topic FAS 2040 - Active / Passive Disk options in ONTAP Hardware

FAS 2040 - Active / Passive Disk options

richardmonks — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:45:58 GMT

I have been requsted tp build a 2040 in a Active / Passive confguration allocating all 12 internal disks to the primary controller. Is it possible to do this leaving no disks for secondary controller? (will cluster failover still work)

I have always been told you need to reserve 3 disks for second controller + a spare?

Many thanks

Richard.

FAS 2040 - Active / Passive Disk options

peter_lehmann — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:55:36 GMT

Just check this thread out:

http://communities.netapp.com/message/51881#51881

It can be done... But if you leave no disks to the second controller, you will have NO cluster functionality left.

Peter

Re: FAS 2040 - Active / Passive Disk options

aborzenkov — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:55:51 GMT

Cluster failover won’t work. The minimum technically possible number of disks on passive system – 2 (you will get permanent warning status due to spares low). Arguably 3 in RAID_DP offers better resiliency than 2 in RAID4 + spare (and you can turn off spares low warning in this case).

This question comes up pretty often. Just do a search ☺

FAS 2040 - Active / Passive Disk options

richardmonks — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:02:32 GMT

Thanks guys!