1-11 Cluster Management ConfigurationWhen configuring cluster management, go to these sections for information you are interested in:z Cluster Management Overviewz Cluster Configuration Task Listz Configuring the Management Devicez Configuring the Member Devicesz Configuring Access Between the Management Device and Its Member Devicesz Adding a Candidate Device to a Clusterz Configuring Advanced Cluster Functionsz Displaying and Maintaining Cluster Managementz Cluster Management Configuration ExampleCluster Management OverviewCluster Management DefinitionA cluster is a group of network devices. Cluster management is to implement management of largenumbers of distributed network devices. Cluster management offers the following advantages:z Saving public IP address resourcez Simplifying configuration and management tasks. By configuring a public IP address on one device,you can configure and manage a group of devices without the trouble of logging in to each deviceseparately.z Providing topology discovery and display function, which is useful for network monitoring anddebuggingz Allowing simultaneous software upgrading and parameter configuration on multiple devices, free oftopology and distance limitationsRoles in a ClusterThe devices in a cluster play different roles according to their different functions and status. You canspecify the following three roles for the devices:z Management device (Administrator): The device providing management interfaces for all devicesin a cluster and the only device configured with a public IP address. You can specify one and onlyone management device for a cluster. Any configuration, management, and monitoring of the otherdevices in a cluster can only be implemented through the management device. When a device isspecified as the management device, it collects related information to discover and definecandidate devices.z Member device (Member): A device managed by the management device in a cluster.z Candidate device (Candidate): A device that does not belong to any cluster but can be added to acluster. Different from a member device, its topology information has been collected by themanagement device but it has not been added to the cluster.
