Cluster

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Securepoint Cluster Configuration - Best Practice

Last adaptation to the version: 14.0 (11.2024)

New:

• Cluster Assistent wurde vollständig überarbeitet
• Hints, when clusters are not synchronised

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This article refers to a Resellerpreview

12.6 12.4 12.1 11.7

Access: Admin Interface of the UTMUTM-IP:Port or UTM-URL:Port
Port as configured at Network / Appliance Settings / Webserver
Default-Port: 11115
i.e.: https://utm.ttt-point.de:11115
Default: https://192.168.175.1:11115 Network Cluster Configuration

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Current software
The latest version of the software should always be installed.
Only the latest version contains the latest features, security enhancements and error corrections.

Fields of application

High availability of the UTM can be ensured by using the UTM in a hot standby cluster.
The UTMs within the cluster monitor each other and, if necessary, automatically switch to the device with the best status. Intervention by the administrator is not necessary.

Installation

When setting up the UTM cluster, two UTMs with identical firmware are connected via a Hotwire interface. The installation with the "Cluster Setup Wizard" is performed on the Original UTM, which will be the MASTER in the newly created cluster. This UTM will be used to synchronize the configuration. On the Spare UTM, which will be the BACKUP in the cluster, the Hotwire interface is defined and an SSH key is generated during installation. The SSH key of the MASTER is also entered on the spare UTM.
The active UTM in the cluster, has the higher priority and is called the MASTER.
The UTM with the lower priority, the passive UTM, is the BACKUP.

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Requirements

The following requirements are necessary for cluster operation:

• One Cluster-Master license
  One cluster Spare license
  

  To configure and operate the UTM cluster, a valid cluster license is required, which contains two different licenses and which can be applied for in the Securepoint Reseller Portal.

  End customers should contact their authorized Securepoint reseller.

The menu items for cluster configuration are visible as soon as a cluster license is installed.

• Two identical appliances^* with at least 3 Ethernet interfaces and the same firmware
  

  In the smallest scenario there is one input interface (internal LAN) and one output interface (external LAN) as well as the third free interface. This interface, also referred to as the Hotwire interface in the following, is required for configuration adjustment and connection tracking. It cannot take over any other network function.

• The used switches and routers support gratuitous ARP
  

  If there is a master/backup change in the UTM cluster, the now active UTM sends gratuitous ARP packets to its environment to announce the new MAC address.
  If the switches or routers do not support this function, they can only communicate via the active UTM with a delay.

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Functionality of the cluster

Hover over the image for more details!

Fig.: 1.1

 

Fig.: 1.1 with IP addresses

The cluster uses unique IP and MAC addresses for the two members of the cluster and virtual IP addresses for the cluster itself. The virtual IP addresses are only active on the active member of the UTM cluster. If the active member of the cluster fails completely or partially, the virtual IP addresses change to the second member of the cluster.
For the clients and servers in a cluster configuration, the virtual IP address is the communication partner in the routing (e.g. the standard gateway, see Fig. 1.2).

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The Cluster VRR Protocol

VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) is the communication protocol of the cluster. It is only active on interfaces that are configured as HA-High-Availability interfaces. The master of the UTM cluster sends data packets to the backup via this protocol. If the backup does not receive any data packets, it upgrades itself to the master.

Using tcpdump the protocol can be made visible on a HA interface (see figure)

No special firewall rules are required to enable communication with the VRR protocol.

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Switching the cluster

The following states or events trigger a switchover within the cluster:

• The active member of a cluster is restarted or shut down completely.
• One or more HA interfaces no longer have a physical link.
• The link of an HA interface is active, but due to a defective or incorrectly configured switch, the VRRP packets do not arrive at the cluster partner.
• The cluster function is deactivated on the active cluster partner by the administrator.
  

If more than two HA interfaces are activated, it is possible that a different number of HA interfaces may no longer be able to communicate in the event of an error. In this case, the UTM on which most interfaces have a link will become the active member as long as the UTMs still see each other via at least one HA interface. If the UTMs no longer see each other on any interface, both assume that the second member of the cluster no longer exists and both become the master.
Table, behavior in the cluster, example two HA interfaces:

HA interface 1	HA interface 2	UTM 1 Status	UTM 2 Status
UTM 1 UP , UTM 2 UP	UTM 1 UP , UTM 2 UP	Active	Passive
UTM 1 DOWN , UTM 2 UP	UTM 1 UP , UTM 2 UP	Passive	Active
UTM 1 DOWN , UTM 2 DOWN	UTM 1 UP , UTM 2 UP	Active	Passive
UTM 1 DOWN , UTM 2 DOWN	UTM 1 UP , UTM 2 DOWN	Active	Active
UTM 1 DOWN , UTM 2 DOWN	UTM 1 DOWN , UTM 2 DOWN	Active	Active

Please note that UTM-1 has a higher priority than UTM-2. If the state in the table is active and marked as red, this means that the two members of the cluster no longer see each other and assume that the respective other partner is no longer present. Both members of the cluster are then active. However, network communication is then generally no longer possible because the problem is in the environment.

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Fallback in a cluster

If a fallback is configured at the same time and a failed ping check triggers the switch to the Spare and this also registers a failed ping check, it will return the master to the original Master.
Here now the priority decides, because both machines are equally affected and the fallback of the Master becomes active.

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Hotwire interface:

Fig.: 1.3

The Hotwire interface is an exclusive interface that is only used to synchronize the configuration of the cluster members and to synchronize the running connections (connection tracking). This interface has this task exclusively. When selecting the appliances, it must be ensured that one interface is free for the Hotwire network in each case.
The SSH protocol (TCP/22) is used to synchronize the configuration. The connection tracking is synchronized via port 3780 (UDP). If an Ethernet interface is marked as Hotwire, the rules for communication are generated automatically. For the SSH connection, public keys must be exchanged between the members of the UTM cluster. The configuration can be synchronized in both directions between the members of the cluster. The connection tracking is always automatically transferred from the master in the cluster to the backup (Fig. 1.3).

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The Hotwire connection should always be a direct cable connection (no switch etc. in between).
It must be ensured that nobody is administratively using the member of the cluster to which the synchronization is to be made at the time.

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Adjusting the configuration

The respective start configuration is synchronized via the hotwire interface. Changes made on one machine in the cluster are transferred to the other device via this interface. Usually, after the cluster has been commissioned, the configuration is carried out on a UTM alone. We recommend using the master.

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The adjustment is always performed manually. The administrator decides when to adjust the configuration in the UTM cluster.

The following parts of the configuration are not adjusted:

1. IP addresses that uniquely belong to a machine and are configured to Ethernet or VLAN interfaces.
   These are the IP addresses that are set in the web interface under the Network Network Configuration item. If an Ethernet or VLAN interface is newly created, this will be transmitted, but not the information about the IP addresses of these interfaces. If necessary, these must be configured manually on the cluster member, as they are always uniquely assigned to a UTM. These IP addresses are not to be confused with virtual IP addresses on an HA interface shared by both machines in the cluster.
2. Active Directory appliance account.
   This account is always unique in AD. You create different names on both machines and log each one separately into Active Directory.

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It is not absolutely necessary to configure unique IP addresses on interfaces on which an HA interface with virtual IP addresses is operated.
However, if the member of the UTM cluster is to be uniquely identified via this interface, this is necessary.
In this case, the virtual IP address is used to access the UTM that is the master at that moment.

Replacement unit configuration

If a device is defective and needs to be replaced, the configuration of exactly this machine must be restored on the new device.
(e.g. the master configuration must not be copied to the spare in order to change only the IP addresses).
If neither a local nor a cloud backup of the configuration is available, the replacement unit can be integrated into the cluster with a new configuration.
For this purpose, the setup steps as Spare must be carried out as described below: • Spare UTM with external modem • UTM_2 Spare UTM with external modem

The SSH keys must be copied both from the current active device vice versa to the respective counterpart

For a replacement unit, the priority must be set to High for Master or to Low for Spare according to the future purpose.

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Example configuration 1: External DSL modem

This example shows a configuration with which a UTM cluster can be operated on a DSL modem. The dial-up is done directly by the UTM.

Network configuration

First member of the cluster (UTM 1, Master)
LAN1: External DSL connection using PPPoE.
LAN2: Internal IP address: 192.168.12.141/24
LAN3: Hotwire IP address:192.168.180.2/24

Second member of the cluster (UTM 2, Spare)
LAN1: External DSL connection using PPPoE.
LAN2: Internal IP address:192.168.12.142/24
LAN3: Hotwire IP address:192.168.180.3/24

The virtual IP address is defined as 192.168.200.1/24.
This IP address is the default gateway of the internal network.

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When using the DHCP server, the virtual IP address must not be in the same network as the physical IP address of the interface.
Otherwise the DHCP server would access the physical address of the spare UTM during the fallback and not synchronize the leases.

Preparations

Setting up the UTMs

• To set up the UTM cluster, the installation wizard is used first
• A (cluster) license is already required to log on to the UTM
• To prevent double dial-up, the DSL modem should not be connected
• Up to this point, the configuration of the two UTMs differs only in the internal and external IP address
• After the wizard is completed, the UTMs are restarted

IP addresses of the upcoming Hotwire interfaces

Master Network Network configuration LAN3 → IP addresses:
IP addresses:	»192.168.180.2/24 Master	In the clickbox the IP address of the upcoming Hotwire interface is added. In the example the masters LAN3/A2 gets the IP address 192.168.180.2/24.	Edit Ethernet interface UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetworkNetwork configuration Hotwire IP of the Master
Spare Network Network configuration LAN3 → IP addresses:
IP addresses:	»192.168.180.3/24 Spare	In the example LAN3/A2 the spare gets the IP address 192.168.180.3/24.

Connect Hotwire interface

The UTMs are now physically connected via the selected Hotwire interface. This must occupy the same port on the machines - Designation depending on the hardware and software used A2, eth2 or LAN3.

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Cluster configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetwork Example configuration 1: External DSL modem Cluster configuration Initial situation

Cluster configuration

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Cluster Assistent vollständig überarbeitet

• The UTMs have different priorities within the cluster.
• The higher priority is given to the active device (Master), the lower to the backup system Spare.
• In our example, the UTM with the unique internal IP address 192.168.12.141 will be the master.
• Login via the web interface with this IP and the port for administration (Default: 11115).

Cluster configuration

Start the Cluster Setup Wizard at Master Network Cluster configuration Button Cluster Wizard
Master Cluster Wizard Step 1 Master Cluster Wizard Step 1
Es wird mit der Master Konfiguration begonnen			Cluster Wizard UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetworkCluster configuration Master Cluster Wizard Step 1 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Master Cluster Wizard Step 2 Master Cluster Wizard Step 2
Hotwire interface::	LAN3	The same interface must be selected on both devices!	Master Cluster Wizard Step 2 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Local IP‑address: Nur wenn Schnittstelle ohne IP gewählt	192.168.180.2/24	IP address of the master UTM
Remote IP‑address:	192.168.180.3/---	IP address of the Hotwire remote unit (spare UTM)
Master Cluster Wizard Step 3 Master Cluster Wizard Step 3
Interface:	LAN2	The upcoming HA interface. In the example the internal interface.	Master Cluster Wizard Step 3 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Virtual IP‑address: Nur wenn Schnittstelle ohne IP gewählt	192.168.200.1/24	The virtual IP address should be 192.168.200.1. There can also be several virtual IP addresses on one HA interface.
When using the UTM as a DHCP server, the virtual IP address must not be in the same Broadcast Domain as the master and spare UTM. ‍ Otherwise the DHCP server would key itself to the physical address of the spare UTM during the fallback and not synchronize the leases. After the wizard has run through, other HA interfaces can also be configured.
Master Cluster Wizard Step 4 Master Cluster Wizard Step 4
Disabled interfaces while the device is in backup mode: wan0 wg0		Interfaces that are not booted on the backup system, the spare UTM. In the example wan0 (the DSL interface). The dial-in should only be done by the currently active master UTM in the cluster. ‍ This makes it possible to connect both external interfaces of the UTMs to the DSL modem. If the modem has only one LAN port, a separate switch must be used. Auch WireGuard Verbindungen (im Beispiel wg0) werden so im Backup-Modus deaktiviert.	Master Cluster Wizard Step 4 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Disabled applications while the device is in backup mode:Clientless VPN DHCP Server Greylisting Filter HTTP Proxy IPSEC L2TP VPN Mailrelay POP3 Proxy Routing Daemon SPF Filter SSL-VPN Spamfilter WLAN ServerDefault		Here applications are listed that should be disabled by default if the spare UTM is in backup mode. Note for installations before 12.4.0 It may not be possible to use Wireguard in cluster operation if the spare has a path towards the Wireguard peer, e.g. via a public management IP. In this case, the wireguard tunnel to the peer is established and there is a tunnel between the spare and the wireguard peer. The following command must then be entered: interface set name wg0 flags "DISABLED_IF_SPARE" (if i.e. the interface is wg0) From UTM v12.4.0 this happens automatically, but for existing configurations this must be done retrospectively.
Master Cluster Wizard Step 5 Master Cluster Wizard Step 5
Passphrase:	insecure	The passphrase for the communication between the two UTMs on the HA interfaces (VRR protocol)	Master Cluster Wizard Step 5 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Master Cluster Wizard Step 6 Master Cluster Wizard Step 6
Einstellung für die Spare:	[Master] Hotwire Interface: LAN3 Remote UP adress: 192.168.180.3 ...	Diese Konfigurationen müssen bei der Konfiguration der Spare eingefügt werden. Dazu können sie mithilfe der Schaltfläche in die Zwischenablage kopiert werden.	Master Cluster Wizard Step 6 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 1 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 1
Nun wird auf die Spare gewechselt Hier wird ebenfalls der Clusterassistent unter Netzerk Cluster Configuration mit der Schaltfläche Cluster Assistent gestartet Und anschließend wird die Spare Konfiguration gewählt			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 1 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 2 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 2
Anschließend kommt die Aufforderung den Cluster Assistent für die Master UTM bis zu Schritt 7 auszuführen Wenn dies geschehen ist kann mit Schritt 3 weitergemacht werden			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 2 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 3 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 3
Einstellung des Masters:	[Master] Hotwire Interface: LAN3 Remote UP adress: 192.168.180.3 ...	Hier müssen die Konfiguration der Master UTM eingefügt werden. Diese können im Schritt 6 des Master Cluster Assistenten kopiert werden.	Spare Cluster Wizard Step 3 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 4 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 4
Diese Werte sollten automatisch aus der Konfiguration des Masters übernommen worden sein. Wenn dies nicht der Fall ist, sollten beide Konfigurationen überprüft werden!			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 4 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Local IP‑address:	192.168.180.3/24	IP-Adresse der Spare-UTM
Remote IP‑address:	192.168.180.2/---	IP-Adresse der Hotwire-Gegenstelle (hier: Master-UTM)
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 5 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 5
Diese Werte sollten automatisch aus der Konfiguration des Masters übernommen worden sein. Wenn dies nicht der Fall ist, sollten beide Konfigurationen überprüft werden!			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 5 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Passphrase:	insecure	The passphrase for the communication between the two UTMs on the HA interfaces (VRR protocol)
Schlüssel der Gegenstelle:	ssh-rsa AAAABNza...	Der Schlüssel der Master-UTM für den verschlüsselten Datenaustausch
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 6 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 6
Einstellung für den Master:	[Spare] Local SSH Key: ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza...	Diese Konfigurationen müssen bei der Konfiguration des Masters eingefügt werden. Dazu können sie mithilfe der Schaltfläche in die Zwischenablage kopiert werden.	Spare Cluster Wizard Step 6 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Master Cluster Wizard Step 7 Master Cluster Wizard Step 7
Es wird wieder zur Master gewechselt!			Master Cluster Wizard Step 7 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Einstellung der Spare:	[Spare] Local SSH Key: ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza...	Hier müssen die Konfiguration der Spare UTM eingefügt werden. Diese können in Schritt 6 des Spare Cluster Assistenten kopiert werden.
Master Cluster Wizard Step 8 Master Cluster Wizard Step 8
Es wird wieder zur Master gewechselt!			Master Cluster Wizard Step 8 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Schlüssel der Gegenstelle:	ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza...	Der Schlüssel der Spare-UTM für den verschlüsselten Datenaustausch. Dieser Werte sollten automatisch aus der Konfiguration der Spare übernommen worden sein. Wenn dies nicht der Fall ist, sollten beide Konfigurationen überprüft werden!
Master & Spare Cluster Wizard Abschluss Master & Spare Cluster Wizard Abschluss
Nun kann auf beiden UTMs der Cluster Assistent mit Fertig abgeschlossen werden			Master Cluster Wizard Step 9 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 7 Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Status of the cluster configuration
Master Network Cluster configuration  Area Interfaces
LAN2	Interface used for High Availability	Virtual IP 192.168.200.1/24 IP address: 192.168.100.2/24	Cluster configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetwork Master Cluster configuration Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
LAN3	Interface is used as Hotwire	IP address 192.168.180.2/24
wan0	Interface is deactivated during backup
Virtual IP addresses	192.168.200.1/24	This address is only available on the respective active Master device
Remote IP addresses	192.168.180.3	Addresses of other devices in the cluster
On both sides there should now be a local SSH key and the SSH key of the remote terminal. Save the settings on both UTMs in this dialog by pressing the Save button.
Sync state	pending	The synchronisation status should now change from error (red) to pending (yellow). This means that the two UTMs can see each other via the Hotwire interface, but the configuration is not yet synchronised. notempty New for v12.8.0 This status can also be recognised by the following: Note in the header "not synchronised", warning sign in the side menu, note when calling up the admin web interface of the master UTM ‍ . The status display is refreshed at certain intervals. In the Interfaces tab, the display can be refreshed manually using the button. The cluster must always be synchronised manually ‍ under Network Cluster configuration  Area Management → Synchronise configuration:
Information on the Management area can be found in the article Management Cluster Management.
Sync state	synchronized	If the synchronization was completed successfully, the synchronization status is now green. The two UTMs are synchronized. This process can be checked by calling up a configuration on the spare UTM that has been changed in the Master. The cluster Priority Network Cluster Configuration  Area Settings of the spare UTM (backup) has been automatically set to low. If the priority on the current spare UTM were set to high and the configuration were synchronized from there, the first machine would automatically be degraded to spare and the former spare UTM to master.	Cluster configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetwork Spare Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Activate cluster
Master & Spare Network Cluster configuration  Area Options
Connecting external interfaces to the DSL modem			Cluster configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdn (active cluster)Network Master Status nach Aktivierung des Clusters Example 1UTM on external DSL modem Cluster configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdn (passive cluster)Network Spare Status nach Aktivierung des Clusters Example 1UTM on external DSL modem
Cluster:	On → Save	This step must be executed at both UTMs.
Cluster status	At the master UTM:	The cluster is now operational and the cluster master has the virtual IP address 192.168.200.1 on the internal interface.
	At the Spare UTM:	The Spare-UTM runs as hot standby in backup mode in the background
notempty The cluster must always be synchronised manually ‍ under Network Cluster configuration  Area Management → Synchronise configuration:

If the status is not updated immediately, this can again be triggered manually via the button for updating .

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Example Configuration 2: External Router

• This example describes a configuration with an external router.
• The router is the gateway to the Internet.
• It is possible that a public network was given by the provider.
  A private network is used in this example. The procedure is then the same as for the public network.
• Two HA interfaces are now configured here.
  One for the internal and one for the external interface.

Network configuration

First member of the cluster (UTM 1, Master)
LAN1: External IP address (to router) 192.168.175.102/24
LAN2: Internal IP address: 192.168.12.141/24
LAN3: Hotwire IP address: 192.168.180.2/24

Second member of the cluster (UTM 2, Spare)
LAN1: External IP address (to the router) 192.168.175.103/24
LAN2: Internal IP address: 192.168.12.142/24
LAN3: Hotwire IP address: 192.168.180.3/24

The virtual IP addresses that both members of the cluster will share are:
External interfaces (to the router) 192.168.175.101/24.
Internal interfaces 192.168.200.1/24 | This IP is the default gateway of the internal network.

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When using the DHCP server, the virtual IP address must not be in the same network as the physical IP address of the interface.

Otherwise the DHCP server would access the physical address of the spare UTM during the fallback and not synchronize the leases.

Preparations

Setting up the UTMs

• To set up the UTM cluster, the installation wizard is used first
• A (cluster) license is already required to log on to the UTM
• To prevent double dial-up, the DSL modem should not be connected
• Up to this point, the configuration of the two UTMs differs only in the internal and external IP address
• After the wizard is completed, the UTMs are restarted

IP addresses of the upcoming Hotwire interfaces

Master Network Network configuration LAN3 → IP addresses:
IP addresses:	»192.168.180.2/24 Master	In the clickbox the IP address of the upcoming Hotwire interface is added. In the example the masters LAN3/A2 gets the IP address 192.168.180.2/24.	Edit Ethernet interface UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetworkNetwork configuration Hotwire IP of the Master
Spare Network Network configuration LAN3 → IP addresses:
IP addresses:	»192.168.180.3/24 Spare	In the example LAN3/A2 the spare gets the IP address 192.168.180.3/24.

Connect Hotwire interface

The UTMs are now physically connected via the selected Hotwire interface. This must occupy the same port on the machines - Designation depending on the hardware and software used A2, eth2 or LAN3.

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Network configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetwork Example Configuration 2: External Router Cluster configuration Initial situation

Cluster configuration

• The UTMs have different priorities within the cluster.
• The higher priority is given to the active device (Master), the lower to the backup system Spare.
• In our example, the UTM with the unique internal IP address 192.168.12.141 will be the master.
• Login via the web interface with this IP and the port for administration (Default: 11115).

Master-UTM

Cluster configuration

Start the Cluster Setup Wizard at Master Network Cluster configuration Button Cluster Wizard
Master Cluster Wizard Step 1 Master Cluster Wizard Step 1
Es wird mit der Master Konfiguration begonnen			Cluster Wizard UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetworkCluster configuration Master Cluster Wizard Step 1 Example 2UTM on external router
Master Cluster Wizard Step 2 Master Cluster Wizard Step 2
Hotwire interface::	LAN3	The same interface must be selected on both devices!	Master Cluster Wizard Step 2 Example 2UTM on external router
Local IP‑address: Nur wenn Schnittstelle ohne IP gewählt	192.168.180.2/24	IP address of the master UTM
Remote IP‑address:	192.168.180.3/---	IP address of the Hotwire remote unit (spare UTM)
Master Cluster Wizard Step 3 Master Cluster Wizard Step 3
Interface:	LAN2	The upcoming HA interface. In the example the internal interface.	Master Cluster Wizard Step 3 Example 2UTM on external router
Virtual IP‑address: Nur wenn Schnittstelle ohne IP gewählt	192.168.200.1/24	The virtual IP address should be 192.168.200.1. There can also be several virtual IP addresses on one HA interface.
When using the UTM as a DHCP server, the virtual IP address must not be in the same Broadcast Domain as the master and spare UTM. ‍ Otherwise the DHCP server would key itself to the physical address of the spare UTM during the fallback and not synchronize the leases. After the wizard has run through, other HA interfaces can also be configured.
Master Cluster Wizard Step 4 Master Cluster Wizard Step 4
Disabled interfaces while the device is in backup mode:		Interfaces that are not booted on the backup system, the spare UTM. In this configuration, that is not required	Master Cluster Wizard Step 4 Example 2UTM on external router
Master Cluster Wizard Step 5 Master Cluster Wizard Step 5
Disabled applications while the device is in backup mode:Clientless VPN DHCP Server Greylisting Filter HTTP Proxy IPSEC L2TP VPN Mailrelay POP3 Proxy Routing Daemon SPF Filter SSL-VPN Spamfilter WLAN ServerDefault		Here applications are listed that should be disabled by default if the spare UTM is in backup mode. Note for installations before 12.4.0 It may not be possible to use Wireguard in cluster operation if the spare has a path towards the Wireguard peer, e.g. via a public management IP. In this case, the wireguard tunnel to the peer is established and there is a tunnel between the spare and the wireguard peer. The following command must then be entered: interface set name wg0 flags "DISABLED_IF_SPARE" (if i.e. the interface is wg0) From UTM v12.4.0 this happens automatically, but for existing configurations this must be done retrospectively.	Master Cluster Wizard Step 5 Example 2UTM on external router
Master Cluster Wizard Step 6 Master Cluster Wizard Step 6
Passphrase:	insecure	The passphrase for the communication between the two UTMs on the HA interfaces (VRR protocol)	Master Cluster Wizard Step 6 Example 2UTM on external router
Master Cluster Wizard Step 7 Master Cluster Wizard Step 7
Einstellung für die Spare:	[Master] Hotwire Interface: LAN3 Remote UP adress: 192.168.180.3 ...	Diese Konfigurationen müssen bei der Konfiguration der Spare eingefügt werden. Dazu können sie mithilfe der Schaltfläche in die Zwischenablage kopiert werden.	Master Cluster Wizard Step 7 Example 2UTM on external router
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 1 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 1
Nun wird auf die Spare gewechselt Hier wird ebenfalls der Clusterassistent unter Netzerk Cluster Configuration mit der Schaltfläche Cluster Assistent gestartet Und anschließend wird die Spare Konfiguration gewählt			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 1 Example 2UTM on external router
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 2 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 2
Anschließend kommt die Aufforderung den Cluster Assistent für die Master UTM bis zu Schritt 7 auszuführen Wenn dies geschehen ist kann mit Schritt 3 weitergemacht werden			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 2 Example 2UTM on external router
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 3 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 3
Einstellung des Masters:	[Master] Hotwire Interface: LAN3 Remote UP adress: 192.168.180.3 ...	Hier müssen die Konfiguration der Master UTM eingefügt werden. Diese können im Schritt 6 des Master Cluster Assistenten kopiert werden.	Spare Cluster Wizard Step 3 Example 2UTM on external router
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 4 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 4
Diese Werte sollten automatisch aus der Konfiguration des Masters übernommen worden sein. Wenn dies nicht der Fall ist, sollten beide Konfigurationen überprüft werden!			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 4 Example 2UTM on external router
Local IP‑address:	192.168.180.3/24	IP-Adresse der Spare-UTM
Remote IP‑address:	192.168.180.2/---	IP-Adresse der Hotwire-Gegenstelle (hier: Master-UTM)
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 5 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 5
Diese Werte sollten automatisch aus der Konfiguration des Masters übernommen worden sein. Wenn dies nicht der Fall ist, sollten beide Konfigurationen überprüft werden!			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 5 Example 2UTM on external router
Passphrase:	insecure	The passphrase for the communication between the two UTMs on the HA interfaces (VRR protocol)
Schlüssel der Gegenstelle:	ssh-rsa AAAABNza...	Der Schlüssel der Master-UTM für den verschlüsselten Datenaustausch
Spare Cluster Wizard Step 6 Spare Cluster Wizard Step 6
Einstellung für den Master:	[Spare] Local SSH Key: ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza...	Diese Konfigurationen müssen bei der Konfiguration des Masters eingefügt werden. Dazu können sie mithilfe der Schaltfläche in die Zwischenablage kopiert werden.	Spare Cluster Wizard Step 6 Example 2UTM on external router
Master Cluster Wizard Step 8 Master Cluster Wizard Step 8
Es wird wieder zur Master gewechselt!			Master Cluster Wizard Step 8 Example 2UTM on external router
Einstellung der Spare:	[Spare] Local SSH Key: ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza...	Hier müssen die Konfiguration der Spare UTM eingefügt werden. Diese können in Schritt 6 des Spare Cluster Assistenten kopiert werden.
Master Cluster Wizard Step 9 Master Cluster Wizard Step 9
Es wird wieder zur Master gewechselt!			Master Cluster Wizard Step 9 Example 2UTM on external router
Schlüssel der Gegenstelle:	ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza...	Der Schlüssel der Spare-UTM für den verschlüsselten Datenaustausch. Dieser Werte sollten automatisch aus der Konfiguration der Spare übernommen worden sein. Wenn dies nicht der Fall ist, sollten beide Konfigurationen überprüft werden!
Master & Spare Cluster Wizard Abschluss Master & Spare Cluster Wizard Abschluss
Nun kann auf beiden UTMs der Cluster Assistent mit Fertig abgeschlossen werden			Master Cluster Wizard Step 10 Example 2UTM on external router
			Spare Cluster Wizard Step 7 Example 2UTM on external router
Status of the cluster configuration
Master Network Cluster configuration  Area Interfaces
LAN1	(Interface is not yet configured for HA)	IP address 192.168.175.102/24	Cluster configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetwork Master Cluster configuration Example 2UTM on external router
LAN2	Interface used for High Availability	Virtual IP 192.168.200.1/24 IP address: 192.168.100.2/24
LAN3	Interface is used as Hotwire	IP address 192.168.180.2/24
Virtual IP addresses	192.168.200.1/24	This address is only available on the respective active Master device
Remote IP addresses	192.168.180.3	Addresses of other devices in the cluster
Cluster status	offline	The cluster state does indicate offline (black) because the cluster is not yet set to active
Sync state	error	The Sync state is shows error (red), because the remote terminal cannot be reached
Switch to Master Network Cluster configuration  Area Options
SSH‑Key of the remote terminal:	ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nz […] Q1/k= root@spare.cluster.local	Paste public key of the spare UTM from the clipboard. ‍ On the Master-UTM the Spare-UTM represents the remote station
On both sides there should now be a local SSH key and the SSH key of the remote terminal. Save the settings on both UTMs in this dialog by pressing the Save button.
Sync state	pending	The synchronisation status should now change from error (red) to pending (yellow). This means that the two UTMs can see each other via the Hotwire interface, but the configuration is not yet synchronised. notempty New for v12.8.0 This status can also be recognised by the following: Note in the header "not synchronised", warning sign in the side menu, note when calling up the admin web interface of the master UTM ‍ . The status display is refreshed at certain intervals. In the Interfaces tab, the display can be refreshed manually using the button. The cluster must always be synchronised manually ‍ under Network Cluster configuration  Area Management → Synchronise configuration:
Configure external interface to HA operation
Master & Spare Network Cluster configuration LAN1
Name:	LAN1	Configure external interface to HA operation	Edit interface UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetworkCluster configuration Master & Spare Example 2UTM on external router
Usage:	Use interface for High Availability	Configure high availability
Virtuelle IP-Adressen:	»192.168.175.101/24	Virtual IP address from the network of the router Identical for Master and Spare
Information on the Management area can be found in the article Management Cluster Management.
Sync state	synchronized	If the synchronization was completed successfully, the synchronization status is now green. The two UTMs are synchronized. This process can be checked by calling up a configuration on the spare UTM that has been changed in the Master. The cluster Priority Network Cluster Configuration  Area Settings of the spare UTM (backup) has been automatically set to low. If the priority on the current spare UTM were set to high and the configuration were synchronized from there, the first machine would automatically be degraded to spare and the former spare UTM to master.	Cluster configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnNetwork Spare Example 2UTM on external router
Activate cluster
Master & Spare Network Cluster configuration  Area Options
Cluster	On → Save	This step must be executed at both UTMs.	Cluster configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdn (active cluster)Network Master Status nach Aktivierung des Clusters Example 2UTM on external router Cluster configuration UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdn (passive cluster)Network Spare Status nach Aktivierung des Clusters Example 2UTM on external router
Cluster status	At the master UTM:	The cluster is now operational and the cluster master has the virtual IP address 192.168.200.1 on the internal interface.
	At the Spare UTM:	The Spare-UTM runs as hot standby in backup mode in the background
notempty The cluster must always be synchronised manually ‍ under Network Cluster configuration  Area Management → Synchronise configuration:

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NAT in the cluster configuration

In the described constellations with external HA interfaces, it makes sense to adjust the NAT settings.

‍

The downtime of the cluster is reduced because no new IP addresses have to be assigned for communication.

We refer here to the example »Cluster configuration: External router«.
The external virtual IP address of the cluster is in the same broadcast domain as the external IP addresses of the interfaces.
The default route of the UTMs points to the router that connects to the Internet.

tcpdump at master.cluster.local

External IP UTM 1 Master	192.168.175.102/24
External IP UTM 2 Spare	192.168.175.103/24
Virtual IP Cluster  Cluster	192.168.175.101/24
IP of the Router	192.168.175.1/24

To change this, create a new object with the virtual IP address on the cluster interface in the menu Master Firewall Network Objects .	Add Networkobjects UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdn (active cluster)FirewallNetworkobjects Master
Next, the corresponding HideNAT rule is edited under Master Firewall Packet filter .	Edit rule UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdn (active cluster)FirewallPacketfilter Master
The object external-interface is replaced by the object HA-External-IP just created. Save and close Update rule Master Network Cluster configuration  Area Management → Synchronize configuration:

tcpdump

If the ping test is now repeated, the cluster IP 192.168.175.101 is used.

If the ping to the router ran without interruption, it is still stored in the Conntrack, so the ping is still being NATed via the wrong IP address.
The ping must be interrupted. After 30 seconds at the earliest the ping can be restarted.

notempty

For NAT settings, unique IP addresses must always be used in the network objects when configuring NAT via an HA interface.
This applies not only to HideNATs but also to port forwarding or destination NATs.

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Applications in the cluster configuration

Mailrelay UTMuser@firewall.name.fqdnApplications Mailrelay Log

Applications use IP addresses to identify themselves to other servers.
For some applications, it is possible to set the cluster IP for this.

This is shown here as an example for the mailrelay.

Emails are to be sent and received via the mailrelay of the UTMs.
For this purpose, corresponding PTR, A, MX records and SPF entries were made in the TXT records of the domain, which point to the external virtual IP address of the cluster.

Of course, these IP addresses must be routed by the router that forwards the Internet access to your own network.
In order for the mail relay to send emails via this virtual IP, the outgoing IP address must be set correctly in the application. In our case the virtual IP 192.168.175.101

Save

Then the cluster configuration must be synchronized again.

Network Cluster configuration  Area Management → Synchronize configuration:

The mail relay now always communicates with the virtual IP address 192.168.175.101. The internal mail server is also contacted with this IP as sender. This has to be taken into account when configuring the mail server if it only accepts SMTP connections from certain IPs.

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Communication of applications running on the firewall

All applications that establish a connection from the firewall itself use the primary IPs of the interfaces for this purpose (unless otherwise configured). If management IPs from the same broadcast domain are used, these primary IPs are not the virtual IP addresses.

Syslog

Syslog messages are sent by the management IP of the master if it is the active machine in the cluster, and by the management IP of the spare if it has been activated.

Http-proxy

If a parent proxy is in use, which accepts connections only from a certain IP, it must be configured in the menu Applications HTTP Proxy  Area General → Outgoing address can be specified.

Mailrelay

If a parent proxy is in use, which accepts connections only from a certain IP, it must be configured in the menu Applications HTTP Proxy  Area General → Outgoing address can be specified.

RADIUS/LDAP/AD connection

If the server only allows connections from certain IPs, the management IPs of both devices must be released on the target server.

IPSec

All IPSec connections must be adjusted in phase 1 so that one of the virtual IPs is permanently entered in the "Local Gateway" field.
VPN IPSec  Area Connections Button Phase 1 → General Local Gateway 192.168.175.101

SSL-VPN Server

In all SSL-VPN server instances the option Multihome must be activated:
VPN SSL-VPN  Button → Advanced Multihome: On

Communication with applications running on other devices

SSL-VPN Clients

All SSL-VPN client instances must be customized to use one of the virtual IPs to connect. The following CLI commands are required for this:

	Meaning
master.cluster.local> openvpn get	Determines the ID of the SSL-VPN connection
master.cluster.local> openvpn set id <ID> local_addr <VIRTUELLE-IP> local_port <FREIER-PORT>	Sets the local address
master.cluster.local> appmgmt restart application openvpn	Enables the settings
Example
master.cluster.local> openvpn get [...] master.cluster.local> openvpn set id <1> local_addr <192.168.175.101> local_port <20000> master.cluster.local> appmgmt restart application openvpn	Example

POP3 Proxy

The POP3 proxy always communicates 'with the management IP, if this is in the same broadcast domain as the default gateway. This should be noted when restricting access to POP3 servers to certain IP addresses in their configuration.

Clientless VPN

Connections to RDP/VNC servers are always established with the management IPs. This must be considered when restricting access to RDP/VNC servers to certain IP addresses in their configuration.

Nameserver

Connections to DNS servers are always established with the management IPs. This must be taken into account when restricting access to DNS servers to certain IP addresses in their configuration.

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CLI commands

The following describes commands for the Securepoint CLI.

CLI command	Output	Description
cli> cluster info	cluster_state ∣master  backup  none	The cluster state indicates who in the cluster is currently master or backup or whether the cluster is active at all. The output always refers to the machine on which this command is executed.
	sync_state ∣synchronized  pending  error	Indicates the status of the configuration. Synchronized means that it is the same on both UTMs of the cluster. The state "pending" means that the UTMs have a different state. In both cases the members can communicate with each other. The state "error" shows that they cannot exchange data. This could be the case if no hotwire interface is configured, the wiring is not correct, the SSH keys have not been exchanged, or the wrong SSH keys are used.
	hotwire_dev ∣ethx	Specifies the interface on which the Hotwire interface is configured.
cli> system config save name <Name der Konfiguration>		If a configuration change has been made in the CLI, it must be saved locally first. Only then is a synchronization of the cluster transferred.
cli> system config synchronize		With this command the respective start configuration can be transferred to the Cluster Partner via the Hotwire interface. The configuration from the UTM on which the command is executed is used. An article of system commands can be found here.
cli> extc value get application "securepoint_firewall" variable "UPDATE_TRIGGER_DELAY"	Value ∣2	Displays the delay in seconds before switching from master to backup in case of an error. The default value is 2 seconds.
cli> extc value set application "securepoint_firewall" variable "UPDATE_TRIGGER_DELAY" value 2	OK	Changes the delay, for the case of an error, which is switched from master to backup. The default value is 2 seconds and should not be set lower. If the appliances in the cluster have a high base load, the value can be set higher. The setting is immediately active and can be transferred to the partner via system config synchronize.
Maintenance Mode
cli> cluster maintainance get	value ----- 1 bzw. value ----- 0	Gibt aus ob der Wartungsmodus aktiv ist (1) oder nicht (0)
cli> cluster maintainance set value "1" cli> system update interface	OK	Activates the maintenance mode The maintenance mode is used to switch to the spare in a controlled manner and prevents multiple switching in the case of several individual steps (update, change IP addresses etc.) The services available in maintenance mode are configured in the wizard in step 4 or under → Network →Cluster configurationTab Applications. The UTM is not accessible via the virtual IP in maintenance mode, but only via a fixed IP address.
cli> cluster maintainance set value "0" cli> system update interface	OK	Disables the maintenance mode
Master cli> cluster info	attribute |value -------------+----- cluster_state|backup sync_state |synchronized hotwire_dev |eth2 maintainance |true	State during the set "Maintainance Mode" on the Master
Spare cli> cluster info	attribute |value -------------+----- cluster_state|master sync_state |synchronized hotwire_dev |eth2 maintainance |false	State during the set "Maintenance Mode" on the Spare

Restrictions

Combine DHCP client with HA interface

No HA interface may be configured on an Ethernet or VLAN interface if the interface has been configured as a DHCP client and UTM is dynamically assigned an IP address there.
If the DHCP server is not available after you have started the UTM and it is also the master in the cluster at that moment, the virtual IP address is removed from the interface as soon as the DHCP server is available again and the UTM receives a new IP address from the DHCP server.

DHCP server in a cluster environment

When using the UTM as DHCP server, these IP addresses must not be located in the same Broadcast Domain of the other IP addresses.
Otherwise the DHCP server would key itself to the physical address of the spare UTM during the fallback and would not synchronize the leases. See: Cluster Configuration Step 2