Fortinet FCSS_SDW_AR-7.6 FCSS - SD-WAN 7.6 Architect Exam Practice Test

In FortiOS 7.6, local-out traffic is traffic generated by the FortiGate itself, such as ping, traceroute, FortiGuard updates, DNS, NTP, and SNMP. Local-out traffic does not traverse the firewall policy engine and therefore behaves differently from forwarded traffic in SD-WAN.

According to the FCSS SD-WAN 7.6 curriculum and Fortinet SD-WAN architecture documentation, local-out traffic does not use SD-WAN by default. Instead, it follows the routing table (static and dynamic routes). To allow local-out traffic to be evaluated by SD-WAN rules, the administrator must explicitly enable local-out SD-WAN processing.

The curriculum also states that only SD-WAN rules using the manual strategy are supported for local-out traffic. SLA-based, application-based, and dynamic strategies are not evaluated for traffic generated by the FortiGate itself. This is a fundamental architectural limitation of SD-WAN in FortiOS 7.6.

Option B is incorrect because FortiGate does not automatically apply SD-WAN rules to ping or traceroute traffic by default. Even these tools follow the routing table unless local-out SD-WAN is enabled.

Option D is incorrect because local-out SD-WAN configuration is global. Individual local-out features do not require separate SD-WAN enablement.

To allow spokes in different hub-and-spoke groups to establish ADVPN shortcuts, the hubs must be configured to forward and send ADVPN shortcut offers. The key required settings on the hub are auto-discovery-forwarder (for VPNs to hubs) and auto-discovery-sender (for VPNs to spokes). This ensures the hub can facilitate and advertise ADVPN shortcut offers between spokes.

In FortiOS (including FortiOS 7.6), FortiGate follows a strict and well-defined route lookup order when determining how to forward traffic. This order is critical for understanding SD-WAN behavior and is explicitly referenced in the FCSS SD-WAN curriculum.

The correct lookup sequence is:

Policy routes (Policy-Based Routing)Policy routes are evaluated first. If traffic matches a policy route, FortiGate immediately forwards the traffic according to that policy and bypasses all other routing mechanisms.

Internet Service Database (ISDB) routesIf no policy route matches, FortiGate checks ISDB routes. These routes match traffic based on Internet Services rather than destination IP prefixes.

SD-WAN rulesIf neither a policy route nor an ISDB route matches, FortiGate evaluates SD-WAN rules to determine the outgoing interface based on the configured SD-WAN strategy.

Routing table (connected, static, and dynamic routes such as BGP)If no SD-WAN rule matches, FortiGate performs a normal routing table lookup.

FIB (Forwarding Information Base)The FIB is used to forward the packet based on the selected route.

DropIf no valid route exists, the packet is dropped.

Among the options provided, only Option D correctly reflects the beginning of this sequence by placing policy routes first, followed by ISDB routes, then SD-WAN rules, and finally static routes (representing the routing table).

Therefore, the correct answer is D.

The policy-route output shows the matching SD-WAN service for destination 10.66.0.0/24 is vwl_service=4 (LAN-to-Corp2) with vwl_mbr_seq=1 2 and paths oif=3(port1) and oif=4(port2). Therefore, traffic from 10.0.1.133 to 10.66.0.125 is steered via SD-WAN member ID 1 or 2.

The log messages shown in the exhibit include the following key indicators:

processing notify type SHORTCUT_QUERY

shortcut-query received from 192.2.0.1

local-nat=yes, peer-nat=no

NAT hole punching for peer at 192.2.0.1:4500

In the FCSS SD-WAN 7.6 ADVPN workflow, shortcut queries are always initiated by spokes, not hubs. A spoke sends a shortcut query to its hub when it detects traffic destined for another spoke. The hub’s role is to receive this shortcut query and forward the discovery information toward the destination spoke, enabling the two spokes to build a direct shortcut tunnel.

The device name in the log (HUB1-VPN1) and the presence of NAT hole punching coordination clearly indicate that this device is acting as a hub, not a spoke. Hubs do not form shortcuts themselves; instead, they facilitate shortcut establishment between spokes by relaying discovery and negotiation information.

Option A is incorrect because a spoke does not receive shortcut queries from other spokes directly.

Option B is incorrect because the log does not indicate that the shortcut has already been established; it shows the query and coordination phase, not completion.

Option D is incorrect because hubs do not initiate shortcut queries toward spokes.

Therefore, the correct description is that this device is a hub that has received a shortcut query from a spoke and has forwarded it to another spoke, which corresponds to option C.

The use of SLA targets is specific to certain SD-WAN strategies. The "Lowest Cost (SLA)" and "Maximize Bandwidth (SLA)" strategies are explicitly designed to use the configured SLA targets to make routing decisions. The "Best Quality" strategy uses performance metrics but does not necessarily require or reference SLA targets in the same way, while "Manual" does not use metrics at all for path selection.

This is a core function of SD-WAN rules with SLA targets. The purpose of configuring an SLA target with specific thresholds for latency, jitter, and packet loss is to define what is considered "acceptable" performance for an application. SD-WAN rules then use these targets to check if the members (interfaces) meet these requirements before a flow is steered over them, ensuring that a preferred path still offers a good user experience.

FortiGate allows for a single SD-WAN rule to reference multiple, different performance SLAs. This is crucial for complex deployments where a single SD-WAN rule needs to handle traffic for multiple applications that have distinct performance requirements. For example, a single rule might direct VoIP traffic based on one performance SLA with strict latency/jitter targets, while simultaneously handling general web traffic using another performance SLA with more lenient requirements.

For SD-WAN deployments that span multiple regions—where most traffic is intra-region and there is no requirement for inter-region ADVPN—the best practice is to use IBGP with BGP on loopback interfaces for routing within each region and EBGP between the regions. This approach ensures robust and scalable routing, isolates regional routing domains, and enables policy control at region boundaries. BGP on loopback is preferred for its reliability and flexibility, as it enables peering that is not tied to specific physical interfaces. EBGP between regions allows each region to maintain independent routing policies and summarization, optimizing performance and manageability. By separating IBGP (intra-region) and EBGP (inter-region), you create a modular architecture that scales easily and simplifies fault isolation and troubleshooting.

The SD-WAN rule (config service edit 1) is configured with set mode priority. This means the rule selects the best interface based on a defined performance metric, as opposed to a simple static priority or SLA. The event log (image_41cfb5.png) shows Metric latency and Message Service prioritized by performance metric will be redirected in sequence order. This indicates that the rule is using latency to determine the preferred member. Given that the log message is about a change, and the most logical reason for a change in a priority mode is that a different member is now the best performer, it implies that the latency on port2 has become lower than that on port1.

The log message Service prioritized by performance metric will be redirected in sequence order confirms that FortiGate is changing the member being used for this service. Because the mode is priority, FortiGate dynamically selects the member that currently meets the best performance criteria, which in this case is latency. The log implies a new member has been selected as the most optimal, and with the default configuration, the members are sorted based on their performance, so the outgoing interface list is effectively updated to prefer the new best-performing member (port2).

In the exhibit, the IPsec tunnel statistics event log entries include the field advpnsc.

Fortinet documents that advpnsc identifies whether the VPN event is based on an ADVPN shortcut:

advpnsc=1 → the tunnel is an ADVPN shortcut

advpnsc=0 → not an ADVPN shortcut (Fortinet Documentation Library)

In the shown logs, the tunnel vpntunnel="HUB1-VPN1_0" has advpnsc=1, which means HUB1-VPN1_0 is an ADVPN shortcut tunnel. (Fortinet Documentation Library)

The other tunnels shown (for example VPN4_0 and HUB2-VPN3) have advpnsc=0, which only indicates no shortcut is identified for those log entries—it does not prove they “cannot accept” shortcuts, only that the specific event is not a shortcut. (Fortinet Documentation Library)

When you enable ADVPN (auto-discovery VPN) in the overlay template, FortiManager automatically updates both the IPsec and BGP templates on the hub so that shortcut tunnels can be established dynamically.

ADVPN can be activated in the SD-WAN overlay template for any supported topology, including dual-hub primary–primary, not just single hub.

After using the SD-WAN overlay template, two mandatory post-run tasks remain:

"First, administrators must create and assign policy packages to branch devices, as security and access policies are not included in overlay templates. Second, SD-WAN rules must be configured so that traffic can be matched and steered appropriately through the established overlays. Neglecting either task results in ungoverned traffic or inefficient routing, undermining the benefits of SD-WAN."

Templates automate topology, but policy and rule definition are critical for operational effectiveness.

Policy 3 points traffic To = HUB1-VPN1, which is an SD-WAN member interface. In SD-WAN you must reference the SD-WAN zone (the logical interface) in policies, not its member tunnels. Change the policy’s To interface to the zone HUB1, and the install will succeed.

Enforce Device Configuration is enabled and the blueprint applies the provisioning CLI templates. The LAN-interface script sets port1 and port2 to DHCP and assigns a static IP to port5 (using the branch_id variable). Therefore, when FortiManager pushes the blueprint, it updates the configurations of port1, port2, and port5 - and their IP addresses may change accordingly.

From the SD-WAN service configuration, rule edit 3 (name "Corp") is configured with:

set mode sla

set load-balance enable

set dst "Corp-net"

set src "LAN-net"

SLA checks referenced under config sla

Traffic from 10.0.1.101 to 10.0.0.126 matches this rule because the destination is within the corporate network range (shown in the policy-route/proute output as destination 10.0.0.0–10.255.255.255 for the Corp service).

In the diagnose firewall proute list output for vwl_service=3 (Corp), FortiGate shows which SD-WAN members are eligible based on SLA pass results:

oif=21 (HUB1-VPN3) num_pass=2

oif=20 (HUB1-VPN2) num_pass=0

oif=19 (HUB1-VPN1) num_pass=0

This indicates that, for the SLA-based rule, only HUB1-VPN3 is meeting the SLA requirements (it is the only member with num_pass=2). The other members have num_pass=0, so they are not eligible for forwarding under this SLA rule even though links are up.

The sniffer trace further corroborates the forwarding decision by showing the traffic egressing through HUB1-VPN3.

Therefore, FortiGate will steer the HTTP traffic through only HUB1-VPN3, which corresponds to Option A.

The implicit SD-WAN rule serves as the final catch-all. Per Fortinet:

"Sessions matching the implicit SD-WAN rule do not have an SD-WAN service id, as they are not associated with any specific user-defined SD-WAN rule. Additionally, this occurs only when traffic fails to match any entry in the policy route table. This default handling guarantees connectivity while minimizing the risk of blackholed traffic."

Administrators can observe this in diagnostic outputs for troubleshooting.

The exhibit shows the following IPsec phase1-interface configuration applied on spoke tunnels:

set auto-discovery-shortcuts dependent

set network-overlay enable

set network-id

In the FCSS SD-WAN 7.6 ADVPN architecture, the network-overlay and network-id parameters are used to logically group IPsec tunnels into separate overlays. When network-overlay is enabled, FortiGate treats the tunnel as part of an overlay network rather than a simple transport tunnel.

The network-id parameter is critical in multi-overlay ADVPN designs. Fortinet documentation specifies that ADVPN shortcuts are only allowed between tunnels that share the same network-id. This mechanism explicitly prevents cross-overlay shortcuts, ensuring that shortcuts are formed only within the same logical overlay and not across different overlays that may serve different purposes (for example, different hubs, regions, or transport groups).

The use of auto-discovery-shortcuts dependent further enforces correct shortcut behavior by ensuring that shortcut tunnels depend on the state of the parent overlay tunnel, but it does not by itself prevent multiple shortcuts or convert ADVPN versions.

Why the other options are incorrect:

Option A is incorrect because simply enabling network-overlay does not exist to “enable overlay links” in general; its purpose is to define overlay membership and control shortcut behavior.

Option B is incorrect because there is no concept of “ADVPN 2.0” conversion using these parameters in FortiOS 7.6.

Option D is incorrect because preventing multiple shortcuts over the same overlay is not controlled by network-id; multiple shortcuts within the same overlay are allowed when required.

Therefore, the valid objective of these settings is to prevent cross-overlay shortcuts, which corresponds to Option C.

From the exhibit, both branches have an SD-WAN zone named overlay with set advpn-select enable, and each SD-WAN member in that zone is assigned a transport-group value.

Branch-A members:

T1 → transport-group 1

T2 → transport-group 1

T3 → transport-group 2

Branch-B members:

TA → transport-group 1

TB → transport-group 2

TC → transport-group 3

In FCSS SD-WAN 7.6 ADVPN design, transport-group is used to constrain which underlays are allowed to form ADVPN shortcuts with each other. A spoke can establish an ADVPN shortcut only between interfaces that belong to the same transport-group on both sides. This prevents building shortcuts across dissimilar transports.

Evaluating the options:

Option D (T2 on Branch-A with transport-group 1 and TA on Branch-B with transport-group 1) is a valid shortcut pairing.

Option C is not valid because T3 is transport-group 2 while TC is transport-group 3, so they are not permitted to form a shortcut.

Option A is incorrect because not all overlay-zone interfaces are eligible; eligibility is restricted by transport-group matching.

Option B is incorrect because ADVPN shortcuts are spoke-to-spoke tunnels (facilitated by the hub), not limited to “interfaces connected to hub only.”

Therefore, the valid shortcut pairing listed is between T2 on Branch-A and TA on Branch-B, which corresponds to Option D.

Rules template → Defines the SD-WAN rules for traffic steering.

BGP template → Configures dynamic routing for overlay tunnels.

IPsec tunnel template → Builds the IPsec VPN tunnels from the spoke to the hubs.

Your requirements map to two key MSSP goals described in the FCSS SD-WAN 7.6 blueprint patterns:

Delegate as much administration and management as possible to the MSSPThis is best achieved when the hub security and SD-WAN control point is located on the MSSP premises, because the MSSP can centrally operate the core enforcement and overlay control. Both option B (dedicated hub at MSSP) and option D (shared hub at MSSP with customer isolation) meet this requirement.

Each site must maintain direct internet access (DIA) and be secure, with significant site-to-site trafficIn Fortinet SD-WAN MSSP designs, spokes can still use local breakout for DIA while also building secure overlays for inter-site traffic. Placing the hub at the MSSP enables centralized security services and scalable inter-site connectivity management while preserving DIA where required. Options B and D support this operating model.

Why the other options do not best match:

A includes a dedicated hub on the customer premises, which reduces how much the MSSP can centralize and operate from its own environment, so it does not maximize delegation.

C places both hub and spokes on the customer premises. While the MSSP can manage using a dedicated ADOM, this blueprint does not align as strongly with “delegate installation and management” to the MSSP as the designs where the hub is hosted and operated from the MSSP premises.

Therefore, the two MSSP deployment blueprints that address your requirements are B and D.

Event logs (from the exhibit) show how traffic is matched to SD-WAN rules and routed. The log output indicates that voice traffic is being routed through the HUB1-VPN3 tunnel. This matches SD-WAN's application-aware steering, which uses dynamic performance metrics to select the optimal path.

In Fortinet SD-WAN, hubs should not have extensions like FortiSwitch, FortiAP, or FortiExtender installed, as these can affect hub functionality and scalability. While all device types can be included in the topology, the hubs must be "clean" FortiGate devices without such extensions to ensure proper ADVPN and overlay management.