NSE7 Advanced Networking and SD-WAN Practice Question
A network administrator is configuring SD-WAN on a FortiGate. The organization has two internet links: MPLS (primary) and broadband (backup). The administrator wants all traffic to use the MPLS link unless it fails, in which case traffic should fail over to the broadband link. Which SD-WAN configuration best achieves this requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse SD-WAN failover with traditional static route failover using administrative distance, or incorrectly assume that role-based 'primary/standby' settings exist in FortiGate SD-WAN, leading them to choose options B or D instead of understanding that SD-WAN uses priority and strategy-based path selection.
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
✓
Set the MPLS link priority to 10 and the broadband link priority to 5, then configure an SD-WAN rule with the 'best quality' strategy.
Setting the MPLS link priority to 10 (higher) and broadband to 5 (lower) ensures the SD-WAN rule with 'best quality' strategy selects the MPLS link as the preferred path. The 'best quality' strategy evaluates link quality metrics and, when priorities differ, prefers the higher-priority link. If the MPLS link fails, the strategy automatically fails over to the broadband link, meeting the requirement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Set the MPLS link priority to 10 and the broadband link priority to 5, then configure an SD-WAN rule with the 'best quality' strategy.
Why this is correct
Higher priority for MPLS ensures it is preferred. The 'best quality' strategy selects the member with the highest priority when available, providing failover.
- ✗
Enable 'set role' on the MPLS link as 'primary' and on the broadband link as 'standby' with the 'redundant' strategy.
Why it's wrong here
FortiGate SD-WAN does not have a 'role' setting or 'redundant' strategy; these are not valid options.
- ✗
Configure both links in the SD-WAN zone with equal priority and use the 'lowest cost' strategy.
Why it's wrong here
Equal priority would not enforce active/passive behavior; traffic might be load-balanced. The 'lowest cost' strategy is not the primary method for failover.
- ✗
Create two static routes: one with higher distance for MPLS and one with lower distance for broadband.
Why it's wrong here
Static route distance is not used for SD-WAN member selection; SD-WAN rules use priorities and strategies.
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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.