How to create a Cluster, from a standalone deployment of VCF Operations for Networks

Products

• VCF Operations for Networks

Issue/Introduction

How to create a Cluster, from a standalone deployment of VCF Operations for Networks

 

 

NOTE:  VCF Operations for Networks was formerly named Aria Operations for Networks (AON), and prior to that was named vRealize Network Insight (vRNI).

Environment

VCF Operations for Networks

Resolution

The reference documentation to create a cluster from a standalone deployment of VCF Operations for Networks is Create Clusters

Regarding the Prerequisites at least two additional platforms are required. The additional platform VMs should be deployed and powered on.

Acceptable total numbers of Platform nodes in VCF Operations for Networks clusters are 3, 5, 7, 10 or 15. 

Follow the steps below:

1. Download the appropriate Platform .ova for the product release you are seeking using the instructions at Download Broadcom products, patches and software
   
   
2. Using vCenter, deploy the appropriate number of VMs from Template, using the ,ova
   
   
3. After the VMs are deployed, make sure that the settings for CPU, memory, network and storage for each of the VMs matches what you have configured for the Platform node(s) currently in your deployment. 
   
   
4. Power on each new VM, and use the Web Console feature to go through the initial setup (starts with logging in as consoleuser with the initial password of console. 
   
   
5. After the VMs have been fully configured with the setup wizard, proceed with To create cluster
   
   
   • IMPORTANT NOTES: 
     
     
     1. The process will ask you if you have created a backup of the existing environment. 
        
        
     2. If the existing environment is a standalone cluster with one Platform node and one or more Collector node(s):
        
        
        • Use vCenter to power off the node(s) starting with the Collector(s) and then the Platform, using the Power --> Shut Down Guest O/S action. 
          
          
        • Once the node(s) are powered off, take a powered off VM Snapshot using vCenter .
          
          
        • The powered off snapshots will thus represent a revert point which you can revert to, should anything go wrong with the cluster creation process and you wish to revert to the last known working deployment.
          
          
        • Power on the Collector node(s) and then the Platform node.
          
          
     3. If the existing environment is already a clustered deployment, please follow the steps in Best practices to shutdown Aria Operations for Networks Clustered deployments
        • This requires that you download and use a script called "vrni-cluster-shutdown-script.sh" which is attached to the above KB article.  
          
          
     4. After you have all of your revert point powered off snapshots, proceed with the rest of the steps in To create cluster