You can use ONTAP System Manager or the ONTAP command line interface (CLI) to set up new ONTAP clusters. Before you begin, you should gather the information you’ll need to complete the cluster setup, such as your cluster management interface port and IP address.

We recommend that you use ONTAP System Manager to set up new clusters. ONTAP System Manager provides a simple and easy workflow for cluster set up and configuration including assigning a node management IP address, initializing the cluster, creating a local tier, configuring protocols and provisioning initial storage.

Beginning in ONTAP 9.13.1, on the ETERNUS HX6100 series, you can also use the ONTAP CLI to create and configure new clusters in IPv6-only networking environments. If you need to use IPv6 in ONTAP 9.13.0 and earlier, or on other platforms in ONTAP 9.13.1 and later, you can use ONTAP System Manager to create new clusters using IPv4 and then convert to IPv6.

What you’ll need for cluster set up

Setting up the cluster involves gathering the information needed to configure setting up each node, creating the cluster on the first node, and joining any remaining nodes to the cluster.

Get started by gathering all the relevant information in the cluster setup worksheets.

The cluster setup worksheet enables you to record the values that you need during the cluster setup process. If a default value is provided, you can use that value or else enter your own.

System defaults

The system defaults are the default values for the private cluster network. It is best to use these default values. However, if they do not meet your requirements, you can use the table to record your own values.

For clusters configured to use network switches, each cluster switch must use the 9000 MTU size.

Types of information	Your values
Private cluster network ports
Cluster network netmask
Cluster interface IP addresses (for each cluster network port on each node) The IP addresses for each node must be on the same subnet.

Types of information

Your values

Private cluster network ports

Cluster network netmask

Cluster interface IP addresses (for each cluster network port on each node)

The IP addresses for each node must be on the same subnet.

Cluster information

Types of information Your values

Types of information	Your values
Cluster name The name must begin with a letter, and it must be fewer than 44 characters. The name can include the following special characters: `.` `-` `_`

Cluster name

The name must begin with a letter, and it must be fewer than 44 characters. The name can include the following special characters:

. - _

Feature license keys

You can find license keys for your initial or add-on software orders at the Technical Support Site under My Support > Software Licenses.

Types of information	Your values
Feature license keys

Types of information

Your values

Feature license keys

Admin storage virtual machine (SVM)

Types of information

Your values

Cluster administrator password

The password for the admin account that the cluster requires before granting cluster administrator access to the console or through a secure protocol.

For security purposes, recording passwords in this worksheet is not recommended.

The default rules for passwords are as follows:

A password must be at least eight characters long.
A password must contain at least one letter and one number.

Cluster management interface port

The physical port that is connected to the data network and enables the cluster administrator to manage the cluster.

Cluster management interface IP address

A unique IPv4 or IPv6 address for the cluster management interface. The cluster administrator uses this address to access the admin SVM and manage the cluster. Typically, this address should be on the data network.

You can obtain this IP address from the administrator responsible for assigning IP addresses in your organization.

Example: 192.0.2.66

Cluster management interface netmask (IPv4)

The subnet mask that defines the range of valid IPv4 addresses on the cluster management network.

Example: 255.255.255.0

Cluster management interface netmask length (IPv6)

If the cluster management interface uses an IPv6 address, then this value represents the prefix length that defines the range of valid IPv6 addresses on the cluster management network.

Example: 64

Cluster management interface default gateway

The IP address for the router on the cluster management network.

DNS domain name

The name of your network’s DNS domain.

The domain name must consist of alphanumeric characters. To enter multiple DNS domain names, separate each name with either a comma or a space.

Name server IP addresses

The IP addresses of the DNS name servers. Separate each address with either a comma or a space.

Node information (for each node in the cluster)

Types of information	Your values
Physical location of the controller (optional) A description of the physical location of the controller. Use a description that identifies where to find this node in the cluster (for example, “Lab 5, Row 7, Rack B”).
Node management interface port The physical port that is connected to the node management network and enables the cluster administrator to manage the node.
Node management interface IP address A unique IPv4 or IPv6 address for the node management interface on the management network. If you defined the node management interface port to be a data port, then this IP address should be a unique IP address on the data network. You can obtain this IP address from the administrator responsible for assigning IP addresses in your organization. Example: 192.0.2.66
Node management interface netmask (IPv4) The subnet mask that defines the range of valid IP addresses on the node management network. If you defined the node management interface port to be a data port, then the netmask should be the subnet mask for the data network. Example: 255.255.255.0
Node management interface netmask length (IPv6) If the node management interface uses an IPv6 address, then this value represents the prefix length that defines the range of valid IPv6 addresses on the node management network. Example: 64
Node management interface default gateway The IP address for the router on the node management network.

Types of information

Your values

Physical location of the controller (optional)

A description of the physical location of the controller. Use a description that identifies where to find this node in the cluster (for example, “Lab 5, Row 7, Rack B”).

Node management interface port

The physical port that is connected to the node management network and enables the cluster administrator to manage the node.

Node management interface IP address

A unique IPv4 or IPv6 address for the node management interface on the management network. If you defined the node management interface port to be a data port, then this IP address should be a unique IP address on the data network.

You can obtain this IP address from the administrator responsible for assigning IP addresses in your organization.

Example: 192.0.2.66

Node management interface netmask (IPv4)

The subnet mask that defines the range of valid IP addresses on the node management network.

If you defined the node management interface port to be a data port, then the netmask should be the subnet mask for the data network.

Example: 255.255.255.0

Node management interface netmask length (IPv6)

If the node management interface uses an IPv6 address, then this value represents the prefix length that defines the range of valid IPv6 addresses on the node management network.

Example: 64

Node management interface default gateway

The IP address for the router on the node management network.

NTP server information

Types of information	Your values
NTP server addresses The IP addresses of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers at your site. These servers are used to synchronize the time across the cluster.

Types of information

Your values

NTP server addresses

The IP addresses of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers at your site. These servers are used to synchronize the time across the cluster.