topic Re: Flexcache NFS in ONTAP Discussions

Flexcache NFS

eduard — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 22:38:44 GMT

Hi and Good day to all,

I just want to ask what are these licenses, what they do and if they are enable.

Flexcache NFS
MultiStore
NearStore Option

We are currently runing a 8.0.2p4 7-mode in fas3210 with ds4243 and planning to upgrade to 8.1.4p9 7-mode, so those licenses will be still useful when we upgraded our system?

Thanks and regards,

Eduard

Re: Flexcache NFS

hariprak — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 02:00:13 GMT

Hi,

FlexCache® software scale out storage performance for read-heavy workloads. By caching only the data accessed, rather than entire volumes or files, FlexCache software:

1. Eliminates performance bottlenecks for read-intensive applications,even for multiple clients across multiple nodes    in a cluster, by enabling primary volumes under heavy load to be cached across the    cluster
2. Boosts storage efficiency and cost effectiveness by eliminating the need to provision for peak loads
3. Caches and serves hot datasets from anywhere in your clusterfor compute-intensive applications such as movie   rendering, chip-design, seismic analysis,and financial-markets simulation

FlexCache software can be added to existing FAS or V-Series systems running the clustered Data ONTAP® OS using NFSv3/4 or SMB 1.0/2.0/3.0.

MultiStore Option license:

The MultiStore Option license enables you to partition the storage and network resources of a single storage system so that it appears as multiple storage systems on the network. Each virtual "storage system" created as a result of the partitioning is called a vFiler unit. A vFiler unit, using the resources assigned, delivers file services to its clients as a storage system does.

    The storage resource assigned to a vFiler unit can be one or more qtrees or volumes. The storage system on which you create vFiler units is called the hosting storage system. The storage and network resources used by the vFiler units exist on the hosting storage system.

Be sure the host on which you intend to install the MultiStore Option license is running Data ONTAP 6.5 or later.

NearStore Option license:

The NearStore license enables your storage system to use transfer resources as conservatively as if it were optimized as a backup system. This approach is useful when the storage system on which you want to store backed-up data is not a system optimized for storing backups, and you want to minimize the number of transfer resources the storage system requires.

Storage systems using the NearStore license must meet the following criteria:

        The storage system must be a FAS30xx, FAS31xx, or FAS60xx system.
        The version of Data ONTAP must be 7.1 or later.
        If you plan to use the SnapVault service, the storage system must have a SnapVault secondary license enabled.

Thanks

Re: Flexcache NFS

eduard — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 02:41:41 GMT

Thank you for the response Hariprak.

How can I know if those features are enabled on the filer.

Thank you.

Re: Flexcache NFS

hadrian — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 03:47:34 GMT

Hello Eduard,

I work for NetApp doing consulting projects.

Nearstore option should be left enabled, no need to double check it.

Your licenses will persist after upgrade unless they were expired temporary license keys.

Regarding FlexCache, you would check for FlexCache options at the command line.

For Multistore, you would check for running or stopped vFilers other than "vfiler0".

See this command line example:

ps7mode1> options flexcache
flexcache.access             none
flexcache.deleg.high_water   90
flexcache.deleg.low_water    50
flexcache.enable             off
flexcache.per_client_stats   on

ps7mode1>
ps7mode1> flexcache stats -C
flexcache stats: No statistics were found as requested.

ps7mode1>
ps7mode1>
ps7mode1> vfiler status
vfiler0 running
dmzvf01 running
ps7mode1>

Run those commands on both storage controllers of your HA pair. If you were running clustered Data ONTAP you could query all nodes of the storage cluster from a single shell =).

If you found this helpful, please hit "Accept as Solution" and the Kudos button.

Cheers!

Hadrian

Re: Flexcache NFS

eduard — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 04:15:30 GMT

Hi Hadrian,

We have the same output with the flexcache so I don't have any flexcache installed right?

With the vfiler only vfiler0 is seen, so vfiler0 is the default filer in my storage?

Thank you very much for the help.

Regards,

Eduard