You have a 4-node ONTAP 9.8 cluster with a FAS8700 HA pair serving iSCSI LUNs. You add a new AFF A250 HA pair with new iSCSI LIFs and want non-optimized data paths to existing LUNs. Which two ONTAP configuration settings must you verify?

You have a 4-node ONTAP 9.8 cluster with a FAS8700 HA pair serving iSCSI LUNs. You add a new AFF A250 HA pair with new iSCSI LIFs and want non-optimized data paths to existing LUNs. Which two ONTAP configuration settings must you verify?

• A. port sets
• B. switch zoning
• C. port sets and switch zoning
• D. iSCSI authentication method

Answer: (C)

When iSCSI traffic is extended across multiple clusters, the data paths that can be used are defined by how ONTAP exposes iSCSI ports (port sets) and how the SAN fabric allows access to those ports (switch zoning). Port sets specify which physical NIC/port combinations are allowed to carry iSCSI traffic for a given LIF, enabling multiple active paths and load balancing. Switch zoning on the SAN switch controls which ports can see each other and participate in the same initiator/target conversation; if zoning blocks certain paths, those paths won’t be usable. To ensure non-optimized data paths to existing LUNs after adding the new AFF pair with new iSCSI LIFs, you must verify that the iSCSI port sets include the relevant ports from both clusters and that the switch zoning permits access to all those ports. Only addressing port sets or only addressing zoning could leave some paths invisible or unusable. The iSCSI authentication method, while important for security, does not affect path visibility or path selection, so it’s not part of configuring non-optimized paths.

When iSCSI traffic is extended across multiple clusters, the data paths that can be used are defined by how ONTAP exposes iSCSI ports (port sets) and how the SAN fabric allows access to those ports (switch zoning). Port sets specify which physical NIC/port combinations are allowed to carry iSCSI traffic for a given LIF, enabling multiple active paths and load balancing. Switch zoning on the SAN switch controls which ports can see each other and participate in the same initiator/target conversation; if zoning blocks certain paths, those paths won’t be usable.

To ensure non-optimized data paths to existing LUNs after adding the new AFF pair with new iSCSI LIFs, you must verify that the iSCSI port sets include the relevant ports from both clusters and that the switch zoning permits access to all those ports. Only addressing port sets or only addressing zoning could leave some paths invisible or unusable. The iSCSI authentication method, while important for security, does not affect path visibility or path selection, so it’s not part of configuring non-optimized paths.