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Usage Examples

This section provides example queries you can ask your MCP client (GitHub Copilot, Claude Desktop, etc.) when using the ONTAP MCP Server. For more examples and community discussions about MCP usage, see: ONTAP MCP examples discussion

Higher-capability language models provide better analysis and insights. When possible use the latest model versions with large context windows. You will get better results when using flagship models like GPT-5.X, Sonnet 4.X, Gemini 3, etc.

The following examples were run with Claude Sonnet 4.5 large language model.

Reference Questions

Below are example questions that work well with the ONTAP MCP Server:

Volume Provisioning

Create a Volume

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a 20MB volume named docs on the marketing svm and the harvest_vc_aggr aggregate
  • Expected Response: Volume "docs" has been created successfully on the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster with 20MB size on the marketing SVM using the harvest_vc_aggr aggregate.

Resize a Volume

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, resize the docs volume on the marketing svm to 25MB.

  • Expected Response: Volume "docs" has been successfully resized to 25MB on the marketing SVM.

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, increase the size of the docs volume on the marketing svm by 5MB.

  • Expected Response: Volume "docs" has been successfully increased by 5MB to 30MB on the marketing SVM.

Volume Autogrowth

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, enable autogrowth on the docs volume in the marketing svm

  • Expected Response: Autogrowth has been enabled on the "docs" volume in the marketing SVM on the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster.

  • Increase the docs volume autogrow percent to 62

  • Expected Response: The autogrow threshold for the docs volume has been successfully increased to 62%. The volume will now automatically grow when it reaches 62% capacity.

Manage QoS Policies

List All QoS Policies

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, list all qos policies

  • Expected Response: A list of all QoS policies including both SVM-scoped and cluster-scoped policies.

List QoS Policies for a Specific SVM

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, list all qos policies for the marketing svm

  • Expected Response: All QoS policies for the marketing SVM plus all cluster-scoped policies (cluster-scoped policies are always included).

List Only Fixed QoS Policies

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, list all fixed qos policies

  • Expected Response: A list of fixed QoS policies including cluster-scoped ones.

List Only Adaptive QoS Policies

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, list all adaptive qos policies

  • Expected Response: A list of adaptive QoS policies including cluster-scoped ones.

Create a QoS Policy

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a fixed QoS policy named gold on the marketing svm with a max throughput of 5000 iops.

  • Expected Response: The fixed QoS policy "gold" has been successfully created on the marketing SVM with a maximum throughput of 5000 IOPS on the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster.

Apply a Named QoS Policy to a Volume

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, apply the gold QoS policy to the docs volume on the marketing svm

  • Expected Response: The QoS policy "gold" has been successfully applied to the "docs" volume on the marketing SVM.

Create a Volume with a Named QoS Policy

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a 20MB volume named docs on the marketing svm and the harvest_vc_aggr aggregate with QoS policy gold

  • Expected Response: Volume "docs" has been created successfully on the marketing SVM with QoS policy "gold" applied.

Create a Volume with Inline QoS Limits

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a 20MB volume named docs on the marketing svm and the harvest_vc_aggr aggregate with an inline QoS limit of max_iops 300

  • Expected Response: Volume "docs" has been created successfully with an inline QoS limit of 300 IOPS.

Update Inline QoS Limits on a Volume

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, update the docs volume on the marketing svm setting an inline QoS limit of max_iops 150

  • Expected Response: The inline QoS limit on volume "docs" has been updated to a maximum of 150 IOPS.

Switch a Volume from Inline QoS to a Named QoS Policy

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, apply the gold QoS policy to the docs volume on the marketing svm

  • Expected Response: The QoS policy "gold" has been successfully applied to the "docs" volume, replacing the previous inline QoS limits.

Switch a Volume from a Named QoS Policy to Inline QoS

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, update the docs volume on the marketing svm setting an inline QoS limit of max_iops 500

  • Expected Response: The inline QoS limit on volume "docs" has been set to a maximum of 500 IOPS.

Remove Inline QoS Limits from a Volume

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, update the docs volume on the marketing svm and remove the inline QoS limit by setting max_iops to 0

  • Expected Response: The inline QoS limit on volume "docs" has been removed. The volume no longer has a maximum IOPS constraint.

Remove a Named QoS Policy from a Volume

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, remove the QoS policy from the docs volume on the marketing svm

  • Expected Response: The QoS policy has been successfully removed from the "docs" volume on the marketing SVM.

CIFS share Provisioning

Create a CIFS share

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a CIFS share named cifsFin at the path / on the marketing svm

Expected Response: CIFS share created successfully.

Update a CIFS share

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, update the CIFS share named cifsFin. Change it's path to /cifsFin on the marketing svm

Expected Response: CIFS share updated successfully.

NFS Export Policy Provisioning

Create a NFS Export policy

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create NFS export policy as nfsEngPolicy on the marketing svm

Expected Response: NFS Export Policy created successfully.

Update a NFS Export policy

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, update NFS export policy from nfsEngPolicy to nfsMgrPolicy on the marketing svm and client match to 1.1.1.1/32, ro rule to any, rw rule to any.

Expected Response: NFS Export Policy updated successfully.

NFS Export Policy Rules Provisioning

Create a NFS Export policy rule

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create NFS export policy rule as client match 0.0.0.0/0, ro rule any, rw rule any in nfsMgrPolicy on the marketing svm

Expected Response: NFS Export Policy Rule created successfully.

Update a NFS Export policy rule

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, update NFS export policy rule for nfsMgrPolicy export policy on the marketing svm ro rule from any to never.

Expected Response: NFS Export Policy Rules updated successfully.

NFS Export Policy Provisioning

Create an NFS Export policy

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create an NFS export policy name nfsEngPolicy on the marketing svm

Expected Response: NFS Export Policy created successfully.

Rename an NFS Export policy

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, rename the NFS export policy from nfsEngPolicy to nfsMgrPolicy on the marketing svm.

Expected Response: NFS Export Policy updated successfully.

NFS Export Policy Rules Provisioning

Create an NFS Export policy rule

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create an NFS export policy rule as client match 0.0.0.0/0, ro rule any, rw rule any in nfsMgrPolicy on the marketing svm

Expected Response: NFS Export Policy Rule created successfully.

Update an NFS Export policy rule

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, update the NFS export policy rule for nfsMgrPolicy export policy on the marketing svm ro rule from any to never.

Expected Response: NFS Export Policy Rules updated successfully.

List Snapshots

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, list the snapshots on volume docs on svm marketing.

  • Expected Response: A list of snapshots for the volume docs on the marketing SVM.

Manage Snapshot Policies

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a snapshot policy named every4hours on the gold SVM. The schedule is 4 hours and keeps the last 5 snapshots.

  • Expected Response: The snapshot policy "every4hours" has been successfully created on the gold SVM with a schedule of every 4 hours, retaining the last 5 snapshots on the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster.

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a snapshot policy named biweekly on the vs_test SVM. The schedule would be 2weekday12_30min and keeps the last 3 snapshots.

Expected Response if schedule exist: The snapshot policy has been successfully created. Expected Response if schedule not exist: no schedule 2weekday12_30min found

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a snapshot policy named every5min on the vs_test SVM. The schedule is 5 min and keeps the last 2 snapshots.

Expected Response: The snapshot policy has been successfully created.

Manage Schedule

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a cron schedule with 5 * * * * named as 5minutes

Expected Response: The schedule has been successfully created.

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a cron schedule with * * 11 1-2 * named as 11dayjantofeb

Expected Response: The schedule has been successfully created.

Manage Qtrees

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create a qtree named staff in docs volume on the marketing SVM

Expected Response: The qtree has been successfully created.

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, rename a qtree named staff to pay in docs volume on the marketing SVM

Expected Response: The qtree has been successfully renamed.

Manage NVMe Service

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, create nvme service on the marketing svm

Expected Response: The nvme service has been successfully created.

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, disable nvme service on the marketing svm

Expected Response: The nvme service has been successfully updated.

Querying Specific Fields

Get volume space and protection details

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, for every volume on the marketing svm, show me the name, junction path, used size, available size, and snapshot policy.

Expected Response: A table of volumes with their junction paths, used/available space, and assigned snapshot policies on the marketing SVM.

Check whether it is safe to extend a volume

  • On the umeng-aff300-05-06 cluster, can I safely grow the docs volume on the marketing svm by 10GB? Check the aggregate's available space first.

Expected Response: A summary of aggregate free space, followed by a recommendation on whether it is safe to proceed with the resize.

MCP Clients

Common MCP clients that work with ONTAP MCP Server:

  • GitHub Copilot: Integrated in VS Code, supports MCP connections
  • Claude Desktop: Anthropic's desktop application with MCP support
  • Custom MCP Clients: Any application implementing the MCP standard