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Network Storage

Network storage is different from Direct-Attached Storage (DAS), which is local-only storage only accessible to one machine.

Table of Contents

Types of Network Storage

Storage over a network is done in several ways:
Network-Attached Storage (NAS): File-based, shared over the network.
 Storage Area Network (SAN): Block-based, shared over the network. * Cloud Storage: Flexible and remote.
Object Storage: Metadata-rich. Great for unstructured data.
 Distributed File Systems (DFS): Scalable for large-scale file storage.
* Hybrid Storage Solutions: Mix of on-prem and cloud storage.

Network-Attached Storage (NAS)

NAS is a dedicated device connected to a network that provides centralized, file-based storage.

NAS is easy to set up and manage, and provides shared access to files for multiple users.

Access protocols: * NFS (Network File System) for Linux * SMB (Server Message Block) for Windows * APF (Apple Filing Protocol) for macOS

Use cases: * Media sharing over home networks.
* Small businesses for centralized file storage.

Storage Area Network (SAN)

A SAN is a high-speed network that connects storage devices to servers. It appears as a local storage device to the operating system.

Provides block-level storage for databases and VMs. Usually has high performance and low latency.

Access protocols: * iSCSI (Internet Small Computer Systems Interface) * Fibre Channel * FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet)

Use cases: * Enterprises that require fast and reliable storage for mission-critical data.
* Virtualized environments.

Cloud Storage

Data storage offered as a service over the internet by providers like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

This is scalable, and usually a pay-as-you-go model.
Accessible anywhere with an internet connection.

Access Protocols: * APIs (RESTful, GraphQL, SOAP, etc.) * Web interfaces and desktop clients.

Use cases: * Backup and disaster recovery (DR) * Collaboration and file sharing * Storage for web applications

Distributed File Systems (DFS)

A file system that spans multiple servers or locations to provide a unified namespace.

Provides fault tolerance and redundancy, and scalability for large datasets.

Examples: * Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) * GlusterFS * CephFS

Use cases: * Big data analytics * High-availability storage for web-scale applications

Object Storage

Stores data as objects with metadata rather than as files or blocks.

Ideal for unstructured data like multimedia or backups.
Object storage is infinitely scalable.

Examples: * Amazon S3 * OpenStack Swift

Use cases: * Archival storage.
* Content delivery networks (CDNs)

Hybrid Storage Solutions

Combines local storage (NAS/SAN) with cloud storage for flexibility and cost efficiency.

Can provide seamless data transfer between on-prem and cloud storage.
Ideal for businesses transitioning to the cloud.

Use cases: * Backup strategies * Cloud bursting for peak demand

NFS DCNAS Volumes

An NFS DCNAS volume refers to a Network File System (NFS) volume hosted on a Distributed Cloud NAS (DCNAS) platform.

It is a shared storage resource (volume) provided by a Distributed Cloud NAS system, accessible via the NFS protocol.

  1. NFS (Network File System):
  2. A protocol that allows file sharing over a network.
  3. Developed for Unix/Linux systems but also works with other operating systems.
  4. Enables users or applications to access and manage files on remote servers as if they were local.

  5. Commonly used in environments where multiple systems or applications need to share files.

  6. DCNAS (Distributed Cloud NAS):

  7. A Network-Attached Storage (NAS) solution hosted in a distributed and/or cloud-based infrastructure.
  8. NAS: A specialized file storage device that connects to a network and provides centralized storage for multiple clients.
  9. Distributed Cloud NAS: Enhances NAS by spreading storage across multiple servers, locations, or cloud regions to improve performance, redundancy, and scalability.

  10. Examples: Services like NetApp Cloud Volumes or solutions from companies like QNAP, Synology, or hybrid cloud providers.

  11. Volume:

  12. A logical partition of storage space within a storage device or array.
  13. In the context of NFS and DCNAS, a "volume" is a unit of storage configured to be shared using the NFS protocol.

This type of storage is good for: * High availability. Distributed architecture minimizes downtime. * Efficient file sharing. Enables seamless collaboration in multi-user environments. * Cost-effeciency. Cloud-based storage usually offers pay-as-you-go pricing. * Compatibility. Works with many operating systems and applications.

Features of an NFS DCNAS Volume

  • Has distributed storage.
    • The volume is stored across multiple servers or cloud nodes, ensuring high availability and fault tolerance.
  • Flexible and scalable.
    • Volumes can grow as needed, allowing for flexible storage management.
  • Accessible from any machine with NFS support.
    • Any client machine with NFS support can access the volume over the network, as long as proper permissions are set.
  • Supports a centralized management interface.
    • Administrators can manage all volumes through a centralized interface provided by the DCNAS.

Common Use Cases

  • Enterprise Storage
    • Sharing large datasets among servers or workstations in an organization.
  • Hybrid Cloud Workflows
    • Integrating on-premise systems with cloud storage for flexibility and scalability.
  • Containerized Applications
    • Providing persistent storage for container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes.
  • Big Data and Analytics
    • High-performance storage for processing large volumes of data.
  • Backup and Archiving
    • Centralized repository for backups, with easy network access for restores.

DCNAS Platforms

  • DCNAS providers for commercial use:

    • NetApp Cloud Volumes
    • Qumulo
    • Panzura
    • Nasuni
    • Cohesity SmartFiles

  • Self-hosted DCNAS options:

    • Open-source options:
      • Ceph
      • GlusterFS
      • OpenIO
      • SeaweedFS
    • Commercial self-hosted options:
      • TrueNAS SCALE
      • Storj
      • MinIO
      • NetApp StorageGRID

Just starting out, looking for a open-source/self-hosted solution, TrueNAS SCALE and Ceph seem to be good options.
TrueNAS SCALE is easier to set up, and has a user-friendly web interface.
 Ceph is best for large-scale, high-performance needs but has a steeper learning curve.

Mounting an NFS DCNAS Volume

  1. You'd create the volume using the DCNAS platform's interface to configure an NFS volume.

  2. Mount the Volume:

  3. On the client system (e.g., Linux), mount the volume using the NFS protocol.

  4. Example command: 

    sudo mount -t nfs <DCNAS_server_IP_or_hostname>:/volume_name /local_mount_point

  5. Access the Files: Once mounted, the remote files can be accessed and managed like local files.