Installation & Configuration

Let's say that you have utilized the maximum recommended storage space in your cluster, you have an empty slot for another drive and you want to fill it to expand the storage capacity.   There are different types of drives out there, each of our platforms has it's own specifications and requirements.    To check which drives are compatible with your platform, choose your platform on this page and check out the data drives supported.    Your node will be in one of the following configurations:   1) Hybrid: A mix of SSDs and HDDs.  2) All Flash: can accept only SSDs and can contain only an even number of drives.  3) SSD with NVMe: only certain drives slots can contain NVMe, check the system specification via the link above for more information.   When adding more than one drive to a node, allow at least one minute between adding each of the drives. Check out my colleague Jon Kohler’s reply here where he provided some good caveats for adding drives. Specifically, increasing the hot tier c

Nutanix Cluster is comprised of several critical software and hardware components. All communication happens on a IP network.  CVM - Controller Virtual Machine (AOS) Hypervisor - (AHV | ESXi | Hyper-V | XEN) IPMI - (Out of band management for the hosts) Each CVM communicates with its respective Hypervisor Host on a private IP network. Hosts and CVMs must be on the same subnet. Before proceeding with any network related changes, on the CVM or Hypervisor hosts, it is recommended to perform a cluster health check. Following Nutanix KB outlines the steps to ensure your Nutanix Cluster is in a healthy and consistent state: Checklist on verifying cluster health status  To change the IP Addresses, Net-Mask (subnet mask), Default gateway for your AHV hosts due to hardware re-location, network design changes, please follow the guidance from AHV Advanced Administration Guide: CHANGING THE IP ADDRESS OF AN ACROPOLIS HOST Changing IPMI Address of a Hypervisor Host CHANGING THE CONTROLLER VM IP A

Regardless of the reason to destroy the cluster whether it is to relocate and reuse an existing kit or switch to a different hypervisor, to build something new often means to destroy something that already exists and Nutanix has a process for it. Migrate all user VMs off the cluster. Reclaim licenses. Ensure there are no errors displayed.  Stop the cluster. Destroy the cluster. Not too bad, right?   Some things to keep in mind is that cluster destruction does not affect either: IPMI configuration. Which is convenient if you wish to re-use the settings in the new environment.  Installed hypervisor. Nodes would have to be re-imaged should a different hypervisor be required. Migrate all workloads off the cluser prior to executing the cluster destroy. Cluster destroy clears all metadata and data on the storage.   Useful links: KB-3716 Reclaiming Cluster License Acropolis Advanced Administration Guide: Destroying a Cluster Field Installation Guide

Companies merge, hosts are inherited and repurposed, administrators come and go and not necessarily leave things in order after themselves. Or what if you forgot the password and the record of it is not recoverable? Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I touched the other day on how ipmitool can be accessed from a CVM CLI but would require authentication details to pass on to the IPMI. Well, the host or rather the hypervisor installed on the host does not have to do so. Hence even when ADMIN account password (or any other account with full privileges) is lost the IPMI is still accessible from the hypervisor CLI and you can still reset the password, set up new user entirely, or set a new password for a user. The process consists of several steps: Log in to the hypervisor on the host (AHV or ESXi). List user records using ipmitool. Take note of the user ID. Set the password for the user ID. The task is complete. Conveniently, commands syntax between AHV and ESXi differs only in the

Hi there!I’ve installed NutanixCE (twice!) on my existing hardware (custom SuperMicro servers, not Nutanix hardware, though they meet the required specs).  We found it useful, and decided to spring for Ultimate Licenses for the non-Community Edition.So I’ve got those licenses, but now I’m having a heck of a time figuring out what to download and install!  For CE, there was a nice procedure to create an install image on a thumb drive, but I’m not seeing the same thing for non-CE.Can anyone point me to documentation that spells out what needs to be downloaded and how to install it?I’ve already found the AHV admin guide, but that doesn't have installation instructions.I’ve found the “Field Installation Guide - Foundation 4.5.x”, but the “https://portal.nutanix.com/#/page/docs/details?targetId=Field-Installation-Guide-v4_5:Prepare%20Bare-Metal%20Nodes%20for%20Imaging” section seems impossibly complicated; do I really need to install and configure a VM on virtual box on a laptop in order to

Phoenix is an ISO-based installer that you can use to perform the following installation tasks on bare-metal hardware one node at a time: Configuring hypervisor settings, virtual switches, and so on after you install a hypervisor on a replacement host boot disk. This option does not require you to include AOS and hypervisor installers in the Phoenix ISO image. Installing the Controller VM, which runs AOS. This option requires you to include the AOS installer in the Phoenix ISO image. Installing the hypervisor on a new or replacement node. This is an alternative to installing the hypervisor by the use of the hypervisor manufacturer's ISO and reduces the two-step procedure—that of first installing the hypervisor and then installing AOS (by the use of the Phoenix ISO image)—to a single-step procedure of installing both software, at once, by the use of only the Phoenix ISO image. However, this option requires you to include the hypervisor ISO image and the AOS installer files in the Ph

With AHV-20190916.189, Nutanix supports Directly Attached Volume Groups in a Guest VM Cluster. On AHV clusters, you can create a guest VM cluster by directly attaching a volume group to guest VMs.After you attach a volume group to guest VMs, vDisks appear as SCSI devices to the guest operating system and you do not need to set up any in-guest connections when you are creating a guest cluster. If you directly attach volume groups to guest VMs, you can seamlessly share vDisks across VMs in the guest cluster.You can directly attach a volume group to guest VMs to create the following guest clusters:1. Microsoft Failover Cluster (MSFT)2. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Cluster For more details, refer to following:Guest VM Cluster Configuration (AHV Only)Create Guest VM Clusters by using iSCSIAcropolis Release Notes

Hello everyone, my environment: 6 * 3060-G4 NODE per node : 2*ssd 480G， 4* HDD（how to find out if it`s sas or sata drive ?）1TB RF=2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- how to calculate? I see prism report 22.18TiB MaxCapacity(Physical)。but I think physical should be 1T*4*6+480G*2*6=24T+5760G if RF2 need two complete copy(like RAID1) ?, the usable capacity is just half of 24T+5760G, and if after one node failure, for N+1 , I should also reserve another extra node capacity(4T+480G*2) ? also I have a basic question and guess, if I have three NODE in all(assume not 6 node ), and one node failed, lost data will be replicate to another any node of remaining two, because of RF. so I have two copy again. but if the second node also fails later(now I have only one node), will the cluster be down ? data lost ? I think data shouldn`t be lost because one of the two copy exists(3 node ,2copy-> 2 node 2copy-> 1node 1copy)

Hi , I would like to know how can I access the new created VM (windows 2008R2) running on AHV platform? is there aVM console in the prism to view the OS and enable the remote access?Is nutanix require any tool to be installed on VM OS like vmwaretools to in vmware platform ? Regards,

Hello! This is my environment: LENOVO Converged HX3710 Appliance - Type 8689 (4 Nodes) AOS 5.10.5 Foundation VM 4.4 ESXi 6.5 U2 I am trying to install nutanix AOS 5.10.5 on this LENOVO HX server without any success so far. The installation process fails once again with the following message: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20190623 14:29:56 ERROR Error occured during virtual media mount: Session no longer connected 20190623 14:50:05 ERROR Exception on executing cmd: ['test', '-f', '/usr/bin/layout_finder.py'] Traceback (most recent call last): File "foundation/foundation_tools.py", line 218, in ssh File "foundation/foundation_tools.py", line 194, in get_ssh_client File "/home/nutanix/foundation/bin/../lib/py/paramiko-1.18.4-py2.7.egg/paramiko/client.py", line 323, in connect raise NoValidConnectionsError(errors) NoValidConnectionsError: [Errno None] Unable to connect to port 22 on 10.8.25.109 2019062

Dears, i have below situation happened to my nutanix block my college changged hostname of all ESXi servers and then try to change CVM IPs without stopping cluster after that he rebooted CVM but cluster is not started with error message unable to reach node where genesis is started i have check genesis service in all node and it's running correclty and all nodes are reachable suing hosts in /etc/hosts file and all of them in same lan how can i get original hostname of esxi and does change of it's hostname cause this issue and also hos i resolve this issue thanks in advance

Hello All,I tried to install AOS 5.19.2 with foundation 4.6.0 and nutanix but I faced from some issues. please find the below logs for referensce 2021-03-08 11:37:42,286Z DEBUG Setting state of <ImagingStepValidation(<NodeConfig(172.21.10.65) @8170>) @8450> from PENDING to RUNNING2021-03-08 11:37:42,292Z INFO Running <ImagingStepValidation(<NodeConfig(172.21.10.65) @8170>) @8450>2021-03-08 11:37:42,296Z DEBUG Cache MISS: key(<function common_validations at 0x03A09FB0>_()_{'global_config': <foundation.config_manager.GlobalConfig object at 0x04CB1070>})2021-03-08 11:37:42,298Z INFO Validating parameters. This may take few minutes2021-03-08 11:37:42,299Z INFO Validating parameters. This may take few minutes2021-03-08 11:37:42,299Z INFO Validating parameters. This may take few minutes2021-03-08 11:39:02,743Z DEBUG Validating hyperv: C:\Program Files (x86)\Nutanix\Portable Foundation\isos\hypervisor\hyperv\SW_DVD9_Win_Server_STD_CORE_2019_1809.1_64Bit_Eng

Hi folks, Do you guys have ever think about the question. I read some guides and confused now. 1) node memory number: It seems every type of node has different supported memory number configuration: For NX-1064-G4, It shows only support 16x dimm ! What happens if I install any number， i.g 1, 2, 3,4,5,6 or any number 2) node memory installed slot location: It also says there`s an fixed slot order for different number dimm scenario. what happens if I install dimm not according to the guide ? 3) memory type: LR or R DIMM it also says there`s two type dimm, How to confirm which type is supported by specific type of node ? P.S my environment I have a node NX-1065-G4 with default 64g(4x16g installed in 1a,1b,1e,1f) and now I add two additional 16g dimm into slot 1g,1h. It work fine till now. but my memory number confuration is not supported by the guide ! the guide says NX-1065-G4 only support full slot (16x) dimm configuration ! so the guide has no tips about the slot order too while numb

I am not able to discover new node placed in different switch in same VLAN from an existing cluster The issue not able to discover the newly installed nodes in new switch with same VLAN of existing cluster( it is in old switch ) , but not able to discover these new nodes in existing Could anyone help me to give a clue , why these nodes are not able to discover in the existing cluster. I want to expand the existing cluster with these new nodes

Hello, comunity I’m been trying to figure out why the configuration with RF2 & N+1 reserves more capacity than just RF2. I understand that with RF2 all the data is duplicated along the cluster and the failure of one node is tolerated. In my scenario I have a 3-node cluster with 34TiB of effective capacity, so with RF2, I would have only 17TiB, everything is clear until that point. But the extent store assuming RF2 & N+1 gives me 11.3TiB, which is 1/3 of my available capacity. So...the question is: If I reserve capacity, by tripling all the data, that is for tolerate 1 additional node failure besides the 1st one (tolerated by RF2)?  A silly conclussion would be that with RF2 & N+1 the cluster is able to tolerate 2 nodes and continue operating just with one node, but I know that is not posible. So, why assuming RF2 & N+1 reserves more TiB’s than just RF2? Please, I would appreciate the help. Thanks in advanced!

hi all Im trying to install 4 node nutanix but I got this issue Do you have any idea what is the issue? this error is the same in this 4 nodes code:20190902 16:16:19 INFO Setting cdrom as boot device for next boot20190902 16:16:35 INFO Next boot device is set to optical20190902 16:16:35 INFO Power status is off20190902 16:16:35 INFO Powering up node20190902 16:16:58 INFO Exiting SMCIPMITool20190902 16:16:58 ERROR Exception in ) @bcb0>Traceback (most recent call last): File "foundation\decorators.py", line 77, in wrap_method File "foundation\imaging_step_init_ipmi.py", line 309, in run File "foundation\imaging_step_init_ipmi.py", line 156, in boot_phoenix File "site-packages\bmc_utils\boot_media.py", line 47, in wrapped File "site-packages\bmc_utils\remote_boot_rmh.py", line 193, in boot File "site-packages\bmc_utils\remote_boot_rmh.py", line 240, in boot_from_iso File "site-packages\pyghmi\ipmi\command.py", line 314, in set_powerIpmiException: timeout20190902 16:16:58 ERR

HI Trying to get a definative answere to what I think should be a simple question. Can I map a iSCSI drive to a Virtual Server by attaching a iSCSI Storage array ( Server has a Drive on the nutanix cluster and a second drive mapped to the exsternal array ( NTFS partitions on the MD iSCSI array ( NO VM's running on the array ) just mapping this as a drive Would love to get a formal response from Nutanix if this causes issues within a cluster or will there only be issues with the specific VM's the mappings are assigned to ?

Hi All, I'm a Nutanix KVM user and I would like to know how I can deploy a virtual appliance provided by a third party company. In vmware you can deploy a template, in KVM you can import a new VM ... what about Nutanix / Acropolis ? Thanks. Fred.

Suppose, it is discovered that a Nutanix cluster is configured with an incorrect time zone. While like all good things in life this requires a little planning, fear not – this can be helped!First things first, what to expect:Timestamps of Nutanix logs events will remain in the incorrect time zone until cluster services are restarted or the CMVs are rebooted. Cluster services restart on a cluster with active workload may impact availability of the workload. Changing the timezone for PE and PC is the same procedure, is not disruptive, but it requires a reboot of CVMs. Reboot can be performed on one CVM at a time. For a seamless experience it is recommended to evacuate VMs from the node prior to CVM reboot. Verify cluster Data Resiliency health prior to restart of cluster services or CVMs. Ensure Data Resiliency comes back healthy prior to proceeding with another CVM reboot. It is necessary to remove DR schedules prior to the change. Schedules can be re-created post change. Command for ch

In Nutanix clusters running AHV hypervisors, we can use the LLDP protocol to find more details about the directly connected switches. LLDP needs to be enabled in the switches for the details to be seen in the AHV hosts. From the AHV host,  [root@AHV-HOST ~]# lldpctl------------------------------------------------------------------------LLDP neighbors:------------------------------------------------------------------------Interface: eth2, via: LLDP, RID: 7478, Time: 35 days, 22:55:59 Chassis: ChassisID: mac 00:XX:XX:2d:b6:ba SysName: AHV-HOST SysDescr: Network Switch TTL: 120 MgmtIP: xx.xx.xx.xx Capability: Bridge, on Capability: Router, off Port: PortID: ifname Ethernet9 PortDescr: Nutanix-AHV-Node-A MFS: 9236 VLAN: 100, pvid: yes------------------------------------------------------------------------ You can get the following switch details: Management IP address MAC address I

From this beautiful copy & paste, you can see that I can ping my laptop "ford" by pinging the fqdn. --------------------------------------------------: nutanix@NTNX-J10AMX4-A-CVM:10.1.16.112:~$ ping ford.domain.localPING ford.domain.local (172.16.16.99) 56(84) bytes of data.64 bytes from 172.16.16.99: icmp_seq=1 ttl=128 time=3.05 ms64 bytes from 172.16.16.99: icmp_seq=2 ttl=128 time=2.76 ms^C--- ford.domain.local ping statistics ---2 packets transmitted, 2 received, 0% packet loss, time 1661msrtt min/avg/max/mdev = 2.767/2.910/3.054/0.153 msnutanix@NTNX-J10AMX4-A-CVM:10.1.16.112:~$ ping fordping: unknown host fordnutanix@NTNX-J10AMX4-A-CVM:10.1.16.112:~$ -------------------------------------------------- Name Servers are set through the GUI -------------------------------------------------- nutanix@NTNX-J10AMX4-A-CVM:10.1.16.112:~$ cat -v /etc/resolv.conf# Auto generated by DnsConfig on Mon Dec 18 17:52:54 2017nameserver 10.1.16.10nameserver 10.1.16.11nutanix@NTNX-J10AMX4-A-CVM:10.1.

Hi everyone,I’m trying to download the latest version of Nutanix Community Edition (CE), specifically v7.1 or newer (ideally matching AOS 7.3). However, I can only find the download link for CE v6.8.1 on the official portal.Does Nutanix still offer CE versions aligned with AOS 7.x (e.g., 7.1, 7.2, or 7.3)? If so, could someone please share the correct download link or guidance on how to access it?Thanks in advance!

Hi everybody,We’re doing a slight restructure in our DC and in thus need to change the default gateway used by a Nutanix cluster (3-node cluster).I’m aware of the following guide:https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/details?targetId=Advanced_Admin-Acr_v4_6:ip__ip_reconfig_web_c.htmlBut isn’t it at all possible to change something as simple as just the Default Gateway without such an invasive procedure requiring downtime?The part of the article on how to do it manually is...Non-existent:https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/details?targetId=Advanced_Admin-Acr_v4_6:ip__cvm_ip_address_reconfigure_t.html

Hello there, I am running AHV 5.5.5 after trying to upgrade BIOS and BMC through LCM, one of my nodes failed, then its not booting up, keeps booting in pheonix, tried disabling maintenence mode for the node with no luck, and i was trying to force boot into host via "python reboot_to_host.py" but the script doesnt seem to exist. Any help ?

I have pulled some new nodes into an existing cluster that utilizes LACP/LAG on the current nodes.  The default configuration on the new nodes is Active/Backup.  We also have new ToR switches that are not configured in a LAG.  Are these the correct steps the configure Active/Active?  The new nodes are only participating in the metadata ring - not hosting any VMs:To modify networking on the new nodes:Change the node to LACP enabled (ACTIVE/ACTIVE) using vs0  in the GUI – select only that ONE node to update the config on!! Put node into Maintenance Mode Login to CVM acli host.list acli host.enter_maintenance_mode host-IP-address DO I NEED TO PUT THE CVM IN MAINT MODE AS WELL?? Make changes on ToR switch – enable the 2 ports for LAG for that node ONLY Test networking Remove from Maintenance mode acli host.exit_maintenance_mode host-ip Verify resiliency returns to OK Move onto the next nodeI would love some feedback on if this is the correct order.