Cluster

The ESET Cluster is a P2P communication infrastructure of the ESET line of products for Microsoft Windows Server.

This infrastructure enables ESET server products to communicate with each other and exchange data such as configuration and notifications, and can synchronize data necessary for correct operation of a group of product instances. An example of such group is a group of nodes in a Windows Failover Cluster or Network Load Balancing (NLB) Cluster with ESET products installed where there is a need to have the same configuration of the product across the whole cluster. ESET Cluster ensures this consistency between instances.


NOTE

Settings of the User interface are not synchronized between ESET Cluster nodes.

The ESET Cluster status page is accessible from the main menu in Tools > Cluster when properly configured, the status page should look like this:

cluster_status_nodes_online


NOTE

The creation of ESET Clusters between ESET File Security and ESET File Security for Linux is not supported.

When setting up the ESET Cluster, there two ways to add nodes:

Autodetect

If you have an existing Windows Failover Cluster / NLB Cluster, Autodetect will automatically add its member nodes to the ESET Cluster.

Browse

You can add nodes manually by typing in the server names (either members of the same Workgroup or members of the same Domain).


NOTE

Servers don't have to be members of a Windows Failover Cluster / NLB Cluster to use the ESET Cluster feature. A Windows Failover Cluster or NLB Cluster is not required in your environment for you to use ESET Clusters.

Once you have added nodes to your ESET Cluster, the next step is the installation of ESET File Security on each node. This is done automatically during ESET Cluster setup. Credentials that are required for remote installation of ESET File Security on other cluster nodes:

Domain scenario

Domain administrator credentials.

Workgroup scenario

You need to make sure that all nodes use the same local administrator account credentials.

In an ESET Cluster, you can also use a combination of nodes added automatically as members of an existing Windows Failover Cluster / NLB Cluster and nodes added manually (provided they are in the same Domain).


IMPORTANT

It is not possible to combine domain nodes with workgroup nodes.

Another requirement for the use of an ESET Cluster is that File and Printer Sharing must be enabled in Windows Firewall before pushing ESET File Security to ESET Cluster nodes.

You can add new nodes to an existing ESET Cluster anytime by running the Cluster wizard.

Import certificates

Certificates are used to provide strong machine to machine authentication when HTTPS is used. There is an independent certificate hierarchy for each ESET Cluster. The hierarchy has one root certificate and a set of node certificates signed by the root certificate. The private key of the root certificate is destroyed after all node certificates are created. When you add a new node to the cluster a new certificate hierarchy is created. Navigate to the folder that contains the certificates (that were generated during Cluster wizard). Select the certificate file and click Open.

Destroy cluster

ESET Clusters can be dismantled. Each node will write a record in their event log about the ESET Cluster being destroyed. After that, all ESET firewall rules are removed from the Windows Firewall. Former nodes will be ted to their previous state and can be used again in another ESET Cluster if necessary.