A file system represents a set of storage resources that provide network file storage.
The storage system establishes a file system that Windows users or Linux/UNIX hosts can connect to and use for file-based storage. Users access a file system through its shares, which draw from the total storage that is allocated to the file system.
Table 1. File system storage componentsThis table describes file system storage components.
Component
Description
PowerFlex file services server
A file server that is configured with its network interfaces and other settings exclusively exporting the set of specified file systems through mount points called shares. Client systems connect to a
PowerFlex file services server on the storage system to get access to the file system shares. A
PowerFlex file services server can have more than one file system, but each file system can only be associated with one
PowerFlex file services server.
File system
A manageable container for file-based storage that is associated with the following properties:
A specific quantity of storage.
A particular file access protocol (SMB, NFS, or multiprotocol).
One or more shares (through which network hosts or users can access shared files or folders).
Share or export
A mountable access point to file system storage that network users and hosts can use for file-based storage.
Windows users or Linux/UNIX hosts
A user, host, netgroup, or subnet that has access to the share and can mount or map the resource. For Windows file systems, access to the share is based on share permissions and access control lists that assign privileges to objects defined in Active Directory. For Linux/UNIX file systems, access is permitted based on NFS access settings.
Shares and exports
Shares represent mount points through which users or hosts can access file system resources. Each share is associated with a single file system and inherits the file system protocol (SMB or NFS) established for that file system. Shares of a multiprotocol file system can be either SMB or NFS.
Access to shares is determined depending on the type of file system:
Windows (SMB) shares: Access is controlled by SMB share permissions and the ACLs on the shared directories and files. For example, you can configure share permissions using the Microsoft Computer Management utility.
Active Directory SMB servers: Configure access for users and groups using Windows directory access controls. User/group authentication is performed through Active Directory.
Stand-alone SMB servers: Manage a stand-alone SMB server within a workgroup from a Microsoft Windows host.
Linux/UNIX (NFS) exports: Hosts access is defined by the NFS access control settings of the NFS export. Use PowerFlex to configure access for individual Linux/UNIX hosts or IP address subnets.
All shares within a single file system draw from the total quantity of storage allocated for the file system. Consequently, storage space for shares is managed at the file system level.
PowerFlex file services servers
PowerFlex file services servers provide access to file systems. Each
PowerFlex file services server supports Windows (SMB) file systems, Linux/UNIX (NFS) exports, or both. To provide isolated access to a file system, you can configure a file server to function as independent file server with server-specific DNS, NIS, and other settings. The IP address of the
PowerFlex file services server provides part of the mount point that users and hosts use to map to the
PowerFlex file services storage resource, with the share name providing the rest. Each
PowerFlex file services server exposes its own set of file systems through the file system share, either SMB or NFS.
Once a
PowerFlex file services server is running, you can create and manage file systems and shares on that
PowerFlex file services server.
NOTE:You can create a file system only if there is a
PowerFlex file services server running on the storage system. The types of file systems that you can create are determined by the file sharing protocols (SMB, NFS, or multiprotocol) enabled for the file services server.
PowerFlex file services server physical requirements
PowerFlex file nodes can be configured as small, medium, or large, according to the following specifications for
Dell PowerEdge R650.
Table 2. Dell PowerEdge R650PowerFlex file nodes can be configured as small, medium, or large, according to the following specifications for
Dell PowerEdge R650.
Configuration
Cores
RAM (GB)
NICs
Local storage (GB)
Small
2 * 12 (24)
128
4 * 25 GbE
BOSS-S2 480 GB * 2 M.2
Medium
2 * 16 (32)
256
4 * 25 GbE
BOSS-S2 480 GB * 2 M.2
Large
2 * 28 (56)
256
4 * 25/100 GbE
BOSS-S2 480 GB * 2 M.2
CPU
2 * Intel® Xeon® Gold 5317 2.8G, 12C, 150W
2 * Intel® Xeon® Gold 6346 3.1G, 16C, 205W
2 * Intel® Xeon® Gold 6348 2.6G, 28C, 235W
Memory
128 GiB: 16 * 8 GiB RDIMM, 3200 MT/s, single rank
256 GiB: 16 * 16 GiB RDIMM, 3200 MT/s, dual rank
PowerFlex file nodes can be configured as small, medium, or large, according to the following specifications for
Dell PowerEdge R660.
Table 3. Dell PowerEdge R660PowerFlex file nodes can be configured as small, medium, or large, according to the following specifications for
Dell PowerEdge R660.