Which SAN port type should you use on an NPIV core switch that connects to an NPV edge switch?

Question

Options

• AFL
• BF
• CN
• DTE
• EE

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  86% (25)
• D
  7% (2)
• E
  3% (1)

Explanation

On an NPIV core switch, the port connecting to an NPV edge switch must be an F (Fabric) port because the NPV edge switch operates in a proxy mode - it does not participate in full fabric services, and instead presents its end-device connections upstream as N_Ports. Since F ports are specifically designed to terminate N_Port connections, the core switch uses an F port to receive those aggregated N_Port connections from the NPV edge switch.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (FL): FL ports are for legacy Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) - not applicable in NPV/NPIV designs.
• C (N): N ports are end-device ports (e.g., server HBAs) - they belong on nodes, not on switches.
• D (TE): TE (Trunking E) ports are for trunked ISLs between full fabric switches with VSAN trunking - NPV edge switches aren't full fabric participants.
• E (E): E ports form ISLs between standard fabric switches - again, NPV edge switches bypass full fabric participation, so no ISL is formed.

Memory tip: "NPV sends N_Ports up, NPIV core receives them on F ports." N always plugs into F - just like a server HBA (N port) plugs into a switch (F port).

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