A storage administrator logs into their NetApp BlueXP observability environment and wants to install an infrastructure data collector to begin…

In the NetApp BlueXP observability architecture, the Acquisition Unit is the foundational component responsible for running data collectors. Before any data can be collected from an infrastructure source (like an ONTAP cluster), an Acquisition Unit must be deployed and configured. This unit can be cloud-based (managed by NetApp) or on-premises (deployed by the administrator). Once the Acquisition Unit is operational, specific data collectors can then be configured on it to communicate with and gather metrics from the target systems. Therefore, configuring the Acquisition Unit is the mandatory first step.

A. Data Collector: A Data Collector is the software that gathers data, but it must be installed and run on an already configured Acquisition Unit.

B. Agent: An Agent is a specific type of data collection software, typically installed on a host OS, and is not the primary prerequisite for all infrastructure data collection.

D. NetApp ONTAP SVM Data Collector: This is a specific type of data collector. It cannot be configured until the underlying Acquisition Unit is in place.

1. NetApp BlueXP Documentation, "Data collectors overview": This document explicitly states the prerequisite. Under the "Acquisition Units" section, it says, "Before you can configure a data collector, you must have an Acquisition Unit. The Acquisition Unit is the platform on which the data collectors run." This confirms the required sequence of configuration.

Source: NetApp BlueXP official documentation. (Accessed via docs.netapp.com, specific to BlueXP observability).

2. NetApp BlueXP Documentation, "Get started with observability": The getting started guide outlines the initial steps for setting up the service. A primary step after enabling the service is to ensure an Acquisition Unit is available. The workflow for adding a new data source begins with selecting an Acquisition Unit, reinforcing that it must exist first.

Source: NetApp BlueXP official documentation. (Accessed via docs.netapp.com, specific to BlueXP observability).