SONICWALL SonicOS 7.1 High Availability User Guide
- June 15, 2024
- SONICWALL
Table of Contents
- SONICWALL SonicOS 7.1 High Availability
- Product Information
- Product Usage Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- About SonicOS
- High Availability
- License
- Configuring High Availability
- HA General Tab
- Monitoring High Availability
- SonicWall Support
- About This Document
- References
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)
SONICWALL SonicOS 7.1 High Availability
Product Information
Specifications
- Product Name: SonicOS 7.1 High Availability
- Administration Guide: Yes
- Supported Platforms: Refer to the documentation
- Licensing: Refer to the documentation
- Operating System: SonicCore
About SonicOS
SonicOS provides a web management interface for configuring, managing, and monitoring the features, policies, security services, connected devices, and threats to your network. SonicOS runs on top of SonicCore, SonicWall’s secure underlying operating system.
Working with SonicOS
The SonicOS management interface facilitates the following tasks:
- Setting up and configuring your firewall
- Configuring external devices like access points or switches
- Configuring networks and external system options that connect to your firewall
- Defining objects and policies for protection
- Monitoring the health and status of the security appliance, network, users, and connections
- Monitoring traffic, users, and threats
- Investigating events
Product Usage Instructions
SonicOS Workflow
To effectively use SonicOS, follow the workflow below:
- Set up and configure your firewall.
- Configure external devices like access points or switches.
- Configure networks and external system options that connect to your firewall.
- Define objects and policies for protection.
- Monitor the health and status of the security appliance, network, users, and connections.
- Monitor traffic, users, and threats.
- Investigate events.
How to Use the SonicOS Administration Guides
Follow the steps below to effectively use the SonicOS Administration Guides:
- Refer to the specific guide relevant to your needs.
- Familiarize yourself with the guide conventions.
- Follow the step-by-step instructions provided in the guide.
Guide Conventions
When using the SonicOS Administration Guides, the following conventions are used:
- Titles and headings are in bold.
- Instructions are provided in numbered lists or paragraphs.
- Important notes and warnings are highlighted.
Frequently Asked Questions
About High Availability
Q: What is high availability in SonicOS?
A: High availability in SonicOS refers to the ability of the system to provide uninterrupted service and minimize downtime by ensuring redundancy and failover capabilities.
About Active/Standby HA
Q: What is Active/Standby HA?
A: Active/Standby HA is a high availability mode in SonicOS where one appliance actively handles traffic while the other remains on standby, ready to take over if the active appliance fails.
About Stateful Synchronization
Q: What is stateful synchronization?
A: Stateful synchronization is a feature in SonicOS high availability that ensures the synchronization of connection state information between the active and standby appliances.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability
Administration Guide
Contents
About SonicOS
1
Working with SonicOS
1
SonicOS Workflow
3
How to Use the SonicOS Administration Guides
4
Guide Conventions
6
High Availability
7
About High Availability
7
High Availability Terminology
8
High Availability Modes
9
High Availability Encryption
10
Crash Detection
11
Virtual MAC Address
11
Dynamic WAN Interfaces with PPPoE HA
11
Stateful Synchronization with DHCP
12
Stateful Synchronization with DNS Proxy
12
About HA Monitoring
12
Understanding High Availability
13
Understanding SonicWall High Availability Operation Modes
14
About Active/Standby HA
17
Benefits of Active/Standby HA
17
Working of Active/Standby HA
17
About Stateful Synchronization
18
Benefits of Stateful Synchronization
18
How Does Stateful Synchronization Work?
19
Example of Stateful Synchronization
20
Active/Standby Prerequisites
20
Supported Platforms and Licensing for HA
20
Physically Connecting Your Security Appliances
22
Maintenance
22
Removing an HA Association
22
Replacing a SonicWall Security Appliance
23
High Availability Status
25
Active/Standby High Availability Status
25
High Availability Status
26
High Availability Config
27
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
2
Contents
High Availability Licenses
28
Configuring High Availability
29
Configuration of HA Active/Standby
29
Configuring Active/Standby High Availability Settings
37
Configuring HA with Dynamic WAN Interfaces
38
Configuring Network DHCP and Interface Settings
39
Disabling the SonicOS DHCP Server
40
Configuring Virtual IP Addresses
40
Configuring Redundant Ports
41
Fine Tuning High Availability
42
Advanced Settings
42
Configuring Advanced High Availability Settings
42
Monitoring High Availability
45
Configuring Active/Standby High Availability Monitoring
45
IPv6 High Availability Monitoring
46
IPv6 HA Monitoring Considerations
47
SonicWall Support
48
About This Document
49
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
3
Contents
1
About SonicOS
This guide is a part of the SonicOS collection of administrative guides that
describes how to administer and monitor the SonicWall family of firewalls.
SonicOS provides network administrators the management interface, API
(Application Program Interface), and the Command Line Interface (CLI) for
firewall configuration by setting objects to secure and protect the network
services, to manage traffic, and to provide the desired level of network
service. This guide focuses on providing a way to share SonicWall licenses
between two SonicWall Security Appliances when one is acting as a high-
availability system for the other. Both Security Appliances must be the same
SonicWall model.
Topics:
l Working with SonicOS l SonicOS Workflow l How to Use the SonicOS
Administration Guides l Guide Conventions
Working with SonicOS
SonicOS provides a web management interface for configuring, managing, and
monitoring the features, policies, security services, connected devices, and
threats to your network. SonicOS runs on top of SonicCore, SonicWall’s secure
underlying operating system. The SonicOS management interface facilitates:
l Setting up and configuring your firewall l Configuring external devices like
access points or switches l Configuring networks and external system options
that connect to your firewall l Defining objects and policies for protection l
Monitoring the health and status of the security appliance, network, users,
and connections l Monitoring traffic, users, and threats l Investigating
events
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
1
About SonicOS
SonicWall offers two different modes of operation in SonicOS; the modes differ
mainly in the areas of policy, object configuration and diagnostics.
l Policy Mode provides a unified policy configuration work flow. It combines
Layer 3 to Layer 7 policy enforcement for security policies and optimizes the
work flow for other policy types. This unified policy work flow gathers many
security settings into one place, which were previously configured on
different pages of the management interface.
l Classic Mode is more consistent with earlier releases of SonicOS; you need
to develop individual policies and actions for specific security services. The
Classic Mode has a redesigned interface.
This table identifies which modes can be used on the different SonicWall
firewalls:
Firewall Type TZ Series
NSa Series
NSsp 10700, NSsp 11700, NSsp 13700 NSsp 15700
NSv Series
Classic Mode yes yes
yes no
yes
Policy Mode Comments
no
The entry level TZ Series, also known as desktop
firewalls, deliver revamped features such as 5G
readiness, better connectivity options, improved
threat, SSL and decryption performance that
address HTPPS bandwidth issues; built-in SD-
WAN, and lawful TLS 1.3 decryption support.
no
NSa firewalls provide your mid sized network with
enhanced security . They are designed
specifically for businesses with 250 and up. it can
provide cloud-based and on-box capabilities like
TLS/SSL decryption and inspection, application
intelligence and control, SD-WAN, real-time
visualization, and WLAN management.
no
The NSsp platforms high-end firewalls that
deliver the advanced threat protection and fast
speeds that large enterprises, data centers, and
service providers need.
yes
The NSsp 15700 is designed for large distributed
enterprises, data centers, government agencies
and services providers. It provides advanced
threat protection like Real-Time Deep Memory
Inspection, multi-instance firewall configuration,
and unified policy creation and modification, with
scalability and availability.
yes
The NSv series firewalls offers all the security
advantages of a physical firewall with the
operational and economic benefits of
virtualization. The NSv firewalls can operate in
either Policy Mode or Classic Mode. You can
switch between modes, but some configuration
information from extra interfaces is removed.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
2
About SonicOS
In addition to the management interface, SonicOS also has a full-featured API
and a CLI to manage the firewalls. For more information, refer to:
l SonicOS 7.1 API Reference Guide l SonicOS Command Line Interface Reference
Guide
SonicOS Workflow
When working with SonicWall products, you can use the following workflow as a
guide for setting up your security solution.
You begin your planning as you start making your purchasing decisions. Your
sales partners can help you assess your network and make recommendations based
on the kinds of security services you need. You can learn more about SonicWall
products by reviewing product information and solutions. After selecting the
solution, you can schedule your implementation.
After planning and scheduling your solution, you begin setting up the
firewalls. The Getting Started Guides for your products can help you begin
setting up the pieces to your solution. The getting started guides are
designed to help you install the firewall to a minimal level of operation.
Before performing any detailed configuration tasks described in the SonicOS
Administration Guides, you should have your firewall set up and basic
operation validated.
The configuration block of the workflow refers to the many tasks that combine
to define how your firewall is integrated into your security solution and how
it behaves when protecting your environment. Depending on the features of your
security solution, this task can be quite complex. The System Administration
Guides are broken into the key command sets and features. Some documents may
be used for all solutions, but others may be used use only if you integrated
that feature into your solution. For example, High Availability or Wireless
Access Points are not necessarily used by all customers. More information
about a feature’s workflow is presented in the feature administration guide.
Refer to the specific Administration Guide for a SonicOS feature for more
information.
Configuration tends to be a one-time activity, although you might make minor
adjustments after monitoring performance or after diagnosing an issue. The
configuration activity can be broken down into the more detailed flow as the
following figure shows. This also mirrors the key functions that are listed
across the top of the management interface.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
3
About SonicOS
There is some flexibility in the order in which you do things, but this is the
general work-flow you would follow when configuring your firewall. Start by
defining the settings on the firewall. Next you set up the system and other
devices that your firewall is connected to, and you can choose to implement
High Availability when done. After your device, network, and system is
configured, you should define the objects that you want to monitor. Then you
use those objects to define the policies that protect your network. The final
step to preparing your setup is to validate the user authentication.
How to Use the SonicOS Administration Guides
The SonicOS Administration Guide is actually a collection of administration
guides that detail the features represented by each of the main menu items in
the management interface. Within each guide, you can find topics covering
commands in that menu group, along with procedures and in-depth information.
The exceptions are the SonicOS Monitoring Guide and the SonicOS Objects Guide
which combine the topics for each of those functions into a single book.
To help you understand how the books align with the features and commands, the
following figure shows the books organized like to SonicWall management
interface.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
4
About SonicOS
The SonicOS Administration Guides, along with related documentation, such as the getting started guides, are available on the Technical Documentation portal.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
5
About SonicOS
Guide Conventions
These text conventions are used in this guide:
NOTE: A NOTE icon indicates supporting information. IMPORTANT: An IMPORTANT
icon indicates supporting information. TIP: A TIP icon indicates helpful
information. CAUTION: A CAUTION icon indicates potential damage to hardware or
loss of data if instructions are not followed. WARNING: A WARNING icon
indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
Convention Bold text
Function | Menu group > Menu item
Code
Italics
Description
Used in procedures to identify elements in the management interface like
dialog boxes, windows, screen names, messages, and buttons. Also used for file
names and text or values you are being instructed to select or type into the
interface.
Indicates a multiple step menu choice on the user interface. For example,
NETWORK | System > Interfaces means to select the NETWORK functions at the top
of the window, then click on System in the left navigation menu to open the
menu group (if needed) and select Interfaces to display the page.
Indicates sample computer programming code. If bold, it represents text to be
typed in the command line interface.
Represents a variable name. The variable name and angle brackets need to be
replaced with an actual value. For example in the segment serialnumber=<your
serial number>, replace the variable and brackets with the serial number from
your device, such as serialnumber=2CB8ED000004.
Indicates the name of a technical manual. Also indicates emphasis on certain
words in a sentence, such as the first instance of a significant term or
concept.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
6
About SonicOS
2
High Availability
This section provides conceptual information about SonicOS (HA) in SonicOS and
describes how to connect the Security Appliances for HA.
Topics:
l About High Availability l About Active/Standby HA l About Stateful
Synchronization l Active/Standby Prerequisites l Physically Connecting Your
Security Appliances l Maintenance
About High Availability
High Availability (HA) is a redundancy design that allows two identical
SonicWall Security Appliances running SonicOS to be configured to provide a
reliable, continuous connection to the public Internet. One SonicWall
SuperMassive is configured as the Primary unit, and an identical Security
Appliance is configured as the Secondary unit. If the Primary Security
Appliance fails, the Secondary Security Appliance takes over to secure a
reliable connection between the protected network and the Internet. Two
Security Appliances configured in this way are also known as a High
Availability Pair (HA Pair).
High Availability provides a way to share SonicWall licenses between two
SonicWall Security Appliances when one is acting as a high-availability system
for the other. Both Security Appliances must be the same SonicWall model.
To use this feature, you must register the SonicWall Security Appliances on
MySonicWall as Associated Products.
NOTE: HA is not supported on TZ series Security Appliances with wireless
enabled. Stateful HA is supported on TZ500 Series and above Security
Appliances. See Active/Standby Prerequisites.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
7
High Availability
Topics:
l High Availability Terminology l High Availability Modes l High Availability
Encryption l Crash Detection l Virtual MAC Address l Dynamic WAN Interfaces
with PPPoE HA l Stateful Synchronization with DHCP l Stateful Synchronization
with DNS Proxy l About HA Monitoring
High Availability Terminology
HIGH AVAILABILITY TERMINOLOGY
Active Failover
HA IDV PoE PPP PPPoE PPPoE HA Preempt
Primary
Secondary (Backup)
The operative condition of a hardware unit. The Active identifier is a logical
role that can be assumed by either a Primary or Secondary hardware unit.
The actual process in which the Standby unit assumes the Active role following
a qualified failure of the Active unit. Qualification of failure is achieved
by various configurable physical and logical monitoring facilities described
in Configuring High Availability.
High Availability: non-state, hardware failover capability.
Interface Disambiguation through VLAN.
Power over Ethernet is a technology that lets network cables carry electrical
power.
Point-to-point protocol that provides a standard method for transporting
multi-protocol diagrams over point-to-point links.
A method for transmitting PPP over ethernet.
HA PPPoE support function without State.
Applies to a post-failover condition in which the Primary unit has failed, and
the Secondary unit has assumed the Active role. Enabling Preempt causes the
Primary unit to seize the Active role from the Secondary after the Primary has
been restored to a verified operational state.
The principal hardware unit itself. The Primary identifier is a manual
designation and is not subject to conditional changes. Under normal operating
conditions, the Primary hardware unit operates in an Active role.
The subordinate hardware unit itself. The Secondary identifier is a relational
designation and is assumed by a unit when paired with a Primary unit. Under
normal operating conditions, the Secondary unit operates in a Standby mode.
Upon failure of the Primary unit, the Secondary unit assumes the Active role.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
8
High Availability
SHF
Standby (Idle) STP
State Hardware Failover, a SonicOS feature that allows existing network flows
to remain active when the primary Security Appliance fails and the backup
Security Appliance takes over.
The passive condition of a hardware unit. The Standby identifier is a logical
role that can be assumed by either a Primary or Secondary hardware unit. The
Standby unit assumes the Active role upon a determinable failure of the Active
unit.
Spanning Tree Protocol.
High Availability Modes
High Availability has several operation modes, which can be selected on DEVICE
| High Availability > Settings.
l None–Selecting None activates a standard high availability configuration and
hardware failover functionality, with the option of enabling Stateful HA.
l Active/Standby–Active/Standby mode provides basic high availability with the
configuration of two identical Security Appliances as a High Availability
Pair. The Active unit handles all traffic, while the Standby unit shares its
configuration settings and can take over at any time to provide continuous
network connectivity if the Active unit stops working. By default,
Active/Standby mode is stateless, meaning that network connections and VPN
tunnels must be re-established after a failover. To avoid this, Stateful
Synchronization can be licensed and enabled with Active/Standby mode. In this
Stateful HA mode, the dynamic state is continuously synchronized between the
Active and Standby units. When the Active unit encounters a fault condition,
stateful failover occurs as the Standby Security Appliance takes over the
Active role with no interruptions to the existing network connections. NOTE:
Stateful HA is:
l Included on NSA 4600 and higher NSA platforms and SuperMassive Series
platforms.
l Supported on the NSA 2600 and NSA 3600 platforms with a SonicOS Expanded
License or a High Availability License.
l Supported on the TZ500 and higher TZ platforms with a SonicOS Expanded
License or a High Availability (Stateful) Upgrade License.
For licensing information, see SonicOS 6.5 Updates.
l Active/Active DPI–The Active/Active Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) mode can be
used along with the Active/Standby mode. When Active/Active DPI mode is
enabled, the processor intensive DPI services, such as Intrusion Prevention
(IPS), Gateway Anti-Virus (GAV), and Anti-Spyware are processed on the standby
Security Appliance, while other services, such as firewall, NAT, and other
types of traffic are processed on the Active Security Appliance concurrently.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide
9
High Availability
NOTE: Active/Active DPI is: l Included on the SM 9000 series platforms. l
Supported on the NSA 5600 and above platforms with a SonicOS Expanded License
or a High Availability (Stateful) License.
For licensing information, see SonicOS 6.5 Updates. l Active/Active
Clustering–In this mode, multiple Security Appliances are grouped together as
cluster
nodes, with multiple Active units processing traffic (as multiple gateways),
doing DPI and sharing the network load. Each cluster node consists of two
units acting as a Stateful HA pair. Active/Active Clustering provides Stateful
Failover support in addition to load-sharing. Optionally, each cluster node
can also consist of a single unit, in which case Stateful Failover and
Active/Active DPI are not available.
NOTE: Active/Active Clustering is: l Included on the SM 9000 series platforms.
l Supported on NSA 3600 and above platforms only with the purchase of a
SonicOS Expanded License.
For licensing information, see SonicOS 6.5 Updates. l Active/Active DPI
Clustering–This mode allows for the configuration of up to four HA cluster
nodes for
failover and load sharing, where the nodes load balance the application of DPI
security services to network traffic. This mode can be enabled for additional
performance gain, utilizing the standby units in each cluster node.
NOTE: Active/Active DPI Clustering is: l Included on the SM 9000 series
platforms. l Supported on NSA 3600 and above platforms only with the purchase
of a SonicOS Expanded License.
For licensing information, see SonicOS 6.5 Updates.
High Availability Encryption
High Availability encryption adds security to the communication between
appliances in a HA pair. HA control messages between active and standby
firewalls, such as heartbeats, configuration sync and HA state information,
are encrypted to ensure security for inter-node communication.
This option is available in Active-Standby HA mode only and does not apply to
messages exchanged for stateful synchronization even in Active-Standby mode.
Discovery messages (find-peer and found-peer) are transmitted without
encryption. After the discovery stage, however, all control messages are
encrypted between the firewalls:
l Heartbeats l Messages used for incremental config updates l prefSync
messages l Various messages for sending HA commands between the firewall pair
l Firmware sync messages
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 10 High Availability
Crash Detection
The HA feature has a thorough self-diagnostic mechanism for both the Active
and Standby Security Appliances. The failover to the standby unit occurs when
critical services are affected, physical (or logical) link failure is detected
on monitored interfaces, or when the Security Appliance loses power.
The self-checking mechanism is managed by software diagnostics, which check
the complete system integrity of the Security Appliance. The diagnostics check
internal system status, system process status, and network connectivity. There
is a weighting mechanism on both sides to decide which side has better
connectivity to avoid potential failover looping.
Critical internal system processes such as NAT, VPN, and DHCP (among others)
are checked in real time. The failing service is isolated as early as
possible, and the failover mechanism repairs it automatically.
Virtual MAC Address
The Virtual MAC address allows the High Availability pair to share the same
MAC address, which dramatically reduces convergence time following a failover.
Convergence time is the amount of time it takes for the devices in a network
to adapt their routing tables to the changes introduced by high availability.
Without Virtual MAC enabled, the Active and Standby Security Appliances each
have their own MAC addresses. Because the Security Appliances are using the
same IP address, when a failover occurs, it breaks the mapping between the IP
address and MAC address in the ARP cache of all clients and network resources.
The Secondary Security Appliance must issue an ARP request, announcing the new
MAC address/IP address pair. Until this ARP request propagates through the
network, traffic intended for the Primary Security Appliance’s MAC address can
be lost.
The Virtual MAC address greatly simplifies this process by using the same MAC
address for both the Primary and Secondary Security Appliances. When a
failover occurs, all routes to and from the Primary Security Appliance are
still valid for the Secondary Security Appliance. All clients and remote sites
continue to use the same Virtual MAC address and IP address without
interruption.
By default, this Virtual MAC address is provided by the SonicWall firmware and
is different from the physical MAC address of either the Primary or Secondary
Security Appliances. This eliminates the possibility of configuration errors
and ensures the uniqueness of the Virtual MAC address, which prevents possible
conflicts. Optionally, you can manually configure the Virtual MAC address on
DEVICE | High Availability > Monitoring.
The Virtual MAC setting is available even if Stateful High Availability is not
licensed. When Virtual MAC is enabled, it is always used even if Stateful
Synchronization is not enabled.
Dynamic WAN Interfaces with PPPoE HA
NOTE: Dynamic WAN interfaces with PPPoE HA is not supported on the
SuperMassive 9800. Only the DHCP Server dynamic WAN mode is supported.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 11 High Availability
PPPoE can be enabled on interfaces in non-stateful mode, HA Active/Standby
mode. PPPoE HA provides HA where a Secondary Security Appliance assumes
connection to the PPPoE server when the Active Security Appliance fails.
NOTE: One WAN interface must be configured as PPPoE; see Configuring a WAN
Interface section in the SonicOS 7.0 Firewall Network document available at
https://www.sonicwall.com/support/technicaldocumentation/. After the Active
unit connects to the PPPoE server, the Security Appliance synchronizes the
PPPoE session ID and server name to the Secondary unit. When the Active
Security Appliance fails, it terminates the PPPoE HA connection on the client
side by timing out. The Secondary Security Appliance connects to the PPPoE
server, terminates the original connection on the server side, and starts a
new PPPoE connection. All pre-existing network connections are rebuilt, the
PPPoE sessions are re-established, and the PPP process is renegotiated.
Stateful Synchronization with DHCP
DHCP can be enabled on interfaces in both Active/Standby (non-stateful) and
Stateful Synchronization modes. Only the Active Security Appliance can get a
DHCP lease. The Active Security Appliance synchronizes the DHCP IP address
along with the DNS and gateway addresses to the Secondary Security Appliance.
The DHCP client ID is also synchronized, allowing this feature to work even
without enabling Virtual MAC. During a failover, the Active Security Appliance
releases the DHCP lease and, as it becomes the Active unit, the Secondary
Security Appliance renews the DHCP lease using the existing DHCP IP address
and client ID. The IP address does not change, and network traffic, including
VPN tunnel traffic, continues to pass. If the Active Security Appliance does
not have an IP address when failover occurs, the Secondary Security Appliance
starts a new DHCP discovery.
Stateful Synchronization with DNS Proxy
DNS Proxy supports stateful synchronization of DNS cache. When the DNS cache
is added, deleted, or updated dynamically, it synchronizes to the idle
Security Appliance.
About HA Monitoring
On DEVICE | High Availability > Monitoring, you can configure both physical
and logical interface monitoring: l By enabling physical interface monitoring,
you enable link detection for the designated HA interfaces. The link is sensed
at the physical layer to determine link viability. l Logical monitoring
involves configuring the SonicWall to monitor a reliable device on one or more
of the connected networks.
Failure to periodically communicate with the device by the Active unit in the
HA Pair triggers a failover to the Standby unit. If neither unit in the HA
Pair can connect to the device, no action is taken.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 12 High Availability
The Primary and Secondary IP addresses configured on DEVICE | High
Availability > Monitoring can be configured on LAN or WAN interfaces, and are
used for multiple purposes:
l As independent management addresses for each unit (supported on all physical
interfaces) l To allow synchronization of licenses between the Standby unit
and the SonicWall licensing server l As the source IP addresses for the probe
pings sent out during logical monitoring
Configuring unique management IP addresses for both units in the HA Pair
allows you to log in to each unit independently for management purposes. Note
that non-management traffic is ignored if it is sent to one of these IP
addresses. The Primary and Secondary Security Appliances’ unique LAN IP
addresses cannot act as an active gateway; all systems connected to the
internal LAN needs to use the virtual LAN IP address as their gateway.
If WAN monitoring IP addresses are configured, then X0 monitoring IP addresses
are not required. If WAN monitoring IP addresses are not configured, then X0
monitoring IP addresses are required, because in such a scenario the Standby
unit uses the X0 monitoring IP address to connect to the licensing server with
all traffic routed through the Active unit.
The management IP address of the Secondary/Standby unit is used to allow
license synchronization with the SonicWall licensing server, which handles
licensing on a per-Security Appliance basis (not per-HA Pair). Even if the
Secondary unit was already registered on MySonicWall before creating the HA
association, you must use the link on Device | Settings > Licenses to connect
to the SonicWall server while accessing the Secondary Security Appliance
through its management IP address (for more information, see SonicOS 7.1
Settings document).
When using logical monitoring, the HA Pair pings the specified Logical Probe
IP address target from the Primary as well as from the Secondary unit. The IP
address set in the Primary IP Address or Secondary IP Address field is used as
the source IP address for the ping. If both units can successfully ping the
target, no failover occurs. If both cannot successfully ping the target, no
failover occurs, as SonicOS assumes that the problem is with the target, and
not the Security Appliances. If one Security Appliance can ping the target but
the other cannot, however, the HA Pair failovers to the unit that can ping the
target.
The configuration tasks on DEVICE | High Availability > Monitoring are
performed on the Primary unit and then are automatically synchronized to the
Secondary.
Understanding High Availability
High Availability is designed to alleviate or eliminate: l System downtime l
Single points of failure l Increased system load
A good high availability solution considers scale as well as workload.
SonicWall HA allows two identical firewalls running the Management Service to
be configured to provide a reliable, continuous connection to the public
Internet. One firewall is configured as the Primary unit, and an identical
firewall is configured as the Secondary unit. In the event of the failure of
the Primary firewall, the
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 13 High Availability
Secondary firewall takes over to secure a reliable connection between the
protected network and the Internet. Two firewalls configured in this way are
also known as a High Availability Pair (HA Pair). HA provides a way to share
licenses between two firewalls when one is acting as a high availability
system for the other. To use this feature, you must register the firewalls on
MySonicWall.com as Associated Products. Both firewalls must be the same
SonicWall model.
Understanding SonicWall High Availability Operation Modes
High Availability has several operation modes, which can be selected on MANAGE
| System Setup > High Availability > Base Setup Choosing the right High
Availability Operation mode depends on understanding the network in question,
it’s purpose and operational needs. In planning, the administrator should
understand:
l the operational requirements for uptime, l the repercussions of failure, and
l the calculated risk to operations Each operation mode satisfies a different
scenario and without knowing the goals of High Availability, administrators
risk building an unsatisfactory solution. Understanding the operational mode
and how they map to requirements is fundamental. This Active/Standby mode may
be further defined as to whether they are stateless, stateful, or offload Deep
Packet Inspection to a secondary device. Active/Standby SonicWall Operational
modes are: None Selecting None activates a standard high availability
configuration and hardware failover functionality, with the option of enabling
Stateful HA. Active/Standby Is either stateless or stateful. Active/Standby
Stateless Active/Standby mode provides basic high availability with the
configuration of two identical Security Appliances as a High Availability
Pair. The Active unit handles all traffic, while the Standby unit shares its
configuration settings and can take over at any time to provide continuous
network connectivity if the Active unit stops working. By default,
Active/Standby mode is stateless, meaning that network connections and VPN
tunnels must be re-established after a failover. Active/Standby Stateful
Stateful Synchronization can be licensed and enabled with Active/Standby mode.
In this Stateful HA mode, the dynamic state is continuously synchronized
between the Active and Standby units.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 14 High Availability
Network connections and VPN tunnel information are continuously synchronized between the two units so that the Secondary can seamlessly assume all network responsibilities if the Primary firewall fails.
When the Active unit encounters a fault condition, stateful failover occurs as the Standby Security Appliance takes over the Active role with no interruptions to the existing network connections.
NOTE: Not all information is synchronized in a stateful configuration.
Synchronized And Non-Synchronized Information
Information that is Synchronized VPN information Basic connection cache FTP Oracle SQL*NET Real Audio RTSP GVC infromation Dynamic Address Objects DHCP server information Multicast and IGMP Active users ARP SonicPoint status Wireless guest status License information Weighted Load Balancing information RIP and OSPF information
Information that is not Synchronized Dynamic WAN clients (L2TP, PPPoE, and PPTP) Deep Packet Inspection (GAV, IPS, and Anti Spyware) IPHelper bindings (Such as NetBIOS and DHCP) SYNFlood protection and information Content Filtering Service information VoIP protocols Dynamic ARP entries and ARP cache time outs Active wireless client iformation Wireless client packet statistics Rogue AP list
HA Licenses Available With Sonicwall Network Security Firewalls
Platform
Active/Standby HA1
TZ270/TZ270 W
Included
TZ370/TZ370 W
Included
TZ470/TZ470 W
Included
TZ570/TZ570 W/TZ570 P
Included
TZ670
Included
TZ740 WLTE
Included
NSA 2700
Included
NSA 3700
Included
NSA 4700
Included
NSA 6700
Included
Stateful HA Included Included Included Included Included Included Included Included Included Included
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 15 High Availability
NSSP 13700 NSSP 15700 NSv 270 NSv 470 NSv 870 l NA = Feature not available
Included Included Included Included Included
Included Included Included Included Included
NOTE: Licensing is not standard across all models. Enterprise class models
often include HA licensing.
Multiple Gateways
In an Enterprise environment, or other large environment with several networks
and several gateways, cluster nodes may share the workload by terminating the
gateways on separate cluster nodes (see diagram below). For example, the
gateway for networks 1-10 are terminated on Cluster A, while networks 11-20
are terminated on Cluster B. Typically this is handled by another device
downstream (closer to the LAN devices) from the Cluster, such as a DHCP server
or a router.
Example Diagram Of Each HA Node Performing As A Gateway For A Different
Network Segment It is up to the network administrator to determine how the
traffic is allocated to each gateway. For example, you could use a smart DHCP
server which distributes the gateway allocation to the PCs on the directly
connected client network, or you could use policy based routes on a downstream
router. Naturally, some thought should go into the division as the desire is
not to have all the heavy workloads on a single cluster node while the second
sits mostly idle.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 16 High Availability
About Active/Standby HA
HA allows two identical Security Appliances running SonicOS to be configured
to provide a reliable, continuous connection to the public Internet. One
Security Appliance is configured as the Primary unit, and an identical
Security Appliance is configured as the Secondary unit. In the event of the
failure of the Primary Security Appliance, the Secondary Security Appliance
takes over to secure a reliable connection between the protected network and
the Internet. Two Security Appliances configured in this way are also known as
a High Availability Pair (HA Pair). Active/Standby HA provides standard, high
availability, and hardware failover functionality with the option of enabling
stateful HA. HA provides a way to share licenses between two Security
Appliances when one is acting as a high availability system for the other. To
use this feature, you must register the Security Appliances on MySonicWall as
Associated Products. Both Security Appliances must be the same SonicWall
model.
Topics:
l Benefits of Active/Standby HA l Working of Active/Standby HA
Benefits of Active/Standby HA
l Increased network reliability – In a High Availability configuration, the
Secondary Security Appliance assumes all network responsibilities when the
Primary unit fails, ensuring a reliable connection between the protected
network and the Internet.
l Cost-effectiveness – is a cost-effective option for deployments that provide
high availability by using redundant Security Appliances. You do not need to
purchase a second set of licenses for the Secondary unit in a High
Availability Pair.
l Virtual MAC for reduced convergence time after failover – The Virtual MAC
address setting allows the HA Pair to share the same MAC address, which
dramatically reduces convergence time following a failover. Convergence time
is the amount of time it takes for the devices in a network to adapt their
routing tables to the changes introduced by high availability. By default, the
Virtual MAC address is provided by the SonicWall firmware and is different
from the physical MAC address of either the Primary or Secondary Security
Appliances.
Working of Active/Standby HA
HA requires one SonicWall Security Appliance configured as the Primary
SonicWall, and an identical Security Appliance configured as the Secondary
SonicWall. During normal operation, the Primary SonicWall is in an Active
state and the Secondary SonicWall in an Standby state. If the Primary device
loses connectivity, the
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 17 High Availability
Secondary SonicWall transitions to Active mode and assumes the configuration
and role of Primary, including the interface IP addresses of the configured
interfaces. Basic Active/Standby HA provides stateless high availability.
After a failover to the Secondary Security Appliance, all the pre-existing
network connections must be re-established, including the VPN tunnels that
must be renegotiated. Stateful Synchronization can be licensed and enabled
separately. For more information, see About Stateful Synchronization. The
failover applies to loss of functionality or network-layer connectivity on the
Primary SonicWall. The failover to the Secondary SonicWall occurs when
critical services are affected, physical (or logical) link failure is detected
on monitored interfaces, or when the Primary SonicWall loses power. The
Primary and Secondary SonicWall devices are currently only capable of
performing Active/Standby High Availability. There are two types of
synchronization for all configuration settings:
l Incremental – If the timestamps are in sync and a change is made on the
Active unit, an incremental synchronization is pushed to the Standby unit.
l Complete – If the timestamps are out of sync and the Standby unit is
available, a complete synchronization is pushed to the Standby unit. When
incremental synchronization fails, a complete synchronization is automatically
attempted.
About Stateful Synchronization
Stateful Synchronization provides dramatically improved failover performance.
When enabled, the network connections and VPN tunnel information is
continuously synchronized between the two units so that the Secondary can
seamlessly assume all network responsibilities if the Primary Security
Appliance fails, with no interruptions to existing network connections.
NOTE: Stateful HA is supported on the TZ500 and higher TZ platforms with an
Extended or Stateful HA upgrade license. For licensing information, see
SonicOS7.1 Settings document.
Topics:
l Benefits of Stateful Synchronization l How Does Stateful Synchronization
Work? l Example of Stateful Synchronization
Benefits of Stateful Synchronization
l Improved reliability – By synchronizing most critical network connection
information, Stateful Synchronization prevents down time and dropped
connections in case of Security Appliance failure.
l Faster failover performance – By maintaining continuous synchronization
between the Primary and Secondary Security Appliances, Stateful
Synchronization enables the Secondary Security Appliance to take over in case
of a failure with virtually no down time or loss of network connections.
l Minimal impact on CPU performance – Typically less than 1% usage.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 18 High Availability
l Minimal impact on bandwidth – Transmission of synchronization data is throttled so as not interfere with other data.
How Does Stateful Synchronization Work?
Stateful Synchronization is not load-balancing. It is an active-standby configuration where the Primary Security Appliance handles all traffic. When Stateful Synchronization is enabled, the Primary Security Appliance actively communicates with the Secondary to update most network connection information. As the Primary Security Appliance creates and updates network connection information (such as VPN tunnels, active users, connection cache entries), it immediately informs the Secondary Security Appliance. This ensures that the Secondary Security Appliance is always ready to transition to the Active state without dropping any connections.
The synchronization traffic is throttled to ensure that it does not interfere with regular network traffic. All configuration changes are performed on the Primary Security Appliance and automatically propagated to the Secondary Security Appliance. The High Availability pair uses the same LAN and WAN IP addresses– regardless of which Security Appliance is currently Active.
When using SonicWall Global Management System (GMS) to manage the Security Appliances, GMS logs into the shared WAN IP address. In case of a failover, GMS administration continues seamlessly, and GMS administrators currently logged into the Security Appliance are not logged out; however, Get and Post commands may result in a time out with no reply returned.
Synchronized and non-synchronized information table lists the information that is synchronized and information that is not currently synchronized by Stateful Synchronization.
SYNCHRONIZED AND NON-SYNCHRONIZED INFORMATION
Information that is Synchronized VPN information Basic connection cache FTP Oracle SQL*NET Real Audio RTSP GVC information Dynamic Address Objects DHCP server information Multicast and IGMP Active users ARP SonicPoint status Wireless guest status License information
Information that is not Synchronized Dynamic WAN clients (L2TP, PPPoE, and PPTP) Deep Packet Inspection (GAV, IPS, and Anti Spyware) IPHelper bindings (such as NetBIOS and DHCP) SYNFlood protection information Content Filtering Service information VoIP protocols Dynamic ARP entries and ARP cache time outs Active wireless client information Wireless client packet statistics Rogue AP list
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 19 High Availability
Information that is Synchronized Weighted Load Balancing information RIP and OSPF information
Information that is not Synchronized
Example of Stateful Synchronization
In case of a failover, the following sequence of events occurs:
1. A PC user connects to the network, and the Primary Security Appliance
creates a session for the user.
2. The Primary Security Appliance synchronizes with the Secondary Security
Appliance. The Secondary now has all of the user’s session information.
3. The administrator restarts the Primary unit.
4. The Secondary unit detects the restart of the Primary unit and switches
from Standby to Active.
5. The Secondary Security Appliance begins to send gratuitous ARP messages to
the LAN and WAN switches using the same Virtual MAC address and IP address as
the Primary Security Appliance. No routing updates are necessary for
downstream or upstream network devices.
6. When the PC user attempts to access a Web page, the Secondary Security
Appliance has all of the user’s session information and is able to continue
the user’s session without interruption.
Active/Standby Prerequisites
This section lists the supported platforms, provides recommendations and
requirements for physically connecting the units, and describes how to
register, associate, and license the units for.
Topics:
l Supported Platforms and Licensing for HA l Physically Connecting Your
Security Appliances
Supported Platforms and Licensing for HA
Licenses included with the purchase of a SonicWall Security Appliance are
shown in HA licenses available with SonicWall Security Appliances table. Some
platforms require additional licensing to use the HA features.
NOTE: HA licenses must be activated on each Security Appliance, either by
registering the unit on MySonicWall from the SonicOS management interface, or
by applying the license keyset to each unit if Internet access is not
available. The HA licenses included with the purchase of the SonicWall
Security Appliance are shown in HA licenses available with SonicWall Security
Appliances. Some platforms require additional licensing to use the Stateful
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 20 High Availability
Synchronization feature. SonicOS Expanded licenses or High Availability licenses can be purchased on MySonicWall or from a SonicWall reseller.
NOTE: Stateful High Availability licenses must be activated on each Security Appliance, either by registering the unit on MySonicWall from the SonicOS management interface, or by applying the license keyset to each unit if Internet access is not available.
HA LICENSES AVAILABLE WITH SONICWALL SECURITY APPLIANCES
Platform
Active/Standby HA Stateful HA
TZ600/TZ600 P Included
Expanded License
A/A Clustering N/A
A/A DPI N/A
Stateful HA License
TZ500/TZ500 W Included
Expanded
N/A
N/A
License
Stateful HA License
You can view system licenses on DEVICE | Settings > Licenses. This page also
provides a way to log into MySonicWall and to apply licenses to a Security
Appliance. For further information, see SonicOS7.1 Settings document.
There is also a way to synchronize licenses for an HA pair whose Security
Appliances do not have Internet access. When live communication with
SonicWall’s licensing server is not permitted due to network policy, you can
use license keysets to manually apply security services licenses to your
Security Appliances. When you register a Security Appliance on MySonicWall, a
license keyset is generated for the Security Appliance. If you add a new
security service license, the keyset is updated. However, until you apply the
licenses to the Security Appliance, it cannot perform the licensed services.
IMPORTANT: In a High Availability deployment without Internet connectivity,
you must apply the license keyset to both of the Security Appliances in the HA
pair.
You can view system licenses on DEVICE | Settings > Licenses. This page also
provides a way to log into MySonicWall. For information about licensing, see
SonicOS 7.1 Settings document.
IMPORTANT: Even if you first register your Security Appliances on MySonicWall,
you must individually register both the Primary and the Secondary Security
Appliances from the SonicOS management interface while logged into the
individual management IP address of each Security Appliance. This allows the
Secondary unit to synchronize with the SonicWall license server and share
licenses with the associated Primary Security Appliance. When Internet access
is restricted, you can manually apply the shared licenses to both Security
Appliances.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 21 High Availability
Physically Connecting Your Security Appliances
NOTE: For complete procedures for connecting your Security Appliances, see the
Quick Start Guide for your Security Appliance. NOTE: If you are connecting the
Primary and Secondary Security Appliances to an Ethernet switch that uses the
spanning tree protocol, be aware that it may be necessary to adjust the link
activation time on the switch port to which the SonicWall interfaces connect.
For example, on a Cisco Catalyst-series switch, it is necessary to activate
spanning tree port fast for each port connecting to the SonicWall Security
Appliance’s interfaces. High Availability requires additional physical
connections among the affected SonicWall Security Appliances. For all modes,
you need connections for HA Control and HA Data. In any High Availability
deployment, you must physically connect the LAN and WAN ports of all units to
the appropriate switches. It is important that the X0 interfaces from all
units be connected to the same broadcast domain. Otherwise, traffic failover
does not work. Also, X0 is the default redundant HA port; if the normal HA
Control link fails, X0 is used to communicate heartbeats between units.
Without X0 in the same broadcast domain, both units would become active if the
HA Control link fails. TIP: SonicOS Security Appliances now allow heartbeats
to be exchanged between an HA pair across the MGMT interface in addition to
the HA control interface. A WAN connection to the Internet is useful for
registering your Security Appliances on MySonicWall and for synchronizing
licensing information. Unless live communication with SonicWall’s licensing
server is not permitted due to network policy, the WAN (X1) interface should
be connected before registration and licensing are performed.
Maintenance
Topics:
l Removing an HA Association l Replacing a SonicWall Security Appliance
Removing an HA Association
You can remove the association between two SonicWall Security Appliances on
MySonicWall at any time. You might need to remove an existing HA association
if you replace a Security Appliance or reconfigure your network. For example,
if one of your SonicWall Security Appliances fails, you need to replace it.
Or, you might need to switch the HA Primary Security Appliance with the
Secondary, or HA Secondary, unit after a network reconfiguration. In either
case, you must first remove the existing HA association, and then create a new
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 22 High Availability
association that uses a new Security Appliance or changes the parent-child
relationship of the two units (see Replacing a SonicWall Security Appliance).
To remove the association between two registered SonicWall Security
Appliances:
1. Log in to MySonicWall. 2. In the left navigation bar, navigate to My
Workspace > Tenant Products. 3. Scroll down to find the secondary Security
Appliance from which you want to remove associations. Click
the serial number. 4. On the Products Details page, scroll down to the Parent
Products section, just below the Associated
Products section. 5. Under Parent Products, to remove the association for this
Security Appliance:
a. Click Remove under ACTIONS. b. Wait for the page to reload. c. Scroll down.
d. Click Remove again.
Replacing a SonicWall Security Appliance
If your SonicWall Security Appliance has a hardware failure while still under
warranty, SonicWall replaces it. In this case, you need to remove the HA
association containing the failed Security Appliance in MySonicWall, and add a
new HA association that includes the replacement. If you contact SonicWall
Technical Support to arrange the replacement (known as an RMA), Support often
takes care of this for you. After replacing the failed Security Appliance in
your equipment rack with the new unit, you can update MySonicWall and your
SonicOS configuration. Replacing a failed HA Primary unit is slightly
different than replacing an HA Secondary unit. Both procedures are provided in
these sections:
l Replacing an HA Primary Unit l Replacing an HA Secondary Unit
Replacing an HA Primary Unit
To replace an HA Primary unit: 1. In the SonicOS management interface of the
remaining SonicWall Security Appliance (the Secondary unit), on the High
Availability page, uncheck Enable High Availability to disable it. 2. Check
Enable High Availability. The old Secondary unit now becomes the Primary unit.
Its serial number is automatically displayed in the Primary SonicWall Serial
Number field. 3. Type the serial number for the replacement unit into the
Secondary SonicWall Serial Number field.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 23 High Availability
4. Click Synchronize Settings. 5. On MySonicWall, remove the old HA
association. See Removing an HA Association. 6. On MySonicWall, register the
replacement SonicWall Security Appliance and create an HA association
with the new Primary (original Secondary) unit as the HA Primary, and the
replacement unit as the HA Secondary. 7. Contact SonicWall Technical Support
to transfer the security services licenses from the former HA Pair to the new
HA Pair. This step is required when the HA Primary unit has failed because the
licenses are linked to the Primary unit in an HA Pair.
Replacing an HA Secondary Unit
To replace an HA Secondary unit: 1. On MySonicWall, remove the old HA
association as described in Removing an HA Association. 2. On MySonicWall,
register the replacement SonicWall Security Appliance. 3. Create an HA
association with the original HA Primary, using the replacement unit as the HA
Secondary as described in Replacing an HA Primary Unit.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 24 High Availability
3
High Availability Status
The DEVICE | High Availability > Status page displays the current status of
the High Availability pair, including state of primary and secondary units,
mode and link configuration, and licenses. At the top of the page, you can see
which unit you are logged into, Primary or Secondary, and whether the unit is
in the Active or Standby state.
In the event that the Primary unit has a failure, you can view the status by
accessing the management interface of the Secondary unit at the Primary unit
virtual LAN IP address or the Secondary unit unique LAN IP address. When the
Primary unit restarts after a failure, it is accessible using the unique IP
address created on the DEVICE | High Availability > Monitoring page. If
preempt mode is enabled, the Primary unit immediately takes over as the Active
firewall and the Secondary unit returns to Standby status.
Active/Standby High Availability Status
Active/Standby High Availability provides basic high availability with the
configuration of two identical firewalls as a High Availability pair. On a
firewall that belongs to an Active/Standby HA pair, the DEVICE | High
Availability > Status page displays information about the state,
configuration, and licenses on the HA pair.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 25 High Availability Status
Topics:
l High Availability Status l High Availability Config l High Availability
Licenses
High Availability Status
The High Availability Status section on the DEVICE | High Availability >
Status page displays the following information:
l Status – Indicates the High Availability status of the current firewall. The
possible values are: l Primary Active – Indicates that the current appliance
is the Primary unit in the ACTIVE state. l Primary Standby – Indicates that
the current appliance is the Primary unit in the STANDBY state. l Primary
Disabled – Indicates that the current appliance is the Primary unit, but High
Availability has not been enabled. l Primary not in a steady state – Indicates
that the current appliance is the Primary unit, HA is enabled, and the
appliance is neither in the ACTIVE nor the STANDBY state.
l Primary State – Indicates the current state of the Primary appliance as a
member of an HA Pair. The Primary State field is displayed on both the Primary
and the Secondary appliances. The possible values are: l ACTIVE – Indicates
that the Primary unit is handling all the network traffic except
management/monitoring/licensing traffic destined to the standby unit. l
STANDBY – Indicates that the Primary unit is passive and is ready to take over
on a failover. l ELECTION – Indicates that the Primary and Secondary units are
negotiating which should be the ACTIVE unit.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 26 High Availability Status
l SYNC – Indicates that the Primary unit is synchronizing settings or firmware
to the Secondary. l ERROR – Indicates that the Primary unit has reached an
error condition. l REBOOT – Indicates that the Primary unit is rebooting. l
NONE – When viewed on the Primary unit, NONE indicates that HA is not enabled
on the Primary.
When viewed on the Secondary unit, NONE indicates that the Secondary unit is
not receiving heartbeats from the Primary unit. l Secondary State – Indicates
the current state of the Secondary appliance as a member of an HA Pair. The
Secondary State field is displayed on both the Primary and the Secondary
appliances. The possible values are: l ACTIVE – Indicates that the Secondary
unit is handling all the network traffic except
management/monitoring/licensing traffic destined to the standby unit. l
STANDBY – Indicates that the Secondary unit is passive and is ready to take
over on a failover. l ELECTION – Indicates that the Secondary and Primary
units are negotiating which should be the ACTIVE unit. l SYNC – Indicates that
the Secondary unit is synchronizing settings or firmware with the Primary. l
ERROR – Indicates that the Secondary unit has reached an error condition. l
REBOOT – Indicates that the Secondary unit is rebooting. l NONE – When viewed
on the Secondary unit, NONE indicates that HA is not enabled on the Secondary.
When viewed on the Primary unit, NONE indicates that the Primary unit is not
receiving heartbeats from the Secondary unit. l Active Up Time – Indicates how
long the current Active firewall has been Active, since it last became Active.
If the unit is not part of an HA pair, this line displays High Availability
Disabled. l Found Peer – Indicates if the Primary unit has discovered the
Secondary unit. Possible values are Yes and No. l Settings Synchronized –
Indicates if HA settings are synchronized between the Primary and Secondary
units. Possible values are Yes and No. l Stateful HA Synchronized – Indicates
if stateful synchronization settings are synchronized between the Primary and
Secondary units. Possible values are Yes and No.
High Availability Config
The High Availability Config section on the DEVICE | High Availability >
Status page provides the following information:
l HA Mode – Indicates one of: l None – High Availability is not enabled on the
unit. l Active/Standby – Active/Standby mode provides basic high availability
with the configuration of two identical firewalls as a High Availability Pair.
By default, Active/Standby mode is stateless,
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 27 High Availability Status
meaning that network connections and VPN tunnels must be re-established after
a failover. To avoid this, Stateful Synchronization can be licensed and
enabled with Active/Standby mode. l HA Control Link – Indicates the port,
speed, and duplex settings of the HA control link, such as X6 1 Gbps Full
Duplex. When High Availability is not enabled, the field displays N/A. The HA
control link is used to communicate heartbeats and other control traffic
between the units. If the HA control link fails, X0 is used to communicate
heartbeats between units; therefore X0 on both units should be in the same
broadcast domain. l HA Data Link – Indicates the port, speed, and duplex
settings of the HA data link, such as X7 1 Gbps Full Duplex. When High
Availability is not enabled, the field displays N/A. The HA data link is used
to transfer data necessary to keep settings and firmware synchronized between
the units.
High Availability Licenses
The High Availability Licenses section on the DEVICE | High Availability >
Status page provides the following information:
l Primary Stateful HA Licensed – Indicates if the Primary appliance is
licensed for Stateful HA. Possible values are Yes or No. With Stateful HA
licensed and enabled, the dynamic state is continuously synchronized between
the Active and Standby units. When the Active unit encounters a fault
condition, stateful failover occurs as the Standby firewall takes over the
Active role with no interruptions to the existing network connections.
l Secondary Stateful HA Licensed – Indicates if the Secondary appliance has a
Stateful HA license. Possible values are Yes or No. Note that the Stateful HA
license is shared with the Primary, but that you must access MySonicWall at
https://www.mysonicwall.com while logged into the unique LAN management IP
address of the Secondary unit in order to synchronize with the SonicWall
licensing server.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 28 High Availability Status
4
Configuring High Availability
IMPORTANT: High Availability cannot be used along with PortShield except with
the SonicWall X-Series/NSeries Solution. Before configuring HA, remove any
existing PortShield configuration from NETWORK | System > PortShield Groups.
For more information, go to
https://www.sonicwall.com/support/technicaldocumentation/ and search for the
SonicWall TZ Series in the Select A Product field. TIP: For a description of
High Availability in SonicOS, see About High Availability.
Configuration of HA Active/Standby
Physical Cabling
NOTE: Because of the virtual MAC, if you are connecting the Primary and Backup
appliances to an Ethernet switch that uses the spanning tree protocol, please
be aware that it may be necessary to disable spanning tree on the switch port
that the SonicWall interfaces connect to.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 29 Configuring High
Availability
Example configuration:
X0 The LAN (X0) interfaces are connected to a switch on the LAN network. It is
important that the X0 interfaces from all units be connected to the same
broadcast domain. Otherwise, traffic failover will not work. Also, X0 is the
default redundant HA port; if the normal HA Control link fails, X0 is used to
communicate heartbeats between units. Without X0 in the same broadcast domain,
both units would become active if the HA Control link fails. X0 interface
should always have monitoring IPs configured. If the X0 interface is not in
use in your HA environment be sure to connect them directly to each other
because the X0 interface with monitoring IPs serves as an additional HA link
and improves HA sync and overall stability. X1 The WAN (X1) interfaces are
connected to another switch, which connects to the Internet. If your WAN
interface configures via DHCP, then you will need to complete the steps below
for HA with DHCP enabled WAN interface.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 30 Configuring High
Availability
HA Control and HA Data
High Availability requires additional physical connections among the affected
SonicWall firewalls. For all modes, you need connections for HA Control and HA
Data.
The dedicated HA interfaces are connected directly to each other using at
least a Cat 5e cable or SFP module. Crossover cables are no longer required.
The HA control and HA data links should be configured to use separate
interfaces when making the selection within SonicOS.
Once you have the physical cabling done, move on to configuring your
appliance.
Configuration
Registering and Associating Firewalls on MySonicWall.com
To use High Availability, you must register both firewalls and associate them
for HA on MySonicWall. When you click the link for a registered firewall in
your MySonicWall page, the Service Management page displays for that firewall.
At the bottom of the Service Management page, you can click the HA Secondary
link under Associated Products. Then follow the instructions to select and
associate the other unit for your HA Pair. For further information about
registering your firewalls, see the Getting Started Guide for your firewalls.
After the firewalls are associated as an HA pair, they can share licenses. In
addition to High Availability licenses, this includes the Management Service
license, the Support subscription, and the security services licenses. The
only licenses that are not shareable are for consulting services, such as the
SonicWall GMS Preventive Maintenance Service.
The Primary and Secondary firewalls don’t have to have the same security
services enabled. Security services settings will be automatically updated as
part of the initial synchronization. License synchronization occurs as well so
that the Secondary firewall can maintain the same protection provided before
association.
MySonicWall.com provides several methods of associating the two firewalls. You
can start by registering a new firewall, and then choosing an already-
registered unit to associate it with. Or you can associate two units that are
both already registered. You can also start the process by selecting a
registered unit and adding a new firewall with which to associate it.
NOTE: Even if you first register your firewalls on MySonicWall.com, you must
individually register both the Primary and the Secondary firewalls from the
Management Service management interface while logged into the individual
management IP address of each firewall. This allows the Secondary unit to
synchronize with the SonicWall license server and share licenses with the
associated Primary firewall. When Internet access is restricted, you can
manually apply the shared licenses to both firewalls.
HA with DHCP enabled WAN interface
To configure HA with a dynamic WAN interface: Manage | System Setup > Network
Interfaces
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 31 Configuring High Availability
Configure a WAN interface as PPPoE Unnumbered. MANAGE | System Setup > High
Availability > Base Setup Ensure Enable Stateful Synchronization is not
selected. This option is not selected by default. Ensure Enable Preempt Mode
is not selected. This option is not selected by default. Select Enable Virtual
MAC. This option is not selected by default. Click Apply. MANAGE | System
Setup > High Availability > Monitoring settings
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 32 Configuring High
Availability
Click the Configure icon for the PPPoE Unnumbered interface. On the Edit HA
Monitoring dialog select Enable Physical/Link Monitoring. This option is not
selected by default. Ensure the Primary Address and Secondary Address fields
are set to 0.0.0.0. Ensure none of the other checkboxes are selected. Click
OK.
Firewall Management Interface
MANAGE | System Setup > High Availability > Base Setup
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 33 Configuring High
Availability
HA General Tab
General Tab
On the General tab, configure the Mode as Active / Standby Check Enable
Stateful Synchronization if your device has been licensed for that feature.
Preempt mode means that, after failover between two Cluster Nodes, the
original owner node for the Virtual Group seizes the active role from the
standby node after the owner node has been restored to a verified operational
state. Generally, it is not needed and may add to recovery time. It is
suggested to leave this unchecked unless you have a reason to enable it. Check
Enable Virtual MAC.
Virtual MAC Address
Virtual MAC allows the Primary and Backup appliances to share a single virtual
MAC address. This greatly simplifies the process of updating network routing
tables when a failover occurs. Only the WAN or LAN switch to which the two
appliances are connected needs to be notified. All outside devices will
continue to route to the single shared MAC address. By default, this Virtual
MAC address is provided by the SonicWall firmware and is different from the
physical MAC address of either the Primary or Secondary Security Appliances.
Without Virtual MAC enabled, the Active and Standby Security Appliances each
have their own MAC addresses. Because the Security Appliances are using the
same IP address, when a failover occurs, it breaks the mapping between the IP
address and MAC address in the ARP cache of all clients and network resources.
The Secondary
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 34 Configuring High
Availability
Security Appliance must issue an ARP request, announcing the new MAC
address/IP address pair. Until this ARP request propagates through the
network, traffic intended for the Primary Security Appliance’s MAC address can
be lost.
HA Devices Tab
Move to the HA Devices tab and type the serial number of the secondary device.
HA Devices Tab
HA Interfaces Tab
Move to the HA Interfaces tab and select your HA Control Interface that you
chose when physically cabling the appliance. While the example uses the same
cable for both, it is suggested that you use use separate interfaces to
improve performance if available.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 35 Configuring High
Availability
HA Interfaces Tab Under Base Setup
Active/Active DPI Interface
For Active/Active DPI, you must physically connect at least one additional
interface, called the Active/Active DPI Interface, between the two firewalls
in each HA pair, or Cluster Node. The connected interfaces must be the same
interface number on both firewalls, and must initially appear as unused,
unassigned interfaces in the Network > Interfaces page. For example, you could
connect X5 on the Primary unit to X5 on the Secondary if X5 is an unassigned
interface. After enabling Active/Active DPI, the connected interface will have
a Zone assignment of HA Data-Link. Certain packet flows on the active unit are
selected and offloaded to the standby unit on the Active/Active DPI Interface.
DPI is performed on the standby unit and then the results are returned to the
active unit over the same interface. Optionally, for port redundancy with
Active/Active DPI, you can physically connect a second Active/Active DPI
Interface between the two firewalls in each HA pair. This interface takes over
transferring data between the two units during Active/Active DPI processing if
the first Active/Active DPI Interface has a fault.
To connect the Active/Active DPI Interfaces for Active/Active DPI: Decide
which interface to use for the additional connection between the firewalls in
the HA pair. The same interface must be selected on each firewall. In the
Management Service management interface, navigate to the Network > Interfaces
page and ensure that the Zone is Unassigned for the intended Active/Active DPI
Interface. Using a standard Ethernet cable, connect the two interfaces
directly to each other.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 36 Configuring High
Availability
Optionally, for port redundancy with Active/Active DPI, physically connect a
second Active/Active DPI Interface between the two firewalls in each HA pair.
The dedicated DPI interfaces are connected directly to each other using at
least a Cat 5e cable or SFP module. Crossover cables are no longer required.
Configuring Active/Standby High Availability Settings
The configuration tasks on DEVICE | High Availability > Settings are performed
on the Primary firewall and then are automatically synchronized to the
Secondary firewall.
To configure Active/Standby: 1. Navigate to DEVICE | High Availability >
Settings. 2. In GENERAL SETTINGS section, do the following: a. select Active /
Standby from the Mode drop-down field. b. Select Enable Stateful
Synchronization. This option is not selected by default. When Stateful High
Availability is not enabled, session state is not synchronized between the
Primary and Secondary firewalls. If a failover occurs, any session that had
been active at the time of failover needs to be renegotiated. c. Click OK in
the information dialog displayed.
d. To configure the High Availability Pair so that the Primary firewall takes
back the Primary role when it restarts after a failure, select Enable Preempt
Mode. This option is not selected by default. TIP: It is recommended that
preempt mode be disabled when enabling Stateful High Availability because
preempt mode can be over-aggressive about failing over to the Secondary
firewall.
e. Click OK. f. Select Enable Virtual MAC to allow the Primary and Secondary
firewalls to share a single MAC
address. This greatly simplifies the process of updating network ARP tables
and caches when a failover occurs. This option is not selected by default.
IMPORTANT: If PPPoE Unnumbered is configured, you must select Enable Virtual
MAC. Only the switch to which the two firewalls are connected needs to be
notified. All outside devices continue to route to the single shared MAC
address. g. To encrypt HA control communication between the active and standby
firewalls, select Enable Encryption for Control Communication. This option is
not selected by default.
IMPORTANT: Firewall performance may be affected if you choose encryption.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 37 Configuring High
Availability
A confirmation message displays:
h. Click OK. 3. In the HA DEVICES section, enter the Serial Number of the
SECONDARY DEVICE.
The serial number for the Primary Device is displayed, but the field is dimmed
and cannot be edited.
4. In the HA INTERFACES section: a. Select the interface for the HA Control
Interface. This option is dimmed and the interface displayed if the firewall
detects that the interface is already configured. b. Select the interface for
the HA Data Interface. c. When finished with all High Availability
configuration, click Accept. All settings are synchronized to the Secondary
firewall, and the Secondary firewall reboots.
Configuring HA with Dynamic WAN Interfaces
The configuration tasks on DEVICE | High Availability > Settings are performed
on the Primary firewall and then are automatically synchronized to the
Secondary firewall. To configure HA with a dynamic WAN interface:
1. Navigate to NETWORK | System > Interfaces. 2. Configure a WAN interface as
PPPoE, as described in Configuring a WAN Interface in the SonicOS 7.0
Firewall Network document available at https://www.sonicwall.com/support
/technical-documentation/. 3. Navigate to DEVICE | High Availability >
Settings. 4. In GENERAL SETTINGS section, do the following:
a. select HA mode from the Mode drop-down field. b. Click OK. c. Ensure Enable
Stateful Synchronization is not selected. This option is not selected by
default. d. Ensure Enable Preempt Mode is not selected. This option is not
selected by default.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 38 Configuring High
Availability
e. Select Enable Virtual MAC to allow the Primary and Secondary firewalls to
share a single MAC address. This greatly simplifies the process of updating
network ARP tables and caches when a failover occurs. This option is not
selected by default.
f. If PPPoE Unnumbered is configured, you must select Enable Virtual MAC. g.
Only the switch to which the two firewalls are connected needs to be notified.
All outside devices
continue to route to the single shared MAC address. 5. Configure HA Devices
and HA Interfaces options as described in Configuring Active/Standby High
Availability Settings. 6. Click Accept. 7. Navigate to DEVICE | High
Availability > Monitoring.
8. Hover over the PPPoE interface and click Edit icon. Interface Monitoring
Settings dialog is displayed.
9. Enable Physical/Link Monitoring. This option is not selected by default.
10. Ensure the Primary IPv4 Address and Secondary IPv4 Address fields are set
to 0.0.0.0. 11. Ensure none of the other options are selected. 12. Click OK.
Configuring Network DHCP and Interface Settings
Networks needing a DHCP server can use an external DHCP server.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 39 Configuring High
Availability
On Network | System > Interfaces, you can configure additional virtual IP
addresses for interfaces in a Virtual Group, and redundant ports for
interfaces. For information about performing these tasks, see:
l Disabling the SonicOS DHCP Server l Configuring Virtual IP Addresses
Disabling the SonicOS DHCP Server
To disable the SonicOS DHCP server and delete all DHCP server lease scopes: 1.
Log in to the Primary unit of the Cluster Node. 2. Navigate to the NETWORK |
System > DHCP Server. 3. Choose IP version: IPv4 or IPv6. 4. Clear Enable
DHCPv4/6 Server. 5. Under DHCP Server Lease Scopes, select All for the View
Style to select all lease scopes in the table. 6. Select the checkbox in the
header of the table. 7. Click Delete. 8. Click OK in the confirmation dialog.
9. Click OK in the success dialog.
Configuring Virtual IP Addresses
The configured IP addresses for the interfaces on the Security Appliance are
automatically converted to virtual IP addresses for Virtual Group 1. Thus,
Virtual Group 1 includes virtual IP addresses for X0, X1, and any other
interfaces which are configured and assigned to a zone. You can assign
multiple virtual IP addresses to each interface, one per Virtual Group. Each
additional virtual IP address is associated with one of the other Virtual
Groups in the cluster. Each interface can have up to a maximum of four virtual
IP addresses. VLAN interfaces can also have up to four virtual IP addresses.
NOTE: A packet cannot be forwarded on an interface if a virtual IP address is
not configured on it for the Virtual Group handling that traffic flow. To
configure a virtual IP address on an interface: 1. Log in to the Primary unit
of the Cluster Node. 2. Navigate to Network | System > Interfaces. 3. In the
Interface Settings table, click the Edit icon for the interface you want to
configure. 4. In the Edit Interface dialog, type the virtual IP address into
the IP Address (Virtual Group X) field,
where X is the virtual group number.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 40 Configuring High
Availability
NOTE: The new virtual IP address must be in the same subnet as any existing
virtual IP address for that interface. 5. Click OK. The configured virtual IP
address appears in the Interface Settings table.
Configuring Redundant Ports
You can assign an unused physical interface as a redundant port to a
configured physical interface called the “primary interface”. If there is a
physical link failure on the primary interface, the redundant interface can
continue processing traffic without any interruption. One advantage of this
feature is that in case of a physical link failure, there is no need to do a
device failover. You can configure a redundant port on Network | System >
Interfaces > Edit Interface > Advanced dialog.
NOTE: Because all Cluster Nodes share the same configuration, each node must
have the same redundant ports configured and connected to the same switch(es).
To configure a redundant port for an interface:: 1. Log in to the Primary unit
of the Cluster Node. 2. Navigate to Network | System > Interfaces. 3. In the
Interface Settings table, click the Edit icon for the primary interface for
which you want to create a
redundant port. For example, click the Edit icon for X2. The Edit Interface
dialog displays. 4. Click Advanced. 5. From Redundant/Aggregate Ports, select
Port Redundancy. The options on the dialog change. 6. From Redundant Port,
select the redundant port. Only unused interfaces are available for selection.
For
example, select X4 for the redundant port. 7. Click OK.
The selected interface is dimmed in the Interface Settings table. A note
indicates that it is a redundant Port and lists the primary interface. The
interface also appears in the Redundant Port field in the Edit Interface
dialog of the primary port.
NOTE: The primary and redundant ports must be physically connected to the same
switch, or preferably, to redundant switches in the network. 8. On each
Cluster Node, replicate the redundant physical connections using the same
interface numbers for primary and redundant ports. All Cluster Nodes share the
same configuration as the Master node.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 41 Configuring High
Availability
5
Fine Tuning High Availability
Topics: l Advanced Settings l Configuring Advanced High Availability Settings
Advanced Settings
DEVICE | High Availability > Advanced provides the ability to fine-tune the
High Availability configuration as well as synchronize setting and firmware
among the High Availability Security Appliances. High Availability > Advanced
is same for Active/Standby configuration. The Heartbeat Interval and Failover
Trigger Level (missed heartbeats) settings apply to both the SVRRP heartbeats
and HA heartbeats. Other settings on High Availability > Advanced apply only
to the HA pairs within the Cluster Nodes. For more information on High
Availability, see About High Availability and Active/Standby Prerequisites.
Configuring Advanced High Availability Settings
To configure advanced settings: 1. Log in as an administrator to the SonicOS
Management Interface on the Master Node, that is, on the Virtual Group1 IP
address (on X0 or another interface with HTTP management enabled). 2. Navigate
to DEVICE | High Availability > Settings.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 42 Fine Tuning High
Availability
3. Set the Probe Interval to the interval, in seconds, between probes sent to
specified IP addresses to monitor that the network critical path is still
reachable. This interval is used in logical monitoring for the local HA pair.
The default is 20 seconds, and the allowed range is 5 to 255 seconds. TIP:
SonicWall recommends that you set the interval for at least 5 seconds. You can
set the Probe IP Address(es) on DEVICE | High Availability > Advanced. See
Monitoring High Availability.
4. Set the Probe Count to the number of consecutive probes before SonicOS
concludes that the network critical path is unavailable or the probe target is
unreachable. This count is used in logical monitoring for the local HA pair.
The default is 3, and the allowed range is 3 to 10.
5. Set the Election Delay Time to the number of seconds the Primary Security
Appliance waits to consider an interface up and stable. The default is 3
seconds, the minimum is 3 seconds, and the maximum is 255 seconds. This timer
is useful with switch ports that have a spanning-tree delay set.
6. Set the Dynamic Route Hold-Down Time to the number of seconds the newly-
active Security Appliance keeps the dynamic routes it had previously learned
in its route table. The default value is 45 seconds, the minimum is 0 seconds,
and the maximum is 1200 seconds (20 minutes). NOTE: The Dynamic Route Hold-
Down Time setting is displayed only when the Advanced Routing Modeoption is
selected on NETWORK | System > Dynamic Routing > Settings. TIP: In large or
complex networks, a larger value may improve network stability during a
failover. This setting is used when a failover occurs on a High Availability
pair that is using either RIP or OSPF dynamic routing. During this time, the
newly-active appliance relearns the dynamic routes in the network. When the
Dynamic Route Hold-Down Time duration expires, SonicOS deletes the old routes
and implements the new routes it has learned from RIP or OSPF.
7. If you want Failover to occur only when ALL aggregate links are down,
select Active/Standby Failover only when ALL aggregate links are down. This
option is not selected by default.
8. To have the appliances synchronize all certificates and keys within the HA
pair. select Include Certificates/Keys. This option is selected by default.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 43 Fine Tuning High
Availability
9. (Optional) To synchronize the SonicOS preference settings between your
primary and secondary HA firewalls, click Synchronize Settings.
10. (Optional) To synchronize the firmware version between your primary and
secondary HA firewalls, click Synchronize Firmware.
11. (Optional) To test the HA failover functionality is working properly by
attempting an Active/Standby HA failover to the secondary Security Appliance,
click Force Active/Standby Failover.
12. When finished with all High Availability configuration, click Accept. All
settings are synchronized to the Secondary Security Appliance or to other
units in the cluster.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 44 Fine Tuning High
Availability
6
Monitoring High Availability
On DEVICE | High Availability > Monitoring, you can configure independent
management IP addresses for each unit in the HA Pair, using either LAN or WAN
interfaces. You can also configure physical/link monitoring and logical/probe
monitoring. Topics:
l Configuring Active/Standby High Availability Monitoring l IPv6 High
Availability Monitoring
Configuring Active/Standby High Availability Monitoring
To set the independent LAN management IP addresses and configure physical
and/or logical interface monitoring:
1. Log in as an administrator to the SonicOS Management Interface on the
Primary SonicWall Security Appliance.
2. Navigate to DEVICE | High Availability > Monitoring.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 45 Monitoring High
Availability
3. Click the Edit icon for an interface on the LAN, such as X0. The Interface
Monitoring Settings dialog is displayed.
4. To enable link detection between the designated HA interfaces on the
Primary and Secondary units, leave Physical/Link Monitoring selected. This
option is selected by default.
5. In the Primary IPv4/v6 Address field, enter the unique LAN management IP
address of the Primary unit. The default is 0.0.0.0.
6. In the Secondary IPv4/v6 Address field, enter the unique LAN management IP
address of the Secondary unit. The default is 0.0.0.0.
7. Select Allow Management on Primary/Secondary IP Address. When this option
is enabled for an interface, a green icon appears in the interface’s
Management column in the Monitoring Settings table. Management is only allowed
on an interface when this option is enabled. This option is not selected by
default.
8. In the Logical/ Probe IPv4/v6 Address field, enter the IP address of a
downstream device on the LAN network that should be monitored for
connectivity. Typically, this should be a downstream router or server. (If
probing is desired on the WAN side, an upstream device should be used.) This
option is not selected by default. The Primary and Secondary Security
Appliances regularly ping this probe IP address. If both successfully ping the
target, no failover occurs. If neither successfully ping the target, no
failover occurs, because it is assumed that the problem is with the target,
and not the Security Appliances. But, if one Security Appliance can ping the
target but the other cannot, failover occurs to the Security Appliance that
can ping the target. The Primary IPv4/v6 Address and Secondary IPv4/v6 Address
fields must be configured with independent IP addresses on a LAN interface,
such as X0, (or a WAN interface, such as X1, for probing on the WAN) to allow
logical probing to function correctly.
9. Optionally, to manually specify the virtual MAC address for the interface,
select Override Virtual MAC and enter the MAC address in the field. The format
for the MAC address is six pairs of hexadecimal numbers separated by colons,
such as A1:B2:C3:d4:e5:f6. This option is not selected by default. IMPORTANT:
Care must be taken when choosing the Virtual MAC address to prevent
configuration errors. When Enable Virtual MAC is selected on DEVICE | High
Availability > Settings, the SonicOS firmware automatically generates a
Virtual MAC address for all interfaces. Allowing the SonicOS firmware to
generate the Virtual MAC address eliminates the possibility of configuration
errors and ensures the uniqueness of the Virtual MAC address, which prevents
possible conflicts.
10. Click OK. 11. Click Close.
IPv6 High Availability Monitoring
For complete information on the SonicOS implementation of IPv6, see IPv6.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 46 Monitoring High
Availability
IPv6 High Availability (HA) Monitoring is implemented as an extension of HA
Monitoring in IPv4. After configuring HA Monitoring for IPv6, both the primary
and backup Security Appliances can be managed from the IPv6 monitoring
address, and IPv6 Probing is capable of detecting the network status of HA
pairs. For easy configuration of both IP versions, toggle between IPv6 and
IPv4 displays in DEVICE | High Availability > Monitoring. The IPv6 HA
Monitoring configuration page is inherited from IPv4, so the configuration
procedures are almost identical. Just select IPv6 and refer to About High
Availability and IPv6 HA Monitoring Considerations for configuration details.
IPv6 HA Monitoring Considerations
Consider the following when configuring IPv6 HA Monitoring: l In the Interface
Settings dialog, enable Physical/Link Monitoring and Override Virtual MAC are
dimmed because they are layer 2 properties. That is, the properties are used
by both IPv4 and IPv6, so you configure them in the IPv4 monitoring page. l
The primary/backup IPv6 address must be in the same subnet of the interface,
and it can not be same as the global IP and Link-Local-IP of the
primary/backup Security Appliance. l If the primary/backup monitoring IP is
set to (not ::), then they cannot be the same. l If Allow Management on
Primary/Secondary IPv6 Address is enabled, then primary/backup monitoring IPv6
addresses cannot be unspecified (that is, ::). l If Logical/Probe IPv6 Address
is enabled, then the probe IP cannot be unspecified.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 47 Monitoring High
Availability
7
SonicWall Support
Technical support is available to customers who have purchased SonicWall
products with a valid maintenance contract. The Support Portal provides self-
help tools you can use to solve problems quickly and independently, 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year. To access the Support Portal, go to
https://www.sonicwall.com/support. The Support Portal enables you to:
l View knowledge base articles and technical documentation l View and
participate in the Community forum discussions at
https://community.sonicwall.com/technology-and-support. l View video tutorials
l Access https://mysonicwall.com l Learn about SonicWall Professional
Services l Review SonicWall Support services and warranty information l
Register for training and certification l Request technical support or
customer service To contact SonicWall Support, visit
https://www.sonicwall.com/support/contact-support.
SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 48 SonicWall Support
About This Document
SonicOS High Availability Administration Guide Updated – December 2023
Software Version – 7.1 232-005861-00 Rev A Copyright © 2023 SonicWall Inc. All
rights reserved. The information in this document is provided in connection
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WHATSOEVER AND DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTY RELATING
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Open Source Code
SonicWall Inc. is able to provide a machine-readable copy of open source code
with restrictive licenses such as GPL, LGPL, AGPL when applicable per license
requirements. To obtain a complete machine-readable copy, send your written
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General Public License Source Code Request Attn: Jennifer Anderson 1033
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SonicOS 7.1 High Availability Administration Guide 49 SonicWall Support
References
- MySonicWall
- MySonicWall
- SonicWall Community | Technology and Support
- MySonicWall
- MySonicWall
- MySonicWall
- sonicwall.com/legal
- sonicwall.com/legal/end-user-product-agreements/
- sonicwall.com/support
- sonicwall.com/support/contact-support
- sonicwall.com/support/technical-
- sonicwall.com/support/technical-documentation/
- sonicwall.com/support/technical-documentation/?language=English&category=Firewalls&resources=Administration%20Guide&version=7.1
- sonicwall.com/support/technical-documentation/?language=English&category=Firewalls&resources=Getting%20Started%20Guide
- sonicwall.com/support/technical-documentation/?language=English&category=Firewalls&version=7.1
- sonicwall.com/support/technical-documentation/?q=sonicos%20api&language=English
- sonicwall.com/support/technical-documentation/sonicos-7-1-api
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