NetApp Interview Questions
As a leading data storage and management solution provider, NetApp interview questions and answers can often prove challenging and rigorous.
NetApp is a trusted leader in data storage solutions, known for its innovative yet reliable offerings.
In this blog, we’ll address some of the most frequently asked interview questions during a NetApp job application, along with tips to prepare yourself properly for an interview process.
To succeed at a NetApp interview, in-depth knowledge of data storage and management concepts and critical thinking abilities will be required to solve problems effectively.
These questions in this blog aim to equip you with theessential capabilities for an interview for this renowned enterprise.
1. What is required to install NetApp data on top systems?
A license for each NAS and SAM protocol, including NFS, Saves, Fibre Channel, and ISCSI, is required to install NetApp data on top systems.
2. How are NFS and Saves configured on a perSVM basis?
NFS and Saves are configured per SVM, enabling them on the same S V M.
3. What is NFS, and what operating systems does it support?
NFS is a standard protocol for unit space clients, including Linux, VMware, ESXi, Windows, and Mac.
It was invented by Sun Microsystems and designed for Unix, but other operating systems can access it.
4. What is the difference between NetApp and the other SAM protocols?
NetApp is a specific file and data management system that stores and manages data on servers and storage systems.
The other SAM protocols (SAM) are used for different purposes, such as file sharing and data transfer between systems.
5. What are the different versions of NFS and their features?
There are several versions of NFS, including version one, version two, version three, and version four.
Each version has different features and capabilities, such as support for various file sizes and security enhancements.
6. What is the recommendation for distributing the overall load across all nodes and leveraging availablehardware in a NetApp layout?
The recommendation is to assign one day left per node, per protocol, per NetApp, and per SVM to distribute the overall load across all nodes and leverage available hardware.
This approach minimises latency and ensures performance gain.
7. Can different VLANs and IP addresses be used for iSCSI in a NetApp layout?
A NetApp layout can use different VLANs and IP addresses for iSCSI. For example, in a NetApp layout with Departments A and B, VLANs 10 and 20 can be used for iSCSI and different VLANs and IP addresses for NAS.
8. What is NAS Pro used for?
NAS Pro controls clients’ incoming connections, using multi-path with San, which allows clients to choose which IP addresses to use.
9. How do NAS Pro distribute incoming client connections?
NAS Pro only knows one IP address and can only connect to one. Off-box DNS load balancing, on-box DNS load balancing, or external load balancers can distribute incoming client connections across all available lists.
Manually configuring a quarter of clients to use 10.30.10 can also be done.
10. How does off-box DNS load balancing work?
Off-box DNS load balancing uses the company’s existing DNS server to handle DNS requests from clients. Address records are configured for each logical interface, with the first client request being told to use 10.
The subsequent client request will use 11, the next client will use 12, etc. This standard way of DNS works when multiple address records for the same address are present.
11. How does on-box DNS load balancing work?
On-box DNS load balancing uses the company’s existing DNS server to forward storage requests.
The client sends the DNS request to its DNS server, which delivers the request to the NetApp system, providing better answers than the off-box DNS code.
12. What is the difference between off-box and on-box DNS load balancing?
The main difference between off-box and on-box DNS load balancing is that off-box DNS load balancing uses an external DNS server.
In contrast, on-box DNS load balancing uses the company’s existing DNS server to forward storage requests.
On-box DNS load balancing provides better answers than off-box DNS code.
13. How does the traffic terminate in the off-box DNS load balancing method?
The traffic is then sent to the volume owned by node one, and the next client is told to use 12. The traffic terminates on node two.
14. What is the purpose of the cluster NetApp in the off-box DNS load balancing method?
The cluster NetApp is used to forward DNS requests from clients to node one.
15. What is the purpose of the final LIF in the off-box DNS load balancing method?
The final LIFdetermines which volume of the traffic should terminate on node two.
16. What is the purpose of external load balancing in distributing incoming client connections?
External load balancing is distributing DNS requests from clients using an external DNS server.
17. What is the purpose of manually configuring a quarter of clients to use a specific IP address?
Manually configuring a quarter of clients to use a specific IP address can be done to ensure an even split between LIFs.
18. What is the difference between off-box and on-box DNS load balancing in a cluster?
Off-box load balancing directs clients to a specific IP address for open DNS load, giving an equal 25% split on LIFs. However, this may not be optimal due to shorter sessions for clients connected to node one.
On-box load balancing takes the current load and LIFs it into account when balancing new connections, making it better than off-box load balancing.
19. What are NFS referrals?
NFS referralsare an enhancement in version four of NFS that refers clients to use a LIF on the node hosting the volume when they receive an NFS request for data.
This feature benefits cluster-based systems, as it reduces sand traffic between nodes.
20. What is PNFS?
Parallel NFS (PNFS) is a feature that directs clients to use a LIF on the local node that houses the volume, but the client is not updated until it unmounts and remounts the file system.
21. Are NFS referrals and PNFS mutually exclusive?
NFS referrals and PNFS are mutually exclusive and can only be enabled on an SVM.
22. How is authentication done in NetApp systems?
Clients must be authenticated adequately before accessing data on the NetApp system. Unix credentials can be checked against different name services, including local user accounts, NIS, and LDP domains. Kerberos is supported for authentication.
23. What is NIS used for in-name services?
NIS (Network Information Service) can be used for user information, group information, host database conversion, and net group information.
24. What are name maps used for?
Name maps are used in multi-protocol name mappings, allowing Windows users to access files and folders with unique style permissions and Unix users to access files and folders with NTFS style permissions.
25. What is Kerberos authentication?
Kerberos authentication is a network authentication protocol that provides secure communication between two entities over an insecure network.
26. What is a WPN associated with?
A WPN (World Wide Port Number) is associated with a logical interface, such as an IP address for SIFs, NFS, or I Scuzzy, and a WWP (World Wide Port Number) for a fibre channel.
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LIFs are owned by SVMs (Security Virtual Machines), and the SVM is the unit of secure multi-tenancy in ON-TAP. The volumes and LIFs are associated with an SVM, ensuring data separation and secure connectivity between SVMs.
28. What are node and cluster management LIF used for?
Node and cluster management LIF are for management.
29. What are cluster LIF used for?
Cluster LIFs are for internal traffic between nodes.
30. What is data LIF created for?
Data LIF are created for client data access.
31. Can NAS and SAN protocols share the same LIF?
NAS (Network Attached Storage) and SAN (Storage Area Network) protocols cannot share the same LIF.
32. Should separate LIFs be recommended for SIFs and NFS?
Using separate LIFs for SIFs and NFS is recommended, providing more flexible fault tolerance and load management.
33. Where can LIF be placed?
LIF can be placed on physical parts, interface groups, or VLAN interfaces.
34. What are VLANs?
VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) are a way to logically group network devices together into a single subnetwork.
They are created on physical parts of a network and can be assigned to different VLAN interfaces.
35. What is a LIF?
A LIF is a way to connect network traffic to a specific subnetwork or VLAN. It can be assigned to a physical part or a logical interface group.
36. What is an interface group?
An interface group is a way to combine physical parts of a network into a logical interface.
It allows traffic to be routed through all of the physical parts in the group and can be used to assign LIFs to a specific subnetwork or VLAN.
37. What is a LIF per node, per NetApp, per protocol, and SVM?
A LIF per node, per NetApp, per protocol, and SVM is a recommended approach for managing LIFs in a network.
It involves creating separate LIFs for each node, NetApp, protocol, and S V M, ensuring efficient management of NetApp resources.
38. What is the difference between an LIF on an interface group and anLIF on an underlying physical part?
A LIF on an interface group is assigned to a logical interface group of physical parts. In contrast,anLIF on an underlying physical part is assigned to a specific physical part of the network.
LIFs on interface groups can be used to route traffic to a particular VLAN, while LIFs on underlying physical parts cannot be used to do this.
39. What is the purpose of the slide presented in the text?
The slide presents a layout of recommended LIFs for running SIFS N F S and I S C S I, with two nodes and two NetApp.
40. What is the difference between SIFS and NFS regarding performance?
If ISCSrequire better performance than SIFS and NFS, separate physical parts or interface groups would be used.
41. How does load-balancing traffic across nodes help prevent saturation and add minimum latency?
Load balancing traffic across nodes helps prevent single port or node saturation and minimises latency in a cluster NetApp.
42. What is the best practice for managing LIF in a cluster NetApp?
It’s best practice to have LIFs spread across all nodes in the cluster, allowing for load balancing across NetApp connections, CPU, RAM, and nodes.
43. What is the purpose of the ONTAP cluster?
The ONTAP cluster comprises an SP (service processor) or a BMC (baseboard management controller) for out-of-band remote management.
44. What is the difference between an SP and a BMC regarding remote management?
The S P or BMC can be used for remote management when the cluster management I P address is unresponsive, and they can be accessed remotely if the storage system is in a different city.
45. What other options are available for remote management in case the S P or BMC can’t monitor environmentalproperties?
Other options include rebooting the system or connecting to the ONTAP command line through the S P or BMC. If the S P or BMC can’t monitor environmental properties, it can shut down the controller to prevent long-term damage.
46. How is the controller connected to the software’s physical management and logical switch?
The controller is connected to a physical management switch marked with a wrench and a logical switch in the software, connecting the E0M port and the service processor.
47. What is the purpose of the service processor in the NetApp Storage system?
The service processor constantly monitors the controller and can signal the failure to the second controller, allowing the takeover to take effect more quickly.
48. What is the service processor in NetApp Storage?
The service processor in NetApp Storage is a separate system that constantly monitors the controller and can signal a failure to the second controller, allowing for faster failover.
49. What is the difference between the SP and service processor in NetApp Storage?
The S P and service processor in NetApp Storage are similar, but the S P is not connected to a separate physical port. The service processor has a command line connected to a different port.
50. How is the service processor connected to the console in NetApp Storage?
The service processor is connected to the console through IP, set during the initial setup process.
51. What is the purpose of hardware-assisted failover in NetApp Storage?
The purpose of hardware-assisted failover in NetApp Storage is to automatically take over a failed controller when it is confirmed that the controller has died.
This prevents disruptions caused by significant events like takeover events.
52. What is the purpose of the service processor in NetApp Storage?
The purpose of the service processor in NetApp Storage is to monitor the controller and signal a failure to the second controller, allowing for faster failover.
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SnapVault is an on-taps long-term backup solution in NetApp Storage that replicates data from a source volume to a destination volume and stores SnapShorts for long-term backups.
It can also offload remote system backups to a centralised cluster.
54. What is SnapVault in NetApp Storage?
SnapVault is an on-taps long-term this-to-disk backup solution that replicates data from a source volume to a destination volume, storing SnapShorts for long-term backups.
It can also offload remote system backups to a centralised cluster.
55. How is the IP address of the service processor set up during the initial setup and command line cluster setupprocesses?
The I P address for the service processor is set during the initial setup process using the G U I tool and guided up, but not during the command line cluster setup wizard.
56. What is SnapVault?
SnapVault is a faster, more convenient, and less storage-intensive backup solution replicating data from the source volume to a destination volume on a centralised backup cluster.
57. How does SnapVault differ from SnapMirror?
SnapMirrormaintains two SnapShorts on the destination volume and keeps them synchronised. At the same time, SnapVault can retain multiple SnapShorts backups over a long period, making it a disaster recovery solution.
58. Are the source and destination systems required to use the same hardware as SnapVault?
No, the source and destination systems don’t need the same hardware as SnapVault, making it suitable for regulated compliance.
59. How does SnapVault replication use the SnapMirror engine?
SnapVault replication uses the SnapMirror engine to create an initial baseline transfer of data on the source volume, followed by manual or automated updates.
The snapshot copy is then transferred to the destination volume, and incremental changes are replicated.
60. What are the advantages of using SnapVault over traditional take backups?
SnapVault is faster and more efficient than traditional take backups as they don’t require physical unloading of media from tape devices, transportation off-site, and secure storage.
This reduces administrative overhead and hassle, making SnapVault a cost-effective solution for storing backups over time.
61. How does Snap work compare to traditional take backups?
Snap only replicates incremental changes after the initial baseline transfer, allowing faster restores.
Snap also retains storage efficiency, allowing backups to be completed in a shorter time window and with lower capacity requirements than tape.
62. What is the difference between Snap’s primary and secondary systems?
The source system is the primary, and the destination is the secondary.
63. What does SnapVault do?
Snap vault works by taking snapshots on the source system for short-term backup and restoring them, pooling them over to the vault system for long-term backup.
A snapshot policy is applied to the source volume on the primary source cluster, retaining them for a short period to avoid taking up too much room.
A SnapMirror label is applied to scheduled snapshots on the source volume.
64. How does the Snap vault system work?
The Snap vault system uses a snapshot policy to pool snapshots from the source side and pool them across. The source side takes daily and weekly snapshots, keeping five daily and four weekly snapshots.
The destination side pools these snapshots for 30 days and 52 weeks. The snapshot policy on the source and destination sides applies a SnapMirror policy to the destination volume on the second day, the snap vault cluster.
The policy specifies the retention time for the snapshots, with the same labels on the source and destination volumes.
65. What is a snapshot policy?
A snapshot policy is a set of rules that determine how often snapshots are taken, how long they are kept, and how much space they occupy.
In the case of Snap vault, a snapshot policy is applied to the source volume on the primary source cluster, retaining them for a short period to avoid taking up too much room.
A SnapMirror label is applied to scheduled snapshots on the source volume.
66. What does a SnapMirrorlabel do?
A SnapMirror label is applied to scheduled snapshots on the source volume to indicate their retention time.
67. How is SnapVault configured?
Snap vault is configured by licensing snap vault, creating inner cluster LIFs on nodes on both clusters and configuring the snapshot policy on the primary source cluster.
68. What is the purpose of the snapshot policy created on the source system?
The purpose of the snapshot policy created on the source system is to take hourly, daily, and weekly snapshots for up to two weeks.
69. What are the schedules and number of snapshots specified in the policy?
The first schedule is hourly, with five snapshots taken every hour. The second schedule is daily, with five snapshots kept.
The last five are held for the snap bulk system. The daily snapshots are labelled with a snap middle label, as they are not to be transferred to the snap bulk system.
The weekly snapshots are labelled with a snap, middle, label, and label, tying them together.
70. How are the snapshots labelled on the source side?
The daily snapshots are labelled with a snap middle label, as they are not to be transferred to the snap bulk system. The weekly snapshots are marked with a snap, middle, label, and label, tying them together.
71. What is the snapshot policy for the primary cluster?
The snapshot policy for the primary cluster involves taking hourly snapshots every hour, keeping the last five daily snapshots with the previous five and weekly snapshots with the last two.
The SnapMirror labels are used to avoid pooling them across to the snap bulk system.
72. What is the difference between short-term and long-term snapshots?
Short-term snapshots are on the source cluster, while long-term snapshots are for the snap bulk system.
73. How is the SnapMirror relationship between the source and destination volumes created and initialised for data transfer?
The SnapMirror relationship between the source and destination volumes is created and initialised for data transfer using the same command for meters, specifying the destination path, policy, and schedule.
74. What is the purpose of the initial baseline transfer?
The initial baseline transfer is done using the stop motor initialise command and specifying the destination path.
This process can be split into three commands: creating the volume, creating the snap motor relationship, and doing the initial baseline transfer.
75. What commands restore data in the On-Top storage architecture?
The command to restore data in the On-Top storage architecture is the “SnapMirror restore” command, which specifies the converted data’s source and destination paths.
76. What is storage virtual machines (SVMs)?
SVMs are storage virtual machines, or servers, that restore individual files or folders. They include disks, aggregates, volumes, optional QTs, and lungs, which are specific to each SVM.
77. What is the role of data SVMs in secure multi-tenancy?
Data SVMs are the fundamental unit of secure multi-tenancy, enabling partitioning and splitting up the cluster to appear as multiple independent storage systems.
78. What is a subnet in logical interfaces (IP)?
A subnet in logical interfaces (IP) is a specific block or pool of IP addresses that allows logical interface creation.
79. What is a default gateway in a subnet?
A default gateway in a subnet is usually defined when creating a subnet, but manual routes can be created if subnets are not used.
80. What is the benefit of using subnets in NetApp Storage?
Subnets provide a convenient way to allocate IP addresses to logical interfaces, making them less likely to make mistakes or typos.
NetApp Storage Interview Questions blog offers guidance and resources to individuals preparing to interview for positions with NetApp.
Topics include data management, protection and analytics, emphasising professionalism, respect and ethical behaviour during aNetApp storage interview process.
By following the tips and best practices outlined in this blog, candidates can increase their odds of success during NetApp interviews, and the NetApp interview experience showcases their knowledge and abilities to potential employers.
Overall, this blog is a valuable resource for anyone seeking a career in data management – particularly those interested in working with NetApp products and technologies.
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