350-401 Question 16
Single answerA network engineer is tasked with ensuring high availability for a critical corporate network that uses multiple Layer 3 switches. The engineer must implement a solution that provides automatic failover in case the active switch fails, minimizes downtime, and ensures a single virtual IP address is always available for clients. Which high availability technique should the engineer implement?
- A
First Hop Redundancy Protocol (FHRP) such as HSRP or VRRP
- B
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
- C
Single Router Redundancy using static routing
- D
Stateful Switchover (SSO)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is FHRP (option 1) because it directly addresses the requirement for a high availability solution that provides automatic failover and a virtual IP address for clients. HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) or VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) are examples of FHRP implementations that achieve this. Other options either address different aspects of network reliability or fail to meet the key requirements of the scenario.
- A. Correct.
FHRP protocols like HSRP or VRRP are specifically designed to provide high availability by creating a virtual IP address shared between multiple routers or switches. This ensures seamless failover for clients in case the active device fails.
- B. Incorrect.
STP is used to prevent loops in Layer 2 networks, not to provide high availability for Layer 3 routing. While STP contributes to network reliability, it does not offer the functionality required by the scenario.
- C. Incorrect.
Static routing can provide basic redundancy if multiple routes are configured, but it does not offer automatic failover or virtual IP functionality, making it unsuitable for the scenario.
- D. Incorrect.
SSO ensures a seamless failover between the active and standby processors within the same device, but it does not address the need for redundancy across multiple switches in this scenario.