CCNP Infrastructure Practice Question
An engineer is configuring a new switch stack using Cisco StackWise technology. The stack must be resilient to the failure of the active switch, and the engineer wants to ensure that the standby switch takes over with minimal disruption. The engineer has four switches in the stack. Which statement describes the role of the standby switch in a StackWise stack?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that the standby switch forwards traffic or participates in management, when in fact it remains in a passive hot-standby state until a failover occurs.
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 standby switch takes over as the active switch if the active switch fails, and it is kept synchronized with the active switch's configuration and state.
The standby switch in a StackWise stack is a hot-standby that maintains a synchronized copy of the active switch's configuration and state. Upon failure of the active switch, the standby switch assumes the active role, providing redundancy and minimal downtime. This mechanism is critical for stack resilience, allowing the stack to continue operating seamlessly.
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 standby switch is responsible for managing the stack and is the primary switch for forwarding traffic.
Why it's wrong here
This option confuses the standby role with the active role. The active switch is responsible for managing the stack and is the primary forwarding switch. The standby switch does not manage the stack unless it becomes active. This statement is incorrect because it assigns management and primary forwarding responsibilities to the standby switch, which is not its function in a StackWise stack.
- ✗
The standby switch is elected based on the highest priority value, and it only becomes active if the current active switch fails.
Why it's wrong here
The standby switch is not elected based on priority; that is the method for electing the active switch. The standby is typically the switch that was elected as the standby during the initial election process, often based on the next highest priority or lowest MAC address. This option misstates the election criteria and implies that the standby only becomes active upon failure, which is true, but the election method is wrong.
- ✗
The standby switch actively forwards traffic and maintains a synchronized copy of the active switch's configuration and state.
Why it's wrong here
The standby switch does not actively forward user traffic in a StackWise stack. It remains in a hot-standby state, ready to take over if the active switch fails. While it does synchronize configuration and state, its primary role is to be a backup, not to forward traffic. This option incorrectly suggests that it actively forwards traffic, which is not the case for the standby role in StackWise.
- ✓
The standby switch takes over as the active switch if the active switch fails, and it is kept synchronized with the active switch's configuration and state.
Why this is correct
In a StackWise stack, the standby switch is a hot-standby that continuously synchronizes its configuration and state with the active switch. If the active switch fails, the standby switch quickly becomes the new active switch, minimizing disruption. This is the correct description of the standby switch's role, ensuring high availability and rapid failover.
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 Cisco exam blueprint
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