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NetApp Cloud Tiering

Set up licensing for NetApp Cloud Tiering

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A 30-day free trial of NetApp Cloud Tiering starts when you set up tiering from your first cluster. After the free trial ends, you'll need to pay for Cloud Tiering through a pay-as-you-go or annual subscription from your cloud provider's marketplace, a BYOL license from NetApp, or a combination of both.

A few notes before you read any further:

  • If you've already subscribed to Cloud Tiering (PAYGO) in your cloud provider's marketplace, then you're automatically subscribed to Cloud Tiering for on-premises ONTAP systems as well. You'll see an active subscription in the Cloud Tiering On-Premises dashboard tab. You won't need to subscribe again. You'll see an active subscription in the NetApp Console.

  • The BYOL Cloud Tiering license (previously known as a "Cloud Tiering" license) is a floating license that you can use across multiple on-premises ONTAP clusters in your NetApp Console organization. This is different (and much easier) than in the past where you purchased a FabricPool license for each cluster.

  • There are no charges when tiering data to StorageGRID, so neither a BYOL license nor a PAYGO registration is required. This tiered data doesn't count against the capacity purchased in your license.

Learn more about how licensing works for Cloud Tiering.

30-day free trial

If you don't have a Cloud Tiering license, a 30-day free trial of Cloud Tiering starts when you set up tiering to your first cluster. After the 30-day free trial ends, you'll need to pay for Cloud Tiering through a pay-as-you-go subscription, annual subscription, a BYOL license, or a combination.

If your free trial ends and you haven't subscribed or added a license, then ONTAP no longer tiers cold data to object storage. All previously tiered data remains accessible; meaning you can retrieve and use this data. When retrieved, this data is moved back to the performance tier from the cloud.

Use a Cloud Tiering PAYGO subscription

Pay-as-you-go subscriptions from your cloud provider's marketplace enable you to license the use of Cloud Volumes ONTAP systems and many Cloud Data Services, such as Cloud Tiering.

After you subscribe to Cloud Tiering, you can manage your subscriptions in the Console. View and manage your subscriptions.

Subscribing from the AWS Marketplace

Subscribe to Cloud Tiering from the AWS Marketplace to set up a pay-as-you-go subscription for data tiering from ONTAP clusters to AWS S3.

Steps

  1. In the NetApp Console, select Mobility > Cloud Tiering > On-Premises Dashboard.

  2. In the Marketplace subscriptions section, select Subscribe under Amazon Web Services and then select Continue.

  3. In the Marketplace subscriptions section, select Subscribe under Amazon Web Services and then select Continue.

  4. Subscribe from the AWS Marketplace, and then log back into the NetApp Console to complete the registration.

    The following video shows the process:

    Subscribe from the AWS Marketplace

Subscribing from the Azure Marketplace

Subscribe to Cloud Tiering from the Azure Marketplace to set up a pay-as-you-go subscription for data tiering from ONTAP clusters to Azure Blob storage.

Steps

  1. In the NetApp Console, select Mobility > Cloud Tiering > On-Premises Dashboard.

  2. In the Marketplace subscriptions section, select Subscribe under Microsoft Azure and then select Continue.

  3. In the Marketplace subscriptions section, select Subscribe under Microsoft Azure and then select Continue.

  4. Subscribe from the Azure Marketplace, and then log back into the NetApp Console to complete the registration.

    The following video shows the process:

    Subscribe from the Azure Marketplace

Subscribing from the Google Cloud Marketplace

Subscribe to Cloud Tiering from the Google Cloud Marketplace to set up a pay-as-you-go subscription for data tiering from ONTAP clusters to Google Cloud storage.

Steps

  1. In the NetApp Console, select Mobility > Cloud Tiering > On-Premises Dashboard.

  2. In the Marketplace subscriptions section, select Subscribe under Google Cloud and then select Continue.

  3. In the Marketplace subscriptions section, select Subscribe under Google Cloud and then select Continue.

  4. Subscribe from the Google Cloud Marketplace, and then log back into the NetApp Console to complete the registration.

    The following video shows the process:

    Subscribe from the Google Cloud Marketplace

Use an annual contract

Pay for Cloud Tiering annually by purchasing an annual contract. Annual contracts are available in 1-, 2-, or 3-year terms.

When tiering inactive data to AWS, you can subscribe to an annual contract from the AWS Marketplace page. If you want to use this option, set up your subscription from the Marketplace page and then associate the subscription with your AWS credentials.

When tiering inactive data to Azure, you can subscribe to an annual contract from the Azure Marketplace page. If you want to use this option, set up your subscription from the Marketplace page and then associate the subscription with your Azure credentials.

Annual contracts are not currently supported when tiering to Google Cloud.

Use a Cloud Tiering BYOL license

Bring-your-own licenses from NetApp provide 1-, 2-, or 3-year terms. The BYOL Cloud Tiering license (previously known as a "Cloud Tiering" license) is a floating license that you can use across multiple on-premises ONTAP clusters in your NetApp Console organization. The total tiering capacity defined in your Cloud Tiering license is shared among all of your on-premises clusters, making initial licensing and renewal easy. The minimum capacity for a tiering BYOL license starts at 10 TiB.

If you don't have a Cloud Tiering license, contact us to purchase one:

  • Contact your NetApp sales representative

  • Contact NetApp support.

Optionally, if you have an unassigned node-based license for Cloud Volumes ONTAP that you won't be using, you can convert it to a Cloud Tiering license with the same dollar-equivalence and the same expiration date. Go here for details.

You manage Cloud Tiering BYOL licenses in the Console. You can add new licenses and update existing licenses. Learn how to manage licenses.

Cloud Tiering BYOL licensing starting in 2021

The new Cloud Tiering license was introduced in August 2021 for tiering configurations that are supported within the NetApp Console using the Cloud Tiering service. The NetApp Console currently supports tiering to the following cloud storage: Amazon S3, Azure Blob storage, Google Cloud Storage, NetApp StorageGRID, and S3-compatible object storage.

The FabricPool license that you may have used in the past to tier on-premises ONTAP data to the cloud is being retained only for ONTAP deployments in sites that have no internet access (also known as "dark sites"), and for tiering configurations to IBM Cloud Object Storage. If you're using this type of configuration, you'll install a FabricPool license on each cluster using System Manager or the ONTAP CLI.

Tip Note that tiering to StorageGRID does not require a FabricPool or Cloud Tiering license.

If you are currently using FabricPool licensing, you're not affected until your FabricPool license reaches its expiration date or maximum capacity. Contact NetApp when you need to update your license, or earlier to make sure there is no interruption in your ability to tier data to the cloud.

  • If you're using a configuration that's supported in the Console, your FabricPool licenses will be converted to Cloud Tiering licenses and they'll appear in the Console. When those initial licenses expire, you'll need to update the Cloud Tiering licenses.

  • If you're using a configuration that's not supported in the Console, then you'll continue using a FabricPool license. See how to license tiering using System Manager.

Here are some things you need to know about the two licenses:

Cloud Tiering license FabricPool license

It is a floating license that you can use across multiple on-premises ONTAP clusters.

It is a per-cluster license that you purchase and license for every cluster.

It is registered in the NetApp Console.

It is applied to individual clusters using System Manager or the ONTAP CLI.

Tiering configuration and management is done through the Cloud Tiering service in the NetApp Console.

Tiering configuration and management is done through System Manager or the ONTAP CLI.

Once tiering is configured, you can use the tiering service without a license for 30 days using the free trial.

Once configured, you can tier the first 10 TB of data for free.

Manage Cloud Tiering licenses

If your licensed term is nearing the expiration date, or if your licensed capacity is reaching the limit, you'll be notified in Cloud Tiering as well as in the Console.

You can update existing licenses, view license status, and add new licenses through the Console. Learn about managing licenses.

Apply Cloud Tiering licenses to clusters in special configurations

ONTAP clusters in the following configurations can use Cloud Tiering licenses, but the license must be applied in a different manner than single-node clusters, HA-configured clusters, clusters in Tiering Mirror configurations, and MetroCluster configurations using FabricPool Mirror:

  • Clusters that are tiered to IBM Cloud Object Storage

  • Clusters that are installed in "dark sites"

Process for existing clusters that have a FabricPool license

When you discover any of these special cluster types in Cloud Tiering, Cloud Tiering recognizes the FabricPool license and adds the license to the Console. Those clusters will continue tiering data as usual. When the FabricPool license expires, you'll need to purchase a Cloud Tiering license.

Process for newly created clusters

When you discover typical clusters in Cloud Tiering, you'll configure tiering using the Cloud Tiering interface. In these cases the following actions happen:

  1. The "parent" Cloud Tiering license tracks the capacity being used for tiering by all clusters to make sure there is enough capacity in the license. The total licensed capacity and expiration date are shown in the Console.

  2. A "child" tiering license is automatically installed on each cluster to communicate with the "parent" license.

Note The licensed capacity and expiration date shown in System Manager or in the ONTAP CLI for the "child" license is not the real information, so don't be concerned if the information is not the same. These values are managed internally by the Cloud Tiering software. The real information is tracked in the Console.

For the two configurations listed above, you'll need to configure tiering using System Manager or the ONTAP CLI (not by using the Cloud Tiering interface). So in these cases you'll need to push the "child" license to these clusters manually from the Cloud Tiering interface.

Note that since data is tiered to two different object storage locations for Tiering Mirror configurations, you'll need to purchase a license with enough capacity for tiering data to both locations.

Steps

  1. Install and configure your ONTAP clusters using System Manager or the ONTAP CLI.

    Do not configure tiering at this point.

  2. Purchase a Cloud Tiering license for the capacity needed for the new cluster, or clusters.

  3. In the Console add the license to the digital wallet[add the license].

  4. In Cloud Tiering, discover the new clusters.

  5. From the Clusters page, select More icon for the cluster and select Deploy License.

    A screenshot showing how to deploy a tiering license to an ONTAP cluster.

  6. In the Deploy License dialog, select Deploy.

    The child license is deployed to the ONTAP cluster.

  7. Return to System Manager or the ONTAP CLI and set up your tiering configuration.

    FabricPool Mirror configuration information

    FabricPool MetroCluster configuration information

    Tiering to IBM Cloud Object Storage information