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Configure a NetApp HCI or SolidFire backend

Contributors juliantap netapp-aruldeepa netapp-mwallis
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Learn how to create and use an Element backend with your Trident installation.

Element driver details

Trident provides the solidfire-san storage driver to communicate with the cluster. Supported access modes are: ReadWriteOnce (RWO), ReadOnlyMany (ROX), ReadWriteMany (RWX), ReadWriteOncePod (RWOP).

The solidfire-san storage driver supports file and block volume modes. For the Filesystem volumeMode, 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, RWOP

No Filesystem. Raw block device.

solidfire-san

iSCSI

Filesystem

RWO, RWOP

xfs, ext3, ext4

Before you begin

You'll need the following before creating an Element backend.

  • 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. Refer to worker node preparation information.

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. Trident uses CHAP.

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.

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 pools

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

Trident copies labels present on a storage pool to the backend storage LUN at provisioning. For convenience, storage administrators can define labels per virtual pool and group volumes by label.

In the sample backend definition file shown below, specific defaults are set for all storage pools, which set the type at Silver. The virtual pools are defined in the storage section. In this example, some of the storage pools set their own type, and some pools override 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 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 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. Trident will decide which virtual pool is selected and ensures 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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