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Version: 3.4

System Requirements

Before installing Portworx Enterprise, ensure your environment meets the minimum requirements for a stable and supported deployment. A Portworx cluster must include at least three nodes, each meeting specific hardware, software, and network requirements.

Hardware requirements​

Each node in the Portworx cluster must meet baseline hardware specifications. These vary slightly depending on whether you're using PX-StoreV1 or PX-StoreV2. Requirements include CPU, RAM, disk space and storage drive configuration to ensure optimal operation.

Hardware Requirements
CPUMinimum 4 Cores | Recommended 8 Cores
RAMMinimum 4GB | Recommended 8GB
Disk
  • /var - Recommended 30GB Free
  • /opt - Minimum 3.5GB Free
    • Backing drive8GB (minimum required)
    128GB (minimum recommended)
    Operating system root partition
  • 64GB is the minimum required size for the root filesystem, which contains the operating system.
    • 128GB minimum recommended
    Storage drivesStorage drives must be unmounted block storage: raw disks, drive partitions, LVM, or cloud block storage.
    Network connectivity

    Bandwidth:

    • 10 Gbps recommended
    • 1 Gbps minimum
    Latency requirements for synchronous replication: less than 10ms between nodes in the cluster.

    Node typeBare metal and virtual machine (VM)

    Software requirements​

    Each node in the Portworx cluster must meet the necessary software requirements, including a supported Linux kernel version, container runtime, and key-value store configuration. Portworx also depends on specific system utilities and settings, such as having swap disabled and NTP enabled, to ensure reliable and consistent cluster behavior.

    SoftwareRequirements
    Linux kernel and distro

    Kernel version 4.18 or greater.
    To check if your Linux distro and kernel are supported, see Supported Kernels.

    DockerVersion 1.13.1 or greater.
    Key-value store

    Portworx needs a key-value store to perform its operations. As such, install a clustered key-value database (kvdb) with a three-node cluster.

    You can also use Internal KVDB during installation. In this mode, Portworx will create and manage an internal key-value store (KVDB) cluster.

    If you plan to use your own KVDB, refer to KVDB for Portworx for details on recommendations for installing and configuring a KVDB cluster.

    Disable swap

    Disable swap on all nodes that will run the Portworx software. Ensure that the swap device is not automatically mounted on server reboot.

    Network Time Protocol (NTP)

    All nodes in the cluster should be in sync with NTP time. Any time drift between nodes can cause unexpected behavior, impacting services.

    Supported hypervisor version​

    Hypervisor
    VMware vSphere
    • Version 7.0
    • Version 8.0

    Network requirements​

    Portworx runs as a pod in a Kubernetes cluster and requires specific ports to be open for node communication, storage operations, and telemetry. These vary slightly between Kubernetes and OpenShift environments.

    East-to-West​

    KubernetesOpenShiftDescription
    900117001Portworx management port [REST]
    900217002Portworx node-to-node port [gossip]/UDP
    Required open when using external KVDB
    900317003Portworx storage data port
    900417004Portworx namespace [RPC]
    901217009Portworx node-to-node communication port [gRPC]
    901317010Portworx namespace driver [gRPC]
    901417011Portworx diags server port [gRPC]
    901817015Portworx kvdb peer-to-peer port [gRPC]
    901917016Portworx kvdb client service [gRPC]
    902117018Portworx gRPC SDK gateway [REST]
    902217019Portworx health monitor [REST]
    902917021Telemetry log uploader
    1200220002Telemetry phone home
    23792379External KVDB (etcd) port
    Open only if you run an external etcd cluster

    Inbound​

    KubernetesOpenShiftDescription
    900117001Portworx management port [REST]
    902117018Portworx gRPC SDK gateway [REST]

    Outbound​

    TypeTCP Port(s)ScopeDestination host(s)Description
    Install / Upgrade443PX install & version updatesinstall.portworx.comRetrieves install spec and helper scripts
    License activation443PAYG licensingrest.zuora.comUsage reporting & license retrieval. Not applicable for air-gapped deployements.
    443PAYG licensingflex1327.compliance.flexnetoperations.comFor licensing to work. Not applicable for air-gapped deployements.
    Telemetry443Cluster registration & metricsregister.cloud-support.purestorage.com,
    rest.cloud-support.purestorage.com    		Registers cluster and uploads usage metrics
    443 / 80Event log uploadslogs-01.loggly.comSends PX log events for support
    9024Portworx version 2.13.7 and olderTelemetry componentsTelemetry data channel
    9029Portworx version 2.13.8 and newerTelemetry componentsTelemetry data channel
    12001Collector serviceTelemetry componentsAggregates data before upload
    12002Heartbeat / phone-homeTelemetry componentsPeriodic health-check pings
    Snapshots / Backups443CloudSnaps, backups, restoresYour S3 or S3-compatible endpointPersist snapshots & object data

    Supported Kubernetes versions​

    For information on the Kubernetes versions supported by Portworx, see Supported Kubernetes Versions

    What to do next​

    You can install Portworx on the cloud or on-premises. Proceed to one of the following sections for Kubernetes and OpenShift install instructions.