You can use L3 cache without a SmartPools license. It probably make sense, since it is extending your RAM-based L2 cache. When that fills up, rather than discard data, OneFS intelligently moves appropriate overflow data into L3, thus improving access speeds for frequently accessed files. L3 is better for workflows where random access is the norm, although there are benefits to be gained even in streaming workflows.
Dear community,  We have a cluster with all the same 32000x-ssd nodes and we do not have SmartPools license. Can we use the new L3 cache in 7.1.1 without buying SmartPools  and would that make sense ? We do not have a need for FilePools at this time.
Caching in clusters without SmartPools license