Replacing a running node

Steps to replace a node with a new node, such as when updating to newer hardware or performing proactive maintenance.

Steps to replace a node with a new node, such as when updating to newer hardware or performing proactive maintenance.

You must prepare and start the replacement node, integrate it into the cluster, and then remove the old node.

1. Confirm that the node is alive:
   • Run nodetool ringif not using vnodes.
   • Run nodetool status if using vnodes.
   The status should show:

   • nodetool ring: Up
   • nodetool status: UN
2. Stop the node.
3. Note the Host ID of the node; it is used in the last step.
4. Add and start the replacement node:
   • If using vnodes, see Adding nodes to an existing cluster.
   • If not using vnodes, see Adding Capacity to an Existing Cluster in the Cassandra 1.1 documentation.
5. Using the Host ID of the original node, remove the original node from the cluster using the nodetool removenode command. You may need to use the force option.