Converting an aggregate to a Flash Pool aggregate

You can convert a non-root aggregate that is composed of HDDs to a Flash Pool aggregate 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

•	All nodes in the cluster must be running Data ONTAP 8.1.1 or later.

Note: If the cluster is in a mixed-version state and some of the nodes are running Data ONTAP 8.1, you can use the command-line interface to create a Flash Pool aggregate.

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

•	The aggregate must not contain any array LUNs.

•	The aggregate must not provision storage to an Infinite Volume.

•	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 aggregate.

About this task

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

Steps

1.	From the home page, double-click the appropriate storage system.

2.	Expand either the Cluster or the Nodes hierarchy in the left navigation pane.

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

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

5.	Select the option for enabling Flash Pool aggregate.

6.	Specify the cache disk size and the number of SSDs that you want to add to create a Flash Pool aggregate.

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.

7.	Click Save and Close.

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