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Configure automatic backend configuration for AWS FSx for NetApp ONTAP

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Trident supports automatic backend configuration for AWS FSx for NetApp ONTAP (FSxN).
When you create a StorageClass that includes the required FSxN parameters, Trident automatically creates the corresponding backend and a VolumeSnapshotClass.

Understand how automatic backend configuration works

Trident derives backend configuration from the StorageClass definition.
When you apply the StorageClass, Trident validates the required parameters, creates the backend, and annotates the StorageClass with status.

Trident creates the VolumeSnapshotClass only once.
Trident reuses the same VolumeSnapshotClass for subsequent StorageClasses.

Specify required StorageClass parameters

To trigger automatic backend creation, define the required parameters in the StorageClass parameters section.

Parameter Required Type Description

fsxFilesystemID

Yes

string

FSx for NetApp ONTAP filesystem ID

storageDriverName

Yes

string

Trident storage driver (for example, ontap-nas or ontap-san)

credentialsName

Yes

string

Name of the Kubernetes Secret that contains AWS credentials

Specify optional parameters

You can pass optional backend parameters through the StorageClass.
Define all optional values as strings in the StorageClass parameters section.

For a complete list of backend parameters, see:
FSx for NetApp ONTAP backend configuration.

Create a StorageClass

The following example shows a StorageClass that triggers automatic backend configuration.

apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: ontap-fsx-demo
  annotations:
    description: "Demo StorageClass for FSx for NetApp ONTAP"
provisioner: csi.trident.netapp.io
parameters:
  fsxFilesystemID: "fs-0abc123"
  storageDriverName: "ontap-nas"
  credentialsName: trident-fsx-credentials
allowVolumeExpansion: true
reclaimPolicy: Delete
volumeBindingMode: Immediate

After you apply the StorageClass, Trident creates the backend automatically.
You can create PersistentVolumeClaims that reference this StorageClass.

Verify backend configuration status

Trident records the result of backend creation in StorageClass annotations.

Annotation Description

trident.netapp.io/configuratorStatus

Configuration result (Success or Failure)

trident.netapp.io/configuratorMessage

Detailed status or error message

trident.netapp.io/configuratorName

Name of the internal configurator resource

trident.netapp.io/managed

Indicates the StorageClass is managed by Trident

trident.netapp.io/additionalStoragePools

Storage pools created for this backend

To verify status, run:

kubectl get storageclass ontap-fsx-demo -o yaml

Confirm that trident.netapp.io/configuratorStatus is set to Success.
If the value is Failure, review trident.netapp.io/configuratorMessage for the error.

Add additional FSxN file systems

If you need additional storage capacity while continuing to use the same StorageClass, add additional FSxN file system IDs.

Edit the StorageClass and add the following annotation:

metadata:
  annotations:
    trident.netapp.io/additionalFsxNFileSystemID: '["fs-03cc1a718cddd6e248"]'

After you apply the change, Trident updates the backend configuration and updates the StorageClass annotations.

Operational considerations and limitations

Deleting a StorageClass usually deletes the associated Trident backend.
This can disrupt storage connectivity and break running workloads.
Validate the impact before you delete a managed StorageClass.

Automatic backend configuration is supported only for AWS FSx for NetApp ONTAP.