VA-003 Explain Vault architecture Practice Question
A Vault cluster has two nodes configured for HA. The active node becomes unresponsive, and the standby node takes over. However, clients cannot connect to the new active node. The firewall rules allow traffic on port 8200. What is the most likely issue?
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
✓
The TLS certificate on the standby node is not valid for the hostname clients are using.
When a standby node becomes active, clients connect using the same hostname as before. If the TLS certificate on the standby node does not include that hostname, TLS handshake fails, preventing client connections. Option A is incorrect because the standby node successfully took over, meaning it has access to the storage backend. Option C is incorrect because a tainted node indicates data corruption, not blocking client requests. Option D is incorrect because a sealed node cannot become active; if it were sealed, it would not have taken over.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The standby node cannot connect to the storage backend.
Why it's wrong here
The active node must connect to storage, but client connections use the listener.
- ✓
The TLS certificate on the standby node is not valid for the hostname clients are using.
Why this is correct
TLS certificate mismatch causes connection failures.
- ✗
The original active node is tainted and blocking client requests.
Why it's wrong here
A tainted node does not affect client connections to the new active.
- ✗
The standby node is still sealed and cannot serve requests.
Why it's wrong here
If the standby became active, it must be unsealed first.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This VA-003 practice question is part of Courseiva's free HashiCorp 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 VA-003 exam.