Completing the initial system setup (customer task)

After the service setup of the new system is complete, use the management GUI to do the initial system setup.

After the system restarts, continue with system setup.

You can set up a new system in two ways. The following table shows how setting up a system from a FlashSystem grid compares with setting it up as a standalone system.

Setup the system from a FlashSystem grid
Setup the system as a standalone system

System setup using the FlashSystem grid	Standalone system setup
Many settings are imported from the reference system’s configuration, including: DNS details NTP System location User contact Connect and register IBM services (like Call Home and SI) SNMP server Syslog server Password policies Inactivity logout SSH rules Security protocol level Volume protection Proxy details Command-line interface and management GUI timeout policies	No settings are prefilled. You must provide all information manually.

System setup using the FlashSystem grid

System setup is a guided process that adds a newly initialized system to the FlashSystem grid.

After the system restarts, sign in to the FlashSystem grid coordinator and select Add a system to add a new unconfigured system.

The FlashSystem grid detects that the system is unconfigured and prompts you to reset the password. This step ensures that the system is not added with default credentials.

Next, the unconfigured system imports the configuration from the FlashSystem grid coordinator. You can review the imported settings and deselect configuration groups before applying them. The system applies the selected settings, records progress for audit and resume operations, and then prompts you for system‑specific information (such as, Call Home, Storage Insights, or encryption settings) to complete the setup.

Note: Do not perform any initial configuration if the setup is being completed through the FlashSystem grid.

Standalone system setup

License agreement: Review and agree to the notices and information on Java, Non-IBM products, and additional licenses.

System details

Configure the following:

System name and superuser credentials.
System date and time.
Change the time and date settings on the system as follows:
- Network Time Protocol (NTP): automatically synchronize time settings across the system. A DNS server must be set up to use the NTP server.
- Manual: manually set the time and date on the system.
- Browser settings: select this to synchronize time and date settings with the current browser settings.
Encryption recovery keys.
By default, internal key management is the primary key manager and encryption is enabled.
Important: The encryption recovery key is an ASCII string, which should be copied down and stored in a safe location, such as a password manager. You can use this key to recover your data in certain power outage situations.
System utility
You can use choose how to utilize the system:
- As a stand-alone system
- Join an existing FlashSystem grid or create a new one
- As backing storage for an IBM SAN Volume Controller enabling it to virtualize and manage the system’s physical capacity.

Register system with IBM

After you provide the system details, you must register the system with IBM.

Registration requirements:

Connecting the system to Call Home.
Registering the system with IBM Storage Insights.
Direct internet connection with the necessary firewall ports open.
Internet proxy.

If your environment cannot connect to IBM, you can request an exception through a designated IBM website. The site will generate a key that allows you to complete the registration without enabling Call Home.

Register the system with a IBM Storage Insights tenant: You can associate the system with IBM Storage Insights tenant to analyze, protect, and optimize your storage infrastructure.
Use your IBMid to access an existing IBM Storage Insights tenant or create a new IBM Storage Insights tenant.

Support assistance

Enables support personnel to access the system (locally or remotely) to complete troubleshooting and maintenance tasks. Provide the following information:

System location: Specify the physical location where service parts can be delivered.
Contact information: Enter the contact details that the service center should use to reach you.

Note: If Call Home is not configured, then remote assistance will not be available. Therefore, if you connect to Call Home by using an exception key, the support assistance configuration is skipped.

Depending on the configuration of the new system, a pool and array might be automatically created and assigned. Fiber Channel portsets with auto zoning might also be automatically configured allowing you to quickly continue with storage provisioning tasks.