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Novus

FAQ for Novus storage systems

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This FAQ list provides answers to questions you might have about your Novus storage system. It also includes concepts and terminology that can be helpful when exploring the product in more detail.

What protocols does NetApp Novus support?

Novus supports the following protocols:

  • pNFS with NFS v4.2 (required for the pNFS flexible file layout)

  • NFS over RDMA

  • NVIDIA GPUDirect

Does Novus support the pNFS flexible file layout?

Yes, the pNFS flexible file layout is supported. For the flexible file layout with wide striping, you need an NFS client in a supported Linux distribution. As of October 2026, only the NFS client provided with Ubuntu 26.04 supports wide striping.

Does Novus require a custom file system client?

No. Novus works with standard NFS clients.

Does Novus support multitenancy?

Yes—​Novus provides secure multitenancy using:

  • Namespace isolation at metadata layer

  • Network isolation through subnet/VLAN

  • Node pools: dedicated Novus Data Director, namespace, and KVS

  • Identity provider and encryption key management per tenant

  • Dedicated data servers for tenants

What is the maximum storage capacity for a Novus cluster?

The initial Novus release supports up to 600 AFF A90 HA pairs (systems). The total storage limit for a cluster depends on the size of the drives used.

How is metadata partitioned and protected across Novus Data Directors?

Metadata is sharded across node groups, and triple replicated within each node group. A node group is three Data Directors, which is why the metadata layer is always expanded in multiples of three. Sharding is by key range—​for example, one node group holds keys A through N and another holds M through Z—​so as node groups are added the metadata tables are partitioned across the wider set.

Can an existing ONTAP AFF A90 cluster be repurposed and used for Novus?

No. Existing ONTAP controllers cannot be repurposed or upgraded to use for a Novus deployment. You must acquire a new AFF A90 for NetApp Novus.