Cluster Setup & Configuration in Neo4j

1. Overview

Clustering in Neo4j enables high availability and scalability by allowing multiple instances of the database to work together as a single unit. This lesson covers how to set up and configure a Neo4j cluster.

2. Prerequisites

• Familiarity with Neo4j and its installation.
• A minimum of three Neo4j instances (nodes).
• Access to a network that allows communication between the nodes.
• Java 11 or higher installed on all nodes.

3. Cluster Setup

The following steps outline how to set up a Neo4j cluster:

1. Install Neo4j on all nodes.
2. Configure the database settings in the neo4j.conf file.
3. Start the Neo4j instances on all nodes.
4. Join the nodes to form a cluster.

Step 1: Install Neo4j

Download and install Neo4j from the official website. Ensure the same version is installed on all nodes.

Step 2: Configuration

Edit the neo4j.conf file on each node to include the following settings:

# Enable clustering
causal_clustering.enabled=true

# Set the node's unique identifier
causal_clustering.local_address=0.0.0.0:5000

# Set the cluster members
causal_clustering.initial_discovery_members=:5000,:5000,:5000
        

Step 3: Start Neo4j Instances

Use the following command to start each Neo4j instance:

neo4j start
        

Step 4: Joining Nodes

Once all instances are running, they will automatically discover each other and form a cluster.

4. Configuration

After setting up the cluster, further configurations can be applied:

• Set replication factors based on your data needs.
• Establish backup strategies to protect data.
• Monitor cluster health using Neo4j monitoring tools.

5. Best Practices

• Use dedicated servers for each node.
• Regularly update Neo4j to the latest stable version.
• Implement load balancing to distribute queries evenly.

6. FAQ