You can use System Manager to create a Flash Pool aggregate, or to convert an existing HDD aggregate to a Flash Pool aggregate by adding SSDs. When you create a new HDD aggregate, you can provision an SSD cache to it and create a Flash Pool aggregate.
Before you begin
- You must be aware of platform-specific and workload-specific best practices for the Flash Pool aggregate SSD tier size and configuration.
- All HDDs must be in zeroed state.
- If you want to add SSDs to the aggregate, you must ensure that all the existing and dedicated SSDs are of the same size.
About this task
- You cannot use partitioned SSDs while creating the Flash Pool aggregate.
- You cannot mirror the aggregates if the cache source is storage pools.
- Starting with ONTAP 9.0, you can create aggregates with disk size equal to or larger than 10 TB.
- If the disk type of the aggregate disks is FSAS or MSATA, and the disk size is equal to or larger than 10 TB, then RAID-TEC is the only option available for RAID type.
Procedure
- Choose one of the following methods:
- Click Create.
- In the Create Aggregate dialog box, specify the name of the aggregate, the disk type, and the number of HDD disks or partitions to include in the aggregate.
- If you want to mirror the aggregate, select the Mirror this aggregate check box.
For MetroCluster configurations, creating unmirrored aggregates is restricted; therefore, the mirroring option is enabled by default.
- Click Use Flash Pool Cache with this aggregate.
- Specify the cache source by choosing one of the following actions:
| If you want to select the cache source as... |
Then... |
|---|
| Storage pools |
- Select Storage pools as the Cache Source.
- Select the storage pool from which the cache can be obtained, and then specify the cache size.
- Modify the RAID type, if required.
|
| Dedicated SSDs |
- Select Dedicated SSDs as the Cache Source.
- Select the SSD size and the number of SSDs to include in the aggregate.
- Modify the RAID configuration, if required:
- Click Change.
- In the Change RAID Configuration dialog box, specify the RAID type and the RAID group size.
- Click Save.
|
- Click Create.
Result
The Flash Pool aggregate is created with the specified configuration, and is added to the list of aggregates in the Aggregates window.