diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadata.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadata.java
index e1f664e..bf3e4a0 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadata.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadata.java
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@
     private final ControllerNode localNode;
     private final Set<ControllerNode> controllerNodes;
     private final Set<Node> storageNodes;
+    private final String clusterSecret;
+
 
     public static final Funnel<ClusterMetadata> HASH_FUNNEL = new Funnel<ClusterMetadata>() {
         @Override
@@ -61,6 +63,30 @@
         localNode = null;
         controllerNodes = null;
         storageNodes = null;
+        clusterSecret = null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @deprecated since 1.15.
+     * @param providerId the provider Id
+     * @param name The cluster Name
+     * @param localNode The local node
+     * @param controllerNodes Set of nodes in cluster
+     * @param storageNodes Set of storage nodes
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public ClusterMetadata(
+            ProviderId providerId,
+            String name,
+            ControllerNode localNode,
+            Set<ControllerNode> controllerNodes,
+            Set<Node> storageNodes) {
+        this.providerId = checkNotNull(providerId);
+        this.name = checkNotNull(name);
+        this.localNode = localNode;
+        this.controllerNodes = ImmutableSet.copyOf(checkNotNull(controllerNodes));
+        this.storageNodes = ImmutableSet.copyOf(checkNotNull(storageNodes));
+        this.clusterSecret = "INSECURE!";
     }
 
     public ClusterMetadata(
@@ -68,17 +94,33 @@
         String name,
         ControllerNode localNode,
         Set<ControllerNode> controllerNodes,
-        Set<Node> storageNodes) {
+        Set<Node> storageNodes,
+        String clusterSecret) {
         this.providerId = checkNotNull(providerId);
         this.name = checkNotNull(name);
         this.localNode = localNode;
         this.controllerNodes = ImmutableSet.copyOf(checkNotNull(controllerNodes));
         this.storageNodes = ImmutableSet.copyOf(checkNotNull(storageNodes));
+        this.clusterSecret = clusterSecret;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @deprecated since 1.15.
+     * @param name The cluster Name
+     * @param localNode The local node
+     * @param controllerNodes Set of nodes in cluster
+     * @param storageNodes Set of storage nodes
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public ClusterMetadata(
+            String name, ControllerNode localNode, Set<ControllerNode> controllerNodes, Set<Node> storageNodes) {
+        this(new ProviderId("none", "none"), name, localNode, controllerNodes, storageNodes, "INSECURE!");
     }
 
     public ClusterMetadata(
-            String name, ControllerNode localNode, Set<ControllerNode> controllerNodes, Set<Node> storageNodes) {
-        this(new ProviderId("none", "none"), name, localNode, controllerNodes, storageNodes);
+            String name, ControllerNode localNode, Set<ControllerNode> controllerNodes, Set<Node> storageNodes,
+            String clusterSecret) {
+        this(new ProviderId("none", "none"), name, localNode, controllerNodes, storageNodes, clusterSecret);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -140,6 +182,14 @@
         return Collections.emptySet();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the cluster's shared secret.
+     * @return key.
+     */
+    public String getClusterSecret() {
+        return clusterSecret;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String toString() {
         return MoreObjects.toStringHelper(ClusterMetadata.class)
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataDiff.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataDiff.java
index acad25f..e9f73b4 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataDiff.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataDiff.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     private final ClusterMetadata newValue;
     private final Set<ControllerNode> nodesAdded;
     private final Set<NodeId> nodesRemoved;
+    private final boolean secretChanged;
 
      public ClusterMetadataDiff(ClusterMetadata oldValue, ClusterMetadata newValue) {
          this.oldValue = oldValue;
@@ -51,6 +52,20 @@
                             .stream()
                             .map(ControllerNode::id)
                             .collect(Collectors.toSet());
+
+         boolean haveOldSecret = (oldValue != null && oldValue.getClusterSecret() != null);
+         boolean haveNewSecret = (newValue != null && newValue.getClusterSecret() != null);
+
+         if (!haveOldSecret && haveNewSecret) {
+             secretChanged = true;
+         } else if (haveOldSecret && haveNewSecret &&
+                 !oldValue.getClusterSecret().equals(newValue.getClusterSecret())) {
+             secretChanged = true;
+         } else if (haveOldSecret && !haveNewSecret) {
+             secretChanged = true;
+         } else {
+             secretChanged = false;
+         }
      }
 
     /**
@@ -70,6 +85,14 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Returns whether the cluster-wide shared secret changed.
+     * @return  whether the cluster secret changed
+     */
+    public boolean clusterSecretChanged() {
+        return secretChanged;
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Returns a mapping of all partition diffs.
      * @return partition diffs.
      */
diff --git a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataEventTest.java b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataEventTest.java
index 49ff25f..f0cb6bc 100644
--- a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataEventTest.java
+++ b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataEventTest.java
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@
     private final ControllerNode n2 =
             new DefaultControllerNode(nid2, IpAddress.valueOf("10.0.0.2"), 9876);
     private final ClusterMetadata metadata1 =
-            new ClusterMetadata("foo", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n1));
+            new ClusterMetadata("foo", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n1), "test");
     private final ClusterMetadata metadata2 =
-            new ClusterMetadata("bar", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n1, n2));
+            new ClusterMetadata("bar", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n1, n2), "test");
     private final ClusterMetadata metadata3 =
-            new ClusterMetadata("baz", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n2));
+            new ClusterMetadata("baz", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n2), "test");
 
     private final ClusterMetadataEvent event1 =
             new ClusterMetadataEvent(ClusterMetadataEvent.Type.METADATA_CHANGED, metadata1, time1);
diff --git a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataServiceAdapter.java b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataServiceAdapter.java
index f4f6100..8715475 100644
--- a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataServiceAdapter.java
+++ b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataServiceAdapter.java
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
                 "test-cluster",
                 new DefaultControllerNode(nid, addr),
                 Sets.newHashSet(),
-                Sets.newHashSet());
+                Sets.newHashSet(),
+                "test-secret");
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataTest.java b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataTest.java
index 1b32363..04077ea 100644
--- a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataTest.java
+++ b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/cluster/ClusterMetadataTest.java
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@
             new DefaultControllerNode(nid2, IpAddress.valueOf("10.0.0.2"), 9876);
 
     private final ClusterMetadata metadata1 =
-            new ClusterMetadata("foo", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n1));
+            new ClusterMetadata("foo", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n1), "");
     private final ClusterMetadata sameAsMetadata1 =
-            new ClusterMetadata("foo", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n1));
+            new ClusterMetadata("foo", n1, ImmutableSet.of(), ImmutableSet.of(n1), "");
     private final ClusterMetadata metadata2 =
-            new ClusterMetadata("bar", n1, ImmutableSet.of(n1), ImmutableSet.of(n1, n2));
+            new ClusterMetadata("bar", n1, ImmutableSet.of(n1), ImmutableSet.of(n1, n2), "");
     private final ProviderId defaultProvider =
             new ProviderId("none", "none");
     /**