Ha-config

Yesterday we booted up a new 7-mode cluster and saw a couple things:

• The systems were rebooting rather than going to the setup prompt.
• The systems’ NVRAM cards’ LED’s weren’t lit up correctly.
• And an error message:

Cannot determine whether configuration should be stand-alone or HA. Chassis is in default configuration, controller is in default configuration, and the non-volatile memory is dirty. Boot into Maintenance mode and run the 'ha-config modify' command to set the controller and chassis configuration to stand-alone or HA, as appropriate. Setting the wrong configuration might lead to data loss. If you need assistance, contact support.

Mar 07 04:01:46 [localhost:haosc.config.unknown.nv:ALERT]: Cannot determine whether configuration should be stand-alone or HA. Chassis is in default configuration, controller is in default configuration, and the nonvolatile memory is dirty.

This is what we did to fix it.

• Boot to special boot menu.
• Choose 5 to get to maintenance mode.
• Set these:
• ha-config modify chassis ha
• ha-config modify controller ha
• Reboot to setup prompt
• Configure initial setup
• Cf enable
• Verify via sysconfig that the systems knew their partner’s hostname and sysid now
• Cf disable
• Halt to loader prompt
• Printenv
• Verify psm-cc-config is true
• Verify partner-sysid was properly set
• Boot up and cf enable

NetApp Training Brain Dump: ONTAP 8.0 Boot Menu Option Flowchart

As promised, the 8.0 Boot Menu Options Diagram.  Note it is a significantly changed landscape!  You can find the 7.3 Boot Menu Options Diagram here.

Credit: Me!

NetApp Training Brain Dump: ONTAP 7.3 Boot Menu Option Flowchart

One of the cool things about ONTAP is that it has a very intelligently designed boot process that gives engineers different contexts that are optimized for what you're trying to do: CFE, Diag mode, Maint mode, special boot menu, etc.  You can think of the each of these as a room inside garage of sorts - lots of tools, no interference, no distractions.  You can click here for more information on these menus.

The only thing is, navigating these contexts and knowing which door to walk through is difficult for people who learn visually.  Since I couldn't find an official version of this online (correct me if I'm wrong!), I generated one myself.  I tried to leave out details in the menu that don't relate to changing contexts - you can find information on the menus themselves elsewhere in my blog.  Please note that this is ONTAP 7.3 specific, ONTAP 8 has a dramatically different landscape.   

Courtesy: Me!
(click the picture for zoom)

Suggestions/corrections always welcome!

Props:

openoffice.org for flowchart software

pdfcreator.com for converting my .odg to .pdf (my screenshots were coming out poor quality)

http://convert.neevia.com/pdfconvert for converting my .odg to .jpg.