> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://documentation.alluxio.io/ee-ai-en/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://documentation.alluxio.io/ee-ai-en/start.md).

# Getting Started

This section walks you from first download to a running Alluxio cluster with verified data access. Each installation guide is self-contained and covers cluster setup, storage mounting, and initial verification.

## What You'll Deploy

An Alluxio cluster consists of three types of components:

| Component       | Role                                                                             | Count                          |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| **Worker**      | Caches data on local NVMe/SSD; serves reads directly to clients                  | 1+                             |
| **Coordinator** | Background jobs: cache loading, mount table management, worker health monitoring | 1                              |
| **etcd**        | Cluster membership and mount table storage                                       | 3 (production), 1 (evaluation) |

Your applications connect to the cluster after installation via **FUSE** (local filesystem mount), **S3 API** (HTTP, S3-compatible), or **Python FSSpec**. Each access method is set up separately once the cluster is running — the installation guides cover the initial cluster only.

## What You'll Need Before Starting

For hardware, OS, networking port, and resource sizing requirements, see [Prerequisites](/ee-ai-en/start/prerequisites.md).

* **Download link** from Alluxio — includes Docker image `.tar` files and a license string.
* **Private Docker registry** *(Kubernetes only)* — images must be pushed to a registry accessible from your cluster nodes before deploying. Not required for Docker / bare-metal, where images are loaded with `docker load` on each host.
* **Storage backend ready** — an S3 bucket (with credentials), GCS, HDFS, or other supported UFS. See [Underlying Storage](/ee-ai-en/ufs.md) for the full list.

## Choose Your Installation Guide

|                 | [Kubernetes (Operator)](/ee-ai-en/start/installing-on-kubernetes.md) | [Docker / Bare-Metal](/ee-ai-en/start/installing-on-docker.md) |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **When to use** | You have an existing Kubernetes cluster                              | Linux hosts, EC2 instances, or Slurm — no Kubernetes           |

Both paths produce the same cluster. The choice depends entirely on your infrastructure.

Cloud-specific guides build on top of the Kubernetes path:

* [OCI OKE](/ee-ai-en/start/installing-on-kubernetes/oci-oke.md) — Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Kubernetes Engine, including VCN setup, OCIR image push, and `oci-bv` worker page store.

## AI-Assisted Deployment

* [AI-Assisted Deployment Guide](/ee-ai-en/start/ai-assisted-deployment-guide.md) — a Claude Code skill that asks about your environment and produces a personalized, step-by-step deployment plan. Useful if you're new to Alluxio or want guided help through the process.