PowerStore 운영 메뉴얼
PowerStore 운영 메뉴얼
ADMINISTRATION
PARTICIPANT GUIDE
PARTICIPANT GUIDE
Internal Use - Confidential
PowerStore Administration
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Table of Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 2
PowerStore Administration
PowerStore Administration
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Activity: Cancel File System Access................................................................................. 106
Remove File System Shares ............................................................................................ 107
Delete File System ........................................................................................................... 109
Activity: Delete File System and Parent NAS Server ........................................................ 110
Cancel and Delete File System and Parent NAS Server Simulation ................................. 111
File System Administration Key Points ............................................................................. 112
PowerStore Administration
PowerStore Administration
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Overview .......................................................................................................................... 232
Architecture...................................................................................................................... 233
Encryption Status ............................................................................................................. 235
User Actions .................................................................................................................... 238
Serviceability.................................................................................................................... 241
Data Encryption Key Points ............................................................................................. 242
PowerStore Administration
PowerStore Administration
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PowerStore
The PowerStore Platform Engineer exam is intended for partners and internal
employees who are responsible for the installation and maintenance of PowerStore
arrays.
A. PowerStore Concepts and Features (ODC) A. PowerStore Concepts and Features (ODC)
B. PowerStore Installation Cabling (ODC) B. PowerStore Implementation (ODC)
C. PowerStore Implementation (ODC) C. PowerStore Installation (ODC)
D. PowerStore Administration (ODC) D. PowerStore Installation:Cabling (ODC)
E. PowerStore Basic Troubleshooting (ODC)
OR
F. PowerStore Maintenance (ODC)
A. PowerStore Implementation and Administration G. PowerStore Upgrades (ODC)
(C)
B. PowerStore Migration: Import External Storage
(C)
(C) - Classroom
The Midrange Technology Architect exam is intended for partners and internal
employees who are responsible for positioning or designing a solution using Dell
EMC midrange storage systems. This includes the following products: PowerStore,
Unity XT, and SC Series.
(C) - Classroom
Introduction
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User Management
User Management
PowerStore Administration
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User Management
User Management
Only the Security Administrator and Administrator roles have the rights to manage
users in the system. The Operator, VM Administrator, Storage Administrator roles
cannot complete these functions. See details about user role rights.
Add User
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User Management
Delete User
To delete a user:
1. From the Settings > PowerStore Users screen, select a user.
2. Click Delete.
3. Click Delete, on the warning.
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User Management
Change Password
The VM Administrator user role is the only role that cannot change their password.
All other roles may change their own passwords.
To change a password:
1. From the Settings > PowerStore Users screen, select a user.
2. Click Reset Password.
3. Type new password following password guidelines.
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User Management
Lock/Unlock User
Locking a user prevents that user from logging in to PowerStore Manager. For
example, an Administrator may lock a user or users to prevent them from logging in
and making changes during maintenance or migration events. Locking and
unlocking users is managed by the Administrators and Security Administrators
roles.
To Lock/Unlock a user:
1. From the Settings > PowerStore Users screen, select a user.
2. Click Unlock if the user is locked or Lock if the user is unlocked.
3. Click Unlock to unlock or Click Lock to lock the user.
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User Management
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User Management
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User Management
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User Management
Step 1
1. To change your password, select the User icon > Change Password.
2. The Change Password wizard is displayed. See next tab.
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User Management
Step 2
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User Management
User management takes place on the Settings > PowerStore Users screen.
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Host Administration
Host Administration
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Host Administration
From the Compute > Hosts & Host Groups screen in PowerStore Manager, click
the name of the host to view its details.
Two cards provide a quick view into initiators and mapped volumes. Click any card
to see its details.
1. Initiators describes the initiator used by the host.
Click the host identifier link to see information about it, including the
appliance and node connections.
2. Mapped Volumes lists the volumes that are mapped to the host. View volume
name, WWN, provisioned and used space, protection and performance polices,
appliance, and LUN from this card.
From the Compute > Hosts & Host Groups screen in PowerStore Manager:
1. Select the host to be modified. Modify one host at a time.
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Host Administration
2. Click Modify.
3. In the slide-out panel, modify the name or description and click Apply.
From the Compute > Hosts & Host Groups screen in PowerStore Manager:
1. Click the name of the host to view its details.
2. To modify the properties, click the pencil icon to the right of the name.
3. In the slide-out panel, modify the name or description and click Apply.
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Host Administration
Remove a Host
From the Compute > Hosts & Host Groups screen in PowerStore Manager:
1. Select the host to be removed.
– Only hosts with no mapped volumes can be removed.
2. Click Remove.
3. On the popup verification, confirm your decision by clicking Remove.
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Host Administration
3. Click Map
4. Select the host or hosts to be mapped
5. Click Apply
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Host Administration
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Host Administration
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Host Administration
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Host Administration
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Host Administration
Before a host can access storage, you must define a configuration for the host, and
associate it with a storage resource.
To manage hosts, navigate to the Compute> Host and Host Groups screen.
Viewing and Modifying Hosts
From PowerStore Manager, you can view details about a host, such as its
associated initiator or its mapped volumes.
Only the name or description of the host can be modified after creation
Before you delete a host, you must first remove all of its volume mappings.
Only hosts with no mapped volumes can be removed.
Mapping Volumes to a Host
You can map a new volume to a host at the same time that you create the
volume.
You can also map a volume to a host after it has been created.
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Protection Policies
Protection Policies
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Protection Policies
You create policies for your implementation, and apply a specific policy to a storage
resource based on the business need or criticality of the data.
In the end, what makes a protection policy are the rules that it contains.
Each protection policy can include up to four snapshot rules, and no more than one
replication rule.
You apply a protection policy to a storage resource. For any one storage resource,
you can apply only one protection policy.
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Protection Policies
Virtual Machine Applies to VVols underlying the VM. Only snapshots are
applied.
You can re-use the same protection policy on many storage resources. This avoids
the need to create specific snapshot and/or replication rules for each storage
resource.
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Protection Policies
A protection policy must contain at least one rule. You can create rules and then
add them to a policy, or you can create the rules at the same time that you create
the policy.
4a
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4b
4c
4d
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Protection Policies
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Protection Policies
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Protection Policies
Replication rules specify the destination system, and the Recovery Point
Objective (RPO).
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Volume Administration
Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
Volume Administration
After volumes have been configured, they can be administered in several ways.
You can:
View and change volume properties.
Remove or replace a protection policy.
Unmap a volume from a host.
Delete a volume.
Remove a volume from a volume group.
Monitor performance
For all these tasks, start on the PowerStore Manager Volumes view. From the
Storage submenu, select Volumes.
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Volume Administration
From the Storage > Volumes screen, view information about volumes and modify
basic volume information.
From the Storage > Volumes screen in PowerStore Manager, click the name of the
volume to view its details.
Five tabs, called cards, provide a quick view into capacity, performance, alerts,
protection, and host mappings. Click any tab to see its details.
1. Capacity describes the used and free space in the volume, data efficiency
savings, and a graph showing historical volume usage.
2. Performance displays graphs of system performance including Latency, IOPS,
Bandwidth, I/O Size, and Queue Depth graphs.
3. Alerts lists any alerts on the volume, which are organized by critical, major, and
minor icons.
4. Protection shows the protection policy in use, snapshots taken on the volume,
and replication involving the volume.
5. Host Mappings shows the host or hosts mapped to the volume, including the
hostname, operating system, and protocol.
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Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
Remove a protection policy if you do not want to use a protection policy for that
volume.
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Volume Administration
To change a protection policy for a volume, go to the details screen of that volume.
The protection policy can also be removed using the Unassign Policy
button on the slide-out panel.
If there is no protection policy assigned to this volume, an Assign Policy
button is available on the Protection tab.
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Volume Administration
Follow the same processes to modify the protection policy on a volume group, but
complete the action on the Storage > Volume Groups page.
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Volume Administration
Follow these steps to remove the host mapping from a volume. Note: There is
more than one to unmap a volume from a host in the PowerStore Manager.
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Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
Delete a Volume
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Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
– To restore or refresh the volume group from a snapshot that was taken
before the volume was removed, you must add the volume back to the
volume group.
– Restore and refresh operations require that the volume group membership
match the membership that existed when the snapshot was taken.
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Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
Monitor Performance
Volume Group Storage > Volume Groups > [volume group] >
Performance
Volume Group member (volume) Storage > Volume Groups > [volume group] >
Members [member] > Performance
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Volume Administration
1. Performance Policy
2. Choose the time range to display
3. Download the chart
4. Chart key
Performance Policies
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Volume Administration
You can change the performance policy from the default, medium, during the
creation of a volume or after it is created. Members of a volume group may have
different performance policies.
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Volume Administration
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Volume Administration
To administer volumes, access the PowerStore Manager Volumes view. From the
Storage submenu, select Volumes.
View and Change Volume Properties:
You can modify the name, description, or size of the volume.
When changing the size, you can make the volume larger, not smaller.
If the volume is attached to a protection policy that includes replication,
pause replication before renaming the volume. The name of the remote
volume will change after replication is resumed.
Volume Protection Protection Policies
You can add a protection policy to a volume after it has been created. You
can also change or delete the protection policy.
A protection policy that is added to volume group is inherited by all volumes
in the group. If a protection policy is removed from the volume group, it is
also removed from all member volumes.
Other Volume Actions:
Unmap a volume from a host
Delete a volume
Remove a volume from a volume group
Monitoring Volumes:
You can monitor the performance of individual volumes, volume groups, and
volume group members.
You can select the time range and the performance metrics to you want to
view. You can download the performance chart.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
Listed are the goals for migrating a storage resource between appliances on a
PowerStore system:
Identify the GUI menu options to migrate a storage resource.
Describe how the resource balancer determines storage resource placement
Explain the two methods for storage resource migration
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
Resource balancer looks at system limits to determine the number of volumes and
volume groups and places the resource accordingly.
Resource balancer also considers the the following when placing volumes:
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
The example shows two volumes that are created on a PowerStore two appliance
cluster which have yet to be mapped to a host (0). The default placement of Auto
was chosen during the creation of the volumes.
Each volume was assigned to a different appliance. Each volume has a WWN and
ID that is displayed using PowerStore CLI commands (pstcli). In the example, the
node affinity displays a status of System Select At Attach. The Appliance
column is not shown by default, click the Show/Hide Table Columns icon and
check the box for Appliance.
Show/Hide
columns icon
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
During volume creation, select an appliance on which to place the volume. Use the
drop-down option, and select the appliance. In the example, Vol_3 can be placed
on any available appliance that is displayed under the Placement drop-down
menu. The default Placement option is Auto.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
Resource Balancing
There are two methods to migrate storage resources to other appliances in the
cluster. You can manually migrate storage resources, or the system can assist in
the resource movement.
In the example, Appliance 1 is nearing full capacity and storage resources must be
moved to another appliance with more available capacity. You have an option to
manually move resources at any time using the Migrate feature from the GUI.
System Assisted Migrations can happen if capacity monitoring determines an
appliance is nearing full capacity. An alert is generated and remediation options are
displayed from the Alert window.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
The example displays the Physical Capacity from the Dashboard > Capacity
option. In the example on the left, the system has not yet reached the required 15
days of runtime. In this case, a message is generated to inform the user that
insufficient data has been collected. In the middle example, you have at least 25
days until full. In the right example, the capacity of the appliance is at 96% used
and has an estimate of 8 days before it is full.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
Alerts
When an alert is generated, view the Monitoring > Alerts page for details.
The example shows two Alerts generated stating the appliance is nearing full
capacity. Select the Alert for suggestions on remediation.
The example shows the Alert page for running out of space. From the Alert
page, we see the Repair Flow indicates an Assisted Migration. Click on the text
to view additional details and recommendations for remediation. The wizard returns
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
Other options include Cleaning Up System and Add More Drives. Selecting one
of those options links the user to the General Support page for remediation. The
Assisted Migration process follows the same steps as a manual migration.
When migrating volumes, always rescan the host adapters associated with those
volumes prior to migration.
In the example, shows the Alert page for the Capacity Utilization Alert. From the
Alert page, the Repair Flow indicates the additional storage should be added.
Click on the text to view additional details and recommendations for remediation.
In this case, manually migrate storage to an appliance with more capacity. When
you run the migration wizard, the system prompts you to rescan the volumes from
the server that is mapped to the volume.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
The Internal Migration option from the PowerStore Manager can be used prior to
removing or shutting down an appliance for service. This feature is used to move
volumes or volume groups to another appliance in the cluster without any
disruption. When you migrate a volume or volume group, all associated snapshots
and thin clones also migrate with the storage resource. During the migration,
additional work space is allocated on the source appliance to facilitate data
movement. The amount of space that is needed depends on the number of storage
objects and amount of data being migrated. This work space is released and freed
up after the migration finishes.
You can either manually migrate storage resources or use the recommendations
in PowerStore Manager:
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
Start Migration
The Migrate Volume window appears and provides the user with some useful
information about the migration. The example shows TwoApplianceCluster-
appliance-2 has been checked and is the destination appliance. Select Start
Migration to begin the task.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
The Rescan Hosts window gives you a chance to rescan the host to ensure the
storage being migrated is still accessible after the migration completes. To rescan
the host, use the Rescan Disks option from the Computer Management window,
then check the box for Yes, the associated hosts have been rescanned. Once
the box is selected, the Start Migration button is available to select.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
After starting the migration, you are presented with a message stating that system
performance may be impacted for several minutes during the migration. Select the
Migrate Now button to begin the migration. View the migration status from the
Internal Migration > Migration page.
Migration Status
Once the migration process starts, monitor the progress by viewing the Status
columns under the migrations window. Look for a Completed status indicating the
resource has been migrated.
The migration process goes though several states the first of which is
synchroninzing. During this phase, the majority of the background copy is
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completed and there are no interruptions to any services. Sync can be run multiple
times to reduce the amount of data that must be copied during the cutover.
The cutover phase is the final phase of the migration, when ownership of the
volume or volume group is transferred to the new appliance. Active I/O is supported
during the migration, however as a best practice, stop I/O to the volume being
migrated. Migration is asynchronous until the cutover occurs and can be paused or
cancelled anytime during the migration. Before cutover all volumes are fully
synchronized.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
Assisted Migration
You can manually move a storage resource. However, the PowerStore GUI can
also help with this process. In the example, there are two appliances, PS-2 and PS-
3. PS-2 is nearing full capacity and is forecast to run out of space in eight days. A
Major Alert is generated. PS-3 still has plenty of space available. Selecting the Alert
launches the Alert page.
Selecting the Assisted Migration option from the Repair Flow section returns a
list of volumes recommended for migration. The process chooses volumes that
impact performance and workloads the least. For example any unmapped volumes
or volumes that are mapped but are offline (in MS Disk Manager) or unmounted
(Linux) from the host perspective. The recommendations are refreshed every 24
hours. Note the message to warn you that rescan of all HBAs may be required prior
to the migration.
There may be a situation where after the migration, there are still capacity issues.
In this case, manually migrate the storage resource to solve the issue.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
To view the results of the the migration, look at the capacities of the appliances.
The PS-2 appliance still displays a capacity over the optimal 80 percent. In this
case, further manual remediation may be required.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
Monitoring Jobs
Monitoring Jobs
Once a migration is started, Vol_3 displays a blue dot telling the user a migration
job is in progress on the volume.
Migration Status
Once the job starts, monitor the progress by navigating to the Migration > Internal
Migrations > Migrations tab to display the status. Selecting the Jobs icon also
displays the status of the migration.
Migration Options
The Delete and Pause buttons are available when the migration job starts. Select
the migration session and click on the appropriate button. Both options are
available while the job is in progress up to the point where the migration displays
the Cutting Over status.
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Volume Migration - PowerStore Resource Balancer
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NAS Administration
NAS Administration
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NAS Administration
NDMP Backups
NDMP Backups
PowerStore supports:
3-way NDMP which transfers both backup data and metadata over the LAN.
– 2-way NDMP is not supported.
Both full and incremental backups are supported.
Components:
Primary Storage - Source system to be backed up. For example, PowerStore.
Data Management Application (DMA) - backup application that coordinates the
backup sessions. For example, Dell EMC Networker.
– Other supported backup vendors include: NetBackup, BackupExec,
CommVault, IBM Spectrum, Veeam, and Netvault
– At the time of this publication, NetBackup, BackupExec, CommVault, and
IBM Spectrum require the PowerStore be shipped to the vendor for
certification
Secondary Storage - back up target. For example, Data Domain.
DMA
Metadata Data
Data
Metadata Data
Primary
System Secondary
PowerStore System
(TLU)
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NAS Administration
NDMP Configuration
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NAS Administration
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NAS Administration
Monitor Performance
1. From Storage > File Systems, select the name of the file system.
2. Click on Performance.
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NAS Administration
After NAS services are installed, NAS administration includes creating and moving
NAS Servers, setting up NDMP backups, and Monitoring performance. Installing
the NAS service, creating and moving NAS servers are covered in the PowerStore
Implementation - Administration course. In this course we covered NDMP backup,
and monitoring performance. NAS Server administration takes place on the
Storage > NAS Servers screens.
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File System Administration
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File System Administration
Track and limit drive space consumption by configuring quotas for file systems at
the file system or directory level. You can enable or disable quotas at any time, but
it is recommended to configure them during nonpeak production hours to avoid
impacting file system operations.
Quotas are supported on SMB, NFS, FTP, and NDMP, and multiprotocol file
systems.
There are three types of quotas you can put on a file system: User Quotas, Tree
Quotas, and User Quotas on a Tree Quota.
User Quotas - Limit the amount of storage consumed by an individual user storing
data on the file system.
Tree Quotas - Limit the total amount of storage consumed on the directory.
To set default quotas on a file system, go to Storage > File Systems. Select a File
system.
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File System Administration
1. On the File Systems page, verify the correct file system is selected. In this
example SMB_FS07_2.
2. Select the QUOTAS card.
3. Select the USER QUOTA tab.
4. Select PROPERTIES.
The Quotas page, is where the defaults for all quotas (both user and tree) are
configured. We will discuss tree quotas later.
You can set a Soft Limit, a Hard Limit, and a Grace Period for all quotas.
If a hard limit is reached for a user quota on a file system or quota tree, the user
will not be able to write data to the file system or tree until more space
becomes available. If a hard limit is reached for a quota tree, no user will be able
to write data to the tree until more space becomes available.
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File System Administration
A Soft Limit is a preferred limit on storage usage. The user is allowed to use
space until a grace period has been reached.
The user will be alerted when the soft limit is reached, until the grace period is over.
After that, an out of space condition is reached until the user gets back under the
soft limit.
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File System Administration
You are returned to the User Quotas page on the Quotas card. A message stating
"The default quota properties were updated." is shown. Note the Unix Name,
Unix ID, Windows SID, Windows Name, Soft Limit, Hard Limit, State and Tree
Path fields at bottom of the page.
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File System Administration
1. From drop-down, Select user Host Type. Host Type can be by Windows
Name, Windows SID, Unix Name, or Unix ID.
2. Depending on the host type, the fields below Host Type change.
We chose by Windows Name. A Domain and Windows Name are
required.
3. Set Soft Limit, if custom limits are required.
4. Set Hard Limit, if custom limits are required.
If both Soft and Hard limits are set to 0, space consumption is tracked only
and no limits configured.
5. Click ADD.
You are returned to the User Quotas page on the Quotas card. A message stating
"The user quota was created." is shown. The added Windows user is shown.
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File System Administration
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File System Administration
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File System Administration
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File System Administration
A Tree Quota limits the total amount of storage that is consumed on the directory.
You can use quota trees to:
Set the storage limits on a project basis. For example, you can establish quota
trees for a project directory that has multiple users sharing and creating files in
it.
Track directory usage by setting the tree quota hard and soft limits to 0 (zero).
If you change the limits for a quota tree, the changes take effect
immediately, without disrupting file system operations.
To set default quota trees on a file system, go to Storage > File System. Select a
File system.
2
3
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1. On the File Systems page, verify the correct file system is selected. In this
example, SMB_FS07.
2. Select the QUOTAS card.
3. Select the TREE QUOTA tab.
4. Select PROPERTIES.
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1. If quotas have never been set, quotas are disabled by default. Toggle switch to
enable.
If a Default User Quotas policy has been set, Tree Quotas inherits the
Default User Quotas parameters.
Enable Quotas.
2. Under Grace Period for All Quotas, set a grace period by entering a number
and set by Days, Hours, or Minutes.
3. Click the radio button to enable an Unlimited grace period.
4. Configure a Soft Limit.
5. Configure a Hard Limit.
The limits can be MB, GB, or TB.
6. Click UPDATE.
Once UPDATE is clicked, you are returned to the TREE QUOTAS page on the
QUOTAS card. A message stating "The default quota properties were updated." is
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shown. Note the Path, Enforce User Quota, Soft Limit, and Hard Limit fields at
bottom of page
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You are returned to the Tree Quotas page. A message stating "The tree quota was
added." is shown. The added Tree Quota is shown.
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From the Storage > File Systems screen, view information about file systems and
modify basic file system information.
From the Storage > File Systems screen in PowerStore Manager, view alerts, size
used, capacity, NAS server mappings, and protection policies.
Click the name of the file system to view its details. Click the checkbox of the file
system to enable features like the Modify button and More Actions menu.
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When changing the size, you can increase or decrease the file system
capacity.
For file systems shared using the SMB protocol you can also change
advanced settings such as Sync writes and notification on writes.
From the Storage > File Systems screen in PowerStore Manager, click the name of
the file system to view its details:
1. To modify the properties:
Click the pencil icon to the right of the name. OR
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When changing the size, you can increase or decrease the file system
capacity.
For file systems shared using the SMB protocol you can also change
advanced settings such as Sync writes and notification on writes.
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There are two ways for unmounting an SMB share from the Windows client: using
the File Explorer or through CLI commands.
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Use the net use command to verify the status of the share and the drive it is
mounted to.
Run the command net use <drive:> /delete to unmount the NFS export.
You can verify that the drive is unmounted by running the net use command
again.
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To unmount the NFS export from the Linux or UNIX client, use the operating
system umount command.
Linux command:
umount /<mountpoint>
To unmount the shared file system from the client, use the mount point it was used
to mount it.
In the example, the NFS export root that was mounted to the nfs folder was
unmounted from the Linux6 system.
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To remove the NAS client access to an existing NFS export, go to the FIle Systems
page and select the NFS Exports tab:
1. Check the NFS export
2. Select Host Access from the More Actions menu. The Host Access slide-out
panel is launched.
3. Select the checkbox of the NAS client to remove.
4. Click DELETE. The system displays a message that the host was removed.
5. Click APPLY to commit the changes.
The example shows that the linux6.hmarine.test server was removed from the list
of clients with access to the NFS export named root.
For this example, NAS client access to an existing NFS export can be removed.
However, if the Default Access was set differently, it would leave default access.
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SMB Shares
To remove an SMB Share, go to the FIle Systems page and select the SMB
Shares tab:
1. Check the SMB share.
2. Click DELETE. The system displays a message that the SMB Share will be
deleted.
3. Click DELETE to commit the operation.
This example shows that the Hmarine_Eng SMB share will be deleted from the
PowerStore cluster.
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NFS Exports
To remove an NFS export, go to the FIle Systems page and select the NFS
Exports tab:
1. Check the NFS export
2. Click DELETE. The system displays a message that the NFS export will be
removed.
3. Click DELETE to commit the operation.
The example shows that the root NFS export was removed from the PowerStore
cluster.
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File System administration takes place on the Storage > File Systems screens.
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Data Efficiency
Data Efficiency
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Overview
PowerStore arrays optimize capacity and improve storage efficiency using features
such as Zero Detection, Deduplication, and Compression. Zero detection,
Deduplication, and the Compression work together to reduce the physical amount
of storage that is required to save a dataset. Data Efficiency, also referred to as
Data Reduction and Storage Efficiency, results in a lower total operational cost.
Zero Detection logically detects and discards consecutive zeros, saves only one
instance, and uses pointers.
Compression utilizes physical hardware to encode data using fewer bits than the
original representation. The compression hardware offloads the compression
operations from the appliance processors to save CPU cycles.
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DRAM (System Cache) is used as a caching layer as data enters and exits the
system. All data passes through and interacts with DRAM memory. How the data
interacts with DRAM memory depends on if the I/O is a read or a write. How a read
and write I/O passes through DRAM memory is explained later.
Stripe Logic assembles the data into 2 MB stripes before writing to the data
drives.
Data Drives provide the physical capacity to the system to store data. If additional
enclosures are attached to the system, they also add to the usable capacity of the
system. Within PowerStore, any drives within the system that are not part of the
NVRAM cache drives contribute to a single, large, usable capacity within the
system. This space is shared for all resources within the system.
NVMe NVRAM Drives - Depending on the system model, two or four NVMe
NVRAM Drives are used as Write Cache within the system.
Battery backup is required as NVMe NVRAM drives contain both volatile and
nonvolatile media. The volatile media provides fast access speeds, and is used for
write caching within the system while the appliance is under normal operation. If
power is interrupted or the system is being powered off, the volatile write cache is
destaged to the nonvolatile media within the NVMe NVRAM drives. Once the write
cache information is safely stored, power is removed from the drives.
Each NVMe NVRAM drive is dual-ported, meaning each node has access to the
drives through internal connections and the information that is contained in them. If
needed, the peer Node can access the data as needed.
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DRAM
System Cache
2 MB Stripe Creation
2 or 4 NVMe
NVRAM
Data Drives Drives
(Write Cache)
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Write Operation
The graphic explains the process when the PowerStore receives a write request.
1 4
1: Step 1. In this example, an I/O enters Node B and is saved within the Node
DRAM memory. The I/O is analyzed to determine:
2: Step 2. If the I/O is determined to be a write, the data is copied into the write
cache on the NVRAM drives. After the information is stored within the write cache,
the information stored within the DRAM memory is considered clean as it no longer
has the latest copy of the information. This data then becomes part of the read
cache, until it is later replaced in cache by newer or more highly accessed data.
3: Step 3. For each write I/O that enters the system, the information is passed
between the Nodes using tokens. This operation updates the peer node that a new
write has been received and that it has the newest copy of the data. A token
includes information about the I/O such as what resource was updated and the
address within the resource that was updated. A token also includes information
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about the location the I/O was saved to within the write cache. If the peer Node
requests that information, the Node can access the data within the NVRAM drives
using its own internal channels.
4: Step 4. After the information is safely stored on the nonvolatile media of the
NVRAM drives and all other actions are complete, the host is acknowledged.
5: Step 5. After the host is acknowledged, data is copied from the Write Cache and
is passed through the deduplication and compression logic. The remaining data is
then assembled into 2 MB stripes and saved to the back-end storage.
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Read Operation
The graphic explains the process when the PowerStore receives a read request.
1. The host issues a read. The resource could be a volume, file system, or
datastore. First, the system must determine where the latest copy of the data being
requested is located.
2. The system reviews the resource’s private space to determine if the block has
been previously written, and if so, the system locates the current data.
3. Several things can happen here depending on where the data is located.
If the data is a pattern, such as all 0’s or 1’s, the system re-creates the block
in DRAM memory. (Go to step 4 below.)
If the latest copy is in the Node DRAM memory, the system sends the data to
the host.
If the latest copy is in NVMe NVRAM drives, the system copies the data to
DRAM memory. (Go to step 4 below.)
If the requested data resides on the data drives, it has been deduplicated and
compressed. The system examines the deduplication pattern and
determines the reference location. The system copies the data from the
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1 2
3 4
1: Capacity—Shows both the used and free storage capacity on the cluster.
Used—Physical capacity that is used by all appliances in the cluster. The
percentage and amount that is used are both available in this area.
Free—The amount of free physical capacity on the cluster.
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The Historical Usage chart shows: the date and time along the x-axis against the
usage along the y-axis.
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Overall Efficiency
Overall Efficiency is the computed ratio of the Total Space Provisioned to the
Physical Space Used.
Example:
Five 2 GB volumes were provisioned with 1 GB of data that is written to each of
them.
Each of the five volumes has one snapshot, for another five 2 GB volumes.
All volumes are thinly provisioned with deduplication, and compression applied.
There are 2 GB of physical space used.
(10 GB + 10 GB) 20 GB
Space EfficiencyRatio% = =
2 GB 2 GB
Space EfficiencyRatio% = 10 : 1
All volumes are thinly provisioned with deduplication, and compression applied. 2 GB of physical space used.
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Thin Savings
Thin Saving is the ratio of volumes’ provisioned size to logical size used.
Example:
Ten 2 GB volumes are provisioned.
500MB (0.5 GB) of data is written to each of them.
(10 x 2 GB) 20 GB
Thin Savings Ratio% = =
10 x .5 GB 5 GB
Snap Savings
Snap Savings is ratio of the original space used by the snaps to the data uniquely
owned by the snaps.
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Example:
A volume has 2 GB of data when a snapshot is taken.
After the snapshot is taken, 0.5 GB (500 MB) of the volume's data is
overwritten.
As a result, the snapshot has the original 2 GB of data written with 1.5 GB of data
shared with the volume and 0.5 GB unique data.
The snap savings would be 2 GB/0.5 GB or 4:1. The snapshot_savings value will
be 4 in this case.
After the snapshot is taken, 0.5 GB (500 MB) of the Snapshot Savings Value = 4
volume's data is overwritten.
The ratio of space which would have been taken if deduplication and compression
are not applied to the physical space occupied after deduplication and
compression.
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Example:
A volume was written with 2 GB of data when a snapshot is taken.
After the snapshot is taken, 0.5 GB (500 MB) of the volume's data is
overwritten.
As a result, the volume and the snapshot share 1.5 GB of data. The snapshot and
volume each owns 0.5 GB of unique data. Altogether, the volume and snapshot
own 2.5 GB of data. If all this data occupied 1 GB of space, the Data Reduction
Ratio would be 2.5 GB/1 GB or 2.5:1.
2.5
Data Reduction Ratio% = GB
1 GB
As a result, the volume and the snapshot share 1.5 GB of data. The snapshot and volume each owns 0.5 GB of unique data.
Altogether, the volume and snapshot own 2.5 GB of data. If all this data occupied 1 GB of space, the Data Reduction Ratio would
be 2.5 GB/1 GB or 2.5:1.
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The Data efficiency features introduce space savings from zero detection,
deduplication, and compression processes. Data efficiency features are
automatically enabled and cannot be disabled.
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Data Virtualization
Data Virtualization
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PowerStore is optimized for virtualized environments with its close integration with
VMware vSphere.
NFS
Volume
Export
File System
Storage Container
VMware Storage
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The storage system works closely with existing VMware storage management and
integration features.
VMware: vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA)
VMware: vSphere APIs for Array Integration (VAAI)
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VASA Support
VCENTER SERVER
VASA Provider
VVols
PowerStore communicates with the ESXi server through APIs based on the VASA
protocol. VASA enables PowerStore appliances to request and display basic
information about the storage system, and the storage resources it exposes to the
virtual environment.
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Volume Properties
Click the name of the volume that is provisioned to the ESXi host using the block
protocols.
The volume properties page opens. The available Information includes storage
consumption, system performance, alerts and event notification, associated
protection policy, and hosts mapped to the volume.
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From the properties page of the Volume mapped to the ESXi host, perform the
following operations:
1. Select the pencil icon on the right of the Volume name.
2. Increase the size of the volume. Note: Shrinking of volume size is not
supported in PowerStore!
3. Click APPLY to save the changes. The slide-out panel closes and the
information on the capacity tab is updated.
Launch a vSphere Web Client session to the vCenter Server, and open the
Storage view from the menu.
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In the example, The size of VMFS_Datastore06 was increased by 10 GB. Double-click the image
for an enlarged view.
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Open the File Systems page in PowerStore Manager by expanding the Storage
submenu and selecting File Systems.
Click the name of the file system that is provisioned to the ESXi host using an NFS
export.
The file system properties page opens. The available Information includes storage
consumption, system performance, alerts and event notification, associated
protection policy, and the configured user and tree quotas.
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From the properties page of the file system that is shared with the ESXi host,
perform the following operations:
1. Select the pencil icon on the right of the file system name.
2. Change the size of the file system. In the example the size of the file system
was decreased.
3. Click APPLY to save the changes. The slide-out panel closes and the
information on the capacity tab is updated.
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In the example, The size of NFS_Datastore06 was decreased by 10 GB. Double-click the image for
an enlarged view.
Launch a vSphere Web Client session to the vCenter Server, and open the
Storage view from the menu.
On the General page click REFRESH on the Capacity section. When the refresh
completes, the updated capacity will be displayed.
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Click the name of the storage container that is provisioned to the ESXi using VASA
support.
The storage container properties page opens. The available Information includes
only storage consumption, and virtual volumes stored in the storage resource.
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Quotas can be enabled on storage containers. A high water mark determines when
an alert will be generated for the storage administrator.
From the properties page of the storage container that is attached to the ESXi host,
perform the following operations:
1. Select the pencil icon on the right of the storage container name.
2. Change the value of the storage container quota. In the example, the storage
container quota was increased.
3. Click APPLY to save the changes. The slide-out panel closes and the
information on the capacity tab is updated.
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In the example, The size of VVol_Datastore06 was increase by 10 GB. Double-click the image for
an enlarged view.
Launch a vSphere Web Client session to the vCenter Server, and open the
Storage view from the menu.
On the General page click REFRESH on the Capacity section. The VVol datastore
capacity now reflects the change to the PowerStore storage container size.
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List of VVols
PowerStore discovers the details about the virtual volumes that are stored in the
storage container and displays them in PowerStore Manager.
Click the name of the storage container that is provisioned to the ESXi using VASA
support.
Select the Virtual Volumes tab. The page displays the list of VVols stored in the
storage container.
VVols are storage objects that are provisioned automatically on a storage container
and store VM data.
You can monitor closely the status of any of the objects by selecting the ADD TO
WATCHLIST, and gather support material.
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Click the virtual volume name. The interface opens a page with storage capacity
consumption and system performance related to that particular virtual volume. In
the example, the vmdk object of the virtual machine VM_WIN6 was selected.
From the virtual volume page, select the pencil icon on the right of the virtual
volume identification. A slide-out panel. displays the virtual volume properties,
including in which appliance it is stored.
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Virtual Machines
PowerStore discovers the details about the virtual machines and the VVols that are
stored in the storage container and displays them in PowerStore Manager.
To monitor the VMs and its VVols in PowerStore Manager, expand the Compute
menu, and select the Virtual Machines option.
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A storage administrator can verify the virtual machine details and observe if there
are any alerts for each virtual machine.
Click the name of the virtual machine to open its properties page.
Virtual Machine properties include reporting of granular I/O statistics, and active
management of virtual volumes and their related entities.
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Snapshot Schedule
3
2
From the Protection tab, click Assign Protection Policy to associate a policy:
1. From the list of existing policies, select the one that you want to associate with
the virtual machine.
2. Click APPLY to commit the changes.
3. Click ASSIGN to confirm association of the selected policy with the virtual
machine.
The policy now protects the virtual machine, and the underlying virtual volumes,
with local protection rules.
For policies that include a replication rule, only the snapshot schedule will be used.
Replication is not supported for virtual machines.
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Manual Snapshots
From the Protection tab of the virtual machine properties page, perform the
following steps to manually create snapshots:
1. Click + TAKE SNAPSHOT. The slide-out panel displays the snapshot
attributes.
2. Optionally change the name of the snapshot to one that is easier to identify.
3. Click TAKE SNAPSHOT to commit the changes.
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Snapshots
The snapshots that were taken manually or as a result of the policy schedule are
listed
Manually created snapshots are not deleted automatically when the snapshots
system limit is reached.
To verify details about the VM snapshot and modify its properties, click MODIFY.
The slide-out panel provides a link to launch vCenter server.
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vCenter Server
From the vSphere Web Client session to the vCenter Server, select the ESXi host
under the Hosts and Clusters section.
From the Actions menu select Snapshots and Manage Snapshots from the sub-
menu.
The most recent snapshot is listed and you have the option to change its name or
revert the virtual machine to this point-in-time snapshot.
In the example the the VM_WIN6 virtual machine was selected, and the scheduled
snapshot is listed. Verify that it matches the same as in the PowerStore GUI.
Plugins
PowerStore supports Dell technologies tools that enhance its integration with
VMware. Some of the key plugins are listed here.
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Plugin Description
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VM Migration Overview
Native vSphere features can be used to help managing virtual machines placement
and storage utilization with PowerStore.
The steps for creating a storage container are explained in the PowerStore
Configuration course.
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Migrating VM Storage
Movie:
The web version of this content contains a movie.
From the vSphere Web Client session, select the ESXi host under the Hosts and
Clusters section.
Perform the following actions to migrate a virtual machine storage from one VVol
datastore to another:
1. Select the virtual machine hosted by the ESXi server.
2. Expand the Actions menu and select Migrate. The Virtual Machine Migrate
wizard launchs.
3. Select Storage Only as the migration type. Click NEXT on the wizard to
advance to next step.
4. Scroll down the available storage list and select the destination VVol datastore.
the datastore is listed as compatible. Click NEXT on the wizard to advance to
next step.
5. After reviewing the parameters for the operation, start the migration by clicking
FINISH. The system start the operation and closes the dialog.
The storage associated with the virtual machine shows as modified. In the
example, virtual machine is been migrated from VVol_Datastore06 to
VVol_Datastore02.
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Placement
The virtual machine that was migrated and its associated virtual volumes are now
placed in the destination storage container. Open the virtual machine properties
page and select the virtual volumes tab. All virtual machine volumes including
snapshots are moved during Storage vMotion operations.
In our example, the virtual machines and their virtual volumes that were once
stored in storage container VVOL_SC06 in cluster1 are now in storage container
VVOL_SC02 in cluster2 .
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VVols are stored in storage containers which have a 1:1 mapping with the
VMware VVol datastores.
Before removing a storage container, the virtual machines and virtual volumes that
are stored in it must be migrated to another storage.
Only then unmount the VVol datastore from the ESXi host in the vSphere
environment, and remove the storage container in PowerStore Manager.
CLUSTER 1
Virtual Machine Virtual Machine
VVols VVols
1:1 relationship
The tasks emphasized in the graphic are linked to provisioning storage for VVols support.
vSphere
Movie:
The web version of this content contains a movie.
From the vSphere Web Client session, select the ESXi host under the Hosts and
Clusters section.
Perform the following actions to unmount the VVol datastore in vCenter server:
1. Click Datastores.
2. Click the name of the datastore that you want to unmount.
3. Click VMs. Verfiy that the datastore does not contain any virtual machines.
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PowerStore Manager
In the example, the storage container VVol_SC06 is removed from the storage system. Double-click
the image for an enlarged view.
The storage container is removed from the storage system. The operation is useful
in scenarios where there is a need to reclaim some storage space and the storage
used by a VVol datastore must be decreased in size.
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PowerStore T
To unregister a vCenter Server Connection you must select Compute from the top
menu, and vCenter Server Connection from the submenu.
The page shows that there is a vCenter Server that is connected to the storage
system. The available options include the update of the vCenter server IP address
or credentials, a link to the vSphere client, and the option to disconnect vCenter.
Click DISCONNECT to unregister the vCenter server. A dialog warns that the
storage system cannot provide VVol support if the operation is confirmed. Click
DISCONNECT.
The page displays that the vCenter server was disconnected. As stated earlier,
disconnecting vCenter is optional.
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PowerStore X
The only supported operation is the update of the IP address or account credentials
used for the connection which the same original vCenter server.
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If PowerStore will not be used for VVol support at any time soon, consider also
unregistering it as a VASA storage provider in vCenter server.
To remove a PowerStore T system from the list of VASA storage providers, launch
a vSphere session to the vCenter Server and open the Hosts and Clusters view.
The dialog box is closed and the VASA record is eliminated from the list.
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Data Virtualization
1
2
Select the vCenter server on the left pane and open the Configure tab. Perform
the following operations from the Configure page:
1. Select the Storage Providers option from the sub-menu.
2. Select the VASA provider record to exclude.
3. Click Remove on the top menu.
4. Click YES to confirm the exclusion of the PowerStore cluster.
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Take a Snapshot
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1. Accept the automatically generated name, or specify a new name for the
snapshot. In this case, a new name has been set.
2. Write a description for the snapshot, if desired.
3. Specify a Retention Policy.
4. Click Take Snapshot.
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Snapshot Created
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The snapshot restore operation resets the data in the parent storage resource to
the point in time at which the snapshot was taken. If you restore a volume group, all
member volumes are restored to the point in time of the snapshot.
Server Volume
Snap1
Snap2
Snap3
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1 4
After the restore operation completes, reconnect the server to the volume and
verify that the volume holds the expected data.
On the volume Overview page, the Protection Card displays the newly created
backup snapshot.
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Snapshot Restrictions
Volume
Snap1
Server
Snap2
Snap3
Cloning a Snapshot
To access data contained in a snapshot, make a thin clone of the snapshot and
map the thin clone to a host.
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3a
3b
3c
2
3d
1
3e
3f
On the Overview page for the volume, go to the Protection card and:
1. Check the box next to the snapshot you want to thin clone.
2. On the More Actions menu, select Create Thin Clone Using Snapshot. The
Thin Clone slide-out panel appears.
3. On the slide-out panel:
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Local Data Protection
Host View
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Read only
Default type created by a Snapshot
Rule
Accessed by creating a new SMB
share and/or NFS Export and choosing
snapshot
- Access is provided through the
parent NAS server
Note: Editing the name or the access type of
a file system snapshot is not possible.
Expiration:
File system snapshots can be set to not expire by choosing the No Automatic
Deletion option.
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Add a protection policy with a snapshot rule to a file system to schedule a snapshot
for that file system. Click here for steps to create a Protection Policy. Click here
for steps to apply a protection policy to a file system.
Note: The Protection Policy cannot include a replication rule. Replication is not
supported on file systems.
From PowerStore Manager > Storage > File Systems > [File System] > Protection
Card > + Take Snapshot.
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Restoring a file system from a snapshot returns that file system to the state it was
in when the snapshot was taken.
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When you refresh a file system snapshot, the contents of the snapshot are
overwritten with the current contents of the file system.
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Thin Clones
In PowerStore systems, create a thin clone of a file system, volume, volume group,
or volume/volume group snapshot. The thin clone is not a full backup of the original
resource. It is a read-write copy of the storage resource that shares blocks with the
parent resource. Access to the original resource is maintained.
Thin
Vol Clone
01
Application
1
Thin
Clone Application
Sna 1
p1 Application
Thin 2
Clone
Sna Sna
p3 Application
p2
3
Sna
p4
Base Volume Family
Applications:
Development and test environments
Parallel processing
Online backup
System deployment
With thin clones, you can establish hierarchical snapshots to preserve data over
different stages of data changes within a Base Volume Family.
Data available on the source snapshot at the moment of thin clone creation is
immediately available to the thin clone. The thin clone references the source
snapshot for this data.
Data resulting from changes to the thin clone after its creation is stored on the
thin clone. Changes to the thin clone do not affect the source snapshot,
because the source snapshot is read-only.
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On the Thin Clone slide-out panel, specify the thin clone information:
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1. In the list of volumes, click the name of the thin clone (shown in blue text) to
view details.
2. Under Actions, select Properties.
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Create Clone
On the Thin Clone slide-out panel, specify the thin clone information:
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To create a thin clone of a file system in PowerStore Manager, expand the Storage
submenu, and select File Systems.
On the Create Thin Clone slide-out panel, specify the thin clone information:
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Local Data Protection
1. In the list of file systems, click the name of the thin clone (shown in blue text) to
view details.
2. Under Actions, select Properties. Most settings are inherited from the source
file system.
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Create Clone
You can create a thin clone of a volume snapshot or volume group snapshot. You
cannot create a thin clone of a file system snapshot.
On the Thin Clone slide-out panel, specify the thin clone information:
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Clone Created
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Local Data Protection
The snapshots and thin clones for a volume, volume group or storage container
form a hierarchy. These terms are used to describe this hierarchy:
Term Definition
Base volume, base The founding (production) volume, volume group, or base
volume group, base storage container for derivative snapshots and thin clones.
storage container
Family A volume, volume group or base storage container and all its
derivative thin clones and snapshots. This family includes
snapshots and thin clones of the storage resource.
The base volume family for Volume 1 includes all of the snapshots and thin clones
shown in the diagram.
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Volume 1
Snapshot 1 Snapshot 2
Snapshot 3
Thin Clone 3
Clone Properties
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Local Data Protection
You can view the base resource, parent, and data source of a volume by
examining its properties.
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Refresh Functionality
Using the refresh operation, you can update a storage resource with data from
another resource within the same family.
When you refresh a storage resource, the existing data is removed, and the data
from the source resource is copied to it.
The source and destination resource must be in the same volume family.
Snapshots of Volumes, Volume Groups, and Thin Clones are read only, and
cannot be refreshed.
refresh
refresh Volume 1
Note: For simplicity, diagram does not show every possible refresh operation.
To refresh a storage resource from a volume, go to the More Actions menu of the
storage resource, and select Refresh using Related Volume.
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Local Data Protection
PowerStore storage systems provide local data protection features that include
include block and file snapshots and thin clones.
Volume and Volume Group Snapshots:
You can manually take a snapshot of a volume or volume group by viewing
the details of that volume or group, and navigating to the Protection card.
You can set the name, description, and retention policy of that snapshot
when you create it.
You can use the snapshot to restore the parent volume or volume group to
the point in time that the snapshot was created.
Snapshots cannot be mapped to a host. To view the contents of a snapshot,
you must first clone the snapshot then map the clone to a host.
File System Snapshots:
There are two different types of file system snapshots: Snapshot and
Protocol. The snapshot rule used to create the snapshot specifies which
type of snapshot to create.
o Snapshot type snapshots is read only and can be accessed through
previous versions or .snapshot
o Protocol type snapshots are read only and can be exported as an SMB
share, NFS export, or both.
o You can share and mount the Protocol type on a client like any other
file system.
The snapshot type determines the method used to access the snapshot
contents.
You can use the restore function to return a file system to the date and time
that the snapshot was captured.
For file system snapshots, the refresh function updates the snapshot with
the current contents of the file system.
Thin Clones:
You can create a thin clone of a file system, volume, volume group, or
volume/volume group snapshot.
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The thin clone is not a full backup of the original resource. It is a read-write
copy of the storage resource that shares blocks with the parent resource.
Thin clones can be mapped to a host for read-write access.
Thin clones and snapshots, along with the original volume used to create
them, make up a base volume family.
For Volume/Volume Group thin clones, the refresh operation completely
replaces the contents of another member of the base volume family.
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Remote Protection - Replications
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Remote Protection - Replications
Manage Replications
1. Planned failover
Primary DC
DR/Backup DC
2. Failover
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Primary DC
DR/Backup DC
3. Synchronization
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Primary DC
DR/Backup DC
Pause
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Remote Protection - Replications
Primary DC
DR/Backup DC
Resume
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Primary DC
DR/Backup DC
5. Remove
You can restore or delete the data from the storage resource.
You can also change it to a production resource from the Properties page
of the destination resource.
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DR/Backup DC
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Remote Protection - Replications
Failover
A failover promotes the destination replica to production, that has a data state
consistent to the last successful RPO synchronization state.
To start failover:
1. From Protection drop-down menu, click Replication.
2. Select replication session.
3. Click Failover.
4. Click FAIL OVER.
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Remote Protection - Replications
Planned Failover
During a planned failover, a replication session is manually failed over from the
source system to the destination system. The destination system is fully
synchronized with the source system before the failover and there is no data loss.
Planned failover is run from the source prior to a planned outage. Both source
and destination systems must be available.
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Remote Protection - Replications
Synchronization
Synchronization updates the destination with the changes on the source from the
previous synchronization cycle. Any size or membership changes are synchronized
on the source.
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Remote Protection - Replications
To start synchronization:
1. From Protection drop-down menu, click Replication.
2. Select replication session.
3. Click SYNCHRONIZE.
4. Click SYNCHRONIZE on the pop-up.
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Remote Protection - Replications
The Pause and Resume functions are available in PowerStore Manager from the
Protection drop-down menu. Pause pauses the replication session and Resume
resumes the replication session.
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Remote Protection - Replications
An alert is generated
when the replication
session is paused.
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Note: When a replication session is removed, the destination replica is still present.
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Key Points:
Planned Failover is initiated from the source and unplanned failover is initiated
from the destination.
You click the Planned Failover or Failover buttons to start the processes.
Synchronization is initiated from the source and asynchronously updates the
destination with new information from the previous synchronization cycle.
Pausing and resuming replication is initiated on the source or destination
system.
After a removing a replication session, the destination replica remains.
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Data Encryption
Data Encryption
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Data Encryption
Overview
Tampering with data violates data integrity, and data theft compromises data
availability and confidentiality. PowerStore uses Data At Rest Encryption (D@RE)
to help protect against data tampering and data theft. D@RE guards against
threat agents reading content from any of the drives, even if the drives are removed
from the PowerStore or are physically disassembled.
Data Encryption protects against data tampering and data theft in the following use
cases:
Drive is stolen from a system and a threat agent attempts to access the data on
the drives.
Attempts to read data during transit of any drive to another location.
Attempts to read data even if drive is broken or discarded.
Due to possibility of data loss the keystore file must be backed up and
saved before and after adding or removing any drive in the system!
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Data Encryption
Architecture
SEDs
All Powerstore systems leave the factory with encryption enabled except
units destined for countries where encryption is not allowed or countries that
are restricted by the United States federal government.
PowerStore encrypts the data as close to its origin as possible by using SEDs.
SEDs have dedicated hardware on each drive to encrypt and decrypt data as it is
written or read.
All PowerStore drives ship with D@RE enabled and are FIPS-140-2 Level 1
certified.
Encryption is automatically activated during the initial configuration of a
cluster, except for systems that destined for countries where encryption is
restricted. For countries where encryption is prohibited, non-encrypted systems
are available.
In countries where encryption is allowed, there is no way to disable data
encryption.
When a new appliance joins an existing encrypted cluster, a check is run to
ensure that the appliance is encryption capable.
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Data Encryption
KMS
PowerStore uses an embedded Key Manager Service (KMS) that resides in the
Base System Container (BSC) of the Active node of each appliance in the
cluster. The BSC on the active nodes work together and automate the
management of all encryption keys.
Each appliance has an independent keystore. All keys are aggregated to the
Master appliance in a cluster. A collective cluster backup of the keys can be run
from the master appliance. No external key management is available in the
initial release of PowerStore.
If for any reason the KMS fails or the key file cannot be read, encrypted data on
drives cannot be retrieved. It is very important to backup the keystore.
PowerStore Cluster
KM Collective
KM KM
Key Backup
S S S
If for any reason the KMS fails or the keystore file cannot be read,
encrypted data cannot be retrieved! This is why it is very important to
backup the keystore file often and before and after any drive add or
remove procedure.
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Data Encryption
Encryption Status
Cluster
Appliance
Drive
Cluster Level
Appliance Level
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Data Encryption
Drive Level
The encryption status is shown at the individual drive level on the Hardware tab of
the Hardware > Appliance page:
Unsupported – The drive does not support encryption. (Not_Supported)
Unknown – The appliance has not yet attempted to enable encryption on the
drive. This status may be seen during initial encryption activation on an
appliance, or during the addition of new drives to a configured appliance.
Foreign – The drive is supported, but was taken from another system. The
drive must be decommissioned before it can be used.
(Supported_Locked_Foreign). This requires the help of Dell EMC support.
Encrypting – The appliance is enabling encryption on the drive. This status
may be seen during the initial activation of encryption, or during the addition of
new drives to a configured appliance.
Encrypted – The drive is encrypted. This is the typical state of a drive in an
appliance that is encryption capable.
Disabled – The drive cannot have encryption enabled due to country-specific
import restrictions. If any drives report this status, all drives in the cluster will
report the same status.
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Data Encryption
Drive Operation
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Data Encryption
User Actions
Keystore Alerts
An alert that New keystore changes have occurred indicates that you should
download the backup keystore and save it for a future restore as required.
Back up Keystore
Backup
A backup from the master appliance is an aggregate of keystore per cluster.
An alert is generated whenever any appliance has key changes.
All keystore backups are synchronized with the primary.
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Data Encryption
Audit Logs
On the PowerStore Manager Audit Log page, find events related to D@RE, such
as download-backups, and restores.
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Data Encryption
Repurpose Drive
Note: Using a drive from another system is discouraged, however it can be done
with the assistance of Dell EMC support.
Note: To repurpose a drive for use in PowerStore, contact your service provider.
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Data Encryption
Serviceability
Here is an overview of some steps that you can take when troubleshooting
encryption issues:
1. Check cluster encryption status.
2. Check drive encryption status.
3. Check audit log for KMS events.
4. With assistance from your service provider, restore the appropriate archived
keystore file that was previously saved.
Array Decommission
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Data Encryption
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Data Reporting/Analytics Using CloudIQ
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Data Reporting/Analytics Using CloudIQ
Introducing CloudIQ
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Data Reporting/Analytics Using CloudIQ
SupportAssist enabled
Connect to CloudIQ
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Data Reporting/Analytics Using CloudIQ
Overview
The Overview provides a visual look at overall system health and connectivity.
Alerts, performance anomalies, and storage issues are also available at a glance.
Clicking blue text on this page opens information specific to that item. For
example, clicking the 2 critical alerts on this page shows the alert details.
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Data Reporting/Analytics Using CloudIQ
Health
Under the Health heading, view system health (shown here), issues1, alerts2, and
updates.
Component issues
Configuration issues
Performance issues
Capacity issues
1
Displays a comprehensive view of all current health issues across all storage
systems in the environment.
2
Displays any alerts reported in the last 24 hours.
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Data Reporting/Analytics Using CloudIQ
Inventory
For a list of systems and hosts in CloudIQ, view the inventory. Find the system
software version, physical location, and last contact time.
See how fresh the CloudIQ data is by checking the last contact time on the inventory view.
Capacity
The System Capacity page displays the system level storage capacity. Quickly
see usable and free storage on each system and storage efficiency metrics.
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Performance
The System Performance page displays key system level performance metrics
across all systems. This includes IOPS, Bandwidth and System Latency.
The second option under Performance is the Metrics Browser. Use this browser to
select metrics to create custom performance dashboards. Click here to see metrics
available for PowerStore.
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Admin
Under Admin, manage the connectivity and users in CloudIQ. Use this view to add
or remove systems and add or remove user privileges.
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Data Reporting/Analytics Using CloudIQ
CloudIQ shows high level information about all the systems that are sending data
to it. This makes it easy to monitor performance overall.
You can access information about any specific system in CloudIQ by clicking its
title on any of the CloudIQ views. Click to see how to get to these pages.
Health Score
This tab focuses on the health score of this particular system, showing the details
about any issues affecting the health score.
Configuration
The Configuration tab shows configuration data about the system. Additional tabs
below show details about the appliances, drives, hosts, storage, Virtual Machines,
and Storage Containers. If VMs and Storage Containers are not used, the tabs are
shown but hold no information.
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Capacity
The Capacity tab displays detailed capacity information for the system, including
total, used, and free capacity, as well as efficiency metrics and how capacity is
allocated to different storage objects.
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Performance
The Performance tab shows key performance metrics for storage objects sorted
by their 24-hour averages. These are the resources with the highest latency, IOPS,
and bandwidth. The bottom part of the page provides more detail about each of
those performance categories.
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Data Reporting/Analytics Using CloudIQ
SupportAssist and CloudIQ must be enabled for CloudIQ to receive data from
the system.
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Appendix
PowerStore Administration
Change your X X X X
system local
password
View system X X X X
settings,
status, and
performance
information
Modify X X
system
settings
Connect to X X X
vCenter
View a list of X X
local
accounts
Add, delete, X X
or modify a
local
account
PowerStore Administration
View system X X
storage
information
through a
vCenter
server that is
connected to
the system's
VASA
provider and
register / re-
register
PowerStore Administration
PowerStore Administration
In the example, a protection policy named Critical Applications is created with only one snapshot
rule.
From the Create Protection Policy wizard pane, create the rules on the fly, or select
existing ones. If you have created the rules within the Snapshot and Replication
Rules page you can view them here.
PowerStore Administration
Edit the properties of a protection policy and add existing rules or new ones up to
the allowed limit.
2
1
In the example, a replication rule is added to the protection policy named Critical Applications.
PowerStore Administration
Policies List
From the Protection Policies page, view the policies, the associated rules, and the
number of storage resources the policies were assigned to.
Name of replication rule associated with the policy (if any). Only
one rule is supported per policy.
By hovering the mouse over the number of snapshot rules, you can verify the
details of the rules that are associated with the policy.
PowerStore Administration
Storage Resources
A protection policy may be selected at the time the storage resource is created, or
associated with an existing storage resource later. Associating a protection policy
with a supported storage resource is not a requirement.
Protection Policy
Volume Group
Virtual Machine
(VVols) Volume
Only one protection policy may be applied to each supported storage resource:
Standalone volume or a volume in a volume group (if the volume group has
no protection policy associated).
A volume group. The policy is applied to all the member volumes.
Member volumes that are removed from the protected group will retain the
associated protection policy.
To avoid any conflict with the volume group protection policy, new members
cannot have a policy associated.
Virtual machines support only snapshot rules. The policy applies to the VVols
underlying the virtual machine.
File systems support only snapshot rules and ignore the replication rules.
You can also apply protection policies to thin clones of volumes, volume groups
and file systems.
PowerStore Administration
You can substitute the protection policy applied to a storage resource with another
configured policy at any time.
Substitute the protection policy with one that has different snapshot rules.
If the associated policy has no replication rule, you can associate the resource
with one that has.
If swapping a policy with one that also has a replication rule, make sure both
policies use the same remote system. This restriction avoids an unnecessary
initial, full sync operation.
The tabs show a different method for performing the same task for each one of the
supported storage resources.
Volumes
To assign a protection policy to a volume using the PowerStore GUI, expand the
Storage submenu, and select Volumes.
1 2
PowerStore Administration
In the example, the Critical Applications policy is associated with two volumes: C2-
VOL01 and C2-VOL03. The second volume is a member of the C2-VG01 volume
group. The policy can be associated with this volume because the volume group
has no policy associated with it.
Volume Groups
To protect a volume group using the PowerStore GUI, expand the Storage
submenu, and select Volume Groups.
PowerStore Administration
3. From the list of existing policies, select the one that you want to associate with
the volume group.
4. Click Apply to commit the changes. The policy is applied to all the member
volumes of the volume group.
In the example, the Critical Applications policy is associated with volume group C2-
VG01. Two volumes that are members of this group are associated with the
protection policy.
File Systems
To protect a file system using the PowerStore GUI, expand the Storage submenu,
and select File Systems.
2 3
PowerStore Administration
For policies that include a replication rule, only the snapshot schedule will be used.
Replication is not supported for the file systems.
Virtual Machines
To protect a virtual machine using the PowerStore GUI, expand the Compute
submenu, and select Virtual Machines.
For policies that include a replication rule, only the snapshot schedule will be used.
Replication is not supported for virtual machines.
PowerStore Administration
Bandwidth X X X X X
CPU X
Utilization
I/O Size X X X X
IOPS X X X X X
Latency X X X X X
% Read X
Queue Depth X
PowerStore Administration
PowerStore Administration
RPO
Recovery point objective (RPO) indicates the acceptable amount of data, which is
measured in units of time, that may be lost in a failure.
Storage Containers
Storage containers on PowerStore appliances act as a logical grouping of vVols
that enable vVols to map directly to the appliance.
PowerStore Administration