ACE to track user interface

Question

Hello,
Just a few questions on a HA lab to track the user interface. If i configure the primary ACE in the admin-context like this:
ft interface vlan 402    ---->>> FT VLAN
  ip address <primary_ip>
  peer ip address <secondary_ip>
  no shutdown
ft peer 1
  heartbeat interval 300
  heartbeat count 10
  ft-interface vlan 402
ft group 4     --->> group associated to user-context Juniper
   peer 1
   priority 200     --->>> primary is 200 and secondary is 100
   associate-context Juniper
   inservice
and in the user-context of the primary ACE:
ft track interface vlan202   ---->>> VLAN 202 is where VIPs are configured in the Juniper user-context
  track-interface vlan 202
peer track-interface vlan 202
  priority 110
peer priority 100
1.- the command "peer-track interface" is useful in case the primary ACE and secondary ACE are not connected on vlan 202 via the same single switch? i guess without this command the secondary wouldnt track the user interface 202.
2.- Do i need to specify "peer priority 100" in  the user context for the secondary ACE? Is it used to set the priority of the secondary once the primary becomes standby? Default is 100 for secondary so i think its not useful.
3.- Can i configure preempt delay in ACE?
Thanks,
Giulio.

Answer 1

Hi Giulio
Could you please check 'ft group 4' configuration on your standby ACE?
Probably, you configure 'priority 105' on standby too. If so, please change configuration
from 'priority 105' to 'peer priority 105' on standby ACE.
# active admin context
ft group 4
  peer 1
  priority 105
  associate-context Juniper
  inservice
# standby admin context
ft group 4
  peer 1
  peer priority 105  <<==
  associate-context Juniper
  inservice
I checked your configuration and found you configured ft group for Juniper context only.
This means Admin context is not sync'ed. (I was misled into thinking that your admin
context is also sync'ed.)
If ft group for admin context is configured, you configure 'priority 105' on active admin context
only since 'priority 105' configuration is automatically converted to 'peer priority 105' and set
to standby ACE.
However, if ft group for admin context is not configured, your should configure both active and
standby ACE manually. Furthermore, you have to convert them by hand.
Since admin context of my ACE appliance is synced as below, I only configured 'ft group 4'
on active ACE. (Standby ACE was automatically set 'peer priority 105'.)
This behavior is same with module and appliance.
# my ace appliance configuration
ACE4710a/Admin# sh run ft | b group
Generating configuration....
ft group 1
  peer 1
  priority 105
  associate-context Admin
  inservice
ft group 4
  peer 1
  priority 105
  associate-context test
  inservice
ACE4710a/Admin# sh ft gr sum
FT Group                     : 1
Configured Status            : in-service
Maintenance mode             : MAINT_MODE_OFF
My State                     : FSM_FT_STATE_ACTIVE
My Config Priority           : 105
My Net Priority              : 105
My Preempt                   : Enabled
Peer State                   : FSM_FT_STATE_STANDBY_HOT
Peer Config Priority         : 100
Peer Net Priority            : 100
Peer Preempt                 : Enabled
Peer Id                      : 1
No. of Contexts              : 1
FT Group                     : 4
Configured Status            : in-service
Maintenance mode             : MAINT_MODE_OFF
My State                     : FSM_FT_STATE_ACTIVE
My Config Priority           : 105
My Net Priority              : 105
My Preempt                   : Enabled
Peer State                   : FSM_FT_STATE_STANDBY_HOT
Peer Config Priority         : 100
Peer Net Priority            : 100
Peer Preempt                 : Enabled
Peer Id                      : 1
No. of Contexts              : 1
ACE4710a/Admin#
Regards,
Yuji