Inquiry about NetApp Probes (netapp_ontap probe and netapp)
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Inquiry about NetApp Probes (netapp_ontap probe and netapp)

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Article ID: 381484

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Updated On:

Products

DX Unified Infrastructure Management (Nimsoft / UIM)

Issue/Introduction

We have recently observed that there are two NetApp probes available.

Historically, we have utilized the netapp_ontap probe for monitoring NetApp systems.

However, our client is interested in monitoring the failover capabilities of the NetApps, which do not appear to be available within the netapp_ontap probe.

This functionality, such as OS_STORAGE_STATUS_CLUSTER, is visible in the other NetApp probe.

Could you please clarify the following:

  • Why is this failover monitoring feature not included in the netapp_ontap probe?
  • What is the reason for having two different probes for NetApp monitoring?

Environment

DX UIM 23.4 NA

Netapp: Any version

Resolution

The reason there are two different NetApp probes is that NetApp offers a diverse range of storage solutions, each with its own unique features and management interfaces. The netapp_ontap probe is specifically optimized for the widely-used ONTAP platform, while the netappprobe provides a more general-purpose monitoring solution that can accommodate a wider variety of NetApp systems.

Having both probes available allows users to select the one that best fits their specific monitoring needs and NetApp environment. The netapp_ontap probe is suitable for most standard ONTAP monitoring requirements, while the netapp probe can be particularly helpful for monitoring advanced features or non-ONTAP NetApp storage systems.

Please note that the netapp_ontap probe [https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/it-operations-management/ca-unified-infrastructure-management-probes/GA/monitoring/bigdata-databases-and-storage/netapp-ontap-netapp-data-ontap-monitoring/netapp-ontap-netapp-data-ontap-monitoring-release-notes.html] is designed specifically to monitor the health and performance of NetApp ONTAP storage systems. It offers a comprehensive set of metrics related to the core ONTAP functionality, including:

- Volume utilization and performance  
- Aggregate capacity and usage  
- Disk and storage pool metrics  
- Controller status and availability  
- Protocol-level statistics (NFS, CIFS, iSCSI, etc.)  
- Snapshot and deduplication metrics  
[https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/it-operations-management/ca-unified-infrastructure-management-probes/GA/monitoring/bigdata-databases-and-storage/netapp-ontap-netapp-data-ontap-monitoring/netapp-ontap-metrics.html]

This probe is optimized for monitoring primary ONTAP features and is likely the preferred choice for most NetApp monitoring use cases.

On the other hand, the netapp probe is a more broadly-scoped monitoring solution that can be used to monitor various NetApp storage systems, not just ONTAP. [https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/it-operations-management/ca-unified-infrastructure-management-probes/GA/monitoring/bigdata-databases-and-storage/netapp-netapp-storage-monitoring/netapp-netapp-storage-monitoring-release-notes.html] This probe focuses more on the underlying storage system status and configuration, rather than the higher-level ONTAP-specific metrics.

Some key metrics provided by the netapp probe include:

- Disk and LUN status  
- Cluster and node availability  
- Failover and takeover status  
- Storage pool and aggregate health  
- Volume and qtree status  
[https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/it-operations-management/ca-unified-infrastructure-management-probes/GA/monitoring/bigdata-databases-and-storage/netapp-netapp-storage-monitoring/netapp-metrics.html]

The netapp probe is particularly useful for monitoring features that may not be directly exposed through the ONTAP-centric netapp_ontap probe, such as the failover and cluster status that your client is interested in.