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Run Easy Install

Sara Levy
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Follow this guide to run the Easy Install utility after racking and cabling the cluster hardware and configuring the switches.

Caution

Consult your VAST Support Engineer for assistance with the prior steps.

Caution

Unlike previous versions of Easy Install, the VAST Cluster 4.5 version enables you to configure CNodes with varying configurations. This functionality is not fully tested and may not be recommended for all installations.

Important

Follow a prepared plan for the specific installation when completing all fields. Specifically, specific input values for your installation should be specified in the Easy Install Wizard Settings tab of your site survey. The field descriptions below are intended as guidance to help you implement a planned configuration.

For a general understanding of the deployment options that might be planned for your installation, see VAST Cluster Deployment Overview.

  1. Configure the Ethernet interface on your laptop to be on the following subnet: 192.168.2.0/24.

  2. Connect your laptop to the technician port on any one of the CNodes. This CNode will become the Management CNode.

    QuickInstallGraphics_12.png

    Technician Port Location: Cascade Lake model CNode
    CNode_Tech_Port_Right_Temp.png

    Technician Port Location: Broadwell model CNode
    TechPort_extra_trim.png

    Technician Port Locations on Ice Lake model CBox Rear Panel - Port Position Varies with CNode Position

  3. Run the following commands to copy the VAST Cluster package file (e.g. release-4.5.0-123456.vast.tar.gz).

    scp <package file> vastdata@192.168.2.2:/vast/bundles/

    Where <package file path> is the local path to the package file.

    Note

    Make sure there is only one VAST Cluster package file located at /vast/bundles/.

    You'll be prompted for the password on running each command. The default password is vastdata.

  4. Log into the management CNode via SSH and run the vast_bootstrap.sh script:

    username@host:~$ ssh vastdata@192.168.2.2
[vastdata@localhost ~]$ cd /vast/bundles
[vastdata@localhost bundles]$ vast_bootstrap.sh

  5. Confirm the action:

    Are you sure you want to reimage? this will wipe the current system [Y/n] Y
unpacking release-4.5.0-123456.vast.tar.gz, this may take a while

    The script extracts the package files and runs the Vast Management Server (VMS) container.

  6. When the bootstrap script is complete, the following message is displayed.

    bootstrap finished, please connect at https://192.168.2.2

    While still connected to the tech-port, open a web browser on your laptop and browse to https://192.168.2.2.

    The VAST Web UI opens and displays the VAST DATA - End User License Agreement.

  7. Click I Agree.

    The login page appears.

  8. Log in using the default admin user and password:

    • Username: admin

    • Password: 123456

  9. The Cluster Install dialog appears, presenting the Included nodes screen.

    At this stage, the Easy Install utility attempts to discover the CNodes and DNodes that comprise the cluster.

    Nodes are discoverable provided the switches were configured before you began running Easy Install.

Included nodes

This screen shows all discovered nodes in the DBox and CBox tabs. The nodes are grouped by the DBox and CBox in which they are housed. By default, they are all included in the installation.

Note

If nodes are not discovered, the switches in the cluster require configuration.

Do the following:

  1. In the DNodes network topology field, select the network infrastructure mode to configure on all DNode NICs, depending on the internal network type:

    • Ethernet. Sets the DNode interfaces to Ethernet mode. Supports Ethernet infrastructure for the internal network.

    • Infiniband. Sets the DNode interfaces to Infiniband mode. Supports Infiniband infrastructure for the internal network.

  2. Review any errors that may have been detected during validation with any of the discovered nodes.

    To review any hardware errors that were detected, click Show Errors at the bottom of the screen. Errors may pertain to CPU, memory, disks, NVRAMs, port connectivity, or licensing issues.

    The error text refers to the affected node, enabling you to match each error to a node listed above. In order to identify the position of the affected node, you can hover over a node to see where it is located in its CBox or DBox.

  3. Resolve any issues before continuing with the installation. In the event that faulty hardware was received in the shipment, consult VAST Support on how to proceed.

    The following options are available:

    • You can remove and either fix and reinsert, or replace a faulty component with a new one. After replacing, click Discover Now to repeat host discovery and validation. Check again the discovered hosts and errors.

    • Exclude nodes. In case of validation errors that cannot be resolved on site before continuing and are critical, you can identify the affected node and exclude it from the installation. In this case, please report the errors to Support and arrange return and replacement of hardware. Replacement nodes can be added to the cluster once it is already active.

      To exclude a node:

      1. Uncheck the node you want to exclude (using the checkbox to the left of the CNode/DNode name).

      2. Verify that the Excluded: field shows the correct count of excluded nodes.

  4. Continue when no errors remain, or when any remaining errors are determined not to be critical to the installation.

  5. In the DBox tab, review and/or configure the following for each DNode:

    Subsystem

    Leave the default value (0) unless the installation requires multiple subsystems. If needed, hover to reveal the edit button (VInstallEditFieldButton.png) and set the subsystem per DNode per the plan.

    About subsystems:

    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.

    Network Type

    This is automatically set to match the global DNode network topology setting that appears at the top of the tab. This setting determines the mode configured on the DNode's NICs for connectivity to the internal cluster network.

  6. In the CBox tab, review and/or configure the following for each CNode:

    Subsystem

    Leave the default value (0) unless the installation requires multiple subsystems. If needed, hover to reveal the edit button (VInstallEditFieldButton.png) and set the subsystem per CNode per the plan.

    For more information, see the explanation in the previous step.

    Network Type

    This determines the network modes for the CNode NICs. Verify the setting is correct for each CNode and change if needed.

    In some installations, CNode configuration is not homogenous and in that case you need to set different network types for different CNodes.

    Note

    VMS only makes options available if they are compatible with the DNode network topology setting in the DBox tab, which needs to match the network mode of the internal cluster network. If you are not able to set the CNode network types correctly, verify that DNode network topology is set correctly. The CNode NICs that are connected to the internal cluster network always need to be set to the same mode as the DNode network topology.

    Possible values:

    • IB. Choose this option if the CNode is connected to Infiniband networks and not to an Ethernet network.

    • ETH. Choose this option if the CNode is connected to Ethernet networks and not to an Infiniband network.

    • IB ext ETH. Choose this option if the CNode is connected to an internal cluster network running on Infiniband infrastructure and to an external Ethernet network.

    • ETH ext IB. Choose this option if the CNode is connected to an internal cluster network running on Ethernet infrastructure and to an external Infiniband network.

    External Eth MTU

    (field present 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.

    External IB MTU

    (field present 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:

    • If NB IB type is Connected, the maximum IB NB MTU is 65520.

    • If NB IB type is Datagram, the maximum IB NB MTU is 4092.

    External IB type

    (field present if applicable).

    Sets the type(s) of external Infiniband network(s) that the CNode is connected to:

    • Connected (default).

    • Datagram

    Skip NIC

    (field present if applicable).

    If the CNode is a dual NIC CNode and has a NIC that is not in use (not connected to any network), use this field to specify which NIC is not connected and should not be included in the network configuration:

    • Internal. If the NIC to the right of the CNode panel (used for internal connectivity in the default scheme) is not connected.

      Note

      Not available for Ice Lake CBoxes.

    • External. If the NIC to the left of the CNode panel (used for external connectivity in the default scheme) is not connected.

      Note

      This is the only available and valid option for an unconnected NIC on Ice Lake CNodes. In the case of Ice Lake models, when facing the rear panel, the NIC that can be unconnected is the left NIC on the two right CNodes; it's the right NIC on the two left CNodes.

    • None (default). Leave this option selected if both NICs are connected.

    Reverse nics

    (field present if applicable).

    Note

    This setting is not applicable for Ice Lake models of CBox.

    Use this setting if the CNode is a dual NIC CNode and the network connectivity scheme for the NICs needs to be reversed from the default.

    In the default scheme, the left NIC is dedicated to the external network. The two QSFP28 ports on the left NIC are connected to the client data network switches. The right NIC is dedicated to the internal network and its ports are connected to the cluster switches. If your installation plan follows this default connectivity scheme for a given CNode, do not enable Reverse nics for that CNode.

    Enable Reverse nics on a CNode only if this scheme is reversed in according to your installation plan. In the reverse scheme, the left NIC QSFP28 ports on each CNode connect to the cluster switches while the right NIC ports connect to the client network switches (external to the cluster).

  7. Click Continue to general settings.

 

General Settings

  1. Complete the Required settings:

    Important

    You may find that Easy Install fills the field values from a previous installation. You can use the Clear all settings button to clear all filled values and make sure you don't set the wrong values for the current installation.

    Note

    Each Restore to defaults button sets all required values in the section where it appears to their defaults.

    Cluster name

    A name for the cluster.

    PSNT

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

    Management VIP

    A virtual IPv4 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.

    To add the address:

    1. Click within the field or choose Expand to display an IP address entry dialog.

    2. Enter the IP address and click +Add.

    3. Click Save Changes to close the dialog.

    MGMT IPV4 CIDR

    The IPv4 mask for the management subnet in CIDR notation.

    MGMT IPV6 CIDR

    Reserved for future use. Do not fill this field.

    External gateway

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

    To add the address:

    1. Click within the field or choose Expand to display an IP address entry dialog.

    2. Enter the IP address and click +Add.

      (Do not enter an IPv6 address.)

    3. Click Save Changes to close the dialog.

    Management network

    This field specifies the management network topology:

    • Inband. Management is on the data network.

    • Outband. Management is isolated from the data network.

    DNS IPs

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

    To add addresses:

    1. Click within the field or choose Expand to display an IP address entry dialog.

    2. Enter the IP address and click +Add.

      (Do not enter an IPv6 address.)

    3. Click Save Changes to close the dialog.

    CNode management external IP pool

    The IP pool from which to assign IPs for the management network to all CNodes (see VAST Cluster Deployment Overview). The pool should contain enough IPs for all CNodes in the cluster.

    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.

    To add addresses:

    1. Click within the field or choose Expand to display an IP address entry dialog.

    2. Enter an IP address aor a range of IP addresses (for example, 173.30.200.100-102) nd click +Add.

    3. Repeat as needed for additional IP addresses and ranges.

    4. Click Save Changes to close the dialog.

    For example:

    • 173.30.200.100-103

    DNode management external IP pool

    The IP pool from which to assign IPs for the management network to all DNodes. The pool should contain enough IPs for all DNodes in the cluster.

    For example, for an installation with one Mavericks DBox, there are two DNodes, so you need to supply two IPs that were designated for the management external IP pool in the installation plan. The recommendation "You should add exactly 2 IPs" is displayed.

    To add addresses:

    1. Click within the field or choose Expand to display an IP address entry dialog.

    2. Enter an IP address or a range of IP addresses (for example, 173.30.200.104-105) and click +Add.

    3. Repeat as needed for additional IP addresses and ranges.

    4. Click Save Changes to close the dialog.

    For example:

    • 173.30.200.104-105

  2. In the lower section of the General Settings page, click Start with General Settings. Set any of the following that are needed for your installation:

    Note

    Each Restore to Defaults button sets all required values in the section where it appears to their defaults.

    CNodes IPMI pool

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

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

    If you are deploying the B2B IPMI networking option, do not configure this IP pool. Configure a B2B template instead (see step 4).

    The CNodes 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.

    To add addresses:

    1. Click within the field or choose Expand to display an IP address entry dialog.

    2. Enter an IP address or a range of IP addresses (for example, 173.30.200.100-102) and click +Add.

    3. Repeat as needed for additional IP addresses and ranges.

    4. Click Save Changes to close the dialog.

    For example:

    • 173.30.200.110-113

    DNodes IPMI pool

    An IP pool from which to assign an IP to each IPMI interface.

    For Mavericks DBoxes, provide an IP per DNode.

    For CERES DBoxes, provide an IP per DTray. This is half of the number of DNodes.

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

    If you are deploying the B2B IPMI networking option, do not configure this IP pool. Configure a B2B template instead (see step 4).

    Add IPs as described for CNodes IPMI pool.

    The DNodes will be assigned IPMI IPs in the same order as they are assigned management external IPs. The DNode that receives the first DNode IP in the management external IP pool receives the first IP in the DNodes IPMI pool and so on. (For CERES DNodes, the IPMI IP is duplicated on both DNodes in each DTray. Otherwise, the order is the same in principle.)

    To add addresses:

    1. Click within the field or choose Expand to display an IP address entry dialog.

    2. Enter an IP address or a range of IP addresses (for example, 173.30.200.100-102) and click +Add.

    3. Repeat as needed for additional IP addresses and ranges.

    4. Click Save Changes to close the dialog.

    For example:

    • 173.30.200.114-115

    IPMI default gateway

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

    Examples:

    • 173.30.200.1

    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, callhome settings, webhook definitions and so on. VAST Cluster will use these domains to look up host IPs on the DNS server.

    Eth MTU

    If the internal cluster network infrastructure is Ethernet, then use this field to set the MTU size for the CNode and DNode internal network interfaces. The MTU should be aligned with the switches.

    Default: 9216

    For installations with dual NIC CNodes, see also Eth NB MTU.

    IB MTU

    If the internal cluster network infrastructure is Infiniband, then use this field to set the MTU size for CNode and DNode internal network interfaces. Default: 2044

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

    • If IB type is Connected, the maximum IB NB MTU is 65520.

    • If IB type is Datagram, the maximum IB NB MTU is 2044.

    NTP server

    The IP(s) of any NTP server(s) that you want to use for time keeping. Enter as a comma separated list of IPs.

    For example: 172.30.100.10

    Customer IP

    An IP on the client data network. This IP is used to test connectivity.

    Management inner VIP

    A virtual IP on the internal network that is used for mounting the VMS database.

    Default: 172.16.4.254

    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

    Selected nic

    In a cluster that has dual NIC CNodes of which only a single NIC is connected, use this option to specify which NIC to skip when automatically configuring the networking modes of the NIC interfaces. The installer must skip the unused NIC. The options are:

    • Internal. If the NIC to the right of the CNode panel (used for internal connectivity in the default scheme) is not connected.

    • External. If the NIC to the left of the CNode panel (used for external connectivity in the default scheme) is not connected.

    • None (default). Leave this option selected if both NICs are connected.

    Selected IB type

    The mode of the Infiniband interfaces:

    • Connected (default)

    • Datagram

    Set this to match the Infiniband type of the internal VAST network, if applicable.

    License

    Enter the license key for the cluster.

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

    Encryption

    Enables encryption of data at rest on the cluster.

    VAST Cluster encryption of data at rest is implemented using the VAST Data FIPS Object Module for OpenSSL, which is certified compliant with the requirements of FIPS 140-2. The NIST validation for the module can be found at https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-module-validation-program/certificate/4107.

    Warning

    This feature cannot be enabled after installation. If the feature is needed, it must be enabled at this stage.

    Similarity

    Enabled by default. Enables similarity-based data reduction on the cluster. This can also be enabled or disabled after installation.

    DBox HA

    Enables NVRAM high availability (HA) for DBoxes.

    Support for DBox NVRAM HA is limited. Before enabling this feature, it is recommended to read about it here. It is possible to enable the feature at a later time after installation, although it will cause a drive layout rewrite.

    B2B IPMI

    Enables auto configuring the IPMI ports on the nodes with IP addresses according to the B2B template.

  3. Select Customized Network Settings and set any of the following settings that are needed for the installation:

    Note

    Each Restore to Defaults button sets all required values in the section where it appears to their defaults.

    Data Vlan

    For Ethernet configurations, the internal network is isolated from the data network using this VLAN. In case of a conflicting use of the default VLAN, enter a different VLAN that is already not used on the client network.

    Default: 69

    Example: 108

    Subnet

    Sets a custom subnet for the 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:

    • An index called the subsystem for the CNodes (0 by default) and for the DNodes (0 by default), which is a starting value for the third octet for the first internal network.

    • A subnet mask called the data netmask, which determines the size of the subnet for each of the internal networks for the CNodes and for the DNodes. The default and recommended data netmask is 255.255.192.0.

    • An index per CNode and DNode. These indexes can be configured. By default, they start with 1 for CNodes and 100 for DNodes. (See Start index cnode and Start index dnode).

    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.

    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 Subnet

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

    Hostname Prefix

    Specifies a non-default prefix for all hostnames, if preferred.

    Technician interface Cnode

    Changes the IP configured on the technician interface on the CNodes.

    Default: 192.168.2.2

    Start index cnode

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

    Range of supported values: 1-99

    Default: 1

    Technician interface Dnode

    Changes the IP configured on the technician interface on the DNodes.

    Start index dnode

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

    Range of supported values: 100-253

    Default: 100

  4. Select Call Home and complete these settings to enable VAST Link, the remote call home service that enables VAST’s Support team to monitor and troubleshoot clusters.

    VAST Link sends non sensitive data securely from your VAST Cluster to our central support server to enable us to provide proactive analysis and fast response on critical issues. The data we collect is sent by HTTPS to a VAST Data AWS S3 bucket that we maintain for this purpose.  

    Note

    Each Restore to Defaults button sets all required values in the section where it appears to their defaults.

    General Setup

    Customer

    Your customer name.

    Example: BigCorp

    Site

    The name of the site where the cluster is installed.

    Example: Miami

    Location

    A further specification of the location where the cluster is installed.

    Example: Lab1

    Max upload concurrency

    The maximum number of parts of a file to upload simultaneously to the AWS S3 bucket.

    Valid: Positive integer, 1 or more

    Default: 5

    Example: 10

    Intervals Setup

    Log Frequency (minutes)

    The frequency with which system state data is sent to the support server. Disabling the setting stops system state data being sent.

    Bundle Frequency

    The frequency with which debug data is sent to the support server. Disabling the setting stops debug data being sent.

    The frequency with which debug data is sent to the support server. Disabling the setting stops debug data being sent.

    Enabled

    Enable this setting to enable the VAST Link service.

    Proxy Setup

    Enter proxy server details if you would like the data to be sent through your own proxy server.

    Misc

    Verify SSL

    Enables SSL verification. Disable if, for example, you are sending the call home data through a proxy server that does not have an SSL certificate recognized by VAST Cluster. VAST Cluster recognizes SSL certificates from a large range of widely recognized certificate authorities (CAs). VAST Cluster may not recognize an SSL certificate signed by your own in-house CA.

    Prod mode

    Enable this setting.

    This setting sets the production support server as the destination for VAST Link bundles. It's essential to enable this setting for the service to work as expected.

    Support channel

    Enables VAST Data Support to run remote bundle collection commands on the cluster.

    Obfuscated

    Obfuscates data in call home bundles, metrics and heartbeats. The following types of information are replaced with a non-reversible hash: file and directory names, IP addresses, host names, user names, passwords, MAC addresses.

    Compress Method

    Sets the compression method used to compress call home bundles:

    • zstd (default)

    • gzip

  5. If needed, select Advanced settings from the same dropdown and set additional parameters.

    Caution

    Do not change Advanced settings unless guided to do so by VAST Support.

  6. Click Review Installation Before Executing.

    The Summary page appears.

  7. Review the summary of all the configurations you set. Check that your settings match the installation plan.

  8. If any settings are incorrect, use the To Step links from the configuration summaries to return to earlier steps, make the necessary changes, and proceed back to the Summary page.

  9. When you're ready to proceed, click Install.

  10. Select Activities from the left navigation menu to navigate to the Activities page and monitor the task progress.

    The task name is cluster_deploy.

    When installation is done, the cluster_deploy task state changes to COMPLETED and the cluster status displayed at the top left of the page changes to Online:

    cluster_online.png

    You can now disconnect from the technician port. The cluster's VAST Web UI is now accessible by browsing to the configured VMS VIP from network locations that have network access to the VMS VIP.

    To begin managing the cluster, browse to the VMS VIP and log in using the default user name admin and password 123456.

 
 

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