Creating FlexCache volumes

Before creating a FlexCache volume

Before creating a FlexCache volume, ensure that you have the following configuration options set correctly:

flex_cache license installed on the caching system
flexcache.access option on origin system set to allow access from caching system
Note
If the origin volume is in a vFiler unit, set this option for the vFiler context.

For more information about this option, see the na_protocolaccess(8) man page.
flexcache.enable option on the origin system set to on
Note
If the origin volume is in a vFiler unit, set this option for the vFiler context.
NFS licensed and enabled for the caching system
Note
FlexCache volumes function correctly without an NFS license on the origin system. However, for maximum caching performance, you should install a license for NFS on the origin system also.
Both the caching and origin systems running Data ONTAP 7.0.1 or later

Creating a FlexCache volume

To create a FlexCache volume, complete the following steps.

Step	Action
1	Ensure that your options are set correctly as outlined in Before creating a FlexCache volume.
2	Enter the following command: vol create cache_vol aggr size{k\|m\|g\|t} -S origin:source_vol cache_vol is the name of the new FlexCache volume you want to create. aggr is the name of the containing aggregate for the new FlexCache volume. size{ `k` \| `m` \| `g` \| `t` } specifies the FlexCache volume size in kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, or terabytes. For example, you would enter `20m` to indicate twenty megabytes. If you do not specify a unit, size is taken as bytes and rounded up to the nearest multiple of 4 KB. Note Because FlexCache volumes are sparsely populated, you can make the FlexCache volume smaller than the source volume. However, the larger the FlexCache volume is, the better caching performance it provides. For more information about sizing FlexCache volumes, see Sizing FlexCache volumes. origin is the name of the origin storage system source_vol is the name of the volume you want to use as the origin volume on the origin system. Result The new FlexCache volume is created and an entry is added to the /etc/export file for the new volume. Example The following command creates a 100-MB FlexCache volume called newcachevol, in the aggregate called aggr1, with a source volume vol1 on storage system corp_toaster. vol create newcachevol aggr1 100M -S corp_toaster:vol1

Step

Action

Ensure that your options are set correctly as outlined in Before creating a FlexCache volume.

Enter the following command:

vol create cache_vol aggr size{k|m|g|t} -S 
origin:source_vol

cache_vol is the name of the new FlexCache volume you want to create.

aggr is the name of the containing aggregate for the new FlexCache volume.

size{ k | m | g | t } specifies the FlexCache volume size in kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, or terabytes. For example, you would enter 20m to indicate twenty megabytes. If you do not specify a unit, size is taken as bytes and rounded up to the nearest multiple of 4 KB.

Note
Because FlexCache volumes are sparsely populated, you can make the FlexCache volume smaller than the source volume. However, the larger the FlexCache volume is, the better caching performance it provides. For more information about sizing FlexCache volumes, see Sizing FlexCache volumes.

origin is the name of the origin storage system

source_vol is the name of the volume you want to use as the origin volume on the origin system.

Result

The new FlexCache volume is created and an entry is added to the /etc/export file for the new volume.

Example

The following command creates a 100-MB FlexCache volume called newcachevol, in the aggregate called aggr1, with a source volume vol1 on storage system corp_toaster.

vol create newcachevol aggr1 100M -S corp_toaster:vol1