If creating a cluster that will include nodes at multiple cluster versions, then certain steps are required when you create the cluster.
By default, the current cluster version will be set to the potential cluster version of the first node added to the cluster. This approach is appropriate if this node is at the lowest version level to be in the cluster. However, if this node is at a later version level, then you will subsequently be unable to add nodes with a lower version level. The alternative is to use the target cluster version value on create cluster to set the current cluster version to one less than the potential cluster version of the first node added to the cluster.
For example, consider the case where a two-node cluster is to be created. The nodes for this cluster are:
| Node Identifier | Release | Potential Cluster Version |
|---|---|---|
| Node A | V5R3 | 4 |
| Node B | V5R4 | 5 |
If the cluster is to be created from Node B, care must be taken to indicate that this will be a mixed release cluster. The target cluster version must be set to indicate that the nodes of the cluster will communicate at one less than the requesting node's potential node version.