topic FAS3240 Interconnect in ONTAP Hardware

FAS3240 Interconnect

jimmy_henry — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:22:49 GMT

We are setting up FAS3240 on 2 chassis with IOXM, which will be connected to both DS14 FC/SATA and DS4243 SAS disk shelves. SAS ports are enough and it's the FC ports that giving us issues as:

1. we were planning to use the 4 onboard FC ports to connect to the DS14 shelves: 1 pair to DS14-FC and the other pair to DS14-SATA

2. the FC HBA in expansion slots will then be used as target

However, we did not realize that the cluster interconnect between the chassis will be using up the 2 onboard FC ports so that we have only 2 onboard FC ports left to connect to the DS14.

Can you advise:

1. whether it is possible to configure the other FC ports in the expansion as interconnect between the chassis?

2. if not, whether it is an advisable option to go single path to the DS14 - 1 port to the DS14-FC and the other to DS14-SATA?

Thanks for your comments

Re: FAS3240 Interconnect

aborzenkov — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 05:06:33 GMT

FAS3240 has 2 onboard FC ports and 2 cluster interconnect ports. You cannot use cluster interconnect port for any other purposes nor can you use any other port as cluster interconnect.

NetApp does not support single path shelf attachment for new systems. This will technically work for disk access, but some features will not be available and system will overall be less resilient to errors.

Re: FAS3240 Interconnect

martin_fisher — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:24:11 GMT

If you have a FAS3240 with IOXM why not just get another FC HBA card and add it to one of the other PCI slots.

Use the Onboard Cluster Interconnect ports between the controllers in each chassis only. Extra cost of 2x FC HBA's if you want MPHA for the DS14.

Re: FAS3240 Interconnect

jimmy_henry — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 13:54:24 GMT

Thanks. Will go for the additional FC HBA. Appreciate your help