CML Cluster Installation

Before starting the cluster installation, make sure that you have met all of the Cluster Requirements. You will need at least two servers or two VMs that meet all of the requirements for cluster deployment.

  1. Install CML on the cluster controller by following the regular instructions for Bare Metal Installation or Installing CML as a VM, as appropriate for your selected cluster deployment option.

  2. Complete the Initial Set-up on the cluster controller.

    • During the initial setup, you will choose a secret passphrase for your cluster.

    • Remember this secret passphrase for use later.

  3. Activate your license on the cluster controller. See Licensing.

  4. For each compute host:

    1. If you plan to deploy the compute host of the cluster as VMs in ESXi, decide whether you want to clone the compute host VMs from the first compute host VM that you deploy. If you plan on cloning a VM, you must clone that VM before you start it for the first time.

      Cloning a VM after it has been started will cause conflicts and faults in cluster formation. CML generates certain unique identifiers for a cluster host on first boot and before the initial setup procedure. If you clone a cluster host’s VM after the first boot, those identifiers will be the same on multiple compute hosts.

    2. Install CML on the compute host by following the regular instructions for Bare Metal Installation or Installing CML as a VM, as appropriate for your selected cluster deployment option.

    3. Complete the Initial Set-up on the compute host, specifying the cluster secret passphrase from above. Use the same system administrator’s username; their passwords need not match.

    4. Once the compute host resets after the initial setup, it should automatically register itself with the cluster controller.

    5. Note that you only apply a license on the cluster controller, not on the compute hosts.

    6. Log into the CML UI on the cluster controller and click the status button in the bottom-right corner of the page.

    7. The status dialog pops up, and it will show the status of both the controller itself and of any compute hosts that have successfully registered.

    8. Confirm that the compute host shows up with all green check marks for status indicators.

  5. If you did not copy the reference platform VM images to the cluster controller during the controller initial setup, do that now. See Copy Refplat ISO to Disk.

  6. Confirm that all compute hosts are registered successfully and are visible in the controller’s status dialog. Your CML cluster is now ready for use.