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Managing a node by using the boot menu

You can use the boot menu to correct configuration problems on a node, reset the admin password, initialize disks, reset the node configuration, and restore the node configuration information back to the boot device.

  1. Reboot the node to access the boot menu by using the system node reboot command at the system prompt.

    Result

    The node begins the reboot process.

  2. During the reboot process, press Ctrl-C to display the boot menu when prompted to do so.

    Result

    The node displays the following options for the boot menu:

    (1) Normal Boot.
    (2) Boot without /etc/rc.
    (3) Change password.
    (4) Clean configuration and initialize all disks.
    (5) Maintenance mode boot.
    (6) Update flash from backup config.
    (7) Install new software first.
    (8) Reboot node.
    (9) Configure Advanced Drive Partitioning
    Selection (1-9)?
    Note
    Boot menu option (2) Boot without /etc/rc is obsolete and takes no effect on the system.
  3. Select one of the following options by entering the corresponding number:
    Continue to boot the node in normal mode1) Normal Boot
    Change the password of the node, which is also the admin account password3) Change Password
    Initialize the node's disks and create a root volume for the node4) Clean configuration and initialize all disks
    Attention
    This menu option erases all data on the disks of the node and resets your node configuration to the factory default settings.

    Only select this menu item after the node has been removed from a cluster (unjoined) and is not joined to another cluster, see Removing nodes from the cluster.

    For a node with internal or external disk shelves, the root volume on the internal disks is initialized. If there are no internal disk shelves, then the root volume on the external disks is initialized.

    If the node you want to initialize has disks that are partitioned for root-data partitioning, the disks must be unpartitioned before the node can be initialized, see 9) Configure Advanced Drive Partitioning and the Disks and Aggregates Power Guide.

    Perform aggregate and disk maintenance operations and obtain detailed aggregate and disk information.5) Maintenance mode boot

    You exit Maintenance mode by using the halt command.

    Restore the configuration information from the node's root volume to the boot device, such as a PC CompactFlash card6) Update flash from backup config

    ONTAP stores some node configuration information on the boot device. When the node reboots, the information on the boot device is automatically backed up onto the node's root volume. If the boot device becomes corrupted or needs to be replaced, you must use this menu option to restore the configuration information from the node's root volume back to the boot device.

    Install new software on the node7) Install new software first

    If the ONTAP software on the boot device does not include support for the storage array that you want to use for the root volume, you can use this menu option to obtain a version of the software that supports your storage array and install it on the node.

    This menu option is only for installing a newer version of ONTAP software on a node that has no root volume installed. Do not use this menu option to upgrade ONTAP.

    Reboot the node8) Reboot node
    Unpartition all disks and remove their ownership information or clean the configuration and initialize the system with whole or partitioned disks9) Configure Advanced Drive Partitioning
    Beginning with ONTAP 9.4, the Advanced Drive Partitioning option provides additional management features for disks that are configured for root-data or root-data-data partitioning. The following options are available from Boot Option 9:
    (9a) Unpartition all disks and remove their ownership information.
    (9b) Clean configuration and initialize system with partitioned disks.
    (9c) Clean configuration and initialize system with whole disks.
    (9d) Reboot the node.
    (9e) Return to main boot menu.