# `[global]` section


Specifies global configuration options related to `pcluster`.

```
[global]
```

**Topics**
+ [

## `cluster_template`
](#cluster-template)
+ [

## `update_check`
](#update-check)
+ [

## `sanity_check`
](#sanity-check)

## `cluster_template`


Defines the name of the `cluster` section that's used for the cluster by default. For additional information about `cluster` sections, see [`[cluster]` section](cluster-definition.md). The cluster name must start with a letter, contain no more than 60 characters, and only contain letters, numbers, and hyphens (-).

For example, the following setting specifies that the section that starts `[cluster default]` is used by default.

```
cluster_template = default
```

[Update policy: This setting is not analyzed during an update.](using-pcluster-update.md#update-policy-setting-ignored)

## `update_check`


**(Optional)** Checks for updates to `pcluster`.

The default value is `true`.

```
update_check = true
```

[Update policy: This setting is not analyzed during an update.](using-pcluster-update.md#update-policy-setting-ignored)

## `sanity_check`


**(Optional)** Attempts to validate the configuration of the resources that are defined in the cluster parameters.

The default value is `true`.

**Warning**  
If `sanity_check` is set to `false`, important checks are skipped. This might cause your configuration to not function as intended.

```
sanity_check = true
```

**Note**  
Before AWS ParallelCluster version 2.5.0, [`sanity_check`](#sanity-check) defaulted to `false`.

[Update policy: This setting is not analyzed during an update.](using-pcluster-update.md#update-policy-setting-ignored)