- A
A second application server configured as an active-passive failover pair with health checks.
An active-passive pair provides automatic failover for a single server failure without the cost and complexity of a larger multi-node design. Health checks let the standby take over when the primary becomes unavailable, which matches the stated availability goal and budget constraint.
- B
A cold backup server that is started manually after the outage is detected.
Why wrong: A cold backup is inexpensive, but failover is not automatic and recovery takes longer. That does not meet the requirement for automatic continuation of service after a server failure.
- C
A multi-region active-active deployment with global traffic steering.
Why wrong: Active-active across regions provides strong resilience, but it is far more expensive and operationally complex than the scenario requires. It is also not the simplest low-cost solution for a single application server failure.
- D
Additional RAID storage in the application server to prevent service interruption.
Why wrong: RAID protects disks from certain drive failures, but it does not provide application-server redundancy. If the server itself fails, the portal can still go down even when the storage is mirrored or striped.
SY0-701 Security Architecture Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security architecture. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A customer portal runs on a single application server behind a database cluster. Leadership wants the portal to keep working if that application server fails, but the budget is tight and the team wants the simplest design that can automatically fail over. What should they add?
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
A second application server configured as an active-passive failover pair with health checks.
Option A is correct because an active-passive failover pair with health checks provides automatic failover at the lowest complexity and cost. The passive server remains on standby, and health checks (e.g., ICMP, TCP port checks, or HTTP GET requests) detect application server failure, triggering automatic IP or service takeover. This meets the requirement for automatic failover without the expense and complexity of active-active or multi-region designs.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A second application server configured as an active-passive failover pair with health checks.
Why this is correct
An active-passive pair provides automatic failover for a single server failure without the cost and complexity of a larger multi-node design. Health checks let the standby take over when the primary becomes unavailable, which matches the stated availability goal and budget constraint.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A cold backup server that is started manually after the outage is detected.
Why it's wrong here
A cold backup is inexpensive, but failover is not automatic and recovery takes longer. That does not meet the requirement for automatic continuation of service after a server failure.
- ✗
A multi-region active-active deployment with global traffic steering.
Why it's wrong here
Active-active across regions provides strong resilience, but it is far more expensive and operationally complex than the scenario requires. It is also not the simplest low-cost solution for a single application server failure.
- ✗
Additional RAID storage in the application server to prevent service interruption.
Why it's wrong here
RAID protects disks from certain drive failures, but it does not provide application-server redundancy. If the server itself fails, the portal can still go down even when the storage is mirrored or striped.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse high availability with disaster recovery, assuming that a cold backup or RAID storage provides automatic failover, when in fact only a hot standby with health checks meets the automatic requirement without over-engineering the solution.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Active-active across regions provides strong resilience, but it is far more expensive and operationally complex than the scenario requires. It is also not the simplest low-cost solution for a single application server failure.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Active-passive failover typically uses a virtual IP (VIP) that floats between the primary and standby server, often managed by a protocol like VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) or a cluster manager such as Pacemaker or Windows Failover Clustering. Health checks can be Layer 4 (TCP port checks) or Layer 7 (HTTP response validation), and the failover time is usually under a minute. In a real-world scenario, if the application server hosts a stateful session, the passive server must share session state (e.g., via a shared database or Redis) to avoid user disruption during failover.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Architecture — This question tests Security Architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A second application server configured as an active-passive failover pair with health checks. — Option A is correct because an active-passive failover pair with health checks provides automatic failover at the lowest complexity and cost. The passive server remains on standby, and health checks (e.g., ICMP, TCP port checks, or HTTP GET requests) detect application server failure, triggering automatic IP or service takeover. This meets the requirement for automatic failover without the expense and complexity of active-active or multi-region designs.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 SY0-701 exam.
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