Disable or enable automatic database replication from active Management Server to additional Management Servers

By default, changes in the configuration information stored on the currently active Management Server are automatically copied to all other Management Servers.

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.

Automatic management database replication is incremental and continuous; only the changed parts of the database are replicated and the replication is done in real time.

Note: The management database is not synchronized automatically between the Management Servers after a Management Server upgrade. You must synchronize the database manually after the upgrade.

Disabling automatic database replication is not recommended unless you have a specific need to do so. For example, you might need to prevent excessive failed replication attempts when you know that the Management Server will be unreachable for a long time. An example scenario would be changing the Management Server’s hardware or the Management Server’s IP address.

CAUTION:

Re-enable automatic database replication in the Management Server’s properties when the Management Server is reachable. The management database is automatically synchronized after you have re-enabled automatic database replication and the Management Server is working normally. After successful database replication, the management database status is shown as OK.

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

Steps

Select Menu > System Tools > SMC Servers HA Administration.
Right-click the Management Server, then select Replication > Include Server and Full Database Replication or Replication > Exclude Server from Replication.
You are prompted to confirm that you want to include or exclude the server.
Click Yes.
The Management Server is included or excluded until the next full database replication.

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.