--- title: "Portal Cluster Deployment" slug: "portal-cluster" updated: 2026-07-14T12:15:54Z published: 2026-07-14T12:15:54Z canonical: "kb.ctera.com/portal-cluster" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.ctera.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Portal Cluster Deployment **To deploy a portal cluster:** 1. Pre-deployment: 1. Decide the DNS suffix to use for the portal making sure that the portal can be reached from edge and endpoints. - Create A Records for server hostnames. - Individual NS records to the hostname of each server. 2. Verify the ports requirements are met: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/port-tables-83x), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/port-tables-4). 3. Identify the RAM and CPU resources. - On-premises: Make sure that the virtual infrastructure has enough capacity. - Cloud: Select the instance that meets the CPU and RAM resource requirements. 4. Identify the storage requirements. The portal requires storage for metadata for based on the pre-duplicated data: The data pool should be at least 1% of the portal global name space and the archive pool should be at least 2% of the portal global name space. The data pool is installed on every portal server. The archive pool is only installed on the primary and secondary portal servers. 2. Install the primary server: | Platform | 8.3.x | 8.4.x | | --- | --- | --- | | AWS | [Creating the IAM, Policy and Role for the Portal](/v1/docs/creating-the-iam-policy-and-role-for-the-portal-4-2) followed by: [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-36-2) | [Creating the IAM, Policy and Role for the Portal](/v1/docs/creating-the-iam-policy-and-role-for-the-portal-4-2-1) followed by: [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-36-2-1) | | Azure | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-37-2) | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-37-2-1) | | ESXi | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-38-2) | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-38-2-1) | | Hyper-V | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-40-2) | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-40-2-1) | | HPE VM Essentials | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-43-2-1) | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-43-2-1-1) | | KVM | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-42-2) | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-42-2-1) | | Nutanix AHV | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-41-2) | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-41-2-1) | | Proxmox | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-43) | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-43-1) | | Red Hat OpenShift | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-43-2) | [Installing a Portal Server](/v1/docs/installing-ctera-portal-instances-43-2-2) | 3. Configure network settings. The portal requires two NICs. Deployments in ESXi include defining these two NICs as part of the deplyment. By default, the CTERA Portal server obtains an IP address using DHCP. In a production environment it is recommended to use a static IP address. Configuring the network settings is the same for ESXi, Hyper-V, HPE VM Essentials, KVM, Nutanix AHV, Proxmox, and Red Hat OpenShift platforms and for both portal version 8.3.x and 8.4.x: [Configuring Network Settings](/v1/docs/configuring-network-settings-26-2). 4. Optionally, configure a default gateway: 1. Log in as root over SSH or through the console to the CTERA Portal. 2. Run the following command: `echo "GATEWAY={$default_gateway_ip_address}" > /etc/sysconfig/network` where *{$default_gateway_ip_address}* is the default gateway IP address. For example: `echo "GATEWAY=192.168.90.1" > /etc/sysconfig/network` 3. Restart the network service, by running the following command: `service network restart` 5. The portal image requires packages for syslog functionality for offline servers. During a portal image installation, these packages are downloaded from the Internet and automatically installed. If you do **not** have access to the Internet, you can install these packages manually: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/additional-installation-instructions-for-customers-without-internet-access-10-2), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/additional-installation-instructions-for-customers-without-internet-access-10-2-1). 6. Configure the primary portal server. Configuring the primary CTERA Portal server is a one-time operation performed via HTTPS using a web browser: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/configuring-the-primary-server-5-2), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/configuring-the-primary-server-5-2-1). 7. Although the portal is deployed with a 30-day trial license, CTERA recommends installing the production license: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/installing-the-portal-license-4-2), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/installing-the-portal-license-4-2-1). 8. The portal is deployed with a self-signed certificate from CTERA. You should change this for a certificate from a recognized and trusted certificate authority, such as *Let's Encrypt*, *GlobalSign*, or *GoDaddy*: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/installing-a-tls-certificate-6-2), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/installing-a-tls-certificate-6-2-1). 9. Create DNS records if you have a dedicated domain: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/creating-dns-records-5-2), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/creating-dns-records-5-2-1). 10. To make the CTERA Portal available via the Internet, and to enable the CTERA Portal to respond to DNS queries with the public IP address, you must configure the CTERA Portal's public NAT address: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/configuring-a-portal-nat-address-4-2), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/configuring-a-portal-nat-address-4-2-1). 11. CTERA Portal is pre-configured with an NTP server. If for whatever reason, the portal clock and edge filer clocks are not synced, you can configure the portal NTP server: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/setting-up-the-time-zone-and-configuring-ntp-6-2), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/setting-up-the-time-zone-and-configuring-ntp-6-2-1). 12. Deploy the secondary, replication, server. | 8.3.x | 8.4.x | | --- | --- | | [Installing an Additional CTERA Portal Servers](/v1/docs/installing-and-configuring-additional-ctera-portal-servers-5-2) followed by: [Configuring the Secondary Replication Server](/v1/docs/configuring-the-secondary-replication-server-1) | [Installing an Additional CTERA Portal Servers](/v1/docs/installing-and-configuring-additional-ctera-portal-servers) followed by: [Configuring the Secondary Replication Server](/v1/docs/configuring-the-secondary-replication-server) | 13. Deploy two more servers as application servers. You need two servers for high availability and load balancing: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/installing-and-configuring-additional-ctera-portal-servers-5-2), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/installing-and-configuring-additional-ctera-portal-servers). 14. Log on to each application server using SSH: the user is `root` and the password is `ctera321` You are asked to change the password on first entry to the portal server. **Note** The default **JAVA_HEAP_LIMIT** is 4096, the required value for the primary, database, server and the secondary, replication, server. The **JAVA_HEAP_LIMIT** value for application servers should be 75% of the RAM size. With the default RAM size of 32GB, the **JAVA_HEAP_LIMIT** value should therefore be 24576. 1. Edit the Java Heap value in the **portal.cfg** file: `vi $portalcfg` and change the value of `JAVA_HEAP_LIMIT` to 24576. 2. Restart the Tomcat server: `portal.sh restart_tomcat` 15. Configure each application server: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/configuring-the-secondary-replication-server-1), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/configuring-the-secondary-replication-server). 16. Initialize platform services if you intend to use any of the following features: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/initializing-platform-services-1), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/initializing-platform-services). - CTERA Messaging Service. This service is required for the following: - CTERA InsightAI - The Edge Filer Syslog Service - Fusion Direct - Subfolder quota implementation - The Varonis Service - Using an S3 Browser - Setting the Local Quota 17. Configure the storage node: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/adding-and-editing-storage-nodes-5-1), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/adding-and-editing-storage-nodes-5-1-1). 18. Configure backup, both of the portal servers and storage, and the portal database. CTERA Portal Servers and Storage: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/backing-up-the-ctera-portal-servers-and-storage-4), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/backing-up-the-ctera-portal-servers-and-storage-5) CTERA Portal Database: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/configuring-ctera-portal-database-for-backup-and-restore-3), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/configuring-ctera-portal-database-for-backup-and-restore) 19. Create a team, tenant, portal or use the default: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/adding-editing-deleting-and-undeleting-a-virtual-portal-2-1), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/adding-editing-deleting-and-undeleting-a-virtual-portal-2-1-1). 1. Connect the team portal to Active Directory: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/integrating-ctera-portal-with-a-directory-service-6-1), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/integrating-ctera-portal-with-a-directory-service-6-1-1). 2. Fetch the administrator to access the team portal from Active Directory: [8.3.x](/v1/docs/manually-fetching-user-data-6-1), [8.4.x](/v1/docs/manually-fetching-user-data-6-1-1). 20. Deploy edge filers and/or endpoints, depending on the use case: - For use cases that require an edge filer to be deployed, continue with [Edge Filer Deployment](/v1/docs/edge-filer-deployment). - For use cases that require endpoints (CTERA Drive), continue with [Endpoint Deployments](/v1/docs/endpoint-deployments).