Tim,

thanks for your fast reply.

Regarding disk replacements: I do still have 300GB SAS Hotspare disks, so as long as they are there, won't they be used automatically for replacing failed 300GB disks? And that should be OK since I assume that NetApp still has 300GB disks available for replacing broken ones, so I will always have 300GB SAS spare disks, as long as this system is in warranty, I just cannot purchase new 300GB disks.

So what you're saying and what I was assuming is, that if I have two raids groups right now, with 21 data disks and 2 parity disks, each 300GB in size and if I add a new RAID group with 450GB disks (21 data disks, 2 parity disks, all 450GB in size), that should work and give an aggregate with 2*21*300GB+21*450GB disks, right?

Bye,

Alexander Griesser System-Administrator

ANEXIA Internetdienstleistungs GmbH

Telefon: +43-463-208501-320 Telefax: +43-463-208501-500

E-Mail: ag@anexia.atmailto:ag@anexia.at Web: http://www.anexia.at

Anschrift Hauptsitz Klagenfurt: Feldkirchnerstraße 140, 9020 Klagenfurt Geschäftsführer: Alexander Windbichler Firmenbuch: FN 289918a | Gerichtsstand: Klagenfurt | UID-Nummer: AT U63216601

Von: tmac [mailto:tmacmd@gmail.com] Gesendet: Samstag, 03. August 2013 15:43 An: Alexander Griesser Cc: Toasters@teaparty.net Betreff: Re: Recommendations for adding new bigger disk shelves to existing system

Generally not a best practice.

However, as long as you ADD disks to any aggregate, the disk will be recognized as a full capacity. Only when you have a larger disk replace a failed smaller disk will ONTAP force it to be a smaller disk.

There is one exception to this rule...

If you decide to add a 450GB disk to a RAID group with 300GB disks, the FIRST and/or SECOND disk(s) will essentially replace the one or two parity drives so you will not gain any capacity. After that additions will be at whatever size the disks are, so long as they are the same size or smaller than the Parity drives.

Hopefully this makes sense.

--tmac

Tim McCarthy Principal Consultant

[http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6874230/na_cert_dma_2c.jpg] [http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6874230/rhce.jpeg] [http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6874230/na_cert_ie-san_2c.jpg]

Clustered ONTAP Clustered ONTAP NCDA ID: XK7R3GEKC1QQ2LVD RHCE6 110-107-141https://www.redhat.com/wapps/training/certification/verify.html?certNumber=110-107-141&isSearch=False&verify=Verify NCSIE ID: C14QPHE21FR4YWD4 Expires: 08 November 2014 Current until Aug 02, 2016 Expires: 08 November 2014

On Sat, Aug 3, 2013 at 9:14 AM, Alexander Griesser <ag@anexia.atmailto:ag@anexia.at> wrote: Hey there,

I just got two new DS4243 450GB 15k SAS Shelves and am about to add them to our FAS3240HA. Right now, 4 DS4243 300GB 15k SAS disks are attached to this HA pair, 2 shelves for each controller.

Since 300GB disks cannot be purchased anymore, we got the 450GB shelves and I'm reluctant to just "throw away" about 5TB of usable SAS space by downsizing the 450GB disks to 300GB when adding them to the existing aggregates, or does this only apply to RAID groups? So if I create new RAID groups in the existing aggregates, will I then be able to use the "full" [0] size of the 450GB disks?

Thanks,

[0] After rightsizing and all other nice things NetApp does to the full capacity of the disks :)

Alexander Griesser System-Administrator

ANEXIA Internetdienstleistungs GmbH

Telefon: +43-463-208501-320tel:%2B43-463-208501-320 Telefax: +43-463-208501-500tel:%2B43-463-208501-500

E-Mail: ag@anexia.atmailto:ag@anexia.at Web: http://www.anexia.at

Anschrift Hauptsitz Klagenfurt: Feldkirchnerstraße 140, 9020 Klagenfurt Geschäftsführer: Alexander Windbichler Firmenbuch: FN 289918a | Gerichtsstand: Klagenfurt | UID-Nummer: AT U63216601

_______________________________________________ Toasters mailing list Toasters@teaparty.netmailto:Toasters@teaparty.net http://www.teaparty.net/mailman/listinfo/toasters

The way netapp support works with disks... They do not have to send you a 300GB@10K. If they run out, they could possibly send you a 450GB@15K. Per my earlier email, it really does not matter other than the fact that you loose the extra capacity. You did not pay for the extra capacity, so no big loss.

And...you are correct on your aggregate size presumption. Just beware, you are limited to 90TB under 8.1 and it increases to 180TB under 8.2

Davin, you know, if Jeff Mohler is still on this list, he may chime in. I think he did some performance testing with mixed groups and found it to be negligible. However, your milage may very and it is suggested to at least separate the disk capacities into separate RAID groups.

--tmac

*Tim McCarthy* *Principal Consultant*

Clustered ONTAP Clustered ONTAP NCDA ID: XK7R3GEKC1QQ2LVD RHCE6 110-107-141https://www.redhat.com/wapps/training/certification/verify.html?certNumber=110-107-141&isSearch=False&verify=Verify NCSIE ID: C14QPHE21FR4YWD4 Expires: 08 November 2014 Current until Aug 02, 2016 Expires: 08 November 2014

On Sat, Aug 3, 2013 at 9:53 AM, Davin Milun davin.milun@gmail.com wrote:

Surely having an additional raidgroup, made up of all larger-size disks, would be better for performance, than having the existing raidgroup be made up of mixed-size disks?

Davin.

On Sat, Aug 3, 2013 at 9:43 AM, tmac tmacmd@gmail.com wrote:

...

Generally not a best practice.

However, as long as you ADD disks to any aggregate, the disk will be recognized as a full capacity. Only when you have a larger disk replace a failed smaller disk will ONTAP force it to be a smaller disk.

There is one exception to this rule...

If you decide to add a 450GB disk to a RAID group with 300GB disks, the FIRST and/or SECOND disk(s) will essentially replace the one or two parity drives so you will not gain any capacity. After that additions will be at whatever size the disks are, so long as they are the same size or smaller than the Parity drives.

Hopefully this makes sense.

--tmac

*Tim McCarthy* *Principal Consultant*

    Clustered ONTAP
   Clustered ONTAP

NCDA ID: XK7R3GEKC1QQ2LVD RHCE6 110-107-141https://www.redhat.com/wapps/training/certification/verify.html?certNumber=110-107-141&isSearch=False&verify=Verify NCSIE ID: C14QPHE21FR4YWD4 Expires: 08 November 2014 Current until Aug 02, 2016 Expires: 08 November 2014

On Sat, Aug 3, 2013 at 9:14 AM, Alexander Griesser ag@anexia.at wrote:

...

Hey there,****

---

I just got two new DS4243 450GB 15k SAS Shelves and am about to add them to our FAS3240HA.****

Right now, 4 DS4243 300GB 15k SAS disks are attached to this HA pair, 2 shelves for each controller.****

---

Since 300GB disks cannot be purchased anymore, we got the 450GB shelves and I’m reluctant to just „throw away“ about 5TB of usable SAS space by downsizing the 450GB disks to 300GB when adding them to the existing aggregates, or does this only apply to RAID groups? So if I create new RAID groups in the existing aggregates, will I then be able to use the „full“ [0] size of the 450GB disks?****

---

Thanks,****

---

[0] After rightsizing and all other nice things NetApp does to the full capacity of the disks J****

---

*Alexander Griesser*

System-Administrator****

---

ANEXIA Internetdienstleistungs GmbH****

---

Telefon: +43-463-208501-320****

Telefax: +43-463-208501-500****

---

E-Mail: ag@anexia.at****

Web: http://www.anexia.at****

---

Anschrift Hauptsitz Klagenfurt: Feldkirchnerstraße 140, 9020 Klagenfurt*

---

Geschäftsführer: Alexander Windbichler****

Firmenbuch: FN 289918a | Gerichtsstand: Klagenfurt | UID-Nummer: AT U63216601****

---

---

Toasters mailing list Toasters@teaparty.net http://www.teaparty.net/mailman/listinfo/toasters

---

Toasters mailing list Toasters@teaparty.net http://www.teaparty.net/mailman/listinfo/toasters