In NVMe/FC, which protocol is utilized for multipathing and path management for failover?

Asymmetric Namespace Access (ANA) is a critical protocol utilized in NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe/FC) environments for managing multipathing and providing failover capabilities. ANA enables multiple paths to be managed concurrently for better redundancy and reliability. It allows hosts to identify multiple paths to a device without being tied to a single logical path, effectively supporting load balancing and path failover if one of the paths becomes unavailable.

In NVMe/FC scenarios, ANA helps in providing a comprehensive view of the different namespaces that may be accessible through multiple paths. This includes helping the host identify which paths are active, which are inactive, and how to efficiently handle multiple I/O requests across these paths. This capability is crucial for enhancing system availability and performance, as it optimizes data access and ensures continuity in case of hardware failures.

The other options do represent different methodologies or technologies related to path management and data redundancy; however, they do not specifically address the unique requirements of multipathing in the context of NVMe/FC.