What Is Sun Storage Archive Manager (SAM-QFS)?

The Sun Storage Archive Manager (SAM-QFS) product enables you to archive file system data. The SAM-QFS environment includes a storage and archive manager along with Sun QFS file system software. The SAM-QFS software enables data to be archived to automated libraries at device-rated speeds. In addition, data can be archived to files in another file system through a process known as disk archiving. You can archive the data on an as-needed basis, or you can define policies that determine when data should be archived. You can also set specific schedules for when to archive data. You are presented with a standard file system interface and can read and write files as though they were all on primary disk storage.

In a SAM-QFS configuration, the file system manages the online, nearline, and offline data automatically and in a manner that is transparent to the user or application. Users read and write files to the file system as though all files were on primary storage. In addition, this configuration backs up work in progress continually, automatically, and unobtrusively. Multiple file copies can be archived to many media types in a standard format. This capability minimizes the need for additional backup and provides fast disaster recovery in an effective long-term data storage solution.

The SAM-QFS 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 removable tape or magneto-optical cartridges in automated or manually loaded storage devices. In addition, the SAM-QFS 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.

The SAM-QFS configuration also includes the following features:

Storage policy management
Disk-to-disk copying and archiving
Shared tape drives
Read-ahead/write-behind capability
File segmentation

Note - Although you can create and use Sun QFS file systems without the SAM-QFS archiving features, you cannot use the SAM-QFS archiving features without using Sun QFS file systems. As a result, you must follow one of these installation paths:

If you install only the file system and later decide that you want the archiving features, you must uninstall Sun QFS before you install SAM-QFS. Note that any existing file systems are not deleted, and therefore do not need to be rebuilt.

What You Can Do With SAM-QFS

You can perform the following tasks with SAM-QFS:

Create file systems and configure them to be stand-alone, archiving, or shared
Create file systems that are configured for use in high performance computing environments
Create stand-alone file systems
Add clients and potential metadata servers to and remove them from shared file systems
Grow file systems
Shrink file systems
Check and repair file systems
Support alloc/noalloc on Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs)
Mount and unmount stand-alone, shared, and archiving file systems
Control archiving for archiving file systems
Manage archive policies for archiving file systems
Protect the data of mounted archiving file systems

Skip Navigation Links
Exit Print View
	Sun QFS and Sun Storage Archive Manager 5.3 Installation Guide Sun QFS and Sun Storage Archive Manager 5.3 Information Library