NetApp simulator

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Anyone needing to get to grips with NetApp NAS/SAN appliances, but not wanting to fork out immense sums for a filer to practice on should seriously investigate the Data OnTap simulator available from NetApp's site. This is a full-fledged simulator that can run on almost any flavour of Linux and provides almost 100% of the functionality that a 'real' NetApp device running the OnTap software does.

Obviously there are a few caveats (you have to have an account on NetApp's site - which you should already have if you or your company has NetApp products - and the performance is obviously waaaay down on what a 'real' appliance would provide). However, if you need to familiarise yourself with the OnTap O/S, tinker with configuration settings without affecting your production environment or run a low-level mirror of your live environment (say for development or staging purposes) it is, quite simply, awesome.

I installed it on a Suse VM and, once I'd worked through a few teething problems (which i can probably help people out with if they run into similar difficulties) I have to say I am about as impressed as its possible to get with a simulator. Now all I need is a decent book on NetApps, rather than the incredibly crusty official documentation!