Netapp Aff Cluster Interconnect Switches
NetApp has lots Knowledge Base articles to help configure these switches. I wanted to put a blog post together that arranges all info in one place that is easy to read. As delivered, the switch login is “admin” with an empty password (just hit enter!)
First, we need to get the switch on the network. Connect to the serial port (9800/N/8/1).
NetApp AFF systems help you meet your enterprise storage requirements with industry s highest performance, superior flexibility,and best-in-class data management and cloud integration. There are 16 total ports and you will lose 4 to the switch to switch to switch ISL so you are left with 12. So, maximum, per pair of CN1610s you could get 6 HA pairs (12 nodes) However, check hwu as certain controller models, can require more than 1 cluster port per switch and could have limitations in mixing rules/cluster sizes.
Login with username admin followed by “enter” twice (no password yet).
- Configure the management ports of the cluster (CN1610) switches: Connect a serial cable from your laptop to cluster switch A console port. Start a terminal emulator program on your laptop. Log in to the switch using user name 'admin'and no password.
- Cluster switch is a switch which provides a connection between two or more NetApp FAS/AFF controllers. Cluster switch provides internal communications and ability to non-disruptively to hosts move data and network interfaces across the cluster, this ability called Single Namespace.
Enter privileged mode by typing “enable” followed by “enter” twice (no password yet).
Setup the “Service” port:
Example:
Verify the service port:
Ping the Gateway:
More than likely, you will need to update the FASTPATH code. To do that you need a SCP or TFTP server(see another post about this).
It is best to copy the current running firmware to the backup on the switch (although, if needed, the software can be downloaded from the NetApp Support Page for the CN1610:
You will need to confirm by pressing “y” and nothing else. Once that finishes, copy the image from your TFTP server to the active image:
The current images are 1.2.0.7 (with RCF 1.2) and 1.1.0.8 (with RCF 1.1) located at on this NetApp Support Page . Always verify version information with the NetApp Interoperability Matrix Tool (IMT).
Verify the boot image:
Reboot the switch:
When the switch finishes rebooting, create a “running-config.scr” file:
Place a backup copy off the switch and on the TFTP server. I like to add more to the off-switch name to make it easy to identify:
Copy the appropriate RCF to your switch:
Verify it made it on the switch:
Validate the script:
Netapp Aff Cluster Interconnect Switches Diagram
That will print each line and validate the script. If any commands are wrong or do not apply to the current FASTPATH version, the validation will indicate the line number where the issue(s) occurred.
Apply the script:
This will also print out each line in the script and notify that it was successful. Save the in memory running.
Check out the running configuration:
Set the passwords for standard and privilege mode:
If this is a new switch, there is no password; just hit enter. If you already assigned a password, enter the password at the prompt. Followup with the new password and then confirm the new password.
Enter enable mode and set the password:
(The Enable password should be empty so press enter. If not enter current password)
If this is a new switch, there is no enable password; just hit enter. If you already assigned an enable password, enter the password at the prompt. Followup with the new password and then confirm the new password.)
Save the running configuration:
Reboot the switch:
Here are the commands to customize your configuration. All lines beginning with the “!” will be ignored by the switch. It is safe to copy/paste those lines without worry of error. Modify to fit your site as needed:
Now that you have the configuration in place, save it and upload it to your TFTP server: