Converting an aggregate to a Flash Pool

You can convert a non-root aggregate that is composed of HDDs to a Flash Pool by adding one or more RAID groups composed of SSDs. The SSD tier functions as a high-performance cache to the working data set, increasing the performance of the aggregate without using SSDs for the entire aggregate.

Before you begin

•	You must have identified a valid 64-bit non-root aggregate composed of HDDs to convert it to a Flash Pool.

•	The aggregate must not be a zoned checksum aggregate.

•	The aggregate must not be a SnapLock aggregate.

•	The aggregate must not contain any array LUNs.

•	You must have determined the SSDs you plan to add, and these SSDs must be owned by the node on which you are creating the Flash Pool.

•	All the SSDs in the spare pool must be of the same size.

About this task

You should be aware of platform-specific and workload-specific best practices for Flash Pool SSD tier size and configuration. For more information, see Technical Report 4070: NetApp Flash Pool Design and Implementation Guide.

Steps

1.	From the Home tab, double-click the appropriate storage system.

2.	In the navigation pane, click Storage > Aggregates.

3.	Select the aggregate that you want to convert to a Flash Pool and click Edit.

4.	Select the option for enabling Flash Pool.

5.	Specify the number of SSDs that you want to add to create a Flash Pool.

The default value is the minimum number of cache disks that is required to create a RAID group. The default number of cache disks is 3 for RAID-DP and 2 for RAID4.

6.	Click Save and Close.

7.	Verify the changes you made to the selected aggregate in the Details tab in the Aggregates window.