# Setup: Designing the cluster
<a name="container-cluster-design"></a>

You must design the cluster to suit the number of workflows you plan to create. You could be creating the following types of workflows:
+ Encoding workflows. These workflows require only Elemental Live. 
+ MPTS workflows. These workflows require both Elemental Live and Elemental Statmux.

**Topics**
+ [Number of Conductor Live nodes](cl3-node-design.md)
+ [Number of primary Elemental Live nodes](el-node-design.md)
+ [Number of primary Elemental Statmux nodes](smx-node-design.md)

# Number of Conductor Live nodes
<a name="cl3-node-design"></a>

You need two Conductor Live nodes if you plan to implement Conductor Live node redundancy. Otherwise, you need only one node. 

We recommend that you implement resiliency in Conductor Live nodes. For more information, see [Conductor Live node redundancy](redundancy-cl3.md).

# Number of primary Elemental Live nodes
<a name="el-node-design"></a>

Determine the number of *primary nodes *you need:
+ You need at least sufficient Elemental Live nodes to run the channels for all the encoding workflows and MPTS workflows.
+ You don't need to run each SPTS channel on its own node. A node can run multiple channels, including multiple SPTS channels. 

After you have determined the number of primary nodes, you should identify your redundant node requirements. See [Worker node redundancy](redundancy-worker.md).

**Rules for association between SPTS channels and the MPTS**

The following rules help you identify the number of nodes that you need.

The SPTS channels for a single MPTS can originate from one node. 

![\[Diagram showing Elemental Live node A with three channels connecting to Elemental Statmux node MPTS.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/elemental-cl3/latest/ug/images/Channel-source-1-node.png)


Or the SPTS channels can originate from two or more nodes. 

![\[Diagram showing two Elemental Live nodes connected to an Elemental Statmux node with MPTS.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/elemental-cl3/latest/ug/images/Channel-source-2-nodes.png)


A node can contain SPTS channels that go to different MPTSes. There is no requirement for a node to be dedicated to one MPTS. In the following diagram, node A contains SPTS channels for two different MPTSes. 

![\[Diagram showing two Elemental Live nodes connected to two Elemental Statmux nodes with MPTS.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/elemental-cl3/latest/ug/images/node-feeds-2-mpts.png)


An SPTS channel can't be used by two different Statmux MPTS. 

![\[Diagram showing incompatibility between Elemental Live node and two Elemental Statmux nodes.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/elemental-cl3/latest/ug/images/Channel-not-feed-2-mpts.png)


A node that has SPTS channels can also produce other channels (events). The node doesn't have to be dedicated to producing SPTSes. 

![\[Diagram showing Elemental Live node A with channels connecting to Elemental Statmux node MPTS.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/elemental-cl3/latest/ug/images/Node-produce-other-channels.png)


# Number of primary Elemental Statmux nodes
<a name="smx-node-design"></a>

Determine the number of *primary nodes *you need:
+ Identify the density of all the SPTS channels that you want to mux into MPTSes. Then consult with your AWS Elemental sales person for help to identify your node requirements.
+ Keep in mind that you can run more than one MPTS on a node. 

**Note**  
You might have acquired a high-compute-power Elemental Statmux node with the intention of implementing Simulcrypt encryption, when it becomes available in Elemental Statmux.   
Simulcrypt has high compute-power requirements. You might want to plan fewer MPTSes on the node. In this way, you will be able to implement Simulcrypt later without moving any MPTSes to another node.

After you have determined the number of primary nodes, you should identify your redundant node requirements. See [Worker node redundancy](redundancy-worker.md).