NetApp remains loyal to its release cycle for new ONTAP versions and today released the first details of the new ONTAP 9.5 at the insight in Las Vegas. The new features at a glance:
Metro cluster over IP for AFF A300 and FAS8200 systems
Until now, the Metro cluster over IP was only available in conjunction with the “big” AFF A700 heads. Now NetApp has also released the Metro cluster over IP for the AFF A300/FAS 8200 controller models. This should also simplify the entry into the Metro Cluster world from a financial point of view, because the A700 controllers have already made a little budget. It is especially worth mentioning that the maximum distance to 700km has risen. This tolerates latency of 10ms between sites.
SnapMirrorSync is back
who has been using NetApp products for a long time, the SnapMirrorSync from the old 7-MODE world will still be in your mind. Thus it was possible to build a synchronous mirror between two volumes. Ideal for disaster recovery scenarios. In the last ONTAP versions we had to come up with asynchronous mirrors at minute intervals and, if necessary, work with SVM-DR scenarios. In ONTAP 9.5 The SnapMirror Sync is back and allows you to build a synchronous mirror between two ONTAP systems. (Note: Synchronous mirror does not yet have a transparent failover. For this you still need a Metro cluster) so far FC, iSCSI and NFSv3 are supported in the SnapMirror. The prerequisite is that the latency between your sites must not be greater than 10ms. FlexGroupVolumes are not supported and you need an extra license to activate the SnapMirror sync.
New FlexCache
FlexCache gives you the option to keep “hot blocks” in the cache while the “cold” data remains in the normal volume. What is new is that the volume can lie somewhere in the ONTAP cluster and even on a remote cluster. FlexCache offers the possibility to achieve low read latency without keeping all the data in a high performance tier.
The new FlexCache has been around since ONTAP 9.5 and it doesn´t matter where the volume, to be cached, is homed. This can be an AFF, a FAS or even an ONTAP select. Currently only NFSv3 is supported and an additional license is required.
FabricPool improvements
FabricPool now supports FlexGroups. Now you can grow infinitely;) . Data moving to the cloud is now encrypted with an end-to-end encryption key. Until now, the FabricPool only has to push data into the cloud from an aggregate level of 50%. This parameter is now adjustable, but remains in the default to 50%.
So short so good. If something new is known, I will keep you informed.
Greetings
Der Schmitz
DISCLAIMER: This post is my personal observation and is not officially authorized by NetApp or others. Misinterpretations or misunderstandings reserved.
I think you are confusing SyncMirror and SnapMirror Sync. SyncMirror has been in ONTAP cDOT for a while now as it is the basis for MetroCluster (Aggregate Mirroring). SnapMirror Sync however is a different technique which uses the SnapMirror technology (especially the TCP/IP network as transfer medium) to achieve something similar…
You are totally, I have corrected my article. Thank you.