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ONTAP MetroCluster

Set the required bootarg (for MetroCluster IP upgrades to systems introduced in ONTAP 9.15.1 or later)

Contributors netapp-aoife
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If you are upgrading to a system introduced in ONTAP 9.15.1 or later, you usually need to set a bootarg on the old controllers before you can start the upgrade.

Note If your upgrade combination is affected, setting a bootarg on all of the old controllers is required for a successful upgrade. Review the information in this section carefully to check if your upgrade combination requires that you set a bootarg, and how to set the correct bootarg for your combination.

Step 1: Determine whether you need to set a bootarg on the old controllers

Use the following information to check whether you need to set a required bootarg before you start the upgrade:

  • You must set a bootarg on the old controllers for supported upgrades to the following systems unless stated otherwise:

    • AFF A70, AFF A90, AFF A1K

    • FAS70, FAS90

    • AFF C80

    • AFF A50, AFF A20, AFF A30

    • AFF C30, AFF C60

    • FAS50

  • You do not have to set any bootarg on the old controllers if your upgrade is one of the following combinations:

    • From an AFF A70 system to an AFF A90 system

    • From a FAS70 system to a FAS90 system

Caution If your upgrade doesn't require you to set any bootarg, you can skip this task and go directly to Prepare the system for upgrade.

Step 2: Determine the bootarg you need to set on the old controllers

Most affected upgrades require you to set the hw.cxgbe.toe_keepalive_disable bootarg on the old controllers. However, certain upgrade paths require you to set the bootarg.siw.interop_enabled bootarg instead.

Use the following table to determine which bootarg you need to set for your specific upgrade combination.

For this upgrade…​ Set the bootarg…​

From AFF A250 to AFF A30

bootarg.siw.interop_enabled

From AFF C250 to AFF C30

bootarg.siw.interop_enabled

From AFF A150 to AFF A20

bootarg.siw.interop_enabled

From AFF A220 to AFF A20

bootarg.siw.interop_enabled

All other upgrades to AFF A70, AFF A90, AFF A1K, FAS70, FAS90, AFF C80, AFF A50, AFF A30, AFF C30, AFF C60, or FAS50 systems

Note: You don't have to set any bootarg if your upgrade is from an AFF A70 to AFF A90 system or from a FAS70 to FAS90 system.

hw.cxgbe.toe_keepalive_disable

Step 3: Set the required bootarg on the old controllers

After you've determined the bootarg required for your upgrade combination, follow the steps to set the bootarg on the old controllers. This task is only required for affected upgrades.

Note You must set the bootarg on all of the old nodes at both sites before you start the upgrade.
Steps

  1. Halt one node at both sites and allow its HA partner to perform a storage takeover of the node:

    halt -node <node_name>

  2. Set the required bootarg for your upgrade combination. You already determined the bootarg that you need to set by using the table in determine which bootarg you need to set.

    hw.cxgbe.toe_keepalive_disable

    1. At the LOADER prompt of the halted node, enter the following:

      setenv hw.cxgbe.toe_keepalive_disable 1

      saveenv

      printenv hw.cxgbe.toe_keepalive_disable

    bootarg.siw.interop_enabled

    1. At the LOADER prompt of the halted node, enter the following:

      setenv bootarg.siw.interop_enabled 1

      saveenv

      printenv bootarg.siw.interop_enabled

  3. Boot the node:

    boot_ontap

  4. When the node boots, perform a giveback for the node at the prompt:

    storage failover giveback -ofnode <node_name>

  5. Repeat the steps on all nodes in the DR group or DR groups that you are upgrading.

What's next?

Prepare the system for upgrade.