Page 1
HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller Administrator Guide
Abstract
This document describes how to install, configure, and maintain HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller and is intended for system administrators. For the latest version of this guide, go to
https://www
.hpe.com/support/manuals.
Part Number: C8S69-96121A
Published: March 2017
Edition: 1
Page 2
©
2016, 2017 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
Notices
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for Hewlett Packard
Enterprise products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such
products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. Hewlett
Packard Enterprise shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
Confidential computer software. Valid license from Hewlett Packard Enterprise required for possession, use,
or copying. Consistent with FAR 12.211 and 12.212, Commercial Computer Software, Computer Software
Documentation, and Technical Data for Commercial Items are licensed to the U.S. Government under
vendor's standard commercial license.
Links to third-party websites take you outside the Hewlett Packard Enterprise website. Hewlett Packard
Enterprise has no control over and is not responsible for information outside the Hewlett Packard Enterprise
website.
Acknowledgments
Microsoft® and Windows® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries.
Java™ is a US trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
UNIX® is a registered trademark of The Open Group.
Page 3
Contents
HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller........................................................8
Installing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller ....................................10
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller ............................... 17
Features.............................................................................................................................................. 8
Hardware components........................................................................................................................ 8
HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller hardware components .................................................8
Software components..........................................................................................................................9
Setup overview..................................................................................................................................10
Default roles............................................................................................................................10
Verify the kit contents..............................................................................................................12
Locate the serial number, Certificate of Authenticity, and End User License Agreement..................12
Installing the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller hardware..........................................................13
Validate network information............................................................................................................. 13
Connecting to HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller........................................................................15
Power on the server and log on.........................................................................................................16
Initial Configuration Tasks .................................................................................................................17
Standalone or Single Node Configuration ............................................................................. 18
System Settings...........................................................................................................18
Networking...................................................................................................................18
Storage Management.................................................................................................. 19
Notifications................................................................................................................. 21
Storage Configuration..................................................................................................21
Configure Cluster.........................................................................................................23
Protect This Server...................................................................................................... 24
Complete system configuration....................................................................................25
Two-node cluster configuration...............................................................................................25
Connection Status........................................................................................................26
Networking...................................................................................................................27
Shared Storage............................................................................................................33
Storage Management.................................................................................................. 33
Notifications................................................................................................................. 35
System Settings...........................................................................................................36
Configure Cluster.........................................................................................................36
Protect This Cluster................................................................................................................ 45
Cluster-Aware Updating...............................................................................................46
Enable automatic updating.......................................................................................... 47
Vision Solution Double-Take Availability Information................................................... 47
Configuring failover properties for multi-site environments............................................................... 47
Additional access methods................................................................................................................47
Using the Remote Desktop method........................................................................................47
Using the Telnet method.........................................................................................................48
Managing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller....................................49
Using the Network Configuration Tool............................................................................................... 49
Contents 3
Page 4
Network Interfaces..................................................................................................................51
Network Team Configuration.................................................................................................. 51
Network VLAN Configuration..................................................................................................53
Network Configuration Summary............................................................................................54
Network Interface IP Configuration.........................................................................................55
Network Validation.................................................................................................................. 57
Managing the network configuration file................................................................................. 58
Importing network configuration..............................................................................................60
Administration tools..................................................................................62
Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2016 administration tools.......................................................... 62
Remote Administration........................................................................................................... 62
File and Storage Services.......................................................................................................62
Data Deduplication................................................................................................................. 62
Print Management.................................................................................................................. 63
Network File System User Mapping....................................................................................... 63
Storage management overview................................................................65
Storage management elements........................................................................................................ 65
Storage management example...............................................................................................65
Physical storage elements......................................................................................................66
Arrays...........................................................................................................................67
Fault tolerance............................................................................................................. 68
Online spares...............................................................................................................68
Logical storage elements........................................................................................................68
Logical drives (LUNs)...................................................................................................68
Partitions......................................................................................................................69
Volumes.......................................................................................................................69
File system elements..............................................................................................................70
File sharing elements..............................................................................................................70
Volume Shadow Copy Service overview................................................................................70
Using storage elements..........................................................................................................71
Clustered server elements......................................................................................................71
4 Contents
File server management............................................................................72
File services management.................................................................................................................72
Storage management utilities................................................................................................. 72
Array management utilities.......................................................................................... 72
Smart Storage Administrator .......................................................................................72
Disk Management utility...............................................................................................73
Guidelines for managing disks and volumes.......................................................................... 73
Scheduling defragmentation...................................................................................................73
Disk quotas.............................................................................................................................74
Adding storage........................................................................................................................75
Expanding storage.......................................................................................................75
Extending storage using Windows Storage Utilities.....................................................75
Volume shadow copies......................................................................................................................76
Shadow copy planning............................................................................................................76
Identifying the volume..................................................................................................77
Allocating disk space................................................................................................... 77
Identifying the storage area......................................................................................... 78
Determining creation frequency...................................................................................78
Shadow copies and drive defragmentation.............................................................................78
Page 5
Mounted drives....................................................................................................................... 79
Managing shadow copies....................................................................................................... 79
The shadow copy cache file.........................................................................................79
Enabling and creating shadow copies......................................................................... 81
Viewing a list of shadow copies................................................................................... 81
Set schedules.............................................................................................................. 81
Viewing shadow copy properties................................................................................. 81
Redirecting shadow copies to an alternate volume..................................................... 82
Disabling shadow copies............................................................................................. 82
Managing shadow copies from the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system
desktop .................................................................................................................................. 82
Shadow Copies for Shared Folders........................................................................................83
SMB shadow copies.................................................................................................... 84
NFS shadow copies.....................................................................................................85
Recovery of files or folders.......................................................................................... 85
Recovering a deleted file or folder............................................................................... 85
Recovering an overwritten or corrupted file................................................................. 86
Recovering a folder......................................................................................................86
Backup and shadow copies......................................................................................... 86
Shadow Copy Transport.........................................................................................................86
Folder and share management......................................................................................................... 87
Folder management................................................................................................................87
Share management................................................................................................................ 93
Share considerations................................................................................................... 94
Defining Access Control Lists...................................................................................... 94
Integrating local file system security into Windows domain environments.................. 94
Comparing administrative (hidden) and standard shares............................................ 94
Managing shares......................................................................................................... 95
File Server Resource Manager..........................................................................................................95
Quota management................................................................................................................95
File screening management................................................................................................... 95
Storage reports.......................................................................................................................96
Management tools..................................................................................... 97
Systems Insight Manager..................................................................................................................97
Management Agents......................................................................................................................... 97
Cluster administration...............................................................................99
Cluster overview................................................................................................................................99
Cluster terms and components..........................................................................................................99
Nodes................................................................................................................................... 100
Resources.............................................................................................................................100
Cluster groups...................................................................................................................... 100
Virtual servers.......................................................................................................................100
Failover and failback.............................................................................................................100
Quorum disk......................................................................................................................... 101
Cluster concepts..............................................................................................................................101
Cluster planning...............................................................................................................................101
Storage planning...................................................................................................................101
Network planning..................................................................................................................101
Protocol planning..................................................................................................................102
Preparing for cluster installation...................................................................................................... 103
Before beginning installation.................................................................................................103
Using multipath data paths for high availability.....................................................................103
Contents 5
Page 6
Checklists for cluster server installation................................................................................103
Network requirements................................................................................................103
Shared disk requirements..........................................................................................103
Cluster installation........................................................................................................................... 104
Setting up networks.............................................................................................................. 104
Configuring the private network adapter....................................................................104
Configuring the public network adapter..................................................................... 105
Renaming the local area connection icons................................................................ 105
Verifying connectivity and name resolution................................................................105
Verifying domain membership....................................................................................105
Setting up a cluster account.......................................................................................105
About the Quorum disk.............................................................................................. 105
Configuring shared disks........................................................................................... 105
Verifying disk access and functionality.......................................................................105
Configuring cluster service software................................................................................................106
Using Failover Cluster Management.................................................................................... 106
Creating a cluster..................................................................................................................106
Adding nodes to a cluster..................................................................................................... 106
Geographically dispersed clusters........................................................................................106
Cluster groups and resources, including file shares........................................................................106
Cluster group overview.........................................................................................................107
Node-based cluster groups........................................................................................107
Load balancing...........................................................................................................107
File share resource planning issues..................................................................................... 107
Resource planning.....................................................................................................108
Permissions and access rights on share resources...................................................108
NFS cluster-specific issues........................................................................................108
Non cluster aware file sharing protocols...............................................................................109
Adding new storage to a cluster........................................................................................... 109
Creating physical disk resources............................................................................... 109
Creating file share resources.....................................................................................109
Creating NFS share resources...................................................................................110
Shadow copies in a cluster................................................................................................... 110
Extend a LUN in a cluster..................................................................................................... 110
MSNFS administration on a server cluster........................................................................... 110
Best practices for running Server for NFS in a server cluster.................................... 110
Print services in a cluster................................................................................................................. 111
Creating a cluster printer spooler.......................................................................................... 111
Advanced cluster administration procedures................................................................................... 111
Failing over and failing back..................................................................................................111
Restarting one cluster node.................................................................................................. 112
Shutting down one cluster node............................................................................................112
Powering down the cluster....................................................................................................112
Powering up the cluster........................................................................................................ 113
6 Contents
Troubleshooting, servicing, and maintenance......................................114
Maintaining HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller .........................................................................114
Determining the current HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller software version .......................... 115
HPE System Management Homepage............................................................................................115
Starting the System Management Homepage application....................................................116
System Management Homepage main page........................................................................116
Known issues.................................................................................................................................. 120
Virus Scanning Recommendation........................................................................................ 124
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Support websites................................................................................ 124
Microsoft Systems Center Operations Manager..............................................................................125
Page 7
Removing and replacing hardware components............................................................................. 126
Surface Scan Analysis..........................................................................................................126
Cluster Specific Issues ................................................................................................................... 126
Recovering HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller .............................. 132
System Recovery DVD....................................................................................................................132
Using the System Recovery DVD to save system data........................................................132
Drive letters are not assigned after a restore.............................................................133
Creating a system recovery USB flash drive using the System Recovery DVD..............................133
Creating a USB flash drive with an image file from HPE Software Depot.......................................134
Creating a DVD with an image file from HPE Software Depot........................................................ 134
Restoring the factory image with a DVD or USB flash device.........................................................135
Recovering both servers..................................................................................................................135
Recovering a single server..............................................................................................................136
Backing up and restoring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller with Windows Recovery
Environment ................................................................................................................................... 137
Product Feedback....................................................................................140
Iternity iCAS............................................................................................. 141
Support and other resources................................................................. 142
Accessing Hewlett Packard Enterprise Support..............................................................................142
Accessing updates.......................................................................................................................... 142
Websites..........................................................................................................................................143
Rack stability................................................................................................................................... 143
Customer self repair........................................................................................................................ 143
Remote support...............................................................................................................................143
Documentation feedback.................................................................................................................144
Operating system logical drives............................................................ 145
Network ports...........................................................................................146
Warranty and regulatory information.....................................................149
Warranty information....................................................................................................................... 149
Regulatory information.................................................................................................................... 149
Belarus Kazakhstan Russia marking....................................................................................149
Turkey RoHS material content declaration...........................................................................150
Ukraine RoHS material content declaration..........................................................................150
Contents 7
Page 8
HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller enables simplified file and application storage. This reduces your
cost of ownership by simplifying management, increasing resource utilization, centralizing growth, and
protecting data.
Features
The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller provides the following advantages:
• Efficiently maximizing resources through file and data management without increasing costs.
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Microsoft management integration, including Microsoft Server Manager
and System Center and HPE Systems Insight Manager and iLO (Integrated Lights Out).
• Each system ships from the factory with preintegrated hardware and preloaded software to significantly
reduce the time and complexity of installation.
For more information about HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller features, go to:
www.hpe.com/us/en/storage/storevirtual.html
Hardware components
This section provides illustrations of the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller hardware components.
HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller hardware components
This section illustrates the components and LEDs located on the front and rear panels of the HPE StoreVirtual
3000 File Controller.
The chassis configuration for the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system includes two HPE Proliant
DL120 Gen9 Server.
Figure 1: HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller front panel components
https://
1. Access Panel 2. Serial label pull tab
3. USB 2.0 connector 4. UID LED
5. Health LED 6. NIC status LED
7. Power On/Standby button and system power LED 8. 4LFF drive
8 HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 9
Figure 2: HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller rear panel LEDs and buttons
1. Slot 3 PCIe3 x8 (8, 4, 1)* 2. Slot 2 PCIe3 x8 (8, 4, 1)
3. Slot 1 PCIe3 x16 (16, 8, 4, 1) 4. Non-hot-plug power supply
5. Power supply power LED 6. Power supply power connection
7. Embedded 2x1GbE network adapter 8. 4LFF drive
9. Video connector 10. USB 3.0 connectors
* Slot 3 supports PCIe x16 (16, 8, 4, 1) if the GPU riser cage is installed.
Software components
Windows Storage Server 2016 Standard Edition comes preinstalled and activated on the HPE StoreVirtual
3000 File Controller. The system configuration also includes the Initial Configuration Tasks window,
Network Configuration Tasks window, which are used to set up and manage HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller.
The Windows Server Manager > Tools > StoreVirtual menu provides a collection of HPE and Microsoft
utilities that are useful for managing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller. The Initial Configuration Tasks
window assists during the initial out of box setup by configuring items, such as system settings, setting the
network IP and domain of the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller, configuring email alerts, registering
product, provisioning storage, and protecting your server. For more information on the ICT tasks, see
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller . Using Windows Server Manager > File and Storage
Services, you can also create virtual disks and place volumes on the virtual disks.
Software components 9
Page 10
Installing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Setup overview
The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller comes preinstalled with the Microsoft Windows Storage Server
2016 Standard Edition operating system with Microsoft iSCSI Software Target and a Microsoft Cluster Service
(MSCS) license included.
Default roles
This section includes the list of roles that come preinstalled with HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
Default roles describes the default roles:
.
10 Installing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 11
Table 1: Default roles
Role Role service
File and Storage Services • File and iSCSI Services
◦ File Server
◦ Branch Cache for Network Files
◦ Data Deduplication
◦ Distributed File System (DFS) Replication
◦ File Server Resource Manager
◦ File Server VSS Agent Service
◦ iSCSI Target Server
◦ iSCSI Target Storage Provider (VDS and VSS
hardware providers)
◦ Server for NFS
◦ Work Folders
• Storage Services
Print and Document Services • Print Server
• Internet Printing
• Line Printer Daemon (LPD) Service
Web Server (IIS) • Web Server
◦ Common HTTP Features
– Default Document
– Directory Browsing
– HTTP Errors
– Static Content
– HTTP Redirection
◦ Health and Diagnostics
– HTTP Logging
– Logging Tools
– Request Monitor
– Tracing
◦ Performance
– Static Content Compression
◦ Security
– Request Filtering
– Basic Authentication
– Windows Authentication
◦ Application Development
– .NET Extensibility 4.6
– ASP
– ASP.NET 4.6
Installing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 11
Page 12
Role Role service
– ISAPI Extensions
– ISAPI Filters
• Management Tools
◦ IIS Management Console
◦ IIS 10 Management Compatibility
– IIS 10 Metabase Compatibility
Verify the kit contents
Remove the contents, ensuring that you have all of the following components. If components are missing,
contact technical support.
Hardware
• HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system (with operating system preloaded)
• Power cords
• Rail kit
Media and documentation
• HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller Quick Start Guide
• Safety and Disposal Documentation CD
• HPE System Recovery DVD (if ordered)
• End User License Agreement
• Certificate of Authenticity Card
• ProLiant Essentials Integrated Lights-Out Advanced Pack
Locate the serial number, Certificate of Authenticity, and End User License Agreement
For technical support purposes, locate the serial number of HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller, Certificate
of Authenticity (COA), and End User License Agreement (EULA). Record the serial number and COA product
key and make a print copy of the EULA as needed.
The Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label is used to:
• Replace the main board/motherboard.
• Upgrade the factory-installed operating system using the Microsoft Upgrade program for license validation.
• Reinstall the operating system because of a failure that has permanently disabled it.
NOTE:
It is important that you maintain the COA or a copy of the COA license information. In the event of a
system board replacement the COA will be needed to re-establish the license of the operating system.
The serial number is located in several places:
• Top of the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system
• Back of the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system
• Inside the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system’s shipping box
• Outside the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system’s shipping box
12 Verify the kit contents
Page 13
The COA card is located inside the shipping box. There is also a COA sticker with product key affixed to the
top of the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system. The electronic copy of the EULA installed with the
system is available at %SystemDrive%\Windows\System32\license.rtf.
Installing the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller hardware
If your HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system is fully racked and cabled, go to
StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
For HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller systems, install the rail kit and insert and secure the storage system
into the rack by following the Rack Rail Kit Installation Instructions.
Validate network information
Complete the tests in Validation tests (clustered system) or Validation tests (standalone system) ,
depending on your configuration, to verify network connectivity. Consult with your network administrator to
confirm test results.
Table 2: Validation tests (clustered system)
Test Command(s) to execute Successful?
Ping the IP address of Node 2
from Node 1.
Ping the name of Node 2 from
Node 1.
Ping the IP address of Node 1
from Node 2.
ping <node 2 address>
ping <node 2 name>
ping <node 2 fqdn>
ping <node 1 address>
Connecting to HPE
(Y/N)
Ping the name of Node 1 from
Node 2.
Verify forward and reverse DNS
information for Node 1 is
correct.
Verify forward and reverse DNS
information for Node 2 is
correct.
Ping the domain controller from
Node 1.
ping <node 1 name>
ping <node 1 fqdn>
nslookup <node 1 address>
nslookup <node 1 name>
nslookup <node 1 fqdn>
nslookup <node 2 address>
nslookup <node 2 name>
nslookup <node 2 fqdn>
ping <domain controller address>
ping <domain controller name>
ping <domain controller fqdn>
Table Continued
Installing the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller hardware 13
Page 14
Test Command(s) to execute Successful?
(Y/N)
Ping the domain controller from
Node 2.
Verify the network path to the
domain controller and DNS
servers is correct.
ping <domain controller address>
ping <domain controller name>
ping <domain controller fqdn>
pathping <domain controller address>
pathping <domain controller name>
pathping <DNS server address> (repeat for
each DNS server)
pathping <DNS server name> (repeat for each
DNS server)
Table 3: Validation tests (standalone system)
Test Command(s) to execute Successful?
(Y/N)
Ping the IP address of the HPE
StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
system from another system on
the same network.
ping <system address>
Ping the IP address of some
other system on the same
network form the HPE
StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
system.
Ping the name of the HPE
StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
system from another system on
the same network.
Ping the name of some other
system on the same network
form the HPE StoreVirtual 3000
File Controller system.
If you will be adding the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system to an Active Directory domain, some
additional tests include:
ping <system address>
ping <node 1 name>
ping <node 1 fqdn>
ping <node 1 name>
ping <node 1 fqdn>
Table Continued
14 Installing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 15
Test Command(s) to execute Successful?
(Y/N)
Ping the domain controller from
the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller system.
Verify the network path to the
domain controller and DNS
servers is correct.
Additionally, verify that the DNS information is valid for the cluster and file server. HPE recommends that you
also verify the iLO IP address and name resolution; however, this is not critical to support the cluster and file
server.
ping <domain controller address>
ping <domain controller name>
pathping <domain controller address>
pathping <domain controller name>
pathping <DNS server address> (Repeat for
each DNS server)
pathping <DNS server name> (Repeat for each
DNS server)
Connecting to HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Use either the direct attach or iLO method to connect to HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
IMPORTANT:
Only the direct attach and iLO access methods can be used to install HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller. When the installation process completes and the server’s IP addresses have been assigned,
you can then additionally use the remote desktop method to access HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller.
• Direct attach —This access method is mandatory if your network does not have a DHCP (Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol) server. Connect the following cables to the back panel of HPE StoreVirtual 3000
File Controller in this sequence: keyboard, mouse, network cables, monitor cable, and power cable.
NOTE:
The keyboard, mouse, and monitor are not provided with HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
• iLO—Access HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller using the iLO remote management method:
1. Connect a network cable to the iLO port located on the back of the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller system.
2. Connect a power cable to HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
3. Locate the iLO Network Settings tag attached to the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller and record
the default user name, password, and DNS name.
4. From a remote computer, open a standard Web browser and enter the iLO management hostname of
the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
NOTE: By default, iLO obtains the management IP address and subnet mask from your network’s
DHCP server. The hostname found on the iLO tag is automatically registered with your network’s
DNS server.If the DHCP configuration is not possible or the system is not found in DNS, use the
direct attach method to configure iLO with a static IP address.
5. Using the default user information provided on the iLO Network Settings tag, log on to iLO, and then
launch a remote console to HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
Connecting to HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 15
Page 16
For detailed instructions on using iLO remote management software, see the HPE iLO 4 User Guide,
which you can search for (by product name) at https://www.hpe.com/support/manuals.
Power on the server and log on
Procedure
1. Power on the system by pushing the power button on the front panel. If using iLO, click Momentary Press
under the Power Switch menu of the remote console .
IMPORTANT:
If you are deploying a cluster, only interact with one of the servers. After powering on both servers,
the Setup Windows Wizard and the Initial Configuration Tasks must be run from only one server.
The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system starts and displays the Setup Windows wizard, in which
you select language and regional settings and accept the license agreement.
2. After completing the wizard, you are asked if you want to configure a standalone system or a two-node
cluster. Click Yes to configure your system as a cluster or click No to configure your system as a
standalone server. The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system installation process takes
approximately 10–15 minutes.
3. After installation completes and the server (or servers if deploying a cluster) reboots, you will be prompted
to log in with the Administrator password that was designated during initial configuration.). If you are
deploying a cluster, continue to work only with the server on which you used the Setup Windows Wizard.
16 Power on the server and log on
Page 17
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller systems can be deployed in the following configurations:
• Standalone, which you can also use to configure in a single-node cluster configuration or join the node to
an existing Windows Failover Cluster. Windows Failover clusters can be a minimum of one node and
contain up to eight nodes in one cluster configuration.
• Two-node failover cluster, which can have additional cluster nodes added after the initial setup of a failover
cluster (windows failover clusters can be created with just one node and can have a maximum of eight
nodes using the StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller systems).
The Initial Configuration Tasks window reflects the steps necessary to set up the system in a single-node
configuration. Once that has been done, see the guidelines for creating a Windows failover cluster in the
following Microsoft Technet article:
Failover Clustering Overview
When you first powered on the servers, you were asked if you wanted to deploy as a standalone or twonode cluster configuration. The Initial Configuration Task window reflects the steps for setting up the
system in the configuration that you had selected. If the single node option is selected, the
Configuration Tasks window provides the steps to set up the system in a standalone or single-node
cluster configuration. If the two-node cluster is selected, the steps for creating a two-node cluster is
provided by ICT.
Initial
If you wanted to create a cluster with more than one node and selected the standalone configuration when
you first powered on the server, you can continue to follow the installation steps for the single-node cluster.
To join a node to an existing cluster, follow the steps in the Configure Cluster section.
It is recommended to complete the initial installation and setup of the StoreVirtual Storage Array before
completing the configuration of the StoreVirtual File Controller. The administrator login and virtual IP
address is required to configure the StoreVirtual during ICT.
Initial Configuration Tasks
The Initial Configuration Task (ICT) window enables you to configure your system. After the initial
configuration is complete, the ICT window launches automatically for a user who is a member of the local
administrator group. You can open only one instance of the ICT at a time.
Use ICT to perform the following configuration tasks:
• Update system settings, such as changing the local administrator password, time zone, save reseller
information, and so on.
• Launch Network Configuration wizard to configure and validate the network configuration.
• Configure email alerts and register product.
• Create storage pools and virtual disks.
• Enable software updates and enhancements directly from Windows update.
• Set up optional data protection solutions on the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller with cloud-based
data backup by replicating data using Vision Solutions Double-Take Availability. Both of these data
protection solutions require separate licensing, but are available to use for a limited time via a free trial
license.
The online help is available for each configuration task in the ICT window. You can launch the online help by
clicking F1.
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 17
Page 18
Standalone or Single Node Configuration
Once the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller is connected to your network and to external storage
enclosures (if present), powered up and logged on, the system needs to be configured for completing the
installation. If you do not want to open the ICT window every time you logon, select the Do not show this
window at the next logon check box in the window. You can also launch ICT by opening a command prompt
and typing C:\Windows\System32\OEMOOBE\OEMOOBE.EXE.
NOTE:
• The ICT refreshes periodically, as indicated by a message in the lower right corner of the window. If
you select an ICT task while a refresh is in progress, there is a delay before the application for that
task is launched. You can also refresh ICT by pressing F5.
• When a single-node cluster is converted to a two or more node cluster, the ICT window is launched
on all nodes because the RunDiscovery registry key does not get updated when the cluster is
created.
The following tasks are included in the ICT:
• System Settings
• Networking
• Storage Management
• Notifications
• Storage Configuration
• Configure Cluster
• Protect This Server
System Settings
This task group enables you to configure the system settings. The following tasks are included in this group:
• Set local administrator password—Enables you to change the administrator user password. The default
password is the password that you entered during the initial setup of the server. To change the password,
enter the new password in the New password and Confirm password fields and click OK.
IMPORTANT:
HPE cannot assist with lost passwords.
• Set time zone—Enables you to change the date and time settings. You can change the time zone, date
and time, and synchronize the date and time with an Internet time server.
• Save reseller information—Enables you to enter details of the reseller from whom you purchased the
system and purchasing details for future reference. The asset serial number is added by default and you
cannot change it. Enter the details in the respective fields and click OK to save the information. You can
also access the Reseller Information Tool using the following methods:
◦ Open Server Manager and click Tools > StoreVirtual > Save Reseller information.
◦ Double-click the System Tools folder on the desktop and select Save Reseller Information.
Networking
This task group enables you to set the network IP and domain of HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller . The
following tasks are included in this group:
• Configure networking—Enables you to configure the network interfaces using the Network Configuration
Tool (NCT) wizard. For detailed information on NCT, see Using the Network Configuration Tool.
• Provide computer name and domain—Enables you to specify the computer name and domain.
Windows Storage Server 2012 is installed with a randomly generated computer name. You may find the
18 Standalone or Single Node Configuration
Page 19
server easier to access remotely and easier to recognize in reports and logs if you assign it a name that is
meaningful to you and that fits with the naming scheme for computers in your organization.
Consider the following when assigning a computer name:
◦ The recommended length for most languages is 15 characters or fewer. For languages that require
more storage space per character, such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, the recommended length
is 7 characters or fewer.
◦ HPE recommends that you use only Internet-standard characters in the computer name. Standard
characters are the numbers from 0 through 9, uppercase and lowercase letters from A through Z, and
the hyphen (-) character. Computer names cannot consist entirely of numbers.
◦ If you are using DNS on the network, you can use a wider variety of characters. These include Unicode
characters and other non-standard characters, such as the ampersand (&). Using nonstandard
characters may affect the ability of non-Microsoft software to operate on the network.
◦ The maximum length for a computer name is 63 bytes. If the name is longer than 15 bytes (15
characters in most languages, 7 characters in some), computers that are running Windows NT 4.0 and
earlier will recognize this computer by the first 15 bytes of the name only. In addition, there are
additional configuration steps for a name that is longer than 15 bytes.
◦ If a computer is a member of a domain, you must choose a computer name that differs from any other
computer in the domain. To avoid name conflicts, the computer name should be unique on the domain,
workgroup, or network.
In a Windows Active Directory Domain, passwords and permissions for computer objects and user
accounts are easier to manage due to being stored in a centralized database that is replicated among the
domain controllers.
To name the computer and join it to a domain, clickProvide computer name and domain in the Initial
Configuration Tasks window and then click Change on the Computer Name tab.
Storage Management
You can use the following options to register for SMI-S provider and check the MPIO configuration:
• Connecting to StoreVirtual iSCSI Storage Arrays
• Connect to StoreVirtual Fibre Channel Storage Arrays
• Register StoreVirtual Storage Array
• Multi-Path IO configuration
• Fibre Channel or iSCSI Initiator configuration
Connecting to StoreVirtual iSCSI Storage Arrays
To connect to StoreVirtual iSCSI Storage Array, first set up the StoreVirtual Storage Array to export storage to
the StoreVirtual File Controller as per the instructions in the StoreVirtual Storage documentation. Next,
configure the StoreVirtual File Controller iSCSI initiator with the StoreVirtual Storage Array Virtual IP to allow
the file controller to logon and connect the storage on the StoreVirtual Storage Array.
• Launch the iSCSI Initiator properties from Server Manager→Tools.
• In the Discovery tab page, click Discover portal to add the IP address of the Virtual IP address.
• Click OK.
• After discovery, all the Targets from the StoreVirtual storage array will be listed in the Discovered Targets
box. Select the one you want to connect, and click on Connect button to allow the initiator to connect to
the StoreVirtual storage array and access the associated disks.
• Connect to Target dialog box appears.
◦ If CHAP is configured, then click on the Advance button and enter the authentication information.
◦ If the system for MPIO is configured, ensure to check Enable-Multi Path.
Verify that there are multiple connections (minimum of four sessions added) by selecting the connection
and the appropriate properties. This enables the iSCSI multiple paths to the StoreVirtual Storage Array.
Storage Management 19
Page 20
Connect to StoreVirtual Fibre Channel Storage Arrays
To connect through fibre channel to the StoreVirtual Storage Array from the StoreVirtual File Controller, follow
the instructions in the StoreVirtual Storage Array setup documentation and export volumes to servers or
server clusters.
Register StoreVirtual Storage Array
Registering the StoreVirtual Storage Array enables the StoreVirtual File Controller to gather information about
the state of the storage array. This process adds the Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S)
provider for the StoreVirtual Storage Array to the list of storage providers that the StoreVirtual File Controller
has been granted access to.
For more information about SMI-S, see http://www.snia.org/forums/smi/tech_programs/smis_home.
Procedure
1. If the StoreVirtual array's SMI-S provider is not registered, then select Register Storevirtual from the
2. Register the StoreVirtual provider using the registration tool. When prompted, enter the IP address of the
3. To launch the StoreVirtual Storage Array provider registration tool, click Register SMI-S provider.
The iSCSI initiator configuration on the StoreVirtual File Controller is now complete and you will be able to
access the disks from the file controller.
menu and enter the Virtual IP address (VIP) assigned during the set up of the StoreVirtual Storage Array.
array and registration credentials. By default the SMI-S registration tool attempts to establish a connection
through HTTPS using port 5989.
If a different protocol is required or a different port is configured on the array, you must perform the
StoreVirtual registration at an elevated PowerShell command prompt. For more information, refer to the
storage array documentation.
The login is the StoreVirtual Storage Array Administrative account established at the time of
implementation. The IP address is the Virtual IP address established on the StoreVirtual Storage Array.
For additional information about the StoreVirtual Array Management, refer to the specific StoreVirtual
manuals available for your system. Once the StoreVirtual Storage Array is registered, the status of Other
provider registered is indicated within the ICT.
NOTE:
If the system restart causes the un-registration of the StoreVirtual provider, a start up script will run in
the background which will re-register the StoreVirtual with the saved data. This is only applicable if
previously or initially the StoreVirtual registration was done using Array Registration Tool.
You can execute “Get-StorageProvider” powershell cmdlet to check if an array is registered. If
the Array registration fails in startup, a message is displayed indicating if you want to open the Array
Registration tool.
4. Registering the StoreVirtual provider through ICT automatically updates the operating system storage
provider cache. This operation might take several minutes. You can update the cache manually by
invoking the Update-StorageProviderCache –DiscoveryLevel Full PowerShell commandlet at
an elevated PowerShell prompt.
Multi-Path IO configuration
Clicking Multi-Path IO configuration link launches the MPIO control panel to configure MPIO.
MPIO configuration is automatic if a virtual volume is exported to the File Controller and the volume is
exported over multiple paths to the same File Controller. The state of the configuration is displayed in the ICT
window. You can open the MPIO properties applet at an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt by
entering the mpiocpl command. You must have a volume (LUN) presented to the gateway before you can
claim it using the MPIO properties applet. Using Control Panel, select the DSM that matches your storage
array. A DSM is required by your storage vendor. When complete, a message is displayed indicating that
20 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 21
system reboot is needed. Do not reboot the system at this point. Open the applet at an elevated PowerShell
or command prompt by entering mpiocpl.
NOTE:
MPIO settings are available in ICT for Cluster StoreVirtual 3000 file controller. These settings are not
available in the standalone StoreVirtual 3000 systems.
Notifications
This task group enables you to configure email alerts and register for proactive notifications.
The following tasks are included in this group:
• Configure email alerts—Enables you to configure the email accounts to receive alerts when significant
events occur. Using the Event Notifier Configuration wizard, you can add SMTP server IP addresses
and send a sample email to check if the email alerts have been configured properly. You can also access
the Event Notifier Configuration wizard directly using the following methods:
◦ Open Windows Server Manager and select Tools→StoreVirtual→Configure e-mail alerts.
◦ Double-click the System Tools folder on the desktop and select Configure Email Alerts.
◦ Click Event Notifier Config on the Start screen.
• Register Product—Opens a web browser to the HPE product registration page.
IMPORTANT:
HPE strongly recommends registering the system so that you can receive proactive notifications of
system updates, critical issues, and announcements of feature updates.
If your system is connected to a network that can access the Internet, you can perform the product
registration from any other system. You can also access the Register Product link using the following
methods:
◦ Double-click the Register Product icon on the desktop.
◦ Click Register Product on the Start screen.
◦ Open Server Manager and select Tools→StoreVirtual→Register Product.
Storage Configuration
The Provision StoreVirtual Storage task group enables you to create virtual disks, create volume onto the
virtual disk and to create a file share onto the newly created volume. The following tasks are included in this
group:
•
Create virtual disks
• Create Volume
• Create Share
Create virtual disks
Clicking this link will open a IP Address pop-up which allows the user to enter the StoreVirtual IP address.
This will open the StoreVirtual web UI window which allows the user to create a StoreVirtual Storage array
volume or volumes and export the same to the StoreVirtual File Controller or StoreVirtual File Controller
cluster.
NOTE:
The StoreVirtual storage array volume consists of a logical entity made up of storage on one or more
StoreVirtual storage arrays. The StoreVirtual storage array volumes when exported will display as virtual
disks on the StoreVirtual File Controller disk management interfaces.
Notifications 21
Page 22
Procedure
1. Click Create Virtual Disks for StoreVirtual File Controller in the Configure Cluster task group in the
2. Enter the username and password to login and the StoreVirtual array window is displayed.
3. Select Volumes from the StoreVirtual drop-down menu to display the Volumes screen.
4. Click Create Volumes and the Create Volume window is displayed.
5. Specify the name for a volume (name must be unique and 1 to 27 characters. Avoid spaces, equals,
6. Specify the volume size (the default size is 500 GiB).
7. Click Create to create the virtual disk.
Export volume to StoreVirtual File Controller cluster
1. Click on the volume created.
2. Click +Export to StoreVirtual File Controller or Server cluster in the Exports menu.
3. Click on Server button to export the storage to only one server. To export the storage to multiple server,
4. Click Select to select the server or server cluster from the drop-down menu.
5. Select Read/Write in the Permissions drop-down menu assigned to this export.
6. Click Export to export virtual disk to a StoreVirtual File Controller server or cluster.
ICT.
The StoreVirtual Web UI is displayed.
double quotes and semicolons).
Once the virtual disk is created, export the volume to allow the StoreVirtual File Controller(s) to utilize the
volumes.
The Export to Server or Server Cluster window opens.
click on Server Cluster button.
For more information on configuring the server or server cluster, refer to StoreVirtual Array manuals or
online help.
Create Volume
Clicking this link opens the Disk Management Console window which allows the user to bring the exported
virtual disk online and create a volume onto the virtual disk.
Firstly, the Virtual disk has to appear online. The following is the procedure to bring virtual disk online:
Procedure
1. Click Create Volumes in the Configure Cluster task group in the ICT.
2. The Disk Management Console window opens that displays the list of virtual disks created.
3. The Virtual Disk Manager pop-up window appears. Click OK.
Create Simple Volume
1. Right-click on the newly created volume to select New Simple Volume.
2. The New Simple Volume wizard appears. Click Next to specify the volume size.
3. Click Next and the Assign Drive Letter or Path screen appears.
4. Click Assign the following drive letter radio button and click Next.
The volume is now exported to the server or server cluster and you have the option to either create and
export more volumes or proceed to the section ??? to complete the configuration of the storage.
NOTE:
Any volumes that are present during configuring of the StoreVirtual File Controller for Failover
Clustering are added to the cluster storage.
Click on the new virtual disk and click online to bring the virtual disk online.
22 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 23
5. The Format Partition screen appears. Click Format this volume with the following settings radio
6. Click Next and the Completing the New Volume wizard appears.
7. Click Finish to close the wizard. The requested resource is in use message appears.
8. Click OK.
Create New Spanned Volume
1. Right-click on the newly created volume to select New Spanned Volume.
2. Click Next.
3. In the Select Window screen, select the available disk to span through the virtual disk.
4. Click OK.
Create Share
Clicking this link opens the Computer Management Console window which allows the user to create a share
onto the newly created volume.
Procedure
1. Click Create Share in the Configure Cluster task group in the ICT.
2. The Computer Management Console window is displayed. Click Shared Folders from the System
3. Click Shares on the left-side of the window to specify the folder name.
4. Right-click on any existing folder path to select New Share.
5. The Create A Shared Folder Wizard is displayed. You need to browse to specify the folder path and click
6. The Name, Description, and Settings screen is displayed that allows the user to specify the share name.
7. The Shared Folder Permissions screen is displayed. Click All users have a read-only access radio
8. Click Finish.
button to specify the settings.
The Welcome to the New Simple Volume wizard appears. Click Next.
The New Spanned Volume wizard opens.
Tools drop-down menu.
Next.
Click Next.
button.
The Sharing Successful screen is displayed. The status message and the summary is displayed.
9. Click Finish to close the wizard.
Configure Cluster
This task group enables you to create a cluster or join an existing node to a cluster using the Cluster
Configuration tool. To access the Cluster Configuration tool, click Create cluster or Join a cluster in the ICT
window. The links to these tasks in the ICT window are disabled if any of the following conditions exist:
• The domain is not joined.
• The user is not logged in as a domain user.
• The status in the Storage Status task group is Storage not found.
• The cluster is already created or joined.
You can also use the Cluster Configuration tool to validate a cluster. If you click the Validate Cluster button
before creating a cluster, the system validates the current node to check if it is suitable for the cluster. If you
click the Validate Cluster button after creating a cluster, the cluster that you just created is validated.
Depending on the storage elements and number of nodes, the cluster validation might take several minutes. If
the cluster creation or joining is not successful, appropriate messages are displayed on the screen. The log
details are saved in the Cluster Configuration Tool.txt file, which is available at C:\nas\logs
\Cluster Configuration Tool.
Configure Cluster 23
Page 24
Prepare a Witness Disk
Preparing a witness disk requires that a new virtual disk and volume be created. If the virtual disk and volume
is not created, go to section Create virtual disksand click on create virtual disk, then create the volume to be
used for the witness disk.
Create cluster
Clicking this link launches the Cluster Configuration tool that enables you to create a cluster. Perform the
following steps to create a cluster:
Procedure
1. Click Create cluster in the Configure Cluster task group in ICT.
2. Enter the cluster name in Provide Cluster Name.
3. Click Validate Cluster to validate the node. This step is optional.
4. Click Create Cluster.
Consider the following when assigning a cluster name:
• The maximum length for a cluster name is 15 characters.
• The name must not contain any special characters, such as \ /*? < >| and “.
• The name must be unique. No other system or cluster present in the domain must have the same name.
The Cluster Configuration tool is launched.
The Cluster created successfully message is displayed.
Join a cluster
Clicking this link launches the Cluster Configuration tool that enables you to join an existing node to a cluster.
Perform the steps to join a cluster:
Procedure
1. Click Join a cluster in the Configure Cluster task group in ICT.
The Cluster Configuration tool is launched.
2. Enter the cluster name in Provide Cluster Name.
3. Click Validate cluster to validate the node.
4. Click Join cluster to join the node to the cluster.
The Joined to cluster successfully message is displayed.
Consider the following when assigning a cluster name:
• The maximum length for a cluster name is 15 characters.
• The name must not contain any special characters, such as \ /*? < >| and “.
• The name must be unique. No other system or cluster present in the domain should have the same name.
Protect This Server
This task group enables you to check that your HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system receives critical
software updates and enhancements directly from the Microsoft website. The following tasks are included in
this group:
• Enable automatic updating—Opens the Update & security Settings page where users can confirm
Update status and Update settings. All updates are downloaded and installed automatically and users can
choose the system will reboot automatically when system is inactive or can be notified to schedule a
reboot by opening Restart options. The Windows Update feature simplifies the task of updating the
operating system, and saves administrator’s time. Features on the Windows Update dialog box are
configurable by members of the administrators group on the local computer.
24 Protect This Server
Page 25
HPE recommends the following for updates:
Users can configure how updating Microsoft products when Windows update takes place by opening
Advanced options.
◦ Run Download and Install Updates immediately after system installation.
◦ Subscribe to HPE customer advisories using Subscriber's choice for business. For more information,
see Subscription Service. Ensure to check if firmware and related device drivers are up-to-date based
upon information for your system at the HPE Support & Drivers website.
◦ Apply regular HPE StoreEasy Storage Service Releases.
• Vision Solution Double-Take Availability Information—Opens an HTML page that displays details
about installing the trial version of the Double-Take Availability software. The trial version provides you an
opportunity to evaluate the software in your environment. You can also access the HTML page directly by
double-clicking the Vision Solution Double-Take Availability Information icon on the desktop.
Complete system configuration
NOTE:
HPE recommends that you validate your configuration when using clusters. Whether you create a
cluster through the ICT or the Failover Cluster Manager, one of the first steps is validating your
configuration using the Microsoft cluster validation tool. If you choose to skip the validation step, you can
still validate the cluster after it is created.
After the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller is physically set up and you have completed all of the required
tasks in the Initial Configuration Tasks window, you may want to complete additional setup tasks. Depending
on the deployment scenario of HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller, these steps can vary. These additional
steps can include:
• Running Microsoft Windows Update—HPE highly recommends that you run Microsoft Windows updates to
identify, review, and install the latest, applicable, critical security updates on HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller.
• Creating and managing users and groups—User and group information and permissions determine
whether a user can access files. If the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system is deployed into a
workgroup environment, this user and group information is stored locally on the device. By contrast, if HPE
StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller is deployed into a domain environment, user and group information is
stored on the domain.
• Configuring event notification.
• Adjusting logging for system, application, and security events.
• Installing third-party software applications—For example, these might include an antivirus application that
you install.
• Registering HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller—To register, see the HPE registration website (https://
h41360.www4.hpe.com/promo-signup.php?jumpid=hpr_r1002_usen_link2).
Two-node cluster configuration
After you have completed the physical installation of the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller and before you
deploy the new system in your enterprise, you must configure your system. You can configure your system
using the ICT window which opens automatically at logon for any user who is a member of the local
administrators group. You can open only one instance of the ICT at a time. The system configuration and
cluster deployment is completed from the first node (or local node). The first node is the server that was
initially chosen to run the Set Up Windows wizard as described in the Quick Start Guide for your HPE
StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system. Perform the tasks in ICT in order.
Complete system configuration 25
Page 26
NOTE:
• When creating a cluster, ensure that both nodes have the same hardware configuration.
• The ICT refreshes periodically, as indicated by a message in the lower right corner of the window. If
you select an ICT task while a refresh is in progress, there is a delay before the application for that
task is launched. You can also refresh ICT by pressing F5.
• Many tasks are enabled only when the ICT can connect to the second node.
• The ICT is intended for initial setup, so once it is complete, you can select the Do not show this
window at the next logon check box at the bottom of the window. If you want to launch the ICT at a
later time, enter the c:\windows\system32\oemoobe\oemoobe.exe command.
The following tasks are included in the ICT:
• Connection Status
• Networking
• Shared Storage
• Storage Management
• Notifications
• System Settings
• Configure Cluster
• Protect This Cluster
Connection Status
Clicking on this link provides the user the ability to re-enter the secondary node IP address.
When the StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller powers up, and if you are creating a two-node cluster, the first
node discovers the second node by default. This default connection occurs only if a physical connection
exists between the two nodes. If you are creating a two-node cluster, the first node discovers the second node
by default. This default connection occurs only if a physical connection exists between the two nodes. For
StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller, you must physically connect a cable on each node as shown in figure 1. If
the default connection does not occur and the Unable to discover the second node message is
displayed, follow the steps in Connect to the second node to manually connect the nodes.
Figure 3: Connecting the StoreVirtual File Controllers
Connect to the second node
Determining the IP address of the second node:
1. Using a browser, open a remote console to the second node with iLO. For more information on iLO access
to the StoreVirtual File Controllers, see the quick start guide or administrator guide for your model.
2. Log on to Windows on the second node with the administrator password for the StoreVirtual File Controller
(the default password is HPEStorage!).
26 Connection Status
Page 27
3. From the Start screen on the desktop, select Control Panel→Network and Internet →Network and
Sharing Center.
NOTE:
In Windows Storage Server 2016, a Windows icon displays by default in the bottom task bar. To
access the Start Screen, click the Windows icon in the lower left task bar. Click the down arrow at
the bottom of the screen to display all menus and applications available from the Start screen. You
can also access the Start Screen by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.
4. In the View your active networks section, select Cluster Internal.
5. Click Details.
6. Record the IPv4 address in the Network Connection Details box. Use this IP address to manually
connect to the second node.
NOTE: Unless an IP address is assigned either statically or through DHCP, the address will use an
automatic private IP addressing (APIPA) IP address, between 169.254.0.1 through 169.254.255.254.
To manually connect to the second node in ICT:
1. Click Connect to the second node. The Connect to second node dialog box appears.
2. Enter the IP address for the second node and click Apply.
For information on troubleshooting, see Troubleshooting, servicing, and maintenance
NOTE:
Networking
Clicking this link launches the Network Configuration Tool wizard that enables you to configure network
interfaces, network teams, VLANs, and network interface IP addresses. You can also import the network
configuration using the NCTConfig.xml file, which is the network configuration file. You can launch NCT
directly using the following methods:
• Open a command prompt or PowerShell and type NCT.
• Open Server Manager and select Tools→StoreVirtual→Configure Networking.
• Double-click the System Tools folder on the desktop and click Configure Networking.
• Click Configure Networking on the Start screen.
• Click the Configure Networking icon on the desktop.
The NCT is divided into two panes. When you launch NCT to configure network interfaces or validate the
network configuration, the network configuration discovery is initiated. When the system discovery is
complete, the left pane or interface pane, lists the discovered interfaces and their operational state. On twonode clustered systems, the interfaces are listed in the respective node tab and all network configurations are
applied to both nodes in a cluster automatically when using DHCP addressing. Only static IP address
assignment is unique. Except when configuring IP addresses, selecting the interfaces has no effect. The right
pane displays the current configuration step. Hovering over a network interface in the interface pane displays
the device name, interface name, and status. For example, the interface might be disabled, disconnected, or
enabled.
Windows Storage Server 2016 allows you to enter more than one IP address. Hewlett Packard
Enterprise only supports creating a two-node cluster through ICT. Enter only the address of the
second node that will be a member of the cluster.
Networking 27
Page 28
The wizard includes the following sections:
• Network Interfaces Settings
• Network Team Configuration
• Network VLAN Configuration
• Network Interface IP Configuration
• Network Configuration Summary
• Network Validation
Network Interfaces Settings
Network Interfaces enables you to configure the physical network interfaces to suit your environment.
To configure an interface:
Procedure
1. Select the Configure check box to enable changes to the network interface. The Cluster Internal interface
2. Enter the new interface name. The new name that you enter must not contain special characters, such as
3. Click Next to proceed to the Network Team Configuration step.
IMPORTANT:
While using NCT, if you change the network configuration of the system using any other tool, the
changes are reflected in NCT only when you close and re-launch it. You must not change the settings of
the interface used to access the system, for example, using remote desktop access. This will disconnect
the Remote Desktop connections. Hewlett Packard Enterprise recommends using iLO until the network
interfaces are configured. If a remote desktop session is being used, you can find the IP address of the
iLO interface using the iLO Configuration Settings at System Tools Folder in the desktop.
and the interface used to communicate with the second node (if different) is excluded from the
configuration. If you clear the check box, the interface is excluded from all configurations and is not
modified.
\ /*? < >| and “.
The physical network interfaces that are part of a team or used for RDP cannot be configured. For such
interfaces, the Configure check box is disabled.
Network Team Configuration
Network Team Configuration enables you to configure new teams. Teaming is used to increase available
bandwidth, load balancing, and improving fault tolerance. The maximum number of teams that you can create
is equal to the number of physical network interfaces on the system. On clustered systems, the number of
teams created on the local node is same as the number of teams created on the remote node. Team creation
on the remote node is automatic.
To create network teams if there are no existing teams:
Procedure
1. Select Configure network teams now and enter the number of teams you want to create in Number of
2. Click Next.
NOTE:
• It is optional to configure a network team. If you do not want to create network teams, click Next to
proceed to the Network VLAN configuration step. The Do not configure network teams now option
is selected by default.
• The Network Team Configuration (optional) window is displayed only if there are no pre-existing
teams.
teams.
28 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 29
To create network teams in the case of existing teams:
1. Select the physical network interfaces on the Network Interfaces window and click Next.
2. Select the Create check box and do the following:
a. Enter the team name.
b. Select the team type from Type. The default selection is Switch Independent/Dynamic.
NOTE:
The number of teams displayed for configuration or deletion depends on the number of physical
network interfaces that you select. For example, if you select two interfaces for configuration, two
rows will appear for team creation.
3. Click Next.
The network interfaces that are not included in any team are displayed.
4. Select the network interfaces that you want to include in the new team.
5. Click Next to proceed to the Network VLAN configuration step.
The Network Team Configuration window also enables you to delete an existing team by selecting the
Delete check box. The Delete check box is enabled only if a team exists. When you delete an existing
team, the physical network interface included in that team can be used for new teams.
NOTE: When a team is created, a default virtual network interface is also created. To remove the
default virtual interface, assign one or more VLAN IDs on theNetwork VLAN Configuration window
and select the remove the default virtual network interface check box.
While creating network teams, the interfaces claimed by one team cannot be added to any other team. The
team that these interfaces belong to is displayed next to the interface name. If all adapters are already
claimed by one or more teams, a warning message is displayed. You can either go back and remove some
interfaces from the previously created teams or skip the creation of a team.
• If some of the physical network interfaces included in the team are disconnected while other interfaces are
connected, the team status is displayed as degraded.
• If all physical network interfaces included in the team are disconnected, the team status is displayed as
disconnected.
The network teams are displayed in the interface pane when you proceed to the IP Address Configuration
step.
Network VLAN Configuration
NOTE: It is optional to configure VLAN assignments. If you choose not to configure VLAN assignments,
only the default team interface is created. Click Next to skip this step and go to the IP Address
Configuration step.
Network VLAN Configuration enables you to configure VLAN assignments. A maximum of 32 network
interfaces, consisting of both physical and virtual are allowed. The default VLAN ID is 0, but the VLAN IDs can
have a value from 0 to 4094. Each VLAN ID assigned to a physical network interface or network team creates
a virtual network interface. Both physical and virtual interfaces created for network teams can have VLAN IDs
assigned to them. If a physical interface is assigned a VLAN ID, a team is created with a single physical
interface. A virtual interface with the VLAN ID is then created in the team.
To assign VLAN IDs:
Procedure
1. Select the Configure VLAN IDs now and click Next.
2. Select one of the following options and enter the VLAN ID in the respective fields:
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 29
Page 30
• Add a single VLAN ID—Select to add a single VLAN ID.
• Add discrete VLAN IDs—Select to add the VLAN IDs as comma separated values.
• Add a range of VLAN IDs—Select to specify the VLAN IDs using a start and end value with an
increment. For example, a start value of 2 and an end value of 20 with an increment of 5 would assign
VLAN IDs 2, 7, 12, and 17.
3. Select the Remove the default virtual network interface check box to remove the default virtual
interface from a team. This step is optional.
NOTE:
If a default virtual interface is deleted, the system will not receive any packets on the team or
physical NIC unless you assign one or more VLAN IDs.
4. Click Next to proceed to the Network Interface IP Configuration step.
The VLAN assignments are displayed in the interface pane when you proceed to the Network Interface IP
Configuration step.
NOTE: If you select Do not configure network interface VLAN identifiers now after you assign
VLAN IDs to teams and adapters, the assigned IDs are not removed. You must go through each VLAN
page and select the Do not add a VLAN ID to this team implicitly for all teams and adapters.
Network Interface IP Configuration
Network Interface IP Configuration enables you to begin the IP address configuration by selecting the
interface on which you want to make changes using the interface pane. Each interface that can be configured
is enabled on the system, even if no changes are made to the interface. The IP addresses that you assign
can be static or dynamically assigned using DHCP.
To configure the IP information for an interface:
Procedure
1. Select Use DHCP to assign IP address and gateway to dynamically assign an IP address using DHCP
2. Select Use DHCP to assign DNS server addresses or Assign a static IP address and gateway. If you
3. Click Next to proceed to the Network Configuration Summary step.
For clustered systems, all IP settings for an interface are copied to the remote node interface, except the IP
address of the interface. To set the IP address on the remote node, click the Remote Node tab and enter the
IP address. Setting the IP address on the remote node is required only if the local node interface is assigned
a static address.
or select Assign a static IP address and gateway to assign a static IP address.
IMPORTANT:
If you select Assign a static IP address and gateway, the DNS server address must also be static
and you must also assign a network mask. Assigning a default gateway address is optional.
selected the Assign a static IP address and gateway option in the above step, the Assign a static IP
addresses for DNS option is selected by default and you cannot change it.
IMPORTANT:
Hewlett Packard Enterprise recommends that you check each interface before clicking Next on this
window.
30 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 31
NOTE:
Configuring multiple interfaces on the same subnet is highly discouraged unless a proper routing
infrastructure is configured in the environment and different gateways are specified for each interface.
Multiple interfaces on the same subnet can cause client access and domain join issues.
The network defined by the IP address and subnet mask is used to validate the gateway, if one is
specified. If an interface is assigned a static address, its configuration is validated against other
interface settings when a different interface is selected or when you click Next.
Network Configuration Summary
Network Configuration Summary enables you to view a summary of all configuration changes that will take
place on the system. Before proceeding, confirm that the changes are appropriate. If some configurations are
not required or not valid, click Previous or use the navigation links at the bottom of the page to correct the
errors. To apply the configuration changes, click Apply. When you apply the changes and click Next, the
details of each task configured is displayed. If some errors are encountered when the changes are applied,
the same are displayed on the Errors tab.
When you apply the configuration changes, the system automatically creates and saves the network
configuration file (NCTConfig.xml) at C:\Program Files\HPE\StoreEasy NetworkConfiguration
Wizard. This file includes the network configuration details. Only a user who is a member of the local
administrator group can modify the contents of this file. The system creates the NCTConfig.xml file
depending on the sequence in which the NCT wizard completes the network configuration tasks successfully.
For example, if the physical network interface configuration is successful, but the creation of teams or VLANs
fails, then the NCTConfig.xml file is created with only the physical network interfaces listed in the file. The
VLANs and teams are not listed. This is because in this case, the NCT wizard successfully completed the
network interface task, even though the other tasks were unsuccessful. However, if the physical network
interface task fails, then the NCTConfig.xml file is not created at all because the validation failed at the first
task. When the file is created successfully, you can use it to import the configuration from one server to
another.
Important considerations while working with the NCTConfig.xml file are:
• Do not rename the XML tags in the file. Renaming the tags might lead to errors while applying the
configuration.
• Do not rename the NCTConfig.xml file.
• Do not edit the contents of the PciKey tag. Editing this tag causes errors.
• You can edit only specific XML tags, such as, Name, AdapterIPConfiguration, and
AdapterHWInformation.
• If the NCTConfig.xml file is corrupt or the tags are invalid, a message is displayed on the screen
indicating the same. You cannot reuse the same file. In such cases, NCT uses the system discovery state
for further configurations.
For more information on importing the network configuration, see
Importing network configuration.
Network Validation
Network Validation enables you to validate network settings. Network validation requires that all network
interfaces that you want to test be connected.
NOTE:
• It is optional to validate network settings. However, Hewlett Packard Enterprise recommends using
the network validation system to confirm that your network settings are valid and to help diagnose
environmental network issues.
• You can launch only the Network Validation section of NCT by executing the NCT -validate
command in a command prompt or PowerShell.
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 31
Page 32
To begin network validation:
Procedure
1. Select Validate the network configuration now.
2. Enter the name of the domain controller for the domain that your system will be a part of and IP address of
3. Click Validate.
When the validation begins, the user interface might seem unresponsive. Each interface is tested in order and
validation success or failure is noted in the output window. The validation progress is also displayed on the
taskbar. The validation results are saved at c:\nas\logs\NetworkConfigTool. Each validation result is
saved in a file named with the time and date the validation was performed . When the validation completes,
the validation results are noted in the ICT window.
The following points describe the messages displayed in Network Validation:
• Network configuration not validated —The system is not able to validate the configuration.
• Network configuration validated —The system is able to complete the validation.
• Network validation failed —This message indicates that one or more validations steps
Importing network configuration
the domain controller in the respective fields. The IP address of the domain controller is also necessary to
fully validate the network configuration. If you do not want to join the system to a domain, you can leave
these fields blank. In addition to the domain controller address, enter the IP address of a system for each
of the interfaces.
failed.
The NCTConfig.xml file enables you to import the network configuration settings from one server to another
and apply the network configuration settings for all interfaces at one instance. After successfully importing the
settings, when you launch NCT, a confirmation message is displayed indicating if you want to use the last
used network configuration settings. If you click Yes, the NCT wizard loads the network configuration details
from the NCTConfig.xml file and displays the existing interface details along with the team details. You can
reconfigure the desired network interface from the available interfaces and create new teams or delete
existing teams.
IMPORTANT:
While changing the interface name, you must change only the prefix associated with the default VLAN.
For example, if the complete interface name is Ethernet 2 Team –VLAN Default, then you must
change only the prefix, that is, Ethernet 2 Team. The default VLAN name, which is VLAN Default
in this example, must not be changed.
To import the network configuration settings from the NCTConfig.xml file:
1. Open the NCTConfig.xml file and edit the IP configuration of the adapter in the
<AdapterIPConfiguration> tag.
2. Edit the interface name, if required.
3. Save the file and copy it to C:\Program Files\HPE\StoreEasy NetworkConfiguration Wizard
on the server on which you want to import the configuration.
4. Launch NCT and when prompted, click Yes to use the last saved configuration.
The NCT wizard loads and displays the configuration details from the NCTConfig.xml file.
5. Click Next when the discovery completes.
6. Make required network configuration changes on the respective windows.
7. Click Apply on the Network Configuration Summary window to apply the changes.
8. Click Validate on the Network Configuration Validation window to validate the changes.
If the XML file import is unsuccessful, it could be due to one of the following reasons:
32 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 33
• The file is corrupt.
• The number of adapters in the XML file and the number of adapters on the system on which you want to
import the file do not match.
• The file name is different from NCTConfig.xml.
• The file is copied to a different location or folder.
• The XML tags other than the ones you can edit are edited.
For more information on the NCTConfig.xml file and its usage, see the StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Administration Guide.
Shared Storage
It is necessary to have established at least one shared LUN between the two nodes prior to creating the two
node failover cluster. Follow the instructions for your particular array on how to configure the shared storage
so that both nodes have visibility to the storage.
The following are the requirements for shared storage that will enable creation of a two node cluster:
1. Create a LUN that will be used as a witness disk or quorum disk.
• Create a LUN of at least 544 MB. This will allow for a volume size of the required 512 MB after NTFS
formatting.
• Present the LUN to all hosts that will be part of the cluster.
2. Optionally, create an additional LUN or LUNs that will be assigned to the first file server. When the Validate
and Create the Cluster ICT task is run, the wizard will look for additional LUNs. If any are found, the wizard
will provide an option to create a file server in addition to creating the cluster. The Validate and Create the
Cluster wizard uses the following logic to assign LUNs:
• The smallest LUN that is larger than 500 MB will be used as the quorum disk in the cluster.
• Any additional LUNs will be assigned to the file server that will be created.
• If you want to create a file server when the cluster is created, provision an additional LUN.
NOTE:
If one or more volumes of LUNs are exported to the nodes but their unique IDs do not match or are not
listed, you must update the storage provider cache by invoking Update-StorageProviderCache –
DiscoveryLevel Full from an elevated Administrator PowerShell command prompt on each server.
However, if updating the cache does not resolve the issue, ensure that the HBAs or network adapters
used to connect the storage are identical and have the same firmware and driver versions. You must
reboot both nodes if changes are made to the firmware or drivers. If you still face issues with updating
the storage provider cache, run the cmdlet Get-StorageProvider command on each node to
validate that the system can access the storage. For more information, see the installation and setup
information for your shared storage solution.
For the supported versions of HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller Management Console software to
manage the Disk Array, see the HPE 3PAR Disk Array product documentation.
Storage Management
You can use the following options to register for SMI-S provider and check the MPIO configuration:
• Connecting to StoreVirtual iSCSI Storage Arrays
• Connect to StoreVirtual Fibre Channel Storage Arrays
• Register StoreVirtual Storage Array
• Multi-Path IO configuration
• Fibre Channel or iSCSI Initiator configuration
Shared Storage 33
Page 34
Connecting to StoreVirtual iSCSI Storage Arrays
To connect to StoreVirtual iSCSI Storage Array, first set up the StoreVirtual Storage Array to export storage to
the StoreVirtual File Controller as per the instructions in the StoreVirtual Storage documentation. Next,
configure the StoreVirtual File Controller iSCSI initiator with the StoreVirtual Storage Array Virtual IP to allow
the file controller to logon and connect the storage on the StoreVirtual Storage Array.
• Launch the iSCSI Initiator properties from Server Manager→Tools.
• In the Discovery tab page, click Discover portal to add the IP address of the Virtual IP address.
• Click OK.
• After discovery, all the Targets from the StoreVirtual storage array will be listed in the Discovered Targets
box. Select the one you want to connect, and click on Connect button to allow the initiator to connect to
the StoreVirtual storage array and access the associated disks.
• Connect to Target dialog box appears.
◦ If CHAP is configured, then click on the Advance button and enter the authentication information.
◦ If the system for MPIO is configured, ensure to check Enable-Multi Path.
Verify that there are multiple connections (minimum of four sessions added) by selecting the connection
and the appropriate properties. This enables the iSCSI multiple paths to the StoreVirtual Storage Array.
The iSCSI initiator configuration on the StoreVirtual File Controller is now complete and you will be able to
access the disks from the file controller.
Connect to StoreVirtual Fibre Channel Storage Arrays
To connect through fibre channel to the StoreVirtual Storage Array from the StoreVirtual File Controller, follow
the instructions in the StoreVirtual Storage Array setup documentation and export volumes to servers or
server clusters.
Register StoreVirtual Storage Array
Registering the StoreVirtual Storage Array enables the StoreVirtual File Controller to gather information about
the state of the storage array. This process adds the Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S)
provider for the StoreVirtual Storage Array to the list of storage providers that the StoreVirtual File Controller
has been granted access to.
For more information about SMI-S, see http://www.snia.org/forums/smi/tech_programs/smis_home.
Procedure
1. If the StoreVirtual array's SMI-S provider is not registered, then select Register Storevirtual from the
2. Register the StoreVirtual provider using the registration tool. When prompted, enter the IP address of the
3. To launch the StoreVirtual Storage Array provider registration tool, click Register SMI-S provider.
menu and enter the Virtual IP address (VIP) assigned during the set up of the StoreVirtual Storage Array.
array and registration credentials. By default the SMI-S registration tool attempts to establish a connection
through HTTPS using port 5989.
If a different protocol is required or a different port is configured on the array, you must perform the
StoreVirtual registration at an elevated PowerShell command prompt. For more information, refer to the
storage array documentation.
The login is the StoreVirtual Storage Array Administrative account established at the time of
implementation. The IP address is the Virtual IP address established on the StoreVirtual Storage Array.
For additional information about the StoreVirtual Array Management, refer to the specific StoreVirtual
manuals available for your system. Once the StoreVirtual Storage Array is registered, the status of Other
provider registered is indicated within the ICT.
34 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 35
NOTE:
If the system restart causes the un-registration of the StoreVirtual provider, a start up script will run in
the background which will re-register the StoreVirtual with the saved data. This is only applicable if
previously or initially the StoreVirtual registration was done using Array Registration Tool.
You can execute “Get-StorageProvider” powershell cmdlet to check if an array is registered. If
the Array registration fails in startup, a message is displayed indicating if you want to open the Array
Registration tool.
4. Registering the StoreVirtual provider through ICT automatically updates the operating system storage
provider cache. This operation might take several minutes. You can update the cache manually by
invoking the Update-StorageProviderCache –DiscoveryLevel Full PowerShell commandlet at
an elevated PowerShell prompt.
Multi-Path IO configuration
Clicking Multi-Path IO configuration link launches the MPIO control panel to configure MPIO.
MPIO configuration is automatic if a virtual volume is exported to the File Controller and the volume is
exported over multiple paths to the same File Controller. The state of the configuration is displayed in the ICT
window. You can open the MPIO properties applet at an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt by
entering the mpiocpl command. You must have a volume (LUN) presented to the gateway before you can
claim it using the MPIO properties applet. Using Control Panel, select the DSM that matches your storage
array. A DSM is required by your storage vendor. When complete, a message is displayed indicating that
system reboot is needed. Do not reboot the system at this point. Open the applet at an elevated PowerShell
or command prompt by entering mpiocpl.
NOTE:
MPIO settings are available in ICT for Cluster StoreVirtual 3000 file controller. These settings are not
available in the standalone StoreVirtual 3000 systems.
Notifications
This task group enables you to configure email alerts and register for proactive notifications.
The following tasks are included in this group:
• Configure email alerts—Enables you to configure the email accounts to receive alerts when significant
events occur. Using the Event Notifier Configuration wizard, you can add SMTP server IP addresses
and send a sample email to check if the email alerts have been configured properly. You can also access
the Event Notifier Configuration wizard directly using the following methods:
◦ Open Windows Server Manager and select Tools→StoreVirtual→Configure e-mail alerts.
◦ Double-click the System Tools folder on the desktop and select Configure Email Alerts.
◦ Click Event Notifier Config on the Start screen.
• Register Product—Opens a web browser to the HPE product registration page.
If your system is connected to a network that can access the Internet, you can perform the product
registration from any other system. You can also access the Register Product link using the following
methods:
IMPORTANT:
HPE strongly recommends registering the system so that you can receive proactive notifications of
system updates, critical issues, and announcements of feature updates.
Notifications 35
Page 36
◦ Double-click the Register Product icon on the desktop.
◦ Click Register Product on the Start screen.
◦ Open Server Manager and select Tools→StoreVirtual→Register Product.
System Settings
This task group enables you to configure the system settings. The following tasks are included in this group:
• Set local administrator password—Enables you to change the administrator user password. The default
password is the password that you entered during the initial setup of the server. To change the password,
enter the new password in the New password and Confirm password fields and click OK.
IMPORTANT:
HPE cannot assist with lost passwords.
• Set time zone—Enables you to change the date and time settings. You can change the time zone, date
and time, and synchronize the date and time with an Internet time server.
• Save reseller information—Enables you to enter details of the reseller from whom you purchased the
system and purchasing details for future reference. The asset serial number is added by default and you
cannot change it. Enter the details in the respective fields and click OK to save the information. You can
also access the Reseller Information Tool using the following methods:
◦ Open Server Manager and click Tools > StoreVirtual > Save Reseller information.
◦ Double-click the System Tools folder on the desktop and select Save Reseller Information.
Configure Cluster
The cluster configuration tasks are disabled if shared storage is not discovered. You can perform the following
tasks in cluster configuration:
• Provide cluster name and domain
• Prepare witness disk
• Create virtual disks for StoreVirtual file controller
• Create volume for StoreVirtual file controller
• Validate and create the cluster
Provide cluster name and domain
Select Provide cluster name and domain to open the Microsoft Cluster Name and Domain Join wizard.
Follow the instructions within the wizard. Specifically, the wizard will require the following information to
complete the task:
• An Active Directory domain—Both nodes will be joined to this domain as member StoreVirtual File
Controllers.
• A domain user account—The account must have Create Computer Objects and Read All Properties
permissions in the domain.
• The desired cluster management name and cluster node names—The cluster node names are
automatically derived from the cluster name, but they may be individually modified.
• A new local administrators password—The new password will be applied to both nodes for convenience of
setup, but can be changed on either or both nodes at a later date. There is no requirement that the
password be the same on both nodes.
Both nodes restart when you complete the wizard. After the restart, log in using a domain login account that
has appropriate rights to manage and administer a failover cluster.
Prepare a Witness Disk
Preparing a witness disk requires that a new virtual disk and volume be created. If the virtual disk and volume
is not created, go to section Create virtual disks for StoreVirtual file controller and click on create virtual
36 System Settings
Page 37
disk, then create the volume to be used for the witness disk. Note that when a cluster is created, the smallest
volume found that meets the witness disk requirements is used at the witness disk.
Create virtual disks for StoreVirtual file controller
Prerequisites
Clicking this link will open a IP Address pop-up which allows the user to enter the StoreVirtual IP address.
This will open the StoreVirtual web UI window which allows the user to create a StoreVirtual Storage array
volume or volumes and export the same to the StoreVirtual File Controller or StoreVirtual File Controller
cluster.
Clicking this link opens the StoreVirtual Web UI window which allows the user to create volume and export
the same to the StoreVirtual File Controller or StoreVirtual File Controller cluster.
Procedure
1. Click Create Virtual Disks for StoreVirtual File Controller in the Configure Cluster task group in the
ICT.
The StoreVirtual Web UI is displayed.
2. Enter the username and password to login and the StoreVirtual array window is displayed.
3. Select Volumes from the StoreVirtual drop-down menu to display the Volumes screen.
4. Click Create Volumes and the Create Volume window is displayed.
5. Specify the name for a volume.
NOTE:
The StoreVirtual storage array volume consists of a logical entity made up of storage on one or more
StoreVirtual storage arrays. The StoreVirtual storage array volumes when exported will display as virtual
disks on the StoreVirtual File Controller disk management interfaces.
Note: Name must be unique and 1 to 27 characters. Avoid spaces, equals, double quotes and semicolons.
6. Specify the volume size (the default size is 500 GiB).
7. Click Create to create the virtual disk.
Once the virtual disk is created, export the volume to allow the StoreVirtual File Controller(s) to utilize the
volumes.
Exporting to StoreVirtual File Controller cluster
1. Click on the volume created.
2. Click +Export to StoreVirtual File Controller or Server cluster in the Exports menu.
The Export to Server or Server Cluster window opens.
3. Click on Server cluster button to export the storage to only one server. To export the storage to multiple
server, click on Server Cluster button.
For more information on configuring the server or server cluster, refer to StoreVirtual Array manuals or
online help.
4. Click Select to select the server or server cluster from the drop-down menu.
5. Select Read/Write in the Permissions drop-down menu assigned to this export.
6. Click Export to export virtual disk to a StoreVirtual File Controller server or cluster.
The volume is now exported to the server or server cluster and you have the option to either create and
export more volumes or proceed to the section Create Volume for StoreVirtual File Controller to complete
the configuration of the storage.
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 37
Page 38
NOTE:
Any volumes that are present at the time that the StoreVirtual File Controller is configured for Failover
Clustering are added to the cluster storage.
Create Volume for StoreVirtual File Controller
Clicking this link opens the Disk Management Console window which allows the user to bring the exported
virtual disk online and create a volume onto the virtual disk.
To bring Virtual disk online
1. Click Create Volumes in the Configure Clustertask group in the ICT.
The Disk Management Console window opens that displays the list of virtual disks created.
2. Click on the new virtual disk.
3. Click online to bring the virtual disk online.
The Virtual Disk Manager pop-up window appears.
4. Click OK.
Create Simple Volume
1. Right-click on the newly created volume to select New Simple Volume.
The New Simple Volume wizard appears.
2. Click Next to specify the volume size.
3. Click Next.
The Assign Drive Letter or Path screen appears
4. Click Assign the following drive letter radio button.
5. Click Next.
The Format Partition screen appears.
6. Click Format this volume with the following settings radio button to specify the settings.
The Completing the New Volume wizard appears.
7. Click Next.
8. Click Finish to close the wizard.
The requested resource is in use message appears.
9. Click OK.
Create New Spanned Volume
1. Right-click on the newly created volume to select New Spanned Volume.
The Welcome to the New Simple Volume wizard appears. Click Next.
2. Click Next.
The New Spanned Volume wizard opens.
3. In the Select Window screen, select the available disk to span through the virtual disk.
4. Click OK.
Validate and create the cluster
NOTE:
To perform this task, you must use a domain account that is a member of the local administrators group.
This task is enabled only when ICT can connect to the second node and neither node is part of a
cluster.
38 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 39
Procedure
1. Select Validate and Create cluster.
2. Click Validate to begin the cluster validation, which may take several minutes.
3. When the validation completes, a View validation testing report link is provided. Click the link to view the
The Cluster Validation and Setup Wizard opens. The wizard preselects the two nodes as candidates for
clustering.
report.
NOTE:
The following warning in the validation report is expected for each of the two nodes:
Category : Network : Validate IP Configuration Node <node name> has an IPv4
address 169.254.x.x configured as Automatic Private IP Address (APIPA) for
adapter Cluster Internal. This adapter will not be added to the Windows
Failover Cluster. If the adapter is to be used by Windows Failover
Cluster, the IPv4 properties of the adapter should be changed to allow
assignment of a valid IP address that is not in the APIPA range. APIPA
uses the range of 169.254.0.1 thru 169.245.255.254 with subnet mask of
255.255.0.0.
This warning is due to the Cluster Internal network that is auto configured with an IPv4 address on
each node. Despite the warning message, the adapter is added to the cluster as an internal network,
so you can ignore this warning.
Other warnings are expected if you have not configured all network adapters. In this case, the
warnings similar to the following are displayed:
Category : Network : Validate IP Configuration Adapters Server Management
and 1 GbE Public 1 on node <node name> have IP addresses on the same
subnet. This may be intentional, since both adapters are currently Not
Operational.
These warnings may also be ignored, or the warnings can be avoided altogether by disabling unused
network adapters using the Control Panel.
4. Click Next after reviewing the validation report.
The Cluster Management Name window is displayed with the cluster name chosen in the Provide cluster
name and domain ICT task.
5. Change the cluster management name, if necessary.
This name becomes the DNS name associated with the virtual IP addresses used to manage the cluster.
6. Enter the IP address, if it is needed for the network and then click Next.
If there are more volumes other than the Cluster Witness disk, the Highly Available File Server Name
screen is displayed. If there are no additional volumes, the Review Settings and Create Failover Cluster
screen is displayed.
7. If you want to create a new file server, change the file server name if necessary and click Next.
If you do not want to create a new file server, select the Do not create a new file server check box and
click Next.
8. Review the settings on the Review Settings and Create Failover Cluster screen and then click Create
when ready to create the cluster.
The process takes a few minutes and when complete the Confirmation screen is displayed indicating the
failover cluster is created.
9. Click Close.
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 39
Page 40
Cluster Creation
Perform the following steps to validate and create a cluster:
Validating a cluster
Before you create a failover cluster, HPE strongly recommend that you validate the configuration to make
sure that the hardware and hardware settings are compatible with failover clustering. Microsoft supports a
cluster solution only if the complete configuration passes all validation tests and if all hardware is certified for
the version of Windows Server that the cluster nodes are running. To validate a cluster:
Procedure
1. On a computer that has the Failover Cluster Management Tools installed from the Remote Server
2. In the Failover Cluster Manager pane, under Management, click Validate Configuration.
Administration Tools, or on a server where you installed the Failover Clustering feature, start Failover
Cluster Manager. To do this on a server, start Server Manager, and then from the Tools menu, select
Failover Cluster Manager.
Figure 4: Failover Cluster Manager
3. On the Before You Begin page, click Next.
4. On the Select Servers or a Cluster page, enter the NetBIOS name or fully qualified domain name of a
server that you plan to add as a failover cluster node and click Add. Repeat this step for each server that
you want to add. To add multiple servers at the same time, separate the names by a comma or semicolon.
For example, enter the names in the server1.contoso.com, server2.contoso.com format. When
you are finished, click Next.
40 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 41
Figure 5: Validate a Configuration Wizard
5. On the Testing Options page, click Run all tests (recommended), and then click Next.
6. On the Confirmation page, click Next.
The Validating page displays the status of the running tests.
7. On the Summary page, do either of the following:
a. If the results indicate that the tests completed successfully and the configuration is suited for clustering,
and you want to create the cluster immediately, make sure that the Create the cluster now using the
validated nodes check box is selected, and then click Finish. Then, continue to Create the Cluster
Failover procedure.
b. If the results indicate that there were warnings or failures, click View Report to view the details and
determine which issues must be corrected. Realize that a warning for a particular validation test
indicates that this aspect of the failover cluster can be supported, but might not meet the recommended
best practices.
Figure 6: Validate a Configuration Wizard
Creating a cluster
Perform the following steps to create a cluster:
• Start Server Manager.
• From the Tools menu, select Failover Cluster Manager.
• In the Failover Cluster Manager pane, under Management, click Create Cluster.
• The Create Cluster Wizard opens.
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 41
Page 42
Figure 7: Failover Cluster Manager
• On the Before You Begin page, click Next.
• If the Select Servers page appears, in the Enter name box, enter the NetBIOS name or the fully qualified
domain name of a server that you plan to add as a failover cluster node, and then click Add. Repeat this
step for each server that you want to add. To add multiple servers at the same time, separate the names
by a comma or a semicolon. For example, enter the names in the format server1.contoso.com;
server2.contoso.com. When you are finished, click Next.
Figure 8: Create Cluster Wizard
42 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 43
Figure 9: Create Cluster Wizard—Select Servers
• If you skipped validation earlier, the Validation Warning page appears. HPE recommends that you run
cluster validation. Only clusters that pass all validation tests are supported by Microsoft. To run the
validation tests, click Yes, and then click Next. Complete the Validate a Configuration Wizard.
• On the Access Point for Administering the Cluster page, do the following:
◦ In the Cluster Name box, enter the name that you want to use to administer the cluster. Before you
enter the name, review the following information:
– During cluster creation, this name is registered as the cluster computer object (also known as the
cluster name object or CNO) in AD DS. If you specify a NetBIOS name for the cluster, the CNO is
created in the same location where the computer objects for the cluster nodes reside. This can be
either the default Computers container or an OU.
– To specify a different location for the CNO, you can enter the distinguished name of an OU in the
Cluster Name box. For example,
CN=ClusterName, OU=Clusters, DC=Contoso, DC=com.
– If a domain administrator has prestaged the CNO in a different OU than where the cluster nodes
reside, specify the distinguished name that the domain administrator provides.
◦ If the server does not have a network adapter that is configured to use DHCP, you must configure one
or more static IP addresses for the failover cluster. Select the check box next to each network that you
want to use for cluster management. Click Address next to a selected network, and then enter the IP
address that you want to assign to the cluster. This IP address (or addresses) will be associated with
the cluster name in Domain Name System (DNS).
◦ When you are finished, click Next.
Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 43
Page 44
Figure 10: Create Cluster Wizard—Access Point
• On the Confirmation page, review the settings. By default, the Add all eligible storage to the cluster
check box is selected. Clear this check box if you want to do either of the following:
1. Configure storage later.
2. Create clustered storage spaces through Failover Cluster Manager or Failover Clustering Windows
PowerShell cmdlets, and have not yet created storage spaces in File and Storage Services.
Figure 11: Create Cluster Wizard—Confirmation
• Click Next to create the failover cluster.
• On the Summary page, confirm that the failover cluster is successfully created. If there were any warnings
or errors, view the summary output or click View Report to view the full report. Click Finish.
44 Configuring HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 45
NOTE:
Category : Network : Validate IP Configuration Node <node name> has an
IPv4 address 169.254.x.x configured as Automatic Private IP Address
(APIPA)for adapter Cluster Internal. This adapter will not be added to the
Windows Failover Cluster. If the adapter is to be used by Windows Failover
Cluster, the IPv4 properties of the adapter should be changed to allow
assignment of a valid IP address that is not in the APIPA range. APIPA
uses the range of 169.254.0.1 through 169.245.255.254 with subnet mask of
255.255.0.0.
Other warnings are expected if you have not configured all network adapters. In this case, the
warnings similar to the following are displayed: Category : Network : Validate IP
ConfigurationAdapters Server Management and 1 GbE Public 1 on node
<node_name> have IP addresses on the same subnet. This may be intentional,
since both adapters are currently Not Operational.
These warnings may also be ignored or the warnings can be avoided altogether by disabling unused
network adapters using the Control Panel.
These warning are due to the Cluster Internal network that is auto configured with an IPv4 address
on each node. Despite the warning message, the adapter is added to the cluster as an internal
network, so you can ignore this warning.
• To confirm that the cluster is created, verify that the cluster name is listed under Failover Cluster
Manager in the navigation tree. You can expand the cluster name, and then click items under Nodes,
Storage or Networks to view the associated resources.
Figure 12: Failover Cluster Manager
Protect This Cluster
Use Cluster-Aware Updating (CAU) to ensure that your server receives critical software updates and
enhancements directly from Windows Update. Additionally, you can get more information about Vision
Solution Double-Take Availability Information products that have special HPE customer pricing.
• Cluster-Aware Updating
• Enable automatic updating
• Vision Solution Double-Take Availability Information
Protect This Cluster 45
Page 46
Cluster-Aware Updating
Cluster-Aware Updating (CAU) is a reliable, automated, and integrated update feature that enables updating
of clustered servers with little or no loss in availability during the update process.
During an update, CAU performs the following tasks:
• Puts each node of the cluster into node maintenance mode.
• Moves the clustered roles off the node.
• Installs the updates and any dependent updates.
• Performs a restart if necessary.
• Brings the node out of maintenance mode.
• Restores the clustered roles on the node.
• Moves to update the next node.
CAU can coordinate the complete cluster updating operation in two modes:
• Self-updating mode—The CAU clustered role is configured as a workload on the failover cluster that is to
be updated, and an associated update schedule is defined. The cluster updates itself at scheduled times
by using a default or custom Updating Run profile. During the Updating Run, the CAU Update Coordinator
process starts on the node that currently owns the CAU clustered role, and the process sequentially
performs updates on each cluster node. In self-updating mode, CAU can update the failover cluster by
using a fully automated, end-to-end updating process. An administrator can also trigger updates ondemand in this mode, or simply use the remote-updating approach if desired. In self-updating mode, an
administrator can get summary information about an Updating Run in progress by connecting to the
cluster and running the Get-CauRun Windows PowerShell cmdlet.
• Remote-updating mode—A remote computer that is running Windows Storage Server 2016, which is
called an Update Coordinator, is configured with the CAU tools. The Update Coordinator is not a member
of the cluster that is updated during the Updating Run. From the remote computer, the administrator
triggers an on-demand Updating Run by using a default or custom Updating Run profile. Remote-updating
mode is useful for monitoring real-time progress during the Updating Run, and for clusters that are running
on Server Core installations of Windows Storage Server 2016.
NOTE:
• Each cluster node must be configured to allow WinRM Remoting, which is enabled by default in
Windows Storage Server 2016.
• The Windows Update (WU) functionality on each node in the cluster must not be configured to autoupdate the cluster node. However, Hewlett Packard Enterprise recommends that you set WU to
automatic download on the cluster nodes to minimize the time an Updating Run might take and to
increase the odds that an Updating Run might complete within the planned IT maintenance window.
Alternatively, Cluster-Aware Updating still works even if you choose to disable the automatic
download setting of the Windows Update functionality on each cluster node.
• Cluster Aware Updating works with both Microsoft update service and enterprise level Windows
server update service (WSUS).
For more information about Cluster-Aware Updating, see the following Microsoft Technet article:
Cluster-Aware Updating overview
To use Cluster-Aware Updating:
1. In the Cluster-Aware Updating section, click Use Cluster-Aware Updating to help keep this cluster
secure and up-to-date.
The Cluster-Aware Updating screen is displayed.
2. Select the necessary options for cluster updates. For information on using the various screen options, see
the CAU online help.
46 Cluster-Aware Updating
Page 47
Enable automatic updating
Clicking this link opens the Update & security Settings page where users can confirm Update status and
Update settings. Click Change settings to select the way Windows updates are downloaded and installed.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise recommends that you do not select automatic updates to avoid unexpected
system restarts after updates are applied. The Windows Update feature simplifies the task of updating the
operating system, and saves administrator’s time. Features on the Windows Update dialog box are
configurable by members of the administrators group on the local computer. All updates are downloaded and
installed automatically and users can choose the system will reboot automatically when system is inactive or
can be notified to schedule a reboot by opening Restart options.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise recommends the following for updates: Users can configure how updating
Microsoft products when Windows update takes place by opening Advanced options.
• Run Download and Install Updates immediately after system installation.
• Apply regular HPE StoreEasy Storage Service Releases.
Vision Solution Double-Take Availability Information
Vision Solutions offers replication products to address disaster recovery and high availability needs. Clicking
this link opens an HTML page that displays details about installing the trail version of the Double-Take
Availability software. The trial version provides you an opportunity to evaluate the software in your
environment. You can also access the HTML page directly by double-clicking the Vision Solution Double-
Take Availability Information icon on the desktop.
Configuring failover properties for multi-site environments
You can configure failover properties for multi-site environments using DFS Management, which is available
from the Tools menu in Windows Server Manager (Tools > DFS Management).
For detailed instructions, see the Microsoft TechNet article, DFS Step-by-Step Guide for Windows Server
2008, which is available at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732863(v=ws.10).aspx
NOTE:
• The information in the article applies to Windows Storage Server 2012, Windows Storage Server
2012 R2 and Windows Storage Server 2016.
• The article provides instructions to configure both DFS Namespace and DFS Replication.
• The prerequisites listed in the article are already installed with the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller.
• You can start at the section entitled, Overview of the DFS Management Snap-in.
Additional access methods
After the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller installation process is complete and the system's IP address
has been assigned, you can additionally use the Remote Desktop and Telnet methods to access the system.
Using the Remote Desktop method
Remote Desktop provides the ability for you to log on to and remotely administer your server, giving you a
method of managing it from any client. Installed for remote administration, Remote Desktop allows only two
concurrent sessions. Leaving a session running takes up one license and can affect other users. If two
sessions are running, additional users will be denied access.
To connect the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system to a network using the Remote Desktop method:
Enable automatic updating 47
Page 48
Procedure
1. On the PC client, select Start > Windows PowerShell. Type mstsc and press Enter.
2. Enter the IP address of the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller in the Computer box and click Connect.
3. Log on to the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller with the administrator user name and password.
Using the Telnet method
Telnet is a utility that enables you to connect to machines, log on, and obtain a command prompt remotely. By
default, Telnet server is not installed.
48 Using the Telnet method
Page 49
Managing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
After you have completed the initial setup of the system using the ICT window, use Windows Server Manager
to manage the system. The Server Manager is automatically launched when you close ICT. You can also
launch Server Manager from the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller desktop by clicking the shortcut icon
on the task bar. The local HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system as well as other Windows servers
may be managed, as described in the
Microsoft TechNet.
Windows Server Manager can also be used for remote management of HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
by installing it on a Windows 8\10 client as part of Remote Server Administration tools. To download the tools,
go to Microsoft Download Center.
NOTE:
The Tools menu of Windows Server Manager is not applicable to a remote system under management.
It applies only to the local system.
Many storage related tasks are accomplished with the File and Storage Services option in Server Manager.
The Tools menu contains the common utilities familiar to Windows administrators. The Tools > StoreVirtual
menu group contains HPE-specific management tools as well as some of the commonly used Windows tools
related to managing a HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system. The Tools > StoreEasy menu contains
the following options:
• Collect System Reports—Launches the data collection and diagnostic tool. Collect System Reports is a
data collection and diagnostic tool. This tool collects extensive data about the state of the HPE StoreVirtual
3000 File Controller that is used by HPE Support to diagnose any problems. Data collection progress is
shown, and when complete, Windows Explorer opens to the folder containing a time-stamped .cab archive
with the collected information. The folder is C:\Windows\HPSReports\Enhanced\Report\cab. HPE
Support will provide an FTP site to which the .cab file may be uploaded.
• Configure Email Alerts—Launches the Event Notifier Configuration Wizard that enables you to configure
the email recipients that should be notified of hardware events.
• Configure Networking—Launches the Network Configuration Tool.
• Documentation—Launches the online help.
• Evaluate Deduplication Savings—Launches the Windows ddpeval.exe tool which can be used to
evaluate the storage space that would be saved by enabling deduplication on a particular volume.
• File Share Snapshots—Launches the Windows tool for scheduling and configuring storage for snapshots
of a file share.
• iLO Settings—Launches the Lights-Out Online Configuration Utility.
• Register Product—Launches the
• Save reseller information—Launches theReseller Information Toolthat enables you to enter the reseller
and purchasing information.
• View Logs—Opens the StoreEasy log directory.
Manage Multiple, Remote Servers with Server Manager article on
HPE Product Registration page to register the product.
Using the Network Configuration Tool
The NCT wizard enables you to configure the network interfaces on HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
NCT analyzes all available network interfaces of the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system and allows
you to choose different network configurations to reduce the chances of any incorrect configuration. It also
validates the configuration to help troubleshoot errors in the networking environment.
Managing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 49
Page 50
IMPORTANT:
HPE strongly recommends you to use this tool for configuring network interfaces.
You can also import the network configuration using the network configuration file. For more information on
the network configuration file, see Managing the network configuration file and Importing network
configuration.
You can launch the NCT directly using the following methods:
• Open a command prompt or PowerShell and type NCT.
• Open Server Manager and select Tools > StoreVirtual > Configure Networking.
• Double-click the System Tools folder on the desktop and click Configure Networking.
• Click Configure Networking on the Start screen.
• Click the Configure Networking icon on the desktop.
The NCT is divided into two panes. When you launch NCT to configure network interfaces or validate the
network configuration, the network configuration discovery is initiated. When the system discovery completes,
the left pane or interface pane lists the discovered interfaces and their operational state. The right pane
displays the current configuration step. Hovering over a network interface in the interface pane displays the
device name, interface name, and status. For example, the interface might be disabled, disconnected, or
enabled.
IMPORTANT:
While using NCT, if you change the network configuration of the system using any other tool, the
changes are reflected in NCT only when you close and relaunch it.
50 Managing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 51
The NCT wizard includes the following sections:
• Network Interfaces
• Network Team Configuration
• Network VLAN Configuration
• Network Interface IP Configuration
• Network Configuration Summary
• Network Validation
Network Interfaces
Network Interfaces enables you to configure the physical network interfaces to suit your environment.
To configure an interface:
Procedure
1. Select the Configure check box for the interface that you want to configure. If you clear the check box, the
interface is excluded from all configurations and is not modified.
2. Enter the new interface name. The new name that you enter must not contain special characters, such as
\ /*? < >| and “.
3. Click Next to proceed to the Network Team Configuration step.
The physical network interfaces that are part of a team or used for RDP cannot be configured. For such
interfaces, the Configure check box is disabled.
Network Team Configuration
Network adapter teaming is software-based technology used to increase a server's network availability and
performance. Teaming enables the logical grouping of physical adapters in the same server (regardless of
whether they are embedded devices or Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) adapters) into a virtual
adapter. This virtual adapter is seen by the network and server-resident network-aware applications as a
single network connection. For more information on Microsoft's implementation of Network Teaming, go to
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831648.aspx.
Network Team Configuration enables you to configure new teams. Teaming is used to increase available
bandwidth, load balancing, and improving fault tolerance. The maximum number of teams that you can create
is equal to the number of physical network interfaces on the system. On clustered systems, the number of
teams created on the local node is same as the number of teams created on the remote node. Team creation
on the remote node is automatic.
NOTE:
• It is optional to configure a network team. If you do not want to create network teams, click Next to
proceed to the Network VLAN configuration step. The Do not configure network teams now option
is selected by default.
• The Network Team Configuration (optional) window is displayed only if there are no pre-existing
teams.
To create network teams if there are no existing teams:
Procedure
1. Select Configure network teams now and enter the number of teams you want to create in Number of
teams
2. Click Next to proceed to the Network VLAN configuration step.
To create network teams in the case of existing teams:
Network Interfaces 51
Page 52
1. Select the physical network interfaces on the Network Interfaces window and click Next.
2. Select the Create check box and do the following:
a. Enter the team name.
b. Select the team type from Type. The default selection is Switch Independent/Dynamic.
NOTE:
The number of teams displayed for configuration or deletion depends on the number of physical
network interfaces that you select. For example, if you select two interfaces for configuration, two
rows will appear for team creation.
3. Click Next.
The network interfaces that are not included in any team are displayed.
4. Select the network interfaces that you want to include in the new team.
5. Click Next to proceed to the Network VLAN configuration step.
The Network Team Configuration window also enables you to delete an existing team by selecting the
Delete check box. The Delete check box is enabled only if a team exists. When you delete an existing team,
the physical network interface included in that team can be used for new teams.
NOTE: When a team is created, a default virtual network interface is also created. To remove the default
virtual interface, assign one or more VLAN IDs on the Network VLAN Configuration window and
select the remove the default virtual network interface check box.
While creating network teams, the interfaces claimed by one team cannot be added to any other team. The
team that these interfaces belong to is displayed next to the interface name. If all adapters are already
claimed by one or more teams, a warning message is displayed. You can either go back and remove some
interfaces from the previously created teams or skip the creation of a team.
• If some of the physical network interfaces included in the team are disconnected while other interfaces are
connected, the team status is displayed as degraded.
• If all physical network interfaces included in the team are disconnected, the team status is displayed as
disconnected.
The network teams are displayed in the interface pane when you proceed to the IP Address Configuration
step.
Use the network configuration tool to configuring network interfaces.
52 Managing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 53
Network VLAN Configuration
NOTE: It is optional to configure VLAN assignments. If you choose not to configure VLAN assignments,
only the default team interface is created. Click Next to skip this step and go to the IP Address
Configuration step.
Network VLAN Configuration enables you to configure VLAN assignments. The default VLAN ID is 0, but the
VLAN IDs can have a value from 0 to 4094. Each VLAN ID assigned to a physical network interface or
network team creates a virtual network interface. Both physical and virtual interfaces created for network
teams can have VLAN IDs assigned to them. If a physical interface is assigned a VLAN ID, a team is created
with a single physical interface. A virtual interface with the VLAN ID is then created in the team.
To assign VLAN IDs:
Network VLAN Configuration 53
Page 54
Procedure
1. Select the Configure VLAN IDs now and click Next.
2. Select one of the following options and enter the VLAN ID in the respective fields:
3. Select the Remove the default virtual network interface check box to remove the default virtual
4. Click Next to proceed to the Network Interface IP Configuration step.
The VLAN assignments are displayed in the interface pane when you proceed to the Network Interface IP
Configuration step.
• Add a single VLAN ID—Select to add a single VLAN ID.
• Add discrete VLAN IDs—Select to add the VLAN IDs as comma separated values.
• Add a range of VLAN IDs—Select to specify the VLAN IDs using a start and end value with an
increment. For example, a start value of 2 and an end value of 20 with an increment of 5 would assign
VLAN IDs 2, 7, 12, and 17.
interface from a team. This step is optional.
NOTE:
If a default virtual interface is deleted, the system will not receive any packets on the team or
physical NIC unless you assign one or more VLAN IDs.
NOTE: If you select Do not configure network interface VLAN identifiers now after you assign
VLAN IDs to teams and adapters, the assigned IDs are not removed. You must go through each VLAN
page and select the Do not add a VLAN ID to this team implicitly for all teams and adapters.
Network Configuration Summary
Network Configuration Summary enables you to view a summary of all configuration changes that will take
place on the system. Before proceeding, confirm that the changes are appropriate. If some configurations are
not required or not valid, click Previous or use the navigation links at the bottom of the page to correct the
errors. To apply the configuration changes, click Apply. When you apply the changes and click Next, the
details of each task configured is displayed. If some errors are encountered when the changes are applied,
the same are displayed on the Errors tab.
When you apply the configuration changes, the system automatically creates and saves the network
configuration file (NCTConfig.xml) at C:\Program Files\HPE\StoreEasy NetworkConfiguration
Wizard. This file includes the network configuration details. Only a user who is a member of the local
administrator group can modify the contents of this file. The system creates the NCTConfig.xml file
depending on the sequence in which the NCT wizard completes the network configuration tasks successfully.
For example, if the physical network interface configuration is successful, but the creation of teams or VLANs
fails, then the NCTConfig.xml file is created with only the physical network interfaces listed in the file. The
VLANs and teams are not listed. This is because in this case, the NCT wizard successfully completed the
network interface task, even though the other tasks were unsuccessful. However, if the physical network
interface task fails, then the NCTConfig.xml file is not created at all because the validation failed at the first
task. When the file is created successfully, you can use it to import the configuration from one server to
another.
Important considerations while working with the NCTConfig.xml file are:
• Do not rename the XML tags in the file. Renaming the tags might lead to errors while applying the
configuration.
• Do not rename the NCTConfig.xml file.
• Do not edit the contents of the PciKey tag. Editing this tag causes errors.
54 Network Configuration Summary
Page 55
• You can edit only specific XML tags, such as, Name, AdapterIPConfiguration, and
AdapterHWInformation.
• If the NCTConfig.xml file is corrupt or the tags are invalid, a message is displayed on the screen
indicating the same. You cannot reuse the same file. In such cases, NCT uses the system discovery state
for further configurations.
For more information on importing the network configuration, see
Network Interface IP Configuration
Network Interface enables you to begin the IP address configuration by selecting the interface on which you
want to make changes using the interface pane. Each interface that can be configured is enabled on the
system, even if no changes are made to the interface. The IP addresses that you assign can be static or
dynamically assigned using DHCP.
To configure the IP information for an interface:
Importing network configuration.
Network Interface IP Configuration 55
Page 56
Procedure
1. Select Use DHCP to assign IP address and gateway to dynamically assign an IP address using DHCP
or select Assign a static IP address and gateway to assign a static IP address.
IMPORTANT:
If you select Assign a static IP address and gateway, the DNS server address must also be static
and you must also assign a network mask. Assigning a default gateway address is optional.
2. Select Use DHCP to assign DNS server addresses or Assign a static IP address and gateway. If you
selected the Assign a static IP address and gateway option in the above step, the Assign a static IP
addresses for DNS option is selected by default and you cannot change it.
3. Click Next to proceed to the Network Configuration Summary step.
IMPORTANT:
HPE recommends that you check each interface before clicking Next on this window.
56 Managing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller
Page 57
The network defined by the IP address and subnet mask is used to validate the gateway, if one is specified. If
an interface is assigned a static address, its configuration is validated against other interface settings when a
different interface is selected or when you click Next.
Network Validation
Network Validation enables you to validate and configure the network settings. Network validation requires
that all network interfaces that you want to test be connected.
NOTE:
• It is optional to validate the network settings. However, HPE recommends using the network
validation system to confirm that your network settings are valid and to help diagnose environmental
network issues.
• You can launch only the Network Validation section of NCT by executing the NCT -validate
command in a command prompt or PowerShell.
To begin network validation:
Procedure
1. Select Validate the network configuration now.
2. Enter the name of the domain controller for the domain that your system will be a part of and IP address of
the domain controller in the respective fields. If you do not want to join the system to a domain, you can
leave these fields blank.
3. Click Validate.
Network Validation 57
Page 58
When the validation begins, the user interface may seem unresponsive. Each interface is tested in order and
validation success or failure is noted in the output window. Validation results are also saved at c:\nas\logs
\NetworkConfigTool. Each validation result is saved in a file named with the time and date the validation
was performed.
Managing the network configuration file
The NCTConfig.xml file is created when you apply the network configuration changes by clicking Apply on
the Network Configuration Summary window. This file includes the network configuration details. Only a
user who is a member of the local administrator group can modify the contents of this file. The system creates
the NCTConfig.xml file depending on the sequence in which the NCT wizard completes the network
configuration tasks successfully. For example, if the physical network interface configuration is successful, but
the creation of teams or VLANs fails, then the NCTConfig.xml file is created with only the physical network
interfaces listed in the file. The VLANs and teams are not listed. This is because in this case, the NCT wizard
successfully completed the network interface task, even though the other tasks were unsuccessful. However,
if the physical network interface task fails, then the NCTConfig.xml file is not created at all because the
validation failed at the first task. When the file is created successfully, you can use it to import the
configuration from one server to another. Important considerations while working with the NCTConfig.xml
file are:
• Do not rename the XML tags in the file. Renaming the tags might lead to errors while applying the
configuration.
• Do not rename the NCTConfig.xml file.
• Do not edit the contents of the PciKey tag. Editing this tag causes errors.
• If the NCTConfig.xml file is corrupt or the tags are invalid, a message is displayed on the screen
indicating the same. You cannot reuse the same file. In such cases, NCT uses the system discovery state
for further configurations.
Sample network configuration file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--This XML file has been generated by the Network Configuration Tool after
successful application of user settings-->
<!--Created - 10 Wed Dec 2014 04:50-->
<NetworkConfigurationTool>
<SystemSerialNumber-2M23330589>
<Interfaces>
<Interface ifIndex="16">
<Name>Ethernet 41</Name>
<Description>HP Ethernet 1Gb 4-port 331FLR Adapter #4</Description>
<IsMediaConnected>false</IsMediaConnected>
<IsNetEnabled>false</IsNetEnabled>
<AdapterHWInformation>
<BindingOrder>0</BindingOrder>
<Bus>3</Bus>
<Device>0</Device>
<Function>3</Function>
<InstanceID>{DABD5F10-C2A9-40ED-9701-F4EEE1FE6B60}</InstanceID>
<PciKey>3:0:3</PciKey>
</AdapterHWInformation>
<AdapterIPConfiguration>
<DefaultGateway>16.78.88.1</DefaultGateway>
<DHCPEnabled>false</DHCPEnabled>
<IPAddress>16.78.88.20</IPAddress>
<PrimaryDNS></PrimaryDNS>
<SecondaryDNS></SecondaryDNS>
58 Managing the network configuration file
Page 59
<TertiaryDNS></TertiaryDNS>
<StaticEnabled>true</StaticEnabled>
<SubnetMask>255.255.248.0</SubnetMask>
<IsDHCPDNS>false</IsDHCPDNS>
<IsDHCPIP>false</IsDHCPIP>
<IsStaticDNS>true</IsStaticDNS>
<IsStaticIP>true</IsStaticIP>
</AdapterIPConfiguration>
<DNSDomainName></DNSDomainName>
<IsAvailableforTeam>true</IsAvailableforTeam>
<IsMemberofTeam>false</IsMemberofTeam>
<IsLocal>true</IsLocal
<IsVirtualLAN>false</IsVirtualLAN>
</Interface>
<Teams>
<Team>
<Name>Team1</Name>
<TeamingMode>SwitchIndependent</TeamingMode>
<LoadBalancingAlgorithm>Dynamic</LoadBalancingAlgorithm>
<TeamStatus>Down</TeamStatus>
<IsLocal>false</IsLocal>
<VLANforTeam>
<DefaultVLAN></DefaultVLAN>
<DiscreteVLAN/>
<SingleVLAN>45</SingleVLAN>
<StepVLANRange></StepVLANRange>
<IsProperStep>true</IsProperStep>
<RangeVLAN/>
<UpperRangeLimit></UpperRangeLimit>
<LowerRangeLimit></LowerRangeLimit>
<VLANType>SingleVLAN</VLANType>
<VLANIDs>
<VLANID>45</VLANID>
</VLANIDs>
<CanMoveForward>true</CanMoveForward>
</VLANforTeam>
<TeamMembers>
<TeamMember>Ethernet 3</TeamMember>
</TeamMembers>
</Team>
</Teams>
</SystemSerialNumber-2M23330589>
</NetworkConfigurationTool>
In the NCTConfig.xml file, you can edit only the following tags:
• <Name>—Contains the physical network interface name.
• <AdapterHWInformation>—Contains the hardware information of the physical network interface. You
can edit all subtags within this tag, such as <BindingOrder>, <Bus>, <Device>, and so on. However,
you cannot edit the <PciKey> tag.
• <AdapterIPConfiguration>—Contains the IP configuration of the network interface. You can edit all
subtags within this tag, such as <DefaultGateway>, <DHCPEnabled>, <IPAddress>, and so on.
The following table describes the sample values for these tags:
Managing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 59
Page 60
Tag Sample value
<Name>
<DHCPEnabled>
<IsDHCPIP> and <IsDHCPDNS>
<StaticEnabled>
<IsStaticIP>
and
<IsStaticDNS>
<IPAddress>
<SubnetMask>
<DefaultGateway>
<PrimaryDNS>
<SecondaryDNS>
Ethernet 3, 1 GbE Public 1, and so on.
true or false.
• If DHCPEnabled is set to true, the value in this
tag must be set to true.
• If DHCPEnabled is set to false, the value in this
tag must be set to false.
true or false.
• If StaticEnabled is set to true, the value in
this tag must be set to true.
• If StaticEnabled is set to false, the value in
this tag must be set to false.
16.78.90.32, 10.1.2.21, 128.90.34.123, and
so on.
255.255.248.0,255.255.0.0, and so on.
16.78.88.1, 128.90.34.21, and so on.
16.78.22.12, 128.89.23.12, and so on.
16.78.22.12, 128.89.23.12, and so on.
<TertiaryDNS>
IMPORTANT:
• If the DHCPEnabled or StaticEnabled tags are modified, the values in the IsDHCPIP,
IsDHCPDNS, IsStaticIP, and IsStaticDNS tags must be changed accordingly.
• If the StaticEnabled, IsStaticIP, and IsStaticDNS tags are set to True and no values are
specified for IPAddress, SubnetMask, and PrimaryDNS, the setting of the IP configuration fails.
• The StaticEnabled and DHCPEnabled tags cannot be set to true at the same time.
Importing network configuration
The NCTConfig.xml file enables you to directly import the network configuration settings from one server to
another and apply the network configuration settings for all adapters at one instance. After successfully
importing the settings, when you relaunch NCT, a confirmation message is displayed indicating if you want to
use the last used network configuration settings. If you click Yes, the NCT wizard loads the network
configuration details from the NCTConfig.xml file and displays the existing interface details along with the
team details. You can reconfigure the desired network interface from the available interfaces and create new
teams or delete existing teams.
IMPORTANT:
While changing the interface name, you must change only the prefix associated with the default VLAN.
For example, if the complete interface name isEthernet 2 Team –VLAN Default, then you must
change only the prefix, that is, Ethernet 2 Team. The default VLAN name, which is VLAN Default
in this example, must not be changed.
16.78.22.12, 128.89.23.12, and so on.
To import the network configuration settings from the NCTConfig.xml file:
60 Importing network configuration
Page 61
Procedure
1. Open the NCTConfig.xml file and edit the IP configuration of the adapter in the
2. Edit the interface name, if required.
3. Save the file and copy it to C:\Program Files\HPE\StoreEasy NetworkConfiguration Wizard
4. Launch NCT and when prompted, click Yes to use the last saved configuration.
5. Click Next when the discovery completes.
6. Make required network configuration changes on the respective windows.
7. Click Apply on the Network Configuration Summary window to apply the changes.
8. Click Validate on the Network Configuration Validation window to validate the changes.
If the XML file import is unsuccessful, it could be due to one of the following reasons:
• The file is corrupt.
• The number of adapters in the XML file and the number of adapters on the system on which you want to
• The file name is different fromNCTConfig.xml.
• The file is copied to a different location or folder.
• The XML tags other than the ones you can edit are edited.
<AdapterIPConfiguration> tag.
on the server on which you want to import the configuration.
The NCT wizard loads and displays the configuration details from the NCTConfig.xml file.
import the file do not match.
Managing HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller 61
Page 62
Administration tools
HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller systems include several administration tools to simplify storage system
management tasks.
Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2016 administration tools
Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2016 operating systems provide a user interface for initial server
configuration, unified storage system management, simplified setup and management of storage and shared
folders, and iSCSI targets. It is specially tuned to provide optimal performance for network-attached storage.
Windows Storage Server 2016 provides significant enhancements in share and storage management
scenarios, as well as integration of storage system management components and functionality.
Remote Administration
The following tools are available for remote management of the system:
• Remote Desktop
• Server Manager on a Windows 8\10 client via RSAT tools
• Remote PowerShell
File and Storage Services
File and Storage Services includes technologies that help you set up and manage one or more file servers,
which are servers that provide central locations on your network where you can store files and share them
with users. If users need access to the same files and applications, or if centralized backup and file
management are important to your organization, you should set up one or more servers as a file server by
installing the File and Storage Services role and the appropriate role services.
Administrators can use the File and Storage Services role to setup and manage multiple file servers and their
storage by using Server Manager or Windows PowerShell. Some of the specific applications include the
following:
• Use Data deduplication to reduce the disk space requirements of your files, saving money on storage.
• Use iSCSI Target Server to create centralized, software-based, and hardware-independent iSCSI disk
subsystems in storage area networks (SANs).
• Use Server Manager to remotely manage multiple file servers from a single window.
• Use Windows PowerShell to automate the management of the majority of administration tasks for file
servers.
For more information, see the Windows Storage Server 2016 Help.
Data Deduplication
Data deduplication involves finding and removing duplication within data without compromising its fidelity or
integrity. The goal is to store more data in less space by segmenting files into small variable-sized chunks
(32–128 KB), identifying duplicate chunks, and maintaining a single copy of each chunk. Redundant copies of
the chunk are replaced by a reference to the single copy. The chunks are compressed and then organized
into special container files in the System Volume Information folder.
After a volume is enabled for deduplication and the data is optimized, the volume contains the following:
62 Administration tools
Page 63
Procedure
1. Unoptimized files —For example, unoptimized files could include files that do not meet the selected file-
2. Optimized files—Files that are stored as reparse points that contain pointers to a map of the respective
3. Chunk store—Location for the optimized file data.
4. Additional free space—The optimized files and chunk store occupy much less space than they did prior
To enable data deduplication on a volume:
1. Open Windows Server Manager.
2. Select File and Storage Services and then select Volumes.
3. Right-click a data volume and select Configure Data Deduplication.
4. Do the following:
5. Click Apply to apply these settings or click Set Deduplication Schedule to configure a deduplication
age policy setting, system state files, alternate data streams, encrypted files, files with extended attributes,
files smaller than 32 KB, other reparse point files, or files in use by other applications.
chunks in the chunk store that are needed to restore the file when it is requested.
to optimization.
The Deduplication Settings window is displayed.
a. Select the workload for the volume.
b. Enter the number of days that should pass between file creation and when files are deduplicated.
c. Identify any file type extensions that should not be deduplicated.
d. Click Add to browse to any folders containing files that should not be deduplicated.
schedule.
For more information, see the Windows Storage Server 2016 Help.
Print Management
Use Print Management to view and manage printers and print servers in your organization. You can use Print
Management from any computer running Windows Storage Server 2016 and you can manage all network
printers on print servers running Windows Storage Server 2008, Windows Storage Server 2008 R2, Windows
Storage Server 2012, or Windows Storage Server 2012 R2.
Print Management provides details such as the queue status, printer name, driver name, and server name.
You can also set custom views by using the Print Management filtering capability. For example, you can
create a view that displays only printers in a particular error state. You can also configure Print Management
to send e-mail notifications or run scripts when a printer or print server needs attention. The filtering capability
also allows you to bulk edit print jobs, such as canceling all print jobs at once. You can also delete multiple
printers at the same time.
Administrators can install printers remotely by using the automatic detection feature, which finds and installs
printers on the local subnet to the local print server. Administrators can log on remotely to a server at a branch
location, and then install printers remotely.
For more information, see the Windows Storage Server 2016 Help.
Network File System User Mapping
NFS (Network File System) is a network file sharing protocol that allows remote access to files over a network
and is typically used in networks with computers running UNIX, Linux, or Mac OS operating systems. NFS is
supported on all HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller systems.
The following types of NFS account mapping are supported:
• Active Directory® Domain Services (AD DS) mapped user access
• Unmapped anonymous user access
• Unmapped UNIX user access
Print Management 63
Page 64
For more information about NFS, see the following Microsoft website:
The Storage Team at Microsoft – File Cabinet Blog
64 Administration tools
Page 65
Storage management overview
This chapter provides an overview of some of the components that make up the storage structure of HPE
StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
Storage management elements
Storage is divided into four major elements:
• Physical storage elements
• Logical storage elements
• File system elements
• File sharing elements
Each of these element is composed of the previous level's elements.
Storage management example
Storage management process example depicts many of the storage elements that one would find on HPE
StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller. The following sections provide an overview of the storage elements.
Storage management overview 65
Page 66
Figure 13: Storage management process example
Physical storage elements
The lowest level of storage management occurs at the physical drive level. Choosing the best physical disk
configuration requires understanding the following:
• Current corporate and departmental structure
• Current file server structure and environment
• Best configuration and use of storage
66 Physical storage elements
Page 67
Arrays
◦ Determine the desired priority of fault tolerance, performance, and storage capacity.
◦ Use the determined priority of system characteristics to determine the optimal striping policy and RAID
level.
• Include the appropriate number of physical drives in the arrays to create logical storage elements of
desired sizes.
Configuring arrays from physical drives. With HPE Smart Array controller installed in the system, the
See
capacity of several physical drives (P1–P3) can be logically combined into one or more logical units (L1)
called arrays. When this is done, the read/write heads of all the constituent physical drives are active
simultaneously, dramatically reducing the overall time required for data transfer.
NOTE:
Depending on the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller model, array configuration may not be possible
or necessary.
Figure 14: Configuring arrays from physical drives
Because the read/write heads are simultaneously active, the same amount of data is written to each drive
during any given time interval. Each unit of data is termed a block. The blocks form a set of data stripes over
all the hard drives in an array, as shown in RAID 0 (data striping) (S1-S4) of data blocks (B1-B12).
Figure 15: RAID 0 (data striping) (S1-S4) of data blocks (B1-B12)
For data in the array to be readable, the data block sequence within each stripe must be the same. This
sequencing process is performed by the Smart Array controller, which sends the data blocks to the drive write
heads in the correct order.
A natural consequence of the striping process is that each hard drive in a given array contains the same
number of data blocks.
NOTE:
If one hard drive has a larger capacity than other hard drives in the same array, the extra capacity is
wasted because it cannot be used by the array.
Arrays 67
Page 68
Fault tolerance
Drive failure, although rare, is potentially catastrophic. For example, using simple striping as shown in RAID 0
(data striping) (S1-S4) of data blocks (B1-B12), failure of any hard drive leads to failure of all logical drives
in the same array, and hence to data loss.
To protect against data loss from hard drive failure, HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller must be configured
with fault tolerance.
The table below summarizes the important features of the different kinds of RAID supported by the Smart
Array controllers. The decision chart in the following table can help determine which option is best for different
situations.
Table 4: Summary of RAID methods
Maximum number
of hard drives
Tolerant of single
hard drive failure?
Tolerant of multiple
simultaneous hard
drive failures?
Online spares
Further protection against data loss can be achieved by assigning an online spare (or hot spare) to any
configuration except RAID 0. This hard drive contains no data and is contained within the same storage
subsystem as the other drives in the array. When a hard drive in the array fails, the controller can then
automatically rebuild information that was originally on the failed drive onto the online spare. This quickly
restores the system to full RAID level fault tolerance protection. However, unless RAID Advanced Data
Guarding (ADG) is being used, which can support two drive failures in an array, in the unlikely event that a
third drive in the array should fail while data is being rewritten to the spare, the logical drive still fails.
RAID 0
Striping (no
fault
tolerance)
N/A N/A 14 Storage
No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
No If the failed
RAID 1+0
Mirroring
drives are
not mirrored
to each
other
RAID 5
Distributed
Data
Guarding
No Yes (two
RAID 6
(ADG)
system
dependent
drives can
fail)
RAID 50 RAID 60
14 Storage
system
dependent
No Yes (Two
drives can
fail)
Logical storage elements
Logical storage elements consist of those components that translate the physical storage elements to file
system elements. The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller uses the Window Disk Management utility to
manage the various types of disks presented to the file system. There are two types of LUN presentation:
basic disk and dynamic disk. Each of these types of disk has special features that enable different types of
management.
Logical drives (LUNs)
While an array is a physical grouping of hard drives, a logical drive consists of components that translate
physical storage elements into file system elements. A LUN may also be referred to as a virtual disk.
68 Fault tolerance
Page 69
It is important to note that a LUN may span all physical drives within a storage controller subsystem, but
cannot span multiple storage controller subsystems. The multiple storage controller subsystems could
indicate multiple controllers or external enclosures.
Figure 16: Two arrays (A1, A2) and five logical drives (L1 through L5) spread over five physical drives
NOTE:
This type of configuration may not apply to all HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller systems and serves
only as an example.
Through the use of basic disks, you can create primary partitions or extended partitions. Partitions can only
encompass one LUN. Through the use of dynamic disks, you can create volumes that span multiple LUNs.
You can use the Windows Disk Management utility to convert basic disks to dynamic disks or dynamic disks
to basic disks and to manage the volumes residing on dynamic disks. Other options include the ability to
delete, extend, mirror, and repair these elements.
Partitions
Partitions exist as either primary partitions or extended partitions. The master boot record (MBR) disk
partitioning style supports volumes up to 2 terabytes in size and up to 4 primary partitions per disk (or three
primary partitions, one extended partition, and unlimited logical drives). Extended partitions allow the user to
create multiple logical drives. These partitions or logical disks can be assigned drive letters or be used as
mount points on existing disks. If mount points are used, it should be noted that Services for UNIX (SFU)
does not support mount points at this time. The use of mount points in conjunction with NFS shares is not
supported.
The GUID partition table (GPT) disk partitioning style supports volumes up to 18 exabytes in size and up to
128 partitions per disk. Unlike MBR partitioned disks, data critical to platform operation is located in partitions
instead of unpartitioned or hidden sectors. In addition, GPT partitioned disks have redundant primary and
backup partition tables for improved partition data structure integrity.
On the Volumes tab in the disk properties dialog box in Disk Management, disks with the GPT partitioning
style are displayed as GUID Partition Table (GPT) disks, and disks with the MBR partitioning style are
displayed as Master Boot Record (MBR) disks.
Volumes
When planning volumes, you must consider the limitations of the file system that you choose for formatting
the volumes. The default file system for Windows 2016 is NTFS.
The operating system supports FAT32, FAT, NTFS, and Resilient File System (ReFS). All file system types
can be used on the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system. However, VSS can only use volumes that
are NTFS formatted. Also, quota management is possible only on NTFS.
NTFS enables you to create an NTFS volume up to 16 TB using the default cluster size (4KB) for large
volumes. You can create NTFS volumes up to 256 TB using the maximum cluster size of 64 KB. The formula
for the maximum NTFS volume size is ([2 ^32 * cluster size] —64KB) for Windows 2016. Starting Windows
2012, Microsoft introduced ReFS which works well with large data sets without performance impact. ReFS is
not only designed to support volume sizes of 2^64 bytes (allowed by Windows stack addresses), but it also
supports larger volume sizes of up to 2^78 bytes using 16 KB cluster sizes. This format also supports 2^64-1
Partitions 69
Page 70
byte file sizes, 2^64 files in a directory, and the same number of directories in a volume. For more information
on ReFS, seehttps://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831724.aspx..
The RAID level of the LUNs included in a volume must be considered. All of the units that make up a volume
should have the same high-availability characteristics. In other words, the units should all be of the same
RAID level. For example, it would not be a good practice to include both a RAID 1+0 and a RAID 5 array in
the same volume set. By keeping all the units the same, the entire volume retains the same performance and
high-availability characteristics, making managing and maintaining the volume much easier. If a dynamic disk
goes offline, the entire volume dependent on the one or more dynamic disks is unavailable. There could be a
potential for data loss depending on the nature of the failed LUN.
Volumes are created out of the dynamic disks, and can be expanded on the fly to extend over multiple
dynamic disks if they are spanned volumes. However, after a type of volume is selected, it cannot be altered.
For example, a spanning volume cannot be altered to a mirrored volume without deleting and recreating the
volume, unless it is a simple volume. Simple volumes can be mirrored or converted to spanned volumes.
Fault-tolerant disks cannot be extended. Therefore, selection of the volume type is important. The same
performance characteristics on numbers of reads and writes apply when using fault-tolerant configurations, as
is the case with controller-based RAID. These volumes can also be assigned drive letters or be mounted as
mount points off existing drive letters.
The administrator should carefully consider how the volumes will be carved up and what groups or
applications will be using them. For example, putting several storage-intensive applications or groups into the
same dynamic disk set would not be efficient. These applications or groups would be better served by being
divided up into separate dynamic disks, which could then grow as their space requirements increased, within
the allowable growth limits.
File system elements
File system elements are composed of the folders and subfolders that are created under each logical storage
element (partitions, logical disks, and volumes). Folders are used to further subdivide the available file
system, providing another level of granularity for management of the information space. Each of these folders
can contain separate permissions and share names that can be used for network access. Folders can be
created for individual users, groups, projects, and so on.
File sharing elements
The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system supports several file sharing protocols, including Network
File System (NFS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and Microsoft Server
Message Block (SMB). On each folder or logical storage element, different file sharing protocols can be
enabled using specific network names for access across a network to a variety of clients. Permissions can
then be granted to those shares based on users or groups of users in each of the file sharing protocols.
Volume Shadow Copy Service overview
The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) provides an infrastructure for creating point-in-time snapshots
(shadow copies) of volumes. VSS supports 64 shadow copies per volume.
Shadow Copies of Shared Folders resides within this infrastructure, and helps alleviate data loss by creating
shadow copies of files or folders that are stored on network file shares at pre-determined time intervals. In
essence, a shadow copy is a previous version of the file or folder at a specific point in time.
By using shadow copies, the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system can maintain a set of previous
versions of all files on the selected volumes. End users access the file or folder by using a separate client
add-on program, which enables them to view the file in Windows Explorer.
Shadow copies must not replace the current backup, archive, or business recovery system, but they can help
to simplify restore procedures. For example, shadow copies cannot protect against data loss due to media
failures; however, recovering data from shadow copies can reduce the number of times needed to restore
data from tape.
70 File system elements
Page 71
Using storage elements
The last step in creating the element is determining its drive letter or mount point and formatting the element.
Each element created can exist as a drive letter, assuming one is available, and/or as mount points on an
existing folder or drive letter. Either method is supported. However, mount points cannot be used for shares
that will be shared using Microsoft Services for Unix. They can be set up with both but the use of the mount
point in conjunction with NFS shares causes instability with the NFS shares.
Clustered server elements
HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller systems supports clustering. These storage systems support several
file sharing protocols including DFS, NFS, FTP, HTTP, and Microsoft SMB. Only NFS, FTP, and Microsoft
SMB are cluster-aware protocols. HTTP can be installed on each node but the protocols cannot be set up
through cluster administrator, and they will not fail over during a node failure.
Network names and IP address resources for the clustered file share resource can also be established for
access across a network to a variety of clients. Permissions can then be granted to those shares based on
users or groups of users in each of the file sharing protocols.
Using storage elements 71
Page 72
File server management
This chapter describes the tasks and utilities that play a role in file server management.
File services management
Information about the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system in a SAN environment is provided in the
SAN Design Reference Guide, located on the HPE web site at
Storage management utilities
The storage management utilities preinstalled on the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system include
the Smart Storage Administrator (SSA) .
Array management utilities
Storage devices for RAID arrays and LUNs are created and managed using the array management utilities
mentioned previously. For Smart Arrays, use SSA.
NOTE:
The SSA is used to configure and manage array-based storage. Software RAID-based HPE StoreVirtual
3000 File Controller systems use Microsoft Disk Manager to manage storage. You need administrator or
root privileges to run the SSA.
www.hp.com/go/SDGmanuals.
Smart Storage Administrator
The SSA supports the Smart Array controllers and hard drives installed on the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller system.
To open SSA from the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller desktop:
NOTE: If this is the first time you are running SSA, you will be prompted to select the Execution Mode
for SSA. Selecting Local Application Mode allows you to run the SSA from a Remote Desktop, remote
console, or HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller web access mode. Remote service mode allows you
to access the SSA from a remote browser.
Procedure
1. Click Start and then scroll down to System Tools. Select System Tools > Smart Storage Administrator.
2. If the Execution Mode for SSA is set to Remote Service Mode, log on to the HP System Management
Homepage. The default user name is Administrator and the password is the Windows Storage Server
2016 administrator password that is set by the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system administrator.
The password is case-sensitive. To open the SSA in browser mode:
To open the SSA in browser mode:
NOTE: Confirm that the SSA Execution Mode is set to Remote Service Mode.
1. Open a browser and enter the server name or IP address of the destination server. For example, http://
servername:2301 or http://192.0.0.1:2301.
2. Log on to the HPW System Management Homepage. The default user name is Administrator and the
default password is the password that you created while initially setting up the server.
3. Click Smart Storage Administrator on the left side of the window. The SSA opens and identifies the
controllers that are connected to the system.
72 File server management
Page 73
The HP Smart Storage Administrator User Guide is available for download at http://www.hpe.com/support/
manuals.
Disk Management utility
The Disk Management tool is a system utility for managing hard disks and the volumes, or partitions, that they
contain. Disk Management is used to initialize disks, create volumes, format volumes with the FAT, FAT32, or
NTFS file systems, and create fault-tolerant disk systems. Most disk-related tasks can be performed in Disk
Management without restarting the system or interrupting users. Most configuration changes take effect
immediately. A complete online help facility is provided with the Disk Management utility for assistance in
using the product.
NOTE:
• When the Disk Management utility is accessed through a Remote Desktop connection, this
connection can only be used to manage disks and volumes on the server. Using the Remote
Desktop connection for other operations during an open session closes the session.
• When closing Disk Management through a Remote Desktop connection, it may take a few moments
for the remote session to log off.
Guidelines for managing disks and volumes
• A single logical drive is configured for the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller operating system and
should not be altered in any manner. This is a reserved volume and must be maintained as it exists.
• HPE does not recommend spanning array controllers with dynamic volumes. The use of software RAIDbased dynamic volumes is not recommended. The hardware-based RAID configuration capabilities of the
smart array controllers should be utilized due to being more efficient than software-based RAID
configurations.
• Use meaningful volume labels with the intended drive letter embedded in the volume label, if possible. (For
example, volume e: might be named “Disk E:.”) Volume labels often serve as the only means of
identification.
• Record all volume labels and drive letters in case the system needs to be restored.
• When managing basic disks, only the last partition on the disk can be extended unless the disk is changed
to dynamic.
• Basic disks can be converted to dynamic, but cannot be converted back to basic without deleting all data
on the disk.
• Basic disks can contain up to four primary partitions (or three primary partitions and one extended
partition).
• Format drives with a 16 K allocation size for best support of shadow copies, performance, and
defragmentation.
• NTFS formatted drives are recommended because they provide the greatest level of support for deduplication shadow copies, encryption, and compression.
• The size of the NTFS volumes should be limited to 64TB or smaller in size if you are wanting to use Deduplication or Volume Shadow Copy Server (VSS). De-duplication and VSS do not support volumes larger
than 64TB volumes. Also, writable snapshots or snapshots larger than 64 TB are not supported.
• Basic disks that are larger than 2TB should be formatted in GUID partition table (GPT) style.
• For further information refer to the Disk Management help found in the utility.
Scheduling defragmentation
Defragmentation is the process of analyzing local volumes and consolidating fragmented files and folders so
that each occupies a single, contiguous space on the volume. This improves file system performance.
Because defragmentation consolidates files and folders, it also consolidates the free space on a volume. This
reduces the likelihood that new files will be fragmented.
Disk Management utility 73
Page 74
Defragmentation for a volume can be scheduled to occur automatically at convenient times. Defragmentation
can also be done once, or on a recurring basis.
NOTE:
Scheduling defragmentation to run no later than a specific time prevents the defragmentation process
from running later than that time. If the defragmentation process is running when the time is reached,
the process is stopped. This setting is useful to ensure that the defragmentation process ends before
the demand for server access is likely to increase.
If defragmenting volumes on which shadow copies are enabled, use a cluster (or allocation unit) size of 16 KB
or larger during the format. Otherwise defragmentation registers as a change by the Shadow Copy process.
This increase in the number of changes forces Shadow Copy to delete snapshots as the limit for the cache
file is reached.
CAUTION:
Allocation unit size cannot be altered without reformatting the drive. Data on a reformatted drive cannot
be recovered.
For more information about disk defragmentation, read the online help.
Disk quotas
Disk quotas track and control disk space use in volumes.
NOTE:
To limit the size of a folder or share, see Quota management.
Configure the volumes on the server to perform the following tasks:
• Prevent further disk space use and log an event when a user exceeds a specified disk space limit.
• Log an event when a user exceeds a specified disk space warning level.
When enabling disk quotas, it is possible to set both the disk quota limit and the disk quota warning level. The
disk quota limit specifies the amount of disk space a user is allowed to use. The warning level specifies the
point at which a user is nearing his or her quota limit. For example, a user's disk quota limit can be set to 50
megabytes (MB), and the disk quota warning level to 45 MB. In this case, the user can store no more than 50
MB on the volume. If the user stores more than 45 MB on the volume, the disk quota system logs a system
event.
In addition, it is possible to specify that users can exceed their quota limit. Enabling quotas and not limiting
disk space use is useful to still allow users access to a volume, but track disk space use on a per-user basis.
It is also possible to specify whether or not to log an event when users exceed either their quota warning level
or their quota limit.
When enabling disk quotas for a volume, volume usage is automatically tracked from that point forward, but
existing volume users have no disk quotas applied to them. Apply disk quotas to existing volume users by
adding new quota entries on the Quota Entries page.
NOTE:
When enabling disk quotas on a volume, any users with write access to the volume who have not
exceeded their quota limit can store data on the volume. The first time a user writes data to a quotaenabled volume, default values for disk space limit and warning level are automatically assigned by the
quota system.
For more information about disk quotas, read the online help.
74 Disk quotas
Page 75
NOTE:
The quota information reported on a NFS file share when viewed from a linux system will reflect the
entire volume size. In order to provide each user with a notification of quota information for their NFS
shares it is recommended that a quota template be created through the File Server Resource Manager.
For more information go to https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831701(v=ws.11).aspx
Adding storage
Expansion is the process of adding physical disks to an array that has already been configured. Extension is
the process of adding new storage space to an existing logical drive on the same array, usually after the array
has been expanded.
Storage growth may occur in three forms:
• Extend unallocated space from the original logical disks or LUNs.
• Alter LUNs to contain additional storage.
• Add new LUNs to the system.
The additional space is then extended through a variety of means, depending on which type of disk structure
is in use.
Expanding storage
Expansion is the process of adding physical disks to an array that has already been configured. The logical
drives (or volumes) that exist in the array before the expansion takes place are unchanged, because only the
amount of free space in the array changes. The expansion process is entirely independent of the operating
system.
NOTE:
See your storage array hardware user documentation for further details about expanding storage on the
array.
Extending storage using Windows Storage Utilities
Volume extension grows the storage space of a logical drive. During this process, the administrator adds new
storage space to an existing logical drive on the same array, usually after the array has been expanded. An
administrator may have gained this new storage space by either expansion or by deleting another logical
drive on the same array. Unlike drive expansion, the operating system must be aware of changes to the
logical drive size.
You extend a volume to:
• Increase raw data storage
• Improve performance by increasing the number of spindles in a logical drive volume
• Change fault-tolerance (RAID) configurations
For more information about RAID levels, see the Smart Array Controller User Guide, or the document titled
Assessing RAID ADG vs. RAID 5 vs. RAID 1+0. Both are available at the Smart Array controller web page or
at www.hpe.com/info/enterprise/docs.
Extend volumes using Disk Management
The Disk Management snap-in provides management of hard disks, volumes or partitions. It can be used to
extend a dynamic volume only.
NOTE:
Disk Management cannot be used to extend basic disk partitions.
Adding storage 75
Page 76
Guidelines for extending a dynamic volume:
• Use the Disk Management utility.
• You can extend a volume only if it does not have a file system or if it is formatted NTFS.
• You cannot extend volumes formatted using FAT or FAT32.
• You cannot extend striped volumes, mirrored volumes, or RAID 5 volumes.
For more information, see the Disk Management online help.
Volume shadow copies
NOTE:
Select HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller can be deployed in a clustered as well as a non-clustered
configuration. This chapter discusses using shadow copies in a non-clustered environment.
The Volume Shadow Copy Service provides an infrastructure for creating point-in-time snapshots (shadow
copies) of volumes. Shadow Copy supports 64 shadow copies per volume.
A shadow copy contains previous versions of the files or folders contained on a volume at a specific point in
time. While the shadow copy mechanism is managed at the server, previous versions of files and folders are
only available over the network from clients, and are seen on a per folder or file level, and not as an entire
volume.
The shadow copy feature uses data blocks. As changes are made to the file system, the Shadow Copy
Service copies the original blocks to a special cache file to maintain a consistent view of the file at a particular
point in time. Because the snapshot only contains a subset of the original blocks, the cache file is typically
smaller than the original volume. In the snapshot's original form, it takes up no space because blocks are not
moved until an update to the disk occurs.
By using shadow copies, an HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system can maintain a set of previous
versions of all files on the selected volumes. End users access the file or folder by using a separate client
add-on program, which enables them to view the file in Windows Explorer. Accessing previous versions of
files, or shadow copies, enables users to:
• Recover files that were accidentally deleted. Previous versions can be opened and copied to a safe
location.
• Recover from accidentally overwriting a file. A previous version of that file can be accessed.
• Compare several versions of a file while working. Use previous versions to compare changes between two
versions of a file.
Shadow copies cannot replace the current backup, archive, or business recovery system, but they can help to
simplify restore procedures. Because a snapshot only contains a portion of the original data blocks, shadow
copies cannot protect against data loss due to media failures. However, the strength of snapshots is the ability
to instantly recover data from shadow copies, reducing the number of times needed to restore data from tape.
Shadow copy planning
Before setup is initiated on the server and the client interface is made available to end users, consider the
following:
• From what volume will shadow copies be taken?
• How much disk space should be allocated for shadow copies?
• Will separate disks be used to store shadow copies?
• How frequently will shadow copies be made?
76 Volume shadow copies
Page 77
Identifying the volume
Shadow copies are taken for a complete volume, but not for a specific directory. Shadow copies work best
when the server stores user files, such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, or database
files.
NOTE:
Shadow copies must not be used to provide access to previous versions of application or e-mail
databases.
Shadow copies are designed for volumes that store user data such as home directories and My Documents
folders that are redirected by using Group Policy or other shared folders in which users store data.
Shadow copies work with compressed or encrypted files and retain whatever permissions were set on the
files when the shadow copies were taken. For example, if a user is denied permission to read a file, that user
would not be able to restore a previous version of the file, or be able to read the file after it has been restored.
Although shadow copies are taken for an entire volume, users must use shared folders to access shadow
copies. Administrators on the local server must also specify the \\servername\sharename path to access
shadow copies. If administrators or end users want to access a previous version of a file that does not reside
in a shared folder, the administrator must first share the folder.
NOTE:
Shadow copies are available only on NTFS, not FAT or FAT32 volumes.
Files or folders that are recorded by using Shadow Copy appear static, even though the original data is
changing.
Allocating disk space
When determining the amount of space to allocate for storing shadow copies, consider both the number and
size of files that are being copied, as well as the frequency of changes between copies. For example, 100
files that only change monthly require less storage space than 10 files that change daily. If the frequency of
changes to each file is greater than the amount of space allocated to storing shadow copies, no shadow copy
is created.
Administrators should also consider user expectations of how many versions they will want to have available.
End users might expect only a single shadow copy to be available, or they might expect three days or three
weeks worth of shadow copies. The more shadow copies users expect, the more storage space
administrators must allocate for storing them.
Setting the limit too low also affects backup programs that use shadow copy technology because these
programs are also limited to using the amount of disk space specified by administrators.
NOTE:
Regardless of the volume space that is allocated for shadow copies, there is a maximum of 64 shadow
copies for any volume. When the 65th shadow copy is taken, the oldest shadow copy is purged.
The minimum amount of storage space that can be specified is 350 megabytes (MB). The default storage size
is 10 percent of the source volume (the volume being copied). If the shadow copies are stored on a separate
volume, change the default to reflect the space available on the storage volume instead of the source
volume. Remember that when the storage limit is reached, older versions of the shadow copies are deleted
and cannot be restored.
Identifying the volume 77
Page 78
CAUTION:
To change the storage volume, shadow copies must be deleted. The existing file change history that is
kept on the original storage volume is lost. To avoid this problem, verify that the storage volume that is
initially selected is large enough.
Identifying the storage area
To store the shadow copies of another volume on the same file server, a volume can be dedicated on
separate disks. For example, if user files are stored on H:\, another volume such as S:\can be used to store
the shadow copies. Using a separate volume on separate disks provides better performance and is
recommended for heavily used HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller systems.
If a separate volume will be used for the storage area (where shadow copies are stored), the maximum size
must be changed to No Limit to reflect the space available on the storage area volume instead of the source
volume (where the user files are stored).
Disk space for shadow copies can be allocated on either the same volume as the source files or a different
volume. There is a trade-off between ease of use and maintenance versus performance and reliability that the
system administrator must consider.
By keeping the shadow copy on the same volume, there is a potential gain in ease of setup and maintenance;
however, there may be a reduction in performance and reliability.
CAUTION:
If shadow copies are stored on the same volume as the user files, note that a burst of disk input/output
(I/O) can cause all shadow copies to be deleted. If the sudden deletion of shadow copies is
unacceptable to administrators or end users, it is best to use a separate volume on separate disks to
store shadow copies.
Determining creation frequency
The more frequently shadow copies are created, the more likely that end users will get the version that they
want. However, with a maximum of 64 shadow copies per volume, there is a trade-off between the frequency
of making shadow copies and the amount of time that the earlier files will be available.
By default, the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system creates shadow copies at 0700 and 1200,
Monday through Friday. However, these settings are easily modified by the administrator so that the shadow
copy schedule can better accommodate end user needs.
Shadow copies and drive defragmentation
When running Disk Defragmenter on a volume with shadow copies activated, all or some of the shadow
copies may be lost, starting with the oldest shadow copies.
If defragmenting volumes on which shadow copies are enabled, use a cluster (or allocation unit) size of 16 KB
or larger. Using this allocation unit size reduces the number of copy outs occurring on the snapshot.
Otherwise, the number of changes caused by the defragmentation process can cause shadow copies to be
deleted faster than expected. Note, however, that NTFS compression is supported only if the cluster size is 4
KB or smaller.
NOTE:
To check the cluster size of a volume, use the fsutil fsinfo ntfsinfo command. To change the
cluster size on a volume that contains data, back up the data on the volume, reformat it using the new
cluster size, and then restore the data.
78 Identifying the storage area
Page 79
Mounted drives
A mounted drive is a local volume attached to an empty folder (called a mount point) on an NTFS volume.
When enabling shadow copies on a volume that contains mounted drives, the mounted drives are not
included when shadow copies are taken. In addition, if a mounted drive is shared and shadow copies are
enabled on it, users cannot access the shadow copies if they traverse from the host volume (where the mount
point is stored) to the mounted drive.
For example, assume there is a folder F:\data\users, and the Users folder is a mount point for G:\. If
shadow copies are enabled on both F:\ and G:\, F:\data is shared as \\server1\data, and G:\data
\users is shared as \\server1\users. In this example, users can access previous versions of \
\server1\data and \\server1\users but not \\server1\data\users.
Managing shadow copies
The vssadmin tool provides a command line capability to create, list, resize, and delete volume shadow
copies. The system administrator can make shadow copies available to end users through a feature called
“Shadow Copies for Shared Folders.” The administrator uses the Properties menu (see System
administrator view of Shadow Copies for Shared Folders) to turn on the Shadow Copies feature, select
the volumes to be copied, and determine the frequency with which shadow copies are made.
Figure 17: System administrator view of Shadow Copies for Shared Folders
The shadow copy cache file
The default shadow copy settings allocate 10 percent of the source volume being copied (with a minimum of
350 MB), and store the shadow copies on the same volume as the original volume. (See Shadow copies
stored on a source volume). The cache file is located in a hidden protected directory titled “System Volume
Information” off of the root of each volume for which shadow copy is enabled.
Mounted drives 79
Page 80
Figure 18: Shadow copies stored on a source volume
The cache file location can be altered to reside on a dedicated volume separate from the volumes containing
files shares. (See Shadow copies stored on a separate volume).
Figure 19: Shadow copies stored on a separate volume
The main advantage to storing shadow copies on a separate volume is ease of management and
performance. Shadow copies on a source volume must be continually monitored and can consume space
designated for file sharing. Setting the limit too high takes up valuable storage space. Setting the limit too low
can cause shadow copies to be purged too soon, or not created at all. By storing shadow copies on a
separate volume space, limits can generally be set higher, or set to No Limit. See the online help for
instructions on altering the cache file location.
CAUTION:
If the data on the separate volume L: is lost, the shadow copies cannot be recovered.
80 File server management
Page 81
Enabling and creating shadow copies
Enabling shadow copies on a volume automatically results in several actions:
• Creates a shadow copy of the selected volume.
• Sets the maximum storage space for the shadow copies.
• Schedules shadow copies to be made at 7 a.m. and 12 noon on weekdays.
NOTE:
• Creating a shadow copy only makes one copy of the volume; it does not create a schedule.
• After the first shadow copy is created, it cannot be relocated. Relocate the cache file by altering the
cache file location under Properties prior to enabling shadow copy. See Viewing shadow copy
properties .
Viewing a list of shadow copies
To view a list of shadow copies on a volume:
Procedure
1. Access Disk Management.
2. Select the volume or logical drive, then right-click on it.
3. Select Properties.
4. Select Shadow Copies tab.
All shadow copies are listed, sorted by the date and time they were created.
NOTE:
It is also possible to create new shadow copies or delete shadow copies from this page.
Set schedules
Shadow copy schedules control how frequently shadow copies of a volume are made. There are a number of
factors that can help determine the most effective shadow copy schedule for an organization. These include
the work habits and locations of the users. For example, if users do not all live in the same time zone, or they
work on different schedules, it is possible to adjust the daily shadow copy schedule to allow for these
differences.
Do not schedule shadow copies more frequently than once per hour.
NOTE:
When deleting a shadow copy schedule, that action has no effect on existing shadow copies.
Viewing shadow copy properties
The Shadow Copy Properties page lists the number of copies, the date and time the most recent shadow
copy was made, and the maximum size setting.
NOTE:
For volumes where shadow copies do not exist currently, it is possible to change the location of the
cache file. Managing the cache files on a separate disk is recommended.
Enabling and creating shadow copies 81
Page 82
CAUTION:
Use caution when reducing the size limit for all shadow copies. When the size is set to less than the
total size currently used for all shadow copies, enough shadow copies are deleted to reduce the total
size to the new limit. A shadow copy cannot be recovered after it has been deleted.
Redirecting shadow copies to an alternate volume
IMPORTANT:
Shadow copies must be initially disabled on the volume before redirecting to an alternate volume. If
shadow copies are enabled and you disable them, a message appears informing you that all existing
shadow copies on the volume will be permanently deleted.
To redirect shadow copies to an alternate volume:
Procedure
1. Access Disk Management.
2. Select the volume or logical drive, then right-click on it.
3. Select Properties.
4. Select the Shadow Copies tab.
5. Select the volume that you want to redirect shadow copies from and ensure that shadow copies are
disabled on that volume; if enabled, click Disable.
6. Click Settings.
7. In the Located on this volume field, select an available alternate volume from the list.
NOTE: To change the default shadow copy schedule settings, click Schedule.
8. Click OK.
9. On the Shadow Copies tab, ensure that the volume is selected, and then click Enable.
Shadow copies are now scheduled to be made on the alternate volume.
Disabling shadow copies
When shadow copies are disabled on a volume, all existing shadow copies on the volume are deleted as well
as the schedule for making new shadow copies.
CAUTION:
When the Shadow Copies Service is disabled, all shadow copies on the selected volumes are deleted.
Once deleted, shadow copies cannot be restored.
Managing shadow copies from the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller system desktop
The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller desktop can be accessed by using Remote Desktop to manage
shadow copies.
Procedure
1. Select Start > Explorer.
2. Right-click the volume name, and select Properties.
3. Click the Shadow Copies tab. See Accessing shadow copies from My Computer.
82 Redirecting shadow copies to an alternate volume
Page 83
Figure 20: Accessing shadow copies from My Computer
Shadow Copies for Shared Folders
Shadow copies are accessed over the network by supported clients and protocols. There are two sets of
supported protocols, SMB and NFS. All other protocols are not supported, including HTTP, FTP, AppleTalk,
and NetWare Shares. For SMB support, a client-side application denoted as Shadow Copies for Shared
Folders is required. The client-side application is available for Windows XP, Windows 2000 SP3+, and later
operating system versions.
No additional software is required to enable UNIX users to independently retrieve previous versions of files
stored on NFS shares.
NOTE:
• Shadow Copies for Shared Folders supports retrieval only of shadow copies of network shares. It
does not support retrieval of shadow copies of local folders.
• Shadow Copies for Shared Folders clients are not available for HTTP, FTP, AppleTalk, or NetWare
shares. Consequently, users of these protocols cannot use Shadow Copies for Shared Folders to
independently retrieve previous versions of their files. However, administrators can take advantage
of Shadow Copies for Shared Folders to restore files for these users.
Shadow Copies for Shared Folders 83
Page 84
SMB shadow copies
Windows users can independently access previous versions of files stored on SMB shares by using the
Shadow Copies for Shared Folders client. After the Shadow Copies for Shared Folders client is installed on
the user's computer, the user can access shadow copies for a share by right-clicking on the share to open its
Properties window, clicking the Previous Versions tab, and then selecting the desired shadow copy. Users
can view, copy, and restore all available shadow copies.
Shadow Copies for Shared Folders preserves the permissions set in the access control list (ACL) of the
original folders and files. Consequently, users can only access shadow copies for shares to which they have
access. In other words, if a user does not have access to a share, he also does not have access to the
share's shadow copies.
The Shadow Copies for Shared Folders client pack installs a Previous Versions tab in the Properties
window of files and folders on network shares.
Users access shadow copies with Windows Explorer by selecting Open, Copy, or Restore from the
Previous Versions tab. (See Client GUI). Both individual files and folders can be restored.
Figure 21: Client GUI
When users view a network folder hosted on the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller for which shadow
copies are enabled, old versions (prior to the snapshot) of a file or directory are available. Viewing the
properties of the file or folder presents users with the folder or file history—a list of read-only, point-in-time
84 SMB shadow copies
Page 85
copies of the file or folder contents that users can then open and explore like any other file or folder. Users
can view files in the folder history, copy files from the folder history, and so on.
NFS shadow copies
UNIX users can independently access previous versions of files stored on NFS shares via the NFS client; no
additional software is required. Server for NFS exposes each of a share's available shadow copies as a
pseudo-subdirectory of the share. Each of these pseudo-subdirectories is displayed in exactly the same way
as a regular subdirectory is displayed.
The name of each pseudo-subdirectory reflects the creation time of the shadow copy, using the
format .@GMT-YYYY.MM.DD-HH:MM:SS. To prevent common tools from needlessly enumerating the pseudosubdirectories, the name of each pseudo-subdirectory begins with the dot character, thus rendering it hidden.
The following example shows an NFS share named “NFSShare” with three shadow copies, taken on April 27,
28, and 29 of 2003 at 4 a.m.
NFSShare
.@GMT-2003.04.27-04:00:00
.@GMT-2003.04.28-04:00:00
.@GMT-2003.04.29-04:00:00
Access to NFS shadow copy pseudo-subdirectories is governed by normal access-control mechanisms using
the permissions stored in the file system. Users can access only those shadow copies to which they have
read access at the time the shadow copy is taken. To prevent users from modifying shadow copies, all
pseudo-subdirectories are marked read-only, regardless of the user's ownership or access rights, or the
permissions set on the original files.
Server for NFS periodically polls the system for the arrival or removal of shadow copies and updates the root
directory view accordingly. Clients then capture the updated view the next time they issue a directory read on
the root of the share.
Recovery of files or folders
There are three common situations that may require recovery of files or folders:
• Accidental file deletion, the most common situation
• Accidental file replacement, which may occur if a user selects Save instead of Save As
• File corruption
It is possible to recover from all of these scenarios by accessing shadow copies. There are separate steps for
accessing a file compared to accessing a folder.
Recovering a deleted file or folder
To recover a deleted file or folder within a folder:
Procedure
1. Access to the folder where the deleted file was stored.
2. Position the cursor over a blank space in the folder. If the cursor hovers over a file, that file is selected.
3. Right-click, select Properties from the bottom of the menu, and then click the Previous Versions tab.
4. Select the version of the folder that contains the file before it was deleted, and then click Open.
5. View the folder and select the file or folder to recover. The view may be navigated multiple folders deep.
6. Click Restore to restore the file or folder to its original location. Click Copy to allow the placement of the
file or folder to a new location.
NFS shadow copies 85
Page 86
Recovering an overwritten or corrupted file
Recovering an overwritten or corrupted file is easier than recovering a deleted file because the file itself can
be right-clicked instead of the folder. To recover an overwritten or corrupted file:
Procedure
1. Right-click the overwritten or corrupted file, and then click Properties.
2. Click Previous Versions.
3. To view the old version, click Open. To copy the old version to another location, click Copy to replace the
current version with the older version, click Restore.
Recovering a folder
To recover a folder:
Procedure
1. Position the cursor so that it is over a blank space in the folder to be recovered. If the cursor hovers over a
file, that file is selected.
2. Right-click, select Properties from the bottom of the menu, and then click the Previous Versions tab.
3. Click either Copy or Restore.
Clicking Restore enables the user to recover everything in that folder as well as all subfolders. Clicking
Restore does not delete any files.
Backup and shadow copies
Shadow copies are only available on the network via the client application, and only at a file or folder level as
opposed to the entire volume. Hence, the standard backup associated with a volume backup will not work to
back up the previous versions of the file system. To answer this particular issue, shadow copies are available
for backup in two situations. If the backup software in question supports the use of shadow copies and can
communicate with underlying block device, it is supported, and the previous version of the file system will be
listed in the backup application as a complete file system snapshot. If the built-in backup application
NTbackup is used, the backup software forces a snapshot, and then uses the snapshot as the means for
backup. The user is unaware of this activity and it is not self-evident although it does address the issue of
open files.
Shadow Copy Transport
Shadow Copy Transport provides the ability to transport data on a Storage Area Network (SAN). With a
storage array and a VSS-aware hardware provider, it is possible to create a shadow copy on one server and
import it on another server. This process, essentially “virtual” transport, is accomplished in a matter of
minutes, regardless of the size of the data.
A shadow copy transport can be used for a number of purposes, including:
• Tape backups
An alternative to traditional backup to tape processes is transport of shadow copies from the production
server onto a backup server, where they can then be backed up to tape. Like the other two alternatives,
this option removes backup traffic from the production server. While some backup applications might be
designed with the hardware provider software that enables transport, others are not. The administrator
should determine whether or not this functionality is included in the backup application.
• Data mining
The data in use by a particular production server is often useful to different groups or departments within
an organization. Rather than add additional traffic to the production server, a shadow copy of the data can
be made available through transport to another server. The shadow copy can then be processed for
different purposes, without any performance impact on the original server.
86 Recovering an overwritten or corrupted file
Page 87
The transport process is accomplished through a series of DISKRAID command steps:
1. Create a shadow copy of the source data on the source server (read-only).
2. Mask off (hide) the shadow copy from the source server.
3. Unmask the shadow copy to a target server.
4. Optionally, clear the read-only flags on the shadow copy.
The data is now ready to use.
Folder and share management
The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller supports several file-sharing protocols, including NFS, FTP, HTTP,
and Microsoft SMB. This section discusses overview information as well as procedures for the setup and
management of the file shares for the supported protocols. Security at the file level and at the share level is
also discussed.
NOTE:
Select servers can be deployed in a clustered or non-clustered configuration. This section discusses
share setup for a non-clustered deployment.
Folder management
Volumes and folders on any system are used to organize data. Regardless of system size, systematic
structuring and naming conventions of volumes and folders eases the administrative burden. Moving from
volumes to folders to shares increases the level of granularity of the types of data stored in the unit and the
level of security access allowed.
Folders can be managed using Server Manager. Tasks include:
• Accessing a specific volume or folder
• Creating a new folder
• Deleting a folder
• Modifying folder properties
• Creating a new share for a volume or folder
• Managing shares for a volume or folder
Managing file-level permissions
Security at the file level is managed using Windows Explorer.
File level security includes settings for permissions, ownership, and auditing for individual files.
To enter file permissions:
• Using Windows Explorer, access the folder or file that needs to be changed, and then right-click the folder.
• Click Properties, and then click the Security tab.
Folder and share management 87
Page 88
Figure 22: Properties screen, Security tab
• Several options are available on the Security tab:
◦ To add users and groups to the permissions list, click Add. Follow the dialog box instructions.
◦ To remove users and groups from the permissions list, highlight the desired user or group, and then
click Remove.
◦ The center section of theSecurity tab lists permission levels. When new users or groups are added to
the permissions list, select the appropriate boxes to configure the common file-access levels.
• To modify ownership of files, or to modify individual file access level permissions, click Advanced.
• Advanced Security settings screen, Permissions tab illustrates the properties available on the
Advanced Security Settings screen.
88 File server management
Page 89
Figure 23: Advanced Security settings screen, Permissions tab
• Other functionality available in the Advanced Security Settings screen is illustrated in Advanced
Security settings screen, Permissions tab and includes:
◦ Add a new user or group—ClickAdd, and then follow the dialog box instructions.
◦ Remove a user or group—Click Remove.
◦ Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child
objects—This allows all child folders and files to inherit the current folder permissions by default.
◦ Modify specific permissions assigned to a particular user or group—Select the desired user or
group, and then clickEdit.
• Enable or disable permissions by selecting the Allow box to enable permission or the Deny box to disable
permission. If neither box is selected, permission is automatically disabled. User or group Permission
Entry screen illustrates the Edit screen and some of the permissions.
File server management 89
Page 90
Figure 24: User or group Permission Entry screen
• Another area of the Advanced Security Settings is the Auditing tab. Auditing allows you to set rules for
the auditing of access, or attempted access, to files or folders. Users or groups can be added, deleted,
viewed, or modified through the Advanced Security Settings Auditing tab.
90 File server management
Page 91
Figure 25: Advanced Security Settings screen, Auditing tab
• Click Add to display the Auditing Entry screen.
File server management 91
Page 92
Figure 26: Auditing Entry for New Volume screen
• Click Select a principal to display the Select User or Group screen.
Figure 27: Select User or Group screen
NOTE:
Click Advanced to search for users or groups.
• Select the user or group.
• Click OK.
• Select the desired Successful and Failed audits for the user or group.
• Click OK.
92 File server management
Page 93
NOTE: Auditing must be enabled to configure this information. Use the local Computer Policy Editor to
configure the audit policy on HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller.
The Owner tab allows taking ownership of files. Typically, administrators use this area to take ownership of
files when the file ACL is incomplete or corrupt. By taking ownership, you gain access to the files, and then
manually apply the appropriate security configurations.
Figure 28: Advanced Security Settings screen
The current owner of the file or folder is listed at the top of the screen. To take ownership:
• Click the appropriate user or group in the Change owner to list.
• If it is also necessary to take ownership of subfolders and files, enable the Replace owner on
subcontainers and objects box.
• Click OK.
Share management
There are several ways to set up and manage shares. Methods include using Windows Explorer, a command
line interface, or Server Manger.
NOTE:
Select servers can be deployed in a clustered as well as a non-clustered configuration. This chapter
discusses share setup for a non-clustered deployment.
As previously mentioned, the file-sharing security model of HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller is based on
the NTFS file-level security model. Share security seamlessly integrates with file security. In addition to
discussing share management, this section discusses share security.
Share management 93
Page 94
Share considerations
Planning the content, size, and distribution of shares on the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller can
improve performance, manageability, and ease of use.
The content of shares should be carefully chosen to avoid two common pitfalls: either having too many shares
of a very specific nature, or of having very few shares of a generic nature. For example, shares for general
use are easier to set up in the beginning, but can cause problems later. Frequently, a better approach is to
create separate shares with a specific purpose or group of users in mind. However, creating too many shares
also has its drawbacks. For example, if it is sufficient to create a single share for user home directories, create
a “homes” share rather than creating separate shares for each user.
By keeping the number of shares and other resources low, the performance of HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller is optimized. For example, instead of sharing out each individual user's home directory as its own
share, share out the top-level directory and let the users map personal drives to their own subdirectory.
Defining Access Control Lists
The Access Control List (ACL) contains the information that dictates which users and groups have access to
a share, as well as the type of access that is permitted. Each share on an NTFS file system has one ACL with
multiple associated user permissions. For example, an ACL can define that User1 has read and write access
to a share, User2 has read only access, and User3 has no access to the share. The ACL also includes group
access information that applies to every user in a configured group. ACLs are also referred to as permissions.
Integrating local file system security into Windows domain environments
ACLs include properties specific to users and groups from a particular workgroup server or domain
environment. In a multidomain environment, user and group permissions from several domains can apply to
files stored on the same device. Users and groups local to the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller can be
given access permissions to shares managed by the device. The domain name of the storage system
supplies the context in which the user or group is understood. Permission configuration depends on the
network and domain infrastructure where the server resides.
File-sharing protocols (except NFS) supply a user and group context for all connections over the network.
(NFS supplies a machine-based context.) When new files are created by those users or machines, the
appropriate ACLs are applied.
Configuration tools provide the ability to share permissions out to clients. These shared permissions are
propagated into a file system ACL, and when new files are created over the network, the user creating the file
becomes the file owner. In cases where a specific subdirectory of a share has different permissions from the
share itself, the NTFS permissions on the subdirectory apply instead. This method results in a hierarchical
security model where the network protocol permissions and the file permissions work together to provide
appropriate security for shares on the device.
NOTE:
Share permissions and file-level permissions are implemented separately. It is possible for files on a file
system to have different permissions from those applied to a share. When this situation occurs, the filelevel permissions override the share permissions.
Comparing administrative (hidden) and standard shares
SMB supports both administrative shares and standard shares.
• Administrative shares are shares with a last character of $. Administrative shares are not included in the
list of shares when a client browses for available shares on a SMB server.
• Standard shares are shares that do not end in a $ character. Standard shares are listed whenever a SMB
client browses for available shares on a SMB server.
94 Share considerations
Page 95
The HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller supports both administrative and standard SMB shares. To create
an administrative share, end the share name with the $ character when setting up the share. Do not type a $
character at the end of the share name when creating a standard share.
Managing shares
Shares can be managed using Server Manager. Tasks include:
• Creating a new share
• Deleting a share
• Modifying share properties
• Publishing in DFS
NOTE:
These functions can operate in a cluster on select servers, but should only be used for non-clusteraware shares. Use Cluster Administrator to manage shares for a cluster. The page will display cluster
share resources.
CAUTION:
Before deleting a share, warn all users to exit that share and confirm that no one is using that share.
File Server Resource Manager
File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) is a suite of tools that allows administrators to understand, control,
and manage the quantity and type of data stored on their HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller. Some of the
tasks you can perform are:
• Quota management
• File screening management
• Storage reports
Server Manager provides access to FSRM tasks.
For procedures and methods beyond what are described below, see the HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File
Controller Online Help.
Quota management
On the Quota Management node of the File Server Resource Manager snap-in, you can perform the following
tasks:
• Create quotas to limit the space allowed for a volume or folder and generate notifications when the quota
limits are approached or exceeded.
• Generate auto quotas that apply to all existing folders in a volume or folder, as well as to any new
subfolders created in the future.
• Define quota templates that can be easily applied to new volumes or folders and that can be used across
an organization.
File screening management
On the File Screening Management node of the File Server Resource Manager snap-in, you can perform the
following tasks:
Managing shares 95
Page 96
• Create file screens to control the types of files that users can save and to send notifications when users
attempt to save blocked files.
• Define file screening templates that can be easily applied to new volumes or folders and that can be used
across an organization.
• Create file screening exceptions that extend the flexibility of the file screening rules.
Storage reports
On the Storage Reports node of the File Server Resource Manager snap-in, you can perform the following
tasks:
• Schedule periodic storage reports that allow you to identify trends in disk usage.
• Monitor attempts to save unauthorized files for all users or a selected group of users.
• Generate storage reports instantly.
96 Storage reports
Page 97
Management tools
Update tool
The Update Tool is used to install hotfixes and updated HPE components on the HPE Storage system. The
utility “Update Tool” is designed to provide an integrated, enhanced and seamless end user experience
exploiting the cluster aware update (CAU) feature. It presents a uniform graphical user interface to upgrade
standalone and cluster nodes from local and remote processors. In addition to that, this interface allows
performing the complete operations with minimal number of clicks while keeping a provision for advanced
parameter selection exploiting the underlying framework.
Installing updates using the Update Tool Procedure
1. Double-click the Update Tool icon on the desktop to launch the tool.The available modes to install the
updates appear.
2. Select a mode: Standalone, Co-ordinate or Cluster mode
3. Click Next.
If you select:
• Standalone mode, the system navigates to the Update Tool Summary page.
• Cluster mode or Co-ordinator mode, the system navigates to the Update Tool Input page.
4. On the Update Tool Input page, enter the required settings and click Next.The Update Tool Summary page
appears.
5. Click Install. The installation starts and the tool navigates to the Update Tool Result page, which provides
the status of the installation.
NOTE: For Standalone mode, you cannot cancel the installation after the installation starts.
6. Click Open Log to view the log files that the system generates during the update installation.
NOTE: For a cluster system, you must select individual nodes and then click Open Logto view the logs for
that particular node.
7. The update will complete installation after you reboot the system.
Click OK to exit the tool.
• If no component in the SR package requires reboot, the application closes.
Systems Insight Manager
Systems Insight Manager (SIM) is a web-based application that allows system administrators to accomplish
normal administrative tasks from any remote location, using a web browser. SIM provides device
management capabilities that consolidate and integrate management data from HPE and third-party devices.
IMPORTANT:
You must install and use SIM to benefit from the Pre-Failure Warranty for processors, SAS and SCSI
hard drives, and memory modules.
For additional information, refer to the Management CD in the HPE ProLiant Essentials Foundation Pack or
the SIM website (http://www.hpe.com/info/hpesim). For the latest version of SIM, refer to the HPE SPOCK
website (http://www.hpe.com/storage/spock).
Management Agents
Management Agents provide the information to enable fault, performance, and configuration management.
The agents allow easy manageability of the server through HP SIM software, and third-party SNMP
management platforms. Management Agents are installed with every SmartStart assisted installation or can
Management tools 97
Page 98
be installed through the HPE PSP. The Systems Management homepage provides status and direct access to
in-depth subsystem information by accessing data reported through the Management Agents. For additional
information, refer to the Management CD in the HPE ProLiant Essentials Foundation Pack or the HPE
website https://www.hpe.com/us/en/servers/management.html.
98 Management tools
Page 99
Cluster administration
One important feature of HPE StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller systems is that they can operate as a single
node or as a cluster. This chapter discusses cluster installation and cluster management issues.
Cluster overview
A failover cluster is a group of independent computers that work together to increase the availability of
applications and services. The clustered servers (called nodes) are connected by physical cables and by
software. If one of the cluster nodes fails, another node begins to provide service (a process known as
failover). Users experience a minimum of disruptions in service.
Up to eight server nodes can be connected to each other and deployed as a no single point of failure
(NSPOF) cluster. Utilizing a private network allows communication amongst themselves in order to track the
state of each cluster node. Each node sends out periodic messages to the other nodes; these messages are
called heartbeats. If a node stops sending heartbeats, the cluster service fails over any resources that the
node owns to another node. For example, if the node that owns the Quorum disk is shut down for any reason,
its heartbeat stops. The other nodes detect the lack of the heartbeat and another node takes over ownership
of the Quorum disk and the cluster.
Clustering servers greatly enhances the availability of file serving by enabling file shares to fail over to
additional storage systems if problems arise. Clients see only a brief interruption of service as the file share
resource transitions from one server node to the other.
Figure 29: Storage system cluster diagram
Cluster terms and components
Cluster administration 99
Page 100
Nodes
The most basic parts of a cluster are the servers, referred to as nodes. A server node is any individual server
in a cluster, or a member of the cluster.
Resources
Hardware and software components that are managed by the cluster service are called cluster resources.
Cluster resources have three defining characteristics:
• They can be brought online and taken offline.
• They can be managed in a cluster.
• They can be owned by only one node at a time.
Examples of cluster resources are IP addresses, network names, physical disk resources, and file shares.
Resources represent individual system components. These resources are organized into groups and
managed as a group. Some resources are created automatically by the system and other resources must be
set up manually. Resource types include:
• IP address resource
• Cluster name resource
• Cluster quorum disk resource
• Physical disk resource
• Virtual server name resources
• SMB file share resources
• NFS file share resources
• FTP file share resources
• iSCSI resources
Cluster groups
Cluster resources are placed together in cluster groups. Groups are the basic unit of failover between nodes.
Resources do not fail over individually; they fail over with the group in which they are contained.
Virtual servers
A virtual server is a cluster group that consists of a static IP Address resource and a Network Name resource.
Several virtual servers can be created. By assigning ownership of the virtual servers to the different server
nodes, the processing load on the storage systems can be distributed between the nodes of a cluster.
The creation of a virtual server allows resources dependent on the virtual server to fail over and fail back
between the cluster nodes. Cluster resources are assigned to the virtual server to ensure non-disruptive
service of the resources to the clients.
Failover and failback
Failover of cluster groups and resources happens:
• When a node hosting the group becomes inactive.
• When all of the resources within the group are dependent on one resource, and that resource fails.
• When an administrator forces a failover.
A resource and all of its dependencies must be located in the same group so that if a resource fails over, all of
its dependent resources fail over.
When a resource is failed over, the cluster service performs certain procedures. First, all of the resources are
taken offline in an order defined by the resource dependencies. Secondly, the cluster service attempts to
transfer the group to the next node on the preferred owner's list. If the transfer is successful, the resources
are brought online in accordance with the resource dependency structure.
100 Nodes
Loading...