Your customer currently has a 4-node AFF A400 cluster that runs ONTAP 9.8, with two NS224 shelves that are connected to each HA pair. The customer needs to add additional capacity to the cluster.
Which two actions would enable the customer to accomplish this task? (Choose two.)
The customer needs to add additional capacity to a 4-node AFF A400 cluster running ONTAP 9.8 with two existing NS224 shelves. The maximum number of direct-attached NS224 shelves on an A400 is 2, meaning additional shelves cannot be directly connected. Connecting new NS224 shelves must involve storage switches. Therefore, deploying new, dedicated storage switches for the new NS224 shelves is necessary. Additionally, deploying a new AFF A400 to the cluster can expand the overall system's capacity.
Max NS224 shelves is 4, but max stack size is 1. Also, max number of direct attached NS224 shelves on the A400 is 2. Any more than that would have to be switch attached. Option A is definitely wrong because you can't daisy chain the shelves. Option B is ambiguous because it doesn't specify whether the existing 3232C switches are dedicated switches for the existing two NS224C shelves, or are the cluster switches. If they are dedicated storage switches the new shelves could be attached to them. If they are the cluster switches, they cannot be (in ONTAP 9.8). Option C is correct. Option D could be correct if the existing two shelves are directly connected. So options B, C, and D could all be correct, but I'm going to guess they want you to choose CD.
https://docs.netapp.com/us-en/ontap-systems/ns224/hot-add-shelf.html#requirements-for-a-hot-add
Maximum shelves for an A400 is 2. Prior to 9.9.1 we need a dedicated storage switch for the shelves. Only option for this situation is C and D. https://library.netapp.com/ecm/ecm_download_file/ECMLP2876580
Max Number of NS224 for AFF A400 HA with ONTAP 9.8 is 4. So we can add them without switch. https://hwu.netapp.com/Resources/generatedPDFs/9.8P7_ONTAP-FAS-AFF.pdf?tag=8010 So A and C are ok with the answer. https://docs.netapp.com/us-en/ontap-systems/a400/install-detailed-guide.html#option-2-cable-the-controllers-to-two-drive-shelves Also for detailed cabling.
I agree with whoop, NS224 shelves is not stackeable, A is wrong. We can consider that these 3232C Switches are cluster switches for 4 nodes AFF A400, option B is incorrect. C and D make me sense if you read the following documentation about NS224 shelves: https://library.netapp.com/ecm/ecm_download_file/ECMLP2876580
whoop is fine, but D is incorrect because the storage switch is not a dedicated switch, is shared for all shelves