FortiSwitch Administrator | Training Institute

Certification

This exam is part of the following certification track:

Visit the Cybersecurity Certification page for information about certification requirements.

Exams available at Pearson are listed below. Select an exam to view the details.

Fortinet NSE 5 - FortiSwitch 7.6 Administrator

Status:

Available

The Fortinet NSE 5 - FortiSwitch 7.6 Administrator exam evaluates your knowledge of, and expertise with, FortiSwitch devices.

The exam tests applied knowledge of the FortiSwitch management mode, provisioning over the FortiLink protocol, configuration, operation, and day-to-day administration, and includes supported deployment topologies, operational scenarios, configuration extracts, and troubleshooting captures. This exam also tests knowledge of FortiSwitch deployed in standalone mode.

Once you pass the exam, you will receive the following exam badge:

Audience

The Fortinet NSE 5 - FortiSwitch 7.6 Administrator exam is intended for network and security professionals responsible for the deployment, configuration, and management of FortiSwitch devices in a network security infrastructure.

Exam Details

Exam time	70 minutes
Exam questions	35-40 questions
Scoring	Pass or fail. A score report is available from your Pearson account.
Language	English and Japanese
Product version	FortiSwitchOS 7.6, FortiOS 7.6

Exam Topics

Successful candidates have applied knowledge and skills in the following areas and tasks:

FortiSwitch concepts (30–40%)

Tasks	Details
Configure VLANs using FortiSwitch	Switch fundamentals Collision domains and broadcast domains VLANs and VLAN tagging VLAN tag format FortiSwitch VLANs Default VLAN IDs used on FortiSwitch VLAN settings on FortiSwitch ports Use cases: VLAN configuration on FortiSwitch
Use QoS and LLDP-MED on FortiSwitch	QoS profiles Describing QoS Configuring QoS mechanisms LLDP-MED Use cases: QoS implementation, LLDP-MED configuration
Configure ports required for stack deployment	FortiLink stacking and stacking concepts FortiLink stacking components Single FortiGate and FortiSwitch stacking FortiGate high availability (HA) and FortiSwitch stacking FortiGate HA and two-tier FortiSwitch stacking FortiGate HA and two-tier multichassis link aggregation group (MCLAG) FortiSwitch stacking FortiGate HA and three-tier MCLAG FortiSwitch stacking Use cases
Configure switching and routing on FortiSwitch	Ethernet switching Ethernet layer 2 addressing and frame format Ethernet switching forwarding VLANs and VLAN tagging Trunk ports Link aggregation Power over Ethernet (PoE) Layer 2 discovery Layer 3 routing Switch virtual interface (SVI) Layer 3 SVIs DHCP relay on an SVI for DHCP assignment purposes Static routing Dynamic routing (VRRP, RIP, OSPF, BGP, PIM, IS-IS) Routing table IPv4 and IPv6 support Use case: static routing and OSPF
Configure STP to prevent network loops	Layer 2 loops STP concepts and operation STP, RSTP, MSTP, RPVST+ STP enhancements: Root guard, BPDU guard, loop guard Link aggregation groups (LAG) and MCLAGs are treated in STP MCLAG STP aware STP third-party integration Use cases
Configure switch ports, split ports, and available transceivers	Switch ports Ports that FortiSwitch supports Port configuration and monitoring PoE Link aggregation FortiSwitch trunk Trunk load balancing Auto-inter-switch link (ISL) trunks MCLAG Split port Transceiver information Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) Flap guard Use cases

Deployment and management (25–35%)

Tasks	Details
Configure and provision FortiSwitch	FortiSwitch management modes: standalone, FortiLink, FortiCloud Management protocols Management protocols used on a managed switch FortiLink and its components ISLs Standalone management System interfaces GUI menus and submenus Common administrative tasks Migrating configuration from standalone to managed mode using a script Migrating a standalone configuration to FortiGate Provisioning FortiSwitch over FortiLink Provisioning overview FortiSwitch auto-discovery and authorization FortiSwitch management using the GUI and CLI FortiSwitch groups FortiSwitch and Security Fabric integration Automatic configuration Automatic configuration pushed through FortiLink FortiEdge Cloud FortiSwitch Cloud FortiSwitch on FortiEdge Cloud Free versus paid features GUI menus and submenus Use cases
Implement FortiSwitch supported deployment topologies	FortiSwitch product lineup FortiSwitch device levels (entry, mid, premium, aggregation) FortiLink supported topologies Three-layer hierarchy model One-tier and multi-tier FortiSwitch topologies Full mesh HA and MCLAG FortiSwitch topologies FortiSwitch management over layer 3 LAGs and MCLAGs in STP FortiSwitch topologies First tier MCLAG MCLAG+ ring topology Second tier MCLAG Dual-homed access switches Dual-homing with stacking Second tier MCLAG with ring Use cases: MCLAG configuration and management
Configure FortiSwitch in multi-tenancy environments	Multi-tenancy concept and configuration FortiSwitch on Fortigate VDOMs Shared ports with multiple VDOMs Limitations Use cases: configuring a multi-tenancy environment

Layer 2 control and security (25–35%)

Tasks	Details
Use port security options on FortiSwitch	802.1x authentication on FortiSwitch Network access restriction by controlling MAC addresses on a port Use case: 802.1x authentication
Use filtering and antispoofing techniques on FortiSwitch	Storm control DHCP snooping Access VLANs ARP attack Dynamic ARP inspection (DAI) IPv4 source guard (IPSG) Protocol-based VLANs Use cases: DHCP snooping, DAI and IPSG
Use access control lists (ACL), security profiles, and VLAN security mechanisms on FortiSwitch	ACLs ACL policers MAC, IP, and protocol-based VLANs PVLANs VLAN stacking Use cases

Monitoring and troubleshooting (10–20%)

Tasks	Details
Use packet capturing methods to monitor and troubleshoot traffic issues	Different packet capture methods Sniffer profile Packet captures using the sniffer command Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN), Remote SPAN (RSPAN), Encapsulated RSPAN (ERSPAN) Use cases
Troubleshoot FortiLink issues	FortiSwitch status monitoring FortiSwitch stack topology FortiSwitch synchronization status FortiSwitch management processes Time synchronization
Use tools to view and extract network information from FortiSwitch	Access and trunk ports status Real-time bandwidth usage on ports Protocol Data Units (PDU) on ports VLAN port membership System information Monitor processes FortiSwitch logs and crash logs MAC address table, ARP table, and LLDP neighbors MAC address tracking FortiSwitch process Use cases

Training Resources

The following resources are recommended for attaining the knowledge and skills that are covered on the exam. The recommended training is available as a foundation for exam preparation. In addition to training, you are strongly encouraged to have hands-on experience with the exam topics and objectives.

FortiSwitch 7.6 Administrator course and hands-on labs
FortiSwitch 7.6—Administration Guide
FortiLink Guide 7.6—Administration Guide
FortiSwitchOS 7.6—CLI Reference

Experience

Minimum of six months of hands-on experience with FortiSwitch devices deployed in a network is recommended.

Exam Sample Questions

A set of sample questions is available from the Fortinet Training Institute. These questions represent the exam content in question type and content scope. However, the questions do not necessarily represent all the exam content, nor are they intended to assess your readiness to take the certification exam.

See the Fortinet Training Institute for the course that includes the sample questions

Examination Policies and Procedures

The Fortinet Training Institute recommends that you review the exam policies and procedures before you register for the exam. Access important information on the Fortinet Training Institute Policies page, and find answers to common questions on the FAQ page.

Questions?

If you have more questions about the NSE Certification Program, contact us through the Fortinet Training Institute Helpdesk page.