump files on Check Point
systems. Its main functions include:
Limiting file size and number: CDM can be configured to limit the size of individual core dump files
and the total amount of disk space used for core dumps. This prevents core dumps from filling up
valuable disk space.
Compression: CDM can compress core dump files to reduce their storage size. This is particularly
helpful when dealing with large core dumps.
Process filtering: CDM allows you to specify which processes should be allowed to generate core
dumps. This can help prevent unnecessary core dumps from being created.
Remote collection: CDM can be configured to send core dump files to a remote server for analysis.
This is useful in environments where direct access to the system generating the core dump is limited.
By using CDM, you can effectively manage core dump files and ensure that they are not
overwhelming your system's resources.
What is the proper command for allowing the system to create core files?
C
When a user space process or program suddenly crashes, what type of file is created for analysis
A
Explanation:
When a user space process crashes unexpectedly, the operating system often creates a core dump
file. This file is a snapshot of the process's memory at the time of the crash, including information
such as:
Program counter: This indicates where the program was executing when it crashed.
Stack pointer: This shows the function call stack, which can help trace the sequence of events leading
to the crash.
Memory contents: This includes the values of variables and data structures used by the process.
Register values: This shows the state of the processor registers at the time of the crash.
Core dump files can be analyzed using debuggers like GDB to understand the cause of the crash.
Why other options are incorrect:
B . kernel_memory_dump dbg: This refers to a kernel memory dump, which is generated when the
operating system kernel itself crashes.
C . core analyzer: This is a tool used to analyze core dump files, not the file itself.
D . coredebug: This is not a standard term for any type of crash dump file.
Check Point Troubleshooting Reference:
Check Point's documentation mentions core dumps in the context of troubleshooting various
processes, such as fwd (firewall) and cpd (Check Point daemon). You can find information on enabling
core dumps and analyzing them in the Check Point administration guides and knowledge base
articles.
You receive reports from multiple users that they cannot browse Upon further discovery you identify
that Identity Awareness cannot identify the users properly and apply the configuredAccess Roles
What commands you can use to troubleshoot all identity collectors and identity providers from the
command line?
A
Explanation:
To troubleshoot Identity Awareness issues related to user identification and Access Role application,
you need to enable debugging for both Identity Collectors (IDC) and Identity Providers (IDP). The
command pdp debug set IDC all IDP all on the gateway achieves this.
Here's why this is the correct answer and why the others are not:
A . on the gateway: pdp debug set IDC all IDP all: This correctly enables debugging for all Identity
Collectors and Identity Providers, allowing you to see detailed logs and messages related to user
identification and Access Role assignment. This helps pinpoint issues with user mapping,
authentication, or authorization.
B . on the gateway: pdp debug set AD all and IDC all: This command only enables debugging for
Active Directory (AD) as an Identity Provider and all Identity Collectors. It might miss issues related to
other Identity Providers if they are in use.
C . on the management: pdp debug on IDC all: This command has two issues. First, it should be
executed on the gateway, not the management server, as the gateway is responsible for user
identification and policy enforcement. Second, it only enables debugging for Identity Collectors, not
Identity Providers.
D . on the management: pdp debug set all: While this command might seem to enable debugging for
everything, it's not specific enough for Identity Awareness troubleshooting. It might generate
excessive logs unrelated to the issue and make it harder to find the relevant information.
Check Point Troubleshooting Reference:
Check Point Identity Awareness Administration Guide: This guide provides detailed information
about Identity Awareness components, configuration, and troubleshooting.
Check Point sk113963: This article explains how to troubleshoot Identity Awareness issues using
debug commands and logs.
Check Point R81.20 Security Administration Guide: This guide covers general troubleshooting and
debugging techniques, including the use of pdp debug commands.