Each Cisco Validated Design (CVD) or NetApp Verified Architecture (NVA) is a possible FlexPod configuration. Cisco and NetApp document these configuration combinations and validate them with extensive end-to-end testing. The FlexPod deployments that deviate from these configurations are fully supported if they follow the guidelines in this document and all the components are listed as compatible in the Cisco HCL and NetApp IMT.

For example, adding additional storage controllers or Cisco UCS servers and upgrading software to newer versions is fully supported if the software, hardware, and configurations meet the guidelines defined in this document.