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Manually prepare for an ONTAP software upgrade

Contributors netapp-aherbin netapp-aaron-holt
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If you choose to prepare for your upgrade manually, you need to complete multiple tasks to check for any known issues or blockers, and ensure that your cluster meets the necessary requirements for the upgrade. For example, if SSL FIPs mode is enabled on your cluster and the administrator accounts use SSH public keys for authentication, you need to verify that the host key algorithm is supported in your target ONTAP release.

Note Manual preparation is not necessary when you use Upgrade Advisor in Active IQ Digital Advisor or Upgrade Health Checker. Both tools provide intelligence that helps you plan your upgrade, identify blockers and warnings, and minimize uncertainty and risk. Learn more about preparing for an upgrade with Upgrade Advisor or Upgrade Health Checker.
Steps

  1. Choose your target ONTAP release.

  2. Review the Upgrade cautions and Known problems and limitations sections in the ONTAP 9 Release Notes for your target release.

    Upgrade cautions describe potential issues that you should be aware of before upgrading. Known problems and limitations describe potentially unexpected system behavior that you might experience after upgrading.

    You must sign in with your NetApp account or create an account to access the Release Notes.

  3. Confirm ONTAP support for your hardware configuration.

    Your hardware platform, cluster management switches and MetroCluster IP switches must support the target release. If your cluster is configured for SAN, the SAN configuration must be fully supported.

  4. Use Active IQ Config Advisor to verify that you have no common configuration errors.

  5. Review the supported ONTAP upgrade paths to determine if you can perform a direct upgrade or if you need to complete the upgrade in stages.

  6. Verify your LIF failover configuration.

    Before you perform an upgrade, you need to verify that the cluster's failover policies and failover groups are configured correctly.

  7. Verify your SVM routing configuration.

  8. Verify special considerations for your cluster.

    If certain configurations exist on your cluster, there are specific actions you need to take before you begin an ONTAP software upgrade.

  9. Reboot the SP or BMC.