NetApp NS0-521 Exam - Topic 2 Question 32 Discussion

Actual exam question for NetApp's NS0-521 exam

Question #: 32
Topic #: 2

An administrator installs a new NetApp ONTAP system in a customer's SAN environment. The customer wants to confirm that ALUA correctly changes the path states between Active/Optimized and Active/Nonoptimized.

Which event causes ALUA to change the path states?

AShut down all FC LIFs on the HA partner node.

BMove the containing volume to the HA partner node.

CShut down one FC LIF.

DDisconnect one FC cable on the node hosting the LUN.

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: A

ALUA (Asymmetric Logical Unit Access) is a protocol used in SAN environments to manage paths between a host and its storage. It enables the host to recognize and manage paths to the LUNs more efficiently by designating paths as either 'Active/Optimized' or 'Active/Nonoptimized'. A significant event, such as shutting down all FC LIFs on the HA partner node, will trigger ALUA to change the path states. This action effectively causes the storage paths to transition from the HA partner node to the local node, switching the path states from Active/Nonoptimized to Active/Optimized on the paths that remain active.

For more information, you can refer to:

NetApp Community Discussion on ALUA

NetApp Documentation on ALUA

by Martina at Jan 05, 2026, 05:16 AM

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Gilbert

4 days ago

B) Move the containing volume to the HA partner node. Ah, that makes sense. Relocating the volume would definitely trigger ALUA to adjust the path states.

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Lewis

9 days ago

C) Shut down one FC LIF. Hmm, I'm not sure about that one. Wouldn't that just affect that single LIF, not the ALUA path states?

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Mayra

14 days ago

D) Disconnect one FC cable on the node hosting the LUN. That's the correct answer, as that would cause ALUA to change the path states.

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Mary

19 days ago

I have a vague memory that disconnecting a cable would definitely affect the path state, so I might lean towards option D, but I’m not completely confident.

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Celeste

24 days ago

If I recall correctly, moving the volume to the HA partner node could also trigger a path state change, but I feel like I need to double-check that.

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Ngoc

29 days ago

I remember practicing a similar question where we discussed the impact of shutting down LIFs. It might be related to option C, but I can't recall the exact details.

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Sharika

1 month ago

I think ALUA changes the path states when there's a disruption in the path, but I'm not sure if it's when you shut down a LIF or disconnect a cable.

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Daniel

1 month ago

I'm a bit confused on this one. I know ALUA is about managing path states, but I'm not sure which specific event would cause the path states to change. I'll need to review the ALUA concepts again.

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Stefanie

1 month ago

I'm pretty confident the answer is D. Disconnecting an FC cable should trigger ALUA to change the path states between active/optimized and active/non-optimized.

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Ulysses

2 months ago

Okay, let's see. I know ALUA is about managing path states, so it's probably something to do with the FC connections. I'm leaning towards D, but I'll double-check the details.

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Loreta

2 months ago

Hmm, I'm not sure about this one. I'll need to think it through carefully. Maybe B or D could be the right answer?

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Eleonora

2 months ago

I think the answer is D. Disconnecting an FC cable should cause ALUA to change the path states.

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