As a proponent of ONTAP systems, I am finding it more and more difficult to stay current with new developments. Altough the current site I manage is not as large as in previous employments, it is still considerable and very important to our users. This soapbox will concentrate on the virtual Simulator, and only from an end-user perspective. I do not work for NetApp, nor am I a VAR or other affiliate, and cannot speak to the tools they may have available to them.
I have seen a gradual decrease in the quantity and quality of tools made available to power-users. I keep a lab, with VMware and associated tools and virtual servers of all kinds to learn and test with and perform general R&D.
ONTAP vSIM is a staple in my lab, as is VMWare, vCenter, etc... Whether on purpose or not, NetApp made it more difficult to maintain my lab by restricting the vSim to VMWorkstation.
ONTAP tools such as the Unified Manager Appliance, run on ESXi. Yes I could run it on as a non-appliance, but in my case vApps are easily approved and implemented. And for a lab, it is easier as well, since I don't have to worry about configuring it.
ONTAP 9.9.1.RC1 is out, with improvements since 9.8, which I would like to see and prepare for implementation. Since there is no ESXi version, and since I lost my SSD with my previous lab, I can't install 9.8 and then attempt an upgrade. I have been looking around the web, and in fact I do not see any mention of the ability to upgrade a 9.8 vSim to 9.9.1.
If it wouldn't be too out of NetApp's way, I ask that they maintain the ESXi versions of the tools, and allow the upgrades. After all, upgrading ONTAP is part of the test process.
