topic Re: LIF Failover conditions in ONTAP Discussions

LIF Failover conditions

steven_langdale — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:07:39 GMT

Hello

I'm trying to confirm the conditions that will initiate a LIF failover. Aside from a whole node going down, will a LIF only failover if there is a link loss?

If that's the case, is there any other options I can employ to protect against the upstream switch failing but NOT taking a port offline? I can't use LACP across two switches in this environmment.

Thanks

Steven

Re: LIF Failover conditions

robinpeter — Wed, 03 May 2017 18:54:44 GMT

If you have multiple core and switch redudency, upstream switch failing should not be a problem in your network.

Ontap is not designed to handle such failure. that should be handled in your network design.

In a NAS environment, netapp controller is not aware or keeping track of the client status until client request reach netapp.

Let the controller do what it disigned/suppose to do rather than trying to fix everything with it.

Here is some failover policy you can configure on your LIFs..

https://library.netapp.com/ecmdocs/ECMP1636021/html/GUID-92CC5F58-5EB8-4E2D-88F0-FA2F740062E0.html

And I can gurantee none of them handle an upstream switch failure.

-robin.

Re: LIF Failover conditions

steven_langdale — Wed, 03 May 2017 19:31:26 GMT

Thanks for that Robin, and I'm currently looking at the network design.

Can you confirm that LIF failover will only occure with a loss of link?

Steven

Re: LIF Failover conditions

robinpeter — Wed, 03 May 2017 19:56:36 GMT

I believe this is what you looking for Scenarios that cause a LIF failover.