This section provides an overview of how to configure a FireCluster.
- Before you configure FireCluster, make sure you understand FireCluster requirements and plan your configuration, as described in Before You Configure a FireCluster.
- For information on how to connect your Fireboxes in the FireCluster, go to Connect the FireCluster Hardware.
FireCluster Configuration Overview
You can configure FireCluster with one of these methods:
- Configure FireCluster with the Setup Wizard (Recommended) — Use the Setup Wizard in Policy Manager to configure the FireCluster with the auto-discovery method. After you configure the first Firebox as the cluster master, you connect the second Firebox that has been reset to factory-default settings so that it can be automatically discovered by the cluster master Firebox.
- Configure FireCluster Manually — You can manually configure the FireCluster in Policy Manager for advanced configuration.
- Alternate FireCluster Configuration — With this method, you configure a FireCluster with the FireCluster Setup Wizard and save the configuration directly to both Fireboxes. Use this method in cases where you need to bypass the FireCluster auto-discovery process.
For example: - To more easily troubleshoot cluster members that do not join the cluster with the auto-discovery method because of network issues or a Fireware version mismatch. The alternate method enables you to view error and log messages about reasons why the cluster was not formed.
- You want to use a network module interface instead of the built-in network interfaces to form a cluster.
- You need to set up a FireCluster with FireboxV. For more information, go to Configure a FireCluster on VMware ESXi.