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Grid node decommission: Overview

Contributors netapp-madkat netapp-pcarriga netapp-lhalbert

You can use the node decommission procedure to remove one or more grid nodes at one or more sites. You can't decommission the primary Admin Node.

When to decommission a node

Use the node decommission procedure when any of the following are true:

  • You added a larger Storage Node in an expansion and you want to remove one or more smaller Storage Nodes, while at the same time preserving objects.

    Tip If you want to replace an older appliance with a newer appliance, consider cloning the appliance node instead of adding a new appliance in an expansion and then decommissioning the old appliance.
  • You require less total storage.

  • You no longer require a Gateway Node.

  • You no longer require a non-primary Admin Node.

  • Your grid includes a disconnected node that you can't recover or bring back online.

  • Your grid includes an Archive Node.

How to decommission a node

You can decommission connected grid nodes or disconnected grid nodes.

Decommission connected nodes

In general, you should decommission grid nodes only when they are connected to the StorageGRID system and only when all nodes are in normal health (have green icons on the NODES pages and on the Decommission Nodes page).

For instructions, see Decommission connected grid nodes.

Decommission disconnected nodes

In some cases, you might need to decommission a grid node that is not currently connected to the grid (one whose Health is Unknown or Administratively Down). For example, you can only decommission an Archive Node if it is disconnected.

For instructions, see Decommission disconnected grid nodes.

What to consider before decommissioning a node

Before performing either procedure, review the considerations for each type of node: