easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
PCNSA Practice Question: Two Palo Alto Networks firewalls are deployed in…
Two Palo Alto Networks firewalls are deployed in an active/passive high availability pair. The passive firewall does not synchronize configuration changes. What is the most likely cause?
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
✓
Configuration synchronization is not enabled.
Configuration synchronization must be enabled for the passive firewall to receive configuration changes from the active unit. Session synchronization is separate and does not affect config sync. Option A is incorrect because link monitoring controls failover based on interface status, not configuration synchronization; disabling it would not prevent config sync. Option B is incorrect because if the passive firewall were not configured as a peer, the HA pair would not form, but the scenario indicates the pair is deployed, so peer configuration exists. Option C is incorrect because the firewalls are already deployed as an active/passive pair, which requires them to be the same model; different models would prevent the pair from forming altogether.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Link monitoring is disabled.
Why it's wrong here
Link monitoring affects failover behavior, not configuration synchronization. Disabling link monitoring does not prevent config sync.
- ✗
The passive firewall is not configured as a peer.
Why it's wrong here
The passive firewall must be configured as a peer in the HA pair to enable configuration synchronization. If it is not configured as a peer, config sync will not occur.
- ✗
The firewalls are different models.
Why it's wrong here
Although different models can be used in some HA configurations, the PAN-OS version must match. However, the question states that the passive firewall does not synchronize configuration changes, and the most likely cause is that configuration synchronization is not enabled, not a model mismatch.
- ✓
Configuration synchronization is not enabled.
Why this is correct
Configuration synchronization must be explicitly enabled in the HA configuration. If it is not enabled, the passive firewall will not receive configuration changes.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto Networks 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 PCNSA exam.