CIFS vFiler Migration to Cluster Mode

[TMADOCTHOMAS]

John,

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with clearing the credentials cache. We migrated three CIFS servers and didn't have to do that. Doesn't mean we might have needed to in certain circumstances.

[Anand0786]

Did you create original CIFS server name on SVM before cutover(along with original DNS entry)

Run the 7MTT to replicate the data.  (NOTE: We didn't include the option to transition the IP address because the 7MTT includes default settings for LIFs we didn't like).

When you are ready to cutover, re-run cifs setup on the SOURCE system and rename the CIFS Server to a temporary name (be sure you already had a DNS entry created for the temporary name).

**Create original CIFS server identity on SVM before cutover--Is that right ?

Run the cutover commands on the 7MTT.

After cutover, create the permanent LIF manually for the SVM (if you had the 7MTT do this then you don't need to do it manually).

If everything is working, decommission the vFiler with the temporary name on the source system, and remove the LIF with the temporary IP on the SVM.

[TMADOCTHOMAS]

No - at cutover we changed the existing CIFS Server on 7-mode to a temporary name, then ran CIFS Setup on the SVM and used the original CIFS Server name then ran cutover. Strange sequence but it worked mutiple times. I wondered if it was right myself! Documentation was very incomplete. Thankfully I had a test system and some resources to ask and was able to figure it out.

[Anand0786]

Thanks! and i believe no DNS changes was required ? And are the changes at 'pre-cutover' or 'Storage cutover' phase of 7mtt?

[TMADOCTHOMAS]

Actually we pre-created a DNS entry for the temporary CIFS Server name.Right before we clicked Apply Configuration and Complete Transition in 7MTT, we did this:

1. On the 7-mode source system, terminate CIFS, re-run CIFS Setup and rename the CIFS Server with the temporary name.
2. On the cdot destination system, create the CIFS Server with the original name. It is using a temporary LIF we added to the SVM.

After finishing the 7MTT process, we then stopped the 7-mode CIFS Server completely which allowed us to re-use the original IP. We added the original IP to the SVM on cdot and removed the temporary one. I hope that helps!

[SeanHatfield]

On recent versions of ONTAP you also have the option of completing the cutover on the temp cifs ID, then modifying the vserver's cifs-server name.

[TMADOCTHOMAS]

Thanks for the tip! That's good to know as we will have several more 7MTT jobs next year as we try to upgrade our 2220's to cdot.

[DLista]

Hello guys, I'm new on migration and still learning. I don't understand how do you migrate the data previous to configure the cifs vserver on the cdot. How do you configure the vserver destination? That's not clear for me.

[TMADOCTHOMAS]

DLista, see my post at the top of this page, I think it may answer some of your questions. if not, post again.

[naga_queen]

Hello,

This is the workflow that has worked for us and we have been using this sequence to successfully transition 7-mode vFilers with CIFS volumes to clustered ONTAP.

MAINTENANCE STEPS

1. Close open files and sessions on the CIFS share.
2. Write down the CIFS share configuration and current sessions on 7-mode.
3. Gracefully terminate CIFS service on the vFiler.
Note: it is not a requirement to disconnect CIFS shares from client end. The best practice is to discontinue connectivity from storage side. However, if there will be any IP or share name/path changes, shares must be disconnected from client end as well and re-connected after cutover.
4. Assign a temporary CIFS server name on the vFiler and update DNS.
Re-run CIFS setup on the vFiler in order to reconfigure the CIFS server to use a temporary name.
Update DNS to point the IP to this temporary name. Remove the AD computer account for the original CIFS server identity. A new AD computer account with the temporary identity will be automatically created during CIFS setup.
Note: CIFS service should be running with the new temporary identity because it is required to read CIFS configurations from the vFiler during pre-cutover phase. 
5. Configure CIFS on the SVM with the original 7-mode identity ("vserver cifs modify" command for ONTAP 9.0 or later).
Create an AD computer account for the original CIFS identity and verify CIFS server is now running with this identity.
6. Apply configuration and move project to Precutover phase.
Note: Ensure that CIFS server is running on the source vFiler and the target SVM!
7. Perform cutover.
8. Update DNS and AD computer account.
Update DNS to point the CIFS IP to the original CIFS identity. Remove the temporary AD computer account which was automatically created during vFiler CIFS setup along with the temp CIFS server which was initially configured on the SVM.
9. Perform cleanup tasks.
- verify CIFS lif is up on the SVM
- remove the CIFS lif which has been initially configured on the SVM so that it could be temporarily joined to the AD domain
- verify volume is online and writable, and shares are visible
- verify CIFS export policy and rule are applied on the SVM
- verify volume is junctioned into the SVM namespace
Note: if volume was transitioned with its 7-mode path, unmount the volume from /vol directory and mount it into the SVM namespace (/).
- delete vserver peer transition relationship
- update the ls-mirrors for the SVM root volume
10. Ensure CIFS shares are accessible from client end.
Connect shares with the new path along with all prefixes (if /vol direstory has been removed). Ensure write operations are successful.

Good luck with your upcoming CIFS transitions!