NS0-162 NetApp Certified Data Administrator (ONTAP) Questions and Answers

 Adaptive QoS is a feature that automatically adjusts the QoS throughput ceiling or floor based on the volume size, either used or allocated. The QoS throughput ceiling is the maximum number of IOPS or MB/s that a volume can consume. Therefore, any change that affects the volume size, such as adding data to the volume or resizing the volume, would affect the QoS throughput ceiling. Adding disks to the volume’s aggregate or having more clients access the volume would not affect the QoS throughput ceiling, as they do not change the volume size. References :- Use adaptive QoS policy groups, qos adaptive-policy-group create, Exam Name: NetApp Certified Data Administrator, ONTAP DEMO

The igroup is a logical grouping of initiators that can access a set of LUNs. The igroup must contain the IQNs (iSCSI Qualified Names) or WWPNs (World Wide Port Names) of the initiators that need to access the LUNs. In this scenario, the igroup named “ESX” has the iSCSI protocol and the VMware OS type, but it does not have any initiators listed. This means that the VMware hosts cannot authenticate and connect to the LUNs in the SVM. To resolve this issue, the igroup must be populated with the correct initiators that match the VMware hosts. This can be done by using the igroup add command or the System Manager GUI12. References :- Create an igroup, Add initiators to an igroup

The number of root aggregates that are created during deployment of two NetApp AFF A400 HA pairs is 8. Each AFF A400 HA pair consists of two nodes, and each node has one root aggregate that contains the root volume. Therefore, two AFF A400 HA pairs have 2 x 2 x 2 8 root aggregates in total. The other options are incorrect because they do not match the number of nodes and root aggregates in the scenario. References :- Manage node root volumes and root aggregates, AFF A400 All-Flash Storage Array

The space guarantee setting determines how much space is reserved in the aggregate for the volume. A space guarantee of “none” means that no space is reserved for the volume, and the volume can use any available space in the aggregate. This approach to space management is called thin provisioning. This setting would prevent the hosting aggregates from showing a decrease in available space when creating new volumes, as long as the aggregate is not overcommitted. References :- How volume guarantees work with FlexVol volumes, How you set space guarantees for new or existing volumes, What is the impact of changing volume space-guarantee from “volume” to “none”?

 The NetApp Hardware Universe (HWU) is a web-based tool that provides information about NetApp hardware products, including system specifications, supported configurations, and compatibility matrices. The HWU can help you determine which ports to use to expand your cluster by selecting your system model and viewing the available ports and their functions. You can also compare different models and generate reports based on your criteria. References :- NetApp Hardware Universe, Detailed guide - AFF A400

ONTAP System Manager is a web-based graphical user interface (GUI) that enables you to manage and monitor your ONTAP cluster. You can use ONTAP System Manager to add protocol licenses to your cluster by following a simple and easy workflow. The other management tools are not designed for adding protocol licenses to an ONTAP cluster. NetApp Cloud Manager is a cloud-based service that helps you deploy and manage NetApp cloud data services. Active IQ Unified Manager is a software application that provides performance monitoring and health management for ONTAP clusters. Active IQ Config Advisor is a tool that scans and validates the configuration of NetApp storage systems and hosts. References :- Configure ONTAP on a new cluster with System Manager, ONTAP System Manager overview, NetApp Cloud Manager overview, Active IQ Unified Manager overview, Active IQ Config Advisor overview

 Virtual Storage Console (VSC) is a vCenter plug-in that provides end-to-end storage management for VMware environments that run on NetApp storage systems. VSC enables you to configure the ESXi host multipathing and HBA timeout settings according to the NetApp best practices. You can use the Set Recommended Values option in the ONTAP tools menu to apply the recommended settings for your system. VSC also provides other features such as provisioning, backup and restore, monitoring, and optimization of NetApp storage forVMware. References :- Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere, Configure ESXi server multipathing and timeout settings

 The problem is that the host IP address does not match the export policy rule. The export policy rule shown in the exhibit specifies that any client with an IP address within the 10.0.1.0/24 subnet can access the volume using NFSv3, as indicated by “Access Protocol” set to “any” and “Client Match” set to “10.0.1.0/24”. However, the Linux host has an IP address of 10.0.1.24, which falls outside this range, leading to a mismatch between the host IP and export policy rule. To fix this problem, the export policy rule should be modified to include the host IP address or a broader subnet that covers it. References :- Add a rule to an export policy, vserver export-policy rule create, Create an export policy for the volume

To enable Active Directory (AD) domain users and groups to access the cluster or SVMs for administration purposes, you need to set up an authentication tunnel through an SVM that has a CIFS server created and joined to the domain. This can be either an existing CIFS SVM or a dedicated admin SVM. You also need to use the vserver active-directory create command to create a computer account on the domain for the SVM that you want to access. This command works for both CIFS and non-CIFS SVMs. Configuring an authentication tunnel through anadmin SVM or an existing CIFS SVM are both valid actions to accomplish this task. However, using the vserver active-directory create command to create a computer account on the domain for a CIFS SVM is not necessary, as this is done automatically when the CIFS server is created and joined to the domain. References :- Configure Active Directory domain controller access overview, How to configure AD authentication for cluster when CIFS is not licensed, Create a CIFS server

The space allocation option is a LUN attribute that enables the host to communicate with the storage system about the blocks that are no longer in use by the host file system. When the space allocation option is enabled, the host sends SCSI UNMAP commands to the storage system when files are deleted on the disk. The storage system then reclaims the space from the thin-provisioned LUN and makes it available for other LUNs or volumes. This process is also known as space reclamation or hole punching. If the space allocation option is disabled, the host does not send SCSI UNMAP commands and the storage system does not reclaim the space from the thin-provisioned LUN, resulting in a discrepancy between the host and the storage system. References :- Space reclamation, Enable or disable the space allocation option for a LUN

The availability of the remote cluster in the peering relationship shows “Partial” only if some nodes in the local cluster are not able to contact some or all nodes in the peer cluster1. This means that there is a network connectivity issue between some of the intercluster LIFs on the local and remote clusters. This can affect the data transfer and API communication between the clusters. The other options are not correct because they would result in different availability statuses, such as Unavailable, Pending, or Unidentified1. References :- cluster peer show, Cluster peering issues after upgrade to ONTAP 9.11.1, Output of “cluster peer health show” intermittently displays “session_reachable” for data ping

The NetApp solution that fulfills the requirements is SnapMirror Business Continuity (SM-BC). SM-BC is a business continuity solution for zero RPO and near zero RTO that was introduced in ONTAP 9.8. SM-BC enables transparent application failover and failback between two ONTAP clusters without requiring any application reconfiguration. SM-BC supports ISCSI LUNs as well as NFS and SMB file shares. The other options are not suitable for this scenario because:

• SyncMirror is a local high availability solution that mirrors data within a single HA pair, not across clusters.
• SVM DR is a disaster recovery solution that replicates data and configuration of an SVM to another cluster, but requires manual intervention to activate the destination SVM and reconfigure the application.
• SMS is a synchronous replication solution that provides zero RPO, but not zero RTO, as it also requires manual intervention to activate the destination volume and reconfigure the application. References :- SnapMirror Business Continuity overview, SnapMirror Business Continuity for ONTAP 9.12, SnapMirror Business Continuity FAQ

When you perform an upgrade using ONTAP System Manager 9.8, you can use the automated nondisruptive update (ANDU) feature, which simplifies and streamlines the update process. The latest available images will appear in the ONTAP System Manager interface, and you can select the image you want to install. The update history is available within the ONTAP System Manager interface, and you can view the status and progress of the update. You do not need to manually upload the images to the cluster or download them from the NetApp Support site, as ONTAP System Manager will automatically download and upload the images as needed. References :- Automated nondisruptive ONTAP upgrade, How to Upgrade to ONTAP 9.8

 To troubleshoot the issue of iSCSI LUNs not visible on the host, you should verify that the iSCSI data protocol has been enabled on the ports and that the controller has not been taken over. If the iSCSI data protocol is disabled on the ports, the storage system will not accept iSCSI connections or requests over those ports. If the controller has been taken over by its partner, the iSCSI LUNs on the taken-over node will not be available to the host. You can use the vserver iscsi connection show command to check the status of the iSCSI connections and the storage failover show command to check the status of the controller. References :- Troubleshoot iSCSI LUNs not visible on the host, vserver iscsi connection show, storage failover show

 To add SSDs to existing HDD aggregates, you need to use the Automated Workload Analyzer (AWA) tool, which is a part of the Active IQ Performance Analytics service. AWA can help you to validate how many SSDs would improve performance by analyzing the workload characteristics and performance metrics of your cluster and providing recommendations for optimal SSD allocation. AWA can also help you to identify the best candidates for Flash Pool conversion, which is a feature that allows you to combine SSDs and HDDs in the same aggregate to improve performance and efficiency12.

• OnCommand Workflow Automation is not the tool that can help you to validate how many SSDs would improve performance, as it is mainly used for automating storage management tasks and workflows3.
• Active IQ Unified Manager is not the tool that can help you to validate how many SSDs would improve performance, as it is mainly used for monitoring and managing the health, performance, and configuration of the cluster, not the SSD allocation4.
• ONTAP System Manager is not the tool that can help you to validate how many SSDs would improve performance, as it is mainly used for performing basic administration and management tasks on the cluster, not the SSD optimization5. References :- Active IQ Performance Analytics, Flash Pool overview, OnCommand Workflow Automation overview, Active IQ Unified Manager overview, ONTAP System Manager overview.

To find out which two storage efficiencies are enabled by default on NetApp AFF systems, you need to look at the documentation that explains the inline storage efficiency enablement on AFF systems. According to this document1, the following storage efficiency features are enabled by default on all newly created volumes on AFF systems:

• Inline compression: This feature reduces the amount of data written to disk by compressing data blocks before they are written to disk. Compression can reduce the storage space required by up to 50% or more, depending on the data type and compressibility.
• Inline deduplication: This feature eliminates duplicate data blocks within a volume before they are written to disk. Deduplication can reduce the storage space required by up to 90% or more, depending on the data type and similarity.
• You do not need to enable postprocess compaction or postprocess zero block detection on AFF systems, as they are not supported or required for SSDs. Postprocess compaction is a feature that combines multiple small data blocks into a single larger block after they are written to disk, which can reduce the storage space required by up to 30% or more. However, this feature is only supported for HDDs, as SSDs do not have the same physical limitations as HDDs. Postprocess zero block detection is a feature that identifies and removes blocks that contain only zeros after they are written to disk, which can reduce the storage space required by up to 10% or more. However, this feature is not required for SSDs, as inline zero block detection is already enabled by default on AFF systems23. References :- Inline storage efficiency enabled by default on AFF systems, Postprocess compaction, Zero block detection.

https://docs.netapp.com/us-en/ontap/data-protection/convert-mode-snapmirror-synchronous-task.html On the link above it states: You cannot modify the policy of a Snapmirror Synchronous relationship to convert its mode.

To delegate administration of the SVM to an SVM administrator, you need to create the vsadmin user account in the new SVM and configure role-based access control (RBAC) for the vsadmin user account. The vsadmin user account is the default SVM administrator account that has full access to the SVM resources and can perform all SVM-related tasks. RBAC is a feature that allows you to control the access and permissions of users and groups based on their roles. You can use RBAC to assign roles, capabilities, and access methods to the vsadmin user account. Creating a LIF for SVM management and setting a password for the vsadmin user account are optional tasks that you can perform after creating the vsadmin user account and configuring RBAC for it. References :- Delegate administration to SVM administrators with System Manager - ONTAP 9.7 and earlier, Create a new SVM, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Express Guide

Active IQ Unified Manager is a web-based tool that monitors the health, performance, capacity, and protection of clusters and SVMs. It provides alerts, reports, dashboards, and recommendations to help optimize and troubleshoot the ONTAP environment. Active IQ Unified Manager can be used to validate the deployment of a NetApp AFF A400 cluster by checking the cluster configuration, status, and efficiency1.

Active IQ Config Advisor is a desktop tool that scans the cluster and its components for configuration issues, best practices violations, and potential problems. It generates a report that identifies the errors, warnings, and informational messages along with the suggested actions to resolve them. Active IQ Config Advisor can be used to validate the deployment of a NetApp AFF A400 cluster by verifying the hardware, software, network, and storage settings2.

The other tools are not relevant for validating the deployment of a NetApp AFF A400 cluster. OnCommand Workflow Automation is a tool that automates storage management tasks using predefined or custom workflows. Active IQ Web site is a tool that provides insights and recommendations based on the data collected from NetApp systems34. References :- Active IQ Unified Manager overview, Active IQ Config Advisor overview, OnCommand Workflow Automation overview, Active IQ overview

To protect the data on your ONTAP C190 cluster using the native SnapMirror technology, you need to have two products that support SnapMirror replication and can run ONTAP software. The following two products would satisfy this request:

• ONTAP Select: This is a software-defined storage solution that runs on VMware ESXi hosts and can create and manage ONTAP clusters and nodes on the virtualized hardware. ONTAP Select supports SnapMirror replication for data protection and disaster recovery between ONTAP Select clusters or between ONTAP Select and other ONTAP systems12.
• Cloud Volumes ONTAP: This is a software-only storage service that runs on public cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud and provides enterprise-grade data management features such as SnapMirror replication. Cloud Volumes ONTAP supports SnapMirror replication for data protection and disaster recovery between Cloud Volumes ONTAP instances or between Cloud Volumes ONTAP and other ONTAP systems34.
• Cloud Volumes Service for AWS and Azure NetApp Files are not the products that can satisfy this request, as they are fully managed cloud storage services that do not run ONTAP softwareand do not support SnapMirror replication. They provide native cloud replication features such as AWS Backup and Azure Backup, which are different from SnapMirror technology56. References :- ONTAP Select overview, SnapMirror replication for ONTAP Select, Cloud Volumes ONTAP overview, SnapMirror replication for Cloud Volumes ONTAP, Cloud Volumes Service for AWS overview, Azure NetApp Files overview.

The Active IQ Web site is a tool that provides insights and recommendations for your NetApp systems based on data collected from AutoSupport. You can use the Active IQ Web site to accomplish the task of locating empty SAS ports remotely by accessing the Inventory page and selecting the HA pair. You can then view the details of each node and see the port utilization and availability for each SAS port. The other tools are not suitable for this task because they do not provide the specific information about the SAS ports of your HA pair. ONTAP System Manager is a web-based interface for managing ONTAP clusters, but it does not show the port utilization and availability for SAS ports. Hardware Universe is a tool that provides information about the compatibility and specifications of NetApp hardware products, but it does not show the port utilization and availability for SAS ports. Interoperability Matrix Tool is a tool that provides information about the supported configurations and software versions for NetApp products, but it does not show the port utilization and availability for SAS ports. References :- Active IQ Web - NetApp, Active IQ Inventory - NetApp, Active IQ Documentation - NetApp