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AI Data Engine

Install AI Data Engine software on third-party servers

Contributors netapp-dbagwell
PDFs

Install the AI Data Engine (AIDE) software on third-party servers running Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9.7. This deployment option lets you run AIDE on your infrastructure while ONTAP continues to orchestrate the AIDE software stack.

AI Data Engine software on third-party servers provides Metadata Engine feature parity with NetApp-provided data compute node appliance-based AIDE deployments. GPU and AI inference workloads are not yet supported with this deployment option.

Complete this procedure after you finish installing your third-party server and before you create the compute cluster in ONTAP.

Prepare for installation

Before installing AI Data Engine (AIDE) on third-party servers, ensure the following.

Network separation recommendations are understood

AIDE deployments use two isolated networks that serve different purposes:

  • Data network: Provides external connectivity for host management access, AIDE API access, downloads, DNS, NTP, and other routed communication.

  • Cluster network: Provides internal communication paths between ONTAP and compute nodes. This network is non-routable and must remain isolated from the data network.

Maintain strict separation between these network paths to avoid routing conflicts and unintended access between internal cluster traffic and external data traffic.

You need a way to connect to the internet or the correct server to obtain OS updates, patches, and AIDE software updates. In case the data network is configured to not reach the server or the internet for these operations, you might need a third management network for these management server and AIDE operations.

Environment prerequisites are met

  • ONTAP 9.18.1 or later is running on your ONTAP AFX cluster

  • Exactly three servers meeting the minimum hardware requirements (CPU, memory, NIC, storage) are running

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9.7 is installed on each server

Network plan is decided

  • External (non-cluster) host networking is configured using NetworkManager

  • The external maintenance interface has a static IP address, default gateway route, and static hostname configured

  • DNS and NTP time synchronization are configured for the external maintenance interface

  • You have selected server interfaces for AIDE to use

  • You have identified which selected interfaces are cluster-facing and data-facing

  • Cluster-facing interfaces are connected to the AFX cluster switches

  • Data-facing interfaces are connected to the data network switches

  • Network access to VLAN-40 is configured on your cluster switches for node discovery

  • The cluster network is isolated from the data network and does not route to it

  • Additional network connections are not supported

  • Management access and AIDE API access both use the external network connection

Access and software are available

  • You have NetApp Support Site (NSS) access

  • You have DNS name server addresses available for the aide-setup command

Note GPU drivers are not required for basic Metadata Engine-only deployments.
Note In third-party server deployments, you are solely responsible for operating system security, patching, firewall configuration, SELinux enforcement, and SSH hardening. NetApp does not provide security patches for your operating system.

Step 1: Download the installation bundle on each node

Download the AIDE software RPM and container images tar file from the NetApp Support Site (NSS) on each third-party server either directly or by using a jump host with access to the NetApp Support Site.

Steps

  1. Access the NetApp Support Site at mysupport.netapp.com.

  2. Navigate to Downloads.

  3. Search for "AI Data Engine".

  4. Enter the Metadata Engine on third-party servers release name provided to you by your NetApp representative.

  5. Download these files to each server using wget or your preferred download method:

    • netapp-aide.rpm

    • netapp-aide-images.tar

Step 2: Verify bundle integrity on each node

Verify the bundle checksum on each third-party server after download.

Steps

  1. Verify bundle integrity for both files using the provided checksums:

    sha256sum netapp-aide.rpm
sha256sum netapp-aide-images.tar

  2. Compare the output against the checksum files provided on the download page.

Important Verify the SHA-256 checksum for both files on each node before installation.

Step 3: Install the RPM and run aide-setup on each node

Extract container images, install the AIDE RPM package, and run aide-setup on each third-party server. The installer performs automated pre-flight validation, host configuration, and AIDE software deployment.

Steps

  1. Log in to the first third-party server as a privileged user.

  2. Create the required directory for container images:

    mkdir -p /var/lib/rancher/rke2/agent/images/

  3. Extract the container images tar file to the directory:

    tar -xf netapp-aide-images.tar -C /var/lib/rancher/rke2/agent/images/
    Caution Ensure that no other files other than the extracted files are placed in the /var/lib/rancher/rke2/agent/images/ directory.

  4. Install the netapp-aide RPM:

    sudo dnf install netapp-aide.rpm

  5. Install the dnsmasq package:

    sudo dnf install dnsmasq

  6. Identify your internal and external network interfaces:

    ip address show

    • For the external interface, use only a port that has a corresponding IP address configured

    • Internal interface ports must not be configured

  7. Identify your DNS name server IP addresses for use in the aide-setup command.

  8. Run aide-setup to configure the cluster and external interfaces:

    sudo /usr/sbin/aide-setup --internal_interface_primary_port <iface1> --internal_interface_secondary_port <iface2> --external_interface <external-iface> --dns_nameserver <dns-ip-1> --dns_nameserver <dns-ip-2> --overwrite_config

    • Use cluster-facing interfaces for --internal_interface_primary_port and --internal_interface_secondary_port. Connect those interfaces to the AFX cluster switches.

    • Use your host maintenance interface for --external_interface. This interface must have a configured IP address.

    • Provide one or more DNS name server IP addresses with the --dns_nameserver option.

      Caution Maintain equivalent security controls on the cluster-facing interfaces to protect data consumed from ONTAP. Isolate the cluster network path from the external maintenance network path so that data cannot traverse between those channels in a way that creates access violations.

  9. Review the pre-flight output. Ensure no hardware configuration compliance errors are reported before you proceed.

    Upon successful completion, you should see the message: AIDE is successfully configured for this node.

  10. Verify that the node is discoverable from ONTAP. From the ONTAP CLI, run:

    dcn cluster node show -membership available

  11. Repeat these steps on each of the two remaining third-party servers.

Note Each node advertises its serial number, UUID, and link-local address to ONTAP after aide-setup completes.
What's next?

After installing AIDE software on third-party servers, sign in to ONTAP System Manager and follow the Set up AIDE with an AFX cluster workflow to create the compute cluster, assign IP addresses, and enable connectivity.