ONTAP provides a volume-level field called -atime-update, to manage access time updates on files and directories that are read using READ, READLINK, and READDIR. Atime is used for data lifecycle decisions for files and directories that are infrequently accessed. The infrequently accessed files are eventually migrated to archive storage and are often later moved to tape.

The atime-update field is disabled by default on existing and newly created FlexCache volumes. If you are using FlexCache volumes with ONTAP releases earlier than 9.11.1, you should leave the atime-update field disabled so caches aren’t unnecessarily evicted when a read operation is performed on the origin volume. With large FlexCache caches, however, administrators use special tools to manage data and help to ensure that hot data remains in the cache and cold data is purged. This is not possible when atime-update is disabled. However, beginning with ONTAP 9.11.1, you can enable -atime-update and -atime-update-period, and use the tools required to manage the cached data.

All FlexCache volumes must be running ONTAP 9.11.1 or later.

Setting -atime-update-period to 86400 seconds allows no more than one access time update per 24-hour period, regardless of the number of read-like operations performed on a file.

Setting the -atime-update-period to 0 sends messages to the origin for each read access. The origin then informs each FlexCache volume that the atime is outdated, which impacts performance.