[FAS8300] Add disk and extend aggregate data

[TheAO93]

Hi Experts,

I'm currently facing an issue with adding disks to my NetApp system and would greatly appreciate your help.

Here is my current setup:

• NetApp FAS8300 system
• Firmware version: 9.11.1
• Current disks:
  • Aggregate 1 : 20 disks of 16TB in RAID-TEC
  • Aggregate 2 : 20 disks of 16TB in RAID-TEC

I have new 16TB disks that I want to add to my existing storage pool. However, I'm not sure of the exact steps to integrate these new disks optimally without disrupting my system's current operations.

Here are a few specific questions I have:

1. Are there any prerequisites or specific checks that need to be done before adding the disks ?
2. What is the exact command to add these new disks to the existing storage pool ?
3. Should I plan for a maintenance window or any downtime during the disk addition process ?
4. Is it possible to mix disks of different sizes and, if so, what are the implications for performance and space management ?

Any help or advice on the procedure would be greatly appreciated. If you have any experiences to share, that would be very helpful!

Thanks

[SpindleNinja · Accepted solution]

1. Yes there's a few things,    you want to understand what RAID configs you have and what the MAXes are - Here's some good reading on understanding RAID Groups - 

https://docs.netapp.com/us-en/ontap/disks-aggregates/sizing-raid-groups-concept.html

2. You can do the add via the GUI or you can use CLI (my preferred way) https://docs.netapp.com/us-en/ontap-cli-9141//storage-aggregate-add-disks.html. the -simulate flag is important to note here as there is no undo when adding disks.  

3.  It's not a disruptive procedure,  that said, everyone I know that does it has to do it with in change windows that are usually in the evenings and weekends.   

4.  You can mix disks in a RAID Group as well as in an aggr but there are some things to note.  - https://kb.netapp.com/on-prem/ontap/OHW/OHW-KBs/Does_Data_ONTAP_allow_mixing_of_drive_sizes_in_a_RAID_group

[TheAO93]

Hi SpindleNinja,

Thanks for your feedback,

I'm also looking for information on physically adding NetApp disks. Is there a specific procedure ?

Could you provide some details on the steps involved ? Also, should I disable auto-assign during this process or not ? In the link you sent me, if I've understood correctly, I'd have to identify the disks first and then use the -disklist parameter to add them to the aggregate ?

Thanks in advance for your help !

[weiliu]

1. Before adding a disk, ensure that the disk model is compatible with the raid group.
2. Run the "disk assign disk_name "command to add new disks.
3. Adding disks to AGGR does not affect AGGR, or you can choose to add disks during off-peak hours.
4. If disks of different capacities are combined in a RAID group, all disks work according to the minimum disk capacity.