config file and parameters for ndb_desc

I'm trying to execute ndb_desc from API client. The config and parameters are as below: my.cnf in mysqld: [mysql_cluster] ndb-connectstring=192.168.1.1,192.168.1.2 server-id=5 log-bin=mysql-bin config.ini in mgmd: (part of it) -- ... [mysqld] hostname=192.168.1.5 --- ... Situation: there are 2x mgmd, 2x data-node, and 2x mysqld. Parameters tried to call ndb_desc: # ndb_desc -c 192.168.1.1 --ndb-nodeid=7 -d db_name -t tb_name Above response with error: ndb_desc: [ERROR] unknown variable 'server-id=5 On changing my.cnf, removing these two lines of server-id and log-bin, then the error response after calling ndb_desc will be as follow: Unable to connect to management server. NDBT_ProgramExit: 1 - Failed There is no firewall, ping to the management is running fine. So the question: how to exec ndb_desc (with correct parameters)? what is the correct my.cnf/config.ini for setting up the node-id? Some links i have tried to check before posting this: mysql-cluster-work-well-but-ndb-desc-doesnt-work , mysql:ndb_desc , mysql:connection-string , grokbase , and several hours of googling around. update1: changed the config.ini on mgmd for emtpy mysqld section, ndb_mgm -e show output: [mysqld(API)] 3 node(s) id=5 @192.168.1.5 (mysql-5.7.23 ndb-7.6.7) id=6 @192.168.1.6 (mysql-5.7.23 ndb-7.6.7) id=7 (not connected, accepting connect from any host) ndb_desc still has the same response: Unable to connect to management server. update2: from mgmd node, saw this log: WARNING -- Failed to allocate nodeid for API at 192.168.1.5. Returned error: 'Id 7 already allocated by another node. update3: changed config.ini, added [api] nodeid=7 host=192.168.1.5. log still the same: WARNING -- Failed to allocate nodeid for API at 192.168.11.51. Returned error: 'No free node id found for mysqld(API).