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What are the best practices for relocating your ONTAP cluster

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ontap-9
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Applies to

  • ONTAP 9
  • AFF/ FAS
  • Best Practice for Physical Relocation of a Cluster

Answer

Procedure
  1. If desired, your NetApp Account Team can help provide a quote associated with engaging NetApp Professional Services to provide a System Relocation Assistance engagement.
  2. Document, diagram, photograph, survey, and record the following:
    1. All systems included in the move.
    2. The current rack or cabinet layout.
    3. Label all current cabling endpoint locations.
    4. Verify the destination location has adequate resources for hosting all equipment (refer to Hardware Universe for more information).
    5. Any network configuration changes required for the new destination.
  3. Procure packing material for proper shipping the distance require.
  4. Estimate the amount of downtime needed for your staff to perform the work required.
  5. Perform a health check of the cluster.
  6. When prepared to start the system move perform a graceful shutdown. 
  7. Properly pack all equipment.  See "Packing, moving, and unpacking tips" below.
  8. After arrival at the new destination, unpack all equipment and inspect to ensure it is damage free. 
  9. Install all equipment as instructed in ONTAP hardware systems documentation and the previously recorded equipment layout and cabling diagrams.
  10. Perform a power up of the system. 
  11. Perform a health check of the cluster.
  12. Adjust any network settings which might include:
    1. Modifying a LIF
    2. DNS for host-name resolution
    3. SVM routing
  13. Test and validate all client access.
Packing, moving, and unpacking tips
  • Are the nodes in cabinets or racks?
    If racks do not stack any shelves on top of each other, it will compress the shelf/drive canister.
  • All equipment should be moved on shock absorbent material, i.e. no head or nodes moved on a wooden dolly, put foam underneath.
  • Has the new datacenter/location been verified for RH, power and HVAC?
  • Have a minimum of 3 people available for the movement and unpacking of the nodes.
  • In case carts are being used for movement of nodes please ensure that the carts have rubber wheels.
  • It is recommended that the crates that were used for shipping the nodes to the site be used for repacking of the nodes for movement.
  • Ensure sufficient buffer packing is available inside the crate after packing the node into it.
  • Thermocol of any kind should not be used in the vicinity of the nodes.
  • Screws for the node head and disk shelves should be checked before packing the node cabinets into crates. This is to check for loose parts that could move during the shifting.
  • It is recommended to use tall power lifts to move the packed nodes across levels.

Additional Information

 

 

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