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ONTAP FLI

ONTAP FLI online migration workflow summary

Contributors netapp-aherbin
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A Foreign LUN Import (FLI) data migration is a process that involves several key steps to ensure a successful migration of data from third-party storage arrays to NetApp storage systems. FLI supports offline and online migrations. In a Foreign LUN Import (FLI) online migration, the client system stays online during data migration from the third party foreign storage array to the NetApp storage system.

Before you begin:

  • You should complete the discovery, analysis, and planning phases of the migration process.

  • You should verify that online migration is supported for your host type and for your NetApp destination storage array configuration.

    Online migrations are not supported by MetroCluster configurations. If a site failover occurred during an active online import, write pass-throughs to the source array could fail which would lead to a verification failure and potential data loss. If your NetApp destination controller is in a MetroCluster configuration, you should use the FLI offline migration process.

    Online migrations are supported by the following versions of Windows, Linux, or ESXi host operating system. For other host operating systems, you should use the FLI offline migration process.

    • Microsoft (all versions of the servers listed are supported):

      • Windows Server 2008 R2 and later (includes Windows Server failover cluster)

      • Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 and later

      • Windows Server 2012 and later (includes Windows Server 2012 cluster)

      • Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 and later

    • VMware ESXi 5.x and later

    • Red Had Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.x and later

  • You should verify that host multipathing is correctly configured and working properly. All available paths to LUNs should be active.

  • You should configure your FC adapters for initiator mode.

  • You should zone your foreign array target ports with the ONTAP storage initiator ports.

About this task

To perform an FLI online migration, you should prepare your host, create a LUN import relationship, map the foreign LUN to your ONTAP storage system, import data from the foreign LUN, verify migration results, remove the LUN import relationship, and finally perform post-migration tasks.

One Prepare your host.

Perform any necessary host remediation steps and reboot your hosts.

Two Create a LUN import relationship.

Creating the LUN import relationship includes identifying the foreign LUN to be imported from source array, creating a destination volume to contain the foreign LUN, creating the destination target LUN on your ONTAP storage system, and finally establishing the import relationship.

Three Map the foreign LUNs to your ONTAP storage system.

On the foreign array, unmap the LUN to be migrated and remap it to your ONTAP storage system. This process is disruptive.

Four Import data from your foreign LUNs.

Import the data from the foreign array source LUN to the ONTAP destination LUN.

Five Verify the migration results.

Use FLI to perform a block-by-block comparison of the source and destination LUNs to verify that the migration is complete and accurate

Six Remove the LUN import relationship.

After the FLI online migration is complete, the LUN import relationship can be safely removed.

Seven Perform post-migration tasks.

Review logs for errors, verify your host multipathing configuration and perform application testing to verify that your migration completed successfully.