--- layout: commands page_title: 'Commands: Operator Area' description: > The operator area command is used to interact with Consul's network area subsystem. --- # Consul Operator Area Command: `consul operator area` Consul Enterprise supports network areas, which are operator-defined relationships between servers in two different Consul datacenters. The operator area command is used to interact with Consul's network area subsystem. Unlike Consul's WAN feature, network areas use just the server RPC port for communication, and relationships can be made between independent pairs of datacenters, so not all servers need to be fully connected. This allows for complex topologies among Consul datacenters like hub/spoke and more general trees. See the [Network Areas Guide](https://learn.hashicorp.com/consul/day-2-operations/advanced-federation) for more details. ```text Usage: consul operator area [options] The operator area command is used to interact with Consul's network area subsystem. Network areas are used to link together Consul servers in different Consul datacenters. With network areas, Consul datacenters can be linked together in ways other than a fully-connected mesh, as is required for Consul's WAN. Subcommands: create Create a new network area delete Remove a network area join Join Consul servers into an existing network area list List network areas members Display Consul server members present in network areas update Update the configuration of a network area ``` If ACLs are enabled, the client will need to supply an ACL Token with `operator` read or write privileges to use these commands. ## create Corresponding HTTP API Endpoint: [\[POST\] /v1/operator/area](/api-docs/operator/area#create-network-area) This command creates a new network area. The table below shows this command's [required ACLs](/api#authentication). Configuration of [blocking queries](/api/features/blocking) and [agent caching](/api/features/caching) are not supported from commands, but may be from the corresponding HTTP endpoint. | ACL Required | | ---------------- | | `operator:write` | Usage: `consul operator area create [options]` #### API Options @include 'http_api_options_client.mdx' @include 'http_api_options_server.mdx' #### Command Options - `-peer-datacenter=` - Declares the peer Consul datacenter that will make up the other side of this network area. Network areas always involve a pair of datacenters: the datacenter where the area was created, and the peer datacenter. This is required. - `-retry-join=` Specifies the address of a Consul server to join to, such as an IP or hostname with an optional port number. This is optional and can be specified multiple times. - `-use-tls=` Specifies whether gossip over this area should be encrypted with TLS if possible. Must be either `true` or `false`. The output looks like this, displaying the ID of the newly-created network area: ```text Created area "d2872ec5-68ea-b862-b75d-0bee99aca100" with peer datacenter "other"! ``` The return code will indicate success or failure. ## delete Corresponding HTTP API Endpoint: [\[DELETE\] /v1/operator/area/:uuid](/api-docs/operator/area#delete-network-area) This command deletes an existing network area. The table below shows this command's [required ACLs](/api#authentication). Configuration of [blocking queries](/api/features/blocking) and [agent caching](/api/features/caching) are not supported from commands, but may be from the corresponding HTTP endpoint. | ACL Required | | ---------------- | | `operator:write` | Usage: `consul operator area delete [options]` #### API Options @include 'http_api_options_client.mdx' @include 'http_api_options_server.mdx' #### Command Options - `-id=` - Looks up the area to operate on by its ID. This can be given instead of a peer datacenter. - `-peer-datacenter=` - Looks up the area to operate on by its peer datacenter. This can be given instead of an ID. The output looks like this: ```text Deleted area "154941b0-80e2-9d69-c560-ab2c02807332"! ``` The return code will indicate success or failure. ## join Corresponding HTTP API Endpoint: [\[PUT\] /v1/operator/area/:uuid/join](/api-docs/operator/area#join-network-area) This command joins Consul servers into an existing network area by address, such as an IP or hostname with an optional port. Multiple addresses may be given. The table below shows this command's [required ACLs](/api#authentication). Configuration of [blocking queries](/api/features/blocking) and [agent caching](/api/features/caching) are not supported from commands, but may be from the corresponding HTTP endpoint. | ACL Required | | ---------------- | | `operator:write` | Usage: `consul operator area join [options] ADDRESSES` #### API Options @include 'http_api_options_client.mdx' @include 'http_api_options_server.mdx' #### Command Options - `-id=` - Looks up the area to operate on by its ID. This can be given instead of a peer datacenter. - `-peer-datacenter=` - Looks up the area to operate on by its peer datacenter. This can be given instead of an ID. The output looks like this: ```text Address Joined Error 10.1.2.3 false failed to connect to "10.1.2.3:8300": dial tcp 10.1.2.3:8300: i/o timeout 10.1.2.4 true (none) 10.1.2.5 true (none) ``` The `Error` field will have a human-readable error message if Consul was unable to join the given address. The return code will indicate success or failure. ## list Corresponding HTTP API Endpoint: [\[GET\] /v1/operator/area](/api-docs/operator/area#list-network-areas) This command lists all network areas. The table below shows this command's [required ACLs](/api#authentication). Configuration of [blocking queries](/api/features/blocking) and [agent caching](/api/features/caching) are not supported from commands, but may be from the corresponding HTTP endpoint. | ACL Required | | --------------- | | `operator:read` | Usage: `consul operator area list [options]` #### API Options @include 'http_api_options_client.mdx' @include 'http_api_options_server.mdx' The output looks like this: ```text Area PeerDC RetryJoin 6a52a0af-62e2-dad4-da60-e66acc37096c dc2 10.1.2.3,10.1.2.4,10.1.2.5 96e33424-f5ce-9fcd-ecab-27974e36678f other (none) ``` `Area` is the ID of the network area. `PeerDC` is the peer datacenter for the area. `RetryJoin` is the list of servers to join, defined when the area was created. The return code will indicate success or failure. ## members Corresponding HTTP API Endpoint: [\[GET\] /v1/operator/area/:uuid/members](/api-docs/operator/area#list-network-area-members) This command displays Consul server nodes present in a network area, or all areas if no area is specified. The table below shows this command's [required ACLs](/api#authentication). Configuration of [blocking queries](/api/features/blocking) and [agent caching](/api/features/caching) are not supported from commands, but may be from the corresponding HTTP endpoint. | ACL Required | | --------------- | | `operator:read` | Usage: `consul operator area members [options]` #### API Options @include 'http_api_options_client.mdx' @include 'http_api_options_server.mdx' #### Command Options - `-id=` - Looks up the area to operate on by its ID. This can be given instead of a peer datacenter. - `-peer-datacenter=` - Looks up the area to operate on by its peer datacenter. This can be given instead of an ID. The output looks like this: ```text Area Node Address Status Build Protocol DC RTT 6a52a0af-62e2-dad4-da60-e66acc37096c node-1.dc1 127.0.0.1:8300 alive 0.8.0 2 dc1 0s 6a52a0af-62e2-dad4-da60-e66acc37096c node-2.dc1 127.0.0.2:8300 alive 0.8.0 2 dc1 594.191µs 96e33424-f5ce-9fcd-ecab-27974e36678f node-1.dc1 127.0.0.1:8300 alive 0.8.0 2 dc1 0s 96e33424-f5ce-9fcd-ecab-27974e36678f node-2.dc1 127.0.0.2:8300 alive 0.8.0 2 dc1 634.109µs ``` `Area` is the ID of the network area. `Node` is the name of the node. `Address` is the IP and server RPC port for the node. `Status` is the current health status of the node, as determined by the network area distributed failure detector. This will be "alive", "leaving", "left", or "failed". A "failed" status means that other servers are not able to probe this server over its server RPC interface. `Build` has the Consul version running on the node. `Protocol` is the [protocol version](/docs/upgrading#protocol-versions) being spoken by the node. `DC` is the node's Consul datacenter. `RTT` is an estimated network round trip time from the server answering the query to the given server, in a human-readable format. This is computed using [network coordinates](/docs/architecture/coordinates). The return code will indicate success or failure. ## update Corresponding HTTP API Endpoint: [\[PUT\] /v1/operator/area/:uuid](/api-docs/operator/area#update-network-area) This command updates the configuration of network area. The table below shows this command's [required ACLs](/api#authentication). Configuration of [blocking queries](/api/features/blocking) and [agent caching](/api/features/caching) are not supported from commands, but may be from the corresponding HTTP endpoint. | ACL Required | | ---------------- | | `operator:write` | Usage: `consul operator area update [options]` #### API Options @include 'http_api_options_client.mdx' @include 'http_api_options_server.mdx' #### Command Options - `-id=` - Looks up the area to operate on by its ID. This can be given instead of a peer datacenter. - `-peer-datacenter=` - Declares the peer Consul datacenter that will make up the other side of this network area. Network areas always involve a pair of datacenters: the datacenter where the area was created, and the peer datacenter. This is required. - `-use-tls=` Specifies whether gossip over this area should be encrypted with TLS if possible. Must be either `true` or `false`. The output looks like this: ```text Updated area "d2872ec5-68ea-b862-b75d-0bee99aca100" ``` The return code will indicate success or failure.