Dell Isilon OneFS Storage Initial Setup Guide

In this post, I will guide you through how to do the initial configuration of Dell Isilon (Creating a cluster and joining nodes to the cluster).

Setting up Dell Isilon OneFS for the first time can seem daunting, but with the right steps, you can have your cluster up and running smoothly. Follow this guide to configure your Isilon system from scratch.

Step 1: Prepare Your Isilon Configuration Prerequisites

Before starting, it’s essential to have a well-defined IP scheme. To streamline this process, I’ve created an Excel sheet where you can fill out your IP scheme for Isilon network configuration. Make sure to include IPs for internal and external networks, management interfaces, and any other necessary configurations.

{getButton} $text={DOWNLOAD} $icon={download} $color={Hex Color} $info={Isilon Configuration Prerequisites.xlsx}

Step 2: Configure Backend and Frontend Switches

(A) Backend Switches

To set up the backend switches:

1. Connect to the backend switches using a serial cable. Ensure the connection speed is set to "115200 bps".
2. Login using the default credentials, username "admin", password "admin"
3. Once logged in, run the following commands to configure the switches:
   

   configure terminal
   smartfabric l3fabric enable role LEAF
   do write memory{codeBox}

(B) Frontend Switches

I will cover the detailed instructions for setting up frontend switches in a separate post. Stay tuned for that!

Step 3: Verify OneFS OS Version

Ensure that your OneFS OS is up-to-date. If it isn’t, check out How to re-image OneFS on Dell Isilon nodes.

You can upgrade only the primary node. The other nodes will automatically pull the latest image from the primary node when joining the cluster.{alertInfo}

Step 4: Create a Cluster

Steps to create your cluster:

1. Power on the first node. Keep all other nodes powered off.
2. The OneFS OS will boot into the configuration wizard. Choose the option to "Create a New Cluster" (Option 1).
3. Read the EULA or press "Q" to bypass it. Then type "yes" to accept the EULA and press Enter.
4. Set a new password for the users "root" and "admin".
5. Enter a name for your cluster.
6. Choose "UTF-8" as the encoding type for the cluster.
7. Follow the prompts to add your internal and external network configurations.
8. Configure the cluster’s time and date.
9. Choose "Manual" as the cluster join mode (Option 1).
10. Review the configuration changes, type "yes" and press Enter to commit.
11. The cluster creation process will begin, and the node will reboot.
12. After rebooting, log in using the user "root" and the password you set earlier.

On the first power on, the nodes may show a battery health alert because the battery was empty. This could lead to a quorum error when trying to join the nodes to the cluster. To resolve this, let the battery charge for one or two hours, then turn off the node, pull it out of the chassis, and disconnect the power cable for 1 minute. After reconnecting and powering on, the battery health alert should disappear.{alertInfo}

Step 5: Join Nodes to the Cluster

Once the primary node is set up and the cluster is ready, you can start powering on the other nodes. There are two methods to join these nodes to the cluster:

  Method 1: Joining from the Cluster Itself

1. On the cluster, list the discovered nodes with the following command:
   

   isi devices node list{codeBox}

   The list will show all discovered nodes along with their serial numbers.
2. To add a node to the cluster, use the following command:
   

   isi devices node add <node_serial_number>{codeBox}

   The node will begin the joining process and reboot.
3. Verify that the node has been added to the cluster using:
   

   isi status{codeBox}

  Method 2: Joining from the Node

1. When the node boots up, it will enter the configuration wizard. Choose the option to "Join an Existing Cluster" (Option 2).
2. Select the previously created cluster and press Enter.
3. The node will start the joining process and reboot.

If you get stuck on a black screen when connecting to the node through a serial console, pressing "Ctrl+C" may fix the issue as it terminates any stucking processes.{alertInfo}

If after connecting to the node through the serial console, you only see #, type "exit" and press Enter. The node will then boot back to the wizard.{alertInfo}

This guide should help you through the initial setup of Dell Isilon OneFS Sotrage. If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, feel free to comment below or reach out to me directly.