Version 1.15. This version is no longer supported. For information about how to upgrade to version 1.16, see Upgrade clusters in the latest documentation. For more information about supported and unsupported versions, see the Version history page in the latest documentation.
When you have finished setting up cluster node machines,
your network, and
the other prerequisites, you're
almost ready to install Distributed Cloud. The next step is to decide what
kinds of clusters to create and choose which tool to use.
Choose a cluster type
You can create different kinds of clusters in Google Distributed Cloud, including
admin clusters (to control the resources of your clusters) and user
clusters (to run workloads). We recommend admin and user cluster deployments
if you have multiple clusters in the same data center that you want to manage
from a centralized place, and for larger deployments that need isolation between
different teams or between development and production workloads.
You can also run Google Distributed Cloud as a single standalone cluster,
which serves as a user cluster and as an admin cluster. A standalone cluster
supports the edge profile, which has significantly reduced system resource
requirements and is recommended for edge devices with high resource constraints.
In addition, Google Distributed Cloud lets you create hybrid clusters that
combine administration tasks and workloads, as well as controlling other user
clusters.
Each of these configurations has their own advantages and benefits. For more
information on deciding which configuration to develop, see
Choose a deployment model.
Choose a tool to create clusters
You have your choice of tools for creating clusters and managing
cluster lifecycle:
The command-line tool bmctl, which you run on your admin workstation in your
on-premises data center.
The Google Cloud console, Google Cloud CLI, or
Terraform. These standard
tools use the GKE On-Prem API, which runs on Google Cloud
infrastructure, and collectively they are referred to as the
GKE On-Prem API clients.
The cluster creation process includes preflight checks and machine
initialization. If cluster creation fails after the machine initialization phase
(even if preflight checks passed without errors), you must
delete the cluster. This returns the node to
a clean state. After deleting the cluster, you can re-attempt to create the
cluster after making any needed configuration changes.
The cluster creation process runs health checks when the cluster has been
created. This last step verifies that the cluster is in good operating
condition. If the cluster doesn't pass all health checks, the create operation
fails. When all health checks pass, the create operation finishes successfully.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-09-03 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eGoogle Distributed Cloud offers various cluster types, including admin clusters for resource control, user clusters for workloads, standalone clusters that combine both functions, and hybrid clusters that mix administration and workloads.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eYou can choose between two methods for creating and managing clusters: the \u003ccode\u003ebmctl\u003c/code\u003e command-line tool, or the GKE On-Prem API clients, which include the Google Cloud console, Google Cloud CLI, and Terraform.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe recommended setup for larger deployments is using both admin and user clusters, especially when there is a need for isolating teams or workloads.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eStandalone clusters are best suited for edge devices with limited resources, as it supports the edge profile, which significantly reduces system resource requirements.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe cluster creation process runs through preflight checks, machine initialization, and health checks; if the cluster fails at any point it will need to be deleted and recreated if configuration changes are needed.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Cluster creation overview\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nWhen you have finished setting up cluster node machines,\n[your network](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/how-to/plan-ip-addresses), and\nthe other [prerequisites](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/installing/install-prereq), you're\nalmost ready to install Distributed Cloud. The next step is to decide what\nkinds of clusters to create and choose which tool to use.\n\nChoose a cluster type\n---------------------\n\nYou can create different kinds of clusters in Google Distributed Cloud, including\n**admin** clusters (to control the resources of your clusters) and **user**\nclusters (to run workloads). We recommend admin and user cluster deployments\nif you have multiple clusters in the same data center that you want to manage\nfrom a centralized place, and for larger deployments that need isolation between\ndifferent teams or between development and production workloads.\n\nYou can also run Google Distributed Cloud as a single **standalone** cluster,\nwhich serves as a user cluster and as an admin cluster. A standalone cluster\nsupports the edge profile, which has significantly reduced system resource\nrequirements and is recommended for edge devices with high resource constraints.\nIn addition, Google Distributed Cloud lets you create **hybrid** clusters that\ncombine administration tasks and workloads, as well as controlling other user\nclusters.\n\nEach of these configurations has their own advantages and benefits. For more\ninformation on deciding which configuration to develop, see\n[Choose a deployment model](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/installing/install-prep).\n\nChoose a tool to create clusters\n--------------------------------\n\nYou have your choice of tools for creating clusters and managing\ncluster lifecycle:\n\n- The command-line tool `bmctl`, which you run on your admin workstation in your on-premises data center.\n- The Google Cloud console, Google Cloud CLI, or [Terraform](https://www.terraform.io/). These standard tools use the GKE On-Prem API, which runs on Google Cloud infrastructure, and collectively they are referred to as the *GKE On-Prem API clients*.\n\nFor information on deciding which tool best suits your needs, see\n[Choose a tool to create clusters](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/installing/cluster-lifecycle-management-tools).\n\nMore information\n----------------\n\nFor more information on creating and configuring clusters, see the\nfollowing:\n\n- Admin clusters:\n\n - [Create admin clusters using GKE On-Prem API clients](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/installing/creating-clusters/create-admin-cluster-api)\n - [Create admin clusters using `bmctl`](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/installing/creating-clusters/admin-cluster-creation)\n- User clusters\n\n - [Create user clusters using GKE On-Prem API clients](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/installing/creating-clusters/create-user-cluster-api)\n - [Create user clusters using `bmctl`](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/installing/creating-clusters/user-cluster-creation)\n- [Create standalone clusters](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/installing/creating-clusters/standalone-cluster-creation)\n\n- [Create hybrid clusters](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/installing/creating-clusters/hybrid-cluster-creation)\n\nAbout the creation process\n--------------------------\n\nThe cluster creation process includes preflight checks and machine\ninitialization. If cluster creation fails after the machine initialization phase\n(even if preflight checks passed without errors), you must\n[delete the cluster](/anthos/clusters/docs/bare-metal/1.15/how-to/reset-nodes). This returns the node to\na clean state. After deleting the cluster, you can re-attempt to create the\ncluster after making any needed configuration changes.\n\nThe cluster creation process runs health checks when the cluster has been\ncreated. This last step verifies that the cluster is in good operating\ncondition. If the cluster doesn't pass all health checks, the create operation\nfails. When all health checks pass, the create operation finishes successfully."]]
