A computer-implemented method executed by one or more processors comprising: configuring, by the one or more processors, a first node to participate in a node cluster, wherein the first node is hosted by a first cloud service provider, and wherein participating in the node cluster includes performing one or more processing actions specific to the node cluster on data received by the node; configuring, by the one or more processors, a second node to participate in the node cluster, wherein the second node is hosted by a second cloud service provider different than the first cloud service provider, wherein the node cluster includes nodes that are of the same type and handle same type of functions for processing network traffic; receiving, by the one or more processors, a first status indication from the first node over a public network; in response to analyzing the first status indication and determining that the first node is not behind a firewall, determining, by the one or more processors, an active synchronization mechanism for the first node based on a network configuration of the first node and the received first status indication, wherein the determined active synchronization mechanism is configured to allow the first node to acquire synchronization data from other nodes in the node cluster; in response to determining the active synchronization mechanism, transmitting, by the one or more processors, the determined synchronization mechanism to the first node over the network; configuring, by the one or more processors, a third node to participate in the node cluster, wherein the third node is a physical computing device hosted in a private network; receiving, by the one or more processors, a second status indication from the third node over the public network; in response to analyzing the second status indication and determining that the third node is behind a firewall, determining a passive synchronization mechanism for configuring the third node based on its location on the private network; and in response to determining the passive synchronization mechanism, transmitting, over the public network, the passive synchronization mechanism to i) configure the third node and ii) to configure the first node and the second node to communicate with the third node with the passive synchronization mechanism. configuring, by the one or more processors, a first node to participate in a node cluster, wherein the first node is hosted by a first cloud service provider, and wherein participating in the node cluster includes performing one or more processing actions specific to the node cluster on data received by the node; configuring, by the one or more processors, a second node to participate in the node cluster, wherein the second node is hosted by a second cloud service provider different than the first cloud service provider, wherein the node cluster includes nodes that are of the same type and handle same type of functions for processing network traffic; receiving, by the one or more processors, a first status indication from the first node over a public network; in response to analyzing the first status indication and determining that the first node is not behind a firewall, determining, by the one or more processors, an active synchronization mechanism for the first node based on a network configuration of the first node and the received first status indication, wherein the determined active synchronization mechanism is configured to allow the first node to acquire synchronization data from other nodes in the node cluster; in response to determining the active synchronization mechanism, transmitting, by the one or more processors, the determined synchronization mechanism to the first node over the network; configuring, by the one or more processors, a third node to participate in the node cluster, wherein the third node is a physical computing device hosted in a private network; receiving, by the one or more processors, a second status indication from the third node over the public network; in response to analyzing the second status indication and determining that the third node is behind a firewall, determining a passive synchronization mechanism for configuring the third node based on its location on the private network; and in response to determining the passive synchronization mechanism, transmitting, over the public network, the passive synchronization mechanism to i) configure the third node and ii) to configure the first node and the second node to communicate with the third node with the passive synchronization mechanism.