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Updating software on ONTAP clusters

Upgrading or downgrading a cluster to the current ONTAP release requires planning, preparation, the upgrade or downgrade itself, and several post-upgrade or downgrade procedures.

The software update process includes the following phases:

  • Planning for the update

  • Preparing for the update

  • Performing the update

  • Completing post-update tasks

  • Cluster software update workflow
    You can use the cluster software update workflow to perform the entire process.
  • Planning your update
    You need to create your own upgrade plan manually by using guidelines provided in this guide.
  • Preparing to update the cluster
    Before performing an upgrade or downgrade you must manually check that the cluster is ready, make any required configuration changes, and obtain and install the target ONTAP images.
  • Selecting your update method for non-MetroCluster configurations
    Based the requirements of your non-MetroCluster configuration, you can update (upgrade or downgrade) a cluster to a different ONTAP release by performing a nondisruptive upgrade or a disruptive upgrade.
  • Selecting your update method for MetroCluster configurations
    Based on your requirements, you can update (upgrade or downgrade) a MetroCluster configuration to a different ONTAP release by performing a nondisruptive upgrade or a disruptive upgrade.
  • Upgrading an ONTAP cluster using the automated method
    The automated upgrade method validates the cluster components to verify that the cluster can be upgraded, installs the target ONTAP image on each node, and then executes the upgrade in the background. Automated upgrades of multi-node clusters are non-disruptive.
  • Upgrading or downgrading a cluster nondisruptively by using the rolling upgrade method
    The rolling upgrade method enables you to update a cluster of two or more nodes nondisruptively. This method has several steps: initiating a failover operation on each node in an HA pair, updating the failed node, initiating giveback, and then repeating the process for each HA pair in the cluster.
  • Updating a MetroCluster configuration using the manual method
    For the nondisruptive upgrade or downgrade of some MetroCluster configurations, you must use the manual procedure. The procedure used depends on the number of nodes in the MetroCluster configuration and the ONTAP version. The procedures apply to both MetroCluster FC and MetroCluster IP configurations.
  • Updating an ONTAP cluster disruptively
    If you can take your cluster offline to upgrade or downgrade to a new ONTAP release, then you can use the disruptive upgrade method. This method has several steps: disabling storage failover for each HA pair, rebooting each node in the cluster, and then reenabling storage failover.
  • Completing post-upgrade or downgrade tasks for the cluster
    After you upgrade or downgrade a cluster to a different version of ONTAP software, you must complete additional tasks to restore normal operation.