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

# Frequently Asked Questions

> Common questions about getting the Arize distribution, picking install paths, and editing values.yaml.

Answers to common self-hosted install questions. For step-by-step instructions, follow the linked pages.

## Distribution and access

<Accordion title="Where do I get the distribution tarball?">
  Release versions are listed in [Self-hosted Releases](https://arize.com/docs/ax/selfhosting/guides/releases). The tarball is not a public download; Arize provides the distribution access JWT or download command, along with any storage or registry guidance for your environment. See [Download and unpack the distribution](/ax/selfhosting/getting-started/download-and-unpack-the-distribution).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What if I do not know the exact release version to install?">
  Check [Self-hosted Releases](https://arize.com/docs/ax/selfhosting/guides/releases) and use an exact published version. Review any upgrade notes for that release before installing.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Should I use the online docs or the docs in the distribution?">
  Use the online docs for the current install flow and planning guidance. Use the docs shipped inside the distribution tarball for release-specific commands, chart behavior, and troubleshooting tied to that release.
</Accordion>

## Cluster and infrastructure

<Accordion title="Do I have to use the Arize Terraform modules?">
  No. You can use Terraform from Arize, your own automation, or an existing cluster. Terraform is optional. The requirement is that the cluster and supporting resources match the install path you choose. See [Prerequisites](/ax/selfhosting/getting-started/prerequisites).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What sizing profile should I use?">
  Common production values are `small1b` and `medium2b`, and each profile requires nodes that match the sizing table in [Prerequisites](/ax/selfhosting/getting-started/prerequisites). Do not pick `small1b` or `medium2b` for clusters whose nodes are smaller than the table specifies. Contact Arize AI for guidance.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How are connected, semi-restricted, and air-gapped deployments different?">
  * **Connected:** The installation workstation and cluster nodes have direct outbound access to Arize distribution services and container image registries, allowing software and images to be pulled directly without additional network configuration.
  * **Semi-restricted:** The installation workstation and/or cluster nodes have limited outbound connectivity and must access Arize distribution services and/or image registries through a corporate proxy, firewall allowlist, or other controlled network path.
  * **Air-gapped:** The workstation and/or cluster have no outbound connectivity to Arize distribution services or image registries. All required software artifacts and container images must be transferred into the environment through an approved offline process, typically using a private container registry and internal artifact repository.
</Accordion>

## Running the install

<Accordion title="Where do I run `arize.sh` from?">
  Run it from the extracted distribution directory, the same directory that contains `arize.sh` and your `values.yaml`. See [Download and unpack the distribution](/ax/selfhosting/getting-started/download-and-unpack-the-distribution).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Where do I create or edit `values.yaml`?">
  In the extracted distribution directory, next to `arize.sh`. Start from the installation page that matches your environment in [Deployment options](/ax/selfhosting/installation/index).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I install Arize AX into a shared namespace?">
  No. Use dedicated namespaces for Arize AX, such as the default `arize` and `arize-operator` namespaces. If your environment uses different namespace names, keep them dedicated to this Arize install. Do not mix unrelated workloads into the Arize namespaces, because upgrades, support commands, and cleanup steps assume the namespaces belong to Arize AX.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Which `values.yaml` fields need base64 encoding?">
  Secret-bearing fields (such as `hubJwt`, `postgresPassword`, `cipherKey`, and object storage access keys) must be base64-encoded. Plain identifiers (cluster names, organization names, bucket names, storage class names, registry hostnames, URLs) must not.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How long does the install take?">
  Plan for roughly 30 to 90 minutes from `arize.sh install` to all pods running, depending on cluster size, image pull speed, and whether the cluster has a separate ArizeDB node pool. The default `arize.sh` timeout is short for slower clusters; pass `-t 5400` to allow 90 minutes for the full install. Time is mostly spent pulling images and waiting for init jobs (`install-postgres-init`, `install-gazette-init`, `install-druid-init`) to complete.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I change `clusterSizing` after the install?">
  Yes, but treat it as a planned change. Update `clusterSizing` in `values.yaml` and re-apply with `arize.sh`. Sizing changes can move pods between node pools and resize PVCs, so confirm node capacity matches the new profile before applying. Contact Arize AI before moving between major profiles (for example, `nonha` to `medium2b`).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What network egress does the install workstation need?">
  For connected installs, the workstation needs outbound HTTPS to Arize AX distribution endpoints (`ch.hub.arize.com`) and to the image registry referenced by your distribution. The cluster nodes need outbound HTTPS to the same image registry, or to your internal mirror for restricted-network installs. See [Deployment Types](/ax/selfhosting/getting-started/deployment-types) for connected, semi-air-gapped, and fully air-gapped flows.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How do I upgrade to a new release?">
  Download the new distribution into a separate release directory (see [Create a release directory](./download-and-unpack-the-distribution.md#create-a-release-directory)), copy or update your `values.yaml`, and run `arize.sh` from the new release directory. The bundled docs inside that release explain release-specific upgrade steps. Contact Arize before upgrading across major versions.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How do I uninstall Arize or do a fresh reinstall?">
  Follow [Fresh reinstall cleanup](/ax/selfhosting/advanced/fresh-reinstall-cleanup). The procedure works on any Kubernetes cluster, including managed cloud, OpenShift, Rancher, and bare metal. It covers the order of `helm uninstall`, namespace cleanup, force-deleting pods stuck on long graceful termination, and the last-resort namespace finalizer step. The PVC deletion in that procedure is destructive; do not run it without a backup or restore plan.
</Accordion>