> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex-xsoar-8-on-prem/8.12/onboard-cortex-xsoar/plan-your-deployment.md). # Plan your deployment Before you start your Cortex XSOAR deployment, consider the following: * Do you need Cortex XSOAR to communicate with internal or external applications that a firewall or proxy may block? You may need to create an engine to enable communication or load balancing. * Do you want to deploy a single node (standalone) or a cluster of three nodes? When deciding how many nodes to deploy, consider the following: * Currently, if you deploy a single node (standalone), you can't switch to a cluster of three nodes. * If you deploy a cluster of three nodes, you can implement out-of-the-box high availability (HA) by replicating data between the nodes in the cluster. For more information, see [High Availability for Cortex XSOAR](/cortex-xsoar-8-on-prem/8.12/install-cortex-xsoar/high-availability-for-cortex-xsoar.md). You can also implement load balancing. For more information, see [Load balancing for Cortex XSOAR](/cortex-xsoar-8-on-prem/8.12/install-cortex-xsoar/load-balancing-for-cortex-xsoar.md). * Cortex XSOAR supports a single node (standalone) or a three-node cluster deployment. A two-node configuration is not supported. * Do you need a repository for content development? Add your private repository to Cortex XSOAR. The remote repository enables the development and testing of content in a development environment before using it in a production environment. Production and development are separate Kubernetes clusters with no dependency between them. For example, you can deploy a three-node cluster for production and a standalone node for development. Or if you want to implement HA with three nodes for production and development, you need six nodes, three for production and three for development. * How do you want users to access Cortex XSOAR? Do you need to set up SSO? * Do you need to restrict user roles to certain actions? * How do you want to secure requests between main and child tenants (for multi-tenant) or your content management? Do you want to use SSL or a self-signed certificate? * How do you want to communicate with users in Cortex XSOAR? Which mail sender do you use? Do you want to integrate a communication app, such as Slack? * What steps do you currently take in your day-to-day SOC operations? Which integrations will enable you to automate your most important and time-consuming procedures? --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex-xsoar-8-on-prem/8.12/onboard-cortex-xsoar/plan-your-deployment.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.