Table of ContentsView in Frames

Decisions to make before configuring a resource pool

Before creating a resource pool by using the Add Resource Pool wizard, or modifying a resource configuration by using the Edit properties option, is useful to have all the resource pool configuration information ready.

Name (required)
What name do you want to assign to the resource pool?
  • Provide a meaningful name that briefly describes the storage or the intended use of the storage in the resource pool.

    An example of a name that describes the storage path is: server1_homedirs, tier1_mktg, or china_eng.

  • Special characters and spaces are permitted in names.

    The limit is 64 characters, but for readability, it is advised that you keep the name under 25 characters.

Description (optional)
How do you want to describe the resource pool, so the intended use of the resource pool is clear?
  • Provide a meaningful description of the resource pool, such as an explanation of the intended use of the resource pool, the type of storage contained in the resource pool, or some other common attribute that identifies why the storage was grouped into a resource pool.
  • The limit is 255 characters, but for readability, it is advised that you keep the description under 40 characters.
Owner (optional)
Who should be contacted regarding problems with the resource pool?
  • Provide the name of the person or people responsible for maintaining this resource pool.
  • You can list multiple owners, delimited by commas. There is no formatting restriction.
Contact (optional)
Who should be alerted regarding problems with the resource pool?
  • Provide the e-mail addresses or e-mail aliases to which notifications, alerts, and so forth should be sent concerning the resource pool.
  • The e-mail addresses listed here might be the same ones used for receiving alerts regarding the resource pool.
  • You can have multiple e-mail contacts, delimited by commas.
Time Zone (required)
Will you use the default time zone for the resource pool or change the time zone?
  • The resource pool must have a time zone selected. You can retain the default setting or change it.

    To select a time zone, you can either scroll through the entire list or type a time zone designation in the Filter Time Zone text box.

Physical Resources (required)
How will you determine which storage to include in the resource pool from the list of physical resources available?
  • Decide on which properties you want to base the creation of the resource pool: for example, location, cost, performance, reliability, or access privileges.
  • Decide whether the resource pool will contain individual aggregates, an entire storage system (all the aggregates in a storage system), or a combination.
  • Decide which version of Data ONTAP will run on the systems in this resource pool.

    Systems running Data ONTAP versions earlier than 7.0 cannot use the aggregate or flexible volume features. This impacts how you later assign destination resources for mirror copies and backups.

  • Decide if you want to use traditional volumes or flexible volumes in the resource pool.
    • Flexible volumes are available only when running Data ONTAP 7.0 or later.
    • Aggregates are used for provisioning of flexible volumes, and spare disks are used for provisioning of traditional volumes.
    • If you intend to associate a resource pool with a dataset in a mirror relationship, the volumes on the primary node and those on the secondary nodes must be of the same type. You cannot combine traditional volumes and FlexVol volumes on nodes that are part of a mirror relationship.
  • Decide how much available storage space you need for the resource pool, based on the resource pool's intended use.
  • Verify that you have the appropriate software licenses on the storage you intend to use.
Labels (optional)
When a provisioning request is processed, do you want to restrict the resources available for provisioning to only those with a specific label assigned to them?
  • A label set on an individual member of a resource pool takes priority over a label applied to the entire resource pool. It essentially functions as a filter, allowing you to identify specific resources to be considered when fulfilling a provisioning request.
  • The labels can be edited inline in the table. For both resource pool and members, an existing label can be selected from the drop-down list or a new label can be typed in. A resource label is a text string of any length.
Space Thresholds (optional to modify default)
At what point do you want to receive notification regarding consumption of space in the resource pool?
  • Resource Pool Nearly Full threshold and Resource Pool Full Threshold

    These thresholds can be used to track the amount of space that is consumed in a resource pool. Events are generated when these thresholds are reached. The default thresholds are: Nearly Full = 80%, Full = 90%.

  • Aggregate Nearly Overcommitted threshold and Aggregate Overcommitted threshold

    These thresholds can be used to track the sum of committed space of all the aggregates that belong to the resource pool. Events are generated when these thresholds are reached.

    Tracking these thresholds in an environment in which the aggregates are overcommitted (thin provisioning) is particularly important, because in such an environment administrators commit more storage than is physically available. The default thresholds are: Nearly Overcommitted = 300%, Overcommitted = 400%.