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ONTAP FLI

ONTAP Foreign LUN Import (FLI) recommended FC wiring and zoning practices

Contributors netapp-barbe netapp-aherbin
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ONTAP iSCSI FLI uses an ONTAP software iSCSI initiator that is integrated with the FLI stack and binds outbound iSCSI sessions to intercluster LIFs where the backend connectivity is driven by Intercluster LIF networking, not host data LIFs.

Because sessions are intercluster LIF based, plan intercluster LIF placement, reachability, and redundancy, which is typically on the LUN-owning node and its HA partner, with resilient placement across ports to avoid single points of failure. Before creating sessions, validate end to end routing with VLAN reachability between the intercluster LIF IPs and the foreign array target portal Ips, including allowing TCP port 3260, since successful networking is a prerequisite for LUN discovery.

Sessions must be created explicitly using both the target portal IP and target IQN. iSCSI discovery sessions are not used. The intended resiliency model is full mesh connectivity, where each participating ONTAP node establishes sessions to each foreign target portal, so the foreign LUN is visible through all available paths before starting import.

The backend transport (iSCSI or FC) is independent of the front end protocol you use to present the destination ONTAP LUN to hosts. You can import using an iSCSI backend and present using FC or iSCSI. Choose between offline or online migration based on whether the host I/O must stop for the full import or can resume after a short cutover while the copy continues in the background.

Irrespective of the backend being FC or iSCSI, the frontend transport the SAN transport protocol can be SCSI FC or iSCSI.

Before you begin

  • Use the version command to confirm the ONTAP release and that the cluster is on the intended release for iSCSI FLI.

About this task

ONTAP FLI iSCSI backend connectivity setup includes the intercluster LIF, the iSCSI initiator, and sessions. You should do the following to set up and validate iSCSI backend connectivity before starting the import:

  • Confirm intercluster LIFs exist on both HA nodes you will use for import (the owning node and the HA partner) and that they are up and reachable.

  • Create ONTAP software iSCSI initiators bound to intercluster LIFs (one initiator per LIF).

  • Create iSCSI sessions from both nodes to the foreign array target portals and IQN.

  • Confirm sessions are healthy and the foreign LUN is discovered.

Steps

  1. Validate intercluster LIFs:

    network interface show -service-policy default-intercluster -fields vserver,home-node,home-port,curr-node,curr-port,address,ipspace,status-admin,status-oper

    Example output

    vserver         lif             address        home-node home-port curr-node  curr-port status-oper status-admin ipspace

C1_vsim_cluster iSCSI_FLI_IC_1  172.21.180.220 vsim       e0d      vsim        e0d       up          up          Default
C1_vsim2_cluster iSCSI_FLI_IC_2 172.21.180.228 vsim2      e0d      vsim2       e0d       up          up          Default
2 entries were displayed.

  2. Validate the network ports are up and in the correct IPSpace:

    network port show -port e0d -fields port ,ipspace ,broadcast-domain ,link ,mtu,speed-admin ,speed-oper ,health-status

    Example output

    node  port link mtu  speed-admin speed-oper ipspace broadcast-domain health-status
----- ---- ---- ---- ----------- ---------- ------- ---------------- -------------
vsim  e0d  up   1500 auto        1000       Default Default          healthy
vsim2 e0d  up   1500 auto        1000       Default Default          healthy
2 entries were displayed.

  3. Validate reachability to each foreign target portal from ONTAP (repeat per target portal):

    network ping -lif <IC_LIF_NAME> -destination <FOREIGN_TARGET_IP>

    Example output

    C1_vsim_cluster::*>  network ping -node vsim -destination 172.21.180.238
172.21.180.238 is alive
C1_vsim_cluster::*> network ping -node vsim -destination 172.21.180.238
172.21.180.238 is alive
C1_vsim_cluster::*>

  4. Check if the iSCSI initiator exists or to create and iSCSI initiator bound to an intercluster LIF (repeat on both HA nodes):

    storage iswi initiator create -node <NODE_A> -lif <IC_LIF_A> -initiator-name <INIT_NAME_A>
    storage iswi initiator create -node <NODE_B> -lif <IC_LIF_B> -initiator-name <INIT_NAME_B>

  5. Set the privilege level to advanced:

    set -privilege advanced

    Example output

    C1_vsim_cluster::> set -privilege advanced
Warning: These advanced commands are potentially dangerous; use them only when
         directed to do so by NetApp personnel.
Do you want to continue? {y|n}: y

  6. View the list of iSCSI initiators:

    storage iscsi-initiator show

    Example output

    C1_vsim_cluster::*> storage iscsi-initiator show
This table is currently empty.

  7. Create the iSCSI initiators:

    storage iscsi-initiator create -node <node_name> -initiator-name <initiator_name> -lif <lif_name>

    Example

    C1_vsim_cluster::*>  storage iscsi-initiator create -node vsim  -initiator-name init207m  -lif iSCSI_FLI_IC_1
C1_vsim2_cluster::*> storage iscsi-initiator create -node vsim2 -initiator-name init207n  -lif iSCSI_FLI_IC_2

  8. Verify the initiators were created:

    storage iscsi-initiator show

    Example output

    C1_sti84-vsim-ucs207m_cluster::*> storage iswi initiator show
       Initiator Logical        Source
 Node  Name      Interface      Name                   ISID              State
----- ---------  -----------    ---------------------  ----------------  -------------
vsim  init207m   iSCSI_FLI_IC_1 iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.4086639599:vs.1  80:0a:75:00:00:00  online
vsim2 init207n   iSCSI_FLI_IC_2 iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.4086639600:vs.1  80:1f:61:00:00:00  online
2 entries were displayed.

  9. Create iSCSI sessions to the foreign target from both nodes for each <TARGET_IP>/<TARGET_IQN> pair, ensuring the sessions form a full mesh topology where each node establishes a session to every target portal:

    storage iswi initiator session create -node <NODE_A> -initiator-name <INIT_NAME_A> -target-ip <TARGET_IP> -target-name <TARGET_IQN> -target-port 3260
    storage iswi initiator session create -node <NODE_B> -initiator-name <INIT_NAME_B> -target-ip <TARGET_IP> -target-name <TARGET_IQN> -target-port 3260

    Example

    C1_vsim_cluster::*> storage iswi initiator session create -node vsim -initiator-name init207m -target-name iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.054a3ea61f7c11f1bc73005056acc5b1:vs.3 -target-ip 172.21.180.238
C1_vsim_cluster::*> storage iswi initiator session create -node vsim2 -initiator-name init207n -target-name iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.054a3ea61f7c11f1bc73005056acc5b1:vs.3 -target-ip 172.21.180.238

C1_vsim_cluster::*> storage iswi initiator session create -node vsim2 -initiator-name init207n -target-name iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.054a3ea61f7c11f1bc73005056acc5b1:vs.3 -target-ip 172.21.180.230
C1_vsim_cluster::*> storage iswi initiator session create -node vsim -initiator-name init207m -target-name iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.054a3ea61f7c11f1bc73005056acc5b1:vs.3 -target-ip 172.21.180.230
    New iSCSI sessions from both nodes to each target portal

  10. Verify the sessions:

    storage iswi initiator session show -node <NODE_A> -initiator-name <INIT_NAME_A>
    storage iswi initiator session show -node <NODE_B> -initiator-name <INIT_NAME_B>

    Example

    C1_sti84-vsim-ucs207m_cluster::*> storage iswi initiator session show
      Initiator  Target                                  Target-ip       Target Tpgroup-tag TSIH State
Node  Name       Name                                                    Port
----- --------- ---------------------------------------- --------------  ------ ------      ---- ------
vsim  init207m  iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.054a3eab1:vs.3 172.21.180.230  3260   1026          2  online
vsim  init207m  iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.054a3eab1:vs.3 172.21.180.238  3260   1032          1  online
vsim2 init207n  iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.054a3eab1:vs.3 172.21.180.230  3260   1026          1  online
vsim2 init207n  iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.054a3eab1:vs.3 172.21.180.238  3260   1032          2  online
4 entries were displayed.

  11. Start the Statistics

    This Statistics data will help to triage any failure during the iSCSI FLI.

    statistics start -object <pbject> -sample-id <sample_id>

    Example

    C1_sti84-vsim-ucs207m::*> statistics start -object iswi_session -sample-id iswi_fli_import
Statistics collection is being started for sample-id: iswi_fli_import

  12. Check the session statistics:

    statistics show -sample-id <sample_id>

    Example

    C1_sti84-vsim-ucs207m_cluster::*> statistics show -sample-id iswi_fli_import
Object: iswi_session
Instance: (init207m)-(172.21.180.230)
Start-time: 4/5/2026 08:37:15
End-time: 4/5/2026 08:37:34
Elapsed-time: 19s
Scope: sti84-vsim-ucs207m

    Counter                                                     Value
    -------------------------------- --------------------------------
    instance_name                         (init207m)-(172.21.180.230)
    instance_uuid                          iqn.1992-08.com.netapp:sn.
                                     054a3ea61f7c11f1bc73005056acc5b1
                                                                :vs.3
    node_name                                      sti84-vsim-ucs207m
    process_name                                                    -
    read_data                                                       0
    read_ops                                                        0
    session_state                                              Online
    write_data                                                      0
    write_ops                                                       0
Object: iswi_session
Instance: (init207m)-(172.21.180.238)
Start-time: 4/5/2026 08:37:15
End-time: 4/5/2026 08:37:34
Elapsed-time: 19s

  13. Check the connectivity on the foreign array:

    At this stage, the foreign storage array iSCSI target must be able to detect and confirm an active login and session from the NetApp iSCSI initiator. Use the vendor-recommended commands on the foreign array to verify that the initiator is connected and the sessions are healthy.

    Example

    pureport list --initiator --raw --filter "initiator.iqn='<HOST_IQN>'"
pureport list -initiator
purehost list --all

Discovery checkpoint: When sessions are established, ONTAP should add storage paths and discover the foreign LUNs in the storage stack, which is the prerequisite to mark the disk as foreign and proceed with the import workflow.