To extend the storage capacity of an ST or EVA Appliance, you can enable archiving by attaching a NAS or EMC Centera storage server to the ST or EVA Appliance, or set up a SAN device for the ST 2025-SAN or ST 2025-San R1 appliances. This lets you archive log data to a remote storage device to free up local storage space on the appliance to use for incoming log data.
When configured with an ST or EVA Appliance, a NAS or Centera server acts as a data storage extension where log data can be accessed as if it were still on the appliance. Therefore, the same access to reporting, indexing, searching, and alerting exists on the storage server as on the appliance itself.
You can add a NAS or Centera server to an ST or EVA Appliance from the Administration > Archive Configuration menu, or choose to archive your data to an attached SAN device, provided your ST 2025-SAN or ST 2025-SAN R1 appliance is equipped with a suitable Host Bus Adapter (HBA). You cannot add an archive server or SAN device to any other LogLogic Appliance model.
Topics
• How Archive Storage Works on page 156
• Configuring NAS Server Storage on page 160
• Configuring SAN Archive Storage on page 161
• Configuring EMC Centera Storage on page 163
How Archive Storage Works
The archive process copies the files to the NAS or Centera server and updates the database. If the DAS capacity reaches the maximum threshold or if the files reach their retention time limit, the files are deleted. Using SnapLock for your NAS server, all archived raw data files are protected and cannot be purged from the NAS server.
By default, the node ID is not used in the file system path for archiving. You must enable it if required.
To enable a node ID in the archive path:
1. Create the archive_configuration file archive_config under the
/loglogic/conf directory.
2. Add the following line to the file:
archivedPathWithId=1
3. Restart the engine_archive.
Index Archiving
By default, both raw data and indexed data is archived. Under some
circumstances, an appliance would archive all indexed data to remote storage.
If you want to optimize index searches and you have archiving enabled, you can disable index archiving to ensure that indexed data remains on local storage.
To disable index archiving:
1. Create the /loglogic/conf/archiver.conf file, if it does not exist.
LMI owns the contents of the archival top directory, if one archive volume is:1.2.3.4:/Volume_1/my_archive/
Every file under my_archive/ will come from the archival process.
This setting is not persisted on upgrades if enabled via LMI 5.6.2HF3 or 5.7.0.
Starting LMI 6.1.0, archiving with and without the node ID is supported.
However, the setting is disabled after upgrade. Hence, if you have been using this feature in prior versions, you must create the archive_config file before
upgrading to LMI 6.1.0, and re-enable the setting after upgrading.
2. Add the following line in the file:
numIndexFilesPerArchiveIter=0
3. Save the file.
4. Restart the engine_archive, or stop and start mtask.
Storage Volume Watermarks
Pertaining to NAS/SAN storage and LogLogic local disk storage (DAS), there are three watermark thresholds that determine how log storage will be treated on these devices. These three watermark thresholds are described as follows.
1. The “localVolHighWatermark” watermark pertains to the Appliance local volume (DAS). If the percentage of used local disk space (on the /loglogic partition) exceeds the specified watermark threshold, the Appliance starts incrementally deleting the oldest files from the DAS to accommodate new data.
Typically, this threshold should not be reached when connected to a NAS/SAN, because another watermark, “localVolHighArchiveWatermark”, as described below, will trigger the engine_archive to begin archiving files off the DAS and over to the NAS/SAN server, thus keeping the local DAS disk space relatively free.
However, if the NAS/SAN is not configured properly or if the network is not available, it is possible that the local logs will not be archived (moved) and the local /loglogic partition can become full. Therefore this localVolHighWatermark watermark prevents an undesirable full partition by beginning the file deletion process once the watermark has been reached.
This watermark value can be adjusted from 0% to 99%.
2. The “localVolHighArchiveWatermark” watermark is the other watermark threshold pertaining to the Appliance local volume DAS. If the percentage of used local disk space (on the /loglogic partition) exceeds this specified threshold, the Appliance starts incrementally archiving the oldest files to the specified NAS/SAN server. This archiving process is a “move” process, meaning the files are not copied, but they are moved from the DAS to the NAS/SAN server, thus freeing up space on the DAS.
This watermark value can be adjusted from 2% to 94% with a default level of 75%.
Immediate Archiving. Setting this watermark to zero
(localVolHighArchiveWatermark=0) will trigger immediate archiving when the NAS/SAN volume is successfully mounted.
3. The “nasVolLowWatermark” watermark pertains to the NAS/SAN volume storage. If the available disk space on the NAS/SAN device goes below this specified threshold, the Appliance starts incrementally deleting the oldest files on the NAS/SAN volume to accommodate new data.
This NAS/SAN Volume Low Watermark value can be adjusted from 10GB to 1024GB with a default level of 50GB x the number of mounting points set (up to 32). It is specified in gigabytes instead of a percentage since a percentage on a NAS/SAN can vary greatly in actual disk space. For example, if the user has 2 mounting points for NAS, the NAS Volume Low Watermark value will be changed to 2x50GB=100GB instead of only 50GB.
NAS SnapLock Protection
For additional protection, LogLogic lets you configure the Appliance to use Network Appliance’s SnapLock™ software. If you enable SnapLock for your Network Appliance NAS Server, all archived raw data is protected and cannot be modified for the time period defined by your data retention settings. Index files are not locked. If SnapLock is enabled, you cannot purge protected files from the NAS server, so make sure you have a enough available space to handle the archiving from the appliance.
External Storage in an HA Pair
External storage for ST and EVA Appliances is not replicated as part of the failover configuration. When an appliance fails over, its external storage is automatically switched over to the standby Appliance as it becomes active.
Up to 256TB of aggregate archive space is supported across up to 32 mount points. If you have already connected the Appliance to a NAS server and then want to change anything about the prior configuration, such as the mount directory, you will no longer have access to your stored data.
On the NAS server, you must create a directory as an exported file share for the appliance to mount.
If you reduce or extend the data retention settings for your archived data, the new retention time applies only to the new files that are SnapLock enabled. All archived data files on the NAS prior to the change in retention time retain their existing retention time settings.
For more information and instructions on configuring external storage for an ST or EVA Appliance in an HA pair, see , Failover and External Storage, on page 263.
Configuring NAS Server Storage
You can use a NAS server in conjunction with a LogLogic ST or EVA Appliance as a dedicated storage system for raw data files.
To enable a NAS Server with SnapLock:
1. In the navigation menu on the appliance, select Administration > Archive Configuration.
2. Select the Enable NAS radio button to activate the NAS server you specify.
3. In the NAS Configuration field, click Add and enter the NAS server IP address and mount directory.
You must create the directory on the NAS server before you can mount the machine. The Appliance can be connected to up to 32 mount points.
For example, the format for the IP address and mount directory is:
xxx.yyy.zzz.ddd:/volume_N where
xxx.yyy.zzz.ddd is the IP address for the NAS server volume_N is the mount directory
4. Select the Enable SnapLock checkbox to let the Appliance archive data to a Network Appliance Server with SnapLock.
5. Click Update to save your settings.
Archive Threshold relates to local storage capacity of the Appliance. The user can change the default setting (75% of max) at which point the oldest files stored on the Appliance will begin moving to the external archive storage device (until the Archive Threshold value is met again).
The NAS Server field is case sensitive and format specific. If the same file name and path exists, the data is overwritten. If you designate a partition and change it later, you might not be able to access the files you saved on the old partition. In addition, if this is the first time you are specifying an archive server, make sure the mount directory is empty.
Configuring SAN Archive Storage
A Storage Area Network (SAN) device can be attached to the appliance as a dedicated and secure storage system for your log data files, providing a suitable Host Bus Adapter is fitted to your appliance.
When using the archive feature in a HA configuration ensure that SCSI reservations have been enabled on your SAN Appliance.
To enable a SAN archive device
1. In the navigation menu on the appliance, select Administration > Archive Configuration.
2. Select the Enable SAN radio button.
3. In the Device pane, view the Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) and World Wide Port Number (WWPNs).
— Rollover the HBA to reveal the local port number assigned to it.
— Click + to reveal the disks attached to the HBA. Rollover disk numbers to see attached labels.
— Click a disk to display (in the Information pane) its operational Status, Size, and Linux Device mapped to it. (The UUID and Label fields are not used.)
— Click + again to reveal the disk partitions and sizes. Rollover partitions to see attached labels.
— Click a disk partition to display (in the Information pane) its operational Status, Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), Label, Size, and Linux Device mapped to it. The partition is what the user will choose to back up to, not the actual disks themselves.
— The Current Configuration window shows the target Disk and Partition selected for backing up to. If the window is blank, no Disk and Partition have been selected yet.
— To select or change the target Disk and Partition, click a partition in the Device window and roll your mouse over it to reveal the presence of a
label. If no label appears, check the partition size in the Information window.
— If the partition size is adequate for backing up your log data, click the Label icon above the Device window, and enter a label for your backup. Click OK to close the window, or Cancel.
— (Optional) You can remove one or more partitions (mount points) by clicking on them in the Current Configuration pane and then clicking Remove (red X). A Warning message will appear advising that once removed, any data stored on the selected partitions will be lost and no longer retrievable.
— Click the Update button at the bottom of the page. The message: Update Completed will appear at the top of the Archive Configuration page, just below the tab.
— However, if you see: SAN Config: The selected device can't be used for SAN...
or... SAN Config: The selected device conflicts with an existing archive/restore configuration select another partition and try again.
To disable archive on this Appliance, under Archive Configuration select None.
Supported Cable Distances
The following table outlines the supported cable distances and types that can be used with the ST 2020-SAN and ST 2025-SAN R1 appliances.
If the user’s SAN archive system goes offline for more than 60 seconds, it will be necessary to reboot the LogLogic Appliance after the SAN archive system is restored.
Table 9 Supported Cable Distances and Type
Cable Type and Distance (meters)
Rate OM1 OM2 OM3
2Gbps 150 300 500
4Gbps 70 150 380
8Gbps 121 50 150
Configuring EMC Centera Storage
EMC Centera can be used in conjunction with a LogLogic ST or EVA Appliance as a dedicated and secure storage system for raw data files.
To enable an EMC Centera Server:
1. In the navigation menu on an ST or EVA Appliance, select Administration >
Archive Configuration > Centera Configuration.
2. Select the Enable Centera radio button to enable communication between the LogLogic Appliance and the Centera storage device.
3. Designate at least one Centera storage device IP address to enable your Centera connection.
4. Pool IPs are the IP address(es) of the Centera storage device(s) to which you back up data. You must designate at least one Centera storage device IP address to enable the Centera connection. You can designate up to 18 IP addresses. You can specify an IP address for each port. The default port is 3218.
5. Select the Retention method to use.
This option lets you specify either a Centera defined Retention Class, or an Appliance specified retention period.
Options include:
— Class - Enter a Centera Class defined by your Centera administrator.
— Period - Specify a length of time you want to store your data on the Centera storage device. You can specify a period from one month to 10 years and 11 months. Period is the default option.
6. Select your Authentication method.
This lets you specify alternate methods for authenticating the Appliance to the Centera device. Options include:
— None - Do not use any authentication method to back up your data.
— Username and Password - Designate a user name and password for authentication. Your system administrator creates the user name and password.
— File - Designate a specific path to back up your data on the Centera storage device. The path must be the full path on your LogLogic Appliance. Your system administrator provides the .pea file for this option. Cut and paste the file in the provided text box.
7. Click Update.
This option saves and updates the information on the Centera Configuration page. Clicking this button automatically saves and updates your data on Centera. If the update is successful, a confirmation appears at the top of this page.
8. Click Status to view the Centera Status page.
If you click Update and then Status, you can view your changes on the Centera Status page.