C H A P T E R 1

Overview

The Sun StorEdge SAM-FS environment provides a configurable file system with storage, archive management, and retrieval capabilities. The Sun StorEdge SAM-FS software archives files by copying the files from online disk cache to archive media. The archive media can consist of disk slices in another file system or it can consist of removable tape or magneto-optical cartridges in automated or manually loaded storage devices. In addition, the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS software automatically maintains online disk space at site-specified usage thresholds. It releases disk space associated with archived file data and restores the files to online disk when they are needed.

This chapter provides a technical overview of the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS components. The following topics are presented:

Capabilities

Storage Devices

File System Manager

Capabilities

The Sun StorEdge SAM-FS environment storage and archive management software works with a file system such as Sun StorEdge QFS. The file system is a high-performance UNIX file system that resides in the server's disk cache. For more information about the file system itself, see the Sun StorEdge QFS Configuration and Administration Guide.

The other components that reside in the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS environment are as follows:

The archiver automatically copies online disk cache files to archive media. The archive media can consist of either online disk files or removable media cartridges.By default, the archiver automatically creates one archive copy of all files in a Sun StorEdge SAM-FS file system and it writes the archive copy to archive media. You can configure the archiver to create up to four archive copies on a variety of archive media. If a file is segmented, each segment is treated as a file, and each segment is archived separately. The archiving process is initiated after disk-based files match a site-definable set of selection criteria.

For more information about the archiver, see Archiving. For more information about segmented files, see Using Segmented Files.

The releaser automatically maintains the file system's online disk cache at site-specified percentage usage thresholds by freeing disk blocks occupied by eligible archived files.

Releasing is the process of freeing primary (disk) storage that is used by an archived file's data. Two threshold values, both expressed as a percentage of total disk space, are used to manage online disk cache free space. These thresholds are the high water mark and the low water mark. When online disk consumption exceeds the high water mark, the system automatically begins releasing the disk space occupied by eligible archived files. Disk space occupied by archived file data is released until the low water mark is reached. Files are selected for release depending on the file's size and age. Optionally, the first portion of a file can be retained on disk for speedy access and for masking staging delays. If a file has been archived in segments, portions of the file can be released individually. For more information about the releaser, see Releasing.

The stager restores file data to the disk cache. When a user or process requests file data that has been released from disk cache, the stager automatically copies the file data back to the online disk cache.

When a file whose data blocks have been released is accessed, the stager automatically stages the file or file segment data back to online disk cache. The read operation tracks along directly behind the staging operation, allowing the file to be immediately available to an application before the entire file is completely staged.

The Sun StorEdge SAM-FS software processes stage request errors automatically. If a stage error is returned, the system attempts to find the next available archive copy of the file. Stage errors that can be automatically processed include media errors, unavailability of media, unavailability of an automated library, and others. For more information about staging, see Staging.

he recycler clears archive volumes of expired archive copies and makes volumes available for reuse.

As users modify files, archive copies associated with the old versions of these files are considered to be expired on their archive media. Such copies are no longer needed, so they can be purged from the system. The recycler identifies the archive volumes with the largest proportions of expired archive copies and preserves the nonexpired copies by moving them to separate volumes.

If a removable media volume contains only expired copies, you can take one of the following actions:

You can relabel the volume for immediate reuse.

You can export the volume to offsite storage as an historical record of file changes. You can use standard UNIX utilities to restore previous versions of files from expired archive copies.

The recycling process is transparent to end users as it relates to their data files. For more information about recycling, see Recycling.

Storage Devices

The Sun StorEdge SAM-FS environment supports a wide variety of tape storage and magneto-optical devices. The automated libraries that Sun StorEdge SAM-FS supports can be divided into the following groups depending on how they are attached to the environment:

A direct attachment. A direct-attached library is connected directly to the host system using a small computer system interface (SCSI). This can be either a direct connection or a Fibre Channel connection. For example, a direct attachment is used for Sun StorEdge libraries. The Sun StorEdge SAM-FS system controls these libraries directly using the SCSI standard for automated libraries.

A network attachment. The Sun StorEdge SAM-FS software can be configured as a client of the library's host system. The network-attached libraries include some of the StorageTek, ADIC/Grau, IBM, and Sony libraries. These libraries use a software package supplied by the vendor. In these cases, the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS software interfaces with the vendor software using a daemon specifically designed for the automated library.

TABLE 1-1 shows the daemons specific to various automated libraries.

TABLE 1-1 Automated Library Daemons
Daemon	Description
`sam-robotsd`	Monitors the execution of robot control daemons. The `sam-robotsd` daemon is started automatically by the `sam-amld` daemon.
`sam-genericd`	Controls direct-attached libraries and media changers. Also controls ADIC libraries through the DAS interface.
`sam-stkd`	Controls the StorageTek media changers through the ACSAPI interface.
`sam-ibm3494d`	Controls the IBM 3494 tape libraries through the `lmcpd` interface.
`sam-sonyd`	Controls the Sony network-attached automated libraries through the DZC-8000S interface.

For a list of supported storage devices, contact your Sun Microsystems sales representative or your authorized service provider (ASP).

The relationships between the devices managed within the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS environment are defined in the master configuration file, /etc/opt/SUNWsamfs/mcf. The mcf file specifies the removable media devices, libraries, and file systems included in the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS environment. Each piece of equipment is assigned a unique equipment identifier in the mcf file. Entries in the mcf also define manually mounted archiving devices and automated library catalog files.

When possible, the system uses the standard Solaris disk and tape device drivers. For devices not directly supported in the Solaris operating system (OS), such as certain library and optical disk devices, special device drivers are included in the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS software packages.

File System Manager

The File System Manager software is a browser-based graphical user interface that enables you to configure and control one or more Sun StorEdge QFS or Sun StorEdge SAM-QFS servers from a central location. To access this central location, you can use the web browser on any host in your network.

The goal of the software is to provide a less complex way of performing the most common tasks associated with Sun StorEdge QFS or Sun StorEdge SAM-QFS servers. To further configure or administer a server, use the server's command-line interface, scripts, configuration files, and so on. For more information, and instructions for installing File System Manager, see the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS Installation and Upgrade Guide.

After the File System Manager is installed, you can log in to the software using two possible user names (samadmin and samuser) and two different roles (SAMadmin or no role). The tasks you can perform using the File System Manager differ depending on the user name and the role you assume at login. These differences are as follows:

If you log in as samadmin, you can choose from one of two roles.

The role of SAMadmin grants you full administrator privileges to configure, monitor, control, and reconfigure the devices in your Sun StorEdge QFS environment.

Only the Sun StorEdge QFS administrator should log in using the SAMadmin role. All other users should log in as samuser.

The role of no role only allows you to monitor the environment. You cannot change or reconfigure it in any way.

If you log in as samuser, you can only monitor the environment. You cannot change or reconfigure it in any way.

With regard to system administration, be aware that the Solaris OS root user on the server that hosts the File System Manager is not necessarily the administrator of the File System Manager. Only samadmin has administrator privileges for the File System Manager application. The root user is the administrator of the management station.

To Invoke the File System Manager

Perform this procedure to load the File System Manager into your browser.

1. Log in to the management station web server.

2. From a web browser, invoke the File System Manager software.

The URL is as follows:

https://hostname:6789

For hostname, type the name of the host. If you need to specify a domain name in addition to the host name, specify the hostname in this format: hostname.domainname.

Note that this URL begins with https, not http. The Sun Java Web Console login screen appears.

3. At the User Name prompt, enter samadmin.

4. At the Password prompt, enter the password you selected when installing the File System Manager software.

5. Click on the SAMadmin role.

Only the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS administrator should ever log in with the SAMadmin role.

6. At the Role Password prompt, enter the password you entered in Step 4.

7. Click Log In.

8. Click File System Manager 2.0.

You are now logged in to the File System Manager.

Creating Additional Administrator and User Accounts

You can create additional administrator and guest accounts at any time after the initial File System Manager configuration. These guest accounts are local to the management station.

After installing the File System Manager, File System Manager creates the following two Solaris operating system (OS) login accounts and the following role:

Accounts: samadmin, samuser

Role: SAMadmin

The user account samadmin is assigned the SAMadmin role. This user has administrator privileges (read and write) for managing the File System Manager, the Sun StorEdge QFS software, and the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS software.

The user account samuser is assigned only Guest privileges. This user has read-only access to Sun StorEdge QFS and Sun StorEdge SAM-FS operations.

If you remove the File System Manager software, the system removes both the samadmin and samuser Solaris accounts and the SAMadmin role. However, the removal scripts do not remove any additional accounts that you create manually. It is your responsibility to use one or both of the following procedures to administer any accounts you add manually.

To Create Additional Administrator Accounts

An administrator account holder has administrator privileges (read and write) for managing the File System Manager, the Sun StorEdge QFS software, and the Sun StorEdge SAM-FS software.

1. Log in to the management station.

2. Type useradd username.

3. Type passwd username.

4. Type the password as instructed on the screen.

5. Type usermod -R SAMadmin username.

Note - Do not use root as the username.

To Create Additional Guest Accounts

A guest account holder has read-only access to Sun StorEdge QFS and Sun StorEdge SAM-FS operations.

1. Log in to the management station.

2. Type useradd account_name.

3. Type passwd account_name.

4. Type the password as instructed on the screen.

Managing Additional Servers from the File System Manager

By default the File System Manager will be setup to manage the server on which it is installed. It can also be used to manage other servers running Sun StorEdge QFS or Sun StorEdge SAM-FS software, but those additional servers must first be configured to allow File System Manager access. Adding additional servers enables you to administer their file systems, archiving processes, and media through the browser interface.

To add a server:

1. Outside of the browser interface, use telnet to connect to the server you want to add. Login as root.

2. Use the fsmadm(1M) add command to add the management station (the system on which the File System Manager software is installed) to the list of hosts that can remotely administer this server.

All hosts that are added to the list by using this command can remotely administer the server. All other hosts cannot remotely administer the server.

For example:
# fsmadm add management-station-name.domain-name

To ensure that the management station is successfully added, use the fsmadm(1M) list command and verify that your management station is listed in the output.

3. Log into the File System Manager browser interface as an administrator user.

4. From the Servers page, click Add.

The Add Server window is displayed.

5. In the Server Name or IP Address field, type the name of the server or type the IP address of the server.

6. Click OK.