Indexer cluster + Search Head Cluster question

[perfecto25]

Hello, I setup 1 Indexer Cluster (3 indexers + 1 Master) and 1 SH cluster (3 search heads + 1 non-clustered Deployer

I am using this Ansible playbook to do all this, and I got it to work pretty well,

https://github.com/perfecto25/splunk_spaceballs

When I log into the Master server, and I goto Settings > Index Clustering, I can see all 3 of my indexers listed as Indexing peers,

for some reason my Master is listed as one of the search heads,

My Master's server.conf lists it as a Cluster Master,

[general]
serverName = mrxsplunkmas
pass4SymmKey = $1$Ss/uc3zMcGHp

[sslConfig]
sslPassword = $1$HYO6LzmKOzPp

[lmpool:auto_generated_pool_download-trial]
description = auto_generated_pool_download-trial
quota = MAX
slaves = *
stack_id = download-trial

[lmpool:auto_generated_pool_forwarder]
description = auto_generated_pool_forwarder
quota = MAX
slaves = *
stack_id = forwarder

[lmpool:auto_generated_pool_free]
description = auto_generated_pool_free
quota = MAX
slaves = *
stack_id = free

[clustering]
cluster_label = idxcluster
**mode = master**
pass4SymmKey = $1$etfufn7+dGrGtM8iFFpb

Is this an expected outcome? Does Master become a default search head for its own indexer cluster?

Thanks.

[nikita_p]

Hi @perfecto25,
Yes this is expected outcome.
But if you login to your deployment server and go to setting ->monitoring console, there you can see overview of your cluster.

[somesoni2]

This is expected behavior. As per this documentation

The list includes the master node as one of the search heads. Although the master has search head capabilities, you should only use those capabilities for debugging purposes. The resources of the master must be dedicated to fulfilling its critical role of coordinating cluster activities. Under no circumstances should the master be employed as a production search head. Also, unlike a dedicated search head, the search head on the master cannot be configured for multi-cluster search; it can only search its own cluster.