NetApp ONTAP 9.7 - Converting FlexVol volumes to FlexGroup volumes

FlexGroup Volume:

A FlexGroup volume is a scale-out NAS container that provides high performance along with automatic load distribution and scalability. A FlexGroup volume contains several constituents that automatically and transparently share the traffic.

If you want to expand a FlexVol volume beyond its space limit, you can convert the FlexVol volume to a FlexGroup volume. Starting with ONTAP 9.7, you can convert standalone FlexVol volumes or FlexVol volumes that are in a SnapMirror relationship to FlexGroup volumes.

Starting with ONTAP 9.7, you can perform an in-place conversion of a FlexVol volume to a FlexGroup volume without requiring a data copy or additional disk space.

To convert a FlexVol volume SnapMirror relationship to a FlexGroup volume SnapMirror relationship in ONTAP, you must first convert the destination FlexVol volume followed by the source FlexVol volume.

1. Create a new source flexvol volume (Ex- Volfg2) in cluster1. Check the volume style.

2.Mount the Flexvol in Linux Server and create files.

3. Create a destination flexvol volume (Ex- volfg2_dr) with DP type  in cluster2.

4. In cluster2, Create a snapmirror relationship.

Source : Cluster1  Vserver : svm_src1   Volume: volfg2
Target  : Cluster2  vserver : svm_dst1    volume : volfg2_dr

5. Initialize the snapmirror relationship.

6. To convert Flexvol to flexgroup, first quiesce the relationship.

7.Now verify the conversion process (-check-only option). Rectify if you will get any error.

8. Start the volume conversion in cluster2 (Snapmirror Destination volume).

9. Check the destination volume volume style. It changed to flexgroup.

10. Now convert the source volume in cluster1. (source volume - volfg2)

11. Successfully converted to flexgroup.

12. Then, in Cluster2 resync the snapmirror relationship.

Important: You cannot convert a FlexGroup volume back to a FlexVol volume.