Category: NetApp Tutorials
Learn NetApp storage with free online NetApp training tutorial videos.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the list of latest tutorials.
What is NetApp?
NetApp specializes in data storage equipment and associated management software. They sell storage systems to mainly medium and large sized organizations and service providers. Why would an organization use NetApp products? Learn about the benefits of centralized SAN and NAS storage systems.
NetApp Products
ONTAP Hardware Platforms – FAS and AFF
NetApp’s biggest selling storage systems run the ONTAP operating system. Different ONTAP platforms are available: FAS, AFF, Select, Cloud Volumes ONTAP and NetApp Private Storage.
The different platforms run on hardware or as software virtual machines, and on premises or in the cloud. They all have practically identical features and management.
ONTAP platforms support both NAS (NFS, SMB and CIFS protocols) and SAN (Fibre Channel, iSCSI, FCoE Fibre Channel over Ethernet and NVMe protocols) to give high flexibility and support multiple varied workloads.
FAS and AFF are traditional hardware storage systems which comprise of hardware controllers (the brains of the system) and disk shelves.
FAS Fabric Attached Storage platforms are hybrid storage systems meaning they support both traditional spinning disks (SATA or SAS) and SSD solid state drives. The traditional spinning disks offer large capacity at the lowest price per GB, while the SSD drives offer the highest performance. Hybrid storage systems allow you to deploy a storage system with a balance between capacity and performance.
AFF All Flash FAS systems are FAS platforms with no support for traditional spinning disks. They use the same ONTAP operating system as FAS platforms and have exactly the same features and functions, but they have been optimized under the hood for high performance flash storage (SSD disks).
NetApp ONTAP FAS and AFF systems
ONTAP Select
ONTAP Select allows organizations to run ONTAP as a software virtual machine on their own hardware. This allows them to provision any server hardware as an ONTAP storage system. It is most commonly used as an affordable way to deploy integrated NetApp storage in a branch office environment.
ONTAP Cloud Options
Public cloud providers such as Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud all have their own basic storage services, but these services do not have the advanced features that come with ONTAP.
Cloud Volumes ONTAP is full featured ONTAP software which runs on an AWS or Azure instance. It supports CIFS (SMB), NFS and iSCSI clients, and all ONTAP features such as thin provisioning, deduplication and compression, encryption, replication, high availability etc.
NetApp Private Storage is a customer owned FAS or AFF system which is hosted in a data center with direct connectivity to the public cloud provider. This gives the customer the high performance and security of their own NetApp hardware storage system in the cloud.
Cloud Volumes Services
Cloud Volumes Services is another storage solution for public cloud. It does not have the advanced feature support of ONTAP, but it does have simple management and support encryption, snapshots, clones and synchronization.
SANtricity Hardware Platforms – E-Series and EF-Series
NetApp E and EF-Series systems provide simple, fast, reliable block storage. Client access is DAS (SAS) or SAN (Fibre Channel, iSCSI, InfiniBand or NVMeOF.) The systems evolved from the acquisition of Engenio in 2011.
EF-Series are all flash arrays, E-Series are hybrid. They run on the SANtricity operating system.
The platform offers raw storage to clients and has additional features such as snapshots and replication. The feature set is basic – it is built for low overhead and speed. SANtricity platforms can be referred to as the ‘dragster’ of the product line.
NetApp SANtricity E and EF Series
NetApp Element OS Platforms – SolidFire and NetApp HCI
SolidFire
SolidFire is a scale-out, clustered, all flash SAN (no NAS support) architecture. NetApp acquired SolidFire in 2016.
A SolidFire storage cluster comprises from 4 to 100 nodes, with each node having integrated CPU, RAM and disks. Capacity and performance can be easily scaled by adding more nodes.
The system supports many varied workloads, with snapshots, volume clones and replication.
It is designed for simple administration, orchestration and automation – administrators do not need to be storage specialists. It is well suited for multi-tenant cloud providers, VMware and OpenStack deployments.
NetApp SolidFire
NetApp HCI
With SolidFire, capacity and performance are pooled across the cluster. This is similar to the HCI (Hyper Converged Infrastructure) methodology, but SolidFire systems provide storage only, not compute.
NetApp HCI are scale-out pooled systems that support both storage and compute nodes.
It shares similar use cases to SolidFire and is well suited for public or private multi-tenant cloud providers, with simple administration for workload consolidation.
NetApp HCI
NetApp StorageGRID Webscale
StorageGRID Webscale is NetApp’s object storage platform, it evolved from the acquisition of Bycast in 2010.
It provides on premises object storage and can optionally integrate with cloud services such as Amazon S3.
It supports up to 120 PB of storage with up to 100 billion objects in up to 16 datacenters on premises. Nodes are installed as an E-Series based hardware appliance, VMware virtual machine or Docker container on Linux.
Versioning, WORM, deduplication and compression and at-rest and in-flight encryption are supported.
Object storage is best suited as a massively scalable store for unstructured data that’s updated infrequently.
NetApp StorageGRID WebScale
Converged Infrastructure: FlexPod and NFLEX
NetApp Converged Infrastructure solutions provide best practice configurations for various workloads, using storage systems from NetApp with compute and network components from their partners.
FlexPod solutions use Cisco UCS servers, Cisco Nexus switches, and NetApp storage systems. Validated Design documents detail the hardware and software configuration. The system can be built by the customer or provided by a local NetApp partner
NFLEX solutions use Fujitsu Primergy CX servers, Extreme Networks switches, and NetApp AFF storage. NFLEX systems can be ordered from NetApp or Fujitsu.
Converged Infrastructure solutions provide best practice configurations for different workloads, so the use cases are almost anything that requires a storage system.
NetApp Converged Infrastructure: FlexPod and NFLEX
NetApp Certification
NetApp offer various certification programs which you can take to build and validate your skills and be recognized as a NetApp storage expert. You can be NetApp certified in different exam levels, from associate to expert, on the different exam tracks.
NetApp Certification Tracks
NetApp certifications are categorized into three tracks: Data, Hybrid Cloud, and Converged Infrastructure.
NetApp Certification – Data Track
The Data Track focuses on building and proving your skills with NetApp ONTAP or SANtricity storage products.
NetApp Certification – Hybrid Cloud Track
The Hybrid Cloud Track focuses on building and proving your skills with NetApp’s cloud based products which were discussed earlier in this blog post.
NetApp Certification – Converged Infrastructure Track
Not surprisingly, the Converged Infrastructure track focuses on building and proving your skills with converged infrastructure products which were again discussed earlier in this blog post.
NCDA NetApp Certified Data Administrator, ONTAP Certification
The NetApp NCDA (NetApp Certified Data Administrator, ONTAP) is NetApp’s most popular certification program. It is a highly recognised and in demand qualification for storage professionals.
There are no prerequisites for taking the NCDA exam, but NetApp recommends candidates to:
- Have at least six to twelve months of field experience implementing and administering NetApp data storage solutions in multiprotocol environments.
- Be knowledgeable in implementing HA controller configurations, SyncMirror software for rapid data recovery, or ONTAP solutions with either single- or multi-node configurations.
Many complete beginners have however studied for and passed the NCDA exam, helping them to build their careers supporting enterprise data center and cloud environments. You should have basic knowledge of how to operate a computer and use the Internet, but previous storage knowledge and experience is not required – it is covered in the exam and you will learn it during your training.
It is not required to pass the entry level NCTA NetApp Certified Technology Associate certification before taking the NCDA exam. I recommend bypassing the NCTA and going straight for the NCDA as it is a much more recognised and valuable qualification.
The NetApp Certified Data Administrator (NCDA) exam tests your proficiency in the following topics:
- Storage Platforms
- Core ONTAP
- Logical Storage
- Networking
- SAN Solutions and Connectivity
- NAS Solutions
- Data Protection
- Security
- Performance
NetApp NCDA Certification Cost
The NCDA exam costs $150 USD. It includes 55 to 65 questions which you have 90 minutes to complete.
NetApp NCDA Exam Giveaway
I run a NetApp NCDA Exam Giveaway every month where you can win:
- My premium NetApp ONTAP Storage Complete course.
- AlphaPrep practice exams.
- Payment for your NCDA exam.
Click here to enter the NCDA prize giveaway draw.
How to Register for and Take the NCDA Exam
The NCDA exam can either be taken in your home or office, or at Prometric Vue test centers which are located worldwide. Testing is available year round and you can take the exam at a time which is convenient for you.
If you take the exam in your home or office you will need a suitable microphone, webcam and internet connection. A proctor will monitor you over the webcam during the exam to ensure you are following test procedures.
There is very likely to be a Prometric Vue test center near your location if that is your preferred option.
Visit the Prometric Vue website to book your NCDA exam.
Here’s a short video showing the test taking process on the day of your exam:
[youtube v = 5YbpV48rNK4 maxwidth = 100%]
The NetApp NCIE (NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer) is typically seen as a follow on qualification for storage professionals who have proved their ‘professional’ status by passing the NCDA exam and want to further prove their expertise with a ‘specialist’ certification.
Passing the NCDA first is a prerequisite for the ONTAP NCIE exams.
Is the NetApp NCDA worth it? The importance of the NCDA to your IT career
Yes the NCDA is worth it! It is a valued and widely recognized storage certification. But why is getting a NetApp NCDA certification important?
Passing the NCDA exam and getting certified proves that you are knowledgeable and you possess the skill set required of a storage professional.
The certification validates your knowledge and skills which assures employers. It establishes trust that you understand modern storage systems and can configure and troubleshoot them. It shows that you are capable of effectively working as a storage engineer.
The NCDA brings assurance not only to your employer, but to you and your teammates. It boosts your confidence in doing your job.
Certified employees are seen as valued assets. Proving that you can learn the knowledge to be a storage expert shows that you can easily adapt and develop new skills.
NCDA certification greatly increases your job opportunities. There is a much greater chance that you will get hired compared to those who don’t have certifications.
Getting certified can also be used as basis for promotion and salary increase.
What is the average NetApp NCDA salary?
According to glassdoor.com, the average NCDA salary in the United States is $165,812 USD.
How to Study for and Pass the NCDA Exam
I can honestly say that taking my NetApp ONTAP Storage Complete training course course is the best way to study for and pass the NCDA exam.
The course has the highest review ratings of any NetApp course online, with a stellar average review score of 4.7 from over 1000 public student reviews.
The course is suitable for both beginners and experienced storage engineers, and is the one training course you need to learn everything for the NCDA. It features:
- Over 35 hours of HD video tutorials
- Complete hands-on lab exercises, with GUI and CLI solution guides which double as an on-the-job configuration reference library
- Quizzes and Study Notes in every section to prepare you for the NCDA exam
It’s an online NCDA course so you can study in your own time and your enrolment never expires. (This type of online NCDA training is often called CBT ‘Computer Based Training’ or VOD ‘Video on Demand’.)
Click here to enrol in the NetApp ONTAP Storage Complete training course.
What is the NetApp Simulator?
The NetApp ONTAP Simulator is a downloadable virtual machine which can be used to add NetApp storage in a lab environment. You can install the NetApp simulator for free on your laptop, and use it to practice all the features and functions you can find in a real NetApp ONTAP storage system.
My free ‘How to Build a NetApp ONTAP Lab for Free’ PDF eBook shows you step by step how to set up a complete NetApp lab for free on your laptop. You’ll see where to find all the software for free, how to build the NetApp simulators, the Windows and Linux clients, the VMware setup and how to configure the networking so you can get into learning NetApp straight away.
The lab build outlined in the book is the same one I use for the hands-on demonstrations in my videos, so you can follow along with me as you watch.
NetApp Tutorial Videos
Flackbox.com offers NetApp video tutorials with full text descriptions and screenshots.
If you’re studying for certification like the NetApp Certified Data Administrator or NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer NCIE exams then you’ve come to the right place.
I don’t just want to give you the book smarts though, I’m going to show you how to actually design and implement a real-world deployment using best practices.
You can find links to the NetApp training tutorials below.
NetApp Disk Shelf Numbering
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about disk shelf numbering and how disk shelf IDs work, and I’ll also explain the best practice way to configure it. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorials. NetApp Disk Shelf Numbering Video Tutorial [youtube v = CfvKuowEeB0 maxwidth = 100...
NetApp SnapMirror Synchronous and Asynchronous
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about the difference between synchronous and asynchronous replication and the implications of that in ONTAP. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorials. NetApp SnapMirror Synchronous and Asynchronous Video Tutorial [youtube v = o1mRjxM-1L0 maxwidth ...
NetApp SnapMirror and SnapVault Initial Peering Setup
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about the initial peering setup for SnapMirror and SnapVault when replicating between different clusters. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorials. NetApp SnapMirror and SnapVault Initial Peering Setup Video Tutorial [youtube v = oXuWR72vhic ma...
NetApp ESXi Host, NFS VAAI, and Guest OS Settings
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn how NetApp VSC, the Virtual Storage Console, can be used to configure the recommended best practice settings on your VMware ESXi hosts and virtual machines. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorials. NetApp ESXi Host, NFS VAAI, and Guest OS Sett...
NetApp VMware vSphere on ONTAP Best Practice
In this NetApp tutorial, I’ll wrap up the section by covering the best practices for VMware vSphere on ONTAP storage. Scroll down for the video and also the text tutorials. NetApp VMware vSphere on ONTAP Best Practice Video Tutorial [youtube v = ioVSRgBbHZA maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_vie...
NetApp Introduction to VMware vSphere
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about virtualization with VMware vSphere. I’ll explain the different components and how storage and networking work. Scroll down for the video and also the text tutorial. NetApp Introduction to VMware vSphere Video Tutorial [youtube v = SKY0xGctTrU ma...
NetApp Snapshot Restores
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn how to do restores from snapshots, using either the ONTAP command line or doing it from client hosts. Scroll down for the video and also the text tutorials. NetApp Snapshot Restores Video Tutorial [youtube v = k6DQ3z4CoGU maxwidth = 100%] [testimoni...
NetApp VVols on ONTAP
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about VMware VVols, that’s Virtual Volumes, with ONTAP storage. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorials. NetApp VVols on ONTAP Video Tutorial [youtube v = AXcUjVqwmhE maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] Traditional...
NetApp VSC Storage Capability Profiles
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about Storage Capability Profiles (SCP) in the NetApp Virtual Storage Console (VSC). What Storage Capability Profiles allow you to do is specify the characteristics of the storage. Scroll down for the video and also the text tutorials. For example, you ...
NetApp VSC Installation
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about the installation of the NetApp VSC, the Virtual Storage Console. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp VSC Installation Video Tutorial [youtube v = Q_dPZFRzH7A maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] VS...
NetApp VMware Storage – VAAI, VASA, and MPP
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about VMware terminology, which is specific to storage. That’s VAAI, VASA, and Multi-Path Plugins (MPP). Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp VMware Storage – VAAI, VASA, and MPP Video Tutorial [youtube v = _1FuBJ-2sVs maxwi...
NetApp NIC Teaming
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about NIC teaming and how it works. Scroll down for the video and also the text tutorial. NetApp NIC Teaming Video Tutorial [youtube v = r2Rt1K_2bJA maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] NIC teaming allows you to combine your physical N...
NetApp ONTAP VLANs
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about ONTAP VLANs. Scroll down for the video and also the text tutorial. NetApp ONTAP VLANs Tutorial [youtube v = w5HIt3SHXY8 maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] We can use VLANs in ONTAP to share our physical network ports among ...
NetApp Licensing
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about ONTAP licensing. I’ll explain how the licensing works, the available different license types, and show you how to configure it in both the System Manager GUI and the command line. Scroll down for the video and also the text tutorial. NetApp Licensing V...
NetApp ONTAP Upgrades
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about ONTAP upgrades. I’ll cover where to find the documentation you should check before doing the upgrade. We’ll also look at the manual checks that you should do before the upgrade and how to actually perform it, and we’ll go into some of the ca...
NetApp 7-Mode Migration
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about migrating 7-Mode to Clustered ONTAP, and the different tools that you can use including the 7-Mode transition tool. Scroll down for the video and also the text tutorial. NetApp 7-Mode Migration Video Tutorial [youtube v = wS5L6glYZ64 maxwidth = 100%]...
NetApp Centralized Management Software
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about the different Centralized Management products that are available from NetApp that help you with managing multiple distributed clusters spread across different locations. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Centralized Management ...
NetApp Snapshot Scheduling Strategies
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about snapshot scheduling strategies. That’s when you should take snapshots, and how long you should retain them for, and how you should set the snapshot copy reserve. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Snapshot Scheduling Strat...
NetApp Snapshot Schedules
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn how snapshot schedules and policies work. The ONTAP cluster takes scheduled snapshots of NAS volumes by default, now, you’re going to learn how those schedules work. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Snapshot Schedules Video Tu...
NetApp Data Protection Overview
In this NetApp tutorial, I’ll give you an overview of the different ONTAP data protection technologies and how they all fit together. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Data Protection Overview Video Tutorial [youtube v = QiLvXQFtHmQ maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=...
NetApp Tape Backups
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about tape backups and NDMP in ONTAP. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Tape Backups Video Tutorial [youtube v = JhLJ3DXeZIY maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] Tape Backups ONTAP does not have its ow...
NetApp Snapshot Operation
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn what ONTAP Snapshots are and how they work. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Snapshot Operation Video Tutorial [youtube v = z8fbS0fS-bo maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] Snapshots A Snapshot copy i...
NetApp SnapMirror Fan In, Fan Out, and Cascades
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about SnapMirror Engine fan in, fan out, and cascades. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp SnapMirror Fan In, Fan Out, and Cascades Video Tutorial [youtube v = x_zUF8iOq3E maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] F...
NetApp AADM and Balanced Placement
In this NetApp tutorial, you’re going to learn about Application Aware Data Management and Balanced Placement. This is an application-driven process that you can use, which will automate a lot of that work for you. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp AADM and Balanced Plac...
RAID Groups and Aggregates on NetApp ONTAP
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about RAID groups and aggregates, how they relate to each other, and considerations for how best to configure them. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. RAID Groups and Aggregates on NetApp ONTAP Video Tutorial [youtube v = PTCKW4wa5Y...
NetApp Multiprotocol Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover NetApp Multiprotocol configuration for CIFS and NFS NAS. NetApp Multiprotocol allows both Windows and UNIX based clients to access the same files and folders. Scroll down for the videos and also text tutorial. NetApp Multiprotocol Video Tutorial [youtub...
NetApp ONTAP Performance Overview
In this NetApp tutorial, I’ll give you an overview of the performance in ONTAP storage systems. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp ONTAP Performance Overview Video Tutorial [youtube v = SwwHgyWctiU maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] ONTAP Perfor...
NetApp Storage QoS Tutorial
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about ONTAP Storage QoS and how you can use it to control the performance that will be given to your workloads. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Storage QoS Video Tutorial [youtube v = pzX1Kdaz1mA maxwidth = 100%] [testimonia...
NetApp Storage Architecture Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, we will focus on NetApp storage architecture. The NetApp storage architecture is organised into disks, aggregates, RAID groups, volumes, Qtrees and LUNs. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. The NetApp Storage Architecture – Video Tutorial [youtu...
NetApp SAN Utilities: MPIO, DSM, SLM, & Host Utilities
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover MultiPath Input/Output (MPIO), Device-specific Modules (DSM), NetApp Host Utilities, and Asymmetric Logical Unit Access (ALUA). These are the software utilities that allow the initiator (the SAN client) to discover and correctly use multiple paths to th...
NetApp Replicated Database, Quorum, and Epsilon
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about the Replicated Database (RDB), quorum, and epsilon. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Replicated Database, Quorum, and Epsilon Video Tutorial [youtube v = DyPlOD2tLYc maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] ...
NetApp SAN Implementation Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, we will cover NetApp SAN implementation on clustered ONTAP. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp SAN Implementation Video Tutorial [youtube v = _6UrJ2Zv4cU maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] What is a Storage Area Netw...
NetApp Active IQ Tutorial
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about Active IQ, which is an online management tool from NetApp, which used to be known as My Auto-Support. What it allows you to do is to monitor the health of your storage systems and it also offers advice on recommended upgrades and best practice. Scrol...
NetApp FlexClone Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover the NetApp FlexClone. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp FlexClone Video Tutorial [youtube v = riR_RUJmYA4 maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] NetApp FlexClone A FlexClone volume is, not surprisingly, a...
NetApp Flexible Volumes (FlexVols)
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about FlexVols. That’s our Flexible Volumes. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Flexible Volume (FlexVols) Video Tutorial [youtube v = w7nL5np2WmI maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] NetApp Storage Architectur...
NetApp SyncMirror Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, we will discuss the NetApp SyncMirror. NetApp SyncMirror is an optional feature which provides redundancy for our disk shelves. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp SyncMirror Video Tutorial [youtube v = W1tZdVcvmY8 maxwidth = 100%] [testimoni...
NetApp SnapMirror Engine Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, we will discuss the NetApp SnapMirror Engine. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp SnapMirror Engine Video Tutorial [youtube v = CDLS3eYtx4k maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] The NetApp SnapMirror Engine The SnapMirror...
NetApp Flexible Volume Operations
In this NetApp tutorial, I’ll explain some of the operations that you’re going to be carrying out on your FlexVols. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Flexible Volume Operations Video Tutorial [youtube v = -cLY6aedJiY maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2&#...
NetApp Load Sharing Mirrors Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, we will focus on NetApp Load Sharing Mirrors. Load Sharing Mirrors are mirror copies of FlexVol volumes which provide redundancy and load balancing. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Load Sharing Mirrors Video Tutorial [youtube v = xiOCWQ06gg8...
NetApp FlexGroups Tutorial
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about FlexGroups. FlexGroups is a new feature for ONTAP 9 that allows you to have volumes which are a much larger size than would normally be available. It also improves performance too. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp FlexGroups V...
NetApp Fabric Pool Tutorial
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about Fabric Pool, which is an ONTAP storage tiering technology. It keeps your hot recently accessed data on high performance storage, on your primary storage, and it tiers off your cold data to lower performance, but lower cost object storage. Scroll down...
NetApp SnapVault Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, we will cover NetApp SnapVault. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp SnapVault Video Tutorial [youtube v = 46U234kS9e0 maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] NetApp SnapVault NetApp SnapVault is ONTAP’s long term dis...
NetApp Bootup Process Tutorial
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about the ONTAP boot-up process and we’ll have a quick lab demo where I’ll show you the system booting up. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp The Bootup Process Video Tutorial [youtube v = bJfkwbZMMJQ maxwidth = 100...
NetApp SnapMirror Data Protection DP Mirrors Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover NetApp SnapMirror Data Protection Mirrors, which I gave a shorter overview of in this post. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp SnapMirror Data Protection DP Mirrors Video Tutorial [youtube v = FiJZn3FTJeM maxwidth = 100%] [...
NetApp Admin Components
In this NetApp tutorial, you’ll learn about the different administrative components on the cluster. I’ll tell you about Volume Zero, and Aggregate Zero. Also, about the replicated database and our admin SVMs. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Admin Components Video...
NetApp MetroCluster Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover NetApp MetroCluster. This is NetApp’s solution for redundancy for a storage system spread across two different buildings that are within the same geographical region. Before I get into the details of MetroCluster, it’s going to be easier to unde...
NetApp Storage Virtual Machine (SVM) Tutorial
In this NetApp tutorial, we will cover NetApp Storage Virtual Machines (SVMs). SVMs allow us to implement secure multi-tenancy in ONTAP. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Storage Virtual Machines (SVMs) Video Tutorial [youtube v = kti_AM1EQFs maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view...
NetApp Network Load Balancing Tutorial
In this NetApp tutorial, I will explain NetApp Network Load Balancing. This is the seventh post in our NetApp networking video tutorial series. Links for the other videos in the series are at the bottom of the page. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Network Load Balancing Vide...
SnapDrive, SnapManager, and SnapCenter
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about SnapDrive, SnapManager, and SnapCenter, which can be used to give you client-side integration for taking snapshots for your SAN protocols. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. SnapDrive, SnapManager, and SnapCenter Video Tutoria...
NetApp Subnets Networking Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will explain NetApp Subnets. This is the sixth post in our NetApp networking video tutorial series. Links for the other videos in the series are at the bottom of the page. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Subnets Video Tutorial [youtube v =...
NetApp NVMe-oF Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) in ONTAP. Compared to the other storage protocols, NVMe is very new. You can check out the tutorial on it in my Intro to SAN and NAS course. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp NVMe-oF Video T...
NetApp Broadcast Domains and Failover Groups Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will explain NetApp Broadcast Domains and Failover Groups. This is the fifth post in our NetApp networking video tutorial series. Links for the other videos in the series are at the bottom of the page. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Broad...
NetApp VLANs Networking Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will explain about NetApp VLANs. This is the second post in our NetApp networking video tutorial series. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp VLANs Networking Video Tutorial [youtube v = rQzDIlIntNQ maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”...
NetApp Unified Replication
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about unified replication which allows you to configure both SnapMirror and SnapVault on the same destination volume to provide both disaster recovery and backup capability. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorials. NetApp Unified ...
NetApp Interface Groups Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will explain the NetApp Interface Groups. Interface Groups enable link aggregation of one or more Ethernet interfaces. This is the first in a series on NetApp networking, you can find links to the other tutorials at the bottom of the page. Scroll down for the vide...
Flash Pool Tutorial – NetApp VST (Virtual Storage Tier)
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will explain how Flash Pool aggregates on NetApp ONTAP storage systems work. Flash Pool is a NetApp VST (Virtual Storage Tier) caching technology. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. Flash Pool – NetApp VST (Virtual Storage Tier) Video Tutorial...
NetApp ALUA and SLM Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about ALUA and SLM, which stand for Asymmetric Logical Unit Access and Selective LUN Mapping respectively. These are used to control what paths are going to be advertised to the client to access its SAN storage. Scroll down for the video and also ...
NetApp High Availability
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will discuss NetApp High Availability on FAS controllers. Your storage system is almost certainly going to be a mission critical component in your environment so you don’t want to have any single points of failure. Controller redundancy is provided by the H...
NetApp SAN Thin Provisioning Settings Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about the different configuration options you can use for SAN thin provisioning and how things are going to differ depending on whether you’ve used the command line or the System Manager GUI. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorials...
NetApp Inline vs Postprocess Storage Efficiency Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about inline and postprocess storage efficiency operations. I’ll explain what the default settings are on both AFF and FAS systems and how they differ. Moreover, I’ll also explain the various caveats about what can be configured where....
NetApp Storage Efficiency Reporting Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about how to monitor reports for the different storage efficiency technologies. Scroll down for video and also text tutorial. NetApp Storage Efficiency Reporting Video Tutorial [youtube v = ZLM5Tmg_HhE maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”...
NetApp LUN Space Reservation and Fractional Reserve
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about thin provisioning for SAN protocols. You can thin or thick provision the LUN in the volume as well as thin or thick provisioning the volume in the aggregate. You’ll also learn about the fractional reserve, why we need it, and how it wo...
NetApp LUN Space Reclamation Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about LUN space reclamation, which is a way that we can make sure that the amount of space used in our LUNs is reported correctly on the ONTAP system. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp LUN Space Reclamation Video Tutorial [y...
NetApp ONTAP Platforms Overview
In this NetApp training tutorial, I’ll give you a high-level overview of the NetApp ONTAP operating system, the different platforms that it runs on, and where you would use each one. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp ONTAP Platforms Overview Video Tutorial – FAS, A...
NetApp Element OS Platform: SolidFire & NetApp HCI
In this NetApp training tutorial, I’ll give you an overview of the NetApp platforms that run on the Element operating system, namely SolidFire and NetApp HCI. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Element OS Platform Overview Video Tutorial – SolidFire and NetApp HCI [...
The NetApp Data Fabric – Overview Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, you’ll learn about the NetApp Data Fabric, which is NetApp’s vision or strategy to integrate all of their storage platforms across their portfolio with each other and also across Cloud services. Scroll down for video and text tutorials. The NetApp...
NetApp SANtricity Platforms Overwiew: E and EF Series
In this NetApp training tutorial, I’ll give you an overview of NetApp’s E and EF-Series platforms that run on the SANtricity operating system. Scroll down for the video and text tutorials. The E-Series and EF-Series platforms provide simple, easy to manage, fast, and reliable bloc...
NetApp Cloud Storage Solutions Overview Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I’ll give you an overview of NetApp’s Public Cloud Storage offerings namely Cloud Volumes ONTAP, NetApp Private Storage, and Cloud Volumes Service. Scroll down for the video and text tutorial. NetApp Cloud Storage Solutions Overview Video Tutorial [youtu...
NetApp StorageGRID WebScale Overview Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I’ll give you an overview of StorageGRID Webscale which is NetApp’s object storage platform. Scroll down for video and also text tutorial. NetApp StorageGRID WebScale Overview Video Tutorial [youtube v = wV_wUKruAbc maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_v...
NetApp Converged Infrastructure: FlexPod and NFLEX
In this NetApp training tutorial, I’ll give you an overview of NetApp’s converged infrastructure solutions, FlexPod, and NFLEX. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Converged Infrastructure Overview Video Tutorial – FlexPod and NFLEX [youtube v = Q26aiu7H9_g max...
NetApp Deduplication, Compression, and Compaction Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, we will cover deduplication, compression, and compaction. These are ONTAP storage efficiency technologies that help save physical space and reduce cost. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Deduplication, Compression, and Compaction Video Tutoria...
NetApp Thin Provisioning Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, we will take a look at NetApp Thin Provisioning which makes it appear to your clients that they’ve got more storage available than the actual physical storage space that is really on their storage system. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetAp...
NetApp IPspaces Networking Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will explain the NetApp IPspaces, the fourth post in our NetApp networking video tutorial series. Links for the other videos in the series are at the bottom of the page. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp IPspaces Networking Video Tutorial [y...
NetApp Logical Interfaces (LIFs) Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will explain the NetApp Logical Interfaces(LIFs), the third post in our NetApp networking video tutorial series. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Logical Interfaces (LIFs) Video Tutorial [youtube v = qDV42V1fHzA maxwidth = 100%] [testimonia...
NetApp Storage Pools (Flash Pool SSD) Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover NetApp Storage Pools. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Storage Pools (Flash Pool SSD) Tutorial Video Tutorial [youtube v = NxgZzoeehDk maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] NetApp Storage Pools for Flash Pool S...
Flash Cache Tutorial – NetApp VST (Virtual Storage Tier)
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will explain Flash Cache which is one of NetApp’s Virtual Storage Tiering technologies. Flash Pool, the other VST technology, is covered in the next post in this series. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. Flash Cache – NetApp VST (Virtua...
NetApp Service Processor and BMC Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover the NetApp Service Processor (SP). The Service Processor provides remote management capabilities for your NetApp system. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Service Processor Video Tutorial [youtube v = uXcm_kGKutA maxwidth = 100%] ...
NetApp Cluster, Management, Data and HA Networks Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will describe the different networks that NetApp ONTAP storage systems are connected to; the Data Network, Management Network, Cluster Interconnect, and High Availability connection. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Cluster, Management, Dat...
NetApp WAFL, NVRAM and the System Memory Cache
In this NetApp training tutorial, we will look at how reads and writes are handled and performance optimised in NetApp ONTAP by WAFL, NVRAM and the System Memory Cache. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp WAFL, NVRAM and the System Memory Cache – Video Tutorial [youtube v ...
VMware SRM Site Recovery Manager with NetApp SnapMirror Lab Guide
This guide has complete step by step instructions to help you setup a home lab for VMware SRM Site Recovery Manager with the NetApp Snapmirror Data Protection solution. Everything is free and because it’s virtualized you can run it all on your laptop. Lab Guide by Vincent Li. Vincent has over ...
SuperPutty Installation and Configuration Tutorial
I get asked quite regularly what the cool SSH client application I use in my videos is. SuperPutty runs on top of Putty and allows you to connect to the CLI of multiple devices in different tabs in the same window. This is much more convenient than having a separate window for each device, and [&hel...
VyOS Router Installation and Configuration Tutorial
This NetApp training tutorial explains how to install and configure the VyOS virtual router in VMware Workstation. The networks and IP addresses configured in the tutorial are for my NetApp lab, but you can easily adapt them to any project you’re working on. Scroll down for the step by step vi...
VMware Workstation Player Installation & Configuration
This NetApp training tutorial explains how to download, install, and configure VMware Workstation Player, the free version of VMware for Windows Desktops. The networks and IP addresses configured in the tutorial are for my NetApp lab, but you can easily adapt them to any project you’re working...
NetApp ONTAP 9 Hardware Architecture
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will discuss the NetApp ONTAP clustered hardware architecture. In the last post, we covered the scalability limitations that existed in legacy 7-Mode, the main problems being that there is a maximum of two controllers in the same system and it does not support act...
NetApp 7-Mode Hardware Architecture Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover the 7-Mode Hardware Architecture. ONTAP 7-Mode was deprecated after version 8.2 of the operating system, but it’s much easier to understand the clustered hardware architecture of Clustered ONTAP and ONTAP 9 if you see the 7-Mode architecture first...
Interview with Matt Leib at NetApp Insight
[youtube v = 9ZVEoiAaybw maxwidth = 100%] I sat down with industry veteran Matt Leib at NetApp Insight to discuss his career in IT and advice for people building their career in the industry. Scroll down to see the transcript. You can read Matt’s blog at https://virtuallytiedtomydesktop...
NetApp ONTAP 9 Upgrades Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I explain how to perform a NetApp ONTAP 9 upgrade. The information applies whether you’re upgrading from ONTAP 8 or between versions in ONTAP 9. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. I’ll cover: Where to find the documentation you should check b...
How to Get the Best NetApp Content – Quick & Easy Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial post, you’ll see a super fast and convenient way to always keep up to date with all the latest NetApp news, features, and tutorials. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. How to Get the Best NetApp Content – Quick & Easy Tutorial [youtube ...
NetApp ONTAP 9.4 New Features and Platforms
NetApp ONTAP 9.4 New Features and Platforms The new NetApp ONTAP 9.4 operating system for their FAS and AFF storage platforms has just been announced. Brand new ONTAP hardware platforms are also available – the high-end All Flash FAS AFF A800, entry level AFF A220 and entry level hybrid flash FAS2...
NetApp Qtrees and Quotas Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover qtrees and quotas. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Qtrees and Quotas Video Tutorial [youtube v = vxeVfJAqYQc maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] Qtrees are an optional feature in the NetApp ONTAP software arch...
NetApp Export Policies Tutorial
NetApp Export Policies Tutorial In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover Export Policies for NAS protocols. Export Policies and rules enable you to restrict access to volumes and qtrees. NetApp Export Policies NetApp Export policies and rules enable the administrator to re...
NetApp Infinite Volumes and Storage Classes Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover the NetApp Infinite Volumes. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Infinite Volumes and Storage Classes Video Tutorial [youtube v = BK6TKesNcTM maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] Flexible Volumes and the NetApp St...
NetApp NFS Storage Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover NetApp NFS storage. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp NFS Video Tutorial [youtube v = AtXV2f7zv_E maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] Protocol Licensing Although they will typically come as a bundle, eac...
NetApp RBAC Role Based Access Control Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover the Role Based Access Control (RBAC). Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp RBAC Role Based Access Control Video Tutorial [youtube v = wvvDRA99qvs maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] NetApp RBAC Role Based Access C...
NetApp CIFS and SMB Storage Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover CIFS and SMB on NetApp storage. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp CIFS and SMB Storage Video Tutorial [youtube v = Q4n0TICXN0g maxwidth = 100%] [testimonial_view id=”2″] NetApp CIFS SMB The terms CIFS (Common I...
NetApp FAS8000 – FAS8020, FAS8040, FAS8060, FAS8080
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will give a guided tour of the FAS8000 series platforms which comprise the FAS8020, FAS8040, FAS8060 and FAS8080 EX models. I will also explain the hardware architecture and available ports on the back of the controllers. Scroll down for the video and also text tu...
NetApp FAS2500 Overview – FAS2520, FAS2552, FAS2554
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will give a guided tour of the FAS2500 series platforms – the FAS2520, FAS2552 and FAS2554. I will also explain the hardware architecture and available ports on the back of the controllers. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp FAS2500 Ove...
NetApp Disk Shelf Models and Cabling Tutorial
In this NetApp training tutorial, I will cover the hardware characteristics of the various NetApp disk shelf models and how to carry out the system cabling. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial. NetApp Disk Shelf Models and Cabling Video Tutorial [youtube v = HXIMbEXKaHA maxwidth = 100%]...
NetApp ONTAP 9 – Key Features
In this NetApp training tutorial post, I will give a summary of the new NetApp ONTAP 9 operating system, plus show you where you can get free official NetApp videos and a lab demo. Want to practice on your laptop? Download my free step-by-step guide ‘How to Build a NetApp ONTAP Lab for ...