For a successful and resilient cluster peering configuration in NetApp ONTAP, two fundamental networking principles must be met. First, every node within a cluster must have at least one dedicated intercluster LIF. This ensures that each node can directly participate in replication traffic, preventing performance bottlenecks and single points of failure. Second, there must be full, routable network connectivity between all intercluster LIFs on the local cluster and all intercluster LIFs on the remote cluster. This "full mesh" connectivity is essential for the peering relationship to be established and for data transfers to proceed reliably, regardless of which nodes host the source and destination data.

A. The LIFs should be on the same subnet.

This is incorrect. Intercluster LIFs can reside on different subnets, provided there is proper routing between them to allow communication.

C. You must use one cluster LIF per node per network.

This statement is inaccurate. The correct term is "intercluster LIF," not "cluster LIF." Furthermore, the requirement is at least one intercluster LIF per node, not one per node per network.

1. NetApp ONTAP Documentation Center, "Network requirements for cluster peering":

"You must create at least one intercluster LIF on each node of the cluster." (Supports answer B).

"All intercluster LIFs on all nodes in the local cluster must have network connectivity with all intercluster LIFs on all nodes in the remote cluster." (Supports answer D).

"The intercluster LIFs for a node can be on the same or different subnets." (Refutes answer A).

2. NetApp Technical Report TR-4678, "Cluster Peering":

Page 10, Section "Intercluster Network Connectivity": "NetApp requires that every node in a cluster have at least one intercluster LIF. This configuration is required to avoid performance bottlenecks and to provide path redundancy for intercluster traffic." (Supports answer B).

Page 10, Section "Intercluster Network Connectivity": "All intercluster LIFs in the local cluster must be able to communicate with all intercluster LIFs in the remote cluster." (Supports answer D).