--- title: "Initialization" description: "Work through the ARX initial setup wizard — system update, admin account, time zone, network, disks — and the mistakes worth avoiding" canonical_url: "https://docs.ardge.com/en/guide/start-here/init" --- # Initialization > Work through the ARX initial setup wizard — system update, admin account, time zone, network, disks — and the mistakes worth avoiding ## Overview Initialization is the setup run every ARX goes through the first time you power it on. You create the administrator account, configure the network and time zone, and get the system ready for the AI models, apps and storage that come later. Don't worry about understanding every setting at once. Most of them are set once and can be changed later from [Control Panel](https://docs.ardge.com/en/guide/manage-arx/overview) or [Storage Manager](https://docs.ardge.com/en/guide/connect-your-data/storage-manager). **System update → administrator → time zone → network → storage → ARDGE account (optional) → review and initialize** Plan for **45 to 60 minutes**. The actual time depends on your connection, the size of the update and the device model; the wizard itself takes around 10 minutes and the system handles the rest.
Phase What happens Roughly
1. ARX system update You pick a system version and the device installs it Depends on your connection
2. Restart The device reboots to apply the update Up to 10 minutes
3. Setup wizard You work through the configuration pages 10 minutes
4. Initialization The system deploys every service 25 to 30 minutes
## Before you begin **The network cable is not optional:** Connect the ethernet cable to a network with internet access before you power on the device. Have these ready: - An ethernet cable connected to a network with internet access - A computer on the same network, with **ARDGE Finder** installed to find the device - On a device with multiple disk slots, every disk you plan to use seated in its slot Don't power off during initialization or a system update. Some stages restart the device, so a short period without a connection is normal. ## Step 1: Choose the system version The **System Update** page offers two choices: - **Update to Latest Version** — downloads and installs the newest release available, then restarts - **Keep Current Version** — keeps the current version and goes straight to the wizard On a first deployment with a working connection, update to the latest release. Once the update starts, let it finish — don't power off and don't unplug the network. There is no cancel. ## Step 2: Set the hostname and administrator account The hostname is what this ARX is called on the network. The administrator account is what you'll use to sign in and manage it from then on. ## Step 3: Pick the time zone Pick the time zone the ARX sits in. The dropdown lists every IANA time zone with its UTC offset — `Asia/Taipei` for Taiwan, for example. The time zone drives the timestamps in the system log, scheduled jobs and notifications. ## Step 4: Configure the network The **Network** page lists every interface with an active link. Configure each one with: - **DHCP** — your network assigns the address, which is the easiest way to start - **Static IP** — a fixed address, for a production deployment or a network IT has already planned Devices with two or more ethernet ports also offer **Link Aggregation / Port Trunk**, which bonds them into a single interface. A static address only takes effect during initialization. Reconnect at the new address once Phase 4 finishes, or use **ARDGE Finder** to find the device again. ## Step 5: Assign the disks This step only appears on devices with multiple disk slots. All-in-one models such as ARX-100 skip it. On the **Storage** page, assign every detected disk to one of two volumes: - **System Volume** — holds the system itself, protected by RAID 1 - **Data Volume** — holds the models, the apps and their data, and is the one you are most likely to need to expand **Every disk you assign is erased:** Both volumes are created in Phase 4, which wipes all data on their member disks. Back up anything already on them first. ### System Volume - Assign two or more disks if the hardware allows, so RAID 1 stays healthy. A single disk works but leaves RAID 1 degraded - A disk smaller than the existing system disk can't join; use it as a Data disk instead - RAID 1 capacity is capped by the smallest member, so a larger disk wastes the difference ### Data Volume The Data Volume needs at least one disk. Models, apps and app data all keep growing, so give the Data Volume the priority when you plan capacity. You can review and reassign disks in [Storage Manager](https://docs.ardge.com/en/guide/connect-your-data/storage-manager) after initialization. ## Step 6: Link your ARDGE account (optional) If you have an ARDGE account, sign in here to bind the device to it for licensing and other extended services. You can skip this and set it up later from [Control Panel > ARDGE Account](https://docs.ardge.com/en/guide/advanced/ardge-account). **Filling in the form isn't the same as signing in:** Click **Sign in** to bind the account. **Next** stays blocked while the fields still hold text — clear both to skip. ## Step 7: Advanced settings (optional) This one is advanced and optional. If you haven't run into an image pull limit, skip it. The setting here is **Docker Hub Auth**. Enter your account and password, then click **Auth**. Fill in both fields or leave both blank — a half-filled pair blocks **Next**. **Set this up when you hit the pull limit:** Initialization and system updates both pull container images from Docker Hub. Anonymous pulls get 100 per 6 hours, counted per source IP and shared with every other device on your network; an account gets 200 of its own. See [What to do when a system update hits the Docker Hub pull limit](https://docs.ardge.com/en/knowledge/arx-os/docker-pull-limit) for details. ## Step 8: Review and run the initialization The **Summary** page shows everything you configured. Check the hostname, administrator account, time zone, network settings and storage assignment in particular. Go **Back** to fix anything, then click **Execute Initialization**. Once initialization starts, the system deploys every ARX service, which takes 25 to 30 minutes. The device may be unreachable for a while — keep the power and the network up. **Do not power off during initialization:** An unexpected shutdown triggers a background factory reset at the next boot. ARDGE Finder can't see the device while that runs — leave it powered on and wait. ## Next With initialization done, head to [AI Model Center](https://docs.ardge.com/en/guide/use-ai/ai-model-center) and get your first on-premises model running. ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](https://docs.ardge.com/sitemap.md) for all pages.