Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Multitenancy Guide, Releases 26.x and Later

PDF

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Multitenancy Guide, Releases 26.x and Later

Disaster recovery for a multitenant Cisco SD-WAN Manager cluster

Updated: June 21, 2026

Want to summarize with AI?

Log in

Explains how to recover a multitenant Cisco SD-WAN Manager deployment by using a standby cluster, backing up and restoring the configuration database, and activating the standby cluster after a failure.

Summary

If a Multitenant Cisco SD-WAN Manager cluster or the data center hosting the SD-WAN Manager nodes in the cluster fail, you can recover from the failure by activating a standby SD-WAN Manager cluster. You can perform disaster recovery as follows:

Workflow

  1. Deploy and configure a standby SD-WAN Manager cluster. The standby SD-WAN Managercluster is not part of the overlay network and is not active.
  2. Back up the configuration database of the active SD-WAN Manager cluster periodically. Choose a SD-WAN Manager node in the cluster that hosts the configuration database service and back up the configuration database.
  3. If the active SD-WAN Manager cluster fails, restore the most recent configuration database on the standby SD-WAN Manager cluster, activate the standby SD-WAN Manager cluster, and remove the previously active CSD-WAN Manager cluster from the overlay network.
  4. Choose a SD-WAN Manager node in the cluster that hosts the configuration database service and restore the configuration database backed up from the previously active SD-WAN Manager cluster.

What’s next

To test disaster recovery, you can simulate a scenario in which the active SD-WAN Manager cluster fails. One way to simulate such a failure would be by disabling the tunnel interface as described in this document.

Prerequisites for a multitenant disaster recovery

Follow these prerequisites for a successful migration.

  • The number of SD-WAN Manager nodes in the active and standby clusters must match.

  • Each SD-WAN Manager node in the active and standby clusters must run the same SD-WAN Manager software release.

  • Each SD-WAN Manager node in the active and standby clusters must connect to the WAN transport IP address of the SD-WAN Validator in the overlay network.

  • Initially, disable the tunnel interfaces of the SD-WAN Manager nodes in the standby cluster.

  • Certify the SD-WAN Manager nodes in the standby cluster.

  • Synchronize the clock of every SD-WAN Manager node in the standby cluster with the clocks of the SD-WAN Controller and WAN edge devices in the overlay network. If NTP is configured on the overlay, configure the same on the standby SD-WAN Manager nodes.

  • Use identical Neo4j credentials on the SD-WAN Manager nodes in the active and standby clusters.

Restrictions for a multitenant disaster recovery

Defines restrictions to backup and restore process during disaster recovery of a SD-WAN Manager cluster.

  • Do not interrupt any active processes while backing up the configuration database.

  • Enable SD-AVC before restoring the configuration database on the standby SD-WAN Manager node.

Configure a standby SD-WAN Manager cluster

To prepare standby SD-WAN Manager nodes with a unique yet synchronized configuration for disaster recovery without impacting the active overlay network.

Procedure

1.

Configure the standby SD-WAN Manager nodes with a running configuration similar to the active SD-WAN Manager nodes and install local certificates.

The running configuration on a standby node is usually identical to an active node, but ensure settings such as system IP address and tunnel interface IP address are unique.
2.

On the standby nodes, shut down the transport interface in VPN 0 using the CLI shutdown command in the transport interface configuration.
3.

Create a standby cluster using the configured standby SD-WAN Manager nodes.
4.

With this configuration, the overlay network remains unaware of the standby SD-WAN Manager cluster.

Back up the active SD-WAN Manager cluster configuration

Back up the full configuration database of the active Cisco vManange cluster periodically. Additionally, take snapshots of the active SD-WAN Manager virtual machines.

Procedure

1.

Choose an active SD-WAN Manager node that hosts the configuration database service.
2.

On the CLI of the selected node, run the following command to back up the configuration database: request nms configuration-db backup path <file-path>

The command saves the configuration database as a .tar.gz file in the specified file path.

Example:

In the example below, the database is backed up to a file named db_backup.tar.gz in the /home/admin/ directory.

Active-vManage# 
request nms configuration-db backup path /home/admin/db_backup
Successfully saved database to /home/admin/db_backup.tar.gz
3.

Choose a standby SD-WAN Manager node that hosts the configuration database service and copy the configuration database backup to this node.

Example:

In the following example, db_backup.tar.gz is copied from the active SD-WAN Managernode to the /home/admin/ directory of a standby SD-WAN Manager node.

Active-vManage# 
request execute vpn 512 scp /home/admin/db_backup.tar.gz admin@10.126.93.92:/home/admin
The authenticity of host '10.126.93.92 (10.126.93.92)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:jTjJWQ0UNHvlrBUxWzNjd8mUz819gPf51MeopsgDlAc.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? 
yes
Warning: Permanently added '10.126.93.92' (ECDSA) to the list of known hosts.
viptela 18.4.5 
 
admin@10.126.93.92's password: 
db_backup.tar.gz                                100%  399KB   4.4MB/s   00:00

Restore SD-WAN Manager cluster using the configuration database backup

Restore the most recent backup of the configuration database from the active SD-WAN Manager cluster on the standby SD-WAN Manager node to which the backup was copied.

  • The restore operation does not restore all configuration details. Settings such as users and repositories must be configured on the standby SD-WAN Manager node after restoring the backup.

  • When you complete the steps that follow, the previously active SD-WAN Manager nodes cannot be reused. To reuse the nodes, you must perform additional steps that are beyond the scope of this document.

Procedure

1.

On the CLI of the standby SD-WAN Manager node, run the following command: request nms configuration-db restore path file-path .

Example:

In the following example, the configuration database is restored using the backup file db_backup.tar.gz.

Standby-vManage# 
request nms configuration-db restore path /home/admin/db_backup.tar.gz
Configuration database is running in a standalone mode
Importing database...Successfully restored database
2.

Verify standby SD-WAN Manager nodes.

  1. Verify that all appropriate services are running on each standby SD-WAN Manager node.

    On the CLI of each standby node, run: request nms all status

    From the command output, confirm that the necessary services are active.

  2. Verify that every standby node maintains a list of all active and standby SD-WAN Manager nodes:

    1. From the SD-WAN Manager, navigate to Configuration > Devices > Controllers.

    2. Confirm that the page displays all active and standby SD-WAN Manager nodes.

    Starting from Cisco IOS XE Catalyst SD-WAN Release 17.13.1a, the Controllers tab is renamed Control Components to align with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN rebranding.
3.

On the standby SD-WAN Manager nodes, enable the transport interface on VPN 0 using one of these two methods:

  1. Enable the transport interface in VPN 0: On the CLI of each standby SD-WAN Manager node, run the no shutdown command.

    Example:

    Active-vManage# config
Active-vManage(config)# vpn 0 interface interface-name
Active-vManage(config-interface)# no shutdown
Active-vManage(config-interface)# commit and-quit

  2. Activate the tunnel interface in VPN 0: On the CLI of each standby SD-WAN Manager node, run the tunnel-interface command.

    Example:

    Active-vManage# config
Active-vManage(config)# vpn 0 interface interface-name
Active-vManage(config-interface)# tunnel-interface
Active-vManage(config-interface)# commit and-quit
4.

Add each standby SD-WAN Manager node to the overlay network.

  1. From the Cisco SD-WAN Manager menu, choose Configuration > > Devices.

  2. Click Controllers.

  3. For a SD-WAN Validator, click ... and click Edit.

  4. In the Edit dialog box, enter the following details of the SD-WAN Validator: WAN transport IP address, username, and password.

  5. Repeat Step 4c and Step 4d for every SD-WAN Validator.
5.

Disconnect the active SD-WAN Manager nodes from the overlay network using one of these methods.

  1. Shut down the transport interface in VPN 0: On the CLI of each active SD-WAN Manager node, run the shutdown command.

    Example:

    Active-vManage# config
Active-vManage(config)# vpn 0 interface interface-name
Active-vManage(config-interface)# shutdown
Active-vManage(config-interface)# commit and-quit

  2. Deactivate the tunnel interface in VPN 0: On the CLI of each active SD-WAN Manager node, run the no tunnel-interface command.ste

    Example:

    Active-vManage# config
Active-vManage(config)# vpn 0 interface interface-name
Active-vManage(config-interface)# no tunnel-interface
Active-vManage(config-interface)# commit and-quit

In a lab environment, where you are simulating a disaster scenario, you can perform this step. However, if you cannot reach SD-WAN Manager instances in an actual disaster scenario, you may not be able to perform this step and can omit the step.
6.

From the standby SD-WAN Manager send the updated controller and device list to the SD-WAN Validator, including the list of controllers:

  1. From the SD-WAN Manager menu, choose Configuration > Certificates.

  2. Click Controllers.

  3. Click Send to Validator.

    Wait for the configuration task to complete. When the task is complete,

    • The standby SD-WAN Manager nodes become the active Cisco SD-WAN Manager nodes.

    • The previously active SD-WAN Manager nodes are no longer part of the overlay network.

    • The active SD-WAN Manager nodes have the configuration from the most recent configuration database backup.

    • Every controller establishes connection with the other controllers in the network.

  4. Click WAN Edge List.

  5. Click Send to Controllers.
7.

Verify configuration and connectivity

  1. Verify that policies, templates, and the controller and WAN edge device lists are intact.

  2. Verify valid SD-WAN Manager nodes:

    1. On each SD-WAN Validator, log in to the CLI and run: show orchestrator valid-vmanage-id.

    2. Confirm that the chassis numbers of the active and previously active Cisco SD-WAN Manager nodes are listed.

    3. On a WAN edge device, log in to the CLI and run: show control valid-vmanage-id .

    4. Confirm that the chassis numbers of the active and previously active SD-WAN Manager nodes are listed.

    5. Check that the device is connected to the active Cisco SD-WAN Manager nodes and the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller.
8.

Invalidate the previously active SD-WAN Manager nodes.

After you invalidate the SD-WAN Manager, the nodes cannot be reused without performing additional steps that are beyond the scope of this document.

  1. From the SD-WAN Manager menu, choose Configuration > Certificates.

  2. Click Controllers.

  3. For each previously active SD-WAN Manager node, click ... and click Invalidate.

Verify the valid SD-WAN Manager nodes

Procedure

1.

Log in to the CLI of each SD-WAN Validator and run the show orchestrator valid-vmanage-id command.

In the command output, verify that the chassis numbers of only the active SD-WAN Manager nodes are listed.
2.

Log in to the CLI of WAN edge device and run the show control valid-vmanage-id command.

In the command output, verify that the chassis numbers of only the active SD-WAN Manager nodes are listed. Also, check whether the device is connected to the active SD-WAN Manager nodes and the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller.