StorNext File System

The highest performance is achieved by connecting to a StorNext cluster using StorNext client software. Apple machines may take advantage of the XSAN client built into MacOS. Windows and Linux machines require a simple code installation. StorNext clients connect in direct mode or proxy mode. For the fastest performance and lowest latency route to the storage, RDMA, FC SAN, and IB SAN clients connect directly to the storage network. LAN clients use proxy mode – gaining access to the shared storage through a proxy using a custom high-performance protocol.

NAS connectivity is simple and requires no separate client software installation. In a StorNext cluster, one or more nodes may be configured as NAS gateways. NAS gateway nodes work together to provide automatic load balancing and failover, and support both SMB and NFS for universal connectivity.

A StorNext Scale-out File Storage cluster may also act as a simple S3-compatible object store. Any S3-aware application or utility may be used to PUT and GET objects. Multiple object stores, projects, and buckets may be defined.

FlexTier makes StorNext self-protecting. FlexTier policies write files to secondary storage or cloud upon arrival, track copies and versions, and automatically offloads unused files from primary storage to make room for hot content. The Offline File Manager plug-in for Windows Explorer and Mac Finder gives end-users visibility and control over content location.

FlexSync is a simple, high-performance tool for creating local or remote replicas, from single directories to complete file systems. FlexSync is the only replication and synchronization tool that protects all StorNext-specific metadata, providing an absolute one-for-one copy.

Every file system needs rules to ensure the equitable distribution of resources. StorNext supports quotas for managing and reporting on usage of both primary and secondary storage. User, group, directory, and project-level quotas provide a flexible structure. A system of soft limits, grace periods, and hard limits enables enforcement from simply reporting violations to blocking new data from being written.

Storage performance is a valuable resource. StorNext Quality of Service (QoS) rules enable administrators to control bandwidth allocation to clients based on their needs and priorities. Critical users can be guaranteed bandwidth, while other clients share the remaining throughput based on a hierarchical priority structure.

StorNext introduces two layers of abstraction that provide important expanded capabilities. Stripe groups enable scaling both file system performance and capacity by aggregating multiple storage arrays and allowing the separation of data with different access patterns.

File system pools maximize the utility of your high-performance storage and reduce overall storage cost. Pools are an optional, second layer of abstraction within a StorNext file system, and enable primary storage tiering, which transparently moves data between different classes of primary storage, such as NVMe and HDD.

One of the most important jobs of any file system is determining where to place files on storage. Allocation is a critical function because it affects performance. StorNext uses multiple intelligent allocation techniques, including optimistic allocation, a patented method known as Allocation Session Reservation, and a patented method for avoiding the read/modify/write penalty incurred by short writes.

File system metadata includes file names, locations, timestamps, permissions, flags, and other attributes. This is distinct from content metadata – things like artist, track number, and bitrate. StorNext manages file system metadata, leaving content metadata management to external applications. Metadata operations must be fast and efficient, so they don’t impede file system performance. To achieve this, StorNext stores metadata separately from file data, and can even flow metadata communication over a separate network from the data. A patented compressed L2 metadata cache ensures that all or most metadata reads are from RAM, and a patented buffering system accelerates metadata writes. Many additional patents cover advances in metadata communication and file system journaling. A custom, patented spatial database is used to archive all metadata changes, eliminating the need to scan to detect changes to the file system.

Day-to-day administrative and monitoring tasks are easily accomplished using the StorNext web GUI.

Quantum’s optional Cloud Analytics console enables administrators to monitor all of their StorNext systems and Quantum tape libraries from anywhere. Quantum Service and Support provides proactive troubleshooting.

While the Web GUI and CLI are useful for everyday administrative activities, the Web Services API (WSAPI) is a modern, secure interface for connecting applications to StorNext. Many Quantum Technology Partners have integrated their applications with StorNext, using the WSAPI to gain information about StorNext’s internal state, or drive operations directly from their applications.

Every system administrator knows that automation of commonly performed tasks can save time and reduce errors, and automation means scripting. StorNext provides a comprehensive command-line interface (CLI) enabling administrators to script any action available in the GUI, and more. Scripts may be run ad-hoc or scheduled.