156-315.81.20 Gateway Deployment and Upgrades Practice Question
An administrator is deploying a new R81.20 Security Gateway cluster. The cluster will use ClusterXL in High Availability mode. The administrator wants to ensure that the cluster members can communicate with each other for synchronization and failover. Which network configuration is required for the synchronization interface?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that synchronization traffic can share the management interface or use a shared IP, but ClusterXL requires a dedicated subnet with unique IPs per member.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The synchronization interface must be configured with a unique IP address on each cluster member and be on the same dedicated subnet.
ClusterXL synchronization requires each cluster member to have a dedicated interface with a unique IP address on the same subnet. This dedicated subnet ensures that synchronization and heartbeat traffic is isolated from other network traffic, providing reliable and secure communication between cluster members. Other configurations either violate IP uniqueness or do not provide the necessary isolation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The synchronization interface must be configured as a VLAN trunk to carry both synchronization and management traffic.
Why it's wrong here
While VLANs can be used to separate traffic, configuring the synchronization interface as a trunk to carry both synchronization and management traffic is not a requirement and could introduce complexity and security concerns. Synchronization traffic should be isolated, ideally on a dedicated interface or VLAN, but not necessarily a trunk carrying multiple types. The requirement is simply a dedicated subnet with unique IPs.
- ✗
The synchronization interface must be on the same subnet as the management interface.
Why it's wrong here
The synchronization interface does not need to be on the same subnet as the management interface. In fact, it is often placed on a dedicated network to isolate synchronization traffic from management traffic. Placing it on the same subnet as the management interface could introduce security risks and performance issues. Therefore, this requirement is not correct.
- ✗
The synchronization interface must use the same IP address on all cluster members to simplify routing.
Why it's wrong here
Using the same IP address on multiple interfaces would cause IP conflicts and break communication. Each interface in a cluster must have a unique IP address. The synchronization interface is no exception; it requires unique addresses per member to function correctly. Therefore, this option is invalid.
- ✓
The synchronization interface must be configured with a unique IP address on each cluster member and be on the same dedicated subnet.
Why this is correct
For ClusterXL synchronization, each cluster member needs a dedicated interface with a unique IP address on the same subnet. This allows the members to exchange state information and heartbeats directly. Using a dedicated subnet isolates synchronization traffic from other network traffic, improving security and performance. This is the standard configuration for ClusterXL synchronization.
Visual reference
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Check Point exam blueprint
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