RE: ONTAP UPGRADE - FEEDBACK REQUEST

-- Michael W. Sphar - IS&T - Lead Systems Administrator SMBU Engineering Support Services, BMC Software -----Original Message----- From: Chris Blackmor [mailto:chris.blackmor@amd.com] Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 12:11 PM To: Sphar, Mike Cc: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Re: ONTAP UPGRADE - FEEDBACK REQUEST Though the UGAs are a good start, they are far from great. In our experience they have been canned output that doesn't confirm specifics for your environment or situation. If you do request a UGA, read it carefully and look for holes so you can fill them before you are in the middle of an outage window only to find something missing. C- Sphar, Mike wrote: > > Coincidentally, just this last weekend I upgraded an FAS940 from 6.5.5 > to 7.2.2, as well as two FAS3020s from 7.0.5 to 7.2.3. (There wasn't a > specific reason for doing 7.2.2 on one and 7.2.3 on the other, it just > worked out that way because I talked to two different Netapp support > staff about the different servers.) > > All the updates went completely painlessly and smoothly. I was a > little concerned about the big jump from 6.5 but have not as yet > discovered any problems or interruptions in service from the update. > > One thing that I think helped the update go smoothly is this time I > contacted Netapp support and requested Upgrade Plans for each server, > which I'd never done before. (I've just historically done the upgrades > myself without help.) I was especially concerned with the 3020s > because there were several firmware updates to apply and I wasn't > entirely sure what the correct order should be. > > Netapp provided me PDFs of fairly detailed instructions for the > upgrades. You can also have them provide a Downgrade Plan in the event > of problems. I highly recommend taking advantage of that very helpful > service, even if you're fairly familiar with he process. (It's also > nice to have an official plan already drawn up to file with the Change > Control teams.) > > -- > > Michael W. Sphar - IS&T - Lead Systems Administrator > > SMBU Engineering Support Services, BMC Software > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > *From:* owner-toasters@mathworks.com > [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] *On Behalf Of *Philip Boyle > *Sent:* Monday, September 24, 2007 10:19 AM > *To:* toasters@mathworks.com > *Subject:* ONTAP UPGRADE - FEEDBACK REQUEST > > Hi guys, > > I'm currently running a number of FAS940 clusters with DATA ONTAP > Version 7.0.4 (Sun Feb 5 00:52:53 PST 2006 ) > > Primarily NFS with some ISCSI. > > I'd like to hear back from you re your experiences upgrading to the > current s/w releases available on the NOW Site for the FAS940 > > series system. > > http://now.netapp.com/NOW/cgi-bin/software?product=Data+ONTAP&platform=F AS940 > http://now.netapp.com/NOW/cgi-bin/software?product=Data+ONTAP&platform= FAS940. > > Our immediate options are to take a small step to 7.0.6, move up a > little further to 7.1.2.1 or go for the latest and greatest, 7.2.3. > > Have you guys seen any issues along the upgrade path to any of the > above releases? > > Looking at the stats there are a decent number of systems running > 7.2.3, however the average run-time days per system > > is quite low. > > Feedback appreciated. > > Thanks, > > Philip > -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- * | * * Chris Blackmor _______ | Good judgment comes from * * Advanced Micro Devices ____ | | experience * * Phone: (512) 602-1608 /| | | | And a lot of that comes * * Fax: (512) 602-5155 | |___| | | from * * Email: chris.blackmor@amd.com |____/ | | bad judgment! * * | Author Unknown* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- * My comments are mine, and mine alone. * ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -----