Before You Install

Note: This ONLY applies if your system is running StorNext 6.x. Beginning with StorNext 7.0, you must purchase and install a Node license on your system (contact your Quantum Sales representative to obtain a Node license).

FlexSync is a separately licensed feature for use with StorNext 6.x.

FlexSync uses a count-type license. The count in the license file is the number of hosts expected to be required for all activity. You must install the license on the MDC where the FlexSync administrative daemon process (flexsyncadmind) is running, which is where the license check is performed. If any of the Tasks are between more than one MDC pair, the only pair that requires the FlexSync license is the one with the running FlexSync administrative daemon process.

Note: You must install the StorNext license file that includes the number of hosts (data movers) available to perform replication tasks on the Xcellis or M-series appliance that you are using to configure your FlexSync replication tasks.

• FlexSync configurations that create replicas of locally or cross-mounted file systems require 1 data mover.
• FlexSync solutions that transmit files across WAN or LAN connections require a license with at least 2 data movers.

• FlexSync supports data movement to and from 3rd party file systems and disk mounts, such as NAS / SMB and NFS-based mounts.

  Note: When you replicate between StorNext file systems, the advanced metadata capabilities within StorNext allow FlexSync to identify and copy only changed and new files without needing to scan the file system, dramatically shortening the time and resources needed to create a file replica. When you use FlexSync to replicate data from a third party file system, FlexSync must do a full scan of the third party file system to determine changes before it can create file replicas; this scan of the third party storage results in lower replication performance versus a native StorNext to StorNext replication task, and can have an impact on the metadata performance of the third party storage.

  Access Control List (ACL) and Metadata

  Depending on how an ACL and metadata is stored by an application, it is on a case by case basis if the information is preserved (for example, StorNext metadata in the file system versus user defined metadata within an application). If the information is saved as encoding within the file, then it is present. A file system ACL is not replicated since it is different from a StorNext file system ACL, but the files are replicated without any restraint.

  Note: If StorNext is installed on both the target mount and the destination mount, the ACL is preserved. If one of the mounts does not have StorNext installed on it, then the ACL is not preserved.

See Obtain the FlexSync License.

To take advantage of the performance and scalability of StorNext FlexSync, the same version of FlexSync software must be installed on every MDC within a FlexSync environment. Mixed versions of FlexSync are not supported. See Considerations for additional information.

FlexSync version 3.0 (or later) S3 object-based replication only supports the following object storage destinations:

• Amazon AWS S3.

• Lattus and ActiveScale S3.

You can run FlexSync on the following Operating Systems supported by StorNext:

• AlmaLinux release 8

• CentOS release 7, 8

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux release 7, 8

• Rocky Linux release 8

See the StorNext Compatibility Guide for details on the specific Operating System release or version supported by StorNext.

FlexSync supports data movement to and from 3rd party file systems and disk mounts, such as NAS / SMB and NFS-based mounts.

Note: When you replicate between StorNext file systems, the advanced metadata capabilities within StorNext allow FlexSync to identify and copy only changed and new files without needing to scan the file system, dramatically shortening the time and resources needed to create a file replica. When you use FlexSync to replicate data from a third party file system, FlexSync must do a full scan of the third party file system to determine changes before it can create file replicas; this scan of the third party storage results in lower replication performance versus a native StorNext to StorNext replication task, and can have an impact on the metadata performance of the third party storage.

Access Control List (ACL) and Metadata

Depending on how an ACL and metadata is stored by an application, it is on a case by case basis if the information is preserved (for example, StorNext metadata in the file system versus user defined metadata within an application). If the information is saved as encoding within the file, then it is present. A file system ACL is not replicated since it is different from a StorNext file system ACL, but the files are replicated without any restraint.

Note: If StorNext is installed on both the target mount and the destination mount, the ACL is preserved. If one of the mounts does not have StorNext installed on it, then the ACL is not preserved.

See the section FlexSync Compatibility in the StorNext Compatibility Guide.

The following network ports have been configured as defaults.

The following web browsers are supported for use with FlexSync. Use the most current version of a supported browser to ensure optimal use.

Note: FlexSync only supports devices with a resolution at or above 1920 x 1080.

• You can install FlexSync on dual-node StorNext appliances that are configured for high availability. Note that the FlexSync application is not highly available.

• Caution: File names that are NOT UTF-8 compliant are NOT synchronized; you can scan your file names to determine if you have invalid file name characters. One reason your file name might not be UTF-8 compliant is because the file originated from a file system that allows non-compliant UTF-8 characters (for example, Latin-1 characters). To scan for invalid file name characters in your file system, use the snfsnamescanner -u command (see snfsnamescanner in the StorNext 6 Man Pages Reference Guide); to convert your invalid file name characters in your file system to UTF-8, use the script (utf8FileNames.sh) that is generated by the snfsnamescanner command.

  Example

  # /usr/cvfs/lib/snfsnamescanner -u /stornext/test

  Wed Feb 26 08:15:11 2020

  Starting search in: /stornext/test

  Scanning for:

  invalid UTF8 names

  Files/directories scanned: 1

  Elapsed time: 00:00:00

  0: File names with invalid UTF8 results in ./utf8FileNames.sh

• You can use FlexSync with StorNext Storage Manager managed file systems (source or destination), if the FlexSync version is 2.0 or greater and the StorNext version is 6.3.0 or greater. See FlexSync and Managed Files for configuration considerations when using StorNext Storage Manager.

  Note: FlexSync version 2.2.0 or greater is ONLY supported on a system running StorNext 7.0.0 or greater.

  Note: You cannot use FlexSync version 3.0 S3 object-based replication with StorNext Storage Manager managed file systems (source or destination).

• FlexSync fails to replicate files over 64 GB on the following Operating System releases:

  • CentOS release 7.1

  • CentOS release 6.6

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux release 7.1

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux release 6.6

In order to receive a license file (license.dat) for FlexSync, you need the following:

Serial Numbers

You will need the serial number of your Quantum appliance or the StorNext software serial number. Quantum appliance and StorNext software serial numbers are alphanumeric, as shown in the following table.

Type of Serial Number	Example Serial Numbers
Quantum Appliance Serial Number	AV1607CKH12345 CX1306CKB12345 EW1450CKD12345
StorNext Software Serial Number	SN12345

CVFSID

You will need the CVFSID string for each server node. Use one of the following procedures to access this string for each node.

Generate a cvfsid for Linux and Unix Configurations

1. Open an SSH connection to the appropriate appliance node.

2. At the user name prompt, enter stornext.
3. At the password prompt, enter the password for the stornext user account.
4. At the prompt, enter sudo rootsh to gain root user access.
5. At the prompt, re-enter the password for the stornext user account.

6. At the prompt, enter cvfsid to display the CVFSID string for the node, as follows:

   <node MAC address> <node OS> <node name>

   Example

   ECF4BCDECC0E linux 0 xcellis13

7. Close the SSH session for the node.

Generate a cvfsid for Windows Configurations

From the Start menu, click Programs > StorNext File System > License Identifier to display the CVFSID string.

Generate a cvfsid for Xsan Configurations

1. Open an SSH connection to the appropriate appliance node.
2. Navigate to /Library/Filesystems/Xsan/bin.
3. At the prompt, enter sudo cvfsid to display the node's CVFSID string.

1. Visit the Quantum License Key Management page at https://www.quantum.com/licensekeys.

   If you cannot access the web page or need additional help, contact Quantum Support at https://www.quantum.com/ServiceandSupport.

2. In the Serial Number field, enter your Quantum appliance or StorNext software serial number.
3. In the CVFSID 1 and CVFSID 2 fields, enter the CVFSID string for your system, as needed.
   CVFSID String

   If you have not previously entered a cvfsid string for your system:

   1. In the CVFSID 1 and CVFSID 2 fields, enter the appropriate cvfsid string. See Generate a cvfsid for Linux and Unix Configurations, Generate a cvfsid for Windows Configurations, or Generate a cvfsid for Xsan Configurations.

      IMPORTANT

      Ensure your cvfsid string value(s) are correct. After you submit these values, you cannot change them.

   2. Click Set CVFSID.

      The CVFSIDs sub-section under License Details is updated with the cvfsid value(s) for the serial number.

4. Click Submit.

   The license(s) associated with the serial number are displayed in the License Details section.

   At any time after you have submitted your serial number, you can click Choose Another to enter another serial number.

5. Click Generate License Key File to generate the license.dat file for FlexSync.

   In some cases, the Quantum License Key Management site cannot generate a license file. In such cases, you are re-directed to an alternate web page to continue the process.

6. Save the generated license.dat file to a temporary location on your computer. You will upload this file on the Licenses page of the StorNext GUI.