Match each high availability (HA) term to its definition.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
One firewall handles traffic; the other stands by
Both firewalls handle traffic simultaneously
Keepalive messages exchanged between HA peers
Original active firewall reclaims role after recovery
Firewall that initially processed a session
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Active/Passive: One firewall actively processes traffic; the other remains on standby.
The correct matches are: Active/Passive (A), Heartbeat (C), and Preemption (E). The distractors swap definitions: B confuses Active/Active with Failover, and D confuses Failover with Active/Active.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Active/Passive: One firewall actively processes traffic; the other remains on standby.
Why this is correct
This is the correct definition of Active/Passive HA.
Active/Active: The process by which the passive firewall takes over.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect — this describes Failover, not Active/Active.
Heartbeat: A communication link used to monitor the health of the peer firewall.
Why this is correct
This is the correct definition of Heartbeat in HA.
Failover: Both firewalls process traffic simultaneously.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect — this describes Active/Active, not Failover.
Preemption: The mechanism that allows a recovered firewall to resume its role as active.
Why this is correct
This is the correct definition of Preemption.
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About these practice questions
One of 504 original PCNSE practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.