Ever had issue figuring out the exact network connection down the port, protocol, storage VM (SVM) and volume level? NetApp® ONTAP® System Manager 9.8 implemented a new network interface where all network mappings are laid out and you can interact with each object.
With the help of the network mapping feature implemented in the System Manager 9.8, you can visualize the exact network connection by clicking on any object within the graph. You can see additional performance information by clicking on the three dot icon so that it can be displayed to easily identify any overloaded port situation.
Let’s address a couple of common questions around networking in System Manager 9.8.
- How do I add or remove broadcast domains? And where is the subnet based network interface?
For a simpler user experience, ONTAP 9.8 automatically detects how nodes are cabled and maps the ports into broadcast domains. YOu no longer need to create broadcast domains manually. Because subnet-based network provisioning flows were rarely used based on the NetApp Active IQ data, System Manager 9.8 no longer exposes subnet-based network interfaces. If you wish to manually configure these settings, it can be done through the ONTAP CLI.
- How is port selected for Network LIFs?
ONTAP 9.8 has a new feature where it can automatically select a port for new network interfaces, so the port choice is no longer presented during provisioning in System Manager 9.8. If you wish to manually pick a port, it can be done in the CLI. You also have an option to move or rehome a port through the UI after the original provisioning, especially when you see this icon that indicates the LIF is not on the home port, by clicking Revert to fix it.
To see this in action, please check out this video demo. In the next blog, let’s take a look at how the hardware visualization works.
Where can I learn more?
Please see a list of useful resources at this link.