<!--[metadata]>
+++
title = "swarm init"
description = "The swarm init command description and usage"
keywords = ["swarm, init"]
advisory = "rc"
[menu.main]
parent = "smn_cli"
+++
<![end-metadata]-->

# swarm init

```markdown
Usage:  docker swarm init [OPTIONS]

Initialize a Swarm

Options:
      --auto-accept value               Auto acceptance policy (default worker)
      --cert-expiry duration            Validity period for node certificates (default 2160h0m0s)
      --dispatcher-heartbeat duration   Dispatcher heartbeat period (default 5s)
      --external-ca value               Specifications of one or more certificate signing endpoints
      --force-new-cluster               Force create a new cluster from current state.
      --help                            Print usage
      --listen-addr value               Listen address (default 0.0.0.0:2377)
      --secret string                   Set secret value needed to accept nodes into cluster
      --task-history-limit int          Task history retention limit (default 10)
```

Initialize a Swarm cluster. The docker engine targeted by this command becomes a manager
in the newly created one node Swarm cluster.


```bash
$ docker swarm init --listen-addr 192.168.99.121:2377
No --secret provided. Generated random secret:
	4ao565v9jsuogtq5t8s379ulb

Swarm initialized: current node (1ujecd0j9n3ro9i6628smdmth) is now a manager.

To add a worker to this swarm, run the following command:
	docker swarm join --secret 4ao565v9jsuogtq5t8s379ulb \
	--ca-hash sha256:07ce22bd1a7619f2adc0d63bd110479a170e7c4e69df05b67a1aa2705c88ef09 \
	192.168.99.121:2377
$ docker node ls
ID                           HOSTNAME  MEMBERSHIP  STATUS  AVAILABILITY  MANAGER STATUS          LEADER
1ujecd0j9n3ro9i6628smdmth *  manager1  Accepted    Ready   Active        Reachable               Yes
```

If a secret for joining new nodes is not provided with `--secret`, `docker swarm init` will
generate a random one and print it to the terminal (as seen in the example above). To initialize
a swarm with no secret, use `--secret ""`.

### `--auto-accept value`

This flag controls node acceptance into the cluster. By default, `worker` nodes are
automatically accepted by the cluster. This can be changed by specifying what kinds of nodes
can be auto-accepted into the cluster. If auto-accept is not turned on, then
[node accept](node_accept.md) can be used to explicitly accept a node into the cluster.

For example, the following initializes a cluster with auto-acceptance of workers, but not managers


```bash
$ docker swarm init --listen-addr 192.168.99.121:2377 --auto-accept worker
```

It is possible to pass a comma-separated list of node types. The following initializes a cluster
with auto-acceptance of both `worker` and `manager` nodes

```bash
$ docker swarm init --listen-addr 192.168.99.121:2377 --auto-accept worker,manager
```

### `--cert-expiry`

This flag sets the validity period for node certificates.

### `--dispatcher-heartbeat`

This flags sets the frequency with which nodes are told to use as a
period to report their health.

### `--external-ca value`

This flag sets up the swarm to use an external CA to issue node certificates. The value takes
the form `protocol=X,url=Y`. The value for `protocol` specifies what protocol should be used
to send signing requests to the external CA. Currently, the only supported value is `cfssl`.
The URL specifies the endpoint where signing requests should be submitted.

### `--force-new-cluster`

This flag forces an existing node that was part of a quorum that was lost to restart as a single node Manager without losing its data

### `--listen-addr value`

The node listens for inbound Swarm manager traffic on this IP:PORT

### `--secret string`

Secret value needed to accept nodes into the Swarm

### `--task-history-limit`

This flag sets up task history retention limit.

## Related information

* [swarm join](swarm_join.md)
* [swarm leave](swarm_leave.md)
* [swarm update](swarm_update.md)