ONTAP 9 Manuals ( CA08871-402 )

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When should I upgrade ONTAP?

You should upgrade your ONTAP software on a regular cadence. Upgrading ONTAP allows you to take advantage of new and enhanced features and functionality and implement current fixes for known issues.

Major ONTAP upgrades

A major ONTAP upgrade or feature release typically includes:

  • New ONTAP features

  • Key infrastructure changes, such as fundamental changes to WAFL operation or RAID operation

  • Support for new Fujitsu-engineered hardware systems

  • Support for replacement hardware components such as newer network interface cards or host bus adapters

New ONTAP releases are entitled to full support for 3 years. Fujitsu recommends that you run the newest release for 1 year after general availability (GA) and then use the remaining time within the full support window to plan for your transition to a newer ONTAP release.

ONTAP patch upgrades

Patch upgrades deliver timely fixes for critical bugs that cannot wait for the next major ONTAP feature release. Non-critical patch upgrades should be applied every 3-6 months. Critical patch upgrades should be applied as soon as possible.

ONTAP support levels

The level of support available for a specific version of ONTAP varies depending upon when the software was released.

Support level Full support Limited support Self-service support

Year

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Access to online documentation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Technical support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Root-cause analysis

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Software downloads

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Service updates (patch releases [P-releases])

Yes

Yes

Yes

Alerts about vulnerabilities

Yes

Yes

Yes

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