What is a cluster IP address and how do I use it?
Applicable Products
- QuTS hero h5.3.0 or later
- High Availability Manager 1.0 or later
Concept
In a high-availability (HA) cluster, a cluster IP address is a virtual IP address used as the main access point for clients connecting to the cluster.
This IP address represents the entire cluster rather than a specific physical device within the cluster. When a failover occurs—meaning the active node device fails and the passive node device takes over as the new active node—the cluster IP address automatically migrates to the new active node. This allows clients to continue to access services without changing any network settings. This seamless IP address handover ensures service continuity, simplifying both IT maintenance and client access.
Recommendation
When creating an HA cluster, you are prompted to configure the cluster IP address. We recommend the following setup:
Assign a dedicated IP address
Select a unique static IP address to serve as the cluster IP address, distinct from the physical IP addresses of the NAS devices in the cluster but in the same subnet.Use the cluster IP address in client configurations
Always configure clients or services (e.g., mapped drives, backup jobs, software connections) to connect to the cluster IP address instead of the physical IP address of either NAS device. This ensures uninterrupted access after a failover.
