Synchronize databases between the active Management Server and additional Management Servers

You must synchronize the configuration information manually through the Management Client after upgrading the Management Servers or after restoring a backup.

Before you begin

There must be a route between the Management Client and the Management Servers. If there is no route between the Management Client and the Management Servers, you cannot send a command through the SMC HA Administration dialog box.

Manual management database synchronization is primarily meant for resynchronizing the databases after upgrading the SMC. We do not recommend using manual database synchronization unless you have a specific need to do so.

For more details about the product and how to configure features, click Help or press F1.

Steps

Connect to the active Management Server using the Management Client.
Select Menu > System Tools > SMC Servers HA Administration.
If the Management Client is in a different network than the additional Management Server, select the Location from which to send the command.
For each additional Management Server that you want to synchronize:
1. Right-click the Management Server, then select Replication > Full Database Replication.
2. When prompted to confirm the replication, click Yes.
  All existing configurations on the additional Management Server are overwritten.
3. Click OK to acknowledge the completion of the synchronization, then wait for the Management Server to restart.

Result

After the Management Server has restarted, its Replication Status is updated in the SMC HA Administration dialog box. Click Close to close the SMC HA Administration dialog box.

SMC HA Administration dialog box

Use this dialog box to control how the Management Servers function in an HA environment and how the database is replicated between the active Management Server and the standby Management Servers. You can also use it to see the status of Log Servers, and run diagnostics about the communication status between all SMC servers.

Note: If the replication status of a standby Management Servers shows that there are issues with the database replication, make sure that you are connected to the active Management Server to see the current status of all the components in the SMC.

Option	Definition
Currently Connected to	Shows the Management Server to which you are connected using the Management Client.
Reconnect to	Reconnects to the selected Management Server.
Active Management Server	Shows the active Management Server.
Client Location	Select the location from which to send commands. This action ensures that commands are sent to the correct Contact Address for the Management Server.
Run diagnostic	Runs diagnostics of the communication status between all the SMC servers. Note: Running the diagnostics might take a while.

Option	Definition
Management Servers table
Name	Shows the name of the Management Server. The following options are available when you right-click a Management Server: Log on — Logs on to the selected Management Server. Restart Server — Restarts the selected Management Server. Set Active — Sets the selected Management Server to active. When a Management Server is the active Management Server, it has full control of all Domains. Set Standby — Sets the selected Management Server to standby. Setting a Management Server to standby releases full control of all Domains. Replication — Commands for controlling replication of the management database. Note: Replication commands are only available if at least one standby Management Server is online. Include Server and Full Database Replication — Enables automatic database replication from the active Management Server to the selected additional Management Server and synchronizes databases between the active Management Server and the selected additional Management Server. Exclude Server from Replication — Disables automatic database replication from the active Management Server to the selected Management Server. Full Database Replication — Synchronizes databases between the active Management Server and additional Management Servers. Note: This command is not available if the selected Management Server has been excluded from replication. Test database synchronization — Tests the database synchronization between the active Management Server and additional Management Servers. Properties — Opens the Properties dialog box for the selected Management Server.
IP Address	Shows the IP address of the Management Server.
Server Mode	Shows whether the Management Server is set to active or standby.
Replication Status	Shows the status of the management database replication. OK — The management database replication is working correctly. FAILED — Replication failed. For more information, click Run diagnostic. Excluded — The Management Server has been excluded from automatic database replication. Not accessible — There is no route between the Management Client and the Management Server. Offline — The Management Server is offline. No license — The Management Server does not have a valid license. Not ready — Replication status is not available because the Management Server has recently started.
Last Replication	For standby Management Servers, shows the date and time of the last management database replication from the active Management Server.

Option	Definition
Log Servers table
Name	Shows the name of the Log Server. The following options are available when you right-click a Log Server: Restart Server — Restarts the selected Log Server. Refresh Engine Count for All Log Servers — Checks how many NGFW Engines currently use each Log Server. Properties — Opens the Properties dialog box for the selected Log Server.
IP Address	Shows the IP address of the Log Server.
Secondary Servers	Shows the Log Servers that are selected as secondary Log Servers for this Log Server.
Engine Count	Shows the number of NGFW Engines that use this Log Server. To see the latest number of NGFW Engines that currently use each Log Server, right-click a Log Server, then select Refresh Engine Count for all Log Servers.