root vol created at factory??

[nsitps1976]

I have read in the DOT 8.0 7-Mode admin guide that the root volume is installed/created at the factory before shipping.

This is somewhat confusing for me as how does the factory know how I want my disk space utilised?

Example:

I size a FAS2050 with 17 x 450GB SAS disks and I intend the configuration to look as follows to ensure I get the required usable capacity:

1 x Spare

1 x Default raid group size of 14 x data and 2 x parity

As this is a small system I would want the root volume to be created within a single aggregate which will be used for all volumes.

Will the factory create a 3 disk aggregate for the root vol and leave me with only 13 disk on which to create my single aggregate (11 data disk) or will they create a single aggregate with all disks and place the root vol here..??.!!?? – Also, how do they know I only want 1 spare disk..?

Am I missing something here, this can’t be correct? – Maybe I could understand this with larger systems and many disks but not small configurations..

[pascalduk · Accepted solution]

The root volume will be a flex vol. Therefore you can expand the 3 disk factory aggregate containing the root volume and you still end up with the single aggregate you want.

[radek_kubka]

BTW - you can't run ONTAP 8 on FAS2050, as this is 32-bit box.

Regards,
Radek

[nsitps1976]

Sorry, I meant 2040..

Thanks for the help again..

[thomas_glodde]

You cannot buy a FAS2040 with 17 disks as there are only 12 internal slots.

[ChrisHolloway]

Also, bear in mind that the aggregate containing the root volume must be a 32 bit aggregate.  If you want a 64 bit aggregate, you'll have to create a new aggregate in addition to the one that contains the root volume.

Cheers

Chris

[Darkstar]

This requirement has been removed in DOT8.0.1. You *can* have the root volume on 64 bit aggregates (it has been only a warning before anyway so you could simply ignore it)

-Michael

[nsitps1976]

So if you buy a 2xxx with only a few disks in or you buy a 31xx with lots of disk the factory will create a 3 disk 32-bit aggregate for the root volume – On the 2xxx I can add disks to the aggregate containing the root volume so I end up with one large 32-bit aggregate – With the 31xx and 2040 I can extend the aggregate containing the root volume for a larger 32-bit aggregate or leave the 32-bit 3 disk aggregate for the root volume and create a new 64-bit aggregate with remaining disks???

[radek_kubka]

Yes, this is how it looks currently.

Common sense tells me at some point in a future root volume will become 64-bit, so the need for 32-bit 'root aggregate' will disappear (hopefully).

Regards,
Radek