Swap primary mx250

[Marsrock2021]

Have 2 mx250 in primary/slave config. 

I had backup Internet link installed first connected to second mx250. I now have primary Internet connected to first mx250. If I swap primary is there much of down time for users during the switch over. 

If it goes bad what's the easiest way to swap back to the second as primary and the backup Internet connection. 

[PhilipDAth]

It depends on the type of failure.  Failover time can be 10s to 5 minutes.

[Marsrock2021]

Thanks for that. 

It won't be a fail over. I want to swap the primary and the warm spare on the dashboard so the Internet connection on the current spare becomes the primary Internet for end users.

[PhilipDAth]

That is likely to have next to no outage.  Barely detectable.

[Owen]

Not advisable for the middle of production hours.

If I'm not mistaken swapping the MX's over in the warm spare topology will induce a reboot of both firewalls. This will break all user sessions. Certainly noticable.

[PhilipDAth]

I don't believe it will cause a reboot.  When I have done it in the past no one has even noticed.

[DarrenOC]

I concur with @PhilipDAth. Your users shouldn’t notice and it won’t cause a reboot of both MXs.

Always best to be safe and action during an outage window. Gives yourself some breathing space and peace of mind should anything unexpected happen.

[Marsrock2021]

Thanks guys. 

As both mx 250 are online with different public ip addresses (no vip) should users have any issue when switch over happens or will it just switch from one public ip to the other. 

We don't have vips setup as there are no spare ip addresses on a temporary link but plan to do that later. 

We haven't anything yet either that is coming back in on either public ip so OK there too. 

[PhilipDAth]

You don't need a VIP.

Anyone doing a long-lived stream (like a long download or watching a YouTube stream) will get interrupted.  Those doing things like web browsing, using Office 365, etc, might get a minor interruption and then it will just continue on.

[Marsrock2021]

I switched them over at lunch time. 

Only dropped 2 pings. 

Dropped a zoom call for 5 seconds which was great. 

Thanks everyone. 

Ye all so helpful.