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When using certificate authentication for firewall administration on Palo Alto Networks devices, the method used for authorization is typically the Local database. Certificate authentication ensures that the entity attempting to access the firewall is in possession of a valid certificate. Once the certificate is validated for authentication, the authorization process determines what level of access or permissions the authenticated entity has. This is usually managed locally on the firewall, where administrators can define roles and permissions associated with different users or certificates. Thus, the authorization process, in this case, leverages the Local database to enforce access controls and permissions, aligning with best practices for secure management of network devices.

The best description of the Cluster Synchronization Timeout (min) is the maximum time that the local firewall waits before going to Active state when another cluster member is preventing the cluster from fully synchronizing. This is a parameter that can be configured in an HA cluster, which is a group of firewalls that share session state and provide high availability and scalability. The Cluster Synchronization Timeout (min) determines how long the local firewall will wait for the cluster to reach a stable state before it decides to become Active and process traffic. A stable state means that all cluster members are either Active or Passive, and have synchronized their sessions with each other. If there is another cluster member that is in an unknown or unstable state, such as Initializing, Non-functional, or Suspended, then it may prevent the cluster from fully synchronizing and cause a delay in traffic processing. The Cluster Synchronization Timeout (min) can be set to a value between 0 and 30 minutes, with a default of 0. If it is set to 0, then the local firewall will not wait for any other cluster member and will immediately go to Active state. If it is set to a positive value, then the local firewall will wait for that amount of time before going to Active state, unless the cluster reaches a stable state earlier12. References: Configure HA Clustering, PCNSE Study Guide (page 53)