CALM Series Part 1 - Enabling CALM

CALM provides advanced app-level orchestration across teams and clouds while eliminating the complexity and repetitive nature of resource delivery via comprehensive app-centric automation from Nutanix Calm. With demands on IT rising faster than ever, Calm enables you to streamline how you manage applications and support the business.

That is CALM in a nutshell, and I assume you have looked at the official documentation, but I just want to get my hands dirty and get started. Actually I did get started about a year ago but due to time constraints I never got anywhere with it. I am not sure what version of CALM was in use at the time but I do remember thinking that it was not overly mature and too complicated for my liking....

Enabling CALM is a piece of cake. Basically there area few pre-requirements:

• Configure a data service IP on the cluster running Prism Central
• Register this cluster with Prism Central
• PC VM needs to have hot add memory enabled
• PC needs to be AOS 5.9 or higher and the cluster it is running on it needs AOS 5.5. or more.

And now for the configuration of CALM itself:

• Log in to PC as an Admin
• Under Services > CALM, click Enable
• Enable App Management. Notice how it will add 4 GB to your PC VM
  
  
  
• Click save. The CALM interface will appear

Let's check if a newer version is available. Upgrading CALM is super easy thanks to one of my favorite Nutanix features, Life Cycle Management.

• Go to Settings > Life Cycle Management
• Perform an inventory update
• Once completed, go to Software Updates
• Select both the CALM and Epsilon features and click Update
  
  
  
• Take note that genesis will be restarted and click Apply 2 Updates
  
  
  
• The process will take a while but all going well you should see the following
  
  

And that is it! You are all set to start with CALM. Stay tuned for more posts.