Install the StorNext Client Software on Linux

After downloading the StorNext client software from the MDC or installation DVD, first make sure you have enough space to extract the software files by following the instructions in Verify You Have Enough Space to Extract the Installation Software.

Caution: Firewalls can interfere with the proper functioning of StorNext and result in unexpected errors unless specifically configured for use with StorNext. Quantum recommends you disable the firewall on the metadata network. See Port Configuration for additional information.

Note: Quantum recommends you install the client package on your Linux client using the StorNext snupdate utility.

Install the software on the StorNext client system using one of the following procedures for your operating system:

Note: Regardless of the operating system platform onto which you are installing, you must view and accept the StorNext end user license agreement (EULA) before you can install StorNext.

To run the StorNext client software on Red Hat Linux or SUSE Linux Enterprise, first install the client software package, and then configure the client.

Caution: Before you install the StorNext client software, you must install the kernel headers for the running kernel required for building kernel modules. Obtain the kernel headers package from your Operating System vendor.

Note: Client software is extracted by default to the directory /tmp/stornext.

  1. Log on to the StorNext client system as root.
  2. Change to the directory where the client software archive file you downloaded is located.

  3. Run the client software binary. At the command prompt, where <archive name> is the name of the client software archive file you downloaded, type:

    ./<archive name>

    For example, the file for Red Hat 7 is snfs_client_RedHat7_x86_64.

  4. When you are presented with the StorNext End User License Agreement (EULA), press Enter to read the EULA. After reading the EULA enter y to accept the EULA, or enter any other key to decline. After you accept the EULA, the client software is extracted to /tmp/stornext (or to another directory if you specified an alternate location; see StorNext Client System Requirements).

    Note: If the directory into which the files are being extracted does not have enough space, the installation will fail and you will receive an error message. You will need to identify an alternate location into which to extract the files by entering the following command, where <archive name> is the name of the client software archive file you downloaded, and <dir> is the directory into which you want to extract the installation files:

    # ./<archive name> -d <dir>

    Caution: If the directory into which the files are being extracted already exists, you will receive a warning message. If this occurs, either remove the directory and try the installation again, or change the installation directory by entering the following command, where <archive name> is the name of the client software archive file you downloaded, and <dir> is the directory into which you want to extract the installation files:

    # ./<archive name> -d <dir>

    Quantum recommends that you do not force using an existing directory (by using the -f command) because this could lead to additional problems installing the .rpm files.

  5. Change directories to /tmp/stornext (or to the alternate directory if you specified one in the step above).

  6. List the packages extracted from the software archive file. At the command prompt, type:

    ls -l

    Identify the correct package to install. The correct package begins with snfs-client and ends with the .rpm file name extension.

    Note: The file that ends with .rpm.md5sum is a checksum file, not the client software package.

    Note: The snfs-clinet package is only supported on RHEL 7, RHEL 8, SUSE 11, SUSE 12, Debian, and Ubuntu.

  7. Install the required .rpm files in the following order. Use the command rpm -ivh before each package. For example, rpm -ivh quantum_jansson-<version>.rpm. The files are installed in the directory: /usr/cvfs.

    • quantum_jansson-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_libevent-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_protobuf-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_zeromq-<version>.rpm

    • snfs-common-<version>.rpm

    • snfs-client-<version>.rpm

    • snfs-extapi-<version>.rpm

    • snfs-tiering-<version>.rpm

    • snupdate-<version>.rpm

    The following additional .rpm files are required when installing the snfs_client_plus_mover packages:

    Note: For StorNext 6.2, only RHEL 6 and RHEL 7 mover packages are supported.

    Note: For StorNext 7.0.2, only RHEL 7 mover packages are supported.

    • quantum_jansson-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_libevent-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_protobuf-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_zeromq-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_libarchive-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_mariadb-connector-odbc-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_unixODBC-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_openssl-util-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_sndbapi-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_sndbapicxx-<version>.rpm

    • snfs-common-<version>.rpm

    • snfs-client-<version>.rpm

    • snfs-extapi-<version>.rpm

    • snfs-mover-<version>.rpm

    • snfs-tiering-<version>.rpm

    • snltfs-<version>.rpm

    • snupdate-<version>.rpm

    • quantum_curl-<version>.rpm

    The following additional .rpm files are required when installing the snfs_gateway-agent packages:

    Note: The gateway packages are only supported on RHEL 6, RHEL 7, SLES 11, and SLES 12.

    1. quantum_curl-<version>.rpm

    2. snfs-gateway-agent-<version>.rpm

  8. Configure the boot order for system services.

    Note: Skip this step for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.x and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.x clients. The boot order is determined by systemd.unit(5) unit file dependencies.

    Perform one of the following:

    • For SUSE Linux Enterprise, at the command prompt, type:

      chkconfig -s raw 235
      chkconfig -s cvfs 345

  9. Edit the /usr/cvfs/config/fsnameservers text file to contain the IP address of the MDC to which the StorNext client will connect.

    The fsnameservers file on the client must be exactly the same as on the MDC. If the fsnameservers file does not exist, use a text editor to create it.

    Note: The fsnameservers file needs to contain only the IP address of the MDC.

  10. Create a mount point for the file system. At the command prompt, where <mount point> is the directory path where you want the file system to be mounted, type:

    mkdir -p <mount point>
    chmod 777 <mount point>

    For example: /stornext/snfs1.

  11. Add file system entry to /etc/fstab file. To do this, edit the /etc/fstab file so that it contains the following line, where <file system> is the name of the StorNext file system and <mount point> is the directory path created in the previous step:

    <file system> <mount point> cvfs rw,noauto 0 0

  12. Reboot the StorNext client system. After reboot, the StorNext file system is mounted at the mount point you specified.

    Note: To manually mount a file system, at the command prompt, where <file system> is the name of the StorNext file system and <volume> is the name of the Xsan volume you will use, and <mount point> is the directory path where you want the file system to be mounted, type:

    mount -t cvfs <file system/volume> <mount point>

Note: Quantum recommends you install the client package on your Debian or Ubuntu Linux client using the StorNext snupdate utility.

To run the StorNext client software on Debian or Ubuntu Linux, first install the client software package, and then configure the StorNext client. To install the client software package:

  1. Log on to the StorNext client system as root.
  2. Change to the directory where the client software archive file you downloaded is located.

  3. Execute the respective package:

    • snfs_client_Debian(xx)_x86_64.bin

    • snfs_client_Ubuntu(xx)_x86_64.bin

  4. When you are presented with the StorNext End User License Agreement (EULA), press Enter to read the EULA. After reading the EULA enter y to accept the EULA, or enter any other key to decline.

    After you accept the EULA, the client software is extracted to /tmp/stornext (or to another directory if you specified an alternate location; see StorNext Client System Requirements).

    Note: If the directory into which the files are being extracted does not have enough space, the installation will fail and you will receive an error message. You will need to identify an alternate location into which to extract the files by entering the following command, where <archive name> is the name of the client software archive file you downloaded, and <dir> is the directory into which you want to extract the installation files:

    # ./<archive name> -d <dir>

    Quantum recommends that you do not force using an existing directory (by using the -f command) because this could lead to additional problems installing the .deb files.

  5. From the /tmp/stornext directory, enter the following to install the .deb packages and attempt to fix any missing dependencies:

    # apt install ./pkg1.deb ./pkg2.deb

    # apt -f install

  6. Copy the fsnameservers file from MDC to /usr/cvfs/config/fsnameservers.

    Note: Note: The fsnameservers file on the client must be exactly the same as on the MDC.

  7. If this is a SAN client, check to make sure LUNs are visible. At the command prompt, type:

    /usr/cvfs/bin/cvlabel -l

  8. Create a mount point, where <snfs1> is the name of the StorNext File System/Xsan volume you are using on your system. For example:

    /stornext/<snfs1>

  9. Edit the /etc/fstab to add the client mount options, where <snfs1> is the name of the StorNext File System/Xsan volume you are using on your system. For example:

    <snfs1> /stornext/snfs1 cvfs rw,noauto 0 0

  10. Start the file system service. At the command prompt, type:

    systemctl start cvfs
  11. Verify file systems are mounted.

In Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.x and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.x clients, the init.d(7)/service(8) system service utilities have been replaced by the systemd(1)/systemctl(1) utilities.

The most notable difference is that the systemctl(1) utility does not write status output to the controlling TTY during start and stop operations. The user must run systemctl status cvfs after the start or stop request to view the status information.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.x and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.x clients provide a script in /sbin/service for convenience and compatibility that is simply a wrapper that calls the systemctl(1) command with appropriate arguments. Like systemctl(1), the service(8) script will not write status output to the TTY during start and stop operations. The user must execute /sbin/service cvfs status to view the status information.

Additional kernel module verification is enabled in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.x and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.x clients. Since StorNext is not shipped with a signed cvfs kernel module, an additional warning message will be seen in the syslog when the cvfs kernel module is loaded:

[44.915641] cvfs: module verification failed: signature and/or required key missing - tainting kernel

You can safely ignore the warning message if the kernel does not check the module signature.

If you use UEFI Secure Boot, your system requires and checks for a signed module; if you load cvfs.ko, then the process fails and displays an error:

modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'cvfs': Required key not available

Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu provide tools to self sign a module; if you use UEFI Secure Boot, see the RHEL and Ubuntu product documentation on how to sign a kernel module for secure boot.