Len Novitski
Storage Systems Engineer
At the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, some NetApp fabric attached storage (FAS) and all-flash FAS (AFF) systems are reaching end of service life (EOSL). EOSL means NetApp will no longer support those systems through standard support offerings. Once these systems reach EOSL, users will need to rely on their in-house IT teams to solve any problems and will no longer receive upgrades.
Organizations with systems installed that are coming to EOSL are relying on old systems that have not been refreshed within a reasonable time frame. Some companies and industries have an “install and run into the ground” mentality. Larger enterprises may not be tracking their hardware lifecycles, so they don’t know when it is time to refresh.
Companies with NetApp FAS and AFF systems that are reaching end of life need to know how to determine the best candidates for a refresh before time runs out. Mainline Information Systems can help your company size the appropriate system for your NetApp refresh and provide installation and migration services.
What Needs a Refresh
If your company is unsure whether your NetApp system is reaching end of support, here’s a list of the affected AFF and FAS models and their EOSL deadlines for your reference.
| Model | EOSL Date |
| AFF 8040 |
12/31/2022 |
| AFF 8040 EX |
12/31/2022 |
| AFF 8040 EX |
12/31/2022 |
| FAS 2552 | 1/31/2023 |
| FAS 2554 | 1/31/2023 |
| FAS 8020 | 1/31/2023 |
| FAS 8040 | 1/31/2023 |
| FAS 8060 | 1/31/2023 |
| FAS 8080 EX | 1/31/2023 |
| FAS2520 | 1/31/2023 |
NetApp Hardware Lifespans
Historically, the NetApp AFF8000 and FAS8000/FAS2500 product lines have shown a 7-to-9-year window from release announcement to end-of-support. Current technology options for replacements have been out in the market from 1 to 6 years.
If your company is going to go through the effort to size, acquire, install, and migrate to a new platform, you want to make sure you choose the right replacement system based on all relevant factors, including useful life span for the use case and applications running on the system.
Choosing New NetApp Hardware
Refreshing your company’s NetApp hardware will enable you to benefit from better price for performance rates, as well as improved efficiencies and new functionality.
Companies that keep systems beyond the typical 3-to-4-year time frame should look for replacements that are relatively new arrivals on the technology market and will have another long install to end-of-support lifecycle.
Some replacement systems that would be good refresh candidates and are still available from NetApp have been in the market for over 3 years. Because these systems are heading towards the end of their marketing life, they probably aren’t the best candidates for a refresh.
However, the company’s criteria for workloads will determine whether these systems with shorter life spans are good-fit replacements. Workload requirements may indicate that a newer technology with a longer lifespan may have capabilities and features which do not benefit the company’s workloads and use cases.
Hardware Refresh Options
Here are some recommendations for refresh candidates along with the advantages of making an update, including performance and capacity improvements.
AFF8040 Users
AFF8040s could refresh up to the AFF A400 line (Release date 11/2019). The advantages of A400 over AFF8040 include:
• NVMe SSD support via the NS224 shelf
• NVMe over Fabric support
• More max raw capacity
• Increased NVRAM and RAM per node
• 25Gb and 100Gb network support
• Reduced rack space and environmental impact
• Increased performance through processor and memory improvements
AFF8080 Users
AFF8080 EX could refresh up to the AFF A800 line (release date 5/2018) or A900 line (release date 12/2021). The advantages of A800/A900 over the AFF8080 EX include:
• NVMe SSD support via the NS224 shelf
• NVMe over Fabric support
• More max raw capacity (A900)
• Increased NVRAM and RAM per node
• 25Gb and 100Gb network support
• Reduced rack space and environmental impact (A800)
• Increased performance through processor and memory improvements
FAS8030/FAS8040 Users
FAS8020/FAS8040 could refresh up to the FAS8300/FAS8700 line (release date 11/2019) or FAS9500 line (release date 6/2022). The advantages of the FAS8300/FAS8700/FAS9500 over the FAS8020/FAS8040 include:
• NVMe Flash Cache
• More max raw capacity per node
• Increased NVRAM and RAM per node
• 25Gb and 100Gb network support
• PCIe Gen4 (FAS9500)
• Reduced rack space and environmental impact (FAS8040 to FAS8700)
• Increased performance through processor and memory improvements
FAS2520/FAS2552/FAS2554 Users
FAS2520/FAS2552/FAS2554 could refresh up to the FAS2720/FAS2750 line (release date 5/2018). The advantages of the FAS2700 over the FAS2500 include:
• NVMe Flash Cache
• More max raw capacity per node
• Increased NVRAM and RAM per node
• Reduced rack space and environmental impact (FAS2554 to FAS2700)
• Increased performance through processor and memory improvements
NetApp ONTAP Considerations
The systems reaching end of support are limited in terms of the ONTAP level that can be installed on those systems. The EOSL systems mentioned above are limited to ONTAP 9.8 while the proposed new system refreshes can run up to ONTAP 9.11.
Advantages of running ONTAP 9.11 versus 9.8 include:
• Improved performance
• Enhanced ransomware capabilities
• NVMe support
• Hybrid Cloud enhancements in tiering and S3 support
More Information
As a NetApp Star partner, Mainline Information Systems delivers enterprise storage solutions that are efficient, reliable, and cost-effective. Our top-level partnership assures clients that we maintain the stringent Star partner certification requirements across the NetApp storage family of products, plus we are backed by a strong relationship with the NetApp team. For more information on how we can help you, contact your Mainline Account Representative directly, or reach out to us here with any questions.