Final answer:
The mode of NIC redundancy that uses only one NIC active at a time is Active/Standby.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mode of NIC redundancy that uses only one NIC active at a time is Active/Standby. In this configuration, there is a primary NIC that is actively working and a standby NIC that remains in a dormant state. In the event of a failure with the active NIC, the standby NIC takes over the network traffic to ensure continuous network connectivity. This contrasts with Active/Active and NIC teaming approaches, which involve multiple NICs handling traffic concurrently, and Load balancing, which distributes traffic across multiple NICs to optimize network utilization and performance.
In contrast, NIC teaming (option a) involves using multiple NICs together to provide fault-tolerance and increased bandwidth capabilities. Active/Active (option b) mode allows both NICs to be active simultaneously, sharing the network load. Load balancing (option c) distributes network traffic across multiple NICs to optimize performance.