Create SVMs for the ONTAP network

04/20/2026 Contributors

PDFs

A storage virtual machine (SVM) is a logical entity that abstracts physical resources. An SVM serves data to clients and hosts from one or more volumes through one or more network logical interfaces (LIFs). You must create an SVM to serve data to clients.

Before you begin

You must be a cluster administrator to perform this task.
You must know which security style the SVM root volume will have.

If you plan to implement a Hyper-V or SQL Server over SMB solution on this SVM, you should use NTFS security style for the root volume. Volumes that contain Hyper-V files or SQL database files must be set to NTFS security at the time they are created. By setting the root volume security style to NTFS, you ensure that you do not inadvertently create UNIX or mixed security-style data volumes.

About this task

Beginning with ONTAP 9.19.1, AFF systems support active-active multipathing with automatic LIF failover at the SVM level in SAN environments. You must enable active-active multipathing on AFF systems when you first create the storage VM.
Beginning with ONTAP 9.13.1, you can set a maximum capacity for a storage VM. You can also configure alerts when the SVM approaches a threshold capacity level. For more information, see Manage SVM capacity.

System Manager

You can use System Manager to create a storage VM.

Steps

In System Manager, select Storage VMs.
Select to create a storage VM.
Name the storage VM.

Select the access protocol you want to enable for the SVM and complete the required fields for configuration.

The fields you need to complete vary based on the access protocol you select.

Access Protocol	Configuration fields
SMB/CIFS	Administrator Name Password Server Name Active Directory Domain Organizational Unit The default value for the organizational unit within the Active Directory domain associated with the SMB/CIFS server is "CN=Computers". This can be modified. Encrypts data while accessing the shares in the storage VM Encrypts data using SMB 3.0 to prevent unauthorized file access on the shares in the SMB/CIFS storage VM. Domains Name Servers Default Language Specifies the default language-encoding setting for the storage VM and its volumes. Use the CLI to change the settings for individual volumes within a storage VM. Network Interface For each network interface you configure for the storage VM, select an existing subnet (if at least one exists) or specify Without a subnet and complete the IP Address and Subnet Mask fields.
NFS	Allow NFS client access Select this option if you want all volumes created on the NFS storage VM to use the root volume path "/" to mount and traverse. Add rules to the export policy "default" to allow uninterrupted mount traversal. Rules Select to create rules and specify the following information for each rule: Client Specification Specify the host names, IP addresses, netgroups, or domains. Access Protocols You can select one or more of the available options. Access Details Specify the level of access as read-only, read/writer, or superuser for each user type. Default Language Specifies the default language-encoding setting for the storage VM and its volumes. Use the CLI to change the settings for individual volumes within a storage VM. Network Interface For each network interface you configure for the storage VM, select an existing subnet (if at least one exists) or specify Without a subnet and complete the IP Address and Subnet Mask fields.
iSCSI or NVMe/TCP	Network Interface For each network interface you configure for the storage VM, select an existing subnet (if at least one exists) or specify Without a subnet and complete the IP Address and Subnet Mask fields. Symmetric Active-Active Multipathing This option is available in ONTAP 9.19.1 and later on AFF and ASA systems. It enables active-active multipathing for all SAN protocols. If selected, this setting cannot be changed later. If you want network paths to automatically fail over to the HA partner in case of a node failure do the following: For AFF systems, select Enable Symmetric Active-Active Multipathing. For ASA systems, select Enable for SCSI and NVMe protocols.
FC or NVMe/FC	Configure FC Ports

Access Protocol

Configuration fields

SMB/CIFS

Administrator Name
Password
Server Name
Active Directory Domain
Organizational Unit

The default value for the organizational unit within the Active Directory domain associated with the SMB/CIFS server is "CN=Computers". This can be modified.
Encrypts data while accessing the shares in the storage VM

Encrypts data using SMB 3.0 to prevent unauthorized file access on the shares in the SMB/CIFS storage VM.
Domains
Name Servers
Default Language

Specifies the default language-encoding setting for the storage VM and its volumes. Use the CLI to change the settings for individual volumes within a storage VM.
Network Interface

For each network interface you configure for the storage VM, select an existing subnet (if at least one exists) or specify Without a subnet and complete the IP Address and Subnet Mask fields.

NFS

Allow NFS client access

Select this option if you want all volumes created on the NFS storage VM to use the root volume path "/" to mount and traverse.

Add rules to the export policy "default" to allow uninterrupted mount traversal.
Rules

Select to create rules and specify the following information for each rule:
- Client Specification
  
  Specify the host names, IP addresses, netgroups, or domains.
- Access Protocols
  
  You can select one or more of the available options.
Access Details

Specify the level of access as read-only, read/writer, or superuser for each user type.
Default Language

Specifies the default language-encoding setting for the storage VM and its volumes. Use the CLI to change the settings for individual volumes within a storage VM.
Network Interface

For each network interface you configure for the storage VM, select an existing subnet (if at least one exists) or specify Without a subnet and complete the IP Address and Subnet Mask fields.

iSCSI or NVMe/TCP

Network Interface

For each network interface you configure for the storage VM, select an existing subnet (if at least one exists) or specify Without a subnet and complete the IP Address and Subnet Mask fields.
Symmetric Active-Active Multipathing

This option is available in ONTAP 9.19.1 and later on AFF and ASA systems. It enables active-active multipathing for all SAN protocols. If selected, this setting cannot be changed later.

If you want network paths to automatically fail over to the HA partner in case of a node failure do the following:
- For AFF systems, select Enable Symmetric Active-Active Multipathing.
- For ASA systems, select Enable for SCSI and NVMe protocols.

FC or NVMe/FC

Configure FC Ports

If you want to manage the storage VM administrator account, select Manage administrator account

When selected, specify the password for the vsadmin account and indicate if you want to add a network interface for storage VM management.

Beginning with ONTAP 9.19.1, SVM administrators can manage and monitor their SVMs using the new SVM dashboard. Use the SVM management IP address and the vsadmin credentials to access the SVM dashboard.

When this option is selected, you can specify the password for the vsadmin account and select the Add a network interface for storage VM management check box.

Specify the following for the SVM management network interface:
- Node
- IP address
- Subnet mask
Select Save.

CLI

Use the ONTAP CLI to create a subnet.

Steps

Determine which aggregates are candidates for containing the SVM root volume.
```
storage aggregate show -has-mroot false
```
You must choose an aggregate that has at least 1 GB of free space to contain the root volume. If you intend to configure NAS auditing on the SVM, you must have a minimum of 3 GB of extra free space on the root aggregate, with the extra space being used to create the auditing staging volume when auditing is enabled.

If NAS auditing is already enabled on an existing SVM, the aggregate's staging volume is created immediately after aggregate creation is successfully completed.
Record the name of the aggregate on which you want to create the SVM root volume.
If you plan on specifying a language when you create the SVM and do not know the value to use, identify and record the value of the language you want to specify:
```
vserver create -language ?
```
If you plan on specifying a snapshot policy when you create the SVM and do not know the name of the policy, list the available policies and identify and record the name of the snapshot policy you want to use:
```
volume snapshot policy show -vserver _vserver_name_
```
If you plan on specifying a quota policy when you create the SVM and do not know the name of the policy, list the available policies and identify and record the name of the quota policy you want to use:
```
volume quota policy show -vserver _vserver_name_
```

Create an SVM:

vserver create -vserver _vserver_name_ -aggregate _aggregate_name_ ‑rootvolume _root_volume_name_ -rootvolume-security-style {unix|ntfs|mixed} [-ipspace _IPspace_name_] [-language <language>] [-snapshot-policy _snapshot_policy_name_] [-quota-policy _quota_policy_name_] [-comment _comment_]

vserver create -vserver vs1 -aggregate aggr3 -rootvolume vs1_root ‑rootvolume-security-style ntfs -ipspace ipspace1 -language en_US.UTF-8

[Job 72] Job succeeded: Vserver creation completed

Verify that the SVM configuration is correct.
```
vserver show -vserver vs1
```
In this example, the command creates the SVM named "vs1" in IPspace "ipspace1". The root volume is named "vs1_root" and is created on aggr3 with NTFS security style.

Vserver: vs1
Vserver Type: data
Vserver Subtype: default
Vserver UUID: 11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111
Root Volume: vs1_root
Aggregate: aggr3
NIS Domain: -
Root Volume Security Style: ntfs
LDAP Client: -
Default Volume Language Code: en_US.UTF-8
Snapshot Policy: default
Comment:
Quota Policy: default
List of Aggregates Assigned: -
Limit on Maximum Number of Volumes allowed: unlimited
Vserver Admin State: running
Vserver Operational State: running
Vserver Operational State Stopped Reason: -
Allowed Protocols: nfs, cifs, ndmp
Disallowed Protocols: fcp, iscsi
QoS Policy Group: -
Config Lock: false
IPspace Name: ipspace1
Is Vserver Protected: false

Beginning with ONTAP 9.13.1, you can set an adaptive QoS policy group template, applying a throughput floor and ceiling limit to volumes in the SVM. You can only apply this policy after you create the SVM. To learn more about this process, see Set an adaptive policy group template.

Create SVMs for the ONTAP network

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