This is archived documentation for InfluxData product versions that are no longer maintained. For newer documentation, see the latest InfluxData documentation.
Please review the sections below before you begin working with InfluxDB Enterprise.
Which installation is right for me?
There are two ways to install InfluxDB Enterprise.
The first option is the QuickStart Installation process. We recommend the QuickStart Installation process for users looking to quickly get up and running with InfluxDB Enterprise and for users who are looking to evaluate the product. The QuickStart Installation process is not designed for use in a production environment.
The second option is the Production Installation process. We recommend the Production Installation process for users looking to deploy InfluxDB Enterprise in a production environment.
Note: If you install InfluxDB Enterprise with the QuickStart Installation process you will need to reinstall InfluxDB Enterprise with the Production Installation process before using the product in a production environment.
Requirements for InfluxDB Enterprise Clusters
Please review the Clustering Guide for an overview of the architecture and concepts in an InfluxDB Enterprise cluster and the Hardware Sizing Guide for information on provisioning the correct servers.
For clusters using a license key and not a license file, all nodes must be able to contact portal.influxdata.com
via port 80 or port 443. Nodes that go more than four hours without connectivity to the Portal may experience license issues.
Frequently Overlooked Requirements
The following are the most frequently overlooked requirements when installing a cluster.
Ensure connectivity between machines
All nodes in the cluster must be able to resolve each other by hostname or IP, whichever is used in the configuration files.
For simplicity, ensure that all nodes can reach all other nodes on ports 8086, 8088, 8089, and 8091.
If you alter the default ports in the configuration file(s), ensure the configured ports are open between the nodes.
Synchronize time between hosts
InfluxDB Enterprise uses hosts’ local time in UTC to assign timestamps to data and for coordination purposes. Use the Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize time between hosts.
Use SSDs
Clusters require sustained availability of 1000-2000 IOPS from the attached storage. SANs must guarantee at least 1000 IOPS is always available to InfluxDB Enterprise nodes or they may not be sufficient. SSDs are strongly recommended, and we have had no reports of IOPS contention from any customers running on SSDs.
Use three and only three Meta nodes
Although technically the cluster can function with any number of meta nodes, the best pratice is to ALWAYS have an odd number of meta nodes. This allows the meta nodes to reach consensus. An even number of meta nodes cannot achieve consensus because there can be no “deciding vote” cast between the nodes if they disagree.
Therefore, the minumum number of meta nodes for a high availability (HA) installation is three (3). So, the typical HA installation for InfluxDB Enterprise is to deploy three meta nodes.
Aside from three being a magic number, a three meta node cluster can tolerate the permanent loss of a single meta node with no degradation in any function or performance. A replacement meta node can be added to restore the cluster to full redundancy. A three meta node cluster that loses two meta nodes will still be able to handle basic writes and queries, but no new shards, databases, users, etc. can be created.
Running a cluster with five meta nodes does allow for the permanent loss of two meta nodes without impact on the cluster, but it doubles the Raft communication overhead.
Meta and Data nodes are fully independent
Meta nodes run the Raft consensus protocol together, and manage the metastore of all shared cluster information: cluster nodes, databases, retention policies, shard groups, users, continuous queries, and subscriptions.
Data nodes store the shard groups and respond to queries. They request metastore information from the meta group as needed.
There is no requirement at all for there to be a meta process on a data node, or for there to be a meta process per data node. Three meta nodes is enough for an arbitrary number of data nodes, and for best redundancy, all nodes should run on independent servers.
Install Chronograf last
Chronograf should not be installed or configured until the InfluxDB Enterprise cluster is fully functional.