Topic
This article discusses how to install, configure, and use a warm spare in Cytracom ControlOne.
Environment
- Cytracom ControlOne
Description
A warm spare is a ControlOne Bridge unit configured as a failover device. If an interruption occurs, the warm spare becomes active and assumes the functions of the primary ControlOne Bridge Unit.
Note: The primary ControlOne Bridge Unit does not automatically failover to the warm spare. You must manually set the warm spare as the new primary using the instructions below.
Installing the warm spare
Installation configuration will vary depending on the network components between your ControlOne Bridge units and your ISP.
Installation to a modem that is also a router on a network with a single ISP
If your modem also acts as your router, it may be configured to assign IP addresses to your primary ControlOne Bridge Unit and warm spare, or you may manually assign these IP addresses.
- This topology requires a modem with multiple LAN ports.
- Each WAN port in this configuration must have a unique IP address.
- These IP addresses can be public or private.
- Neither IP address can be the same as any existing LAN IP address.
1. Connect your modem's first LAN port directly to the WAN port of your primary ControlOne bridge unit.
2. Connect your primary ControlOne bridge unit to the LAN switch.
3. Connect your modem's second LAN port directly to the WAN port of your warm spare.
4. Connect your warm spare to the LAN switch.
Installation to a modem that is not acting as a router on a network with a single ISP
If your modem does not also function as the network's router, you will need to add an Ethernet switch to split the single LAN connection and send it to both the primary ControlOne Bridge Unit and the warm spare.
- The modem must be in bridge mode (passthrough mode)
- This topology requires at least a /29 network from the provider ISP since it uses three unique IP addresses (one for the gateway, and one unique address for each WAN interface on the primary and warm spare).
1. Connect the modem's LAN port to one of the ports on the splitting switch.
2. Connect the primary ControlOne bridge unit's WAN port to an available port on the splitting switch
3. Connect your primary ControlOne bridge unit to the LAN switch.
4. Connect the warm spare's WAN port to an available port on the splitting switch.
5. Connect your warm spare to the LAN switch.
Installation on networks with multiple ISPs
- You must have identical configurations to each ISP for the warm spare to function correctly.
- In addition to your LAN ethernet switches, this topology requires a dedicated ethernet switch for each ISP.
- This topology requires a second port on your primary and warm spare bridge units to be designated as a WAN port. Cytracom recommends using Port 2 to keep your WAN ports physically grouped together.
1. Connect the first ISP's modem's LAN port to one of the ports on its dedicated switch.
2. Connect the primary ControlOne bridge unit's WAN port to an available port on the dedicated switch.
3. Connect a LAN port on the primary unit to the LAN switch (Cytracom recommends using port 6, to maintain physical distance from the WAN ports).
4. Connect the warm spare's WAN port to an available port on the dedicated switch.
5. Connect a LAN port on the warm spare to the LAN switch.
6. Repeat steps 1-6 for the second ISP, using the other dedicated switch.
Transferring from the primary bridge to the warm spare
Note: Designating the warm spare as primary will interrupt network traffic if the primary bridge is still active.
1. Select the site to which the primary and warm spare are connected. You can do this by selecting the Sites option in the Control One Portal's Navigation menu or by clicking on the site in the Network Map view.
2. Click the Warm Spare tab in the sidebar. You will see a graphical representation of the unit's six network ports. The WAN ports you used to connect the warm spare will display a red dot in their lower right-hand corners, indicating that, although ready, the spare is currently in an idle state.
3. Scroll down in the sidebar and click the Set as Primary button.
4. Confirm your selection by clicking the Swap devices button in the pop-up window.
After setting the warm spare as primary, the WAN ports will now display as green dots, indicating that the unit is receiving packets. The Warm spare has now become the primary, and its serial number will now display under the Primary tab in the ControlOne Portal. The former primary, if online, will now display under the Warm Spare tab.
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