Rapid NFS and Rapid CIFS enable write operation acceleration on clients that use NFS and CIFS file system protocols. Similar to OST and RDS, these accelerators allow for better coordination and integration between QoreStor backup, restore, and optimized duplication operations with Data Management Applications (DMAs) such as CommVault, EMC Networker, and Tivoli Storage Manager. For the current list of supported DMAs, see the QoreStor Interoperability Guide.
Rapid NFS is a new client file system type that ensures that only unique data is written to QoreStor. It uses user space components and file system in user space (FUSE) to accomplish this. Metadata operations such as file creates and permission changes go through the standard NFS protocol, whereas write operations go through Rapid NFS.
Rapid CIFS is a Windows-certified filter driver that also ensures that only unique data is written to QoreStor. All chunking and hash computations are done at the client level.
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NOTE: The supported DMAs listed in the QoreStor Interoperability Guide are the DMAs that have been tested and qualified with Rapid NFS and Rapid CIFS. You can use Rapid NFS and Rapid CIFS with other DMAs, but those products have not been tested and qualified with Rapid NFS or Rapid CIFS. |
When Rapid NFS and Rapid CIFS are used with QoreStor they offer the following benefits:
- Reduce network utilization and DMA backup time
- Chunk data and perform hash computation on the client; transfer chunked hash files on the back-end
- Reduce the amount of data that must be written across the wire
- Improve performance
- Support DMAs such as CommVault, EMC Networker, and Tivoli Storage Manager. For the current list of supported DMAs, see the QoreStor Interoperability Guide.
- Compatible with existing NFS and CIFS clients — just need to install a plug-in (driver) on the client
- Can use Rapid NFS and Rapid CIFS to accelerate I/O operations on any client — including a client that uses home-grown backup scripts
- Can service multiple and concurrent media server backups
This topic introduces some recommended best practices for using Rapid NFS operations with QoreStor.
- Markers must be set on the client, not in the QoreStor GUI
- If you are using a DMA that supports a marker, should explicitly set it. Your containers should have the marker type of None until you set the marker using the Mount command on the client (after installing the Rapid NFS plug-in).
- For existing containers, re-set the marker by doing the following:
For example, if you wanted to set the CommVault marker (cv):
mount -t rdnfs 10.222.322.190:/containers/backup /mnt/backup -o marker=cv
Mount command usage:
rdnfs [nfs mount point] [roach mount point] -o marker=[marker]
where:
nfs mount point = Already mounted nfs mountpoint
roach mount point = A new mount point
marker = appassure, arcserve, auto, cv, dump, hdm, hpdp, nw, or tsm
- Your QoreStor system must meet the minimum configuration
Rapid NFS is available on a QoreStor system and a client with a minimum of 4 CPU cores running at a minimum of 4 GHz cumulative processing power and 2 GB memory. Kernels must be 2.6.14 or later. For a list of supported operating systems, see the QoreStor Interoperability Guide. If you update your operating system, you must update your Rapid NFS plug-in as well. Updates are available on the Quest Support site.
- Rapid NFS is stateful
If the QoreStor system goes down, the connection will end. DMAs will restart from the last checkpoint.
- Rapid NFS and passthrough mode
If Rapid NFS mode fails for any reason, QoreStor falls back to regular NFS mode automatically.
- Rapid NFS performance considerations
When using Rapid NFS on your client, Quest recommends that you do not run other protocols to the QoreStor system in parallel, as this will adversely affect your overall performance.
- Rapid NFS acceleration constraints
- Rapid NFS does not support:
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NOTE: If the client and server do not have the same times, the times seen will not match typical NFS behavior due to the nature of file system in user space (FUSE). |
This topic introduces some recommended best practices for using Rapid CIFS operations with QoreStor.
- Containers must be of type NFS/CIFS
- RDA containers cannot use Rapid CIFS. If you have existing NFS/CIFS containers, you do not need to create new containers to use Rapid CIFS; you can install the plug-in (driver) to existing clients.
- The Rapid CIFS plug-in (driver) must be installed on client systems
After the plug-in is installed, write operations will go through Rapid CIFS while metadata operations such as file creates and permission changes will go through the standard CIFS protocol. Rapid CIFS can be disabled by uninstalling the plug-in.
- Your QoreStor system must meet the minimum configuration
Rapid CIFS is available with a QoreStor system and a client with a minimum of 4 CPU cores running at a minimum of 4 GHz cumulative processing power and 2 GB memory. For a list of supported operating systems, see the QoreStor Interoperability Guide.
If you update your operating system, you must update your Rapid CIFS plug-in as well. Updates are available on the Quest Support site.
- Rapid CIFS is stateful
If the QoreStor system goes down, the connection will end. DMAs will restart from the last checkpoint.
- Rapid CIFS and passthrough mode
If Rapid CIFS mode fails for any reason, the QoreStor system falls back to regular CIFS mode automatically.
- Rapid CIFS acceleration constraints
Rapid CIFS does not support:
- NAS functionality
- Optlocks (but supported if a single client is writing)
- Byte-range locks
- Optimization of very small files (less than 10 MB). File size can be adjusted using configuration settings.
- FILE_NO_IMMEDIATE_BUFFERING and FILEWRITE_THROUGH operations (sent via CIFS only).
- File path size greater than 4096 characters
