Setting up a NetApp Element software storage system involves configuring a storage node, creating a storage cluster, and adding drives to the cluster. If you use a Fibre Channel network, you can configure a Fibre Channel node.
Configure a storage node
You must configure individual nodes before you can add them to a cluster. After you install and cable a node in a rack unit and power it on, you can configure the node network settings using the per-node UI or the node terminal user interface (TUI). Ensure that you have the necessary network configuration information for the node before proceeding.
Create a storage cluster
You can create a storage cluster after you have configured all of the individual nodes. When you create a cluster, a cluster administrator user account is automatically created for you. The cluster administrator has permission to manage all cluster attributes and can create other cluster administrator accounts.
Configure Fully Qualified Domain Name web UI access
NetApp HCI with NetApp Element software 12.2 or later enables you to access storage cluster web interfaces using the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). If you want to use the FQDN to access web user interfaces such as the Element web UI, per-node UI, or management node UI, you must first add a storage cluster setting to identify the FQDN used by the cluster.
Add drives to a cluster
When you add a node to the cluster or install new drives in an existing node, the drives automatically register as available. You must add the drives to the cluster by using either the Element UI or API before they can participate in the cluster .
Change the Garbage Collection constant
After you create a cluster, you should change the Garbage Collection (GC) constant to false to prevent an increase in block space usage. This applies only to NetApp Element software 12.2.
Configure a Fibre Channel node
Fibre Channel nodes enable you to connect the cluster to a Fibre Channel network fabric. Fibre Channel nodes are added in pairs, and operate in active-active mode (all nodes actively process traffic for the cluster). Clusters running Element software version 9.0 and later support up to four nodes; clusters running previous versions support a maximum of two nodes.
Set up a management node
You can install the NetApp Element software management node (mNode) to upgrade and provide system services, manage cluster assets and settings, run system tests and utilities, and enable NetApp Support access for troubleshooting.