Configure multiple Content Delivery instances

Current version: 10.2

To configure multiple Content Delivery (CD) instances, do the following for each instance you have installed:

  1. Each server must have a unique instance name. By default Sitecore assigns an instance name consisting of the machine name plus the IIS server name.

    If you need to assign a different instance name, use a patch file to set it manually. The following example sets the name to testCD1:

    RequestResponse
    <setting name="InstanceName">
        <patch:attribute name="value">testCD1</patch:attribute>
    </setting>
    Note

    You only need to do this if you need to change the default instance name.

  2. Ensure that the Publishing.PublishingInstance setting in the \App_Config\Sitecore.config file is empty - otherwise patch in an empty value:

    RequestResponse
    <!--  PUBLISHING INSTANCE
        Assigns the instance name of dedicated Sitecore installation 
        for publishing operations.
        When empty, all publishing operations are performed on 
        the local installation of Sitecore.
        Default vaue: (empty)
    -->
    <setting name="Publishing.PublishingInstance">
        <patch:attribute name="value"></patch:attribute>
    </setting>
  3. If you have activated the Sitecore IP Geolocation, you must configure each CD instance to perform GeoIP lookups. Use a patch file to set the Analytics.PerformLookup property to true in the \App_Config\Sitecore\Marketing.Tracking\Sitecore.Analytics.Tracking.config file. This setting must be set to true on all the CD instances.

    RequestResponse
    <!--  ANALYTICS PERFORM LOOKUP
               Determines if this server performs the lookups (DNS and URLs). 
               Should be set to true on every server where Tracking is enabled.
               Default: true
         -->
         <setting name="GeoIp.PerformLookup" value="true" />
  4. Configure a session state server for the CD instances. For each server cluster, configure both private and shared session state and a session state database.

  5. In the Sitecore.Analytics.Tracking.config file, ensure that Analytics.HostName value is empty. If it is not, patch in an empty value:

    RequestResponse
    <setting name="Analytics.Hostname"
        <patch:attribute name="value"></patch:attribute>
    </setting>
  6. In the ASP.NET web.config file, set the validationKey and the decryptionKey attributes of the /configuration/system.web/machineKey element to a non-auto generated value. Ensure that the value is the same on all the Sitecore instances within the environment and that the IsolateApps modifier is not present in either value.

Note

In Sitecore 9 and later, the parameter Analytics.ClusterName in the Sitecore.Analytics.Tracking.Config file is no longer used, and should be left at its default value.

Configuring load balancing for CD servers

If you have two or more CD servers, you must configure load balancing and session state management for the servers.You are required to use out of process session state management which means you do not need to use a persistent load-balancing method.

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