How to convert a Data ONTAP node from one operating Mode to the other 1

This is a very interesting article I found from a NetApp KB. This was something that was considered a risk during the OnTap 8 c-mode infancy. There are some small changes to these as well. I have added my inputs at the end of this article. This is based on the experience I have while converting a 7 mode system to OnTap 8 RC1 c-mode. Interesting days. 🙂

1. From 7G to Clustered OnTaP & vice versa

Description

This article describes the procedure that should be followed to convert the operation of a storage controller from 7-Mode to Cluster-Mode or from Cluster-Mode to 7-Mode.

Warning: On-disk data is not preserved when using this procedure. All data will be lost.

Procedure

Prerequisites:

• The controller must have attached disk shelves.
• The disk shelves must be HA-cabled across the HA-pair (multipath HA cabling is recommended).
• This procedure will work for a single node as well, that is not part of an HA pair.
• Refer to the System Configuration Guides for the version and Mode of Data ONTAP that you will be using to ensure the hardware and slots used are supported.
• There must be a bootable image on the boot device.
• If converting from Cluster-Mode to 7-Mode, the node(s) of the Cluster-Mode must be unjoined from the cluster if the cluster remains active and only a node or HA-Pair will be converted to 7-Mode
• Data on the attached disk shelves is not critical and can be recovered from an alternate source, if needed

Note: All Data will be lost when following this procedure to convert from one Mode to the other.

Perform the following steps to convert from Data ONTAP 7-Mode to Data ONTAP 8.0X Cluster-Mode

1. Disable ‘Cluster Failover’ and reboot the node to the LOADER prompt. Do not perform a takeover.
2. Boot each node to the LOADER prompt and ensure that the following variables are set:To convert from 7-Mode to Cluster-Mode:
   LOADER> set-defaults
LOADER> setenv bootarg.init.boot_clustered true
LOADER>  setenv bootarg.bsdportname <node-mgmt_port_name>
 
3. Boot the node with this command:
   boot_ontap
4. When the nodes are booting, press CTRL+C to enter the Boot menu.
5. At the Boot menu, select wipeconfig on each node.
   *******************************
* Press Ctrl-C for Boot Menu. *
*******************************
How would you like to continue booting?
(normal) Normally
(install) Install new software first
(password [user]) Change root/user password
(setup) Run setup first
(init) Initialize disks and create flexvol
(maint) Boot into maintenance mode
(syncflash) Update flash from backup config
(reboot) Reboot node
Please make a selection: wipeconfig
6. After the wipeconfig completes, boot back to the Boot menu and select setup.
   *******************************
* Press Ctrl-C for Boot Menu. *
*******************************
How would you like to continue booting?
(normal) Normally
(install) Install new software first
(password [user]) Change root/user password
(setup) Run setup first
(init) Initialize disks and create flexvol
(maint) Boot into maintenance mode
(syncflash) Update flash from backup config
(reboot) Reboot node
Please make a selection: setup
7. Enter the node configuration information for each node during the setup script.
   Hostname
   Location
   IP address for mgmt LIF on the mgmt port/Netmask/DefaultGwy
   DNS domain name/DNS nameserver IP(s)
8. After the setup script completes, boot back to the Boot menu and select init.
   *******************************
* Press Ctrl-C for Boot Menu. *
*******************************
How would you like to continue booting?
(normal) Normally
(install) Install new software first
(password [user]) Change root/user password
(setup) Run setup first
(init) Initialize disks and create flexvol
(maint) Boot into maintenance mode
(syncflash) Update flash from backup config
(reboot) Reboot node
Please make a selection: init
9. The init process can take a long time (hours depending on the number and size of the disks) as the disks are zeroed and initialized.
10. Once the init process has completed, the node will boot Data ONTAP and the login prompt will be available.
11. At this time, a new Cluster can be created or these nodes can be joined to an already existing cluster. The steps for creating or joining a cluster are available in the Data ONTAP Administration guides.

Perform the following steps to convert from Data ONTAP 7-Mode to Data ONTAP 8.1 (and later versions) Cluster-Mode

1. Disable ‘Storage Failover’ or ‘Cluster Failover’ and reboot the node to the LOADER prompt.  Do not perform a takeover.
2. At the LOADER prompt, run the following commands:

To convert from 7-Mode to Cluster-Mode:
LOADER> set-defaults
LOADER> setenv bootarg.init.boot_clustered true
LOADER>  setenv bootarg.bsdportname <node-mgmt_port_name>
LOADER> boot_ontap

3. Stop the boot process at the special Boot menu and select option 4.
   The node automatically performs a wipeconfig, zeroes the disks and creates a 3-disk root aggregate with a FlexVol root volume.
4. Perform the node setup.

Perform the following steps to convert from Data ONTAP Cluster-Mode to Data ONTAP 7-Mode

1. Disable ‘Storage Failover’ and reboot the node to the LOADER prompt.  Do not perform a takeover.
2. At the LOADER prompt, run the following commands:

To convert from Cluster-Mode to 7-Mode:
LOADER> set-defaults
LOADER> boot_ontap

3. Stop the boot process at the special Boot menu and select option 4.
   The node automatically performs a wipeconfig, zeroes the disks and creates a 3-disk  root aggregate with a FlexVol root volume.
4. Perform the node setup.

Reference:

https://kb.netapp.com/support/index?page=content&id=1013517&locale=en_US

2. C-mode conversion from an existing GX install

I am adding this to the existing document just so that it covers all aspects. I am not sure if there are any GX systems around. Just to make an interesting read. Please note that due care needs to be taken for filers that contain data. This is disruptive and WILL lead to data loss.

There are a set of procedures that need to be followed while upgrading a node from GX to OnTap 8 c-mode (ahem, it used to called the c-mode). They are mentioned below:

• Booting the filer to Loader prompt
• Checking the environment variables
• Changing the environment variables
• Verify the new environment variables
• Reboot the filer for the changes to take effect.

Checking the environment variables before making changes

Boot into Loader prompt (First Ctrl C)

Run the command printenv. This will display the set of environment variables on the system.

LOADER>printenv
Variable Name Value
——————– —————————————–
CPU_NUM_CORES 8
BOOT_CONSOLE rlm0a
BIOS_VERSION 1.6.0
BIOS_DATE 06/02/2008
SYS_MODEL FAS6080
SYS_REV E0
SYS_SERIAL_NUM 12326179
MOBO_MODEL 1
MOBO_REV C0
MOBO_SERIAL_NUM H7JUE2BE460219
CPU_SPEED 2600
CPU_TYPE Opteron
savenv saveenv
ENV_VERSION 1
ntap.init.boot_clustered true
LOADER_VERSION 1.5
ARCH x86_64
BOARDNAME EXCELSIOR
PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/kernel/primary.krn
BACKUP_KERNEL_URL fat://ide0.0/backup/x86_64/kernel/primary.krn
GX_PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/freebsd/image1/kernel
GX_BACKUP_KERNEL_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/freebsd/image2/kernel
ntap.init.kernelname x86_64/freebsd/image1/kernel
DIAG_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/diag/diag.krn
GX_DIAG_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/diag/kernel
FIRMWARE_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/firmware/EXCELSIO/firmware.img
AUTOBOOT true
AUTOBOOT_FROM PRIMARY
AUTO_FW_UPDATE true
BIOS_INTERFACE 9FC3
BOOT_FLASH flash0a
BOOTED_FROM OTHER
boot_ontap autoboot ide0.0
boot_primary setenv BOOTED_FROM PRIMARY; boot -elf64 $GX_PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL $PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL
boot_backup setenv BOOTED_FROM BACKUP; boot -elf64 $GX_BACKUP_KERNEL_URL $BACKUP_KERNEL_URL
netboot setenv BOOTED_FROM NETWORK; boot -elf64
boot_diags boot -elf64 $GX_DIAG_URL $DIAG_URL
ldkern load -elf64 $GX_PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL $PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL
update_flash flash -backup $FIRMWARE_URL flash0a
version printenv BIOS_VERSION LOADER_VERSION
CF_BIOS_VERSION 1.6.0
CF_LOADER_VERSION 1.5

Changing the environment variables

LOADER> setenv bootarg.init.boot_clustered true
LOADER> setenv bootarg.mgwd.autoconf.disable true
LOADER> setenv bootarg.bsdportname e0d
LOADER> setenv bootarg.init.usebootp false

Verify the new environment variables

LOADER>printenv
Variable Name Value
——————– ————————————————–
CPU_NUM_CORES 8
BOOT_CONSOLE rlm0a
BIOS_VERSION 1.6.0
BIOS_DATE 06/02/2008
SYS_MODEL FAS6080
SYS_REV E0
SYS_SERIAL_NUM 12326179
MOBO_MODEL 1
MOBO_REV C0
MOBO_SERIAL_NUM H7JUE2BE460219
CPU_SPEED 2600
CPU_TYPE Opteron
savenv saveenv
ENV_VERSION 1
LOADER_VERSION 1.5
ARCH x86_64
BOARDNAME EXCELSIOR
PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/kernel/primary.krn
BACKUP_KERNEL_URL fat://ide0.0/backup/x86_64/kernel/primary.krn
GX_PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/freebsd/image1/kernel
GX_BACKUP_KERNEL_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/freebsd/image2/kernel
ntap.init.kernelname x86_64/freebsd/image1/kernel
DIAG_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/diag/diag.krn
GX_DIAG_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/diag/kernel
FIRMWARE_URL fat://ide0.0/x86_64/firmware/EXCELSIO/firmware.img
AUTOBOOT true
AUTOBOOT_FROM PRIMARY
AUTO_FW_UPDATE true
BIOS_INTERFACE 9FC3
BOOT_FLASH flash0a
BOOTED_FROM OTHER
boot_ontap autoboot ide0.0
boot_primary setenv BOOTED_FROM PRIMARY; boot -elf64 $GX_PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL $PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL
boot_backup setenv BOOTED_FROM BACKUP; boot -elf64 $GX_BACKUP_KERNEL_URL $BACKUP_KERNEL_URL
netboot setenv BOOTED_FROM NETWORK; boot -elf64
boot_diags boot -elf64 $GX_DIAG_URL $DIAG_URL
ldkern load -elf64 $GX_PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL $PRIMARY_KERNEL_URL
update_flash flash -backup $FIRMWARE_URL flash0a
version printenv BIOS_VERSION LOADER_VERSION
CF_BIOS_VERSION 1.6.0
CF_LOADER_VERSION 1.5
bootarg.init.boot_clustered true
bootarg mgwd.autoconf.disable
bootarg.bsdportname e0f

Once the paramaters are changed, reboot the filer for the changes to take effect.

Rebooting the filer

It will now show that it is now booting in c-mode:

Loading x86_64/freebsd/image1/kernel:….0x100000/3277608 0x520340/3198128 0x82cff0/562512 Entry at
0x801445e0
Loading x86_64/freebsd/image1/platform.ko:0x8b7000/147808 0x921d70/156600 0x8db160/456 0x948128/1200
0x8db328/616 0x9485d8/1848 0x8db590/15629 0x8df2a0/20870 0x8e4428/80 0x948d10/240 0x8e4478/576 0x94
8e00/1728 0x8e46b8/304 0x9494c0/912 0x8e47e8/48 0x949850/144 0x8e4820/48000 0x9498e0/56712 0x8f03a0/
425 0x90ae70/3090 0x921c81/237 0x90ba88/47400 0x9173b0/43217
Starting program at 0x801445e0
NetApp Data ONTAP Release 8.0RC2 Cluster-Mode
Copyright (C) 1992-2009 NetApp.

The procedure to install/setup c-mode system is then carried out.

Warning

1. This is to be performed with support from NetApp representatives/support. This is not a replacement to the procedure/PVR involved to convert the respective systems.
2. This procedure zeroes disks as the file system is created. There will be data loss.