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Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP

Create an FSx for ONTAP volume in BlueXP workload factory

Contributors netapp-rlithman
PDFs

After setting up your FSx for ONTAP file system, create FSx for ONTAP volumes in BlueXP workload factory.

About this task

FSx for ONTAP volumes are virtual resources used for grouping data, determining how data is stored, and determining the type of access to your data. Volumes don't consume file system storage capacity. The data that is stored in a volume primarily consumes SSD storage. Depending on the volume's tiering policy, the data might also consume capacity pool storage. You set a volume's size when you create it, and you can change its size later.

The following protocols may be used for your volumes:

  • CIFS: file storage protocol for Windows operating systems

  • NFS: file storage protocol for Unix operating systems

  • iSCSI: block storage protocol

Before you begin

Review the following prerequisites before you create a volume:

  • You must have an FSx for ONTAP file system in workload factory.

  • You must have a storage VM.

  • For protocol access, complete the following:

    • To configure access to the volume, you must associate a link. If you don't have an existing link, create a link. To associate a link in the file system, select Associate link under Account name. Once the link associates, return to this operation.

    • You must configure access for the protocol you select, either CIFS, NFS, or iSCSI.

Create a volume

You can create a volume using the following tools available in the Codebox: REST API, CloudFormation, and Terraform. Learn how to use Codebox for automation.

Note When using Terraform from Codebox, the code you copy or download hides fsxadmin and vsadmin passwords. You'll need to re-enter the passwords when you run the code.
Steps

  1. Log in using one of the console experiences.

  2. In Storage, select Go to storage inventory.

  3. In the FSx for ONTAP tab, select the three-dot menu of the file system you want to create a volume in, and select Create volume.

  4. On the Create volume page under General details, provide the following details:

    1. Volume name: Enter a name for the volume.

    2. Storage VM name: Optionally, enter a storage VM name.

    3. Volume style: Select FlexVol or FlexGroup volume.

      FlexVol volume style is selected by default.

      FlexGroup volume size depends on the number of constituents. 100 GiB is required per constituent.

    4. Volume size: Enter the volume size and unit.

      Optionally, enable volume autogrow. This option is available when you select File access as the volume access type.

    5. Tags: Optionally, you can add up to 50 tags.

  5. Under Access (only for file systems with associated links), provide the following details:

    1. Access type: Select File access or Block access. Additional fields to configure volume access differ depending on your selection.

      • File access: allows multiple authorized users and devices access to the volume using SMB/CIFS, NFS, or dual (SMB/NFS) protocols.

        Complete the following fields to set up file access to the volume.

        1. NFS export policy: Provide the following details to provide NFS access:

          1. Access control: Select a Custom export policy, Existing export policy, or No access to the volume from the dropdown menu.

          2. Export policy name:

            If you selected a custom export policy, select an existing policy name from the dropdown menu.

            If you selected an existing export policy, enter a new policy name.

          3. Add Export Policy Rule: Optionally, for a custom export policy, you can add export policy rules to the policy.

        2. CIFS share: Provide the following:

          1. Name: Enter the CIFS share name to provide SMB access.

          2. Permissions: Select Full control, Read/Write, Read, or No access, and then enter the users or groups separated by a semicolon ( ; ). Users or groups are case sensitive and the user's domain must be included using the format "domain\username".

      • Block access: allows hosts running critical business applications access to the volume using the iSCSI protocol. Block access is only available when the file system scale-out deployment has 6 HA pairs or fewer.

        Complete the following fields to set up block access to the volume.

        1. iSCSI configuration: Provide the following details to configure iSCSI for block access to the volume.

          1. Select Create a new initiator group or Map an existing initiator group.

          2. Select the Host operating system from the dropdown menu.

          3. Enter an Initiator group name for a new initiator group.

          4. Under Host Initiators, add one or more iSCSI qualified name (IQN) host initiators.

  6. Under Efficiency and protection, provide the following details:

    1. Storage efficiency: Disable or enable storage efficiency.

      Storage efficiency is achieved by utilizing the deduplication and compression features from ONTAP. Deduplication eliminates duplicate data blocks. Data compression compresses the data blocks to reduce the amount of physical storage that is required.

    2. Immutable files: This feature, also known as SnapLock, is disabled by default. Enabling immutable files prevents data from being deleted or overwritten for a specified period of time. Enabling this feature is possible only during volume creation. Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled. This is a premium feature for FSx for ONTAP that carries an additional charge. For more information, refer to How SnapLock works in Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP documentation.

      Enabling the immutable files feature permanently commits files in this volume to an immutable WORM (write-once-read-many) state.

      Retention modes

      You can select from two retention modes - Enterprise or Compliance.

      • In Enterprise mode, an immutable files, or SnapLock, administrator can delete a file during its retention period.

      • In Compliance mode, a WORM file cannot be deleted before its retention period expires. Similarly, the immutable volume cannot be deleted until the retention periods for all files within the volume expire.

      Retention period

      The retention period has two settings - retention policy and retention periods. The retention policy defines how long to retain files in an immutable WORM state. You can specify your own retention policy or use the default retention policy (unspecified) which is 30 years. The minimum and maximum retention periods define the range of time allowed for locking files.

      NOTE

      Even after the retention period expires, you can't modify a WORM file. You can only delete it or set a new retention period to turn on WORM protection again.

      Autocommit

      You'll have the option to enable the autocommit feature. The autocommit feature commits a file to WORM state on a SnapLock volume if the file did not change for the autocommit period duration. The autocommit feature is disabled by default. The files you want to autocommit must reside on a SnapLock volume.

      Volume append mode

      You can't modify existing data in a WORM-protected file. However, immutable files allows you to maintain protection for existing data using WORM-appendable files. For example, you can generate log files or preserve audio or video streaming data while writing data to them incrementally. Learn more about volume-append mode in Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP documentation.

      Steps for immutable files

      1. Select to enable Immutable files powered by SnapLock.

      2. Click the box to agree and proceed.

      3. Click Enable.

      4. Retention mode: Select Enterprise or Compliance mode.

      5. Retention period:

        • Select the retention policy:

          • Unspecified: Sets the retention policy to 30 years.

          • Specify period: Enter the number of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years to set your own retention policy.

        • Select the minimum and maximum retention periods:

          • Minimum: Enter the number of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years to set the minimum retention period.

          • Maximum: Enter the number of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years to set the maximum retention period.

      6. Autocommit: Disable or enable autocommit. If you enable autocommit, set the autocommit period.

      7. Volume append mode: Disable or enable. Enables you to add new content to WORM files.

    3. Snapshot policy: Select the snapshot policy to specify the frequency and retention of snapshots.

      The following are default policies from AWS. For custom snapshot policies, you must associate a link.

      default

      This policy automatically creates snapshots on the following schedule, with the oldest snapshot copies deleted to make room for newer copies:

      • A maximum of six hourly snapshots taken five minutes past the hour.

      • A maximum of two daily snapshots taken Monday through Saturday at 10 minutes after midnight.

      • A maximum of two weekly snapshots taken every Sunday at 15 minutes after midnight.

        Note Snapshot times are based on the file system's time zone, which defaults to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). For information about changing the time zone, refer to Displaying and setting the system time zone in the NetApp Support documentation.
      default-1weekly

      This policy works in the same way as the default policy, except that it only retains one snapshot from the weekly schedule.

      none

      This policy doesn't take any snapshots. You can assign this policy to volumes to prevent automatic snapshots from being taken.

    4. Tiering policy: Select the tiering policy for the data stored in the volume.

      Auto is the default tiering policy when creating a volume using the user interface. For more information about volume tiering policies, refer to Volume storage capacity in AWS FSx for NetApp ONTAP documentation.

  7. Under Advance configuration, provide the following:

    1. Junction path: Enter the location in the storage VM's namespace where the volume gets mounted. The default junction path is /<volume-name>.

    2. Aggregates list: Only for FlexGroup volumes. Add or remove aggregates. The minimum number of aggregates is one.

    3. Number of constituents: Only for FlexGroup volumes. Enter the number of constituents per aggregate. 100 GiB is required per constituent.

  8. Select Create.

Result

Volume creation is initiated. Once created, the new volume will appear in the Volumes tab.