We recently set up a new FAS960c pair of filers running 7.0.0.1 and I am trying to understand how cfmode partner works.

According to the "Block Access Management Guide for FCP" the A port on each FC adapter is for accessing local LUNs while the B port is for accessing partner LUNs. In "cfmode partner" both ports are active.

So does that mean that in normal operation (no failover) that initiators (hosts) can access a LUN on filer 1 from a B port on filer 2? That is what the manual seems to indicate.

How is this accomplished? Does it happen within the switch? Do FCP requests for a B port get forwarded to an A port on the partner during normal operation?

Obviously during a failover the surviving head takes over the disks of its partner and then satisfies requests to the B port itself.

Steve Losen scl@virginia.edu phone: 434-924-0640

University of Virginia ITC Unix Support