Which type of LIF should be configured to allow NFS and SMB to share the same LIF and support automatic failover?

• A. SAN data LIF (single protocol)
• B. NAS data LIF (multi-protocol)
• C. Intercluster LIF
• D. Cluster management LIF

Answer: (B)

In ONTAP, a NAS data LIF can carry file protocols such as NFS and SMB, and when it’s configured as multi-protocol, the same LIF can serve both NFS and SMB clients at once. This setup also supports automatic failover in an HA pair, so if the node or network path fails, clients continue to access the shared path without interruption through the other node.

A SAN data LIF is meant for block protocols (like iSCSI) and is typically single-protocol, so it wouldn’t combine NFS and SMB on one LIF. Intercluster LIF is for cluster communication, not end-user file sharing, and a cluster management LIF handles cluster administration traffic. Therefore, the NAS data LIF configured for multi-protocol is the appropriate choice for sharing NFS and SMB on the same LIF with automatic failover.