156-836 Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Questions and Answers

The RJ-45 connectors located at the front panel of the Orchestrator MHO-170 are used for out-of-band management and serial console access. One of them is a 1Gbps RJ-45 port that provides an out-of-band interface for accessing the Orchestrator itself for configuration and management purposes. The other one is a RJ-45 serial console port that provides a command-line interface for initial setup and troubleshooting.

References

•Maestro Hyperscale Orchestrator Datasheet - Check Point Software1, page 2

•Quantum Maestro Getting Started Guide - Check Point CheckMates, page 4

Multi-Version Clustering (MVC) is a feature that allows different versions of Security Gateways to operate in the same cluster and provide seamless failover and load balancing. MVC is supported for Maestro environments as of R81, which means that it is possible to upgrade the Security Groups in a Maestro environment as a Multi-Version Cluster with zero downtime. This requires that the Maestro Orchestrators are upgraded to R81.20 first, and then the Security Groups can be upgraded one by one to R81.20 while maintaining full connectivity and synchronization.

References =

•Check Point R81.20 for Scalable Platforms - Check Point Software

•Maestro Dual Site configuration with a direct connection through L2 switches

•CHECK POINT MAESTRO EXPERT

A Security Group can be compared to a Load Sharing Active / Active cluster because it consists of multiple Security Group Members that share the traffic load and provide high availability and scalability. Each Security Group Member is an active firewall that processes traffic according to the Security Group policy and synchronizes its state with other members. The Maestro Orchestrator acts as a load balancer that distributes the traffic among the Security Group Members based on their capacity and availability.

References

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 2: Maestro Security Groups, Lesson 2.1: Introduction to Security Groups, page 2-4

•Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 2: Maestro Security Groups, Section: Security Group Overview, page 2-3

The lldpctl command is a tool to display information about the devices discovered by the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) on all ports of the Maestro Orchestrator and the Security Group Members. LLDP is a protocol that enables devices to exchange information about their identity, capabilities, and configuration. LLDP can help to discover the topology and connectivity of the Maestro environment.

References

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 4: Using the Command Line Interface and WebUI, Lesson 4.2: LLDP, page 4-9

•Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 3: Working with Security Group Modules, Section: LLDP, page 3-9

The Correction Layer mechanism is a Maestro component that ensures that packets from the same connection are handled by the same Security Group Module (SGM) in a multi-appliance system. This is especially important when NAT or VPNs are involved, as packets sent from the client to the server can be distributed to a different SGM than packets from the same session sent from the server to the client. The Correction Layer must then forward the packet to the correct SGM.

References:

•NAT and the Correction Layer on a VSX Gateway - Check Point Software1

•Solved: Maestro queries - Check Point CheckMates

"Asg stat -v" could be a part of the core diagnostic tools, providing valuable statistics and information for manual diagnostics.

References =

•Maestro Expert (CCME) Course - Check Point Software 3

•Check Point Maestro R81.X Administration Guide 1

•Check Point Maestro R81.X Getting Started Guide 2

3: https://www.checkpoint.com/downloads/training/ccme-maestro-expert-r81.10-course.pdf 1: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/2031661/Check-Point-Maestro-R80-20sp.html 2: https://sc1.checkpoint.com/documents/R81/WebAdminGuides/EN/CP_R81_Maestro_GettingStarted/html_frameset.htm

This is the correct answer because Layer 4 distribution is not recommended when dynamic routing protocols are used in Maestro. Layer 4 distribution is a feature that adds the source and/or destination ports to the distribution equation, which can improve the load balancing among the SGMs. However, it can also cause issues with the correction layer, which is a mechanism that ensures the packets are processed by the correct SGM. Dynamic routing protocols, such as BGP or OSPF, use specific ports to exchange routing information and establish neighbor relationships. If Layer 4 distribution is enabled, it can interfere with the routing protocol packets and cause routing instability or failures.

References

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 2: Maestro Security Groups, Lesson 2.4: Traffic Flow, page 2-20

•Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 2: Maestro Security Groups, Section: Traffic Distribution, page 2-8

•Layer 4 Distribution - Yes or No? - Check Point CheckMates

•Support, Support Requests, Training … - Check Point Software

The sx_api_ports_dump.py command should be run on the Orchestrator, which is the device that manages the communication and the configuration of the Security Groups and the SGMs. The command shows the port mapping and the traffic distribution for each Security Group, as well as the backplane bonds and the Orchestrator ports. The command does not work on the Management server, the Security Group, or the SMO Appliance, as they do not have the same role and functionality as the Orchestrator.

References

•R81.20 Maestro Cheat Sheet version 7 - Check Point CheckMates, page 2

•Maestro Expert (CCME) Course - Check Point Software, page 31

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X - Global Knowledge, page 3

One of the possible causes of a failure in a single SGM of a Security Group is that an administrator imported a hotfix into the CPUSE repository of a single SGM, instead of using the orchestrator to distribute the hotfix to all the SGMs in the Security Group. This can create a mismatch in the software versions and configurations of the SGMs, and lead to unexpected behavior and errors.

References

•Maestro Expert (CCME) Course - Check Point Software, page 251

•sk172923: The /var/log/messages file does not save Maestro Gaia Clish commands2

•sk180418: Security Gateway Member (SGM) is stuck after it is added to a Security Group with image auto cloning enabled on the Single Management Object (SMO)

Orchestrators in many network environments do not require separate licenses, as they primarily function to manage and distribute network traffic.

References

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 1: Introduction to Check Point Maestro, Lesson 1.2: Maestro Licensing, page 1-8

•Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 1: Introduction to Check Point Maestro, Section: Maestro Licensing, page 1-6

•Activation of a Quantum Maestro Orchestrator - Check Point Software

The Orchestrator MHO-170 supports QSFP and QSFP28 transceivers on its 32x 100 GbE ports. QSFP stands for Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable and QSFP28 is an enhanced version of QSFP that supports up to 28 Gbps per lane. These transceivers can provide high-speed and high-density connectivity for the Maestro environment.

References

•Maestro Hyperscale Orchestrator Datasheet - Check Point Software1, page 2

•Maestro Transceiver & DAC Inventory - Check Point CheckMates

This is the correct answer because it describes the hotfix installation process using gClish on a Maestro Security Group. gClish is the global Clish that allows users to run commands on all UP SG members of the current Security Group at once. When a hotfix is applied using gClish, the SG members are divided into two logical groups: “A” and “B”. The members of group “A” install the hotfix and reboot first, while the members of group “B” wait for their turn. After all the members of group “A” are back online, the members of group “B” install the hotfix and reboot.This way, the SG maintains high availability and does not cause an outage.

References

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 4: Using the Command Line Interface and WebUI, Lesson 4.3: Global Commands, page 4-11

•Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 4: Using the Command Line Interface and WebUI, Section: Global Commands, page 4-9

•Global Expert Mode Commands - Check Point CheckMates

According to the Maestro Hyperscale Orchestrator Datasheet1, the Orchestrator MHO-140 supports the following transceiver types: SFP, SFP+, SFP28. These transceivers can be used for the management, uplink, and downlink ports of the Orchestrator. The SFP transceivers support 1 GbE, the SFP+ transceivers support 10 GbE, and the SFP28 transceivers support 25 GbE.

References:

•Maestro Expert (CCME) Course - Check Point Software, page 42

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X - Global Knowledge, course outline3

•Maestro Hyperscale Orchestrator Datasheet - Check Point Software, page 2

The g_update_conf_file command is a global command that allows users to update the specified file on all Security Group Members of the current Security Group. The command takes the file name and the parameter-value pair as arguments and updates the file accordingly. For example, g_update_conf_file fwkern.conf fwha_enable_arp=1 will add or modify the fwha_enable_arp parameter in the fwkern.conf file on all SGMs.

References

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 4: Using the Command Line Interface and WebUI, Lesson 4.3: Global Commands, page 4-12

•Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 4: Using the Command Line Interface and WebUI, Section: Global Commands, page 4-10

•Maestro Commands for Security Groups - Check Point CheckMates

The Correction Layer mechanism is a Maestro component that ensures that packets from the same connection are handled by the same Security Group Module (SGM) in a multi-appliance system. This is especially important when NAT or VPNs are involved, as packets sent from the client to the server can be distributed to a different SGM than packets from the same session sent from the server to the client. The Correction Layer must then forward the packet to the correct SGM.

References:

•NAT and the Correction Layer on a VSX Gateway - Check Point Software1

•Solved: Maestro queries - Check Point CheckMates

The Correction Layer is a Maestro component that ensures that packets from the same connection are handled by the same Security Group Module (SGM) in a multi-appliance system. This is especially important when NAT is involved, as packets sent from the client to the server can be distributed to a different SGM than packets from the same session sent from the server to the client. The Correction Layer must then forward the packet to the correct SGM.

References:

•NAT and the Correction Layer on a Security Gateway - Check Point Software1

•Solved: Maestro queries - Check Point CheckMates

This configuration likely provides balanced and redundant connectivity for orchestrator redundancy.

References

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 3: Dual Orchestrator Environment, Lesson 3.1: Introduction to Dual Orchestrator Environment, page 3-7

•Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 3: Working with Security Group Modules, Section: Downlinks, page 3-8

•Check Point 23800 Appliance Datasheet - Check Point Software, page 2

Security groups are used to simplify management and policy enforcement across multiple devices or network segments, often offering redundancy and load balancing features