> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.vergeos-demo.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.vergeos-demo.com/learn-the-platform/module-10-scenario-labs/lab-hci.md).

# Lab: HCI Deployment

## Objective

Deploy VergeOS in Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) configurations using the Terraform playground. You will provision both a minimal 2-node cluster and a scaled 4-node cluster, then validate storage, networking, and overall cluster health.

## Prerequisites

* Completed all prior modules (1–9)
* Access to the vergeos-terraform-playground repository (cloned locally)
* Terraform CLI installed and configured
* A VergeOS environment or lab that supports nested deployments
* Familiarity with Terraform basics (init, plan, apply)

## Difficulty

**Intermediate** -- Requires understanding of VergeOS architecture and basic Terraform usage

## Estimated Time

**2 hours**

## Steps

### Part 1: 2-Node HCI Deployment

Deploy the minimal HCI topology.

1. Clone the vergeos-terraform-playground repository (if not already done)
2. Review the `examples/` directory and identify the 2-node HCI `.tfvars` file
3. Examine the variables to understand:
   * Node count and roles
   * Network configuration (core fabric, external)
   * Storage tier configuration
4. Run `terraform init` to initialize the provider
5. Run `terraform plan -var-file=<2-node-hci>.tfvars` and review the planned resources
6. Run `terraform apply -var-file=<2-node-hci>.tfvars` to deploy
7. Log into the VergeOS UI and verify:
   * Both nodes appear online in the dashboard
   * Core fabric network is established
   * vSAN storage pool is healthy with expected capacity
   * Controller node roles are assigned to Node 1 and Node 2 (Tier 0 metadata storage present)

### Part 2: 4-Node HCI Deployment

Scale up to a 4-node HCI cluster.

1. Identify the 4-node HCI `.tfvars` file in the examples directory
2. Compare it with the 2-node configuration -- note the differences in:
   * Node count
   * Storage redundancy settings
   * Any additional network configuration
3. Deploy the 4-node topology using `terraform plan` and `terraform apply`
4. In the VergeOS UI, verify:
   * All four nodes are online and healthy
   * Storage has redistributed across all nodes
   * Controller node failover (HA pair on Node 1 / Node 2) is healthy
   * Network connectivity between all nodes is established

### Part 3: Validation & Comparison

Compare the two deployments and validate production readiness.

1. Create a test VM on each cluster and verify it starts successfully
2. Test VM live migration between nodes
3. Compare resource utilization between the 2-node and 4-node deployments
4. Document the differences in:
   * Storage redundancy and capacity
   * Compute headroom
   * Failure domain considerations
5. Clean up both deployments with `terraform destroy`

## Verification

Your HCI deployment lab is complete when you can answer **yes** to all of the following:

* [ ] Successfully deployed a 2-node HCI topology via Terraform
* [ ] Successfully deployed a 4-node HCI topology via Terraform
* [ ] Verified cluster health, storage pools, and networking in the VergeOS UI
* [ ] Created and migrated a test VM on at least one cluster
* [ ] Documented the key differences between 2-node and 4-node HCI deployments
* [ ] Cleaned up all lab resources with `terraform destroy`


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