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Configure a NetApp HCI or SolidFire backend

Contributors juliantap
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Learn about how to create and use an Element backend with your Astra Trident installation.

What you'll need

  • A supported storage system that runs Element software.

  • Credentials to a NetApp HCI/SolidFire cluster admin or tenant user that can manage volumes.

  • All of your Kubernetes worker nodes should have the appropriate iSCSI tools installed. See worker node preparation information.

What you need to know

The solidfire-san storage driver supports both volume modes: file and block. For the Filesystem volumeMode, Astra Trident creates a volume and creates a filesystem. The filesystem type is specified by the StorageClass.

Driver Protocol VolumeMode Access modes supported File systems supported

solidfire-san

iSCSI

Block

RWO,ROX,RWX

No Filesystem. Raw block device.

solidfire-san

iSCSI

Block

RWO,ROX,RWX

No Filesystem. Raw block device.

solidfire-san

iSCSI

Filesystem

RWO,ROX

xfs, ext3, ext4

solidfire-san

iSCSI

Filesystem

RWO,ROX

xfs, ext3, ext4
Note Astra Trident uses CHAP when functioning as an enhanced CSI Provisioner. If you’re using CHAP (which is the default for CSI), no further preparation is required. It is recommended to explicitly set the UseCHAP option to use CHAP with non-CSI Trident. Otherwise, see here.
Warning Volume access groups are only supported by the conventional, non-CSI framework for Astra Trident. When configured to work in CSI mode, Astra Trident uses CHAP.

If neither AccessGroups or UseCHAP are set, one of the following rules applies:

  • If the default trident access group is detected, access groups are used.

  • If no access group is detected and Kubernetes version is 1.7 or later, then CHAP is used.

Backend configuration options

See the following table for the backend configuration options:

Parameter Description Default

version

Always 1

storageDriverName

Name of the storage driver

Always “solidfire-san”

backendName

Custom name or the storage backend

“solidfire_” + storage (iSCSI) IP address

Endpoint

MVIP for the SolidFire cluster with tenant credentials

SVIP

Storage (iSCSI) IP address and port

labels

Set of arbitrary JSON-formatted labels to apply on volumes.

“”

TenantName

Tenant name to use (created if not found)

InitiatorIFace

Restrict iSCSI traffic to a specific host interface

“default”

UseCHAP

Use CHAP to authenticate iSCSI

true

AccessGroups

List of Access Group IDs to use

Finds the ID of an access group named “trident”

Types

QoS specifications

limitVolumeSize

Fail provisioning if requested volume size is above this value

“” (not enforced by default)

debugTraceFlags

Debug flags to use when troubleshooting. Example, {“api”:false, “method”:true}

null
Warning Do not use debugTraceFlags unless you are troubleshooting and require a detailed log dump.
Note For all volumes created, Astra Trident will copy all labels present on a storage pool to the backing storage LUN at the time it is provisioned. Storage administrators can define labels per storage pool and group all volumes created in a storage pool. This provides a convenient way of differentiating volumes based on a set of customizable labels that are provided in the backend configuration.

Example 1: Backend configuration for solidfire-san driver with three volume types

This example shows a backend file using CHAP authentication and modeling three volume types with specific QoS guarantees. Most likely you would then define storage classes to consume each of these using the IOPS storage class parameter.

{
    "version": 1,
    "storageDriverName": "solidfire-san",
    "Endpoint": "https://<user>:<password>@<mvip>/json-rpc/8.0",
    "SVIP": "<svip>:3260",
    "TenantName": "<tenant>",
    "labels": {"k8scluster": "dev1", "backend": "dev1-element-cluster"},
    "UseCHAP": true,
    "Types": [{"Type": "Bronze", "Qos": {"minIOPS": 1000, "maxIOPS": 2000, "burstIOPS": 4000}},
              {"Type": "Silver", "Qos": {"minIOPS": 4000, "maxIOPS": 6000, "burstIOPS": 8000}},
              {"Type": "Gold", "Qos": {"minIOPS": 6000, "maxIOPS": 8000, "burstIOPS": 10000}}]
}

Example 2: Backend and storage class configuration for solidfire-san driver with virtual storage pools

This example shows the backend definition file configured with virtual storage pools along with StorageClasses that refer back to them.

In the sample backend definition file shown below, specific defaults are set for all storage pools, which set the type at Silver. The virtual storage pools are defined in the storage section. In this example, some of the storage pool sets their own type, and some pools overwrite the default values set above.

{
    "version": 1,
    "storageDriverName": "solidfire-san",
    "Endpoint": "https://<user>:<password>@<mvip>/json-rpc/8.0",
    "SVIP": "<svip>:3260",
    "TenantName": "<tenant>",
    "UseCHAP": true,
    "Types": [{"Type": "Bronze", "Qos": {"minIOPS": 1000, "maxIOPS": 2000, "burstIOPS": 4000}},
              {"Type": "Silver", "Qos": {"minIOPS": 4000, "maxIOPS": 6000, "burstIOPS": 8000}},
              {"Type": "Gold", "Qos": {"minIOPS": 6000, "maxIOPS": 8000, "burstIOPS": 10000}}],

    "type": "Silver",
    "labels":{"store":"solidfire", "k8scluster": "dev-1-cluster"},
    "region": "us-east-1",

    "storage": [
        {
            "labels":{"performance":"gold", "cost":"4"},
            "zone":"us-east-1a",
            "type":"Gold"
        },
        {
            "labels":{"performance":"silver", "cost":"3"},
            "zone":"us-east-1b",
            "type":"Silver"
        },
        {
            "labels":{"performance":"bronze", "cost":"2"},
            "zone":"us-east-1c",
            "type":"Bronze"
        },
        {
            "labels":{"performance":"silver", "cost":"1"},
            "zone":"us-east-1d"
        }
    ]
}

The following StorageClass definitions refer to the above virtual storage pools. Using the parameters.selector field, each StorageClass calls out which virtual pool(s) can be used to host a volume. The volume will have the aspects defined in the chosen virtual pool.

The first StorageClass (solidfire-gold-four) will map to the first virtual storage pool. This is the only pool offering gold performance with a Volume Type QoS of Gold. The last StorageClass (solidfire-silver) calls out any storage pool which offers a silver performance. Astra Trident will decide which virtual storage pool is selected and will ensure the storage requirement is met.

apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: solidfire-gold-four
provisioner: csi.trident.netapp.io
parameters:
  selector: "performance=gold; cost=4"
  fsType: "ext4"
---
apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: solidfire-silver-three
provisioner: csi.trident.netapp.io
parameters:
  selector: "performance=silver; cost=3"
  fsType: "ext4"
---
apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: solidfire-bronze-two
provisioner: csi.trident.netapp.io
parameters:
  selector: "performance=bronze; cost=2"
  fsType: "ext4"
---
apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: solidfire-silver-one
provisioner: csi.trident.netapp.io
parameters:
  selector: "performance=silver; cost=1"
  fsType: "ext4"
---
apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: solidfire-silver
provisioner: csi.trident.netapp.io
parameters:
  selector: "performance=silver"
  fsType: "ext4"

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