NetApp ONTAP 8 (7 Mode Administration) Class Notes

This week I am fortunate enough to attend a pilot class from NetApp. It will be the replacement for Data ONTAP Fundamentals. The new course is ONTAP 8 7-Mode Administration.

A little background before I begin. ONTAP version 8 is the first operating system to merge the traditional ONTAP 7.X code with the clustered operating system, ONTAP GX. In version 8.0, you have the choice of running the operating system in either cluster (GX) or 7-Mode. For this initial release, 7-mode will be very similar to ONTAP 7.3 with the following exceptions:

• By default SSL and SSH are enabled and Telnet and RSH are disabled. This is the opposite of version 7.3. If you upgrade from 7.3, the current settings stay in place
• 64 bit aggregates. ONTAP version 7.3 used 32 bit aggregates. 32 bit aggregates have a limit of 16TB. The maximum size limit of the 64 bit aggregate is based on the model of the system
  
• The default aggregate type is 32 bit
  
• There is no easy way to convert a 32 bit aggregate to a 64 bit aggregate. The best way to accomplish this is with an NDMP copy of the old volume to a new volume
• NetApp recommends the aggregate containing the root volume be 32 bit for troubleshooting and support reasons. Think about that for a second. This means if you want a 64 bit aggregate for data you still need a 32 bit aggregate for the root volume. Make sure you plan your disk capacity to reflect this!
  
• Hardware Based Disk Ownership is NOT supported! If you are thinking of upgrading an older 3000 series, check this before you upgrade!

I'll post more notes throughout the week as new items come up.