Jump to main content

# Understanding PowerMax File for storage systems

Network-attached storage is a file-level storage architecture that makes stored data more accessible to networked devices.

A storage system running PowerMaxOS 10 (6079) with embedded Unisphere supports software-defined network-attached storage (PowerMax File).

PowerMax File support a file services architecture that provides a reliable, high performance, highly available, and highly scalable system. PowerMax File runs as a container instance inside each file guest offering based on the customer configuration.

Unisphere in the Embedded Element Manger (EEM) manages a single instance of PowerMax File that is present locally. The Unisphere that is installed on an external host does not manage any PowerMax File instances.

PowerMax File uses virtualized Network-Attached Storage (NAS) servers that use the SMB, NFS, and FTP protocols to catalog, organize, and transfer files within file system shares and exports.

A NAS server, the basis for multi-tenancy, must be created before you can create file-level storage resources. NAS servers are responsible for the configuration parameters on the set of file systems that it serves.

Network File System (NFS) is an access protocol that enables users to access files and folders on a network. You can create an NFS export to make file system paths on your storage system available for mounting by NFS clients.

Server Message Block (SMB) is an access protocol that allows remote file data access from clients to hosts on a network. An SMB share, also known as an SMB file share, is a shared resource on an SMB server.

VLAN and Jumbo frames are not supported for File services.

Services such as anti-virus, scheduled snapshots, and Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) backups ensure that the data on the file systems is well protected.

The high-level sequence of tasks to configure PowerMax File for storage systems running PowerMaxOS 10 (6079) is as follows:

1. Configure subnets (subnet configuration is required in order to create a NAS server).
2. Create NAS server (a NAS server is required in order to create a file system).
3. Create File Systems (file systems enable you to partition data for your users).
4. Protect File Systems (optionally protect file system data using snapshots or replication).

The detailed sequence of tasks to configure PowerMax File is as follows:

1. View node inventory (under System > File Configuration> Node Inventory tab)— View file node inventory.
2. Configure subnets. Create and configure bond devices (under System > File Configuration> Network Devices tab)— View file system network devices.
3. Create and configure NAS servers (under Storage > File) - View NAS servers. Other properties and controls that are associated with NAS servers are in the following tabs:
   - Details— View NAS server details
   - Network > File Interface— View NAS server details
   - Network > Routes to external services— View NAS server details
   - Sharing Protocols > SMB Server— View NAS server details
   - Sharing Protocols > NFS Server— View NAS server details
   - Sharing Protocols > FTP— View NAS server details
   - Sharing Protocols > User Mapping— View NAS server details
   - Naming services > DNS— View NAS server details
   - Naming services > UDS— View NAS server details
   - Naming services > Local Files— View NAS server details
   - Security > Antivirus— View NAS server details
   - Security > Kerberos— View NAS server details
   - Data protection > Snapshot policy— View NAS server details
   - Data protection > Replication— View NAS server details
   - Backup & Events > NDMP— View NAS server details. You can configure standard backup for the NAS servers using Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP). NDMP provides a standard for backing up file servers on a network.
   - Backup & Events > DHSM— View NAS server details. Distributed Hierarchical Storage Management (DHSM) supports file based archiving.
   - Backup & Events > Events pool— View NAS server details
   - Nodes— View NAS server details
4. Create and configure file systems (under Storage > File)— View file systems. Other properties and controls that are associated with file systems are in the following tabs :
   - Details— View file system details
   - Snapshots— View file system snapshots. Snapshots can be used for restoring individual files or the entire file system back to a previous point in time.
   - User Quotas— View file system snapshots. Quota management allows you to place limits on the amount of space that can be consumed in order to regulate file system storage consumption. User quotas are set at a file system level and limit the amount of space a user may consume on a file system.
   - Tree Quotas— View file system tree quotas. Quota management allows you to place limits on the amount of space that can be consumed in order to regulate file system storage consumption. Quota trees limit the maximum size of a directory on a file system. Unlike user quotas, which are applied and tracked on a user-by-user basis, quota trees are applied to directories within the file system.
   - File Level Retention— View and modify file level retention properties. When a snapshot is created, it can be configured to have no automatic deletion or retention until a specific date and time. If retention is set, the snapshot is automatically deleted upon reaching the retention date. This does not prevent the snapshot from being deleted before the retention date.
5. Create and configure SMB Shares (under Storage > File > SMB Shares)— View SMB shares.
6. Create and configure NFS Exports (under Storage > File > NFS exports)— View file components NFS exports. You can create an NFS export to make file system paths on your storage system available for mounting by NFS clients.
7. Create Global Namespaces (under Storage > File > Global Namespaces)— View global namespace servers.
8. Create and configure snapshot policies (under Data Protection > File Protection> Snapshot policies)— View file protection snapshot policies.
9. Create and configure replication (under Data Protection > File Protection > Replication. Properties and controls that are associated with replication are:
   - File control network— View file control network
   - Remote connection— View file protection replication remote connection
   - Replication sessions— View file protection replication sessions