Adding a node to a cluster

You can add nodes to a cluster when more storage is needed or after cluster creation. Nodes require initial configuration when they are first powered on. After the node is configured, it appears in the list of pending nodes and you can add it to a cluster.

About this task

The software version on each node in a cluster must be compatible. When you add a node to a cluster, the cluster installs the cluster version of Element software on the new node as needed.

You can add nodes of smaller or larger capacities to an existing cluster. You can add larger node capacities to a cluster to allow for capacity growth. Larger nodes added to a cluster with smaller nodes must be added in pairs. This allows for sufficient space for Double Helix to move the data should one of the larger nodes fail. You can add smaller node capacities to a larger node cluster to improve performance.

Steps

Select Cluster > Nodes.
Click Pending to view the list of pending nodes.
Do one of the following:
- To add individual nodes, click the Actions icon for the node you want to add.
- To add multiple nodes, select the check box of the nodes to add, and then Bulk Actions.
Note: If the node you are adding has a different version of Element software than the version running on the cluster, the cluster asynchronously updates the node to the version of Element software running on the cluster master. After the node is updated, it automatically adds itself to the cluster. During this asynchronous process, the node will be in a pendingActive state.
Click Add.
The node appears in the list of active nodes.