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Test or remove the Failover Smoothwall

Updated

After you set up your Failover Smoothwall Appliance or Virtual Machine (VM), or reinstall a failover Setup Archive, you can:

  • Test that the Failover works as expected if your Main Smoothwall Appliance or VM fails.
  • Disconnect the Failover if you no longer want to use it or need to replace it.

Test your Failover

Check the setup by accessing the Failover

Access the Failover Smoothwall on port 440 instead of port 441. For example: https://smoothwall.domain.local:440

  Note

You’ll need a Smoothwall access rule for the Heartbeat admin on HTTPS (440) service.

Test the Failover

  1. Sign in to the Main Smoothwall and go to System > Hardware > Failover.
  2. Select Enter standby mode. The Failover Smoothwall takes over from the Main Smoothwall, and you lose connection to the Admin UI for the Main Smoothwall.
  3. Wait 10 seconds, then refresh your page.
  4. Sign in to the Failover Smoothwall (now acting as the Main Smoothwall) on port 441.
  5. You’ll see a message on every page: ‘ Warning : This is the failover heartbeat system. Any changes to settings will not be preserved. Please bring the master machine online as soon as possible. The installed settings were last copied from the master at: Date Time Year.’
  6. Check all services are working as expected through the Failover Smoothwall. You can check each area of the product in use or ensure there are no red crosses in the System services section of the Dashboard.
  7. To fail back to the Main Smoothwall manually:
    1. Go to System > Hardware > Failover.
    2. Select Enter standby mode.

Disconnect the Failover

On the Main Smoothwall, you can see the connected Failover on the System > Central management > Overview page.

To remove it:

  1. Turn off Failover:
    1. Go to System > Hardware > Failover.
    2. In the Heartbeat section, clear the Enabled checkbox.
    3. Select Save.
  2. Turn off the Heartbeat interface:
    1. Go to Network > Configuration > Interfaces.
    2. Hover over the interface that will communicate with the Failover and select Edit.
    3. For Use as, change this to Basic or another type as needed.
    4. Select Save changes.
  3. Reboot the Main Smoothwall.
  4. Repeat the above instructions on the Failover Smoothwall.