PCNSE Practice Question: Managing Troubleshooting and High Availability
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. Configuration snippet: HA configuration: mode: active-passive ha2 link: ethernet1/3 ha2 keepalive timer: 1000 ha3 link: ethernet1/4 ha3 keepalive timer: 1000 ha2 backup link: ethernet1/5 ha3 backup link: none session synchronization: enabled configuration synchronization: enabled Log entry: 2025/02/15 14:23:45 WARNING: HA2 keepalive missing from peer 2025/02/15 14:24:15 WARNING: HA2 backup link keepalive missing
Based on the exhibit, what is the most likely cause of the warnings?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse HA2 (control link) with HA3 (data link) or assume that a single link failure is the cause, but the exhibit explicitly shows warnings for both primary and backup HA2 links being down, making C the only correct answer.
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
✓
Both the primary and backup HA2 links are down
The exhibit shows warnings indicating that both the primary and backup HA2 links are down. HA2 is the control link used for session synchronization and configuration state exchange in an active/passive or active/active firewall pair. When both HA2 links fail, the firewalls cannot synchronize session tables, leading to warnings about potential asymmetric traffic and failover issues. Option C correctly identifies this as the most likely cause.
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 HA3 link is misconfigured
Why it's wrong here
HA3 warnings would be separate.
- ✗
Configuration synchronization is failing
Why it's wrong here
Config sync uses HA1, not HA2.
- ✓
Both the primary and backup HA2 links are down
Why this is correct
Warnings for both indicate link failure.
- ✗
The HA2 keepalive timer is set too low
Why it's wrong here
Timer is default 1000ms.
Quick reference
Asymmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Exchange | Signatures | Equivalent Security Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA-3072 | Yes | Yes | 128-bit | Widely deployed; slow for bulk data |
| ECDSA P-256 | No | Yes | 128-bit | Fast signatures; standard TLS certs |
| ECDH / ECDHE | Yes | No | 128-bit | Perfect forward secrecy in TLS 1.3 |
| DH / DHE | Yes | No | 128-bit (3072-bit key) | Replaced by ECDHE in modern TLS |
| Ed25519 | No | Yes | ~128-bit | SSH keys, modern PKI |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNSE 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 PCNSE exam.