Quick Answer
The answer is Active/Standby failover and clustering. These are the two valid methods for deploying Cisco Firepower Threat Defense in high availability because Active/Standby failover provides stateful redundancy, where one unit actively processes traffic while the standby unit synchronizes connection state and takes over seamlessly upon failure, whereas clustering groups multiple FTD devices into a single logical unit to distribute traffic for both high availability and scalability. On the Cisco SCOR 350-701 exam, this topic tests your understanding of FTD high availability methods beyond simple device pairing; a common trap is confusing Active/Active failover—which is not supported on FTD—with clustering, or assuming that load balancing alone qualifies as HA. Remember the mnemonic “A-S-C” for Active/Standby and Clustering, as these are the only two officially supported HA modes for FTD.
This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of network security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which TWO of the following are valid methods for deploying Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) in high availability?
Active/Active failover
Why wrong: FTD does not support Active/Active failover; it supports Active/Standby.
Clustering
FTD supports clustering for high availability and scalability.
Load balancing with external load balancer
Why wrong: External load balancing is not a native FTD HA method.
Active/Standby failover
FTD supports Active/Standby high availability.
StackWise
Why wrong: StackWise is specific to Cisco switches, not FTD.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Clustering
Cisco FTD supports high availability through Active/Standby failover (option D) and clustering (option B). Active/Standby failover provides stateful redundancy with one unit handling traffic while the other monitors and takes over upon failure. Clustering groups multiple FTD devices into a single logical unit for both high availability and scalability, distributing traffic across members.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Active/Active failover
Why it's wrong here
FTD does not support Active/Active failover; it supports Active/Standby.
Clustering
Why this is correct
FTD supports clustering for high availability and scalability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Load balancing with external load balancer
Why it's wrong here
External load balancing is not a native FTD HA method.
Active/Standby failover
Why this is correct
FTD supports Active/Standby high availability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
StackWise
Why it's wrong here
StackWise is specific to Cisco switches, not FTD.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that FTD supports Active/Active failover like ASA, but FTD only supports Active/Standby failover and clustering for high availability.
Detailed technical explanation
FTD clustering uses a control link and data interfaces to synchronize connection state across up to 16 nodes, enabling active-active traffic distribution with a single management IP. In Active/Standby failover, stateful synchronization occurs over a dedicated failover link using the same mechanism as ASA, but FTD requires identical hardware and software versions. A real-world consideration is that clustering introduces jitter-sensitive traffic and requires careful network design to avoid asymmetric routing.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the 350-701 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Network Security — This question tests Network Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Clustering — Cisco FTD supports high availability through Active/Standby failover (option D) and clustering (option B). Active/Standby failover provides stateful redundancy with one unit handling traffic while the other monitors and takes over upon failure. Clustering groups multiple FTD devices into a single logical unit for both high availability and scalability, distributing traffic across members.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This 350-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-701 exam.
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