How do I know which host operating system type is correct?

The Host Operating System Type field contains the operating system of the host. You can select the recommended host type from the drop-down list or allow the Host Context Agent (HCA) to configure the host and appropriate host operating system type.

The host types that appear in the drop-down list depend on the storage array model and the firmware version. The most recent versions display the most common options first, which are the most likely to be appropriate. Appearance on this list does not imply the option is fully supported.

Note: For more information about host support, refer to the NetApp Interoperability Matrix tool.

Some of the following host types might appear in the list:

Host Operating System type	Operating System (OS) and multipath driver
Linux DM-MP (Kernel 3.10 or later)	Supports Linux operating systems using a Device Mapper multipath failover solution with a 3.10 or later Kernel.
VMware ESXi	Supports VMware ESXi operating systems running the Native Multipathing Plug-in (NMP) architecture using the VMware built-in Storage Array Type Policy module SATP_ALUA.
Windows (clustered or non-clustered)	Supports Windows clustered or non-clustered configurations that are not running the ATTO multipathing driver.
ATTO Cluster (all operating systems)	Supports all cluster configurations using the ATTO Technology, Inc., multipathing driver.
Linux (Veritas DMP)	Supports Linux operating systems using a Veritas DMP multipathing solution.
Linux (ATTO)	Supports Linux operating systems using an ATTO Technology, Inc., multipathing driver.
Mac OS (ATTO)	Supports Mac OS versions using an ATTO Technology, Inc., multipathing driver.
Windows (ATTO)	Supports Windows operating systems using an ATTO Technology, Inc., multipathing driver.
FlexArray (ALUA)	Supports a NetApp FlexArray system using ALUA for multipathing.
IBM SVC	Supports an IBM SAN Volume Controller configuration.
Factory Default	Reserved for the initial start-up of the storage array. If your host operating system type is set to Factory Default, change it to match the host operating system and multipath driver running on the connected host.
Linux DM-MP (Kernel 3.9 or earlier)	Supports Linux operating systems using a Device Mapper multipath failover solution with a 3.9 or earlier Kernel.
Window Clustered (deprecated)	If your host operating system type is set to this value, use the Windows (clustered or non-clustered) setting instead.

After the HCA is installed and the storage is attached to the host, the HCA sends the host topology to the storage controllers through the I/O path. Based on the host topology, the storage controllers automatically define the host and the associated host ports, and then set the host type.

Note: If the HCA does not select the recommended host type, you must manually set the host type.