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A key feature of PowerStore is the ability to support multiple NAS servers on the same array. This support has multiple benefits, including the following:
NAS servers support multitenancy.
NAS servers are logically separated from each other.
Clients of one NAS server do not have access to data on other NAS servers. Each NAS server has its own independent configuration (for example, DNS, LDAP, NIS, interfaces, protocols, and so forth).
Because each NAS instance is isolated, multiple environments can share a single system. Enforced isolation helps increase security and stability.
Because a NAS instance runs on a single node to get maximum performance, a minimum of two NAS servers is recommended. The load can then be split between the two instances. The type of data determines the best method of balancing the load.
For user profiles, a tool like VMware Dynamic Environment Manager (DEM) can be used to balance the data across multiple file systems. This tool allows setting dynamic rules to place data based on user-defined criteria. This use automates data redirection for greater control and centralized management.
NAS servers are highly available by design. If there is a single-node failure or an in-place upgrade, the service is designed to fail over to the other node automatically. However, there are some points to be aware of.
Failback is a manual process. If a node failure does occur at some point, a maintenance event should be scheduled to move the NAS instance back to the preferred node.
Failover generally completes within 30 s to avoid host timeouts. A maintenance event should be scheduled if possible but is not required.
NAS servers are automatically moved to the peer node during upgrades. This movement should be performed outside of business hours if the IO or CPU demand on the appliance is high during the business day. Once the upgrade is complete, NAS servers should be moved back to their preferred nodes.
PowerStore arrays support multiple file systems for flexibility, security, and availability. This support allows for creating file shares that are based on user type or operating environment. A single NAS and file-system instance can support both SMB and NFS simultaneously.
The SMB file system on PowerStore supports SMB versions up to SMB3.1.1. This support allows essentially any version of Microsoft Windows to connect to file shares hosted on PowerStore.
The following Windows features are supported at the file-system level:
At the share level, the following features are available:
With support of NFS v3 and v4.1, and Secure NFS, files can be shared across operating systems. With LDAP service integration, user permissions can be set across an organization.
Integrating NFS file systems with Windows users requires careful group-membership and permissions planning to ensure that users can properly share files.
Minimum security: Minimum security is allowed when connecting to an NFS export.
Access levels: Levels can be set for default access or individual hosts.
If access is shared across Windows and UNIX or Linux clients, access levels and permissions should be clearly defined and applied across exports and shares. Because of the differing permissions models, take caution when files and directories are shared among these platforms.