Adjusting the vFiler limit

What the vFiler limit is

The vFiler limit sets the maximum number of vFilers that you can create on the hosting filer. In a cluster, the same limit applies to each cluster node.

Default limits

The default vFiler limits for systems on which you have just activated a MultiStore license are as follows:

3 for filers with less than 1 GB of memory
5 for filers with between 1 GB and 3 GB of memory
11 for filers with 3 GB of memory or more

The default is 11 for systems on which a MultiStore license has been in effect since a release of Data ONTAP earlier than 6.4.

These limits include vFiler0 (the hosting filer, which is created when the MultiStore license is enabled and persists as long as the license is in effect) so a limit of 11 means you can create a maximum of 10 vFilers. In a cluster, a limit of 11 means that you can create a maximum of 10 vFilers on each cluster node.

To see the current limit, enter the following command:

vfiler limit

Increasing the limit

You can use the vfiler limit command to increase the limit to a maximum of up to 33 (up to 66 in a cluster), depending on the memory capacity of the hosting filer. The maximum limits are as follows:

11 for filers with less than 1 GB of memory
26 for filers with between 1 GB and 2GB of memory
33 for filers with over 2 GB of memory

Because the limit includes the hosting filer, vFiler0, which always exists, the number of vFilers you can create is one less than the limit.

Example

To raise the number of vFilers you can create to 15, enter the following command on the hosting filer:

vfiler limit 16

In a cluster, this sets a limit of 16 vFilers on each cluster node.

Note
For the change to take effect, you must reboot the filer (or each filer in a cluster).

Decreasing the limit

You can use the vfiler limit command to decrease the limit, setting the maximum number of vFilers lower than it now is.

Because the limit includes the hosting filer vFiler0, which already exists, the number of vFilers you can create in each case is one less than the limit.

Example

To reduce the number of vFilers you can create from 15 to 10, enter the following command on the hosting filer:

vfiler limit 11

Note
For the change to take effect, you must reboot the filer (or each filer in a cluster).

Caution
Before you reboot, make sure that the number of active vFilers on this filer (and on any cluster partner) is less than the limit. On reboot, the number of vFilers started will be at most one less than the limit you specified (one less than the limit on each node in a cluster), even if more vFilers are configured.