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The two design options that address split brain when configuring high availability (HA) are:

Adding a backup HA1 interface

Using the heartbeat backup

Split brain is a condition that occurs when both firewalls in an HA pair assume the active role and start processing traffic independently, resulting in traffic duplication, policy inconsistency, or session disruption. Split brain can be caused by network failures, device failures, or configuration errors that prevent the firewalls from communicating their HA status and synchronizing their configurations and sessions. Adding a backup HA1 interface is a design option that addresses split brain when configuring HA. The HA1 interface is used for exchanging HA state information and configuration synchronization between the firewalls. Adding a backup HA1 interface provides redundancy and failover protection for the HA1 interface, ensuring that the firewalls can maintain their HA communication and avoid split brain. Using the heartbeat backup is a design option that addresses split brain when configuring HA. The heartbeat backup is a mechanism that allows the firewalls to send additional heartbeat messages through an alternate path, such as a management interface or a data interface, to verify the health of the peer firewall. Using the heartbeat backup prevents split brain caused by network failures or device failures that affect the primary HA interfaces. Bundling multiple interfaces in an aggregated interface group and assigning HA2, and sending heartbeats across the HA2 interfaces are not design options that address split brain when configuring HA, but they are related features that can enhance performance and reliability. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [High Availability Overview], [Configure HA Backup Links], [Configure Heartbeat Backup]

TLS decryption is the offering that inspects encrypted outbound traffic. TLS decryption is a feature that allows the firewall to decrypt and inspect outbound SSL/TLS traffic from internal clients to external servers. TLS decryption can inspect encrypted outbound traffic by applying threat prevention technologies, such as antivirus, anti-spyware, vulnerability protection, URL filtering, file blocking, data filtering, and WildFire analysis, to the decrypted traffic and blocking any malicious content or activity. WildFire, Content-ID, and Advanced URL Filtering (AURLF) are not offerings that inspect encrypted outbound traffic, but they are related solutions that can enhance security and visibility. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [TLS Decryption Overview], [Threat Prevention Datasheet]

CN-Series firewall is the Palo Alto Networks firewall that provides network security when deploying a microservices-based application. A microservices-based application is an application that consists of multiple independent and loosely coupled services that communicate with each other through APIs. A microservices-based application requires network security that can protect the inter-service communication from cyberattacks and enforce granular security policies based on application or workload characteristics. CN-Series firewall is a containerized firewall that integrates with Kubernetes and provides visibility and control over container traffic. CN-Series firewall can provide network security when deploying a microservices-based application by inspecting and enforcing security policies on traffic between containers within a pod, across pods, or across namespaces in a Kubernetes cluster. PA-Series, VM-Series, and HA-Series are not Palo Alto Networks firewalls that provide network security when deploying a microservices-based application, but they are related solutions that can be deployed on different platforms or environments. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [CN-Series Datasheet], [CN-Series Concepts], [What is a Microservices Architecture?]

A design consideration for a prospect who wants to deploy VM-Series firewalls in an Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment is that only active-passive high availability (HA) is supported. High availability (HA) is a feature that provides redundancy and failover protection for firewalls in case of hardware or software failure. Active-passive HA is a mode of HA that consists of two firewalls in a pair, where one firewall is active and handles all traffic, while the other firewall is passive and acts as a backup. Active-passive HA is the only mode of HA that is supported for VM-Series firewalls in an AWS environment, due to the limitations of AWS networking and routing. Active-active HA, which is another mode of HA that consists of two firewalls in a pair that both handle traffic and synchronize sessions, is not supported for VM-Series firewalls in an AWS environment. A design consideration for a prospect who wants to deploy VM-Series firewalls in an AWS environment is not that special AWS plugins are needed for load balancing, resources are shared within the cluster, or high availability (HA) clusters are limited to fewer than 8 virtual appliances, as those are not valid or relevant factors for firewall deployment in an AWS environment. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [High Availability Overview], [High Availability on AWS]

Containers are the elements that a CN-Series firewall can secure traffic between. Containers are isolated units of software that run on a shared operating system and have their own resources, dependencies, and configuration. A CN-Series firewall can inspect and enforce security policies on traffic between containers within a pod, across pods, or across namespaces in a Kubernetes cluster. Host containers, source applications, and IPods are not valid elements that a CN-Series firewall can secure traffic between. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [CN-Series Concepts], [What is a Container?]

The two routing options that are supported by VM-Series are:

OSPF

BGP

Routing is a process that determines the best path for sending network packets from a source to a destination. Routing options are protocols or methods that enable routing between different networks or devices. VM-Series firewall is a virtualized version of the Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall that can be deployed on various cloud or virtualization platforms. VM-Series firewall supports various routing options that allow it to participate in dynamic routing environments and exchange routing information with other routers or devices. OSPF and BGP are two routing options that are supported by VM-Series. OSPF is a routing option that uses link-state routing algorithm to determine the shortest path between routers within an autonomous system (AS). BGP is a routing option that uses path vector routing algorithm to determine the best path between routers across different autonomous systems (ASes). RIP and IGRP are not routing options that are supported by VM-Series, but they are related protocols that can be used for other purposes. References: [Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE)], [VM-Series Deployment Guide], [Routing Overview], [What is OSPF?], [What is BGP?]

Prisma Cloud Compute offers workload security at runtime by automatically building an allow-list security model for every container and service. Workload security is a type of security that protects applications and data from cyberattacks across different stages of the software development lifecycle, such as development, testing, staging, and production. Runtime security is a type of security that monitors and analyzes workload behavior in real time to detect and prevent malicious activities or anomalous behaviors. Prisma Cloud Compute is a cloud-native solution that provides comprehensive security and visibility across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, covering hosts, containers, serverless functions, and web applications. Prisma Cloud Compute offers workload security at runtime by automatically building an allow-list security model for every container and service, which defines the expected network connections, processes, file system activity, and system calls for each workload based on its baseline behavior. Prisma Cloud Compute then enforces the allow-list security model and blocks any deviations or violations from the expected behavior. Prisma Cloud Compute does not quarantine containers that demonstrate increased CPU and memory usage, automatically patch vulnerabilities and compliance issues for every container and service, or work with the identity provider (IdP) to identify overprivileged containers and services and restrict network access, as those are not methods or features of Prisma Cloud Compute for workload security at runtime. References: [Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE)], [Prisma Cloud Compute Datasheet], [Prisma Cloud Compute Overview], [Prisma Cloud Compute Runtime Defense]

Heartbeat polling and link monitoring are two mechanisms that can trigger an HA failover event. Heartbeat polling is a method of verifying the health of the peer firewall by sending periodic heartbeat messages. If the heartbeat messages are not received within a specified interval, the firewall assumes that the peer is down and initiates a failover. Link monitoring is a method of verifying the connectivity of the interfaces on the firewall by sending link state packets. If the link state packets are not received on a specified number of interfaces, the firewall assumes that the network is down and initiates a failover. Ping monitoring and session polling are not HA mechanisms, but they are used for path monitoring and session synchronization respectively. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [High Availability Overview], [Configure HA Link Monitoring], [Configure HA Path Monitoring], [Configure Session Synchronization]