Appliances: Deploying Storage, Gateway, or non-primary Admin Nodes

To install the StorageGRID software on an appliance node, you use the StorageGRID Appliance Installer, which is included on the appliance. In an expansion, each storage appliance functions as a single Storage Node, and each services appliance functions as a single Gateway Node or non-primary Admin Node. Any appliance can connect to the Grid Network, the Admin Network, and the Client Network.

Before you begin

The appliance has been installed in a rack or cabinet, connected to your networks, and powered on.
Network links, IP addresses, and port remapping (if necessary) have been configured for the appliance using the StorageGRID Appliance Installer.
Attention: If you have remapped any ports, you cannot use the same ports to configure load balancer endpoints. You can create endpoints using remapped ports, but those endpoints will be remapped to the original CLB ports and service, not the Load Balancer service. Follow the steps in the recovery and maintenance instructions for removing port remaps.
All Grid Network subnets listed on the IP Configuration page of the StorageGRID Appliance Installer have been defined in the Grid Network Subnet List on the primary Admin Node.

For instructions for completing these prerequisite tasks, see the installation and maintenance instructions for your appliance.

You have a service laptop with a supported web browser.
You know one of the IP addresses assigned to the appliance's compute controller. You can use the IP address for any attached StorageGRID network.

About this task

The process of installing StorageGRID on an appliance node has the following phases:

You specify or confirm the IP address of the primary Admin Node and the name of the appliance node.
You start the installation and wait as volumes are configured and the software is installed.
Partway through appliance installation tasks, the installation pauses. To resume the installation, you sign into the Grid Manager, approve all grid nodes, and complete the StorageGRID installation process.
Note: If you need to deploy multiple appliance Storage Nodes at one time, you can automate the installation process by using the configure-sga.py Appliance Installation Script. This script applies only to Storage Nodes.

Steps

Open a browser, and enter one of the IP addresses for the appliance's compute controller.
https://Controller_IP:8443

The StorageGRID Appliance Installer Home page appears.
In the Primary Admin Node connection section, determine whether you need to specify the IP address for the primary Admin Node.
If you have previously installed other nodes in this data center, the StorageGRID Appliance Installer can discover this IP address automatically, assuming the primary Admin Node, or at least one other grid node with ADMIN_IP configured, is present on the same subnet.

If this IP address is not shown or you need to change it, specify the address:

Option	Description
Manual IP entry	Unselect the Enable Admin Node discovery check box. Enter the IP address manually. Click Save. Wait for the connection state for the new IP address to become ready.
Automatic discovery of all connected primary Admin Nodes	Select the Enable Admin Node discovery check box. Wait for the list of discovered IP addresses to be displayed. Select the primary Admin Node for the grid where this appliance Storage Node will be deployed. Click Save. Wait for the connection state for the new IP address to become ready.

In the Node name field, enter the name you want to use for this appliance node, and click Save.
The node name is assigned to this appliance node in the StorageGRID system. It is shown on the Nodes page (Overview tab) in the Grid Manager. If required, you can change the name when you approve the node.
In the Installation section, confirm that the current state is "Ready to start installation of node name into grid with primary Admin Node admin_ip" and that the Start Installation button is enabled.
If the Start Installation button is not enabled, you might need to change the network configuration or port settings. For instructions, see the installation and maintenance instructions for your appliance.
From the StorageGRID Appliance Installer home page, click Start Installation.

The Current state changes to "Installation is in progress," and the Monitor Installation page is displayed.
If your expansion includes multiple appliance nodes, repeat the previous steps for each appliance.
Note: If you need to deploy multiple appliance Storage Nodes at one time, you can automate the installation process by using the configure-sga.py appliance installation script. This script applies only to Storage Nodes.
If you need to manually access the Monitor Installation page, click Monitor Installation from the menu bar.

The Monitor Installation page shows the installation progress.

The blue status bar indicates which task is currently in progress. Green status bars indicate tasks that have completed successfully.
Note: The installer ensures that tasks completed in a previous install are not re-run. If you are re-running an installation, any tasks that do not need to be re-run are shown with a green status bar and a status of "Skipped."
Review the progress of first two installation stages.
1. Configure appliance
During this stage, one of the following processes occurs, depending on the appliance type:
- For an appliance Storage Node, the installer connects to the storage controller, clears any existing configuration, communicates with SANtricity software to configure volumes, and configures host settings.
- For an appliance Gateway Node or Admin Node, the installer clears any existing configuration from the drives in the compute controller, and configures host settings.
2. Install OS

During this stage, the installer copies the base operating system image for StorageGRID to the appliance.
Continue monitoring the installation progress until you are prompted to use the Grid Manager to approve the node.

Note: Wait until all nodes you added in this expansion are ready for approval before going to the Grid Manager to approve the nodes.