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ONTAP cluster setup workflow summary

Contributors netapp-aherbin

To setup your cluster, you should gather the information you need to complete the setup, create a cluster and join nodes, convert management LIFs from IPv4 to IPv6, check your cluster with Active IQ Config Advisor, and synchronize the system time across the cluster.

Note This procedure applies to FAS, AFF and ASA systems. If you have an ASA r2 system (ASA A1K, ASA A90, ASA A70, ASA A50, ASA A30, ASA A20, or ASA C30), follow these steps to set up an ONTAP cluster. ASA r2 systems provide a simplified ONTAP experience specific to SAN-only customers.

Before you begin your cluster setup, gather the information you need to complete the set up process.

NetApp recommends that you use System Manager to set up new clusters. System Manager provides a simple and easy workflow for cluster setup including assigning a node management IP address and initializing the cluster.

Beginning with ONTAP 9.13.1, you can assign IPv6 addresses to management LIFs on AFF A800 and FAS 8700 platforms during the initial cluster setup using the ONTAP command line interface (CLI). For ONTAP releases earlier than 9.13.1, or for 9.13.1 and later on other platforms, you must first assign IPv4 addresses to management LIFs, and then convert to IPv6 addresses after you complete cluster setup.

After you have joined all the nodes to your new cluster, you should run Active IQ Config Advisor to validate your configuration and check for common configuration errors.

Synchronize the system time across your cluster to ensure that every node in the cluster has the same time and to prevent CIFS and Kerberos failures.