topic Re: Changing LIF current port in ONTAP Discussions

Changing LIF current port

DWB — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 18:48:38 GMT

I need to modify the home port of a LIF. The current port is e0m but should be a0a-25. Is it best to recreate the LIF as it should be?

Re: Changing LIF current port

bobshouseofcards — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 21:44:42 GMT

Hi DWB -

The home port along with the home node of a LIF is a property of the LIF. There is no reason to recreate it to change it. By design, the home port and home node can be modified at any time with the command

network interface modify -vserver <vserver-name> -lif <lif-name> -home-node <node-name> -home-port <port-name>

substituting in the correct values for the SVM (vServer), LIF, node, and port as needed. If the node remains the same, you can just change the home-port. When you run the above command, nothing happens to the LIF as viewed from the outside world. The LIF stays working on the same port, in your case e0M. But, it is not marked as being on a "non-home" port. You can then use the command

network interface revert -vserver <vserver-name> -lif <lif-name>

which will cause the indicated LIF to migrate to it's home node and port from wherever it is currently located.

It is important that you verify network connectivity and setup on the new home port are correct. That is the e0M physical port and the a0a-25 VLAN-ed ifgrp should exist in the same broadcast domain, VLAN, etc. Otherwise while the LIF might move, it could interrupt communication. Assuming that your network setup is correct, any clients connected through the LIF as it exists on e0M will just switch over there communication to port a0a-25 without any noticeable delay.

An alternative set of commands to accomplish the same task would be to use

network interface migrate -vserver <vserver-name> -lif <lif-name> -source-node <node-name> -destination-node <node-name> -destination-port <port-name>

which will move the LIFs port location first. But, that one does not update the home port definition - you'll still need to run the "network interface modify" command as above. The choice is one of style. You can set the home location then move, or move then set the home location. It just takes two steps.

To recreate the LIF you'd have to take the LIF offline for a short while as you'd be deleting and recreating. Using either of the two modify/move sequences will keep the port online and let normal network protocol mechanisms discover the port change automatically.

Hope this helps.

Bob Greenwald

Senior Systems Engineer | cStor

NCIE SAN ONTAP, Data Protection

Kudos and accepted solutions are always appreciated.

Re: Changing LIF current port

DWB — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 14:28:33 GMT

When the system was removed from the network, it wasn't shutdown gracefully and network (1 and 10G) were literally ripped out of switch and filer. And best of all the documentation was destroyed. I've been working this for a couple days. I researched the NetApp text book install and configure pages to insure the ifgrp, vlan and LIFs were correct as well as ports on the Nexus 3200 switch. My best guess is that when I reconnected the nodes to the switch, I cause the nodes to failover to a LIF that didn't exist.

Anyway

I did the migrate command, but got the following error:

Error: command failed: LIF "a0a-2" on vServer "filer_fs01" could not be found in database (entry doesn't exist)

Re: Changing LIF current port

Naveenpusuluru — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 14:46:54 GMT

Hello @DWB

Above you mentined as "a0a-25" but the below error is showing as "a0a-2". Please run the command with correct vlan id.

Error: command failed: LIF "a0a-2" on vServer "filer_fs01" could not be found in database (entry doesn't exist)

Re: Changing LIF current port

DWB — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 14:56:42 GMT

Sorry- I fat fingered. My filer is on a protected network so everything I enter here was retyped

@Naveenpusuluru wrote:
Hello @DWB

Above you mentined as "a0a-25" but the below error is showing as "a0a-2". Please run the command with correct vlan id.

Error: command failed: LIF "a0a-2" on vServer "filer_fs01" could not be found in database (entry doesn't exist)

Re: Changing LIF current port

bobshouseofcards — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 15:43:40 GMT

Hi DWB -

Need to check a couple of details:

1. Is this cDOT or 7-mode? Based on the original post and discussion of LIFs and home-node I assumed cDot, as those are cDot style terms, but with the information you added I have enough to question and I just want to confirm.

2. Can you relay the command you tried to use for the migrate? The reason I ask is that I think you've confused some information. The error message implies that you used the "port" name of a0a-25 as the name of a LIF on vServer filer_fs01 as opposed to the LIF name.

Key information : Ports (such as a0a-25) are associated with nodes (technically a type of SVM/vServer, but not really the same as a "data" SVM vServer). LIFs are associated with user created "data" SVMs. Again generalizing, as "intercluster LIFs" for replication are associated to the "cluster" SVM, which again technically an SVM but not a "data" SVM. It gets a bit confusing if you're not familiar with it.

Output that would be good to have:

set -rows 0

network port show

network interface show

The first command turns off the pagination on output. The second lists the ports by node. The third lists the LIFs by SVM. This way we can be sure ports are defined where expected and LIFs are known as we check out the exact form of the commands.

Hope this helps.

Bob Greenwald

Senior Systems Engineer | cStor

NCIE SAN ONTAP, Data Protection

Kudos and accepted solutions are always appreciated.

Re: Changing LIF current port

Naveenpusuluru — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 16:34:04 GMT

Hello @DWB

Your issue resolved now or it is still exists?

Re: Changing LIF current port

DWB — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 19:57:51 GMT

yes still having difficulty. Just ran the network commands andtyping on a separate post

Re: Changing LIF current port

DWB — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 17:09:22 GMT

Had to forward info as a jpg. Hope you can read and understand

Re: Changing LIF current port

bobshouseofcards — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 15:56:50 GMT

DWB -

The pictures help - thanks.

From them it e0M and a0a-25 are all in the same broadcast domain so movement should be good to go. The commands I would use to update the indicated LIF are:

network interface modify -vserver phoenix_fs01 -lif fs01_mgmt1 -home-node phoenix-01 -home-port a0a-25

network interface revert -vserver phoenix_fs01 -lif fs01_mgmt1

Of course you could also make it be home on node phoenix-02 instead if that's more appropriate.

I see that LIF vi01_mgmt1 on SVM phoenix_vi01 isn't at it's home port. If port a0a-25 is where you want that one to run normally, you should consider updating the home node and port for that LIF as well.

Hope this helps.

Bob Greenwald

Senior Storage Engineer | cStor

NCIE SAN ONTAP, Data Protection

Kudos and accepted solutions are alwyas appreciated.