Data centers require extremely high levels of network bandwidth and reliability. A single point of failure can disrupt network connectivity and compromise security. Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) clustering solves this problem by providing a single, unified high availability solution for two PA-7500 Series firewalls. This solution offers redundancy and increased resilience against link, card, or chassis failures, ensuring business continuity.

The NGFW cluster solution blends legacy active/active and active/passive solutions into a single architecture, significantly simplifying deployment and reducing failover time. The two cluster nodes connect over a single HSCI connection. The firewalls maintain a dual active data plane with a single active control plane. Neighboring devices see the NGFW cluster as a single Layer 2 (virtual wire) or Layer 3 device. The NGFW cluster supports a multichassis link aggregation group (MC-LAG). The firewalls in the cluster increase port availability and require fewer IP addresses, providing a more efficient and resilient network.