Use XDCR when you want continuous replication of Couchbase data to a staging cluster. XDCR keeps the staging database synchronized with the source.

Before you begin

  • Source cluster is accessible from staging host over network

  • Source cluster admin credentials with required privileges:

    • XDCR_ADMIN – Required to set up XDCR replication

    • DATA_MONITOR – Required to monitor cluster and replication status

  • Staging cluster admin credentials (for creating new staging cluster)

  • Network connectivity:

    • Source to staging: SSH (22), Couchbase management (8091), XDCR replication (11210)

Procedure

  1. Navigate to Data > Data Management > dSources.

  2. Select + dSource

  3. Select:

    1. Source-based dSource

    2. Couchbase source config

  4. Configure ingestion settings

    1. dSource type: XDCR

    2. Mount path – Base path for NFS mounts (e.g., /mnt/provision). Must be empty and writable by environment OS user.

    3. Staging host – FQDN recommended for cluster communication

    4. Staging port – Default 8091

  5. Define resource allocation for staging cluster creation:

    1. Cluster RAM size – Total cluster memory

    2. Index RAM size – Memory for indexing service

    3. FTS RAM size – Memory for full-text search (if needed)

    4. Eventing RAM = 0 – Disable on staging (not required for replication)

    5. Analytics RAM = 0 – Disable on staging (optional; enable on target VDBs if needed)

  6. Configure authentication

    1. Staging cluster admin username/password

    2. Source cluster admin username/password (must have XDCR_ADMIN and DATA_MONITOR privileges)

  7. Configure bucket settings

    1. Bucket size:

      • 0 – Inherit bucket size from source cluster (recommended)

      • Any positive integer (MB) – Override all buckets to use this size

    2. Optional: Specify bucket list for selective replication (replicate only specific buckets)

  8. Complete wizard configuration

    1. dSource name

    2. Target group

    3. Environment user

  9. Configure optional settings:

    1. Snapshot policy

    2. Hooks (optional)

  10. Select Submit

During XDCR linking

The Continuous Data Engine performs the following operations:

  • Validates mount path accessibility

  • Verifies credentials and privileges on both clusters

  • Creates staging cluster with specified resource allocation

  • Configures XDCR replication from source to staging

  • Starts data synchronization

Result

A dSource is created from backup data and is ready for snapshots and VDB provisioning.

If linking fails

If dSource linking encounters errors, check the following:

  • XDCR specific:

    • Verify source cluster credentials have XDCR_ADMIN and DATA_MONITOR privileges

    • Confirm network connectivity on port 11210 (XDCR binary protocol)

  • Common issues:

    • Mount path inaccessible or not empty

    • SSH access issues to staging host

    • Couchbase binaries missing or wrong version on staging

    • Port conflicts or firewall blocking connections

Review Continuous Data Engine logs and Couchbase instance logs at /opt/couchbase/var/lib/couchbase/logs on staging host for detailed error messages.

Last updated
Oct 9, 2026