# Sst user authentication when joining a cluster

**URL:** <https://forums.percona.com/t/sst-user-authentication-when-joining-a-cluster/17163>\
**Category:** Percona XtraDB Cluster 8.x\
**Created:** [August 25, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/sst-user-authentication-when-joining-a-cluster/17163 "2022-08-25T16:17:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mikejohnhathaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@mikejohnhathaway](https://forums.percona.com/u/mikejohnhathaway)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/sst-user-authentication-when-joining-a-cluster/17163/1 "2022-08-25T16:17:26Z")

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Hi Another Percona XtraDB Cluster newbie question,

When setting up a new cluster and joining additional nodes, can I force each new node to authenticate using the sstuser password that is created in the first nodes database?

Thanks

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**Author:** ![matthewb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.percona.com/matthewb/32/34_2.png) [@matthewb](https://forums.percona.com/u/matthewb)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 3:00pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/sst-user-authentication-when-joining-a-cluster/17163/2 "2022-08-29T15:00:01Z")

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Hello @mikejohnhathaway,  
PXC nodes do not authenticate against each other when joining. The SST user is only used by xtrabackup for purposes of taking the streaming backup from another node. The only way that nodes “authenticate” when joining the cluster are via `wsrep_cluster_name` and using SSL certificates. If node A and node B have different cluster names, then they will not join. If node B does not present the same certificate in use by node A, then B cannot join A.