The exhibit illustrates a four-node MetroCluster configuration. There are two controller nodes at Site A (ControllerA1, ControllerA2) and two at Site B (ControllerB1, ControllerB2), totaling four nodes. The key identifying feature is the presence of dedicated "MetroCluster Switches" at each site, which form a Fibre Channel (FC) fabric. In this architecture, the controllers connect to the storage shelves at the remote site through this FC fabric, which is the defining characteristic of a Fabric-Attached MetroCluster. The diagram shows this cross-site connectivity for storage access, confirming the fabric-attached model.

A. 2-node stretch MetroCluster: The diagram clearly depicts four controller nodes, not two.

B. 4-node MetroCluster IP: A MetroCluster IP configuration uses IP-based switches for the backend storage network, not the dedicated FC switches shown in the exhibit.

D. 4-node stretch MetroCluster: A stretch configuration does not use a switched fabric for backend storage; it typically involves direct-attached SAS connections to storage at both sites.

1. NetApp

Inc. (2023). TR-4705: MetroCluster Solution Architecture and Design.

Section: "Four-node fabric-attached MetroCluster configuration

" Page 10.

Content: Figure 3 in this document provides a detailed architectural diagram that is functionally identical to the one in the exhibit. It describes the configuration as having "two HA pairs

with each node of the HA pair at a different site" and using "two independent FC fabrics" for storage connectivity.

2. NetApp ONTAP Documentation Center. (2023). MetroCluster Installation and Configuration Guide.

Section: "Overview of a four-node Fabric-Attached MetroCluster configuration."

Content: This section explicitly states

"A four-node Fabric-Attached MetroCluster configuration consists of two HA pairs... The storage fabric consists of two redundant Fibre Channel (FC) networks." The accompanying diagrams mirror the components and connectivity shown in the question's exhibit.

3. NetApp ONTAP Documentation Center. (2023). MetroCluster IP Installation and Configuration Guide.

Section: "Overview of a four-node MetroCluster IP configuration."

Content: The diagrams and description in this guide show the use of IP switches (such as Cisco Nexus or Broadcom) for the backend network

which is distinctly different from the FC switch-based fabric shown in the question's exhibit. This reference confirms why option B is incorrect.