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Cluster : Configuration > Peers : Understanding cluster peers : Cluster peer network topologies
Cluster peer network topologies
You want to connect clusters together in such a way that the clusters in a peer relationship will always be able to communicate with each other.
The best network topology when you have multiple intercluster LIFs connecting clusters in a peering relationship is full mesh connectivity. Full mesh connectivity means that all of the intercluster LIFs of a cluster can communicate with all of the intercluster LIFs on all of the clusters to which you want it to communicate.
For example, Cluster D has the following LIF connections to Clusters S1, S2, and S3:
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D2a is connected to S1a and S1b, S2a and S2b, and S3a and S3b
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D2b is connected to S1a and S1b, S2a and S2b, and S3a and S3b
With this topology, there are no missing routes from Cluster D to Clusters S1, S2, and S3.
If, for some reason, you cannot configure full mesh connectivity between all of the LIFs of one cluster to other clusters, you can configure full mesh connections between some LIFs of one cluster to other clusters. This provides the full connectivity between clusters, but can result in an initial and temporary slowing in performance and in the systems issuing EMS warnings. The slowed performance can occur because Data ONTAP might need to define the route from one cluster to another before data can transfer.
For example, Cluster D has the following LIF connections to Clusters S1, S2, and S3:
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D1a is connected to S1a and S1b
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D1b is connected to S1a and S1b
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D2a is connected to S2a and S2b
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D2b is connected to S2a and S2b
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D3a is connected to S3a and S3b
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D3b is connected to S3a and S3b
With this topology, routes in which LIFs are directly connected to each other are defined. If there is not a direct connection, for example, when data must go between D1a to S3b, a small amount of time is taken for Data ONTAP to determine a path between Cluster D and Cluster S3.
If the network topology used is not full mesh connectivity, the peer relationships will fail because not all of the possible routes between intercluster LIFs exist.
For example, Cluster D has the following LIF connections to Cluster S1, S2, and S3:
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D2a to S1a, S2a, and S3a
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D2b to S1b, S2b, and S3b

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