Different VLANS in Broadcast Domains failing over to right Port?

[ubimet]

Hello,

I have some troubles with one of our NetApp clusters, which was not configured by us. I have to update them and I saw a very confusing configuration of the BroadCast domains.

Bobby::> network port broadcast-domain show 
IPspace Broadcast                                         Update
Name    Domain Name    MTU  Port List                     Status Details
------- ----------- ------  ----------------------------- --------------
...
ubimet  ubimet        9000
                            Pesto:a0a-9                   complete
                            Pesto:a0a-10                  complete
                            Pesto:a0a-8                   complete             
                            Pesto:a0a-11                  complete             
                            Pesto:a0a-12                  complete             
                            Pesto:a0a-7                   complete             
                            Pesto:a0a-6                   complete             
                            Pesto:a0a-13                  complete             
                            Pesto:a0a-14                  complete             
                            Pesto:a0a-24                  complete             
                            Pesto:a0a-22                  complete             
                            Pesto:a0a-23                  complete             
                            Squit:a0a-6                   complete             
                            Squit:a0a-7                   complete             
                            Squit:a0a-9                   complete             
                            Squit:a0a-8                   complete             
                            Squit:a0a-11                  complete             
                            Squit:a0a-10                  complete             
                            Squit:a0a-12                  complete             
                            Squit:a0a-13                  complete             
                            Squit:a0a-14                  complete             
                            Squit:a0a-22                  complete             
                            Squit:a0a-23                  complete             
                            Squit:a0a-24                  complete
...

As you can see, there are completely different VLANs in the same broadcast domain. Does this really work in a case of a failover, so that the partner node uses the right port?

Normally, I configure broadcast domains like this:

Bobby::> network port broadcast-domain show 
IPspace Broadcast                                         Update
Name    Domain Name    MTU  Port List                     Status Details
------- ----------- ------  ----------------------------- --------------
...
ubimet  172.18.20.0/23 
                      1500
                            Squit:a0a-80                  complete
                            Pesto:a0a-80                  complete
...

Here, each broadcast domain has only one VLAN configured with one port on each partner. This is working when a node is failovered.

Would be very nice, if someone can give me here a statement, if the above config is failover compatible.

Best regards

Florian

[JohnOBrien · Accepted solution]

You need a Broadcast Domain for each Layer 2 VLAN:

Page 10:

Broadcast domain configuration

A broadcast domain groups ports that belong in the same Layer 2 network, and sets the MTU for the

broadcast domain ports

https://library.netapp.com/ecm/ecm_download_file/ECMLP2492610

Nice example from Flackbox:

http://www.flackbox.com/netapp-broadcast-domains-failover-groups/

Broadcast Domains Configuration Example

Finally, let’s have a look at how we might configure our broadcast domains and failover groups.

Configuration Example

Here we’ve got two SVMs: an SVM for DeptA and an SVM for DeptB. DeptA is using the 10.10.10.x subnet. We’ve got the address .10 on a LIF on controller 1 and we’ve got the address .11 on a LIF on controller 2. The switch ports they are plugged into have both been configured as members of VLAN 10 on the switch. We don’t have to configure VLANs on the storage system in this case.

We have a similar configuration for the DeptB SVM. It’s using the sub-net 192.168.20.x. We’ve got a LIF on node 1 using the address .10 and a different LIF on node 2 using .11. The switch ports they are plugged into are configured as part of VLAN 20.

In this example we have put ports e0a from both nodes into a broadcast domain for DeptA and we have put ports e1a from both nodes into a broadcast domain for the DeptB SVM. This makes sure that if any LIF has to failover, it will failover to a port that has the same connectivity so clients will still be able to access their data.

[ubimet]

Hello John,

thank you very much for your answer.

I read this article already and also the NetApp Documentation, but I wasn't completely sure.

Then I need to split this Braodcast Domain into several ones with only the same VLAN in it. Do you maybe know, if this splitting is nondisruptively for the splitted ports?

All of these port are in use and I don't want to produce an outage.

Best Regards

Florian

[COMITSUPPORT]

its not.

[Chris_Jones]

The process is non-disruptive if you use the "network port broadcast-domain split" command.

This command takes the defined ports out of your broadcast domain and moves them to a new domain. This can be done online.