Recovering a failed NAS Bridge node

If a NAS Bridge node fails, you can reinstall the NAS Bridge software, import saved configuration settings, and resume operations.

Before you begin

If you plan to import saved settings, you must know the location of the exported configuration file.
If you added an Active Directory server, you must know the account password for that server.

About this task

You can recover a NAS Bridge node from most failures without the risk of losing data. The only type of disaster that puts data at risk is the unrecoverable failure of a cache device. If a cache device fails, any data that has not yet been uploaded to the StorageGRID Webscale system is lost. In addition, the following inconsistencies can occur in the namespace:

The mtime of a file might not be updated correctly. For example, new data is written to the file but the mtime stays the same.
The nlink count of a file might be artificially incremented by 1. While the file can be deleted from the namespace, the data remains in StorageGRID Webscale and is not deleted.
The mtime of a directory might not be updated correctly. For example, a file or directory is created, deleted, or renamed in a directory, but the mtime of that directory is not updated.
The nlink count of a directory might be artificially incremented by 1. For example, a subdirectory is deleted, but the nlink count is not decremented. Or, NAS Bridge increments the nlink count, but the creation of the actual subdirectory fails.
Note: This inconsistency has no impact on your ability to delete the directory when it becomes empty.
The namespace might have a hard link to a directory. For example, a hard link might result if the cache device failed during a directory rename, and the removal of the old name was not processed before the disaster recovery event. The old name will be deleted the first time the directory is listed or accessed.

Steps

Reinstall the NAS Bridge software by downloading the virtual machine image and deploying the virtual machine.
Installing StorageGRID Webscale NAS Bridge.
Create a logical interface (LIF) to the NAS Bridge virtual machine.
Creating a logical interface
For environments without DHCP, convert the default LIF to a static IP address.
If DHCP enabled is enabled in your VMware environment, the NAS Bridge virtual machine is assigned a dynamic IP address. For environments without DHCP, you must convert the default LIF to a static IP address.

Converting the default LIF to a static IP address
Import the saved configuration settings.
1. Click Maintenance at the top of the web page.
2. Click Configuration Exports.
3. Click Browse, and select the saved configuration file.
4. Click Upload.
  The configuration file is displayed in the table on the web page.
5. Click the import icon to update the NAS Bridge node with the saved configuration data.
Note: If you do not have access to a saved configuration file, you must re-enter all configuration data. Repeat the configuration steps in this guide and in the NAS Bridge Administration Guide.
When prompted, click Yes to import the file and reboot the node.
When you import a configuration file, the node reboots. You might receive error messages if you access the node or Management API while the system is rebooting. To avoid these errors, do not attempt to access the system for approximately 15 minutes after starting the import process.
After the node has rebooted, log in again.
If you had previously added an Active Directory server, that server will now be in a FAILED ADD state. To reconnect the server:
1. Select Configuration > Active Directory.
2. Click the Edit icon .
3. Enter the admin password, and click Save.
4. Wait for the Active Directory server to move to the READY state.
5. Reboot the node again so that the SMB filesystem can mount correctly.
  If you reboot the node before Active Directory is ready, you might need to reenter the password and reboot the node.