NetApp ONTAP is designed with safeguards to ensure data integrity and availability. The SyncMirror feature relies on a specific license to function. If one or more mirrored volumes or aggregates exist on the system, ONTAP establishes a dependency on the SyncMirror license. The system will prevent the removal of this license until all dependencies are resolved. To remove the license, an administrator must first unmirror all mirrored volumes and aggregates, effectively converting them back to standard, single-plex configurations. This prerequisite prevents the system from entering an unsupported state where mirrored data exists without the licensed feature required to manage it, which could lead to data inconsistency or loss.

The "False" option is incorrect. Allowing the removal of the SyncMirror license while mirrored volumes are active would be a critical design flaw. It would orphan the secondary plex of the mirror, leaving the data in an inconsistent and unmanaged state. Enterprise storage systems like ONTAP explicitly prevent such actions to protect user data and maintain system stability.

1. NetApp ONTAP 9 Documentation Center

System administration overview

"License management": In the section describing the removal of licenses

the documentation consistently states that a feature must not be in use before its corresponding license can be removed. The system license delete command will fail if the feature is active. For SyncMirror

"in use" means having one or more mirrored aggregates or volumes.

Reference Detail: NetApp ONTAP 9.8 System Administration Guide

"Managing licenses" section. It specifies the general rule: "Before you remove a license

you must ensure that the feature is not in use." This principle is directly applicable to the SyncMirror license (license key: SYNCMIRROR).

2. NetApp ONTAP 9 Documentation Center

Data protection

"Managing SyncMirror relationships": The documentation details the procedures for managing mirrored aggregates

including how to "split" or "break" a mirror relationship. These actions are prerequisites for decommissioning the SyncMirror feature on a system. The existence of a formal procedure to unmirror a volume or aggregate before feature removal confirms that the license cannot be deleted while mirrors are active.

Reference Detail: NetApp ONTAP 9.8 Data Protection Power Guide

"Breaking a volume mirror relationship" section. This section outlines the volume mirror break command

which is the required step to remove the dependency on the SyncMirror license for a specific volume.