Workflow for Configuring a Cluster — Overview

Using the Central Management functions of Secure Web Gateway, you can configure multiple appliances to run as nodes in a cluster.

The following overview explains the steps you need to complete for this configuration from a high-level perspective.

1. Choose an appliance in your network that will serve as your first node.

2. Generate the items that are needed for secure communication between cluster nodes on the user interface of this appliance. For more information, see Generate Secure Communication Items on an Appliance.

3. Include at least one more appliance as another node.

   • On the user interface of an appliance you want to include as a node, import the items that are needed for secure cluster communication. For more information, see Import Secure Communication Items on an Appliance.

   • Working on the user interface of this or the first appliance, begin with configuring the following:

     • Host name or IP address
       
       You configure these settings when you include an appliance in a cluster by joining or adding it. 
       
       If you work on the user interface of the appliance you want to include as a node, the method for including it is termed join. If you work on the user interface of your first appliance or any other appliance that is a node in the cluster, the method is termed add. 
       
       For information about how to include an appliance as a node using one of the two methods, see Join an Appliance as a Node to a Cluster and Add an Appliance as a Node to a Cluster.

     • Membership in a network node group
       
       When joining or adding an appliance as a node, you can configure membership in a network node group for it at once, but you can also configure it later on. 
       
       For information about how to configure this membership later on, see Assign a Node to Network Groups.

4. Configure one or more IP addresses and ports for communication between cluster nodes.
   
   When including an appliance as node in a Central Management cluster, configure it to listen for messages from other appliances that are nodes in this cluster on a default port under the TCP protocol. The port number is 12346.
   
   These settings are configured as part the Central Management settings, which are provided on the user interface of an appliance.
   
   For these settings, see Central Management Settings.

5. Configure more settings for this appliance as needed.

   • Membership in runtime and update node groups
     
     For more information, see Assign a Node to a Runtime Group and Assign a Node to an Update Group.

   • Scheduled jobs
     
     For more information, see Add a Scheduled Job.

   • Updates
     
     For more information, see Update the Appliance Software in a Cluster.

6. Include more appliances as nodes in the cluster as needed. 

7. Save your changes.

For some additional information about how to configure Secure Web Gateway appliances as nodes in a cluster, see Best Practices — Configuring Node Groups in a Cluster.