What is a key requirement for adding new nodes to an existing PowerFlex cluster?

Question

Options

• AEnsure the new nodes are in the same Protection Domain
• BPreconfigure deduplication on the new nodes
• CValidate hardware compatibility with the cluster
• DAssign VLAN tags for replication traffic

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  3% (1)
• C
  87% (27)
• D
  6% (2)

Explanation

Validating hardware compatibility (C) is foundational when expanding a PowerFlex cluster because PowerFlex relies on a tightly integrated software-defined storage architecture where mismatched hardware - differing drive types, unsupported NICs, or incompatible server generations - can cause instability, performance degradation, or failed node integration. Dell EMC maintains a Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) specifically for PowerFlex, and nodes must be validated against it before joining an existing cluster.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A - Protection Domains are logical groupings assigned after a node joins the cluster, not a prerequisite for adding it.
• B - Deduplication is an optional, policy-driven feature configured at the volume/pool level, not something preconfigured on individual nodes before onboarding.
• D - VLAN tagging for replication traffic is a network configuration step, but it's not the key requirement for node addition - and replication VLANs are managed at the switch/network level, not per-node during onboarding.

Memory tip: Think of it as "hardware first, software second" - you can always configure logical settings (Protection Domains, dedup, VLANs) after a node joins, but incompatible hardware will block you at the door. HCL = the bouncer for your cluster.

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