using Copy free transition method to migrate to cDOT from 7-mode.

[RANJBASSI]

Hi

Environment:

Production - NetApp FAS8020 HA running 7-mode 8.2.3p3

DR - NetApp FAS2240-4 HA running 7-mode 8.2.3p3

NetApp are making a lot of noise about ‘copy free transition’ which significantly reduces the time taken to perform 7-Mode to CDOT transition and from the sounds of it this sounds right up our street and an improved option to performing migrations rather than using something like VMware Storage vMotion which could take weeks.

However I see that to do this we would still need a target controller.

I am unable to find any details on what options NetApp are offering customers. Is anyone aware if information has been released? 

My question is do NetApp offer a swing kit option available for this where a copy free transition could be performed to temporary controllers, once data moved, our controllers are wiped and cDOT installed and then do a reverse copy free transition back to our original controllers?   

https://library.netapp.com/ecmdocs/ECMLP2346396/html/GUID-85E96D13-B32F-4445-B658-7C7D0AA3997E.html

https://whyistheinternetbroken.wordpress.com/2015/11/25/introducing-copy-free-transition/comment-page-1/#comment-242

Both our controllers were brought only last year so we dont want to invest in new controllers as our controllers currently are working just fine and are in maintenance for another 3 years. 

What are NetApp offering for customers similar to our situation?

Thankss

UPDATE: look like from reading the documentation in more detail that the source 7-mode system must be running Data ONTAP 8.1.4p4 - p9.

So look like us who are actually on a much newer release are not able to do this method..... at the moment. Thats a shame 😞 

[aborzenkov]

Actually that's not how I understood it. You have two independent steps - export 7-Mode configuration and apply it to C-Mode. I do not see why it should not be possible to reuse existing heads to build new cluster.

You need extra disks for root aggregate for sure, you cannot reuse existing aggregates as node root.

I sincerely hope my understanding was correct.

[VijayaBhaskarReddy]

We must have the cluster configured & cluster HA pair setup before starting CFT.

Below things are required before starting the CFT process with 7MTT:

• Cluster must have been created and configured
• Target HA nodes must exists and are configured
• All required licenses are installed
• Target SVMs are created

So, we do need target cluster nodes to do CFT. 

[VijayaBhaskarReddy]

How to you plan to do Copy-Free Transition from cDOT to cDOT (in the second step) ? Copy-Free Transition is only from 7-Mode to cDOT.

[RANJBASSI]

Hi 

Ahh yes good point, didnt think of that when I wrote this.

I am guessing then it will have to be a copy based transition. As we are a VMware house, use sVMotion to move the data back to the original controller.

[aborzenkov]

Pity. Are there any plans to support true in-place migration?

[parisi]

I cover CFT here:

https://whyistheinternetbroken.wordpress.com/2015/11/25/introducing-copy-free-transition/

The limits of large target nodes, ONTAP versions, etc will change as the feature matures. Stay tuned.

[RANJBASSI]

Hi Justin

Yes I found your article and I have sent a reply into your blog yesterday with some additional questions. My real question is what NetApp and NetApp partners are offering for customers as migration options/swing kit option if we not at the stage where we need to purchase new target controllers? 

I understand about the ONTAP version at source and destination and you have mentioned that this will evolve in time as its early stages. 

I thought I would ask the same question on the forum to see whether there was anything else to consider.  

Thanks

[parisi]

The best place to get information regarding swing gear, etc. would be your sales rep. Know that NetApp is very interested in getting their customers onto cDOT, so I'm guessing something could be worked out. Perhaps the destination 8000 series nodes could be the transition targets and then you upgrade the 7mode nodes to cDOT and add them to the cluster and use volume move to get the data onto them and then evict the 8000 series.

Also keep in mind that there are promotions running for the AFF systems, so be sure to look into that.

Currently, in your set up, the source system is running 8.2.3, which has not been qualified yet. I'd expect that to be qualified in the near future.

As for the snapmirror destination, there is no support for 2240 sources, so that system would either need to be upgraded or converted to a shelf and then transitioned to cDOT.

https://library.netapp.com/ecm/ecm_download_file/ECMP1140601