topic Re: message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a" in ONTAP Discussions

message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a"

ol15 — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 22:23:46 GMT

helllo,

on filer NetApp Release 8.2.3P6 7-Mode

i have a message for each interface when i test a "cf takeover"

Wed Jan 6 13:32:46 GMT [xxxxxa:net.ifconfig.noLocal:error]: ifconfig: Unable to determine primary for interface e0a.
Wed Jan 6 13:32:46 GMT [xxxxxa:net.ifconfig.noLocal:error]: ifconfig: Unable to determine primary for interface e0b.
Wed Jan 6 13:32:46 GMT [xxxxxxa:net.ifconfig.noLocal:error]: ifconfig: Unable to determine primary for interface e0c.
Wed Jan 6 13:32:46 GMT [xxxxxxxxa:net.ifconfig.noLocal:error]: ifconfig: Unable to determine primary for interface e0d.

what does mean those messages ?

here is the first line of the two filers /etc/rc:

#Auto-generated by setup Wed Dec 9 11:09:35 GMT 2015
hostname xxxxx
ifconfig e0a mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0b mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0c mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0d mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0M `hostname`-e0M netmask 255.255.255.224 mtusize 1500 partner e0M

regards

Re: message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a"

JGPSHNTAP — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 14:45:25 GMT

You have no proper partner configured in rc file, and also, is your host file configured?

Re: message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a"

ol15 — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:44:42 GMT

hello

thanks for your reply

i have this message since i had the four primary lines

ifconfig e0a mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0b mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0c mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0d mtusize 9000

without those files on my rc file, there is no error messages , but after a takeover and a giveback the mtusize pass from 9000 to 1500 so i had those 4 lines on the rc files and now i have this new message ""Unable to determine primary for interface e0a""

see below the /etc/rc files

on filer A:

#Auto-generated by setup Wed Dec 9 10:35:21 GMT 2015
hostname xxxxx
ifconfig e0a mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0b mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0c mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0d mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0M `hostname`-e0M netmask 255.255.255.224 mtusize 1500
ifgrp create multi vif01 -b ip e0a e0c
ifgrp create multi vif02 -b ip e0b e0d
ifgrp create single vif03 vif01 vif02
vlan create -g on vif03 AAA
vlan create -g on vif03 BBB
vlan create -g on vif03 CCC
vlan create -g on vif03 DDD
vlan create -g on vif03 EEE
ifconfig vif03-AAA x.X.X.X netmask 255.255.255.240 partner vif03-AAA mtusize 9000
ifconfig vif03-BBB Y.Y.Y.Y netmask 255.255.255.240 partner vif03-BBB mtusize 9000
ifconfig vif03-CCC Z.Z.Z.Z netmask 255.255.255.240 partner vif03-CCC mtusize 9000
ifconfig vif03-DDD F.F.F.F netmask 255.255.255.240 partner vif03-DDD mtusize 9000
ifconfig vif03-EEE G.G.G.G netmask 255.255.255.240 partner vif03-EEE mtusize 1500
ifconfig vif03-EEE partner vif03-EEE
route add default T.T.T.T
routed off
options dns.enable off
options nis.enable off
savecore

on filer b:

#Auto-generated by setup Wed Dec 9 11:09:35 GMT 2015
hostname yyyyyy
ifconfig e0a mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0b mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0c mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0d mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0M `hostname`-e0M netmask 255.255.255.224 mtusize 1500 partner e0M
ifgrp create multi vif01 -b ip e0a e0c
ifgrp create multi vif02 -b ip e0b e0d
ifgrp create single vif03 vif01 vif02
vlan create -g on vif03 EEE
vlan create -g on vif03 AAA
vlan create -g on vif03 BBB
vlan create -g on vif03 CCC
vlan create -g on vif03 DDD
ifconfig vif03-AAA partner vif03-AAA mtusize 9000
ifconfig vif03-BBB partner vif03-BBB mtusize 9000
ifconfig vif03-CCC partner vif03-CCC mtusize 9000
ifconfig vif03-DDD partner vif03-DDD mtusize 9000
ifconfig vif03-EEE partner vif03-EEE mtusize 9000
route add default T.T.T.T
routed off
options dns.enable off
options nis.enable off
savecore

regards

Re: message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a"

aborzenkov — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:52:19 GMT

You already set MTU for each logical interface; why do you need to do it for physical interfaces as well? You do not use them directly.

Re: message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a"

JGPSHNTAP — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:53:45 GMT

Also, i'm a bigger fan of LACP vs. Multi. LACP is much more robust.

Re: message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a"

ol15 — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 09:14:54 GMT

hello,

i must put those 4 lines because:

without those files on my rc file, there is no error messages , but after a takeover and a giveback the mtusize value change from 9000 to 1500 so i had those 4 lines on the rc files and now i have this new message ""Unable to determine primary for interface e0a""

i have to use mutli cause switchs didn't supports lacp

regards

Re: message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a"

JGPSHNTAP — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 12:48:18 GMT

Where are you IP definitions from filer B

Also, in the ifconfig statement of the vif for the IP, you should put the MTU size, no on t he individual interface..

Re: message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a"

JGPSHNTAP — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 12:48:38 GMT

And, please review TR-3802 for ethernet best practices

Re: message on takeover "Unable to determine primary for interface e0a"

ol15 — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:53:59 GMT

hello,

change :

ifconfig e0a mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0b mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0c mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0d mtusize 9000

ifconfig e0a flowcontrol full mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0b flowcontrol full mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0c flowcontrol full mtusize 9000
ifconfig e0d flowcontrol full mtusize 9000

then no messages like : "unable to ....e0a"

regards