[GH-ISSUE #5724] Feature Request: Extend getting-started.sh with high-availability (HA) configuration mode #11915

New Issue

saavagebueno · 2026-08-05T01:31:38-04:00

saavagebueno commented

2026-08-05 01:31:38 -04:00

Originally created by @renne on GitHub (Mar 28, 2026).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/issues/5724

Summary

The current infrastructure_files/getting-started.sh script sets up a fully functional single-node NetBird deployment (combined management + signal + relay). However, it provides no guided path for users who need a production-grade, high-availability setup. This feature request asks for an HA mode to be added to the script (or a companion script/template) that configures multiple redundant nodes for all critical components.

Motivation

Users running NetBird self-hosted in production face the following gaps today:

The getting-started script deploys a single combined server — one process handles management, signal, and relay. Any restart or failure causes a full outage.
There is no documented or scripted path from single-node to HA without manually editing docker-compose files and reverse proxy configuration.
The embedded database (SQLite via the combined server) is not suitable for multi-instance deployments — shared state is required.
Teams that want zero-downtime updates or node-level fault tolerance currently have to figure out the entire HA topology from scratch.

Proposed Solution

Extend the getting-started script with an optional HA deployment mode, selectable via a flag or interactive prompt (e.g. --mode ha), that configures:

1. External shared database (PostgreSQL)

Prompt for or accept a PostgreSQL DSN (NETBIRD_STORE_ENGINE=postgres, NETBIRD_DATADIR pointing to shared storage)
Provide a bundled postgres service in the generated docker-compose for single-machine HA testing, and document how to point it at an external managed database

2. Multiple management instances

Generate a docker-compose with netbird-management scaled to N replicas (configurable, default 2)
All replicas share the same PostgreSQL backend and object store
Requires stateless management — verify this is already the case or flag any blockers

3. Multiple relay instances

Generate relay containers with distinct NB_RELAY_AUTH_SECRET (shared secret, different bind addresses)
Document that clients discover all relay addresses from management and auto-failover

4. Multiple signal instances (if horizontally scalable)

Generate netbird-signal replicas
Document statefulness constraints if signal cannot be horizontally scaled today

5. Load balancer / reverse proxy with upstream groups

Extend the Traefik / Nginx / Caddy configuration generation to define upstream groups pointing at all management and relay replicas
Traefik: use loadbalancer.servers with multiple entries
Nginx: use upstream blocks with multiple server directives
Caddy: use reverse_proxy with multiple backends

6. Health checks and graceful drain

Add healthcheck entries to docker-compose for each component so the load balancer removes unhealthy instances
Document rolling update procedure (drain → update → re-add)

Example Invocation

# HA mode with 2 management replicas and external PostgreSQL
curl -sSL https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/releases/latest/download/getting-started.sh | bash -s -- \
  --mode ha \
  --management-replicas 2 \
  --relay-replicas 2 \
  --postgres-dsn "postgres://netbird:secret@db.example.com:5432/netbird"

Or interactively: the script prompts Deploy in HA mode? [y/N] and collects the required parameters.

Minimum Viable Scope

If full scripted HA is too large for a single PR, a useful intermediate step would be:

Document the required environment variables and docker-compose structure for an HA deployment in a docs/ or infrastructure_files/README-ha.md file
Add a docker-compose.ha.yml template that users can adapt
Note any current architectural blockers (e.g. signal statefulness, object storage requirements)

infrastructure_files/getting-started.sh — current single-node script
infrastructure_files/migrate.sh — database migration helper
NetBird docs on self-hosting: https://docs.netbird.io/selfhosted/selfhosted-guide

Originally created by @renne on GitHub (Mar 28, 2026). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/issues/5724 ## Summary The current `infrastructure_files/getting-started.sh` script sets up a fully functional single-node NetBird deployment (combined management + signal + relay). However, it provides no guided path for users who need a production-grade, high-availability setup. This feature request asks for an HA mode to be added to the script (or a companion script/template) that configures multiple redundant nodes for all critical components. ## Motivation Users running NetBird self-hosted in production face the following gaps today: - The getting-started script deploys a **single combined server** — one process handles management, signal, and relay. Any restart or failure causes a full outage. - There is **no documented or scripted path** from single-node to HA without manually editing docker-compose files and reverse proxy configuration. - The embedded database (SQLite via the combined server) is not suitable for multi-instance deployments — shared state is required. - Teams that want zero-downtime updates or node-level fault tolerance currently have to figure out the entire HA topology from scratch. ## Proposed Solution Extend the getting-started script with an optional **HA deployment mode**, selectable via a flag or interactive prompt (e.g. `--mode ha`), that configures: ### 1. External shared database (PostgreSQL) - Prompt for or accept a PostgreSQL DSN (`NETBIRD_STORE_ENGINE=postgres`, `NETBIRD_DATADIR` pointing to shared storage) - Provide a bundled `postgres` service in the generated docker-compose for single-machine HA testing, and document how to point it at an external managed database ### 2. Multiple management instances - Generate a docker-compose with `netbird-management` scaled to N replicas (configurable, default 2) - All replicas share the same PostgreSQL backend and object store - Requires stateless management — verify this is already the case or flag any blockers ### 3. Multiple relay instances - Generate relay containers with distinct `NB_RELAY_AUTH_SECRET` (shared secret, different bind addresses) - Document that clients discover all relay addresses from management and auto-failover ### 4. Multiple signal instances (if horizontally scalable) - Generate `netbird-signal` replicas - Document statefulness constraints if signal cannot be horizontally scaled today ### 5. Load balancer / reverse proxy with upstream groups - Extend the Traefik / Nginx / Caddy configuration generation to define **upstream groups** pointing at all management and relay replicas - Traefik: use `loadbalancer.servers` with multiple entries - Nginx: use `upstream` blocks with multiple `server` directives - Caddy: use `reverse_proxy` with multiple backends ### 6. Health checks and graceful drain - Add `healthcheck` entries to docker-compose for each component so the load balancer removes unhealthy instances - Document rolling update procedure (drain → update → re-add) ## Example Invocation ```bash # HA mode with 2 management replicas and external PostgreSQL curl -sSL https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/releases/latest/download/getting-started.sh | bash -s -- \ --mode ha \ --management-replicas 2 \ --relay-replicas 2 \ --postgres-dsn "postgres://netbird:secret@db.example.com:5432/netbird" ``` Or interactively: the script prompts `Deploy in HA mode? [y/N]` and collects the required parameters. ## Minimum Viable Scope If full scripted HA is too large for a single PR, a useful intermediate step would be: - [ ] Document the required environment variables and docker-compose structure for an HA deployment in a `docs/` or `infrastructure_files/README-ha.md` file - [ ] Add a `docker-compose.ha.yml` template that users can adapt - [ ] Note any current architectural blockers (e.g. signal statefulness, object storage requirements) ## Related - `infrastructure_files/getting-started.sh` — current single-node script - `infrastructure_files/migrate.sh` — database migration helper - NetBird docs on self-hosting: https://docs.netbird.io/selfhosted/selfhosted-guide

saavagebueno closed this issue

2026-08-05 01:31:38 -04:00

saavagebueno commented

2026-08-05 01:31:38 -04:00

@braginini commented on GitHub (Mar 29, 2026):

There is a comprehensive guide in the docs that covers most of the requested functionality: https://docs.netbird.io/selfhosted/maintenance/scaling/scaling-your-self-hosted-deployment

FYI: The open source version of Management and signal only supports active-passive HA mode that you can easily configure with an external Postgres database.

If you are looking for active-active setup then you should refer to the enterprise commercial license. See here: https://netbird.io/pricing#on-prem

P.S. Some of the added functionality of the proposed script is interesting (like providing Postgres dsn). We will see what we can do about it

@braginini commented on GitHub (Mar 29, 2026): There is a comprehensive guide in the docs that covers most of the requested functionality: https://docs.netbird.io/selfhosted/maintenance/scaling/scaling-your-self-hosted-deployment FYI: The open source version of Management and signal only supports active-passive HA mode that you can easily configure with an external Postgres database. If you are looking for active-active setup then you should refer to the enterprise commercial license. See here: https://netbird.io/pricing#on-prem P.S. Some of the added functionality of the proposed script is interesting (like providing Postgres dsn). We will see what we can do about it

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Reference: DYNR/netbird#11915