--- title: Initializing a Cluster description: A cluster can be initialized and provisioned, by means of a single call to the REST API. pubDate: 2026-08-17T09:53:44.266Z antora: editUrl: https://github.com/couchbaselabs/docs-enterprise-analytics/edit/release/2.0/modules/reference/pages/rest-initialize-cluster.adoc xref: xref:2.0@enterprise-analytics:reference:rest-initialize-cluster.adoc[] --- [Consult the llms.txt file for a full list of contents](/llms.txt) [View original HTML](/enterprise-analytics/2.0/reference/rest-initialize-cluster.html) # Initializing a Cluster > A cluster can be initialized and provisioned, by means of a single call to the REST API. ## [](#http-method-and-uri)HTTP Method and URI POST /clusterInit ## [](#description)Description Initializes and provisions a cluster. The `POST /clusterInit` method and URI thereby achieve as a single call the combined effectiveness of several other calls that each perform only a part of the initialization and provisioning sequence. These other calls are all described elsewhere in this section, as [Initializing a Node](rest-initialize-node.md), [Establishing Credentials](rest-establish-credentials.md), [Naming a Node](rest-name-node.md), [Configuring Memory](rest-configure-memory.md), [Assigning Services](#reference:rest-set-up-services.adoc), and [Naming a Cluster](rest-name-cluster.md). Note that the `POST /clusterInit` method and URI allow the specifying of several parameters in addition to those supported by the other calls. All parameters are listed and described below. ## [](#curl-syntax)Curl Syntax curl -X POST http://:8091/clusterInit -d hostname= -d username= -d password= -d dataPath= -d indexPath= -d analyticsPath= -d eventingPath= -d javaHome= -d sendStats=true -d clusterName= -d services= -d memoryQuota= -d queryMemoryQuota= -d indexMemoryQuota= -d eventingMemoryQuota= -d ftsMemoryQuota= -d cbasMemoryQuota= -d afamily=[ 'ipv4' | 'ipv6' ] -d afamilyOnly=[ true | false ] -d nodeEncryption=[ 'on' | 'off' ] -d indexerStorageMode=[ 'plasma' | 'magma' ] -d port='SAME' -d allowedHosts= The parameters and arguments are listed below: * `hostname`. The IP address or domain name that will be the name of the node established as a single-node cluster. This parameter is optional: the default value is `127.0.0.1`. * `username`. A string that will be the username for the new cluster. This parameter must be specified. * `password`. A string that will be the password for the new cluster. This parameter must be specified. * `dataPath`, `indexPath`, `analyticsPath`, `eventingPath`. Paths for the storage of data to be used by the Data, Index, Analytics, and Eventing Services. All paths must be writable by user `couchbase`. These parameters are optional. For the default values, see [Initializing a Node](rest-initialize-node.md). * `javaHome`. Location of the JRE to be used by the Analytics Service. The specified path must be writable by user `couchbase`. This parameter is optional. There is no default value. * `sendStats`. Enables or disables Enterprise Analytics software update notifications and sharing of system performance information with Couchbase. See the [update-notifications](#cli:cbcli/couchbase-cli-cluster-init.adoc#:~:text=software%20update%20notifications) option in the [cluster-init](#cli:cbcli/couchbase-cli-cluster-init.adoc) command line interface reference for details of what `sendStats` shares. It's always set to `true` for Enterprise Analytics. In Enterprise Analytics, you can set the value to the default `true` or `false`. * `clusterName`. A name for the cluster. This name is for convenience of identification, and will not be used for network access. This parameter is optional. There is no default value. * `services`. A list of the services to be hosted on the cluster. The list must consist of one or more of the following: `kv` (Data Service), `n1ql` (Query Service), `index` (Index Service), `fts` (Search Service), `eventing` (Eventing Service), `cbas` (Analytics Service), `backup` (Backup Service). Each name must be separated from the following name with a comma. Each service is allocated a default amount of memory, unless custom allocations have been made. See [Configuring Memory](rest-configure-memory.md) For information about allocating memory per service, and on the default minimum values per service. This parameter must be specified. The value must be at least one service: there is no default. * `memoryQuota`, `queryMemoryQuota`, `indexMemoryQuota`, `eventingMemoryQuota`, `ftsMemoryQuota`, `cbasMemoryQuota`. The memory quotas for the Data, Query, Index, Eventing, Search, and Analytics Services. (The Backup Service does not require a memory allocation.) Each quota is specified as an integer. If no custom quota is specified for one or more services, those services retain the default allocations: these are, for the Data Service 256 Mb; for the Search Service 256 Mb; for the Index Service 512 Mb; for the Eventing Service 256 Mb; for the Analytics Service 1024 Mb; and for the Query Service 0 Mb, indicating that there is no specified quota. Note that for most services, the minimum allowed allocation is 256 Mb: for the Analytics Service, the minimum allowed allocation is 1024 Mb, and for the Query Service, the minimum allowed allocation is 0 Mb. For information about the maximum memory allocation permitted for a node, see [Service Memory Quotas](#learn:buckets-memory-and-storage/memory.adoc#service-memory-quotas). * `afamily`. The IP address-family principally to be used by the cluster. This parameter is optional. Either `ipv4` (the default) or `ipv6` can be specified. * `afamilyOnly`. Whether _only_ the address-family specified by `afamily` should be used. This parameter is optional. The value can be `true` or `false` (the default). For information, see [Manage Address Families](../manage/manage-nodes/manage-address-families.md). * `nodeEncryption`. Whether node-to-node encryption should be switched on for the cluster. This parameter is optional. Value can be `on` or `off` (the default). For information, see [Node-to-Node Encryption](#learn:clusters-and-availability/node-to-node-encryption.adoc). * `indexerStorageMode`. This can be `plasma` (the default) or `magma`. For information, see [Storage Settings](#learn:services-and-indexes/indexes/storage-modes.adoc). This parameter is optional. * `port`. The number of the port that the new, single-node cluster will use as its administration port for unencrypted traffic. The value `SAME` specifies the standard port-number, which is `8091`. This parameter must be explicitly specified, even if `SAME` is to be used. * `allowedHosts`. A comma-separated list of the naming conventions that determine which hosts are allowed to be added or joined to the new cluster. The default is `"*"`, which determines that any hostname is acceptable. For information, see [Restrict Node-Addition](rest-specify-node-addition-conventions.md). This parameter is optional, and is available only in Enterprise Analytics. ## [](#responses)Responses Success returns `200 OK`. If a directory is not writable by user `couchbase`, `400 Bad Request` is returned, with a message such as: `["Could not set analytics storage. All directories must be writable by 'couchbase' user."].`An incorrectly specified URL or data parameter returns `404 Object Not Found`. ## [](#example)Example The following example creates a new, single-node cluster: curl -v -X POST http://10.144.231.104:8091/clusterInit \ -d "hostname=com.test.ubuntu" \ -d "dataPath=%2Fopt%2Fcouchbase%2Fvar%2Flib%2Fcouchbase%2Fdata" \ -d "indexPath=%2Fopt%2Fcouchbase%2Fvar%2Flib%2Fcouchbase%2Fdata" \ -d "eventingPath=%2Fopt%2Fcouchbase%2Fvar%2Flib%2Fcouchbase%2Fdata" \ -d "analyticsPath=%2Fopt%2Fcouchbase%2Fvar%2Flib%2Fcouchbase%2Fdata" \ -d "javaHome=" \ -d "sendStats=true" \ -d "services=kv%2Cn1ql" \ -d "clusterName=FourthCluster" \ -d "memoryQuota=256" \ -d "afamily=ipv4" \ -d "afamilyOnly=false" \ -d "nodeEncryption=off" \ -d "username=Administrator" \ -d "password=password" \ -d "port=SAME" \ -d "allowedHosts=*.test.ubuntu,127.0.0.1" Success returns a confirmation such as the following: {"newBaseUri":"http://10.144.231.104:8091/"} ## [](#see-also)See Also An overview of nodes is provided in [Nodes](#learn:clusters-and-availability/nodes.adoc). information about storage and memory-management is provided in [Memory and Storage](#learn:buckets-memory-and-storage/memory-and-storage.adoc). Node-to-node Encryption is described in [Node-to-Node Encryption](#learn:clusters-and-availability/node-to-node-encryption.adoc). Address families are described in [Manage Address Families](../manage/manage-nodes/manage-address-families.md). Index storage modes are explained in [Storage Settings](#learn:services-and-indexes/indexes/storage-modes.adoc).