Deploy ClusterXL with no/minimum downtime?

[Chckpnt_Charlie]

Hi,

I have an existing 12200 fw instance in place, and a new one I'd like to add to it. So, my question is could someone suggest a least service interruptive way to deploy a cluster which will assume the same IPs of the current instance as its VIPs?

Even if there's no other tricks other than following the official ClusterXL deployment guide I'd be interested to know if someone did something similar in the past and could provide a ballpark service outage duration?

Thanks!

[Vladimir]

Please specify the version you are running, describe devices the 12000 unit is connected to presently and if it is involved in a dynamic routing.

[Mike_A]

Also, I would ask, what version are you running on your "current" gateways, and what version will you be running on the "new" hardware.

Example, currently running R75.47 going to R77.30, or running R77.20 going to R77.30, or R80.10. Or will they be the same version?

I've done this in the past going from Fujitsu;s to appliances as well as upgrading the version the gateways were on as the new hardware came into the cluster. Along with Vladimir's questions, I think some of these answers would determine a desired path. 

[Chckpnt_Charlie]

running r80.10 on 12200 appliance which sits in between our WAN router and a core switch (no dynamic routing).

the second appliance matches the first one, so no upgrades or hw migrations. Just need to create a ClusterXl and add the current one and later on the second one to it in active/standby.

[Chckpnt_Charlie]

Also, the current appliance is distributed SMS/firewall. We have the fw license for the secondary FW appliance but not for the secondary SMS. Can I still build a ClusterXL with two appliances to achieve HA for firewalls but only run SMS on the active instance? Or do I positively need to migrate the SMS off of that appliance before I can ClusterXl the two?

[PhoneBoy]

You can only run management on both members of an HA cluster (a so-called Full HA setup).

Running management on one member of a cluster only is not supported.

[Hugo_vd_Kooij]

Not to mention that management on the box in HA is .... rather clumsy.

I suggest you create a seperate management system.

The migration might be a bit of a steep path if you haven't the experience. So unless you have plenty of time to tinker with it without someone clubbing you for a day long outage I suggest you hire someone to help you out there.