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USING STORAGE

GATEWAYS WITH CLOUD STORAGE (ECS)

version 1.0

Using storage gateways with Cloud Storage (ECS) UKC-GEN-574 © UKCloud Ltd, 2017 Open of 27

CONTENTS

Overview 3

API endpoints 4

EMC CloudArray 5 Licensing and trial period 5 Download and installation 6

EMC CIFS-ECS 16 Getting the software 16 Installing on Windows 16

EMC Atmos Geodrive 21 Getting the software 21 Installing on Windows 21

Summary 25

More information 25

About UKCloud 26


OVERVIEW

UKCloud’s Cloud Storage service is an object storage solution based on Dell EMC Elastic Cloud Storage (ECS). Access is via a RESTful application programming interface (API).

Cloud Storage works especially well with modern web applications, but many other applications can also benefit from it if they can access it through more traditional file or block protocols. For example, CIFS or NFS shares are often used as centralised code, content repositories or log stores, and as targets for backup applications. Block storage presented via iSCSI enables easy deployment of Microsoft failover clusters and Red Hat clusters in the cloud, where shared block storage isn't usually available.

This Blueprint examines the three following gateway applications, which can interact with Cloud Storage via the native API on the back end and translate it into a more traditional access method at the front end:

• EMC CloudArray

• EMC CIFS-ECS

• EMC Atmos GeoDrive

This is by no means an exhaustive list of gateway applications, and the inclusion of these three shouldn't be taken as a recommendation or promotion by UKCloud. However, we have tested them with our Cloud Storage service and verified that they work correctly.


API ENDPOINTS

Cloud Storage provides different API endpoints to access your storage, depending on the UKCloud site and connectivity type you are using. Make sure you use the correct endpoint to ensure the best possible performance for your solution.

S3 API endpoint Atmos API endpoint

Corsham (Assured)

Internet cas.cor00005.ukcloud.com atmos.cas.cor00005.ukcloud.com

PSN Assured cas.cor00005.psnassured.

ukcloud.com atmos.cas.cor00005.psnassured.

ukcloud.com

N3 cas.cor00005.ukcloud.

thirdparty.nhs.uk/

atmos.cas.cor00005.ukcloud.

thirdparty.nhs.uk/

Farnborough (Assured)

Internet cas.frn00006.ukcloud.com atmos.cas.frn00006.ukcloud.com

PSN Assured cas.frn00006.psnassured.

ukcloud.com atmos.cas.frn00006.psnassured.

ukcloud.com

N3 cas.frn00006.ukcloud.

thirdparty.nhs.uk

atmos.cas.frn00006.ukcloud.

thirdparty.nhs.uk/

If you’re using the ENHANCED option (geo-resilient storage), you can use either the Corsham or Farnborough endpoints. In the event of a site failure, there will be an outage to objects created on the failed site. UKCloud will bring these objects online in the other site within about 15 minutes.

Contact UKCloud support if you are unsure which endpoint to use.


EMC CLOUDARRAY

EMC CloudArray (formerly TwinStrata) translates Cloud Storage into iSCSI, CIFS or NFS, enabling a wide variety of use cases from almost any host platform or backup solution. CloudArray is available as a physical appliance and as a virtual appliance for both VMware and Hyper-V. It can optionally compress and encrypt data before transmitting it to Cloud Storage.

For more information, see http://www.emc.com/storage/cloudarray/index.htm.

The appliance is best located close to the servers that will access the files as you can use a local cache to boost performance. You can vary the cache policy from share to share, depending on your performance needs. For example, you can:

• Cache 100% of the data locally. This effectively maintains two copies of the data: one locally and the other in the cloud. This maximises performance as data is available in cache; but limits scalability as you're constrained by the capacity of the local disk.

• Allocate a fixed amount of cache for storing the most recently accessed data. All other data is stored in the cloud. This offers a blend of performance and scalability.

• Cache none of the data locally. All data is read from and written to Cloud Storage directly. This offers the lowest performance but the highest scalability, as you can store virtually unlimited amounts of data in the cloud.

Figure 1. Schematic of how CloudArray works

Licensing and trial period

If you don’t have a CloudArray licence, you can sign up for a 45-day trial by completing the application form at:

http://www.emc.com/storage/cloudarray/index.htm#!trial_software

During the trial period, you’ll have access to EMC support and to the CloudArray customer portal.

http://www.emc.com/storage/cloudarray/index.htm

http://www.emc.com/storage/cloudarray/index.htm#!trial_software


Download and installation

To use CloudArray with Cloud Storage, you need to use our CloudArray template. You can request this template from UKCloud Support and it will be shared to you via the vCloud Director catalogue.

To import the CloudArray template into vCloud Director:

1. Log in to the UKCloud Portal and select your account.

If you need more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started Guide for UKCloud Portal (Assured | Elevated).

2. On the Home page, click My VMs and select the compute service (vOrg) for which you requested the template.

3. On the vCloud Director tab, enter your UKCloud Portal password and click Confirm.

4. Select the Catalogs tab and then select the vApp Templates tab.

5. Locate the CloudArray template, right-click it and select Add to My Cloud to create a vApp based on the CloudArray template.

6. Step through the Add to My Cloud settings to create the vApp.

Note! The Network Mapping page will show only one NIC but the VM will be deployed with two.

https://portal.ukcloud.com/support/knowledge_centre/0435318d-a94b-41bb-a4ff-a52adbe863e5

https://portal.ukcloud.gsi.gov.uk/support/knowledge_centre/a561f02f-79bf-495c-94e8-f7c2d52513c0


7. Make sure you connect the NIC post-deployment and configure the networks accordingly.


8. Power on the vApp and open the VM console.

9. Sign in to the console. The default credentials are:

• User Name: admin

• Password: password


Note! After you sign in you’ll be prompted to change the admin password to something more secure.

10. Next, you need to configure the networking. Select Network Configuration.

11. We suggest that you configure a static IP for eth0.

As you won’t be using eth1, you can set it to DHCP or leave it on whatever IP was assigned by vCloud Director.


12. Log out of the console and connect to the admin web interface. By default, the web interface runs on HTTPS.

13. Click Setup to get started.

14. On the CloudArray License page, enter your credentials for the CloudArray portal and the licence key that was created for you.


15. On the Administrator Account page, enter a Username and Password for your CloudArray administrator account. This is a separate account from the one you used to sign in to the console, but you can use the same credentials.

16. On the Accept EULA page, select Accept EULA to accept the end-user license agreement, then click Finish.

17. Click Configuration Wizard to configure your connection to Cloud Storage.

18. On the Cloud Provider page, select ECS and click Continue.


19. Fill in your Cloud Storage credentials — you can get these from the Storage section of the UKCloud Portal. The Token value is a combination of the subtenant ID (bucket

name) and the user ID values from the Portal, joined by a forward slash (/):

subtenant_id/user_id.

20. On the Cloud Optimizer page, configure at least one provisioning policy and then click Next.

A provisioning policy connects a cloud provider and a cache.

21. On the Configure Cache page, configure the cache and connection speed.


22. On the Provision Storage page, you can create CIFS and NFS shares, as well as iSCSI targets.

For detailed instructions, download the CloudArray Administrator Guide from the CloudArray portal.

For example, to create a CIFS share:

a. Select CIFS.

b. Select the size of the CIFS share.


c. Click Create CIFS Share.

23. On the Final Steps page, click Finish.

24. We created a CIFS share above, so we can now view the share by selecting the Shares tab and then selecting CIFS.

The CIFS share name is Share_1.


25. To view from a Windows client in Windows Explorer, enter:

\\ip_of_cloudarray\

For our example, we can see Share_1 in Windows Explorer:


EMC CIFS-ECS

Available free of charge from EMC, you can install CIFS-ECS on a Windows system. It provides a local drive/mount point that synchronises with Cloud Storage and can be shared with other systems on the network through the standard mechanisms available within the operating system.

CIFS-ECS offers a single caching option:

• Stub — files are initially stored locally and replaced with a stub, or shortcut, after a period of time. When you access a file that has been stubbed, it will be retrieved from the cloud. This offers the best scalability, as you can use a virtually unlimited amount of cloud storage.

CIFS-ECS also provides compression to reduce the amount of cloud storage used, and encryption for additional security.

Notes!

• Use CIFS-ECS to point to S3 buckets. For Atmos buckets, use Atmos GeoDrive.

• Make sure you are connecting to the correct endpoints when configuring your connection.

• CIFS-ECS and GeoDrive cannot co-exist on the same system. To install CIFS-ECS, you must ensure that GeoDrive has not already been installed, or has been removed before beginning the installation.

Getting the software

You can download CIFS-ECS from the EMC support portal at:

https://support.emc.com/downloads/40138_ECS-Software

Note! You’ll need to register with Dell EMC to download CIFS-ECS from the EMC support portal.

Installing on Windows

To install CIFS-ECS:

1. Extract and run the setup launcher from the ZIP file.

2. Step through the wizard, adjusting values to suit your environment.

Bear in mind that the Data Directory is used as a local cache for any content you place in the CIFS-ECS drive, so you may want to put this on a non-system volume.

3. When the installation is complete, on the Drive Parameters page, from the CIFS-ECS Drive list, select any available drive letter to use as the CIFS-ECS drive then click Next.

https://support.emc.com/downloads/40138_ECS-Software


4. On the Settings page, click the Hosts button to configure the connection to the Cloud Storage service.

5. On the General tab, click the Add button and configure the settings as shown in the following example:

a. You can find the User ID in the Storage section of the UKCloud Portal.

b. If you’ve forgotten or don’t know your Secret Access Key, you can reset it in the Storage section of the Portal

6. From the Use https or http list, select HTTPS.


7. Click OK to return to the Settings page.

8. The rest of the fields on the Settings page, enable you to configure the root directory, encryption and compression settings.

Configure these fields appropriately for your environment, or accept the defaults. We suggest you give the root directory a friendlier name, so that you can more easily identify it.


9. Click the Advanced button to configure various thresholds, such as how long a local file will be retained before being replaced with a stub.

10. When you’ve completed the wizard, CIFS-ECS connects to Cloud Storage and starts synchronising any content you put on the drive letter you assigned to it.

11. You can share the CIFS-ECS drive, or a folder within it, so that other machines on the network can access it.


EMC ATMOS GEODRIVE

Available free of charge from EMC, you can install Atmos GeoDrive on a Windows system. GeoDrive provides a local drive/mount point that synchronises with Cloud Storage and can be shared with other systems on the network through the standard mechanisms available within the operating system.

GeoDrive offers two caching options:

• Mirror — Files are stored locally and copied to the cloud. This ensures a backup copy of your data is always available in the cloud, but limits your Cloud Storage to the size of your local disk.

• Stub — Files are initially stored locally and replaced with a stub, or shortcut, after a period of time. When you access a file that has been stubbed, it will be retrieved from the cloud. This offers the best scalability, as you can use a virtually unlimited amount of cloud storage.

GeoDrive also provides compression to reduce the amount of cloud storage used, and encryption for additional security.

Notes!

• Use Atmos GeoDrive to point to Atmos buckets. For ECS S3 buckets use CIFS-ECS.

• Make sure you are connecting to the correct endpoints when configuring your connection.

• GeoDrive and CIFS-ECS cannot co-exist on the same system. To install GeoDrive, you must ensure that CIFS-ECS has not already been installed, or has been removed before beginning the installation.

Getting the software

You can download GeoDrive from the EMC support portal at:

https://support.emc.com/downloads/17166_Atmos-GeoDrive-for-Windows

Note! You’ll need to register with Dell EMC to download GeoDrive from the EMC support portal.

Installing on Windows

To install GeoDrive:

1. Extract and run the setup launcher from the ZIP file.

2. Step through the wizard, adjusting values to suit your environment.

Bear in mind that the Data Directory is used as a local cache for any content you place in the GeoDrive, so you may want to put this on a non-system volume.

3. When the installation is complete, on the Drive page, from the GeoDrive list, select any available drive letter to use as the GeoDrive.

https://support.emc.com/downloads/17166_Atmos-GeoDrive-for-Windows


4. From the Local Storage Options radio buttons, select the local storage option you want: mirror or stub, then click Next.

5. On the Settings page, click the Hosts button to configure the connection to the Cloud Storage service.

6. On the General tab, click the Add button and configure the settings as shown in the following example:

• You can find the Subtenant ID and User ID in the Storage section of the UKCloud Portal. In the Portal, you can find the subtenant ID in the Bucket Name column.

• If you’ve forgotten or don’t know your Shared Secret, you can reset it in the Storage section of the Portal

7. From the Use https or http list, select HTTPS.


8. Click OK to return to the Settings page.

9. The rest of the fields on the Settings page, enable you to configure the root directory, encryption and compression settings.

Configure these fields appropriately for your environment, or accept the defaults. We suggest you give the root directory a friendlier name, so that you can more easily identify it.

10. Click the Advanced button to configure various thresholds, such as how long a local file will be retained before being replaced with a stub.


11. When you’ve completed the wizard, GeoDrive connects to Cloud Storage and starts synchronising any content you put on the drive letter you assigned to it.

12. You can share the GeoDrive, or a folder within it, so that other machines on the network to access it.


SUMMARY

In this Blueprint you’ve learned how to use different storage gateway applications to interact with your Cloud Storage service.

As the applications referenced in this Blueprint are provided by a third party, UKCloud Support cannot help you with any troubleshooting. EMC provides support for their appliances, so we recommend you contact them if you need any guidance.

If you don't have Cloud Storage associated with your UKCloud account, or you're having problems accessing your Cloud Storage service using the supplied credentials, contact UKCloud Support for assistance.

MORE INFORMATION

For further information about UKCloud and how we can help you, please email us at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]


ABOUT UKCLOUD

UKCloud is dedicated to the UK Public Sector. We provide assured, agile and value-based true public cloud that enable our customers to deliver enhanced performance through technology.

• We’re focused on cloud. Delivering a true cloud platform that is scalable, flexible, assured and cost-effective.

• We’re open. You are never locked in. Using industry

standards and open source software we enable flexibility and choice across multiple cloud solutions.

• Dedicated to the UK Public Sector. Our business is designed

specifically to serve and understand the needs of public sector organisations.

• We develop communities. We

bring together communities of users that are able to share datasets, reuse code, test ideas and solve problems.

• Customer engagement. We will only be successful if our customers are successful. We embody this in the promise: Easy to adopt. Easy to use. Easy to leave.

Additional information about UKCloud can be found at www.ukcloud.com or by following us on Twitter at @ukcloudltd.

UKCloud. The power behind public sector technology.

http://www.ukcloud.com/

https://twitter.com/ukcloudltd

UKCloud Ltd

A8 Cody Technology Park Ively Road, Farnborough Hampshire, GU14 0LX

T 01252 303300 E [email protected]

www.ukcloud.com

@ukcloudltd

ukcloudltd

ukcloud-ltd

Reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this document. No advice given or statements or recommendations made shall in any circumstances constitute or be deemed to constitute a warranty by UKCloud Ltd as to the accuracy of such advice, statements or recommendations. UKCloud Ltd shall not be liable for any loss, expense, damage or claim howsoever arising out of the advice given or not given or statements made or omitted to be made in connection with this document.

No part of this document may be copied, reproduced, adapted or redistributed in any form or by any means without the express prior written consent of UKCloud Ltd.

© UKCloud Ltd 2017 All Rights Reserved.

UKC-GEN-574 • 08/2017 • version 1.0

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ukcloud.com/

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