topic cf hw_assist disregards "cf.hw_assist.enable OFF" in ONTAP Discussions

cf hw_assist disregards "cf.hw_assist.enable OFF"

jaa — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:19:31 GMT

OnTAP 8.1 7-mode on FAS2240.

cf.hw_assist.enable is turned OFF.

There is NO RLM in the filer.

Yet, I get this message:

Wed Sep 5 01:24:28 GMT [head1:cf.hwassist.missedKeepAlive:warning]: hw_assist: missed keep alive alert from partner(head2)

Options:

head1> options cf.hw_assist

cf.hw_assist.enable off

cf.hw_assist.partner.address <some.ip.address.x.x.x.x>

cf.hw_assist.partner.port 4444

Note that cf.hw_assist.partner.address was never set, it looks like that was autodiscovered via DNS (I surmise this because that IP happens to be the IP address of an old filer being decommissioned--

that is, the old "head2").

In other words, the IP address set for that parameter is NOT the partner's IP address, but it is the IP address of head2 in the old filer.

In any case, that's not the subject of this posting, merely an interesting observation.

It looks like there's NO way to blank out this option (either with "", or with 0.0.0.0 as suggested in other threads).

Unless there's some other settings that come into play of which I am not aware, it would appear that the setting of cf.hw_assist.enable is completely ignored,

causing the filer to behave as if that parameter was enabled regardless. Anyone finds this not to be the case?

Does anyone have this setting disabled _and_ never seen a missedKeepAlive warning? Or did I misunderstand the purpose of disabling this option?

"thxkbai"

Re: cf hw_assist disregards "cf.hw_assist.enable OFF"

jbartlett — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:28:40 GMT

Any progress on this? I am curious as well as I also have a FAS2240-2, which does not have the RLM, although it does have the new SP which is better than the former BMC. I know hw_assist was not supported on FAS20XX but what about FAS22XX?

Re: cf hw_assist disregards "cf.hw_assist.enable OFF"

CCOLEMAN_ — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 23:59:17 GMT

Hey Guys,

hw_assist relies on the RLM or SP as this is what separates it from a traditional cf_takeover.

It's completely supported on the 2240, but if you do not have a RLM or SP card it will not work. (the 2240 and all new controllers by default come with a SP, so your in the clear jbartlett)

Re: cf hw_assist disregards "cf.hw_assist.enable OFF"

aborzenkov — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 08:33:33 GMT

SP is integrated on motherboard, there is no way to get FAS without SP (for those models that support it).

01.12.2012, в 4:00, "CCOLEMAN_" <xdl-communities@communities.netapp.com<mailto:xdl-communities@communities.netapp.com>> написал(а):

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Re: cf hw_assist disregards "cf.hw_assist.enable OFF"

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Hey Guys,

hw_assist relies on the RLM or SP as this is what separates it from a traditional cf_takeover.

It's completely supported on the 2240, but if you do not have a RLM or SP card it will not work. (the 2240 and all new controllers by default come with a SP, so your in the clear jbartlett)

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Re: cf hw_assist disregards "cf.hw_assist.enable OFF"

jbartlett — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:24:29 GMT

Great! Wasn’t sure if the SP in the 2240 qualified. Appreciate the reply.

Jim