Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA) Practice Exam

Which statement is true of an OSPFv3 configuration on the Palo Alto Networks firewall?

1. It uses IPv6 addresses for the area ID

2. It requires no area ID configuration

3. It uses IPv4 addresses for the area ID

4. It requires a unique protocol identifier

The correct answer is: It uses IPv4 addresses for the area ID

In an OSPFv3 configuration, the critical aspect to note is that OSPFv3 operates over IPv6. However, the area ID is not represented as an IPv4 address in this protocol. Instead, it is expressed as a 32-bit integer, which can be represented in a form that's agnostic to IP addressing. The area ID is vital for OSPFv3 as it defines the boundaries of the areas within the OSPF routing domain, facilitating efficient routing and management. While it does not require an area ID configuration in situations involving point-to-point interfaces or if the default behavior suffices, the area ID concept itself is still a fundamental part of the OSPFv3 process. In summary, the use of IPv4 addresses for the area ID is not applicable here; OSPFv3 mandates an understanding of both IPv6 addressing and the proper setup of area identifiers, which do not necessarily conform to IPv4 addressing schemes.