Software Installation Guide

Select box type to install

Select to install either CBoxes & DBoxes or EBox.

Cluster name

A name for the cluster.

PSNT

The cluster's PSNT. A PSNT is an asset identifier that links the components of a cluster.

License

Enter the license key for the cluster.

If no license key is entered, a temporary 30 days license is installed.

Management network

This field specifies the interface to be used for the management network:

B2B IPMI

Depending on the Management Network setting, this can enable the CNodes and/or DNodes for this cluster.

Note

If Management Network is set to Northband, you must configure B2B IPMI network configuration. Therefore, in that case, do not fill this field.

DBox HA

Enables NVRAM High Availability (HA) for DBoxes.

Support for DBox NVRAM HA is limited. Before enabling this feature, review its usage and limitations. It is possible to enable the feature at a later time after installation, although it will cause a drive layout rewrite.

B2B template

B2B is a networking configuration option that isolates the IPMI network from the management network. A B2B IP is generated per node as 192.168.3.x, where x is a node index. Optionally, you can set a different B2B template. For example, if you set the B2B template to be 10.250.100 then the B2B IPs will be 10.250.100.x.

Default: 192.168.3

Rack

To assign the box to a rack, select the rack from the dropdown.

Use the identifying details such as the serial number and box type to identify the physical location of the box.

Unit

Enter a meaningful indicator for the position of the box in the rack. For example, U1 for the lowest unit position in the rack.

Subsystem

Leave the default value (0) unless the installation requires multiple subsystems. If needed, set the subsystem per DBox per the plan.

The subsystem is used in the formation of the IP addresses that are allocated to the nodes for the cluster's internal network. Multiple subsystems expand the number of IP addresses that are available for allocation. The default setting is 0 for all DNodes and CNodes, which configures a single subsystem. A single subsystem enables the allocation of up to 254 IP addresses. There are three internal IP addresses allocated to each CNode and to each DNode.

Follow the installation plan for the cluster and allocate a subsystem to each node as planned.

Valid range: 0-63.

Global Configurations

Racks

IPv4 CIDR

The IPv4 mask for the management subnet in CIDR notation.

IPv6 CIDR

The IPv6 prefix length for the management subnet.

External gateway

The IPv4 or IPv6 address of the default gateway for the management network.

Click within the field or choose Expand to display an IP address entry dialog. Enter the IP address and click +Add. The entry is added to the IPV4 or IPV6 list respectively. Click Save Changes to close the dialog.

IPMI netmask

The subnet mask for the IPMI default gateway.

IPMI gateway

The IP of a gateway for the IPMI interfaces on the CNodes and DNodes, if different from the management network default gateway.

Example: 173.30.200.1

DBoxes

DBox Management network

This field specifies the interface to be used for the management network:

CBoxes

CBox External network type

This field specifies the interface to be used for the management network:

NICs Configurations

Skip NIC

(field shown if applicable)

If CNodes are dual-NIC CNodes and have NICs that are not in use (not connected to any network), use this field to specify which NIC is not connected on each CNode and hence should not be included in the network configuration.

Select EXT if you want to use only one of the two NICs. Otherwise, select No, which is the default, for all deployments.

Reverse NICs

Reverse NICs should be disabled for all deployments. This is also the default.

Rack

Mgmt.IP pool

This section refers to network configurations for each of the racks.

The IP pool from which to assign IPs for the management network to all CNodes or EBoxes in the rack. The pool should contain enough IPs for all CNodes or EBoxes in the rack.

For example, for an installation with one CBox, there are four CNodes, so you need to supply four IPs that were designated for the management external IP pool in the installation plan. The recommendation "You should add exactly 4 IPs" is displayed.

IPMI.IP pool

An IP pool from which to assign an IP to the IPMI interface of each CNode or EBox.

Set this IP pool if and only if the planned deployment uses the standard IPMI network configuration.

If you are deploying B2B IPMI networking, do not configure this IP pool. Instead, configure a B2B template on the General Cluster Configuration page.

The CNodes or EBoxes in the rack will be assigned IPMI IPs in the same order as they are assigned management external IPs. The CNode that receives the first IP in the management external IP pool receives the first IP in the CNodes IPMI pool and so on.

The node allocation order can be changed by dragging each node manually, or you can select an automatic sort order with the IP Allocation Order selections in the upper right corner of the racks table. You can select ascending or descending sort for either CBoxes or DBoxes.

Out of Band Network

VMS Management VIP

A virtual IPv4 or IPv6 address configured on the management interfaces on all CNodes. VAST Management System (VMS) listens on this IP. The IP should be on the management subnet.

Click within the field to display an IP address entry dialog. Enter the IP address and click +Add. The entry is added to the IPV4 or IPV6 list respectively.

Network Configurations CIDR and GW are relevant for this IP as well

DNS IPs

The IPv4 or IPv6 address(es) of any DNS servers that will forward DNS queries to the cluster.

Click within the field or choose Expand to display an IP address entry dialog. Enter the IP address(es) and click +Add. The entry or entries are added to the IPV4 or IPV6 list respectively. Click Save Changes to close the dialog.

DNS Search Domains

Enter the domains on your data network on which client hosts may reside. If you provide these, you will be able to specify hosts by name instead of IP when setting up export policies, call home settings, webhook definitions and so on. VAST Cluster will use these domains to look up host IPs on the DNS server.

NTP Server

Changes the server addresses that the cluster will use for Network Time Services. This can be a valid FQDN.

CNode management external VLAN

Sets a VLAN on the CNode management network external interfaces.

Customer IP

Checks if there is an external connection to this IP.

Technician IP

Changes the IP configured on the technician interface.

Default: 192.168.2.2

Inner Network

Data Vlan

For Ethernet configurations, enter the VLAN to isolate the cluster's internal network from the data network. In case of a conflicting use of the default VLAN, enter a different VLAN that is not already used on the client network.

Default: 69

Example: 69

Management Inner VIPs

Sets the inner VIP of the management.

Example: 172.16.254.254

Inner IP Template

Sets a custom subnet for the cluster's internal network.

Default: 172.16

The Data VLAN isolates the internal network from the external network. If you anticipate IP address collisions with the default subnet, such as in an IB configuration, you can set a custom subnet.

Each CNode and DNode is allocated three IP addresses for three networks within the subnet. These are generated within the subnet from a combination of:

The IPs for these interfaces are generated on the nodes as subnet.subsystem.x, where x is an index per node.

For example, if the subnet is 10.200, with the default subsystem, data netmask 255.255.192.0 and start indexes, the following IPs are generated for the internal network interfaces on the first DNode: 10.200.0.100, 10.200.64.100, 10.200.128.100. The following IPs are generated for the internal network interfaces on the first CNode: 10.200.0.1, 10.200.64.1, 10.200.128.1. IPs for the equivalent interfaces for subsequent CNodes and DNodes are incremented from these.

The subnet mask for the internal network is 255.255.192.0. Each DNode and CNode is configured with three interfaces on the network.

CNode Start index

Sets the start value for the indexes appended to internal IPs for the CNodes (see also Subnet). Default: 1

DNode Start index

Sets the start value for the indexes appended to internal IPs for the DNodes (see also Subnet).

Default: 100

Docker IP

Specifies a Docker bridge IP (used internally) in case it needs to be changed from the default due to IP conflicts. Default: 172.17.0.1

Docker CIDR

Specifies a Docker bridge IP subnet as a CIDR index in case it needs to be changed from the default due to IP conflicts. Default: 16

IB MTU

(field shown if applicable)

For dual-NIC CNodes where a NIC is directly connected to an external InfiniBand data network, use this field to set the MTU for that InfiniBand network.

Default: 2044

Take care to set a supported MTU for the NIC mode:

IPoIB mode

(field shown if applicable)

Displays the type(s) of external InfiniBand network(s) that the CNode is connected to: Datagram or Connected (default).

Note

The IB Connected mode is deprecated.

ETH MTU

(field shown if applicable)

For dual-NIC CNodes where a NIC is directly connected to an external Ethernet network, use this field to set the MTU for that Ethernet network.

Hostname Template

Gives full control over the template of the hostname as needed. Modify the text with placeholders for different parameters that the system will inject. For example:{{cluster_name}}, {{rack_name}}.

Note

For hostnames to remain unique across the cluster, you must put a combination of placeholders that will keep the name unique.

Include these following variables to ensure name uniqueness:

{{rack_name}}, ({{rack_unit}} | {{box_type}} & {{box_index_in_rack}}) | {{box_type_index_in_rack}}), {{node_index}}

- ...so after the user puts them - the system will generate the hostname by filling the placeholders with the actual values. Important note -