NetApp

Selecting a different flash device on a host
If it turns out you need a larger or smaller flash device on a host, you can stop using the currently initialized device and start using a different one. Before you initialize the new device, you need to disable caching and unallocate cache on each virtual machine using the current device.
Before you begin 
The flash device must be a NetApp-qualified device, and it must have been installed according to the instructions that came with the device.
Important: This is a disruptive operation in which all information in the cache is erased for all virtual machines using the currently initialized device.
Steps 
1.
Disable caching on each affected virtual machine. From the home page of the Flash Accel Management Console, click the wrench icon for the virtual machine and select Cache State > Disable.
The virtual machine cache state is set to Disabled.
2.
The Cache Space dialog box opens.
3.
4.
Click the wrench icon for the host on which you want to use the new flash device and select Flash Device > Unassign.
The Unassign flash device dialog opens.
5.
6.
Click the wrench icon for the host on which you want to assign the new flash device and select Flash Device > Assign.
The Select flash device dialog opens.
7.
The flash device is added to the inventory under the host.
8.
The Initialize flash device dialog opens.
9.
Initializing the device performs a low level format, deleting all data on the device.
Initialization can take several minutes, depending on the size of the flash device. When it completes, you will see text similar to the following in the column next to the host: "Cache: 0.00GB/200GB." This means that the flash device is 200 GB in size and that 0 GB has currently been allocated to virtual machines.
10.
The Cache Space dialog box opens.
11.
The minimum available cache size is determined by your setting in Console Settings > VM Settings > Minimum Cache Space Size (GB).
Depending on the cache size you specified, formatting the flash device can take five minutes or more.
The Cache Size field for the virtual machine is set to the specified value.
12.
The Cache State field for the virtual machine is set to Enabled.
Result 
Caching resumes with the new flash device.
Parent Topic: Managing Flash Accel caching systems


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