Nutanix Files

General

Nutanix Files offers file system storage in the form of network shares (SMB or NFS). With Storware Backup & Recovery, you can easily back up and recover these shares.

Note:

  • each File Server is considered as a separate Storage Provider

  • Storware Backup & Recovery tracks changes for each file system change using the Nutanix CFT mechanism

    • this shortens backup times because it does not need to perform a metadata scan across your file server, which could contain millions of files and directories.

  • only regular files, symlinks, and directories are subject to backup

  • for file systems, Storware Backup & Recovery currently build images for each backup before uploading data to the specific backup provider so that it doesn't have to upload objects one-by-one - these images will be merged automatically in restore tasks

In general, the process looks as follows:

  • the user adds a new storage provider (Nutanix files)

  • inventory synchronization retrieves all the information about storage (of two types: SMB and NFS)

  • the user can then do a full backup (storage is mounted and all files are extracted from it)

  • incremental backup uses CFT from the API, and based on this list Storware Backup & Recovery only downloads changed files.

Example

Complete the following steps to add the Nutanix Files storage provider:

Go to Storage -> Infrastructure and click on Create button

In the form, provide:

  • Nutanix Files as the Storage Provider type

  • File Server URL in the Host field (https://FileServerVM-IP:9440)

  • Login and password for File Server VM

    • The admin account cannot be used

    • User has to be authorized as REST API access user in File Server Console > Configuration > Manage Roles

    • If you want to use domain account, enter it in the following format: domain\username

  • The URL to the Prism Element Host (https://PRISM_ELEMENT:9440)

  • User login and password to Prism Element Host

    • The admin account cannot be used

    • User has to have Cluster Admin privileges on the cluster

    • If you want to use domain account, enter it in the following format: [email protected]

  • Choose the node configuration responsible for operations.

    • The node has to have network communication over port 9440 to File Server VM Client Network IP and Nutanix Prism.

Click Save button - now you can run inventory synchronization to detect file systems (storage instances) - they will be visible in Storage -> Instances view

Now you can assign backup SLAs in Storage -> Backup SLAs to schedule periodic backups of these shares. You are also able to mount backups to restore individual files using Mounted Backups (File-level Restore).

Limitations

  • Backup/Restore of hidden shares on Nutanix Files with SMB are not supported.

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