NSE7 Enterprise Firewall and VDOMs Practice Question
A FortiGate HA cluster is configured with two units in active-passive mode. The administrator needs to perform a firmware upgrade on the cluster with minimal downtime. The current firmware version is 7.2.5 and the target is 7.2.7. The cluster uses FGCP with session synchronization enabled. Which procedure should the administrator follow?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume firmware synchronization works like configuration synchronization, leading them to choose Option A, but FGCP does not automatically replicate firmware images between cluster members.
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
✓
Upgrade the passive unit first, perform a graceful failover, then upgrade the new passive unit
It follows the recommended upgrade procedure for an active-passive FGCP cluster with session synchronization. By upgrading the passive unit first, then performing a graceful failover (which preserves existing sessions via FGCP session sync), and finally upgrading the new passive unit, the administrator ensures that the cluster remains operational throughout the process with minimal traffic disruption. This method avoids a full cluster outage and maintains session continuity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Upgrade only the primary unit and let the secondary synchronize automatically
Why it's wrong here
The cluster requires both units to run the same firmware version.
- ✗
Disable HA, upgrade both units, then re-enable HA
Why it's wrong here
Disabling HA disrupts redundancy and may require reconfiguration.
- ✗
Upgrade both units at the same time by connecting to each via console
Why it's wrong here
Simultaneous upgrade can cause loss of management and potential split-brain.
- ✓
Upgrade the passive unit first, perform a graceful failover, then upgrade the new passive unit
Why this is correct
This procedure ensures minimal downtime and maintains session synchronization.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every NSE7 question from scratch — 940 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This NSE7 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 NSE7 exam.