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Manage storage pools

Topics

• Storage pools

• Storage resources

Storage pools​

Storage pools can consolidate physical storage resources into logical units, providing

flexible and efficient storage management features, which can enhance data access performance and resource usage.

• Manage storage pools

• Manage the hosts using the specified storage pool

• Manage the VMs using the specified storage pool

• Disk (storage volume) management

• Monitor storage pool performance

• Manage storage pool alarms

Manage storage pools​

Storage pools are used to manage shared storage resources within a cluster. A shared

storage resource refers to a storage pool that is simultaneously mounted by multiple hosts within the cluster. Cluster features involving online automatic migration of VMs, such as HA and DRS, rely on shared storage. Using shared storage ensures that VM migration only involves the transfer of computing resources, not storage resources, thereby reducing the time required for migration.

Restriction and guidelines

• Do not map a storage pool to hosts or VMs on other cloud platforms, as this might cause storage data conflicts and pose risks of data corruption or loss.

• If a storage pool is being used by running VMs or other processes, deleting the storage pool will result in the deletion of files within it, making the VMs unusable. Before deleting a storage pool, verify that the storage pool is not in use, and migrate the necessary files to another storage pool.

• Formatting a storage pool will clear all files within it and delete existing data. Proceed with caution and make sure the data is no longer needed. Formatting is not allowed when the block device space is less than 9 GB.

• The disk pool used for creating shared file system block devices uses thin provisioning by default. When you expand its capacity, make sure the total actual used capacity is less than the actual usable capacity of the disk pool. Overcommitment might lead to service disruption, data loss, or even storage cluster crashes.

Add a storage pool

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. Click Add.

  3. Configure the parameters as needed.

  4. Click OK.

Refresh a storage pool

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Click Refresh in the Actions column for the target storage pool.

Format a storage pool

Formatting a storage pool will clear all files within it. Proceed with caution and make sure the data is no longer needed. An NVMe-oF shared file system can only be formatted as a distributed lock.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Click More in the Actions column for the target storage pool, and then select Disk Formatting.

  4. Configure the parameters as needed.

  5. Click OK.

View detailed information about storage pools

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Click More in the Actions column for the target storage pool, and then select View Storage Pool Details.

Edit a storage volume

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Click More in the Actions column for the target storage pool, and then select Edit.

  4. Configure the parameters as needed.

  5. Click OK.

Delete a storage pool

Deleting a storage pool will unmount it from the cluster hosts. As long as the corresponding block device is not deleted, the data will not be affected.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Click More in the Actions column for the target storage pool, and then select Delete.

  4. Click OK.

Parameters Add/edit a storage pool

• Type: Select a storage type, which can be shared file system.

• Shared File System Type: Select a shared file system type. Stretched clusters do not support NVMe-oF shared file systems.

• Data Center: Select the data center to which the storage pool belongs.

• Name: Specify a back-end name for the shared file system.

• Description: Specify a description for the storage pool.

• Alias: Specify an alias for the shared file system.

• Classification Level: Select the confidentiality level of the storage pool.

• Target Path: Specify the mount point of the storage pool on the host. This parameter is displayed when the storage type is shared storage.

• IP Address: Specify the service IP address on the storage side. This parameter is displayed when you select iSCSI or NVMe-oF shared storage. For distributed storage within the system, it is recommended to fill in the storage front-end network IP address of the storage node. For NVMe-oF shared storage, 127.0.0.1 or high-availability virtual IP addresses are not supported. For external IP SAN storage, fill in the IP address of the IP SAN storage server here. When IP SAN storage supports multipath, multiple IP addresses can be entered here, separated by semicolons (;).

• LUN: Select the LUN used by the shared file system. This parameter is required for iSCSI storage.

• SUBNQN: Identifies a specific client or sub-device connected to the NVMe-oF target, typically including a domain name and a name to ensure the uniqueness of each device in an environment. This parameter is required when the storage pool type is NVMe-oF shared file system.

• UUID: Unique identifier string of the storage volume. This field is displayed automatically when SUBNQN is selected.

• NAA: Unique identifier of the LUN on the storage server. When the type of the shared file system is iSCSI, this parameter is determined by the selected LUN. When the type of the shared file system is FC, a LUN must be selected.

• Cluster Size (KB): The minimum unit of disk space occupied by a file. If a file's capacity is larger than a single cluster size, it will be stored across multiple clusters. If a file's capacity is smaller than a single cluster size, it will occupy an entire cluster exclusively. Files stored in a shared file system are mostly VM image files. As a best practice, set the cluster size as large as possible to enhance disk data read performance while avoiding excessive waste of disk space.

• Lock Type: When formatting a shared file system, you must select a lock type to control the method of concurrent access to the file system. Options include distributed lock and hardware-assisted lock.

• Distributed Lock: A distributed lock is a mechanism used to manage resource access among multiple nodes, ensuring that only one node can access a shared storage resource at a time in a distributed storage system. It provides mutual exclusion between nodes through network protocols, preventing multiple nodes from operating on the same resource simultaneously.

• Hardware-Assisted Lock: A hardware-assisted lock is a disk-based lock manager where lock information is stored in dedicated lock areas on the disk. Mutual exclusion between nodes in the cluster is achieved through the disk, ensuring that the entire storage cluster remains available as long as the storage link is functional, even if the management network between hosts is abnormal.

• Service Storage: When enabled, it indicates that the system can use this shared file system when automatically deploying VMs to the cluster. It is recommended to enable this option. This parameter must be set when the storage type is a storage pool.

View the storage pool list

• Name: Name of the storage pool.

• Alias: Alias of the storage pool.

• Description: Description of the storage pool.

• Data Center: Data center to which the storage pool belongs.

• Type: Storage pool type.

• Target Path: Storage path of the storage pool.

• Total: Total capacity of the storage pool.

• Allocated: Allocated capacity of the storage pool. For zeroed and delayed-zeroed disks, the allocated capacity includes the full capacity

requested by the disk. For thin-provisioned disks, the allocated capacity includes the actual capacity currently occupied by the disk.

• Available: Available capacity of the storage pool.

• Locking Type: Locking type used by the storage pool.

○ Distributed Locking: A distributed lock is a network-based lock manager that provides mutual exclusion between nodes via the network. Network disruptions between hosts may affect the normal use of storage.

○ Hardware-Assisted Locking: A hardware-assisted lock is a disk-based lock manager where lock information is stored in dedicated lock areas on the disk. Mutual exclusion between nodes in the cluster is achieved through the disk, ensuring that the entire storage cluster remains available as long as the storage link is functional, even if the management network between hosts is abnormal.

• Classification Level: Confidentiality level of the storage pool.

• Service Storage: Whether the storage pool is used as service storage. If it is, the storage pool can be used for the deployment and operation of VMs.

Manage the hosts using the specified storage pool​

Manage the hosts using the specified storage pool Allow specific hosts to use the specified storage pool

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select the target storage pool, and then click Add in the Hosts tab below.

  4. In the window that opens, click Select Host.

  5. Select the target hosts, and then click OK.

  6. Click OK.

Start the specified storage pool for multiple hosts in bulk

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, select the target hosts in the Hosts tab below, click Bulk Actions, and then select Start Storage Pool.

  4. Click OK.

Suspend the specified storage pool for multiple hosts in bulk

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, select the target hosts in the Hosts tab below, click Bulk Actions, and then select Suspend Storage Pool.

  4. Click OK.

Delete the specified storage pool for multiple hosts in bulk

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, select the target hosts in the Hosts tab below, click Bulk Actions, and then select Delete Storage Pool.

  4. Click OK.

Manage the VMs using the specified storage pool​

Manage the VMs using the specified storage pool

Perform this task to view information about the VMs using the specified storage pool.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, and then click the VMs tab below.

Parameters

• Alias: Alias of the VM.

• Description: Description of the VM.

• Host: Name of the host on which the VM resides.

• State: VM running state.

• CPU: Numbers of CPUs and cores of the VM.

• Memory: Memory size of the VM.

• OS: Operating system of the VM.

• IPv4 Address: IPv4 address of the VM.

Disk (storage volume) management​

Perform this task to manage storage volumes of a storage pool.

Create a level-2 directory

Before creating a level-2 directory, enable the storage pool level-2 directory feature in basic system parameters. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  1. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  2. Select a storage pool, and then click the Disks (Storage Volumes) tab below.

  3. Click Create Level-2 Directory. Configure the directory name, and then click OK.

Create a storage volume

Perform this task to create a new storage volume in the storage pool, and the created storage volume can be used as a VM disk.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, and then click the Disks (Storage Volumes) tab below.

  4. Click Add Storage Volume, configure the related parameters, and then click OK. For more information about the related parameters, see Storage volumes.

Upload/download files

Perform this task to upload or download files in the storage pool, facilitating efficient management and transfer of stored data for users.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, and then click the Disks (Storage Volumes) tab below.

  4. Perform the following tasks as needed:

    ○ To upload a file, click Upload Files, and upload the target file in the window that opens. After the file is uploaded successfully, click Close.

    ○ To download a file, click Download in the Actions column for the target file.

Delete files

Perform this task to delete files individually or in batches within the storage pool, allowing you to flexibly manage memory space.

Monitor storage pool performance​

This function performs real-time performance monitoring for storage pools that have

been added to the management platform. Through a graphical interface, you can easily view key performance indicators, which facilitates identification of potential performance bottlenecks.

Procedure

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. Select the target storage pool, and then click the Monitor tab.

  3. To view the performance statistics of the shared file system, click the Host tab.

  4. To view storage volume performance statistics, click the Storage Volumes tab. In icon mode, you can click the icon to switch the display mode to List. In list mode, you can click the icon to switch the display mode to Icon. a. Filter performance statistics by file name or username. b. Click the icon to select the items to be displayed.

  5. Use the TOP N and Time Range parameters to filter performance statistics. The legend format for the TOP N graphs is Storage Volume Name[VM Name]. If legend names are duplicated, digits are appended at the end for distinction.

Parameters

• I/O Read Throughput: Total amount of data read from the storage pool/storage volume per unit time.

• I/O Write Throughput: Total amount of data written to the storage pool/storage volume per unit time.

• Disk I/O Read Latency: Interval between initiating a read request and receiving the requested data.

• Disk I/O Write Latency: Interval between initiating a write request and confirming that data writing has succeeded.

• Disk Read Requests: Number of read requests completed by the storage pool/storage volume per unit time.

• Disk Write Requests: Number of write requests completed by the storage pool/storage volume per unit time.

Manage storage pool alarms​

Shared file system related to alarm.

Review alarms

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, and then click the Alarm tab below.

Acknowledge alarms

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, and then click the Alarm tab below. Select the target alarms, and then click Acknowledge.

Delete alarms

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, and then click the Alarm tab below. Select the target alarms, and then click Delete. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Clear alarms

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

  3. Select a storage pool, and then click the Alarm tab below. Click Clear.

  4. Configure the alarm state, severity, type, start time, and end time, and then click OK.

Configure alarm thresholds

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Pool.

  2. (Optional.) If multiple data centers exist, you can select the target data center to display storage pools of the data center.

Storage resources​

Storage resource management enables you to manage iSCSI storage resources and

the hosts associated with them. This feature does not manage physical storage devices (such as block storage and LUNs) but manages the IP addresses of third-party storage that can provide storage resources and incorporates them into the current management platform. You can associate storage resources with hosts on the management platform, allowing the associated hosts to use the storage devices.

Add a storage resource

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Resources.

  2. Click Add Storage Resource.

  3. Configure the parameters as needed.

  4. Click OK.

Associate hosts with a storage resource

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Resources.

  2. Click Associate Hosts in the Actions column for a storage resource.

  3. Click Add. Select the hosts to be associated with the storage resource, and then click OK.

  4. To change the IQN for a host to access the storage resource, click Set IQN in the Actions column for that host. To remove a host from the associated host list of a storage resource, click Remove in the Actions column for that host.

  5. Click OK.

Dissociate a host from a storage resource

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Resources.

  2. Select the target storage resource. The system will display the associated hosts below.

  3. Select the target host, and then click Unbind.

Edit a storage resource

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Resources.

  2. Click More in the Actions column for the target storage resource, and then select Edit.

  3. Edit the parameters as needed as needed.

  4. Click OK.

Delete a storage resource

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Resources.

  2. Click More in the Actions column for the target storage resource, and then select Delete.

  3. Click OK.

Add an IP address

To enhance the redundancy and load balancing capacity of an external storage resource, perform this task to add multipath IP addresses for that resource. When the system fails or load balancing is not even, the system can still operate correctly.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Storage. From the left navigation pane, select Storage Pools > Storage Resources.

  2. Click More in the Actions column for the target storage resource, and then select Add IP Address. Configure the parameters as needed.

  3. Click OK.

Parameters

• Name: Specify a name for the storage resource. The name cannot be edited once set.

• Description: Enter the description of the storage resource.

• Type: Select the storage resource type. Only iSCSI is available.

• Storage IP Type: Select the IP address type of the storage resource. Options include IPv4 and IPv6.

• Storage IP: Enter the storage IP address. To enter multiple storage IP addresses, separate them with semicolons (;), for example, 192.168.0.27;192.168.0.28.

• Enable CHAP Authentication: Select whether to enable CHAP authentication. In the current software version, only iSCSI storage resources support CHAP authentication. CHAP authentication is a mechanism used to ensure data access security. Depending on the direction of authentication, CHAP authentication can be categorized into incoming and outgoing methods. Incoming authentication refers to the storage system authenticating the NSphere clients, while outgoing authentication refers to the NSphere clients authenticating the storage system. Through CHAP authentication, only authenticated clients can access the block storage resources of the storage cluster, thereby enhancing data security. When CHAP authentication is enabled on the storage system, it must also be enabled on this management platform, and you must enter the username and key provided by the storage system.

○ Username: Specify the username for CHAP authentication on the storage system.

○ Key: Specify the key for CHAP authentication on the storage system.

○ Bidirectional CHAP: Specify whether CHAP authentication is required on the management platform when the storage system accesses the management platform. If you enable bidirectional CHAP, you must set the username and key.

▪ Username: Specify the username for CHAP authentication on the management platform.