Using Infortrend EonNAS storage systems with Microsoft

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Using Infortrend EonNAS storage systems with Microsoft Windows Server 2012 failover clustering Application Note

Abstract:

These application notes offer a detailed step-by-step guideline to configuring

EonNAS systems for use with Windows Server 2012 failover clustering.

Designed for high availability, EonNAS systems support clustered failover

backup, which provides a physical or virtual defense against data loss by

quickly recovering a failed storage node by using other nodes in the cluster.

EonNAS systems make this process user-friendly, as shown in these notes.

Using Infortrend EonNAS storage

systems with Microsoft Windows Server

2012 failover clustering

Application notes

Using Infortrend EonNAS storage systems with Microsoft Windows Server 2012 failover clustering

Copyright © 2013 Infortrend Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Page 2 / 40

Contents

Infortrend EonNAS 3000 series .................................................................................................... 3

Windows Server 2012 .................................................................................................................... 3

Using CIFS on EonNAS ................................................................................................................. 4

EonNAS configuration for CIFS (folder sharing) ................................................................ 4

Windows Server 2012 shared folder configuration ............................................................ 6

Using NFS on EonNAS .................................................................................................................. 8

EonNAS configuration for NFS .......................................................................................... 8

Windows Server 2012 configuration for NFS ................................................................... 10

Using iSCSI target on EonNAS ................................................................................................... 11

Preparation ...................................................................................................................... 11

EonNAS configuration for iSCSI (Block Storage Device) ................................................. 12

Windows Server 2012 iSCSI initiator configuration .......................................................... 16

iSCSI disk initialization on Windows Server 2012 ............................................................ 22

Windows Server 2012 failover cluster ........................................................................................ 24

Validate failover cluster .................................................................................................... 24

Create a cluster ............................................................................................................... 29

Failover scenario ......................................................................................................................... 33

Build a file server ............................................................................................................. 33

Failover cluster test .......................................................................................................... 37

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 40



Infortrend EonNAS 3000 Series

Mid-range to high performance NAS solutions for organizations and enterprises of all sizes, with a

focus on SMBs and individual or SOHO users. The EonNAS 3000 series delivers unified storage,

consolidating file and block-based app server duties. It employs the ZFS file system to boost data

integrity and enable features such as remote replication/access, unlimited snapshot, secure pool

mirror, and efficient deduplication. All EonNAS 3000 products are compatible with Windows Server,

VMware, and Citrix, and are very user-friendly. They ensure high availability through redundant

hardware components, including dual controllers and power supplies. In addition to better reliability,

their modular build promotes faster and simpler maintenance and upgrades. Usability is improved

via Global Namespace support, which brings streamlined yet intricate management, while for

scalability the future-proof EonNAS 3000 series can grow to 256 drives via JBOD.

Windows Server 2012 failover clustering

Microsoft Windows Server 2012 is a highly scalable and flexible operating system designed for

businesses and service providers that depend on networked storage and cloud functionality. One of

the key revised features for the 2012 version is failover clustering, which supports easier

management and greater scalability for large-scope application running. A failover cluster protects

against data loss by ensuring server workload redundancy. If part of the cluster fails, the other

nodes kick in to ensure service continuity. In Windows Server 2012, failover clustering can scale to

64 nodes with as many as 8,000 virtual machines per node. Additionally, the function has a

user-friendly GUI to help with settings and detailed configuration.



Using CIFS on EonNAS

The Common Internet File System, or CIFS, is a standardized architecture used by Windows

Server 2012 to enable data sharing and failover clustering. EonNAS systems can be configured to

work with CIFS in order to create shared folders, which can then be connected to from a wide range

of clients using Windows Server 2012.

EonNAS configuration for CIFS (folder sharing)

Step 1: click Explorer, followed by Create Folder

Step 2: enter a Folder Name

Step 3: click Share



Step 4: select CIFS/FTP

Following this simple process, customers can easily connect to CIFS shared folders using Windows

Server 2012.



Windows Server 2012 shared folder configuration

Step 1: right click Computer and select Map network drive

Step 2: enter a folder path

Step 3: input your EonNAS user name and password



Once these three steps are done via Windows Server 2012, you can mount networked drives.



Using NFS on EonNAS

EonNAS systems can also be configured to use the Network File System architecture, or NFS, to

create shared folders. If you prefer this approach, simply carry out the following quick configuration

process to connect to NFS shared folders via Windows Server 2012.

EonNAS configuration for NFS

Step 1: click Explorer, then Create Folder

Step 2: enter a folder name

Step 3: click Share



Step 4: select NFS



Windows Server 2012 configuration for NFS

Step 1: install the Client for NFS feature

Step 2: type mount command “mount 10.10.10.10:/Pool-1/nfs G:”



Using iSCSI target on EonNAS

The iSCSI target service enables EonNAS systems to be seamlessly integrated into existing iSCSI

networks without having to go through complicated configuration. iSCSI-delivered data is then

directly carried over the network from hosts to EonNAS systems, allowing them to become part of

the iSCSI environment. This is very useful when extending existing network storage capacity or

adding a backup solution.

The host computer takes the role of initiator, as it initiates the data connection to your EonNAS

system, which becomes the target. Follow these steps to configure the iSCSI target feature on your

EonNAS system.

Preparation

Environment preparation

The following devices should be connected to the same network:

A host computer with Windows Server 2012 (initiator)

An EonNAS system (target) with at least one virtual pool

Open the iSCSI Initiator Properties window. Copy the Initiator Node Name in the General tab.



EonNAS configuration for iSCSI (Block Storage Device)

Step 1: configuring EonNAS iSCSI target settings

A. In the EonNAS web-based UI, go to Configuration > Service > Share. Highlight the iSCSI target

service and make sure the status is Online (click to toggle between Offline and Online)

B. Click Edit. The iSCSI initiator settings window appears. Click Add

C. Enter the Initiator Node Name of the host computer into the Initiator IQN field. In the Initiator

Alias field, enter an alias of your choice

D. If you want to add password protection, check CHAP Access (Change Handshake

Authentication Protocol) and enter a username (CHAP Name) and password (CHAP Secret).

Click OK to continue



Note: password (secret) must be 12-16 characters long

E. The initiator should now appear in the list

Step 2: creating an iSCSI target

A. In the EonNAS web-based UI, go to Explorer and click Create iSCSI



B. Fill in Volume Name, Size, and other information as relevant

Configuring iSCSI target parameters:

Volume Name: specifies the volume name. Names cannot include spaces

Size: sets the maximum disk capacity allocated for the volume. The default minimum amount

(0GB) actually means unlimited size

Thin Provisioning/Reserved: allows the system to allocate actual storage capacity as needed.

Thin provisioned size determines theoretical capacity, while reserved size determines physical

capacity available by default. Make sure the reserved size does not exceed the thin

provisioned size

Deduplication: reduces data size by eliminating identical copies. One set of original data will

be saved with references to other copies

Compression: reduces volume size by compressing data using LZJB, a lossless data

compression algorithm

CHAP/Accessed by All Initiators: if you want to add password protection, check CHAP

Access and enter a username (CHAP Name) and password (CHAP Secret) of your choice.

Select Accessed by All Initiators if password protection is not required

C. Check the iSCSI initiator list, which shows up automatically



D. Make sure the IQN initiator is highlighted in the IQN list (left column) and use the icon to

add it to the IQN members list (right column). Click Next

E. A summary of configurations pops up for confirmation. Click OK

Note: if no initiator is selected, all users can access this target. In this case, CHAP settings are not

available

F. The new iSCSI target volume appears in the Explorer menu



Windows Server 2012 iSCSI initiator configuration

Step 1: launch the Microsoft iSCSI service

In the Start menu, select Administrative Tools and click iSCSI Initiator

Step 2: connect iSCSI targets

A. In the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box, enter the IP address of the EonNAS iSCSI target and

click Quick Connect



B. In the Quick Connect window, click done. The target connects automatically

C. Repeat the process until all targets are added



Note: if you trunk multiple host ports on Infortrend storage systems into a group, you only need to

add the IP address of the trunked group

Step 3: configure MCS (Multiple Connections per Session)

Figure 1: MCS.

MCS technology increases system performance and availability by combining multiple

initiator-target connections into a single TCP/IP session. To utilize it, you need to carry out the

corresponding settings on Infortrend storage systems and the IP switch in your environment. For



configuring Infortrend storage, please refer to your SANWatch user manual. For configuring the IP

switch, please refer to its respective user manual. For Microsoft initiator MCS configuration, follow

the steps below.

A. Select a connected target and then click Properties

B. In the Properties window, click MCS



C. In the pop-up window, choose the desired MCS policy and add more connections. After

configuration is done, click OK

D. In the Properties window, you can see the Connection count increase to reflect the changes you

made





iSCSI disk initialization on Windows Server 2012

Step 1: bring the disk online

In Server Manager, the newly-added disk is shown as Offline. Right-click on the disk and select the

Bring Online option

Step 2: launch the New Simple Volume wizard

A. After the disk is brought online, right-click on it and select New Simple Volume

B. The New Simple Volume Wizard launches



Step 3: complete the New Simple Volume wizard

Follow the directions in the wizard to choose volume size, assign drive letter, and format the volume

using NTFS. After completing the wizard, disk capacity becomes usable to the host. Repeat the

process to make all disks usable.

NOTE: system drive letters in all nodes must be the same



Windows Server 2012 failover cluster

Validate failover cluster

Complete the following steps on both the N1 clustered server and N2 clustered server

Step 1: open the Server Manager Dashboard and click Add roles and features

Step 2: Choose Role-based or feature-based installation

Step 3: select the server on which you wish to enable the failover cluster feature



Step 4: skip the Server Roles page

Step 5: on the Features page select Failover Clustering then click Next to confirm the

installation



Step 6: click Validation Configuration

Step 7: the Validate a Configuration Wizard starts



Step 8: follow these directions to specify the two servers you would like to configure as a

cluster

Step 9: select Run all tests and click Next



Step 10: after validation is done, view the report to make sure your configuration is suitable

for clustering

Note: turn off firewalls on both N1 and N2



Create a cluster

Figure 2: cluster topology

EonNAS 3000 systems offer high availability with optional redundant controllers that ensure quick

recovery and failover. On the hardware level, they help shorten or even eliminate operational

downtime even if one controller is disabled due to maintenance or technical fault. Failover

clustering complements this redundant hardware design, adding a software layer that protects your

data against possible loss, with seamless integration with Windows Server 2012. In the following

example we demonstrate how to create a cluster in order to provide high availability for multiple

applications.

Note: each clustered server is able to access iSCSI targets

Step 1: in the center pane of the Failover Cluster Manager, click Create a Cluster under

Management. This starts the Create Cluster Wizard



Step 2: select the two servers you would like to configure as a cluster. Input a Cluster Name



Why is quorum necessary?

When network problems occur, they can interfere with communication between cluster nodes. A

small set of nodes might be able to communicate together across a functioning part of a network,

but might not be able to communicate with a different set of nodes in another part of the network.

This can cause serious issues. In this “split” situation, at least one of the sets of nodes must stop

running as a cluster.

To prevent the issues that are caused by a split in the cluster, the cluster software requires that any

set of nodes running as a cluster must use a voting algorithm to determine whether, at a given time,

that set has quorum. Because a given cluster has a specific set of nodes and a specific quorum

configuration, the cluster will know how many “votes” constitute a majority (that is, a quorum). If the

number drops below the majority, the cluster stops running. Nodes will still listen for the presence of

other nodes, in case another node appears again on the network, but the nodes will not begin to

function as a cluster until the quorum exists again.

For example, in a five-node cluster that is using a node majority, consider what will happen if nodes

1, 2, and 3 can communicate with each other but not with nodes 4 and 5. Nodes 1, 2, and 3

constitute a majority, and they continue running as a cluster. Nodes 4 and 5 are a minority and stop

running as a cluster, which prevents the problems of a “split” situation. If node 3 loses

communication with other nodes, all nodes stop running as a cluster. However, all functioning

nodes will continue to listen for communication, so that when the network begins working again, the

cluster can form and begin to run.

Quoted source:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770620(v=ws.10).aspx#BKMK_requirements

Step 3: cluster successfully created. The system automatically assigns the first available

disk to the host as the quorum disk

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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770620(v=ws.10).aspx#BKMK_requirements



Step 4: add disks to the cluster. In Server Manager, click Storage under Features > Failover

Cluster Manager > (the cluster you created). In the right-hand Actions pane, click Add Disk

Step 5: in the Add Disks to a Cluster window, choose the disks you would like to add from

the list and click OK

The disks will be added as available storage to the cluster



Failover scenario

Figure 3: host failover scenario

In order to demonstrate that clustering on EonNAS systems provides additional high availability

protection by facilitating failover between nodes, we create a file server role on the N1 clustered

server. Then, we shut down N1 to see if the file server keeps servicing clients from the N2 clustered

server.

Build a file server

Step 1: open the Failover Cluster Manager > right-click Role > Configure Role



Step 2: select File Server

Step 3: select File Server Type and choose File Server for general use

Step 4: set user access point



Step 5: select storage

Step 6: confirm settings



Step 7: once settings are complete, you can find the FS file server in the Failover Cluster

Manager



Failover cluster test

Step 1: ping FS



Step 2: FS is located on N1 now

Step 3: shut down N1

Step 4: although one request timed out, clients can still receive echo packages from FS





Conclusion

Combined with the high availability design of EonNAS 3000 series storage systems, the failover

clustering features of Windows Server 2012 contribute to strong backup and recovery capabilities

that ensure your operations go on uninterrupted. Clustering allows nearly any workload to be

protected with failover response, and the high degree of compatibility ensured by EonNAS systems

translates into some of the quickest failover times in the industry. Also, as shown in this guide, the

setup process is simple and user-friendly, and does not require any overly elaborate technical

skills – making it accessible to more team members.

Documents

Using Infortrend EonNAS storage systems with Microsoft