Palo Alto Networks (PANW) System Engineer (PSE) Practice Exam

Ansible is used for what purpose?

1. Providing PAN-OS application signature updates

2. Automating device configuration

3. Optimizing firewall resource consumption

4. Identifying transit traffic

The correct answer is: Automating device configuration

Ansible is widely recognized as a powerful tool for automating device configuration, which is critical for system engineers working with network devices like firewalls. It allows users to write automated scripts, called playbooks, that can configure and manage multiple devices consistently and efficiently. This automation helps to minimize human error, ensures uniformity across devices, and saves time by streamlining the processes involved in configuration management. In the context of Palo Alto Networks systems, using Ansible for automating device configuration means that you can orchestrate tasks such as setting up security policies, managing network settings, and applying software updates across multiple firewalls or network appliances with a single command or script. While Ansible interacts with various technologies, options that suggest providing in-depth service or specific functionalities like optimizing firewall resource consumption or identifying transit traffic are not the primary focus of Ansible’s capabilities. Instead, its strength lies in the automation and orchestration of configurations, making option B the most suitable choice.