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Device Operations Clustering for the Firepower 4100/9300 Firewall Management Center : Manage Cluster Members Replace a Cluster Member

Last updated: Jul 29, 2025

Replace a Cluster Member

You can replace a cluster member in an existing cluster. The Firewall Management Center auto-detects the replacement unit. However, you must manually delete the old cluster member in the Firewall Management Center. This procedure also applies to a unit that was reinitialized; in this case, although the hardware remains the same, it appears to be a new member.

Before you begin

  • Make sure the interface configuration is the same on the replacement unit as for other chassis.

Procedure

1

For a new chassis, if possible, backup and restore the configuration from the old chassis in FXOS.

If you are replacing a module in a Firepower 9300, you do not need to perform these steps.

If you do not have a backup FXOS configuration from the old chassis, first perform the steps in Add a New Cluster Member.

For information about all of the below steps, see the FXOS configuration guide.

  1. Use the configuration export feature to export an XML file containing logical device and platform configuration settings for your Firepower 4100/9300 chassis.

  2. Import the configuration file to the replacement chassis.

  3. Accept the license agreement.

  4. If necessary, upgrade the logical device application instance version to match the rest of the cluster.
2

In the Firewall Management Center for the old unit, choose Devices > Device Management > More (more icon)> Delete .

3

Confirm that you want to delete the unit.

The unit is removed from the cluster and from the Firewall Management Center devices list.

4

The new or reinitialized cluster member is added automatically. To monitor the registration of the replacement unit, view the following:

  • Cluster Status dialog box ( Devices > Device Management > More (more icon) icon or Devices > Device Management > Cluster page > General area > Cluster Live Status link)—A unit that is joining the cluster on the chassis shows "Joining cluster..." After it joins the cluster, the Firewall Management Center attempts to register it, and the status changes to "Available for Registration". After it completes registration, the status changes to "In Sync." If the registration fails, the unit will stay at "Available for Registration". In this case, force a re-registration by clicking Reconcile All.

  • System (system gear icon) > Tasks—The Firewall Management Center shows all registration events and failures.

  • Devices > Device Management—When you expand the cluster on the devices listing page, you can see when a unit is registering when it has the loading icon to the left.
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