These instructions assume the following:

  • MOVEit Automation: The same version of MOVEit Automation has been installed on both nodes. The two nodes must use the same database type (MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server).
    Note: If you use the MySQL database, MOVEit Automation maintains the databases on the primary and secondary nodes. If you use Microsoft SQL Server, a single database is shared by the primary and secondary nodes, and generally installed on a third node.
  • Microsoft SQL environments: If your existing MOVEit Automation server uses Microsoft SQL and you are installing MOVEit Automation on a secondary node for failover, you must temporarily create a new database during installation.
    • Use the installer to create a new database on the existing Microsoft SQL server or on a new one.
    • If using the existing database server, create a new database with a temporary name.
    • Later in the failover configuration process, you will point the secondary node to the primary node’s database.
  • Tamper Detection Key: The same tamper detection key was entered during installation on both nodes. If the tamper detection keys are not the same, the secondary node system log will contain this notification: “Cannot decrypt hash chain info”.
    If the same tamper detection key was not entered on both nodes, use RegEdit to manually copy the HashKey registry value from the primary node to the secondary node.. This HashKey registry value can be found in the following locations:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Standard Networks\MOVEitCentral\HashKey
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Standard Networks\MOVEitCentral\HashKey
    Note: Do not use the Tamper tab of the MOVEit Automation Config utility.
  • The MOVEit installer creates a unique encryption key for each MOVEit server and saves it in the Windows registry. MOVEIt Failover requires that each node has a copy of its corresponding failover node's encryption key. Each failover node has two encryption keys: its key and the key from the other node.

    The secondary node must have a copy of the primary node's encryption key and the primary node must have a copy of the secondary node's encryption key.

    Once correctly configured, the KeyMat registry will have two values for each server.

    You can use the Windows Regedit tool to export and import these keys.

    • The encryption key refers to one or more registry values underneath the KeyMat registry key located here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Standard Networks\MOVEitCentral\KeyMat
  • The primary node is where the current MOVEit Automation configuration and database are located. If your configuration uses Microsoft SQL Server, the database can be on a third node.
  • The primary node can connect to the secondary node, and the secondary node can connect to the primary node, with Windows connectivity.
    • Windows connectivity must specify the appropriate protocol and port;
      • SMB (Server Message Block) protocol and port 139 or 445
      • TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and ports 3471-3473
  • Any Windows users and groups used by MOVEit Automation are already present on both nodes. After failover is installed and running, any changes made to Windows users and groups used by MOVEit Automation on one node are automatically replicated on the other node.
  • If using Microsoft SQL Server as the database, ensure that the SQL Server Utilities are installed on both nodes. MOVEit Automation uses these utilities to access the database to read and write the transaction records. When you install MOVEit Automation and select to use a SQL Server database, or if you convert a MySQL installation to SQL Server, MOVEit Automation installs the SQL Server Utilities. You can also download the utilities from the Microsoft website.