Can FC initiators direct attach to ONTAP systems?
Applies to
- ONTAP 9
- All FAS and AFF models
- SAN FC
Answer
No, ONTAP 9 uses the NPIV protocol which requires a switch and hence it is not recommended to go with direct connection
Additional Information
- See more details on page 44 of TR-4080 under the FC and NPIV section.
- Ways to configure FC & FC-NVMe SAN hosts
- In certain scenarios, direct configuration may function correctly, while in others, it may fail, leading to issues such as an ESXi host's inability to discover some paths.