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AI Data Engine

Add data compute nodes to your AIDE cluster

Contributors netapp-dbagwell dmp-netapp
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You can add data compute nodes (DCNs) as part of creating a new AI Data Engine (AIDE) cluster or expanding an existing cluster. The workflow consists of discovering and configuring the nodes using ONTAP System Manager.

Prepare to add nodes

There are several considerations when adding DCN nodes.

When creating a new AIDE cluster

Exactly three DCN nodes are required for a new AIDE cluster.

Hardware installation and addressability

Make sure the following prerequisites are met:

  • The new DCN hardware is racked, powered on, and cabled to the cluster switches.

  • You have an IP address space range available for the DCN to ONTAP backend subnet.

  • The ONTAP cluster has been initialized and is reachable from the cluster management LIF.

System Manager credentials

You need storage administrator privileges to perform AIDE cluster creating or expansion tasks.

Software compatibility

Review the following documentation to confirm that your DCN hardware and software versions are compatible with your ONTAP cluster:

During the node add operation, System Manager will confirm the new nodes run a software version compatible with:

  • The ONTAP cluster effective version (ECV) if this is the first DCN join.

  • The existing DCN cluster version if DCNs are already present.

If a node is incompatible:

  • An error is shown next to the affected DCN in the Add dialog.

  • You must first update the DCN software (or ONTAP, as appropriate) to a compatible version.

Add the data compute nodes

You add DCN nodes as part of creating a new AIDE cluster or expanding an existing cluster.

Steps

  1. In System Manager, select Dashboard in the navigation pane and then the Health card.

  2. Confirm that there are nodes to add and select View details to display the list.

    The list contains discovered nodes that are not yet part of the AIDE cluster

  3. Alternatively, you can select Cluster and Overview and the Data compute tab to see the list.

  4. At the bottom of the data compute page, select Add above the list of nodes .

  5. In the Add data compute nodes dialog, select the DCN nodes you want to add.

    You can optionally rename individual nodes before adding them.

  6. If this is the first time you're adding nodes and no backend subnet exists, select Add subnet and provide:

    • Subnet name (for internal use)

    • Subnet address and mask

    • IP address range for DCN and ONTAP nodes on this backend network

      System Manager validates the range includes enough free IP addresses for all DCNs being added and all ONTAP nodes in the cluster and additional cluster-level floating IPs used for DCN to ONTAP communication.

  7. Whether you added the backend subnet or it already exists:

    1. Review the available IP addresses.

    2. If needed, select Edit subnet and extend the IP range.

      • You can only grow the range. Shrinking or changing the subnet is not supported.

      • Changing the subnet or IP range might require recreating the underlying Kubernetes cluster on DCNs and can take several minutes.

  8. Optionally configure the Data Engine service interface by providing:

    • Service IP address

    • Network mask

    • Gateway (if required for your environment)

      The single IP will be load-balanced across DCNs and used as the frontend address for the AI Data Engine Console and related APIs.

  9. Review the selected nodes, backend subnet, and Data Engine service interface settings.

  10. Select Add and wait for the operation to complete. System Manager will perform the following actions:

    • Add the selected nodes to the DCN cluster

    • Provision the backend networking and join nodes to the Kubernetes-based DCN cluster

    • Updates internal metadata for DCN discovery

  11. After completion, select Cluster and Overview and confirm:

    1. Under Data compute the new DCNs appear as part of the cluster

    2. All nodes are Healthy

    3. Verify the dashboard Health card shows the updated node count