---
title: "Recover a Failed Coordinator"
source: https://cloudberry.apache.org/docs/sys-admin/high-availability/recover-a-failed-coordinator
---

# Recover a Failed Coordinator

If the primary coordinator fails, the Apache Cloudberry system is not accessible and WAL replication stops. Use [`gpactivatestandby`](../../sys-utilities/gpactivatestandby.md) to activate the standby coordinator. Upon activation of the standby coordinator, Apache Cloudberry reconstructs the coordinator host state at the time of the last successfully committed transaction.

These steps assume a standby coordinator host is configured for the system. See [Enable Coordinator Mirroring](./enable-coordinator-mirroring.md).

## To activate the standby coordinator

1. Run the `gpactivatestandby` utility from the standby coordinator host you are activating. For example:

    ```shell
    $ export PGPORT=5432
    $ gpactivatestandby -d /data/coordinator/gpseg-1
    ```

    Where `-d` specifies the data directory of the coordinator host you are activating.

    After you activate the standby, it becomes the *active* or *primary* coordinator for your Apache Cloudberry array.

    :::note
    Before running `gpactivatestandby`, be sure to run `gpstate -f` to confirm that the standby coordinator is synchronized with the current coordinator node. If synchronized, the final line of the `gpstate -f` output will look similar to this: `20230607:06:50:06:004205 gpstate:test1-m:gpadmin-[INFO]:--Sync state: sync`.
    :::

2. After the utility completes, run `gpstate` with the `-b` option to display a summary of the system status:

    ```shell
    $ gpstate -b
    ```

    The coordinator instance status should be `Active`. When a standby coordinator is not configured, the command displays `No coordinator standby configured` for the standby coordinator status. If you configured a new standby coordinator, its status is `Passive`.

3. Optional: If you have not already done so while activating the prior standby coordinator, you can run `gpinitstandby` on the active coordinator host to configure a new standby coordinator.

    :::note
    You need to initialize a new standby coordinator to continue providing coordinator mirroring.
    :::

    For information about restoring the original coordinator and standby coordinator configuration, see [Restore Coordinator Mirroring After a Recovery](./restore-coordinator-mirroring-after-a-recovery.md).