NetApp Best Practices

Below is a compiled list of the top recomendations and best practices when deploying a NetApp Filer.

• Use RAID-DP™, the NetApp high-performance implementation of RAID 6, for better data protection.
• Use multipath HA with active-active storage configurations to improve overall system availability as well as promote higher performance consistency.
• Use the default RAID group size when creating aggregates or traditional volumes.
• Allow Data ONTAP to select disks automatically when creating aggregates or volumes.
• Use the latest Data ONTAP general deployment release available on the NOW™ (NetApp on the Web) site.
• Use the latest storage controller, shelf, and disk firmware available on the NOW site.
• Maintain at least one hot spare for each type of disk drive in the storage system:
• Disk drive differences are FC, SAS, SATA disk drive types, disk size, and rotational speed (RPM).
• Maintain two hot spares for each type of disk drive in the storage system to take advantage of Maintenance Center.
• Reserve space for at least one week of Snapshot™ backups.
• Do not put user data into the root volume.
• Replicate data with SnapMirror® or SnapVault® for disaster recovery (DR) protection.
• Replicate to remote locations to increase data protection levels.
• Use an active-active storage controller configuration (clustered failover) to eliminate single points of failure (SPOFs).
• Deploy SyncMirror® and RAID-DP for the highest level of storage resiliency.