NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE

(NAS)
 NAS – NETWORK ATTACHED
STORAGE

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Discuss the benefits of NAS based storage
strategy
• Describe the elements of NAS
• Discuss connectivity options for NAS
• Discuss NAS management considerations by
environment
• Identify the best environments for NAS
solutions
 IN THIS MODULE …

This module contains the following lessons:

• What is NAS?
• Managing a NAS Environment
• NAS Application Examples
 LESSON: WHAT IS NAS?

Upon completion of this lesson, you should be

able to:
• Define NAS and describe its key attributes
• List the benefits of NAS
• Describe NAS connectivity
 NAS EVOLUTION

Portable Media Networked PCs Networked File Sharing

Stand Alone PC for File Sharing

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

 WHAT IS NAS?

NAS is shared storage on a network infrastructure.

Clients

NAS Head Storage

Application Print
Server Server NAS Device
 GENERAL PURPOSE SERVERS VS.
NAS DEVICES

Applications
Print Drivers File System
File System Operating System
I/O Network
Operating System
Network

Single Function Device

(NAS Server)
General Purpose Server
(NT or Unix Server)
 WHY NAS?

• Supports global information access

• Improves efficiency
• Provides flexibility
• Centralizes storage
• Simplifies management
• Scalability
• High availability – through native clustering
• Provides security integration to environment (user
authentication and authorization)
 CUSTOMER DEMANDS FOR NAS
T H E P A SHAVE
T CHANGED
TODAY

Critical Business
Outside the
Applications
Data Center
(Databases)

Islands of Integrated
Information Infrastructure

Tools and Enterprise

Scripts Management

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 NAS DEVICE COMPONENTS

NAS Device

Network Interface
NFS CIFS
IP Network
NAS Device OS
Storage Interface

SCSI, FC, or ATA

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 NAS FILE SERVICES PROTOCOLS: NFS AND CIFS

Unix

NAS Device

NFS Network Interface

NFS CIFS
IP Network
NAS Device OS
CIFS Storage Interface

Windows SCSI, FC, or ATA

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 NETWORK FILE SYSTEM (NFS)

• Client/server application
• Uses RPC mechanisms over TCP protocol
• Mount points grant access to remote
hierarchical file structures for local file system
structures
• Access to the mount can be controlled by
permissions

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12
 COMMON INTERNET FILE SYSTEM
(CIFS)

• Public version of the Server Message Block

(SMB) protocol
• Client applications access files on a computer
running server applications that accept the
SMB protocol
• Better control of files than FTP
• Potentially better access than Web browsers
and HTTP

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13
 NAS CONNECTIVITY: A CLOSER
LOOK
Application NFS
FTP, Telnet
Presentation XDR
SMTP, SNMP
Session RPC

Transport TCP, UDP

Network IP
ARP / RARP
Data Link

Physical Not Defined

OSI Seven-Layer Module Internet Protocol Suite

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14
 I/O EXAMPLE

Application Storage Interface

Operating System Storage Protocol Block I/O to
storage
I/O Redirect NAS Operating System
device
NFS / CIFS NFS / CIFS
TCP/IP Stack TCP/IP Stack
Network Interface Network Interface

Client IP Network NAS Device

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15
UNIX and Windows Information Sharing

NFS Traffic FTP CIFS Traffic

Protocol Layer

Common File System (CFS)

Multi-protocol support layer
OS

I/O layer

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16
 NAS PHYSICAL ELEMENTS

• Data movers/filers
• Management interface
• Configure network interfaces
• Create, mount, or export file system
• Install, configure and manage all data movers/filers
• Can be accessed locally or remotely
• Connectivity
• NAS head to storage
• NAS head to network
• Storage

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17
 INTEGRATED VS. GATEWAY NAS
Integrated NAS

IP Network

NAS Head

NAS Gateway

FC Fabric
IP Network

NAS Head

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 INTEGRATED NAS SYSTEM

Integrated NAS System

Direct Attach
IP Network

NAS Head
Storage

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19
 GATEWAY NAS SYSTEM

Clients
IP Network

Application
Servers
IP Network

FC Switch

NAS Gateway

Storage
 LESSON SUMMARY

• A NAS server is an appliance optimized for file

serving functions.
• Generally it has a specialized operating system
• NAS supports multiple protocols
• NAS can be implemented as an integrated
system or as a gateway

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21
 LESSON:
Upon completion MANAGING
of this lesson, INto:A
you will be able NAS
ENVIRONMENT
• Describe the issues involved in managing a NAS environment
• Differentiate between the issues related to managing an integrated
system vs. a gateway system

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22
• Most ship with vendor management software
ABOUT MANAGING NAS DEVICES
• Have unique management issues
• Require preliminary analysis
• Need additional complementary software

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23
• Performance
• Discovery
NAS MANAGEMENT CONCERNS
• Space Management
• Backup/Recovery
• Asset Management

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24
 MANAGING NAS ENVIRONMENTS

• Managing an Integrated System

• Both NAS component and the storage array are
managed via NAS management software
• Managing a Gateway System
• NAS component managed via NAS management
software
• Storage array managed via array management
software

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25
Key points covered in this lesson:
LESSON SUMMARY
• NAS management involves several areas: performance,
discovery, space management, backup/recovery, and asset
management
• The management is handled differently in integrated and
gateway NAS environments

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26
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
LESSON: NAS EXAMPLES
• Discuss environments that would benefit from a NAS solution including:
• NAS solution for HTTP file server
• NAS consolidation
• NAS solution for Gateway NAS system

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27
 NASCurrent
HTTP FILE SERVER
Environment
SCENARIO
Internal Users

Business Clients Surfers, Shoppers

LANs / WANs

Web
Database
Transaction
Mission
Critical SAN
Servers (Fibre Channel)
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28
 Solution
NAS HTTP Internal
FILE SERVER
Users EXAMPLE

Business Clients Surfers, Shoppers

LANs / WANs

HTTP
Server

NAS Head SAN

(Fibre Channel) Database transaction
mission critical servers -
29
NAS SERVER CONSOLIDATION
Current Environment

SCENARIO
UNIX NT
W2K

Internet/Intranet

UNIX Windows

General purpose OS serving

files via -
FTP, CIFS, NFS, HTTP. . . 30
 Solution
NAS SERVER CONSOLIDATION
EXAMPLE NAS
File
Server

Internet/Intranet

UNIX Windows

General purpose OS serving

files via -
FTP, CIFS, NFS, HTTP. . . 31
• Why purchase additional Integrated NAS Storage when you have SAN
Storage?
GATEWAY NAS SCENARIO
• Capitalize on your storage investment and purchase NAS functionality
without the cost of additional NAS Storage.

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32
 GATEWAY NAS EXAMPLE
Multipurpose
Servers
NT UNIX

IP Network

FC Switch
NAS Gateway

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33
Key points covered in this lesson:
EXAMPLE SUMMARY
• HTTP example
• Consolidation example
• Gateway example

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34
 NAS CHALLENGES

• Speed
• Network latency and congestion
• Protocol stack inefficiency
• Application response requirements
• Reliability
• Connectivity
• Scalability

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35
Key points covered in this module:
MODULE SUMMARY
• A NAS server is a specialized appliance optimized for file
serving functions.
• Overview of physical and logical elements of NAS
• Connectivity options for NAS
• Common NAS topologies
• NAS connectivity devices
• NAS management considerations by environment
• Best environments for NAS solutions

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36
 CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDGE

• What are the differences between a General

Purpose Server and a NAS Device?
• What are the components of a NAS device?
• What protocol is used to connect to and
manage physical disk storage resources in a
NAS system?
• Give an example of a file sharing protocol.
• What is the difference between an integrated
NAS system and a gateway NAS system?

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37
Upon completion of this topic, you will be able to:
APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE…
• Describe EMC’s product implementation of a NAS solution

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38
 NAS EQUIPMENT BUILDING BLOCKS

• NAS device consists of:

• Network interface device (EMC called Data Mover)
• Storage interface device (EMC called Data Mover)
• Management interface device (EMC called a Control
Station)
• Storage connectivity mechanism
• Direct connect
• Gateway connect
• Storage device
Storage Interface Device Management Interface
Device
CLARiiON Storage Processor Navisphere Manager
Symmetrix FA (Fibre Channel Adapter) Service Processor

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 WHAT IS A DATA MOVER ?

A Data Mover is a specialized hardware platform with :

• Dual Intel Processors
• PCI or PCI-X based
• High memory capacity
• Multi-port Network cards
• Fibre Channel connectivity to storage arrays
• No internal storage devices
• Operates on a highly specialized Operating System,
DART (Data Access in Real Time).

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40
 WHAT DOES A DATA MOVER DO?

• Once a Data Mover has been presented storage from

a storage array, the storage is divided up using an
Automated Volume Management feature of DART to
provide volumes for file system creation.
• The Data Mover supports both NFS and CIFS
protocols simultaneously and is able to server out
data to either protocol individually or data to both
protocols at the same time.
• In order to share data out to differing clients
simultaneously the Data Mover integrates into the
security structures of both environments seamlessly

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41
 DATA MOVER SUMMARY

NS500 Data
Mover

NS700 Data
Mover

NSX Blade
Fibre I/O module GbE I/O
module
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 WHAT IS A CONTROL STATION ?

A Control Station is a dedicated management, Intel

processor based computer running EMC Linux to
provide:
• Specialized software installation and upgrade portal
• Management of high availability features
• Fault monitoring
• Fault recovery
• Fault Reporting (CallHome)
• Management of Data Mover configuration and
storage for the system configuration database
• Remote diagnosis and repair

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43
 CONTROL STATION SYSTEM
MANAGEMENT – COMMAND LINE

The Control Station provides both management interfaces to NAS

administrators:
• Command line can be accessed on the Control Station via:
• An ssh interface tool (e.g. PuTTy)
• Telnet (not enabled by default for security)
• Its primary function is for the scripting of common repetitive
tasks that may run on a predetermined schedule to ease
administrative burden
• It has approximately 80 UNIX command-like commands:
• nas_ - Generally for the configuration and management of global
resources
• server_ - Generally for the configuration and management of Data
Mover specific resources
• fs_ - Generally for special file system operations

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44
 CONTROL STATION SYSTEM
MANAGEMENT – GUI MANAGEMENT

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45
CELERRA NS FAMILY – CONTROL STATION HARDWARE

- 4
 JOINING THE BUILDING BLOCKS -
INTEGRATED
Data Mover

IP Network
Internal Network
Switch

Control Station

Serial cable connect

Internal network connect

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47
Fibre Channel storage connect
 JOINING THE BUILDING BLOCKS -
GATEWAY
Data Mover Fibre Channel
NAS NAS NAS NAS NAS NAS

Switch

IP Network
Internal Network
Switch
SAN SAN SAN SAN SAN SAN

Control Station
SAN Host(s)
Serial cable connect

Internal network connect

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48
Fibre Channel storage connect