Not Valid for PRTG Version 9 or Later!

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this article does not apply to PRTG Network Monitor 9 or later!

For details about converting a failover master node into a permanent master node in PRTG 9 and later versions, please see:

PRTG 9 or later: If a Primary Master Fails Permanently

This article applies to PRTG Network Monitor 8 only

If a Primary Master Fails Permanently

If a Primary Master node fails, a failover node becomes Failover Master until the primary master node is back in the cluster again. Sometimes a server crashes and a master node installation cannot be restored. We recommend recovering the Master Node from a proper backup. However, if a master node cannot be recovered, there is a possibility to convert a Failover Master so that it becomes the new Primary Master of a cluster.

Convert a Failover Master Node—Steps to Take

In order to convert a (temporary) Failover Master node to be the new Primary Master node of the cluster, please follow the steps below.

Note: This procedure is recommended only in cases where you cannot restore the master node of your cluster. In your cluster, you need at least two Failover nodes left (the Failover Master and a Failover node).

1. On the Primary Master node (if still accessible): Open the PRTG Server Administrator Windows program.
   • Select the Start/Stop tab. Stop the core server service by clicking on the Stop Core Server button.
   • Select the Cluster tab. As Cluster Mode option, select Standalone. Click the Ok button. When asked if you want to start the core server service, click No. The Standalone setting will prevent the primary master node from re-joining the cluster (and overwriting the new cluster configuration) if it should "accidently" be started some time later.
2. On all Failover nodes: Open the PRTG Server Administrator Windows program and select the Start/Stop tab. Stop the core server service by clicking on the Stop Core Server button.
3. On the current Failover Master node: Open the PRTG Server Administrator Windows program.
   • Select the Cluster tab. As Cluster Mode option, select Cluster Mode: Master Node. Click the Ok button. When asked if you want to (re-)start the core server service, click Yes. If you have made changes to the configuration on the Failover Master node, they will now be saved permanently and deployed to the cluster. This node is now your new Primary Master node.
4. On all Failover nodes: Open the PRTG Server Administrator Windows program and select the Start/Stop tab. Start the core server service by clicking on the Start Core Server button. All Failover nodes will now connect to the new Primary Master node and receive their configuration.
5. On your new Primary Master node, hardware device specific sensors on the Local Probe device may not work any more. For example, the sensor for the network card adapter may show a Network card not found message, because the hardware has changed. In this case, please delete the affected sensors and add them again.

See Also

• What is a Failover Master and how does it behave?
• PRTG Cluster: What happens to historical data when the a cluster node goes offline for some time?
• In which web interface do I log in if the Master Node fails?
• What is the Clustering Feature in PRTG 8?

Not Valid for PRTG Version 9 or Later!

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this article does not apply to PRTG Network Monitor 9 or later!

For details about converting a failover master node into a permanent master node in PRTG 9 and later versions, please see:

PRTG 9 or later: If a Primary Master Fails Permanently