[id='cluster-discovery-protocols_{context}']
= Cluster discovery protocols
{brandname} supports different protocols that allow nodes to automatically find each other on the network and form clusters.

There are two types of discovery mechanisms that {brandname} can use:

* Generic discovery protocols that work on most networks and do not rely on external services.
* Discovery protocols that rely on external services to store and retrieve topology information for {brandname} clusters. +
For instance the DNS_PING protocol performs discovery through DNS server records.

[NOTE]
====
Running {brandname} on hosted platforms requires using discovery mechanisms that are adapted to network constraints that individual cloud providers impose.
====

[role="_additional-resources"]
.Additional resources
* link:{jgroups_docs}#DiscoveryProtocols[JGroups Discovery Protocols]
//RH KCS article
ifdef::downstream[]
* link:https://access.redhat.com/solutions/5608391[JGroups cluster transport configuration for {brandname} 8.x] ({RedHat} knowledgebase article)
endif::downstream[]
