NetApp FAS2560 with Mellanox SX1012

[ESG_NetApp_User]

Hi All, 

We recently purchased a new FAS2560, DS226 and 2x Mellanox SX1012 12 port switches for connectivity.   As it stands right now I have everything cabled up per the netapp guide.   I'm looking for some information on how I should be configuring the mellanox switches.  Should I be creating an MLAG or is it best to leave them as seperate switches similar to what you would do with iSCSI? 

[AlexDawson]

Hi there!

In the end, final configuration is a matter for each administrator to decide based on their knowledge of their network and their business requirements.

MLAGs generally provide the best redundancy for connections - in ONTAP you can create "ifgrp ports" that bind two physical ports together using LACP (or static), then create VLANs on those ifgrps, then place iSCSI LIFs on those ifgrps, and if one of the MLAG members went down, the iSCSI port would stay up without any need for the host to notice via ALUA.

Hope this helps - please feel free to ask any follow up questions!

[ESG_NetApp_User]

Thanks Alex!  My understanding was for iSCSI I should not use LACP but rather ensure that MPIO is configured on the servers and allow it to control the failover? 

[AlexDawson]

Having MPIO and ALUA setup on the attached initiators (servers) is indeed necessary - MLAG is optional and I've never had an issue with it being turned on for storage systems.