NSE4 High Availability and Diagnostics Practice Question
A FortiGate is configured in an active-passive HA cluster. The administrator wants to verify which unit is currently the primary and also see the HA uptime and priority of each unit. Which command should the administrator use?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse configuration display commands like 'show system ha' with operational status commands like 'get system ha status'.
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
✓
get system ha status
The command 'get system ha status' is the correct way to view the current HA status on a FortiGate. It shows which unit is the primary, the HA uptime, and the priority of each cluster member. This directly answers the administrator's need to verify the active unit and its attributes in an active-passive cluster.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
get system ha status
Why this is correct
This command displays the HA cluster status, including which unit is primary, the HA uptime, and the priority of each member. It provides a concise summary directly from the CLI, making it ideal for quickly verifying the active unit and its attributes in an active-passive setup.
- ✗
diagnose sys ha status
Why it's wrong here
This command is not a valid FortiGate CLI command for checking HA status. The correct diagnostic command is 'diagnose sys ha status', but that is not the standard command for general HA status; 'get system ha status' is more appropriate. Using an invalid command will result in an error and not provide the required information.
- ✗
show system ha
Why it's wrong here
The 'show system ha' command displays the HA configuration settings, such as mode, group name, and priorities, but not the current runtime status like which unit is primary or the HA uptime. It is used to view configuration, not operational status, so it does not fulfill the requirement of verifying the active unit.
- ✗
diagnose sys ha dump
Why it's wrong here
This command provides detailed HA debugging information, including internal state and packet statistics, but it is not the standard command to quickly check which unit is primary and see uptime and priority. It is more verbose and intended for in-depth troubleshooting rather than routine status verification.
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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 Fortinet exam blueprint
This NSE4 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Fortinet 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 NSE4 exam.