---
title: Prepare for XDCR
description: Before setting up a replication, make sure you have the appropriate
  administrative roles.
pubDate: 2026-08-17T09:53:44.266Z
antora:
  editUrl: https://github.com/couchbase/docs-server/edit/release/7.6/modules/manage/pages/manage-xdcr/prepare-for-xdcr.adoc
  xref: xref:7.6@server:manage:manage-xdcr/prepare-for-xdcr.adoc[]
---

[Consult the llms.txt file for a full list of contents](/llms.txt)
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# Prepare for XDCR

> Before setting up a replication, make sure you have the appropriate administrative roles. Then, make sure your cluster is appropriately configured and provisioned. 

## [](#establish-roles-for-xdcr)Establish Roles for XDCR

Couchbase Server enforces _Role-Based Access Control_. This means that to access specific system-resources, corresponding _privileges_ are required. Privileges have a fixed association with _roles_, which are assigned to _users_.

Full information on Role-Based Access Control is provided in [Authorization](../../learn/security/authorization-overview.md). If you possess the role of _Full_, _Cluster_, or _XDCR Administrator_, you can create, edit, and delete cluster references and replications.

## [](#prepare-your-cluster-for-XDCR)Prepare Your Cluster for XDCR

Before beginning XDCR management:

* Configure all nodes within the source cluster so that they can individually communicate over the network to all nodes within the target cluster.
* Ensure that all Couchbase Server platforms match. For instance, if you want to replicate from a Linux-based cluster, you need to do so with another Linux-based cluster.
* Confirm that your cluster is properly sized, and is able to handle new XDCR streams. For example, XDCR needs 1-2 additional CPU cores per stream; and in some cases, will require additional RAM and network resources as well. If a cluster is not sized to handle _both_ the existing workload _and_ the new XDCR streams, the performance of both XDCR and the cluster overall may be negatively impacted.
* Couchbase Server uses TCP/IP port `8091` to exchange cluster configuration information. If you are communicating with a destination cluster over a dedicated connection, or over the Internet, ensure that all nodes in the destination and source clusters can communicate with each other over port `8091`.

## [](#next-xdcr-steps-after-preparation)Next Steps

Once your source and target clusters have been prepared, to start XDCR management, [Create a Reference](create-xdcr-reference.md).