Monday, November 28, 2011

Introduction to Netapp Storage

Introduction to Netapp Storage :

Netapp is also known as network appliances (Netapp).

Other Storage main vendors are :
  • EMC
  • Hitachi Data Systems
  • HP
  • IBM
The netapp filer is also know as NetApp fabric-Attached Storage (FAS). It is a type of disk storage device which owns and controls a filesystem and presents file and directories over the network.

NetApp Filers can offer the following

  • Supports SAN, NAS, FC, SATA, iSCSI, FCoE and Ethernet all on the same platform
  • Supports either SATA, FC and SAS disk drives
  • Supports block protocols such as iSCSI, Fibre Channel and AoE
  • Supports file protocols such as NFS, CIFS , FTP, TFTP and HTTP
  • High availability
  • Easy Management
  • Scalable 
History : 

NetApp was created in 1992 by David Hitz, James Lau and Michael Malcolm, the company become public in 1995 and grew rapidly in the dot com boom, the companies headquarters are in Sunnyvale, California, US.

The netapp filer can also act as NAS or SAN, it servers storage over a network using either file-based or block-based protocols.

File-Based protocol :   NFS, CIFS, FTP, TFTP, HTTP
Block-Based protocol : Fibre Channel (FC), Fibre Channel over ethernet (FCoE), Internet SCSI.

Filer acts as a controller or head node. filer run's Netapp's own adapted operating system (based on FreeBSD) called DATA Ontap, it is highly tuned for storage-serving purpose.

Filer offers 2 RAID options, you can also create very large RAID arrays upto 28 disks, this depends on the type of filler.

RAID 4 :   Offers single parity on a dedicated disk (unlike RAID 5)
RAID 6 :   Is the same as Raid 5 but offers double parity, 2 disk in the raid could fail.

NETAPP BACKUP:

Netapp offers 2 types of backup :

Dump:
  1. backs up files and directories
  2. Supports level-0, incremental and differential backups 
  3. Supports single file restore
  4. Capable of backing only the base snapshot copy
SMTape:

  1. Backs up blocks of data to tape
  2. Supports only level-0 backup
  3. does not support single file restore
  4. capable of backing up multiple snapshot copies in a volume
  5. does not support remote tape backups and restores



Installing Netapp Simulator

Installing -- Netapp Simulator

Netapp simulator can be downloaded from the below mentioned link:

ftp://ftp.netapp.com/frm-ntap/opensource/MultiStore%20Student%20Labs%20and%20Binaries/NetApp%20MultiStore%20Training%20Sim%207.3.1
 
The simulator can be loaded onto a Redhat Linux box and looks and feels exactly like Data Ontap.

Steps to install Simulator:
 
1.    Download the simulator from Netapp and mount it on Linux machine.
[root@server storage]# mkdir /storage
[root@server media]# cp -rvf * /storage            [copy from DVD to /storage]
[root@server storage]# ls
disks2.tgz doc          readme.htm setup.sh Vmware, Linux and Simulator installation.doc
disks.tgz   license.htm runsim.sh   sim.tgz
2.    Install the simulator software, using the setup script as below:
        [root@server storage]# ./setup.sh version22

Script version 22 (18/Sep/2007)
Where to install to? [/sim]: /data/
Would you like to install as a cluster? [no]: no
Would you like full HTML/PDF FilerView documentation to be installed [yes]: yes
Continue with installation? [no]: yes
Creating /data/
Unpacking sim.tgz to /data/
Configured the simulators mac address to be [00:50:56:14:2d:24]
Please ensure the simulator is not running.
Your simulator has 3 disk(s). How many more would you like to add? [0]: 21

The following disk types are available in MB:
        Real (Usable)
  a -   43   (14)
  b -   62   (30)
  c -   78   (45)
  d - 129   (90)
  e - 535   (450)
  f - 1024   (900)

If you are unsure choose the default option a
What disk size would you like to use? [a]: e
Disk adapter to put disks on? [0]:
Use DHCP on first boot? [yes]:
Ask for floppy boot? [no]:
Checking the default route...
The network interfaces have been examined for use by the simulator:
Recommended for the simulator:     eth0
Not recommended for the simulator: veth3 (no ip address) veth2 (no ip address) veth0 (no ip address) peth1 (no ip address) eth1 (default route)
Which network interface should the simulator use? [eth0]:
Your system has 349MB of free memory. The smallest simulator memory you should choose is 110MB. The maximum simulator memory is 309MB.
The recommended memory is 512MB.
Your original default appears to be too high. Seriously consider adjusting to below the maximum amount of 309MB.
How much memory would you like the simulator to use? [512]:
Create a new log for each session? [no]: yes
Adding 21 additional disk(s).
Complete. Run /data/runsim.sh to start the simulator.

3.    Run /data/runsim.sh and provide the details during the first boot and halt the simulator.
[root@server storage]# /data/runsim.sh
runsim.sh script version Script version 22 (18/Sep/2007)
This session is logged in /data/sessionlogs/log-1423932024

NetApp Release 7.3.4: Thu May 27 15:43:26 PDT 2010
Copyright (c) 1992-2010 NetApp.
Starting boot on Sat Feb 14 16:40:26 GMT 2015
Sat Feb 14 16:43:43 GMT [iomem.init.fail:CRITICAL]: Failed to initialize acceleration card (model name X1938A-R5, serial number 5012345670, part number virgo-simulator) in slot 1.
Password is too short (SNMPv3 requires at least 8 characters).
        NetApp Release 7.3.4: Thu May 27 15:43:26 PDT 2010
        System ID: 0099929383 ()
        System Serial Number: 987654-32-0 ()
        System Storage Configuration: Multi-Path
        System ACP Connectivity: NA
        Model Name: Simulator
        Processors: 1
        slot 0: NetApp Virtual SCSI Host Adapter v0
                24 Disks:             11.2GB
                2 shelves with LRC
        slot 1: NetApp Virtual SCSI Host Adapter v1
        slot 2: NetApp Virtual SCSI Host Adapter v2
        slot 3: NetApp Virtual SCSI Host Adapter v3
        slot 4: NetApp Virtual SCSI Host Adapter v4
                24 Disks:             11.2GB
                2 shelves with LRC
        slot 5: NetApp Virtual SCSI Host Adapter v5
        slot 6: NetApp Virtual SCSI Host Adapter v6
        slot 7: NetApp Virtual SCSI Host Adapter v7
        slot 8: NetApp Virtual SCSI Host Adapter v8
                4 Tapes:            VT-100MB
                                    VT-100MB
Please enter the new hostname []: Sat Feb 14 16:44:22 GMT [shelf.config.multipath:info]: All attached storage on the system is multi-pathed.
storage
Do you want to enable IPv6? [n]: n
Do you want to configure virtual network interfaces? [n]: n
Please enter the IP address for Network Interface ns0 [192.168.65.143]:
Please enter the netmask for Network Interface ns0 [255.255.255.0]:
Please enter media type for ns0 {100tx-fd, auto} [auto]:
Please enter the IP address for Network Interface ns1 []:
Would you like to continue setup through the web interface? [n]:
Please enter the name or IP address of the IPv4 default gateway [192.168.65.2]:
        The administration host is given root access to the filer's
        /etc files for system administration.  To allow /etc root access
        to all NFS clients enter RETURN below.
Please enter the name or IP address of the administration host:
Please enter timezone [GMT]:
Where is the filer located? []:
What language will be used for multi-protocol files (Type ? for list)?:
Language not set
Do you want to run DNS resolver? [n]:
Do you want to run NIS client? [n]:
        The Shelf Alternate Control Path Management process provides the ability
        to recover from certain SAS shelf module failures and provides a level of
        availability that is higher than systems not using the Alternate Control
        Path Management process.
Do you want to configure the Shelf Alternate Control Path Management interface for SAS shelves [n]: Setting the administrative (root) password for storage...

New password:
Retype new password:
This process will enable CIFS access to the filer from a Windows(R) system.
Use "?" for help at any prompt and Ctrl-C to exit without committing changes.

        Your filer is currently visible to all systems using WINS. The WINS
        name server currently configured is: [ 192.168.65.2 ].

(1) Keep the current WINS configuration
(2) Change the current WINS name server address(es)
(3) Disable WINS

Selection (1-3)? [1]: 1
        A filer can be configured for multiprotocol access, or as an NTFS-only
        filer. Since multiple protocols are currently licensed on this filer,
        we recommend that you configure this filer as a multiprotocol filer

(1) Multiprotocol filer
(2) NTFS-only filer

        'pcuser', and 'nobody'.
Enter the password for the root user []:
Retype the password:
        The default name for this CIFS server is 'STORAGE'.
Would you like to change this name? [n]:
        Data ONTAP CIFS services support four styles of user authentication.
        Choose the one from the list below that best suits your situation.

(1) Active Directory domain authentication (Active Directory domains only)
(2) Windows NT 4 domain authentication (Windows NT or Active Directory domains)
(3) Windows Workgroup authentication using the filer's local user accounts
(4) /etc/passwd and/or NIS/LDAP authentication

Selection (1-4)? [1]: 4
What is the name of the Workgroup? [WORKGROUP]: example.com
Sat Feb 14 16:46:11 GMT [passwd.changed:info]: passwd for user 'root' changed.
CIFS - Starting SMB protocol...
Welcome to the EXAMPLE.COM Windows(R) workgroup

CIFS local server is running.
Password:
Storage> Sat Feb 14 16:46:14 GMT [console_login_mgr:info]: root logged in from console

Storage>

4.    Run /data/runsim.sh to start the Netapp simulator again. You can launch the FilerView with url
http://192.168.65.143/na_admin/

Difference between San VS NAS ?

Q. What is Difference between SAN and NAS?

A. NAS is a single storage device which operates on data files. SAN is a local network of multiple devices which operate on disk blocks

Points for SAN :
  1. It uses Fibre Channel
  2. Encapsulated SCSI
  3. Just the server class devices with SCSI Fibre Channels can connect to the SAN. The Fibre Channel of SAN has a limitation of approx 10KM.
  4. A SAN addresses data by disk block number and transfers raw disk blocks 
  5. File sharing depends on the OS and does not exists in many operating systems
  6. File systems managed by Servers 
  7. Backup and mirror requires a block by block copy, even if blocks are empty. A mirror machine must be of equal to or greater in capacity compared to the source volume.
Points for NAS :

  1. It uses TCP/IP Networks – Ethernet, FDDI and ATM
  2. Protocols used – TCP/IP and NFS/CIFS/HTTP
  3. Almost any machine which can get connected to LAN (or is interconnected to the LAN through WAN) can use NFS, CIFS or HTTP protocol to connect to a NAS and share Files. 
  4. A NAS identifies data by file name and bytes offsets, transfers file data or file meta-data (File’s owner, permissions, creation data, etc.) and handles security, user authentication, file locking.
  5. A NAS permits better sharing of information especially between disparate operating systems such as UNIX and NT
  6. File systems managed by NAS head unit.
  7. Backups and Mirrors (utilizing features like Netapp snapshots) are done on files, not blocks, for a savings in bandwidth and time. A snapshot can be tiny compared to source volume.






Saturday, November 5, 2011

RHEL 6.1

Its being time now that RHEL 6.1 has been cruising in the market.

Lets begin with it folks ..