How can an administrator ensure continuous health monitoring on Palo Alto Networks firewalls?

To ensure continuous health monitoring on Palo Alto Networks firewalls, enabling device health checks and logging events is crucial. This approach allows the firewall to assess its own operational status and performance metrics in real-time. Device health checks can automatically run diagnostics to identify any issues affecting the firewall's functionality, while logging events provides a record of significant occurrences and operational data that can be reviewed for anomalies or trends. This combined method facilitates prompt detection of problems, which in turn allows for quicker response and resolution, ultimately contributing to the firewall’s reliability and effectiveness in safeguarding the network.

In contrast, relying solely on manual inspections would not provide the same level of immediate feedback or thoroughness necessary for ongoing monitoring. Disabling logging to improve performance would actually hinder the ability to track events and assess health, as important information would be lost. Similarly, while third-party monitoring tools can supplement monitoring efforts, relying on them exclusively may lead to gaps in visibility and response capabilities inherent to Palo Alto Networks’ architecture and offerings.