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Manage client access to storage VMs on ASA r2 storage systems

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Storage units on an ASA r2 system are contained inside storage virtual machines (VMs). Storage VMs are used to serve data to your SAN clients. Use ONTAP System Manager to create a LIF (network interface) for your SAN clients to connect to a storage VM and access data in the storage units. You can optionally use subnets to simplify LIF creation and IPspaces to provide your storage VMs with their own secure storage, administration, and routing.

Create IPspaces

An IPspace is a distinct IP address space in which storage VMs reside. When you create IPspaces, you enable your storage VMs to have their own secure storage, administration, and routing. You also enable clients in administratively separate network domains to use overlapping IP addresses from the same IP address subnet range.

You must create an IPspace before you can create a subnet.

Steps

  1. Select Network > Overview.

  2. Under IPspaces, select blue rectangle containing a plus sign followed by the word add in white letters.

  3. Enter a name for the IPspace or accept the default name.

    An IPspace name cannot be “all” because “all” is a system-reserved name.

  4. Select Save.

What's next?

Now that you have created an IPspace, you can use it to create a subnet.

Create subnets

A subnet allows you to allocate specific blocks of IPv4 or IPv6 addresses to use when you create a LIF (network interface) . A subnet simplifies LIF creation by allowing you to specify the subnet name instead of a specific IP address and network mask for each LIF.

Before you begin

  • You must be a cluster administrator to perform this task.

  • The broadcast domain and IPspace where you plan to add the subnet must already exist.

Steps

  1. Select Network > Overview.

  2. Select Subnets; then select blue rectangle containing a plus sign followed by the word add in white letters.

  3. Enter the subnet name.

    All subnet names must be unique within an IPspace.

  4. Enter the subnet IP address and subnet mask.

  5. Specify the IP address range for the subnet.

    When you specify the IP address range for the subnet, do not overlap IP addresses with other subnets. Network issues can occur when subnet IP addresses overlap and different subnets or hosts attempt to use the same IP address.

  6. Select the broadcast domain for the subnet.

  7. Select Add.

What's next?

You have created a subnet which you can now use to simplify the creation of your LIFs.

Create a LIF (network interface)

A LIF (network interface) is an IP address associated with a physical or logical port. Create LIFs on the ports you want to use to access data. Storage VMs serve data to clients through one or more LIFs. If there is a component failure, a LIF can fail over or be migrated to a different physical port, so that network communication is not interrupted.

When an IP data LIF is created, it can service both iSCSI and NVMe/TCP traffic by default. Separate data LIFs must be created for FC and NVMe/FC traffic.

Before you begin

  • You must be a cluster administrator to perform this task.

  • The underlying physical or logical network port must have been configured to the administrative up status.

  • If you are planning to use a subnet name to allocate the IP address and network mask value for a LIF, the subnet must already exist.

  • A LIF handling intracluster traffic between nodes should not be on the same subnet as a LIF handling management traffic or a LIF handling data traffic.

Steps

  1. Select Network > Overview.

  2. Select Network interfaces; then select blue rectangle with a plus sign followed by the word add in white letters.

  3. Select the interface type and protocol; then select the storage VM.

  4. Enter a name for the LIF or accept the default name.

  5. Select the home node for the network interface; then enter the IP address and subnet mask.

  6. Select Save.

Result

You have created a LIF for data access.

Modify a LIF (network interfaces)

LIFs can be disabled or renamed as needed. You can also change the LIF IP address and subnet mask.

Steps

  1. Select Network > Overview; then select Network interfaces.

  2. Hover over the network interface you want to edit; then select three vertical blue dots.

  3. Select Edit.

  4. You can disable the network interface, rename the network interface, change the IP address, or change the subnet mask.

  5. Select Save.

Result

Your LIF has been modified.