topic Re: Active / Active Cluster in Network and Storage Protocols

Active / Active Cluster

PKKASTURI — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:22:03 GMT

Hi Guys,

I've faced one interview question that i want to share with you and requesting solutions as well.

scenario: Active / Active Cluster

Primary Filer : have protocols NFS, CIFS, FCP & ISCSI

Secondary Filer : have protocols NFS, CIFS

when primary filer down, how failover happens?

As per knowledge, Both filers should have similar H/W architecture, similar Ontap version and everything should be same then only we call it as active/active cluster. My concern in the above question, how this will be active / active cluster?

Is it possible to configure active/active cluster by using above scenario? If yes how? provide me steps

Thanks,

Phani

Re: Active / Active Cluster

aborzenkov — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 07:22:46 GMT

Both filers in HA pair need to have identical licenses.

Re: Active / Active Cluster

PKKASTURI — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 07:33:11 GMT

First of all, is it possible to setup them as active/active cluster?

on secondary filer, we are not using FC and ISCSI protocols, the luns using them (FC, ISCSI protocols) in primary filer, how they failover to secondary filer?

can you please explain?

Re: Active / Active Cluster

PKKASTURI — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 07:36:04 GMT

you mean that secondary filer should also have FC & ISCSI licenses installed?

Re: Active / Active Cluster

vadimax67 — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 08:50:16 GMT

jep

Re: Active / Active Cluster

aborzenkov — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:41:46 GMT

From technical PoV you must have FCP enabled and active on both controllers to get FCP failover for host. I am not sure whether you even will be able to properly configure FCP in HA pair without running FCP on both heads.

Other protocols may work. I do not know because I never tested it.

But the real question is support. As far as I know such configuration is not supported. If you really need it, you need contact your NetApp representative and support and request official statement whether this is supported. May be as special release (PVR).