---
title: "VAST Cluster Concepts and Terminology"
slug: "vast-cluster-concepts-and-terminology"
description: "Explore VAST clusters, including CBoxes, CNodes, and Element Store, for unified data management with advanced protocols and security features."
tags: ["5.5"]
updated: 2026-11-06T21:41:57Z
published: 2026-11-06T21:41:57Z
canonical: "docs.vastdata.com/vast-cluster-concepts-and-terminology"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vastdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# VAST Cluster Concepts and Terminology

A VAST cluster is a set of VAST Servers and VAST Enclosures that comprise a single management domain and namespace.

A VAST cluster is managed using the VAST Management Service (VMS). VMS utilizes the following terminology:

#### VAST Cluster Terminology

CBox

A server chassis containing four CNodes.

CNode

A VAST server appliance or customer-provided equipment running a container(s) that runs the VAST OS software.

DBox

Data boxes are highly available NVMe-oF JBOFs (Just a Bunch Of Flash) that connect the SCM and hyperscale flash SSDs they hold to the VAST cluster’s NVMe fabric.

DNode

An NVMe-oF controller card in the DBox.

EBox

EBoxes run both CNode containers to manage the cluster and provide services and DNode containers to make the EBox’s SCM and hyperscale flash SSDs available to all the cluster’s CNodes.

Element Store

The cluster's data store that unifies object, file, block, table, and vector data with built-in similarity reduction, erasure coding, and real-time access. The Element Store can simultaneously present data as objects in a flat hierarchy and as files in a hierarchy of directories.

**Protocols**

If not otherwise specified, this term primarily refers to the file sharing, object, block storage, and other protocols used by clients of the VAST Cluster to transfer data to and from the cluster.

Providers**/Auth providers**

Identity providers such as Active Directory, Open LDAP servers, NIS, that store user and group attributes. They are used by the cluster when authorizing permissions for users to access files and directories. They may also be used for authenticating users via Kerberos or NTLM.

View

A configuration that defines and exposes a path in the Element Store to selected access protocols. A view can have specific security settings for hosts and protocols.

The VAST Management System GUI (VMS GUI) comprises various sections that enable you to set up networking, manage users and providers, control data access, and monitor performance.

VMS is the control plane for administrators to manage tenants, views, access, quotas, and system configuration.

- It supports GUI and REST API access.
- Each tenant can be restricted to only see their own resources.
- Access can be limited to specific source IPs.

The physical package that holds multiple CNodes. It should only be used to clarify that you’re referring to the physical box, not one of the servers or logical CNodes it contains. CNode should be the general term, as VAST is a software company.

Stateless VAST Compute Node; runs all VAST services. Note: CNode can refer to the physical server or the VAST container acting in the CNode role.

Data Box (DBox) is a highly available NVMe-oF JBoFs (Just a Bunch of Flash) that connects the SCM and hyperscale flash SSDs it holds to the VAST cluster’s NVMe fabric.

VAST Data Node: Data nodes act as NVMe over Fabrics routers connecting the SCM and hyperscale flash SSDs to the cluster’s CNodes.

E stands for Everything box and runs both CNode containers to manage the cluster and provide services, and DNode containers to make the EBox’s SCM and hyperscale flash SSDs available to all the cluster’s CNodes.

The VAST Element Store organizes the data in a cluster into a single, multiprotocol and multifunctional namespace, providing all the functionality of traditional file systems, object stores, and block storage systems. Data is organized into elements (Files, Objects, Tables, and/or block volumes) and folders. The Element Store enables customers to manage Views, Volumes, Hosts, View Policies, Lifecycle Rules, Quotas, QoS Policies, and Tenants.

**Providers/Auth Providers** - Identity providers, such as Active Directory, OpenLDAP servers, and NIS, that store user and group attributes. They are used by the cluster when authorizing permission for users to access files and directories. They may also be used for authenticating users via Kerberos or NTLM.

VAST’s protocol-independent name for the logical protocol endpoints through which data is shared. A View is an NFS export, SMB share, S3 bucket, and/or block volume, depending on the protocol, used to access the view.