> ## 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.

# IKS cluster and IBM Cloud resources (existing cluster)

> Requirements for IKS worker sizing, IBM COS buckets, HMAC credentials, and storage classes when installing Arize AX on IBM Cloud.

## Overview

Use this page when you already have an IKS cluster and will create or align supporting IBM Cloud resources to match Arize AX requirements.

## Storage buckets

Create two IBM Cloud Object Storage (COS) buckets:

* One bucket for Gazette data.
* One bucket for ArizeDB data.

COS is S3-compatible, so Arize AX uses the `ceph` cloud mode for installation. The bucket region must match `cephS3Endpoint` and `cephS3Region` in `values.yaml`.

## Node pools

Use at least two node pools:

* **Base pool** - general workloads and ingestion. Label nodes with `arize=true` and `arize-base=true`.
* **ArizeDB pool** - ArizeDB historical workloads. Label nodes with `arize=true` and `druid-historical=true`.

If you cannot use separate pools, deploy on a shared pool by setting `historicalNodePoolEnabled: false` in `values.yaml`.

## Storage classes

Use IBM VPC block storage. `ibmc-vpc-block-metro-retain-10iops-tier` is recommended for `storageClassCephStandard` and `storageClassCephSsd`. The `10iops-tier` gives database grade IOPS, `retain` keeps volumes if a PVC is deleted, and the `metro` class provisions volumes in the pod's zone on multi-zone clusters.

## Namespaces

Use dedicated namespaces for Arize AX, typically `arize` and `arize-operator`. They can be pre-existing or created by the Helm chart.

## Object storage credentials

Arize AX authenticates to COS with static HMAC service credentials:

* Provide the HMAC access key ID and secret in `values.yaml`.
* IBM IAM and Trusted Profiles for pods are not supported for COS access.

## Optional image registry

An IBM Container Registry (`icr.io`) or other private registry is optional when pulling from Arize AI's central registry. If you use a private registry, set `pushRegistry` and `pullRegistry` in `values.yaml`.

## Sizing

Contact Arize AI for the `clusterSizing` field. This field controls the deployment size and must align with the size of the cluster. Common values are `small1b` and `medium2b`.

## Next steps

* [Install Arize AX on IBM Cloud (quick start)](/docs/ax/selfhosting/installation/ibm/install-arize-quickstart)
* [Detailed walkthrough (IBM Cloud)](/docs/ax/selfhosting/installation/ibm/install-arize-detailed)
* [Ingress on IBM Cloud](/docs/ax/selfhosting/installation/ibm/ingress-ibm-cloud)