MSFTCOST05-BP03 Use Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP
Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP offers a file system that supports SMB and iSCSI protocols. Useful for critical Microsoft SQL Server environments, as ONTAP volumes can be mapped to Windows Server instances as block storage devices using the iSCSI model, also providing shared storage for cluster-aware applications. FSx for ONTAP has two capacity settings (HDD and SSD), data deduplication, and cache layers. Smaller EC2 instances can leverage the FSx solution to achieve high performance storage levels.
Desired outcome: By implementing Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP, an organization can achieve a highly available and performant storage solution for Microsoft workloads. The implementation will leverage both SMB and iSCSI protocols, enabling efficient block storage access while benefiting from advanced features like data deduplication and multi-tiered caching. This will result in optimized storage costs, improved performance even with smaller EC2 instances, and reduced operational overhead for managing Microsoft workloads.
Common anti-patterns:
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Running Microsoft SQL Server or other Microsoft workloads with directly attached EBS volumes may limit high availability and scalability, making failover scenarios complex and time-consuming. This approach also lacks the advanced storage management features and efficiency benefits provided by FSx for ONTAP, potentially leading to higher costs and operational overhead.
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Compensating for storage performance requirements by using oversized EC2 instances with local storage or multiple EBS volumes, rather than leveraging FSx for ONTAP's efficient storage architecture. This results in unnecessary compute costs and doesn't address the underlying need for enterprise-grade storage features like deduplication and efficient snapshots.
Benefits of establishing this best practice:
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FSx for ONTAP provides high-performance storage, allowing even small EC2 instances to achieve excellent I/O capabilities.
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Easily scale storage capacity and performance independently of compute resources, adapting to changing workload demands.
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Reduce management overhead with built-in features like data deduplication, snapshots, and multi-protocol support.
Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: Medium
Implementation guidance
To implement FSx for ONTAP for Microsoft workloads, create an FSx file system in your VPC. Configure SVMs and volumes for your applications, setting up SMB shares and iSCSI LUNs as needed. Connect Windows instances to these resources using native tools. For high availability, use Windows Server Failover Clustering with FSx as shared storage. Migrate your data, then update backup and recovery processes to leverage FSx features like snapshots and replication.
Implementation steps
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Create FSx for ONTAP file system within your VPC, configuring the appropriate storage capacity and throughput based on workload requirements
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Set up Storage Virtual Machines (SVMs) and configure storage volumes with proper protocols (SMB/iSCSI) based on your Microsoft application needs
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Connect Windows Server instances to FSx storage using native tools (File Explorer for SMB, iSCSI Initiator for block storage)
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Configure Windows Server Failover Clustering if high availability is required, using FSx for ONTAP as the shared storage
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Migrate existing data to FSx storage and implement backup/recovery procedures using ONTAP's snapshot and replication capabilities
Resources
Related documents:
