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Cloud Manager 3.8
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Getting started

Contributors netapp-bcammett

You use Cloud Manager to deploy the Global File Cache Management Server and Global File Cache Core software in the working environment.

Enable Global File Cache using Cloud Manager

In this configuration you will deploy the Global File Cache Management Server and Global File Cache Core in the same working environment where you created your Cloud Volumes ONTAP system using Cloud Manager.

Watch this video to see the steps from start to finish.

Quick start

Get started quickly by following these steps or scroll down to the remaining sections for full details:

Number 1 Deploy Cloud Volumes ONTAP

Deploy Cloud Volumes ONTAP in Azure or AWS and configure SMB file shares. For more information, see Launching Cloud Volumes ONTAP in Azure or Launching Cloud Volumes ONTAP in AWS.

Number 2 Deploy the Global File Cache Management Server

Deploy an instance of the Global File Cache Management Server in the same working environment as the instance of Cloud Volumes ONTAP.

Number 3 Deploy the Global File Cache Core

Deploy an instance, or multiple instances, of the Global File Cache Core in the same working environment as the instance of Cloud Volumes ONTAP and join it to your Active Directory domain.

Number 4 License Global File Cache

Configure the Global File Cache License Management Server (LMS) service on a Global File Cache Core instance. You will need your NSS Credentials or a customer ID provided by NetApp to activate your subscription.

Number 5 Deploy the Global File Cache Edge instances

See Deploying Global File Cache Edge instances to deploy the Global File Cache Edge instances in each remote location. This step is not done using Cloud Manager.

Deploy Cloud Volumes ONTAP as your storage platform

In the current release, Global File Cache supports Cloud Volumes ONTAP deployed in Azure or AWS. For detailed prerequisites, requirements, and deployment instructions, see Launching Cloud Volumes ONTAP in Azure or Launching Cloud Volumes ONTAP in AWS.

Note the following additional Global File Cache requirement:

  • You should configure SMB file shares on the instance of Cloud Volumes ONTAP.

    If no SMB file shares are set up on the instance, then you are prompted to configure the SMB shares during the installation of the Global File Cache components.

Enable Global File Cache in your working environment

The Global File Cache wizard walks you through the steps to deploy the Global File Cache Management Server instance and the Global File Cache Core instance, as highlighted below.

A screenshot of the initial Global File Cache installation page.

Steps

  1. Select the working environment where you deployed Cloud Volumes ONTAP.

  2. In the Services panel, click Enable GFC.

    A screenshot of the initial Enable GFC button in the working environment to enable Global File Cache.

  3. Read the Overview page and click Continue.

  4. If no SMB shares are available on the Cloud Volumes ONTAP instance, you are prompted to enter the SMB Server and SMB Share details to create the share now. For details about the SMB configuration, see Storage platform.

    When finished, click Continue to create the SMB share.

    A screenshot showing the information required to create an SMB share if one is not available.

  5. On the Global File Cache Service page, enter the number of Global File Cache Edge instances you plan to deploy, and then make sure your system meets the requirements for Network Configuration and Firewall Rules, Active Directory settings, and Antivirus exclusions. See Prerequisites for more details.

    A screenshot showing the prerequisites before you deploy the Global File Cache Management Server and Core instances.

  6. After you have verified that the requirements have been met, or that you have the information to meet these requirements, click Continue.

  7. Enter the admin credentials you will use to access to the Global File Cache Management Server VM and click Enable GFC Service. For Azure you enter the credentials as a user name and password; for AWS you select the appropriate key pair. You can change the VM/instance name if you want.

    A screenshot showing the configuration information necessary to set up the Global File Cache Management Server.

  8. After the Global File Cache Management Service is successfully deployed, click Continue.

  9. For the Global File Cache Core, enter the admin user credentials to join the Active Directory domain, and the service account user credentials. Then click Continue.

    • The Global File Cache Core instance must be deployed in the same Active Directory domain as the Cloud Volumes ONTAP instance.

    • The service account is a domain user and it is part of the BUILTIN\Backup Operators group on the Cloud Volumes ONTAP instance.

      A screenshot showing the configuration information necessary to set up the Global File Cache Core active directory and service account.

  10. Enter the admin credentials you will use to access to the Global File Cache Core VM and click Deploy GFC Core. For Azure you enter the credentials as a user name and password; for AWS you select the appropriate key pair. You can change the VM/instance name if you want.

    A screenshot showing the configuration information necessary to set up the Global File Cache Core instance.

  11. After the Global File Cache Core is successfully deployed, click Go to Dashboard.

    A screenshot showing the Global File Cache dashboard after installation is complete.

The Dashboard shows that the Management Server instance and the Core instance are both On and working.

License your Global File Cache installation

Before you can use Global File Cache, you need to configure the Global File Cache License Management Server (LMS) service on a Global File Cache Core instance. You will need your NSS Credentials or a customer ID provided NetApp to activate your subscription.

In this example, we will configure the LMS service on a Core instance that you just deployed in the public cloud. This is a one-time process that sets up your LMS service.

Steps

  1. Open the Global File Cache License Registration page on the Global File Cache Core (the Core you are designating as your LMS service) using the following URL. Replace <ip_address> with the IP address of the Global File Cache Core:
    https://<ip_address>/lms/api/v1/config/lmsconfig.html

  2. Click “Continue to this website (not recommended)” to continue. A page that allows you to configure the LMS, or check existing license information, is displayed.

    A screenshot of the Global File Cache License Registration page.

  3. Choose the mode of registration by selecting “On-Premise LMS” or “Cloud MS”.

    • “On-Premise LMS” is used for existing or trial customers who have received a Customer ID through NetApp Support.

    • “Cloud MS” is used for customers who have purchased NetApp Global File Cache Edge licenses from NetApp or its certified partners and have their NetApp credentials.

  4. For Cloud MS, click Cloud MS, enter your NSS Credentials, and click Submit.

    A screenshot of entering a Cloud MS NSS Credentials in the Global File Cache License Registration page.

  5. For On-Premise LMS, click On-Premise LMS, enter your Customer ID, and click Register LMS.

    A screenshot of entering an On-Premise LMS Customer ID in the Global File Cache License Registration page.

What’s Next?

If you have determined that you need to deploy multiple Global File Cache Cores to support your configuration, click Add Core Instance from the Dashboard and follow the deployment wizard.

After you have completed your Core deployment, you need to deploy the Global File Cache Edge instances in each of your remote offices.

Deploy additional Core instances

If your configuration requires more than one Global File Cache Core to be installed because of a large number of Edge instances, you can add another Core to the working environment.

When deploying Edge instances, you will configure some to connect to the first Core and others to the second Core. Both Core instances access the same backend storage (your Cloud Volumes ONTAP instance) in the working environment.

  1. From the Global File Cache Dashboard, click Add Core Instance.

    A screenshot of the GFC Dashboard and the button to add an additional Core instance.

  2. Enter the admin user credentials to join the Active Directory domain, and the service account user credentials. Then click Continue.

    • The Global File Cache Core instance must be in the same Active Directory domain as the Cloud Volumes ONTAP instance.

    • The service account is a domain user and it is part of the BUILTIN\Backup Operators group on the Cloud Volumes ONTAP instance.

      A screenshot showing the configuration information necessary to set up the Global File Cache Core active directory and service account.

  3. Enter the admin credentials you will use to access to the Global File Cache Core VM and click Deploy GFC Core. For Azure you enter the credentials as a user name and password; for AWS you select the appropriate key pair. You can change the VM name if you want.

    A screenshot showing the configuration information necessary to set up the Global File Cache Core instance.

  4. After the Global File Cache Core is successfully deployed, click Go to Dashboard.

    A screenshot showing the Global File Cache dashboard after installation is complete.

The Dashboard reflects the second Core instance for the working environment.