NDB Cluster Configuration Files [mysqld] ndbcluster ndb-connectstring=ndb_mgmd.mysql.com # provide connection string for management server host (default port: 1186) [ndbd] connect-string=ndb_mgmd.mysql.com # provide connection string for management server host (default port: 1186) [ndb_mgm] connect-string=ndb_mgmd.mysql.com # provide location of cluster configuration file # IMPORTANT: When starting the management server with this option in the # configuration file, the use of --initial or --reload on the command line when # invoking ndb_mgmd is also required. [ndb_mgmd] config-file=/etc/config.ini # my.cnf # example additions to my.cnf for NDB Cluster # (works on all versions) # enable ndbcluster storage engine, and provide connection string for management # server host to the default port 1186 [mysqld] ndbcluster ndb-connectstring=ndb_mgmd.mysql.com:1186 # cluster-specific settings [mysql_cluster] ndb-connectstring=ndb_mgmd.mysql.com:1186 4054 The global configuration file for NDB Cluster uses INI format, which consists of sections preceded by section headings (surrounded by square brackets), followed by the appropriate parameter names and values. One deviation from the standard INI format is that the parameter name and value can be separated by a colon ( : ) as well as the equal sign ( = ); however, the equal sign is preferred. Another deviation is that sections are not uniquely identified by section name. Instead, unique sections (such as two different nodes of the same type) are identified by a unique ID specified as a parameter within the section. The NDB Cluster global configuration file is by convention named  config.ini  (but this is not required). If needed, it is read by  ndb_mgmd  at startup and can be placed in any location that can be read by it. The location and name of the configuration are specified using  --config-file= path_name  with  ndb_mgmd on the command line. This option has no default value, and is ignored if  ndb_mgmd  uses the configuration cache. For additional  NDB  variables that can be set in the  my.cnf  file, see NDB Cluster System Variables. You may also use a separate  [mysql_cluster]  section in the cluster  my.cnf  file for settings to be read and used by all executables: Once you have started a  mysqld  process with the  NDBCLUSTER  and  ndb- connectstring  parameters in the  [mysqld]  in the  my.cnf  file as shown previously, you cannot execute any  CREATE TABLE  or  ALTER TABLE  statements without having actually started the cluster. Otherwise, these statements fail with an error.  This is by design . Important (For more information on connection strings, see Section 23.3.3.3, “NDB Cluster Connection Strings” .)