MDS INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

MDS INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION 

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Objectives 

Key Terms 

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3 

The MDS consists of multiple CMAs installed on a single machine. Each CMA 

controls any number of VPN-1/FireWall-1 remote Enforcement Modules at a 

single customer site. 

Check Point Provider-1 NG with Application Intelligence includes MDS 

Manager and MDS Container components to support a growing customer base. 

The MDS Manager is the core component and is required for the first 200 

customer CMAs. Additional MDS machines can be added, and up to 500 

separate CMAs can be managed by each MDS in the Provider-1 NG 

configuration. 

1 List the minimum system requirements for installing the MDS. 

2 Demonstrate how to install an MDS Manager on a Sun Solaris 

SPARC-based or RedHat Linux system. 

3 Demonstrate how to configure an MDS Manager as the Primary MDS. 

• mds_setup 

mdsconfig 

mdsenv 

mdsstart 

mdsstop 

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Chapter 3

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Choosing the Type of MDS 

CHOOSING THE TYPE OF MDS 

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The Multi Domain Server (MDS) contains separate file structures for each 

CMA. Customer specific information is kept separated in independent CMA 

databases to offer greater security and data integrity. Each CMA’s rules, objects, 

and users reside in the CMA database and are not shared. The following 

directories remain private and separated by CMA: 

• conf 

database 

state 

The MDS shares the VPN-1/FireWall-1 management functions. In this way, the 

CMA data is separated, but shares the same soft linked Management Server 

functions such as binary executables and INSPECT files. 

Every Provider-1 configuration must include an MDS Manager. The GUI 

connects to the MDS Manager to access the CMAs. Additional MDS machines 

can be added to the configuration as needed. There are two different types of 

Multi Domain Servers: 

MDS Container 

MDS Manager 

The MDS Container can maintain up to 500 separate CMAs and perform 

Security Policy management functions. The MDS Manager can perform tasks 

such as file synchronization for backup capabilities and acts as the Certificate 

Authority for the Provider-1 system at the NOC. The scalable architecture of 

Provider-1 allows MSPs to accommodate a growing customer base. In every 

scenario, both an MDS Manager and MDS Container are necessary. These two 

components can be on the same machine.



. . . . . 

Multi Domain Server - Manager 

The MDS Manager is the central point of entry for the CMAs. The MDG can 

only access the MDS Manager. The Manager is a Certificate Authority for the 

Provider-1 NG configuration and, if multiple MDS Managers exist, establishes 

High Availability between them. High Availability (HA) is possible even if the 

additional Manager machine is located at a remote location. 

No CMAs are loaded on the MDS Manager. Only the MDS Container can 

maintain the CMAs. If the MDS Manager is installed as the only MDS in the 

configuration, both the Manager and Container functions can be installed and 

run on one machine. 

Multi Domain Server - Container 

The less-expensive MDS Container maintains the customer CMAs. Capable of 

maintaining up to 500 CMAs, the Container machine is an alternative for 

Administrators who want to increase their Provider-1 capabilities without 

dramatically increasing cost. The Container machine cannot function as a 

Certificate Authority for Provider-1 components or establish High Availability 

for CMAs. The Container machine can be used as an additional MDS to 

increase customer capacity and for backup capabilities. 

Multi Domain Server as Multi Domain Log Module 

The MDS can also be licensed to function as a Multi Domain Log Module 

(MLM). The MLM separates the logs of each CMA into different databases. 

The MLM is configured with a CLM for each Customer CMA. Unlike the 

CMAs loaded on an MDS, CLMs configured on the MLM do not require a 

separate license. No more than 200 CLMs can be loaded on one MDS MLM. 

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Licensing the Multi Domain Server 

The MDS can be licensed in a number of different ways, depending on the 

MSP’s Provider-1 configuration. The MDS can be licensed as either a Manager, 

a Container, or both. 

Feature String Description 

CPPR-MDS-M-NG MDS Manager component without Container 

CPPR-MDS-C10-NG MDS Container component for hosting up to 10 CMAs 





CPPR-MDS-MC10-NG Combined MDS Manager and Container for hosting up to 

10 CMAs 


25 CMAs 


50 CMAs 


100 CMAs 


200 CMAs 

Provider-1 NG licenses are additive. If an Administrator has a 

50 CMA license and adds a 25 CMA license, that 

Administrator would be licensed to manage up to 75 CMAs.


Provider-1 NG with Application Intelligence MDS Minimum Requirements 

PROVIDER-1 NG WITH APPLICATION 

INTELLIGENCE MDS MINIMUM 

REQUIREMENTS 

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The table below lists the minimum hardware and operating system 

requirements for installing the specified MDS components. 

Platform Sun Ultra SPARC-based systems 

Intel-based systems 

Operating Systems Solaris 2.8 32 bit, 2.8 64 bit 

Solaris 2.9 64 bit 

RedHat Linux 7.2 

RedHat Linux 7.3 

SecurePlatform NG with 

Application Intelligence (R55) 

Required Patches Solaris 2.8 32 bit - patch number 109147-18 

Solaris 2.8 64 bit - patch number 109147-18 

Solaris 2.8 - 109326-07 

Solaris 2.8 - 109147-18 

Solaris 2.9 - 112902-07 

OS Patch level of at least 6 

RedHat Linux 7.2 (Kernel 2.4.9-31) 

RedHat Linux 7.3 (Kernel 2.4.18-5) 

Edition VpnStrong (3DES) 

Disk Space Basic MDS installation (mostly under /opt): 

150 MB 

60 MB swap 

Memory MDS functionality: 

100 MB 

Disk space for each CMA (under /var/opt): 

10 MB per CMA 

Memory allocated per CMA: 

10-20 MB 

Network Interface All interfaces supported by the operating system 

The Linux kernel required to install the MDS on RedHat is 

available from the Check Point download center at: 

www.checkpoint.com/support/downloads 

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Provider-1 NG with Application Intelligence MDS Minimum Requirements

Lab 1: Installing and Configuring the Primary MDS Station 

LAB 1: INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING 

THE PRIMARY MDS STATION 

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Scenario: You have just been hired to deploy Provider-1 NG at an MSP that 

wants to offer security services to its customers. You must now deploy a 

Primary MDS at your new company’s NOC. 

Objectives: In this lab, you will install the MDS as a Manager and Container. 

You will then configure the station to function as the Primary MDS in your 

NOC environment. 

Topics: The following topics are covered in this lab: 

MDS installation on a LINUX or a Solaris system 

MDS configuration 

Configuring a Provider Superuser 

Configuring a GUI client 

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VERIFY MDS MACHINE CONFIGURATION 

1 Verify that gzip and gunzip are installed on the Sun Solaris or Linux machine 

before attempting to install the MDS. 

2 Verify that your machine meets the minimum requirement for MDS installation, 

including patch level. 

A specific kernel must be running on the Linux machine before 

you can install the Provider-1 MDS. If the system does not boot 

up on this kernel, the MDS installation will fail. 

3 Insert the Provider-1 NG CD into the CD-ROM drive. 

TRANSFER PROVIDER-1 NG FILES TO SOLARIS MACHINE 

Begin from a Terminal or Console window on the machine that will function as 

your configuration’s Primary MDS. 

1 Enter the root password for your machine. 

2 Create a temporary directory for the MDS, for example: 

/Provider_NG 

The temporary directory from which the installation is 

performed is not automatically erased upon installation of the 

Provider-1 NG MDS. It can be used later for a reinstallation. 

3 Using the cd command, navigate to the MDS file on the Provider-1 CD. 

4 Select the package appropriate for the system on which you 

wish to install. 

5 Copy the tgzipped file to /Provider_NG. 

6 Change directory to /Provider_NG. 

7 Decompress the *.tgz file and untar it. 

Solaris example: 

gzip -d Provider-1_R55_MDS_pr22_solaris.tgz 

tar -xvf Provider-1_R55_MDS_pr22_solaris.tar 

Linux example: 

gzip -d mds_release_ng_r54_linux_pr4.tgz 

tar -xvf mds_release_ng_r54_linux_pr4.tar


PERFORM MDS INSTALLATION 

Install and configure the MDS software on the machine functioning as the 

Primary MDS in your MSP configuration. 

. . . . . 

The steps in this lab pertain to both Sun Solaris and Linux 

environments. Although you may notice slight variations in the 

language, all differences are cosmetic, unless otherwise stated 

in the lab. 

1 From the Provider_NG directory, locate the mds_setup program. 

2 Run the following script: 

./mds_setup 

The system displays the following output: 

****************************************************** 

Welcome to the Check Point setup center for 

Provider-1/SiteManager-1. This utility will guide you 

through the installation or upgrade process. 

Version: NG with Application Intelligence (R55) 

****************************************************** 

Checking for installed components. This may take a few 

seconds. Please wait... 

No previous Provider-1 installation was detected on 

this machine. 

*** Do you want to proceed with fresh installation 

[yes/no]? 

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3 Type y, and press Enter. Various Check Point modules are installed and the 

system displays the following output: 

Which type of installation would you like to install? 

(1) Provider-1 MDS Manager station. 

(2) Provider-1 MDS Container station. 

(3) Provider-1 MDS Manager + Container station. 

(4) Provider-1 MLM station. 

Enter your selection [1,2,3,4,?,q] 

4 Type 3, to select the Provider-1 MDS Manager + Container station option, and 

press Enter. The system displays the following output: 

Are you installing the Primary MDS Manager [y,n,?,q] 

5 Type y, and press Enter. The system displays the following output: 

Do you want the MDS station to start automatically with 

each reboot of the machine i.e. from rc3.d boot level 

[y,n,?,q] 

6 Type y, to start the MDS automatically after reboot, and press Enter. The system 

displays the following output: 

## Executing checkinstall script. 

The selected base directory must exist 

before installation is attempted. 

Do you want this directory created now [y,n,?,q] 

This step does not appear in a Linux distribution. The system 

creates the directory automatically, without interaction from the 

user.


7 Type y, and press Enter. The directory is created and the system displays the 

following output: 

Installation of was successful. 

copying system files to MDSDIR 

Please read the following license agreement. 

Hit ’ENTER’ to continue... 

8 Press Enter. The system displays the License Agreement: 

This End-user License Agreement (the "Agreement") is an 

agreement between you (both the individual installing 

the Product and any legal entity on whose behalf such 

individual is acting) (hereinafter "You" or " Your") 

and Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (hereina 

fter "Check Point"). TAKING ANY STEP TO SET-UP OR 

INSTALL THE PRODUCT CONSTITUTES YOUR ASSENT TO AND 

ACCEPTANCE OF THIS END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT. WRITTEN 

APPROVAL IS NOT A PREREQUISITE TO THE VALIDITY OR 

ENFORCEABILITY OF THIS AGREEMENT AND NO SOLICITATION OF 

ANY SUCH WRITTEN APPROVAL BY OR ON BEHALF OF YOU SHALL 

BE CONSTRUED AS AN INFERENCE TO THE CONTRARY. IF YOU 

HAVE ORDERED THIS PRODUCT AND SUCH ORDER IS CONSIDER 

ED AN OFFER BY YOU, CHECK POINT’S ACCEPTANCE OF YOUR 

OFFER IS EXPRESSLY CONDITIONAL ON YOUR ASSENT TO THE 

TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER 

TERMS. IF THESE TERMS ARE CONSIDERED AN OFFER BY CHECK 

POINT, YOUR ACCEPTANCE IS EXPRESSLY LIMITED TO THE 

TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL 

THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, YOU MUST RETURN THIS PROD- 

UCT WITH THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE AND THE PROOF OF PAYMENT 

TO THE PLACE YOU OBTAINED IT FOR A FULL REFUND. 

. . . . . 

9 Read the License Agreement. Pressing the Space Bar to page down. The system 


Do you accept all the terms of this license agreement 

(y/n) ? 

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Welcome to MDS Configuration Program 

======================================== 

This program will guide you through several steps where 

you will define your MDS configuration. At any later 

time, you can reconfigure these parameters by running 

mdsconfig 

Configuring Leading VIP Interfaces... 

===================================== 

The Leading VIP Interfaces are real interfaces 

connected to an external network. These interfaces are 

used when setting CMA virtual IP addresses. Each 

leading interface can host up to 250 virtual IP 

addresses (250 CMAs). The following real interfaces are 

defined on this machine: 

hme0 

Typically, the leading interface on a Solaris machine is hme0. 

On an intel-based machine, the leading interface is usually 

eth0. 

If only one interface is active, the system will automatically 

configure it as the leading interface. If more than one interface 

is active, the system will ask you to specify which is the leading 

interface.


11 The system displays the following output: 

External interface has been added. 

Configuring Licenses... 

======================= 

The following licenses are installed on this host: 

Host Expiration Features 

Eval 4Feb2004 CPMP-PNP-1-NG 

Do you want to add licenses (y/n) [n] ? 

. . . . . 

Check Point provides a full-featured 15-day evaluation license 

with the software. For real-world deployments, the system must 

be licensed before the end of the 15-day evaluation period. 

12 Type n, and press Enter. The system displays the following output: 

Configuring Random Pool... 

========================== 

You are now asked to perform a short random keystroke 

session. The random data collected in this session will 

be used in various cryptographic operations. 

Please enter random text containing at least six 

different characters. You will see the ’*’ symbol after 

keystrokes that are too fast or too similar to preceding 

keystrokes. These keystrokes will be ignored. 

Please keep typing until you hear the beep and the bar 

is full. 

[ ] 

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13 Type a string of random keys. Stop when you hear a beep and the bar displayed 

on the screen is full. 

Try not to type the same letter twice. Type slowly when 

configuring the random key! Typing too fast and ignoring the 

beep could cause the machine to freeze, requiring you to reboot 

and restart the installation. 

14 Once the random string has been completed, the system displays the following 

output: 

Thank you. 

Configuring Groups... 

===================== 

MDS access and execution permissions 

------------------------------------------- 

Usually, a MDS module is given group permission 

for access and execution. You may now name such a group 

or instruct the installation procedure to give no group 

permissions to the MDS module. In the latter case, only 

the Super-User will be able to access and execute the 

MDS module. 

Please specify group name [ for no group 

permissions]: 

15 Press Enter, and the system displays the following output: 

No group permissions will be granted. Is this ok 

(y/n) [y] ?



Setting Group Permissions... 

Configuring Certificate Authority... 

==================================== 

The Provider-1/SiteManager-1 system uses an internal 

Certificate Authority to provide Secured Internal 

Communication (SIC) Certificates for the components in 

this system. 

Note that your components won’t be able to communicate 

with each other until the CA is initialized and they 

have their SIC certificate. 

Press ’Enter’ to initialize the Certificate 

Authority... 


Internal Certificate Authority created successfully 

Certificate was created successfully 

Setting FQDN to: 10.1.1.1 

Executing "$CPDIR/bin/cp_conf ca fqdn 10.1.1.1" in 

order to set FQDN 

Trying to contact Certificate Authority. It might take 

a while... 

10.1.1.1 was successfully set to the Internal CA 

Executing "$CPDIR/bin/cp_conf ca fqdn 10.1.1.1" in 

order to set FQDN - Done 

Certificate Authority initialization ended successfully 

Configuring Certificate’s Fingerprint... 

======================================== 

The following text is the fingerprint of this MDS 

machine: 

MILK HUFF SANE IRA MAT DOLT MUD BUSS NUDE TRAY ILL AWK 

Do you want to save it to a file? (y/n) [n] ? 

. . . . . 

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Configuring Administrators... 

============================= 

Do you want to add administrators (y/n) [y] ? 


Enter the administrator name: 

20 Type the name of the administrator (admin), and press Enter. The system displays 

the following output: 

Enter the password for the administrator: 

21 Enter the password of the Provider-1 NG administrator (abc123), and press Enter. 

The system displays the following output: 

Verify Password: 

22 Confirm the password, and press Enter. The system displays the following output: 

Please choose the administrator type you wish to 

define: 

1) Provider Superuser 

2) Customer Superuser 

3) Customer Manager 

4) Regular administrator (None) 

5) Don’t add administrator now. 

Enter your choice (1-5):


. . . . . 

23 Type 1 to give the administrator Provider Superuser rights, and press Enter. The 

system displays the following output: 

Updating administrator admin to the database... 

This operation requires the Multi Domain Server to be 

running. 

Please wait... 

Starting MDS server... 

... 

admin updated successfully. 

Do you want to add administrators (y/n) [n] ? 


Configuring GUI clients... 

========================== 

Do you want to add Provider-1 GUI clients (y/n) [y] ? 


Please choose the Provider-1 GUI client type you wish 

to define: 

1) MDS GUI clients by IP. 

2) MDS GUI clients by name. 

3) AnyHost GUI client. 

4) Don’t add GUI clients now. 

Enter your choice (1-4): 

26 Type 1, and press Enter. The system displays the following output: 

Enter the GUI client IP: 

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27 Type the IP address of the MDG, and press Enter. The system displays the 

following output: 

Enter the GUI client host name: 

28 Type MDG for the hostname of the GUI client, and press Enter. The system 


Updating GUI client MDG to the database... 

MDG updated successfully. 

Do you want to add Provider-1 GUI clients (y/n) [n] ? 


Stopping MDS only 

CPD stopped 

MDS stopped 

Do you want to start MDS now [yes/no]?



Adding Virtual IPs 

MDS: Starting MDS Server 

[1] 1908 

[2] 1909 

[3] 1910 

MDS Server Started 

****************************************************** 

The installation of Provider-1/SiteManager-1 NG with 

Application Intelligence (R55) has completed 

successfully. 

Please logout from this shell, and login again to 

activate the enviromnent settings of the new version. 

****************************************************** 

A log file was created: 

/opt/CPInstLog/mds_setup.log01_20_13_02 

31 Type the following command, and press Enter: 

eject CDROM 

32 Remove the CD from the CD-ROM drive. 

33 Type the following command, and press Enter: 

init 6 

End of lab. 

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Lab 1: Installing and Configuring the Primary MDS Station

CMA Management 

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CMA MANAGEMENT 

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Each Customer Management Add-on is loaded on the MDS and functions as a 

Check Point Management Server. Each CMA manages a single customer’s 

network and requires a dedicated CMA license. CMAs can be licensed as a 

single server or as a mirror server for HA configurations. 

Licensing the Customer Management Add-ons 

The CMAs can be licensed in a number of different ways, depending on the 

MSP’s Provider-1 configuration. 

Feature String Description 

CPPR-CMA-1-NG First Customer CMA that manages one module 

CPPR-CMA-2-NG First Customer CMA that manages up to two modules 

CPPR-CMA-4-NG First Customer CMA that manages up to four modules 

CPPR-CMA-U-NG First Customer CMA that manages an unlimited number of 

modules 

CPPR-CMA-1-HA-NG Mirror CMA that manages one module 

CPPR-CMA-2-HA-NG Mirror CMA that manages up to two modules 

CPPR-CMA-4-HA-NG Mirror CMA that manages up to four modules 

CPPR-CMA-U-HA-NG Mirror CMA that manages an unlimited number of modules 

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mdsconfig Utility 

MDS Commands 

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MDS and CMA Command Line Options 

MDS AND CMA COMMAND LINE OPTIONS 

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This section provides basic command line options for administering the MDS 

and CMAs. All command line options must be performed in the C shell and in 

the directory specified in the description. 

The mdsconfig utility executes automatically during the initial installation of 

any MDS. This utility is used to setup the MDS parameters and assign basic 

configuration details, such as GUI Clients, Administrator rights, etc. If 

reconfiguration is necessary, the mdsconfig utility can be run from the MDS 

environment. 

— mdsenv 

The mdsenv command sets the environment variable for the MDS. Once the 

MDS environment is set, all MDS specific commands can be executed. 

— mdsstart [-m] 

The mdsstart command starts the MDS and all CMAs loaded on the MDS. If 

the command is run with the -m qualifier, the MDS is started but the CMAs are 

not. 

— mdsstop [-m] 

The mdsstop command stops the MDS and all CMAs loaded on the MDS. If 

the command is run with the -m qualifier, the MDS is stopped but the CMAs are 

not. 

— mdscmd 

The mdscmd is a CPMI client that allows an Administrator to add or remove a 

customer or to use the mirror option to back up MDS information. This utility 

walks the administrator through the addition or removal of customers from the 

MDS and all mdscmd commands are logged and synchronized with other MDS 

machines. 

— mdsstat 

The mdsstat command utility displays detailed information on the process 

status of both the MDS and CMAs.

— cplic printlic 


The cplic printlic command displays all MDS licenses. 

— cplic putlic 

. . . . . 

The cplic putlic command allows Administrators to add licenses to the MDS. 

— fw mds ver 

The fw mds ver command displays the version information of the MDS DLL. 

— MSP_RETRY_INTERVAL [Number of seconds] 

The MSP_RETRY_INTERVAL command changes the MDS setting that 

regulates how often it looks to see if a GUI client is connected to a CMA. 

— MSP_RETRY_INIT_INTERVAL [Number of seconds] 

The MSP_RETRY_INIT_INTERVAL command changes the MDS setting 

that regulates how often it requests that the CMAs send status information to 

the MDS. 

— MSP_SPACING_REG_CMAS_FOR_STATUSES 

Customer Management Add-on Commands 

— mdsenv [CMA name] 

The MSP_SPACING_REG_CMAS_FOR_STATUSES command 

initiates the MDS to contact the CMAs with a request to start collecting status 

information. If there is no MDG connection to the MDS, it will not initiate a 

status collection request to the CMAs. The above command forces the request 

to each CMA in one-second intervals. 

The mdsenv command sets the environment variable for the specified CMA. 

Once the CMA environment is set, all CMA specific commands can be 

executed. This command must be repeated, referencing the appropriate CMA, 

if the user intends to execute commands for a different CMA. All CMA specific 

commands can only take place once the correct environment variable has 

been set. 

— fw ver 

The fw ver command displays the VPN-1/FireWall-1 version information for 

the CMA for which the environment is set. 

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— cplic printlic 

The cplic printlic command displays all licenses assigned to the CMA for 

which the environment is set. 

— cplic putlic 

The cplic putlic command adds licenses to the CMA for which the 

environment is set.

Summary 

Review Questions 

Review 

. . . . . 

REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The MDS consists of multiple CMAs installed on a single machine. 

Each CMA controls any number of VPN-1/FireWall-1 remote Enforcement 

Modules at a single Customer site. 

Check Point Provider-1 NG with Application Intelligence includes Primary 

MDS and additional MDS components to support a growing customer base. 

The Primary MDS is the core component of a Provider-1 NG with 

Application Intelligence system. 

An additional MDS is required for any system with more than 500 

Customers, and can manage up to 500 additional Customers. 

1 What are the main differences between MDS Manager and MDS 

Container machines? 

2 How many MDS Manager machines are required for each Provider-1 

configuration? 

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Review 

Review Questions and Answers 

1 What are the main differences between MDS Manager and MDS Container 

machines? 

- The MDG can only connect to the MDS Manager machine. 

- The MDS Manager machine acts as the Certificate Authority for the 

Provider-1 configuration. 

- The MDS Container machine maintains all CMA data. 

2 How many MDS Manager machines are required for each Provider-1 

configuration? 

One MDS Manager machine is necessary for standard operations, two for 

MDS - level High Availability functions.

MDS INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

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