How does LIF failover work in an HA ONTAP cluster?

How does LIF failover work in an HA ONTAP cluster?

• A. LIF failover is automatic; if a path or node fails, the system will move traffic to a healthy path or node.
• B. LIFs never failover.
• C. LIF failover requires manual intervention.
• D. LIF failover is only for administrators.

Answer: (A)

Automatic LIF failover ensures continuity of access in an HA ONTAP cluster by relocating a LIF to a healthy path or partner node when the current path or node fails. The LIF is tied to a home node and a network path, so if that path goes down, ONTAP automatically fails the LIF over to the corresponding port on the partner node. The LIF keeps its IP address and service, so client connections continue with minimal disruption. This default automatic behavior means manual intervention isn’t required under normal failure conditions. The other statements don’t reflect how ONTAP HA handles LIFs—they either deny failover, require manual action, or misstate who can initiate it.

Automatic LIF failover ensures continuity of access in an HA ONTAP cluster by relocating a LIF to a healthy path or partner node when the current path or node fails. The LIF is tied to a home node and a network path, so if that path goes down, ONTAP automatically fails the LIF over to the corresponding port on the partner node. The LIF keeps its IP address and service, so client connections continue with minimal disruption. This default automatic behavior means manual intervention isn’t required under normal failure conditions. The other statements don’t reflect how ONTAP HA handles LIFs—they either deny failover, require manual action, or misstate who can initiate it.