What is a key requirement for adding new nodes to an existing PowerFlex cluster?

Validate hardware compatibility (Option C): The most critical technical requirement is ensuring the new nodes are compatible with the existing cluster. This includes verifying that the CPU, RAM, and most importantly, the network interface cards (NICs) and storage devices match the existing nodes or are supported in a mixed-node configuration. Adding a node with incompatible hardware can cause instability or performance degradation (the "straggler" effect).

Incorrect Options:

Same Protection Domain (A): You can add nodes to a new Protection Domain if you are creating a new fault zone.

Preconfigure deduplication (B): Deduplication is a Storage Pool setting, not a node setting.

VLAN tags (D): While networking is important, hardware compatibility is the fundamental prerequisite before configuring network tags.