Expanding a Stretch Cluster

Cluster Expansion Guidelines

  • Stretch cluster expansion supports both converged nodes and compute-only nodes.

  • When adding a converged node, ensure that the configuration is symmetric across both sites. For instance if Site 1 is expanded with two nodes, Site 2 must also be expanded with two converged nodes.

  • When adding compute nodes, ensure that you do not exceed the supported node count.

Configuring the Sites for Expand Cluster

Expanding a Stretch Cluster includes various steps that are involved in adding a Compute-only or a Converged node to a Stretch Cluster. See Cluster Expansion Workflow for more details.

Before executing the cluster expansion workflow, re-create the sites in the installer as they are deployed using this procedure.

Before you begin

Procedure

Step 1

Log into the HX Data Platform Installer.

Step 2

On the Workflow page, from the Expand Cluster drop-down list, select Stretch Cluster. Click Continue.

Step 3

On the Cluster page, enter hostname and credentials of management cluster.

Step 4

On the Credentials page, enter UCS Manager and Hypervisor credentials. See Enter Credentials for more details.

Step 5

On the Server Selection page, configure the server ports and associate the new HX expansion nodes with the site. See Associate HyperFlex Servers for more details.

Step 6

On the Hypervisor Configuration page, configure the subnet mask, gateway, and complete the hypervisor settings. See Configure Hypervisor for more details.

Step 7

Click Start to begin site configuration for expand cluster. The Progress page displays the progress of various configuration tasks.

Caution

 

Do not skip validation warnings.

See the Warnings section for more details.

What to do next

Using the HX Data Platform Installer, proceed to create your expanded HyperFlex Stretch Cluster. See Cluster Expansion Workflow for more details.

Enter Credentials

Enter UCS Manager credentials and hypervisor credentials for both the sites across the Stretch Cluster.

Before you begin

Procedure

Step 1

Log in to the HX Data Platform Installer with root user credentials. For first time log in, you will be prompted to change the default password set in the factory.

  1. In a browser, enter the URL for the VM where HX Data Platform Installer was installed.

  2. Enter the following login credentials.

    • Username: root

    • Password: Cisco123

  3. Read the EULA, select the I accept the terms and conditions checkbox, and click Login.

Step 2

In the Change factory default password screen, complete the following fields, and click Change Password & Login.

Field

Description

New password

Enter a new hypervisor password.

Re-enter new password

Re-enter the new hypervisor password.

Step 3

On the Workflow page, from the Expand Cluster drop-down list, select Stretch Cluster. Click Continue.

Step 4

On the Credentials page, select Configure Site.

Step 5

Enter the following credentials for UCS Manager:

UCS Manager Credentials for this site

Field

Description

UCS Manager Host Name field

Enter the UCS Manager FQDN or IP address.

For example, 10.193.211.120.

UCS Manager User Name field

Enter the administrative level username.

For example, <admin>.

Password field

Enter the administrative level password.

For example, <root>.

Site Name field

Specify a unique site name.

Org Name field

Specify a unique org name, to ensure isolation of the HyperFlex environment from the rest of the UCS domain.

Step 6

Enter the following credentials for the Hypervisor:

Hypervisor Credentials

Field

Description

User Name field

Enter the administrative username.

For example, <admin> username.

The username is root for factory nodes.

Password

Enter the administrative level password.

Step 7

Click Continue to begin associating HyperFlex Servers. See Associate HyperFlex Servers.

Associate HyperFlex Servers

On the Server Selection page, the Configuration pane on the right displays a detailed list of the Credentials used. The Server Selection page displays a list of unassociated HX servers under the Unassociated tab, and the list of discovered servers under the Associated tab.

Field

Description

Locator LED column

Turn on to locate a server.

Server Name column

Name that is assigned to the server.

Status column

  • Inaccessible

  • Ok

Model column

Displays the server model.

Serial column

Displays the serial number of the server.

Service Profile column [Only for Associated Servers]

Service profile that is assigned to the server.

Actions drop-down list

  • Launch KVM Console—Choose this option to launch the KVM Console directly from the HX Data Platform Installer.

  • Disassociate Server—Choose this option to remove a service profile from that server.

Before you begin

Ensure that you completed entering UCS Manager, vCenter, and Hypervisor credentials on the Credentials page. See Enter Credentials.

Procedure

Step 1

Click the Configure Server Ports button to discover any new HX nodes. In the Configure Server Ports dialog box, list all ports to be configured as server ports. Click Configure.

Note

 

Typically, the server ports are configured in Cisco UCS Manager before you start the configuration.

Step 2

Select the servers under the Unassociated tab to include in the HyperFlex cluster.

If HX servers do not appear in this list, check Cisco UCS Manager and ensure that they have been discovered.

Note

 

If there are no unassociated servers, the following error message is displayed: 

No unassociated servers found. Login to UCS Manager and ensure server ports are enabled.

Step 3

Click Continue to configure Hypervisor. See Configure Hypervisor.

Configure Hypervisor

Procedure

Step 1

In the Configure Common Hypervisor Settings section, complete the following fields:

Field

Description

Subnet Mask field

Set the subnet mask to the appropriate level to limit and control IP addresses.

For example, 255.255.0.0.

Gateway field

IP address of gateway.

For example, 10.193.0.1.

DNS Server(s) field

IP address for the DNS Server.

Note

 

  • If you do not have a DNS server, do not enter a hostname in any of the fields on the Cluster Configuration page of the HX Data Platform Installer. Use only static IP addresses and hostnames for all ESXi hosts.

  • If you are providing more than one DNS server, check carefully to ensure that both DNS servers are correctly entered, separated by a comma.

DNS Domain Name field

Enter the DNS FQDN or IP address.

Step 2

On the Hypervisor Settings section, select Make IP Addresses and Hostnames Sequential to make the IP addresses sequential. Complete the following fields:

Note

 

You can rearrange the servers using drag and drop.

Field

Description

Name column

Name assigned to the server.

Locator LED column

Turn on to locate a server.

Serial column

Displays the serial number of the server.

Static IP Address column

Input static IP addresses and hostnames for all ESXi hosts.

Hostname column

Do not leave the hostname fields empty.

Step 3

In the Advanced Configuration section, select Clean up disk partitions to remove all existing data and partitions from all nodes added to the storage cluster.

Important

 

  • Do not select this option for factory prepared systems. The disk partitions on factory prepared systems are properly configured. For manually prepared servers, select this option to delete existing data and partitions.

  • Ensure that you backup any data which must be retained.

Step 4

Click Start to begin site configuration for expand cluster. The Progress page displays the progress of various configuration tasks.

Caution

 

Do not skip validation warnings.

See the Warnings section for more details.

What to do next

Run the Cluster Expansion workflow from the HX Data Platform Installer to create your HyperFlex Stretch Cluster expansion. See Cluster Expansion Workflow for more details.

Cluster Expansion Workflow

The following cluster expansion workflow summarizes the steps that are involved in adding a Compute-only or a Converged node to a Stretch Cluster, using the HX Data Platform installer.

Step

Description

Reference

1.

Enter UCS Manager Credentials for Site A and Site B, vCenter credentials, and the Hypervisor Credentials.

Enter Credentials

2.

Configure the server ports and associate HyperFlex servers.

Associate HyperFlex Servers

3.

Configure hypervisor, IP addresses, and start the cluster expansion process.

Configure Nodes

Enter Credentials

Before you begin

Procedure

Step 1

Log into the Cisco HX Data Platform Installer.

  1. In your web browser, enter the IP address or the node name for the Cisco HX Data Platform Installer VM. Click Accept or Continue to bypass any SSL certificate errors. On the Cisco HX Data Platform Installer login, verify the Cisco HX Data Platform Installer Build ID in the lower right corner of the login screen.

  2. In the login page, enter the following credentials:

    Username: root

    Password (Default): Cisco123

    Important

     

    Systems ship with a default password of Cisco123 that must be changed during installation. You cannot continue installation unless you specify a new user supplied password.

  3. Read the EULA, check the I accept the terms and conditions check box, and click Login.

Step 2

On the Workflow page, from the Expand Cluster drop-down list, select Stretch Cluster. Click Continue.

Step 3

On the Cluster page, enter the following credentials:

To perform Stretch cluster expansion, you can import a JSON configuration file with the required configuration data. The following two steps are optional if importing a JSON file, otherwise you can input data into the required fields manually.

Note

 

For a first-time installation, contact your Cisco representative to procure the factory preinstallation JSON file.

Field

Description

Cluster Management FQDN/IP field

Enter the HyperFlex cluster FQDN or IP address.

For example, 10.193.211.120.

User Name field

Enter the administrative level username.

For example, <admin>.

Password field

Enter the administrative level password.

Click Continue.

Step 4

On the Credentials Page, select Expand Stretch Cluster.

Step 5

Enter the following credentials for UCS Manager:

UCS Manager Credentials for Site 1

Field

Description

UCS Manager Hostname field

UCS Manager FQDN or IP address for site 1.

For example, 10.193.211.120.

User Name field

Enter the administrative level username.

For example, <admin> username.

Password field

Enter the administrative level password.

Site Name field

Specify a unique site name.

Org Name field

Specify a unique org name, to ensure isolation of the HyperFlex environment from the rest of the UCS domain.

UCS Manager Credentials for Site 2

Field

Description

UCS Manager Host Name field

Enter the UCS Manager FQDN or IP address for site 2.

For example, 10.193.211.120.

User Name field

Enter the administrative level username.

For example, <admin> username.

Password field

Enter the administrative level password.

Site Name field

Specify a unique site name.

Org Name field

Specify a unique org name, to ensure isolation of the HyperFlex environment from the rest of the UCS domain.

Step 6

Enter the following credentials for the vCenter.

vCenter Credentials

Field

Description

vCenter Server field

Enter the vCenter server FQDN or IP address.

For example, 10.193.211.120.

Note

 

  • vCenter Server input is optional if building a nested vCenter. See the Nested vCenter TechNote for more details. A vCenter server is required before the cluster can be made operational.

  • The vCenter address and credentials must have root level administrator permissions to the vCenter.

User Name field

Enter the administrative username.

For example, administrator@vsphere.local.

Admin Password field

Enter the administrative level password.

Enter the <root> password.

Step 7

Enter the following credentials for the Hypervisor:

Hypervisor Credentials

Field

Description

Admin User Name field

Enter the administrative username.

For example, <admin> username.

The username is root for factory nodes.

The hypervisor on this node uses the factory default password check box

Select the check box, if you are changing the factory default password for the hypervisor.

To enter the current hypervisor password, uncheck this check box. You can now enter the hypervisor password in the Enter current hypervisor password field.

New Password

Create a new password for the hypervisor.

Important

 

You are required to change the factory default password.

Confirm New Password

Reenter the new password for the hypervisor.

What to do next

Click Continue to begin associating HyperFlex servers.

Associate HyperFlex Servers

On the Node Selection page, the Configuration pane on the right displays a detailed list of the Credentials used. The Server Selection page displays a list of unassociated HX servers under the Unassociated tab, and the list of discovered servers under the Associated tab.

Field

Description

Locator LED column

Turn on to locate a server.

Server Name column

Name that is assigned to the server.

Site column

Name of the site where the server is physically located.

Status column

  • Inaccessible

  • Ok

Model column

Displays the server model.

Serial column

Displays the serial number of the server.

Service Profile column [Only for Associated Servers]

Service profile that is assigned to the server.

Actions column

  • Launch KVM Console—Choose this option to launch the KVM Console directly from the HX Data Platform Installer.

  • Disassociate Server—Choose this option to remove a service profile from that server.

Before you begin

Ensure that you completed entering UCS Manager credentials for both sites and vCenter credentials, and Hypervisor credentials on the Credentials page. See Enter Credentials.

Procedure

Step 1

Click the Configure Server Ports button to discover any new HX nodes. In the Configure Server Ports dialog box, list all ports to be configured as server ports. Click Configure.

Note

 

Typically, the server ports are configured in Cisco UCS Manager before you start the configuration.

Step 2

Select the servers under the Unassociated tab to include in the HyperFlex cluster.

If HX servers do not appear in this list, check Cisco UCS Manager and ensure that they have been discovered.

If there are no unassociated servers, the following error message is displayed: 

No unassociated servers found. Login to UCS Manager and ensure server ports are enabled.

Step 3

Click Continue to configure HyperFlex nodes. See Configure Nodes.

Configure Nodes

On the IP Addresses page, complete the following:

Before you begin

Associate servers on the HyperFlex cluster. See Associate HyperFlex Servers.

Procedure

Step 1

In the IP Addresses section, select Make IP Addresses Sequential to make the IP addresses sequential. When you enter IP addresses in the first row for Hypervisor, Storage Controller (Management) and Hypervisor, Storage Controller (Data) columns, the HX Data Platform Installer incrementally autofills the node information for the remaining nodes. The minimum number of nodes in the storage cluster is three. If you have more nodes, use the Add button to provide the address information.

You can add more compute-only or converged servers, by clicking Add Compute Server or Add Converged Server.

Note

 

  • When adding a converged node, ensure that the configuration is symmetric across both sites. You can add as many compute nodes as needed. There is no restriction.

  • Compute-only nodes can be added only after the storage cluster is created.

For each HX node, enter the Hypervisor, Storage Controller, Management, and Data IP addresses. For the IP addresses, specify if the network belongs to the Data Network or the Management Network.

Field

Description

Locator LED column

Turn on to locate a server.

Name column

Displays the name assigned to the server.

Site column

Displays the site where the server is physically located.

Management Hypervisor field

Enter the static IP address that handles the Hypervisor management network connection between the ESXi host and the storage cluster.

Management Storage Controller field

Enter the static IP address that handles the storage controller VM management network connection between the storage controller VM and the storage cluster.

Data Hypervisor field

Enter the static IP address that handles the Hypervisor data network connection between the ESXi host and the storage cluster.

Data Storage Controller field

Enter the static IP address that handles the storage controller VM data network connection between the storage controller VM and the storage cluster.

Step 2

In the Advanced Configuration section, select Clean up disk partitions to remove all existing data and partitions from all nodes added to the storage cluster.

Important

 

  • Do not select this option for factory prepared systems. The disk partitions on factory prepared systems are properly configured. For manually prepared servers, select this option to delete existing data and partitions.

  • Ensure that you backup any data which must be retained.

Step 3

Click Start to begin adding HyperFlex nodes to the Stretch cluster.

Note

 

When adding nodes to the Stretch cluster, add only the nodes already associated with that cluster.
1 Applies to Witness VM only.