Easy Steps to Upgrade Your FlexPod Infrastructure with Converged Systems Advisor
Wyatt Bennett
NetApp® Converged Systems Advisor (CSA) is a centralized, cloud-based platform for FlexPod® that can dramatically simplify lifecycle management, upgrades, and ongoing support. CSA offers full-stack manageability, enabling operations and DevOps teams to manage their FlexPod infrastructure as a fluid entity.
In my previous blog, I discussed how CSA introduced configuration healing capabilities, powered by Ansible. In this blog, we’ll look at common scenarios where CSA helps FlexPod customers simplify administration and accelerate outcomes.
Suppose that you’re preparing to upgrade your FlexPod infrastructure and you want to make sure that your current configuration is saved first so that if necessary, you can compare the systems after the upgrade. In this case, as shown in the following figure, CSA is set to collect updated configurations every 15 minutes. If you need to review your configuration sooner, simply click the Collect button.
You can easily review previous FlexPod configuration states or compare changes between configurations because CSA automatically archives all previous configuration collections for easy access.
After confirming the configuration state, you confirm that the current configuration is healthy and review any potential configuration issues.
In this case, CSA detected that a storage controller is missing a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server entry, which poses a risk to storage synchronization.
You can fix the underlying issue in about 30 seconds. Simply click the wrench icon, enter the NTP IP address, and then click Run Remediation.
Next, let’s check the versions of firmware and VMware ESX running in the FlexPod system. You can easily view your current and recommended versions, which can be upgraded to improve supportability.
Finally, if your team needs a single view of your FlexPod components along with dynamically updated network diagrams, connections, and port information, CSA has you covered.
NetApp Converged Systems Advisor is cloud-based lifecycle management software that supports the FlexPod infrastructure, from initial deployment into production operations and throughout the FlexPod lifecycle. NetApp CSA is available on the NetApp price list as a subscription-based license and is included in your purchase of NetApp Solution Support.
To get started with CSA, download the agent or work with you FlexPod reseller.
Additional Resources
Wyatt Bennett
Wyatt joined NetApp in 2014 and works as a Senior Product Manager within the Converged Infrastructure Group. Wyatt is responsible for developing NetApp’s Converged Systems management strategy and products. Wyatt’s deep understanding of enterprise infrastructure services is informed by 15 years of hands-on experience as manager and architect. Prior to NetApp, Wyatt led Engineering and Operations teams focused on infrastructure, hosted services and enterprise application solutions.
