Recommended ONTAP FLI approaches by operating system and configuration
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Align the host operating system and storage configuration with the recommended Foreign LUN Import (FLI) approach before selecting a migration method.
Intent
The table below helps align host operating system and storage configuration with the recommended Foreign LUN Import (FLI) approach before selecting a migration method. For each host type and usage model, it indicates whether Online FLI, Offline FLI, or either is appropriate. The Notes / Rationale column highlights key technical constraints—such as clustering semantics, SCSI 3 persistent reservations, and boot dependencies—that directly influence whether host I/O can safely coexist with an active import relationship. This guidance should be used early in planning to avoid unsupported workflows and to set realistic expectations around outage windows and remediation timing.
Key Guidance
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Clustering almost always implies Offline FLI due to SCSI 3 Persistent Reservation requirements.
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Standalone hosts and non clustered virtualized workloads are generally flexible and can use either Online or Offline FLI.
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SAN boot use cases are technically supported in both modes but are often operationally simpler to execute as Offline FLI.
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Final mode selection should factor in application downtime tolerance, rollback requirements, and operational complexity, not just protocol support.
Detailed Guidance
Windows
| Configuration | Recommendation | Reasons if any |
|---|---|---|
NTFS Volume |
Online / Offline FLI |
Supported in both modes; choice depends on application downtime tolerance. |
Windows Failover Cluster (WFSC) |
Offline FLI |
SCSI 3 Persistent Reservations are required by WFSC and are not supported while a LUN is in an active import relationship. |
Hyper V |
Online / Offline FLI |
Standalone Hyper V supported; clustered Hyper V follows WFSC guidance. |
SAN Boot |
Online / Offline FLI |
Requires careful cutover planning; typically treated as offline unless downtime is well controlled. |
Linux (RHEL/SLES)
| Configuration | Recommendation | Reasons if any |
|---|---|---|
Filesystem / RAW Disk |
Online / Offline FLI |
Supported in both modes with standard multipathing. |
LVM |
Online / Offline FLI |
Supported; ensure correct host discovery and PV/VG consistency during cutover. |
Pacemaker Cluster |
Online / Offline FLI |
Supported, but cluster behavior must be validated during cutover. |
SAN Boot |
Online / Offline FLI |
Usually operationally simpler as offline, though technically supported online. |
Solaris
| Configuration | Recommendation | Reasons if any |
|---|---|---|
Standalone |
Online / Offline FLI |
Either mode supported depending on outage tolerance. |
Oracle Solaris Cluster (OSC / Sun Cluster) |
Offline FLI |
Cluster requires exclusive SCSI behaviors not supported during active import. |
SAN Boot |
Online / Offline FLI |
Treat similarly to other OS SAN boot scenarios. |
AIX
| Configuration | Recommendation | Reasons if any |
|---|---|---|
Standalone |
Online / Offline FLI |
Supported in both modes. |
PowerHA (HACMP) |
Offline FLI |
Clustered disks require reservation semantics incompatible with online import. |
Virtualized (PowerVM NPIV/VFC, vSCSI - no clustering) |
Online / Offline FLI |
Supported when not part of a cluster. |
Virtualized (PowerVM with clustering) |
Offline FLI |
Same clustering limitations as physical PowerHA. |
SAN Boot |
Online / Offline FLI |
Operational preference often offline. |
HP-UX
| Configuration | Recommendation | Reasons if any |
|---|---|---|
Standalone |
Online / Offline FLI |
Supported in both modes. |
Host Clustering (MC/ServiceGuard) |
Offline FLI |
Cluster disk semantics require offline migration. |
SAN Boot |
Online / Offline FLI |
Usually planned as offline in practice. |
VMware ESXi
| Configuration | Recommendation | Reasons if any |
|---|---|---|
VMDK (Standard Datastores) |
Online / Offline FLI |
Either mode supported; online minimizes VM downtime. |
RDM (Standard) |
Online / Offline FLI |
Supported; ensure consistent host rescans during cutover. |
VMSC / VMHA |
Online / Offline FLI |
Supported with careful coordination. |
WFSC (Clustered VMDK) |
Offline FLI |
Windows clustering limitations apply. |
WFSC (RDM) |
Offline FLI |
SCSI 3 PR required, online import unsupported. |