---
title: "Creating HA Groups"
canonical: "https://docs.infoblox.com/space/BloxOneDDI/186467301/Creating%20HA%20Groups"
format: markdown
---
<span style="color: #333300">While creating an HA group, it is critical to ensure that all the devices in a particular HA set belong to a single IP space. In a scenario where there are four NIOS-X Servers a, b, c, and d, that are in a three HA groups with a hub and spoke design (a →b, a→c, a→ d) or a chain (a→b, b→c, c→d) the subnets for all the related peers must be in the same IP space.</span>

<span style="color: #333300">For example, if you use two different IP spaces A and B, each of the IP spaces may have a subnet that contain the same IP address 10.0.0.1 which may lead to a conflict. To avoid such a scenario, it is required to have all the devices in a HA group under a single IP space.</span>

It is highly recommended to configure NIOS-X Servers in such a way that there is no communication failure between them. This is to avoid a situation where both NIOS-X Servers are attempting to serve the same subnet at the same time due to communication failure. When the active NIOS-X Server goes down the active or passive NIOS-X Server takes over as per your configuration. However, there may be a short delay in the switchover which may result in a gap in the lease allocation. If you assign a different NIOS-X Server for the Anycast configuration on the **Anycast** page, you must modify the HA group to use the modified NIOS-X Server. If you change the linked protocol in the Anycast configuration on the **Anycast** page to DNS, you must delete the HA group. 

<span style="color: #000000">To create an HA group, complete the following:</span>

1. <span style="color: #000000">From the Infoblox Portal, click </span><span style="color: #000000">**Network > DHCP > HA Groups > Create HA Group**</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
2. <span style="color: #000000">On the </span><span style="color: #000000">*Create HA Group *</span><span style="color: #000000">page, specify the following:</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**Name**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Enter a name for the HA group.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**Description**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Enter additional information about the HA group.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">** SERVICE INSTANCES**</span><span style="color: #000000">:</span>
    - <span style="color: #000000">**HA Configuration**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Select one of the following:</span>
      - **Split Ranges**: Split Ranges mode automatically divides each DHCP range in the associated subnet into two pools and assigns one pool to each peer in the HA group.
      - <span style="color: #000000">**Active / Active**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Both NIOS-X Servers remain active.</span>
      - <span style="color: #000000">**Active / Passive**</span><span style="color: #000000">: One NIOS-X Server remains active and one remains passive. When the active NIOS-X Server is down, the passive NIOS-X Server takes over. </span>
      - <span style="color: #000000">**Advanced Active / Passive**</span><span style="color: #000000">: One host may be a part of multiple HA groups. When the active NIOS-X Server is down, the passive NIOS-X Server takes over. </span>
        - <span style="color: #000000">**Active**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Select a NIOS-X Server from the column selector. This is the active NIOS-X Server. </span>
        - <span style="color: #000000">**Port**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays the port number associated with the respective NIOS-X Server.</span>
        - <span style="color: #000000">**Active NIOS-X Server / Passive NIOS-X Server**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Select a NIOS-X Server from the column selector. This is the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Active NIOS-X Server**</span><span style="color: #000000"> if the HA Configuration is </span><span style="color: #000000">**Active/Active**</span><span style="color: #000000">. This is the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Passive NIOS-X Server**</span><span style="color: #000000"> if the HA Configuration is </span><span style="color: #000000">**Active/Passive**</span><span style="color: #000000">. </span>
        - **Switch Active / Passive**: Click this button to switch NIOS-X Servers between Active and Passive. On clicking the button, the Active node becomes the Passive node. This feature can be used to initiate a manual failover and for troubleshooting purposes.
        - <span style="color: #000000">**Port**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays the port number associated with the respective NIOS-X Server.</span>
      - <span style="color: #000000">**Anycast (Deprecated)**</span><span style="color: #000000">: In Anycast mode, Anycast is used for configuring HA. Before creating a DHCP HA group by using Anycast, make sure Anycast is configured on the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Anycast**</span><span style="color: #000000"> page; for more information, see </span><span style="color: #000000">*[Creating Anycast Configuration](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BloxOneDDI/pages/186648729)*</span><span style="color: #000000">. DHCP with Anycast can be configured only with two nodes. On the Create HA Group page, select the Anycast configuration available: </span>
        - <span style="color: #000000">**Peer Connections**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Configure the peer connections for the Anycast configuration. Peer connection IPs are the addresses over which the users want two hosts in this HA group to communicate. Default values will be the two hosts' primary addresses. You can override them, but make sure that the new values represent the interfaces available on these two hosts. </span>
        - dhcp1 → dhcp2
          - <span style="color: #000000">**Destination IP**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Specify an IPv4 address.</span>
        - dhcp2 → dhcp1
          - **Destination IP**: Specify an IPv4 address.
  - <span style="color: #000000">**Tags**</span><span style="color: #000000">: For information about tags, see </span><u><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Managing Tags](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BloxOneDDI/pages/186745865)*</span></u><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
3. <span style="color: #000000">Click </span><span style="color: #000000">**Save & Close**</span><span style="color: #000000"> to save the details or click </span><span style="color: #000000">**Cancel**</span><span style="color: #000000"> to exit.</span>

## <span style="color: #000000">Status Changes in HA Peer</span>

When an HA peer changes status (if a NIOS-X Server is down), the status is shown on the * NIOS-X Servers* page. Error messages related to issues with the NIOS-X Server are also displayed. For more information, see *[Viewing General Server Information](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BloxOneInfrastructure/pages/119211002)*. 


> ❌ HA configuration Advanced Active/Passive is not supported for IPv6.


## Replacing NIOS-X Server when High Availability is configured

When replacing a server that is part of a DHCP High Availability (HA) group, the system will automatically configure the peer destination address to the primary address of the new server. Once the replacement process is fully completed and the new server is visible on the **HA Groups** page, it is essential to verify and update the peer destination address if necessary. Neglecting this step could lead to disconnection of the new server from its peers within the DHCP HA group.

For more information on how to replace a NIOS-X Server, see *[Replacing Servers](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BloxOneInfrastructure/pages/185106557)*.

> Macro (excerpt)
> 
> - <span style="color: #ff5630">**Hub & Spoke**</span><span style="color: #ff5630">: One NIOS-X Server serves as the Hub and is a passive node. One or more NIOS-X Servers serve as a spoke and are active nodes. When a spoke (active node) is down, the communication transfers to the Hub (passive node becomes active). For both the Hub and the Spoke, you must configure the Heartbeat IP. The Heartbeat IP is a dedicated IP address used exclusively for communication between high availability (HA) nodes to monitor each other’s health and operational status. It enables HA peers to continuously exchange heartbeat messages that confirm both nodes are online, responsive, and capable of servicing DHCP, DNS, or IPAM functions. This communication typically occurs over a private network or a dedicated interface to ensure reliability and minimize interference from production traffic. For example, in an HA pair consisting of Node 1 and Node 2, each node is configured with a Heartbeat IP on a separate network segment. Node 1 periodically sends heartbeat messages to Node 2 using this IP, and Node 2 responds in return. As long as both nodes receive timely heartbeat responses, the HA pair remains in a healthy, synchronized state. Configure the following options:</span>
>   - <span style="color: #ff5630">Configure the Spoke:</span>
>     - <span style="color: #ff5630">**Spoke (Active) Service Instance**</span><span style="color: #ff5630">: Select a NIOS-X Server from the column selector. You can add a maximum of 15 spokes. </span>
>     - <span style="color: #ff5630">**Heartbeat IP**</span><span style="color: #ff5630">: Specify the Heartbeat IP. </span>
>   - <span style="color: #ff5630">Configure the Hub:</span>
>     - <span style="color: #ff5630">**Hub (Passive) Service Instance**</span><span style="color: #ff5630">: Select a NIOS-X Server from the column selector. </span>
>     - <span style="color: #ff5630">**Heartbeat IP**</span><span style="color: #ff5630">: Specify the Heartbeat IP. </span>