Introduction

NetApp storage systems are hardware- and software-based data storage and retrieval systems. They respond to network requests from clients and fulfill them by writing data to or retrieving data from the disk arrays. They provide a modular hardware architecture running the Data ONTAP operating system and WAFL (Write Anywhere File Layout) software.

The NetApp storage system consists of the following components:

• The storage system main unit, or chassis, is also known as the storage engine. It is the hardware device that receives and sends data. This unit also houses the storage system components and detects and gathers information about the hardware and the hardware configuration, the storage system components, operational status, hardware failures, and error conditions.
• The disk shelves are the containers, or device carriers, that hold disks and associated hardware (such as power supplies, connectivity, and cabling) that are connected to the main unit of the storage systems.

More specifically, the NetApp storage system includes:

• Internal components such as the system board, system memory, NVRAM, boot device, LCD and LEDs, environmental adapters, etc.
• Slots and ports
• Disk shelves and disks

Owing to their high availability and efficient load distribution features, the NetApp storage system is very popular in large, mission-critical IT infrastructures, which require ready and reliable storage services. In such environments, the non-availability of the storage system or any of its core components, rapid erosion of storage space provided by the storage system, and inconsistencies in I/O load-balancing across disks/LUNs/RAIDs can result in short/prolonged delays in the delivery of storage services, which will ultimately slowdown the dependent end-user services. To avoid this, it is imperative to watch out for issues in the operations and usage of the storage system on a regular basis. This is where eG Enterprise helps administrators!