"nfs: server not responding" because gateway is not sending ARP responses to ONTAP
Applies to
- ONTAP 9
- NFS
- ARP
- Cisco ACI Fabric
Issue
- Intermittently, NFS client host(s) logs
nfs: server svm1 not responding, still trying
while mounting a LIF(s) hosted on a specific ONTAP node(s) - Packet trace captured on ONTAP shows that
- The gateway broadcasts ARP requests
- The gateway stops broadcasting ARP requests
- 20 minutes later, ONTAP starts broadcasting ARP requests for the gateway
- The gateway sends neither ARP responses, nor ARP requests
- The NFS client sends a TCP SYN
- ONTAP does not reply with a TCP SYN-ACK
- The NFS client repeatedly retransmits the TCP SYN
- The time stamps of these retransmissions coincide with when the client logs
nfs: server svm1 not responding, still trying
- The time stamps of these retransmissions coincide with when the client logs
- ONTAP does not reply with a TCP SYN-ACK
- The gateway starts broadcasting ARP requests
- ONTAP stops broadcasting ARP requests
- The NFS client sends a TCP SYN
- ONTAP does replies with a TCP SYN-ACK