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Deciding whether to use the Cluster Expansion Express Guide

This guide describes how to quickly and nondisruptively expand an existing cluster by adding an HA pair. A larger cluster increases performance and storage capacity available in the cluster.

You should use this guide only if the following is true:

  • The existing cluster meets the following requirements:
    • It is running ONTAP 9.5 or later.
    • It contains at least two nodes.

      Although examples in this guide use an HA pair, this guide also applies to clusters with more than two nodes.

    • It does not use IPv6 addressing or Storage Encryption.
    • It is not a MetroCluster configuration.
  • The controller modules that you plan to add meet the following requirements:
    • If they are not new, they have been wiped clean, are no longer part of a cluster, and are ready to be added to the new cluster.
    • They support ONTAP 9.5 and later.
    • They are running a version of the ONTAP 9.x release family.
  • When completing ONTAP configuration tasks with Storage Manager, you want to use the legacy ThinkSystem Storage Manager for DM Series UI for ONTAP 9.7 and earlier releases, not the ThinkSystem Storage Manager for DM Series UI for ONTAP 9.7 and later.

    Cluster Management Using ThinkSystem Storage Manager for DM Series

  • You want to use best practices, not explore every available option.
  • You do not want to read a lot of conceptual background.

  • You need a supported cluster switch for interconnection.