---
title: "System Installation"
slug: "system-installation"
updated: 2025-05-19T16:48:07Z
published: 2025-05-19T16:48:07Z
canonical: "docs.databee.buzz/system-installation"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.databee.buzz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# System Installation

This section covers installation procedures for hardware and virtual BluVector appliances, as well as the ATD Central Manager. Correct installation is essential for the proper performance of the BluVector System. For information on the various available BluVector hardware, see Section: [*Understanding the Hardware*](/user-manual/docs/system-description#understanding-the-hardware).

## Installing the Hardware

All BluVector hardware is rack mountable. Depending on which hardware system is being installed, it may consume one or two units of rack space.

The procedure below describes how to mount BluVector hardware.

**Procedure: Mount BluVector Hardware**

Follow these steps to mount the BluVector hardware:

1. Verify that all the hardware components are present in the rackmount kit, according to the included checklist:
  - One (1) BluVector Sensor or FX2 Chassis that has been populated with Gen3 processing nodes
  - Two (2) mount brackets
  - Two (2) slide rail assemblies
  - Two (2) power cables
2. Install the mount brackets onto the left and right sides of the server.
3. Attach the slide rail assemblies (quick rails) to the rack posts.
4. Install the server into the slide rail assemblies.
5. Connect the monitoring network, management network, and power cables according to the additional instructions below, based on the system type being installed.

### Connecting Gen3 Hardware

BluVector Gen3 hardware comes in two form-factors:

- 1U Dell R440 servers that can process up to 5 Gbps (see Section: [*Connecting Dell R440 Gen3 Hardware*](/user-manual/docs/system-installation#connecting-dell-r440-gen3-hardware))
- A modular chassis configuration based on the Dell FX2 Chassis and up to four processing nodes, each capable of processing up to 5 Gbps (see Section: [*Connecting Dell FX2 Gen3 Hardware*](/user-manual/docs/system-installation#connecting-dell-fx2-gen3-hardware))

#### Connecting Dell R440 Gen3 Hardware

Typical installation for the Dell R440 hardware includes connecting the 10 Gb management (“Management”) and monitoring (“Ingest”) shown in Figure: *Rear of BluVector Gen3 R440*. You may elect to also connect the iDRAC port (“iDRAC” in Figure: *Rear of BluVector Gen3 R440*) to support remote device management. SFP network connectors are recommended for flexibility when connecting traffic links (Ethernet or fiber optic connections).

![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/system-installation-image-kfq00kzu.jpg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T18%3A15%3A17Z&se=2026-10-31T19%3A15%3A17Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=%2F3GbUxR8PrsCtWAYBdk1IkU8srIwRwPuwXFBP9IxzHM%3D)

*Fig. 4: Rear of BluVector Gen3 R440*

The procedure below describes how to connect a Gen3 R440 BluVector Sensor.

**Procedure: Connect a Gen3 BluVector Sensor**

Follow these steps to connect a Gen3 R440 BluVector Sensor:

1. Connect the Ethernet cable from the “Management” interface to a switch that can access the default static IP address. The default static IP address of the system is set during the manufacturing process. You may request a particular default IP address or contact Customer Support to determine which address was assigned.
2. Connect the traffic feed for the respective SFPs that are provided with the BluVector Sensor (Ethernet/RJ45 or fiber optic) to the “Ingest” interface.
3. Power on the chassis.
4. Verify access to ATD GUI by visiting the default IP address over the HTTPS protocol on each node.

#### Connecting Dell FX2 Gen3 Hardware

Connect the Ethernet and fiber optic to the respective connections as shown in Figure: *Front of BluVector Gen3 FX2 Chassis* and Figure: *Rear of BluVector Gen3 FX2 Chassis*. The diagram shows the FX2 chassis. The chassis exposes network connections to each compute node in the lower left when facing the rear of the chassis. Each node has two 10Gb modules (labeled A1 and A2 in the diagram). Note the A2 module is not currently used. The compute node management and monitoring interfaces are both located in the A1 module. ==== ========== ========== Node Management Monitoring ==== ========== ========== A A1-1 A1-2 B A1-3 A1-4 C A1-5 A1-6 D A1-7 A1-8 ==== ========== ========== Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) network connectors are recommended for flexibility when connecting traffic links (Ethernet or fiber optic connections).

![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/system-installation-image-h2dmw242.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T18%3A15%3A17Z&se=2026-10-31T19%3A15%3A17Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=%2F3GbUxR8PrsCtWAYBdk1IkU8srIwRwPuwXFBP9IxzHM%3D)

*Fig. 5: Front of BluVector Gen3 FX2 Chassis*

The procedure below describes how connect an FX2 Gen3 BluVector Sensor.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/system-installation-image-ku25tums.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T18%3A15%3A17Z&se=2026-10-31T19%3A15%3A17Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=%2F3GbUxR8PrsCtWAYBdk1IkU8srIwRwPuwXFBP9IxzHM%3D)

*Fig. 6: Rear of BluVector Gen3 FX2 Chassis*

**Procedure: Connect an FX2 Gen3 BluVector Sensor**

Follow these steps to connect an FX2 Gen3 BluVector Sensor:

1. Connect the Ethernet cable from the corresponding management port of the A1 module to a switch that can access the default static IP address. The default static IP address of the system is set during the manufacturing process. You may request a particular default IP address or contact Customer Support to determine which address was assigned.
2. Connect the traffic feed for the respective SFPs that are provided with the BluVector Sensor (Ethernet/RJ45 or fiber optic) to the corresponding monitoring port of the A1 module.
3. Repeat for each compute node installed into the chassis.
4. Power on the chassis.
5. Power on each compute node, one at a time.
6. Verify access to ATD GUI by visiting the default IP address over the HTTPS protocol on each node.

#### Connecting Dell Gen4 Hardware

Connect the Ethernet and fiber optic to the respective connections as shown in Figure: *Rear of BluVector Gen4 Server*. The diagram shows the R650 server. The server exposes network connections to in the lower left when facing the rear of the chassis. There are multiple 10Gb ports (labeled 11 and 12 in the diagram). The 11-left port is the management interface, and the leftmost port of bank 12 is the monitoring interface. Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) network connectors are recommended for flexibility when connecting traffic links (Ethernet or fiber optic connections).

![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/system-installation-image-uzmlcoo9.jpg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T18%3A15%3A17Z&se=2026-10-31T19%3A15%3A17Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=%2F3GbUxR8PrsCtWAYBdk1IkU8srIwRwPuwXFBP9IxzHM%3D)

*Fig. 7: Rear of BluVector Gen4 Server*

The procedure below describes how connect a Gen4 BluVector Sensor.

**Procedure: Connect an Gen4 BluVector Sensor**

Follow these steps to connect an Gen4 BluVector Sensor:

1. Connect the Ethernet cable from the 11-left interface to a switch that can access the default static IP address. The default static IP address of the system is set during the manufacturing process. You may request a particular default IP address or contact Customer Support to determine which address was assigned.
2. Connect the traffic feed for the respective SFPs that are provided with the BluVector Sensor (Ethernet/RJ45 or fiber optic) to the leftmost interface of 12.
  - *napa0* and/or *napa1* for 10Gb fiber optic
3. Power on the server.
4. Power on each compute node, one at a time.
5. Verify access to ATD GUI by visiting the default IP address over the HTTPS protocol on each node.

## Installing a BluVector Virtual Machine or ATD Central Manager

You may install a BluVector Virtual Machine and ATD Central Manager on a variety of hypervisors. Instructions are provided here for VMware’s ESXi hypervisor. Similar steps may be used if you are using a different hypervisor. Contact Customer Support if you have any questions.

The procedure below describes how to create an ATD Central Manager on ESXi.

**Procedure: Create an ATD Central Manager Virtual Machine on ESXi**

In the following steps to create an ATD Central Manager on ESXi, replace these with values appropriate to your network:

- DNS_IP_ADDRESS
- DNS_HOSTNAME
- DOMAIN
- NTP_SERVER_ADDRESS

1. Log in to VMware ESXi.
2. Select **Create** / **Register VM**.
3. Select **Create a new virtual machine** and select **Next**.
4. Enter a name for the VM (usually the hostname that will be assigned).
5. Change the **Guest OS family** option to **Linux**.
6. Change the **Guest OS version** options to **Oracle Linux 8 (64 bit)** and select **Next**.
7. Select **VM_Datastore**, then select **Next**.
8. Change the **Virtual Hardware** settings to match:
  - CPU = 8
  - Memory = 32 GB
  - Hard disk 1 = 500 GB or greater
  - Network Adapter 1 = VM Network
  - CD/DVD Drive 1 = Datastore ISO file
    - – Status = Connect at power on
    - – CD/DVD Media = ISO file (bah-sensor-installer-3.1.iso or a later version – your version number may be different)
  - Video Card = Auto-detect Settings
9. Select **Next**.
10. Review the settings, then select **Finish**.
11. Right-click the new VM, select **Power**, then select **Power On**.
12. Right click the new VM, select **Console**, then select **Open browser console**.
13. The ISO should boot.
  - If you are installing a virtual BluVector Sensor, the title of the boot menu should be **Install BluVector ATD Sensor**.
  - If you are installing an ATD Central Manager, the title of the boot menu should be **Install BluVector ATD CM**.
14. Installation will start automatically.
15. Leave the language settings at the defaults and select **Continue**.
16. Select **INSTALLATION DESTINATION**.
17. Select **I will configure partitioning** and select **Done**.
18. Select **Click here to create them automatically**.
19. On your screen, you will need to remove this line: select the **/home partition** and click the minus button to remove the partition.
20. Select the **/ partition**, delete the value for **Desired Capacity** and select a different partition. The Desired Capacity of the / partition will increase to use up any remaining space.
21. Review the final partition layout, select **Done**, then select **Accept Changes**.
22. Select **NETWORK & HOST NAME**.
23. Select the only **NIC** and select **Configure...**.
24. Select **IPv4 Settings**.
25. Change the **Method** option to **Manual**.
26. Select **Add** and enter values for **Address**, **Netmask**, and **Gateway**.
27. Enter **DNS_IP_ADDRESS** or **DNS_HOSTNAME** in the **DNS servers** field.
28. Enter a **DOMAIN** in the **Search domains** field and select **Save**.
29. Select **ON/OFF** to enable the interface.
30. Change the **Hostname** field to the one assigned including the domain, select **Apply**, then select **Done**.
31. Select **DATE & TIME**.
32. Select the **Gears icon** and uncheck the **Use** checkboxes for all existing NTP servers.
33. Enter **NTP_SERVER_ADDRESSS**, select the **plus button**, select **OK**, then select **Done**.
34. Select **Begin Installation**.
35. Select **ROOT PASSWORD**, enter a password in the **Root Password** and **Confirm** fields, then select **Done**.
36. Select **USER CREATION**, then enter:
  - Full Name: BluVector Admin
  - Username: bvadmin
  - Password: bluvector
37. Select **make user a system administrator** and select **Done**.
38. When the installation is complete, select **Reboot**.

### Configuring the Network

The supported mode for network configuration of a BluVector Virtual Appliance is through a bypass PCI device. Only Intel network cards supported by the igbe or ixgbe drivers are supported in this mode. In bypass mode, the cards bypass the emulated driver, yielding higher performance.

The network on the ESX will be configured to have two interfaces:

- a management interface
- an ingest interface

The ingest interface must be configured as bypass, while the management interface can be emulated, if needed. This section discusses having both interfaces as bypass.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:**
> 
> Only certain Intel devices are supported to be configured as bypass PCI devices. The first procedure is to configure the Intel device as bypass on the host machine.

The procedures below describe setting devices for passthrough on an ESXi host, as well as adding a PCI device on a BluVector Virtual Machine.

**Procedure: Set Devices for Passthrough on an ESXi Host**

Follow these steps to set devices for passthrough on an ESXi host:

1. Select an ESXi host from the Inventory of VMware vSphere Client.
2. In the **Manage** tab, select **Hardware** > **PCI Devices**.
3. Select the devices for passthrough, then select **Toggle passthrough**.
4. Reboot for the change to take effect.
5. After rebooting, the devices are enabled.

**Procedure: Add a PCI Device on a BluVector Virtual Machine**

Follow these steps to add a PCI device on a BluVector Virtual Machine:

1. From the Inventory in vSphere Client, select the BluVector Virtual Machine, select **Actions**, then select **Edit Settings**.
2. The **Virtual Hardware** tab is selected. Locate **Network adapters**, if present.
3. Select **Add** other device: **PCI Device**, select **Add**.
4. Select the PCI Device.
5. Select **Reserve all memory**. The BluVector Virtual Machine must have a memory reservation for the full configured memory size.
6. Confirm that the **Reserve all guest memory** checkbox is now enabled.
7. Select **OK**.

## Configuring Initial System Settings

This section covers procedures for initially configuring the system after the BluVector Sensor hardware has been racked, connected, and powered on.

### Configuring the Network

You can access the ATD GUI from a workstation running Firefox or Chrome that can route to the BluVector Sensor. The system does not support Internet Explorer. The default network configuration and system credentials for accessing the BluVector Sensor are:

| System Parameter | Default |
| --- | --- |
| Username | bvadmin |
| Password | [admin configured] |
| Boot Protocol | Static IP |
| IP Address | Varies with each installation |
| Network Mask | 255.255.255.0 |

You can change the network configuration defaults after the initial login. To make changes to the network configuration, see Section: [*Configuring the BluVector ATD Host*](/user-manual/docs/system-configuration#configuring-the-bluvector-atd-host).

### Logging into the BluVector Sensor for the First Time

This section describes how to log into the BluVector Sensor for the first time after installation.

**Procedure: Log into the BluVector Sensor for the First Time**

Follow these steps to log into the BluVector Sensor for the first time:

1. Open a session with a supported web browser. Visit the default network address over the HTTPS protocol to access the **ATD GUI**. Contact your BluVector Sales Engineering or Support Engineer for the default network address assigned during the manufacturing process. The **Initial BluVector Login Screen** appears (see Figure: *Initial BluVector Login Screen*).

![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/system-installation-image-xbnm2shc.jpg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T18%3A15%3A17Z&se=2026-10-31T19%3A15%3A17Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=%2F3GbUxR8PrsCtWAYBdk1IkU8srIwRwPuwXFBP9IxzHM%3D)

*Fig. 8: Initial BluVector Login Screen*
2. Log in to the BluVector Sensor using the default credentials:
  - Username: bvadmin
  - Password: [admin configured]
3. Select **Login**. The **Overview Dashboard** appears by default (see Section: [*Using the Overview Dashboard*](/user-manual/docs/system-operations#using-the-overview-dashboard)).
4. It is highly recommended that you change the administrator account password immediately, to prevent unauthorized logins. See Section: [*Configuring User Accounts*](/user-manual/docs/system-configuration#configuring-user-accounts) for more information about user accounts.

### Locating the Documentation

After installation, you can find documentation for the BluVector System online. See Section: [*Accessing Documentation*](/user-manual/docs/bv-docs-560-introduction#accessing-documentation) for more details.