Active Passive HA licensing with a Software SFV4C6 firewall

Hello there,

Thank you for contacting the Sophos Community.

In Active-Passive mode, only the Active needs the license. 

https://docs.sophos.com/nsg/sophos-firewall/21.0/help/en-us/webhelp/onlinehelp/HighAvailablityStartupGuide/HARequirements/HALicenseRegistration/index.html#hardware-and-virtual-appliances

I don't recall seeing a configuration of HA in 3rd Party Hardware, though. 

Regards,

So if I buy a XV4C6Z00ZZ#### that should give me a 2nd SFV4C6 serial number so I can then load up a second SFV4C6 firewall and because they will be the same firmware and version it should allow me to configure them in Active Passive setup. 

What is ironic is I HAD them already setup in Active-Passive HA setup with this hardware but I was under an evaluation serial number for each of them and I could not apply a licensed subscription to that base evaluation serial number because it was a SFVUNL serial number. 

So if I buy a XV4C6Z00ZZ#### that should give me a 2nd SFV4C6 serial number so I can then load up a second SFV4C6 firewall and because they will be the same firmware and version it should allow me to configure them in Active Passive setup. 

What is ironic is I HAD them already setup in Active-Passive HA setup with this hardware but I was under an evaluation serial number for each of them and I could not apply a licensed subscription to that base evaluation serial number because it was a SFVUNL serial number. 

If you start a second virtual appliance, you can, before registering, in the wizard select "join HA". 

This option will generate a HA Serialnumberfor you. 

I'll give that a try.

The "connect as HA spare" option is grayed out on the intro screen? Is that because it's the software version or could it be some other reason?

It only available, if the appliance is not registrated yet. You need to reinstall another appliance. 

Yes, it's at that point, the start of a fresh install, after I wiped the disks, way before the point it asks for a serial number.  Does it matter that it doesn't have an internet connection yet? 

So - The join HA Cluster should be in the first screen, after the "welcome". 

Ok I swear it was greyed out, but I just checked it now and I had to like restart the setup wizard and go through the initial "welcome" screen again and now it's not grayed out and it's asking for the HA details.   But I need to get the V21 firmware first as the other firewall is on 21 already and this is the older v20 installation software.

That worked. It was a little confusing as after I did the setup wizard and put in the the HA link setup info the firewall just took me back to the regular admin page on the aux server and asked me for a serial number. I told it to skip registration for now and checked the HA settings and it was not connected. So I reset the HA settings again and then it said HA was connected and got the config and rebooted on it's own. AND I got a Serial number assigned to the AUX one after it came up and it's the SFV4C6 device like I need.  So I think I am good to go