Learn how to add a standby APIC to your cluster, ensuring continuous management of your fabric by following these steps: confirm network policies, gather credentials, and configure connectivity and network details to seamlessly integrate the standby APIC as a backup controller.
Before you begin
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Make sure you have administrator access to the APIC system.
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Gather CIMC or management credentials and network information for the APIC to be added.
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Confirm your network policies allow communication between controllers.
Adding a standby APIC allows your Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) cluster to remain operational if a primary controller fails, ensuring continuous management of your fabric.
Follow these steps to add a standby APIC:
Procedure
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On the menu bar, choose System > Controllers .
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In the Navigation pane, expand Controllers > apic_name > Cluster as Seen by Node .
The Cluster as Seen by Node window appears in the Work pane.
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In the Work pane, click Actions > Add Standby Node .
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In the Controller Type field, either Physical or Virtual is pre-selected as the same type as the active controllers in the cluster.
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In the Connectivity Type field, select CMIC or OOB For virtual APICs, OOB is pre-selected as the only option.
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In the CMIC Details pane or the Management IP pane, enter the following details:
- IP Address : Enter the CIMC IP address.
- Username : The username to access the CIMC
- Password : Enter the password to access CIMC.
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In the General pane, enter the following details:
- Name : Enter a name for the controller.
- Controller ID :Enter a value for the Controller ID. We recommend that you add a value in the range of 21 to 29 for this ID.
- Pod ID : Enter the pod ID for APIC. The range is from 1 to 128.
- Serial Number : The serial number is auto-populated (for APICs 1 to N, where N is the cluster size) after CIMC validation.
APIC 1 verifies the reachability of the CIMC IP address and also captures the serial number of the new APIC.
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In the Out of Band Network pane, enter the following details:
- IPv4 Address : Enter the IPv4 address.
- IPv4 Gateway : Enter the IPv4 gateway address.
If you have enabled IPv6 addresses for OOB management, enter the IPv6 address and gateway.
- IPv6 Address : Enter the IPv6 address.
- IPv6 Gateway : Enter the IPv6 gateway address.
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Click Apply .
The standby APIC is added to the cluster and is ready to serve as a backup controller if needed.