DFM: Add more than 250 nodes to server

[lima]

Hi,

Currently I have a customer who wants to add more than 250 filers to their environment, in DFM 4.0, but is having problems doing so.

I have set up a test DFM VM server, and when I am trying to add all the licenses he has, I run into this error:

Error: The maximum node limit of this server is 250 nodes. Contact
the sales representative for information on installing this license.

The customer does not want to add another DFM server to monitor their filers.

Please let me know how I can enable monitoring for the remaining filers, or if there is somebody I could talk to if a special patch is required.

Thanks

Henry

[lovik_netapp]

I am surprised how did you manage to scale DFM upto 250 nodes itself with acceptable performance; anyway as of today to my knowledge it can't scale beyond that limit, as it's 32bit application and until 64bit version comes out you will not be able to overcome this limitation.

I think max by this year end we will see 64 bit version of DFM, but can't comment on timeframe.

[lima]

Hi,

I was just asked to look into this customer recently, so I am not sure about performance, or the suitability for running OpsMan with more than 250 nodes.

The problem is that there are some filers not being monitored, and the first requirement is to make sure all systems are in.

I was looking around, and it seems that a PVR needs to be created, and approved. I will talk to Sales so that the process gets started.

Thanks

Henry

[smoot]

The 250 storage controller limit is more about performance than memory. Generally, performance gets too sluggish without some tuning beyond that point. Memory is generally tight but not entirely used up.

That being said, running 64-bit processes on a 64-bit OS (in testing now, shipping later this year, I don't know the public date) ought to improve things. You'll still want the beefiest 2U server you can find packed with as much memory as you can comfortably afford :-).

-- Pete

[abhit]

Hi Lima:

Please file a "feature PVR" and that will be used to analyze whether their DFM is capable of going higher.

I can guide you once you file the feature PVR.

Regards

Abhi

[columbus_admin]

I worked for a large financial institution who had managment push NetApp to increase the licensing to 500+ nodes on one DFM...it will allow this, but it will NOT work.

DFM simply would stop responding while processing updates from that many filers.  And I am talking almost an hour where it could not repsond.

jpierson was on our sales team and is aware of all those issues to my knowledge.

It has since been broken out into four, yes four DFM systems!

[lima]

I somehow believe we will follow the same route you have followed, but we have to try first

[jimmcclung]

Follow Abhit's advice to file a "feature PVR" and that will be used to analyze whether their DFM is capable of going higher. Did that myself at a previous company to get NetApp's review and support to make it work with more than 250 filers.