FAS2020 and DS14mk2 connectivity question

[KENT_LANGE]

I have a question about adding a drive shelf to an existing environment. Basically my question is, can I connect a drive shelf (DS14mk2) to a controller (FAS2020) via a fibre switch?

In my existing environment, i have 3 Hyper-V servers connected to 2x IBM 249824E Fibre switchs.One port goes to 1 switch and the other port goes to the other switch. A NetApp FAS2020 with 1 controller and 2 ports, port going to 1 switch, 1 port going to the other switch. This provides redundant connection for the servers the NetApp for the Virtual Machines.

In my current situation, i do not have any available ports on the NetApp to connect the drive shelf (DS14mk2). My thought was to connect one port of the drive shelf to one fibre switch and one port to the other fibre switch. I know that i will have to change the port configuration on the Netapp, but have it be set to both Target and Initiator? Will the NetApp see the drive shelf if it is connected via the fibre switch? I have browsed through several documents, but nothing is mentioned regards fibre switch connectivity and drive shelves.

Tips, recommendation, step-by-step instructions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[ralfaro01zero · Accepted solution]

Hi Kent,

Best practices say that the onboard ports can be either Targets or Initiators, not mixed. If you need FC ports and expansion shelfs you have to look at FAS2040 with SAS shelfs or up.

Cheers.

[KENT_LANGE]

Thank you for the reply, but unfortunately i already have the hardware. I think i am going to have to remove my redundancy and use one of the ports to the lower FC switch and make it a single path connection to the DS. This was the suggestion given to me by another person, but i was hoping that the built in FC ports could support being both Targets and Initiators and i could connect the DS via the FC switches.