# Information About SME Cluster Management

An SME cluster consists of a group of MDS switches running the SME application in a single fabric environment where each switch is a member or node. The cluster infrastructure enables the SME application to offer high availability and load balancing by providing the ability to communicate and coordinate with the other members to maintain a consistent and distributed view of the application’s configuration and operational state.

The process of configuring SME on an MDS switch with an installed Cisco MSM-18/4 module, SSN-16 module, or on a Cisco MDS 9222i switch involves a number of configuration tasks that should be followed in chronological order. See the topics in the Before You Begin online help in DCNM-SAN Web Server.