How to Connect AFF A400 to CN1610 Cluster Switches

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CN1610 cluster switches will not be supported from ONTAP 9.13.1. They have been EOA (End of Availability) since 12-Dec-2019, and EOS (End of Support) is 31-Jan-2025. Still for migration purposes, you may still want to add an A400 (or something else) to a cluster with CN1610 cluster switches, to enable migration, and then convert it to a switchless cluster later.

In our scenario, we have an A400 HA pair with:

  • 2 x X2072A HBA,4x12Gb miniSAS HD,PCIe
  • 2 x X1151A NIC,100GbE, PCIe gen3 x16, Smart IO
  • 2 x X1135A HBA,4-port FCP Targt-Init 32Gb PCIe w/SFP+
  • 2 x X1161A MEZZANINE,4-Pt,25G,CX5

Based on the priority assignment rules in NetApp's Hardware Universe, this gives the following layout:

  • Slot 1: X2072 Quad Port miniSAS
  • Slot 3: X1151A 100GbE card for stamdard cluster network
  • Slot 5: X1135A Quad Port FC
Detailed with this diagram:


The default configuration for a switchless cluster is ports e3a and e3b for cluster interconnect.

To connect to the CN1610 via 10Gbe Interconnect:
  • Option 1: 2 x X1147A Adapter card
    • Use ports e2a (SW1), e2b (SW2), e2c (SW1), e2d (SW2)
  • Option 2: 4 x X1122A Adapter cards
    • Use ports e1a (SW1), e1b (SW2), e4a (SW1), e4b (SW2)
  • Option 3: Onboard
    • Use ports e0e (SW1), e0f (SW2), e0g (SW1), e0h (SW2)
Using breakout cables is not an option with the CN1610.

In our scenario - in the absence of the X1147A (10GbE Quad Port) or X1122A (25GbE Dual Port) adapter cards - our only option is to use onboard for cluster connections. And we could use the 100GbE ethernet ports - e0c and e0d - for host (client) connections.


This would require 16 x 10GbE SFPs (8 for the A400 HA-Pair and 8 for the two switches) and suitable length LC-LC cables. Or 8 x 10GbE copper cables.

In our scenario we have:

8 x X66240A-5 : Cable,25GbE,SFP28-SFP28,Cu,5m

Alas, those are not supported copper cables with the CN1610. The supported SFP+ to SFP+ copper cables  of length 2m or 5m are:
  • X6566-2
  • X6566B-2
  • X6566-5
  • X6566B-5

And these are supported with the e0e/f/g/h ports on the A400.

Additional Note 1

If it makes sense to stand up the new AFF A400 as a new cluster and migrate to that, remember that SVM-DR supports the destination being higher by two versions than the source:

  • SVM DR for migration or ONTAP upgrades supports a target that is at most two versions later than the source. For example, SVM DR could be used to migrate a SVM from ONTAP 9.10.1 to either ONTAP 9.11.1 or ONTAP 9.12.1. Note: The only applies to migration, not Disaster Recovery
  • For Disaster Recovery, rather than migration, SVM DR does not support version interoperability.
  • For Disaster Recovery, source and destination Cluster need to be the same ONTAP version.

Additional Note 1


Data from 13th December 2023:

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