Overview of Metadata Space Management

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This task requires you log into the StorNext software user interface.

Access the StorNext GUI

Open a Web browser.
In the browser’s Address field, type the full address of the machine and its port number, and then press Enter. For example:

https://<machine name>:<port number>

Use the name of the machine and port number you copied when you installed the StorNext software.

Note: Typically, the port number is 81. If port 81 is in use, use the next unused port number. For example, 82, 83, and so on.

Note: The StorNext GUI may be inaccessible in a Web browser, with one of the following error messages displayed:
For Firefox: Unable to connect. Firefox can't establish a connection to the server.
For Internet Explorer: Internet Explorer cannot display the web page.If you encounter either of these conditions, restart the StorNext GUI on the MDC server by performing the following:
Open a root UNIX shell window on the MDC, then run the command service stornext_web restart. The service command returns before the service is ready to be accessed by a browser. Wait a few moments before trying to connect, and then retry if that fails.

After you enter the machine name and port number, the following window appears:
In the User ID field, type admin.
In the Password field, type password.
Click Login.

Note: Depending on your browser configuration, you may receive a warning message informing you the web site’s security certificate is not trusted. Refer to your browser documentation for procedures on how to accept and trust a self-signed SSL security certificate, or contact your local System Administrator for assistance.

Note: When you start the StorNext GUI for the first time after installing StorNext, the GUI End User License Agreement is presented. Read the agreement and click Accept to start the GUI. After accepting the End User License Agreement, the Configuration Wizard Welcome page displays. The Configuration Wizard guides you step-by-step through the process of configuring StorNext. Proceed to Configuration > Configuration WizardConfiguration > Configuration Wizard.
The StorNext Home page appears (refer to The StorNext Home Page).

Note: If the StorNext File System and Storage Manager components are not currently started, the StorNext Tools > System Control page appears. On this screen you can determine if the StorNext File System and Storage Manager components are currently started. If not, click Start for each component to start them. Click the home (house) icon in the upper right corner to go to the StorNext Home Page.

Overview of Metadata Space Management

From a high level, StorNext uses two kinds of file system metadata:

Internal metadata: Internal file system metadata consists of low level structures such as inodes and directory blocks and is stored in a raw format directly on the LUNs that have been configured for a file system. Such LUNs are denoted with the parameter metadata="true" in the stripe group definition section of the StorNext configuration file (fsname.cfgx).
External metadata: External metadata consists of the StorNext Metadata Archive as well as the MySQL database used by Storage Manager. This metadata is a set of files that typically resides on the HA shared file system under /usr/adic/HAM/shared/database/mdarchives and /usr/adic/HAM/shared/mysql.

All StorNext file systems have internal metadata. However, file systems only consume external metadata if they are managed or if the Metadata Archive feature is enabled. Managed file systems have the parameter storageManager set to true in the StorNext file system configuration file. File systems with the Metadata Archive feature enabled have the metadataArchive parameter set to true in the StorNext file system configuration file. Newly created unmanaged file systems have Metadata Archive disabled by default, and this feature is typically only enabled for such file systems when you use special features that require or benefit from its use such as FlexSync, stripe group offload, auditing, and so on.

6-68807-01 | Initial publication date: December 2, 2020 | Last updated on Monday, May 5, 2025.

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