Gridstore GS-1000-2 User manual

getting started guide
MODEL GS-1000-2

GETTING STARTED GUIDE 1
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Table of ConTenTs
Before You Start........................................... 2
Review Gridstore Terminology ............................... 2
Check Operating Systems Supported .......................... 2
Check Network and Other Requirements ....................... 3
Check Box Contents ...................................... 3
Step 1: Set Up Gridstore Storage Nodes ......................... 4
Step 2: Install Gridstore Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Step 3: Configure Gridstore Storage Nodes ....................... 6
Next Steps .............................................. 10
Safety and Warranty Information .............................. 11
Safety and Warranty ..................................... 11
Responsible Party....................................... 13
LIMITED WARRANTY – NORTH AMERICA ...................... 14

2
before You sTarT
Congratulations on your new Gridstore Storage Node! This Getting Started
Guide will help you set up a Grid—which consists of at least three Gridstore
Storage Nodes—in just three easy steps.
Before you start, it’s a good idea to check system, network and other impor-
tant requirements. This chapter covers the following topics:
• Review Gridstore Terminology
• Check Operating Systems Supported
• Check Network and Other Requirements
• Check Box Contents
Note:If you are adding a Gridstore Storage Node to an existing Grid, you can
skip “Step 2: Installing Gridstore Software,” and otherwise follow the steps in
this Getting Started Guide.
ReviewGridstoreTerminology
Terms used in this Getting Started Guide include the following.
• Gridstore Storage Node – a 1U, rack-mountable storage appliance that
is used as a simple building block of storage to be combined with the
vController software to create a powerful solution called the Grid.
• The Grid™– a new model of storage called software-dened storage,
which virtualizes the entire storage stack and distributes it across a
powerful grid architecture.
• vController™– a small-footprint driver that loads on any supported
Microsoft Windows host and provides the intelligence of how to nd and
access data on the Grid.
• GridControl™– a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in used to
congure and manage the Grid.
CheckOperatingSystemsSupported
Operating systems supported for the vController include the following.
• Windows 2008 R1, 7, Vista, 2003 R1 and R2, XP for 32-bit
• Windows 2008 R1 and R2, 7, Vista for 64-bit
Note:All Windows clients must have Windows .net framework 3.5 service
pack 1.

GETTING STARTED GUIDE 3
CheckNetworkandOtherRequirements
Network and other requirements for the Grid include the following.
• All Gridstore Storage Nodes participating in a vStore must be connected
to the same physical Ethernet switch and within the same VLAN. If you are
using modular or blade switches, all Gridstore Storage Nodes participating
in a vStore should be connected to the same module or card.
• The switch should be congured to allow multicast at least within the
same segment of the network where the Gridstore Storage Nodes are
connected.
• DHCP is not required but highly recommended in the network segment.
Without DHCP enabled during initial conguration, the admin would have
to connect a laptop to the same network segment unless multicasts are
allowed to cross the segments.
• There should be no rewall between the Gridstore Storage Nodes and the
clients. If there is, please ensure that ports 11000-11002 and 231-331
are open. The Grid will add exceptions for Gridstore services on Windows
rewall.
• Switch enhancement features, such as rate limiting, trafc shaping or
policies and Storm Control, should be turned off.
• Turning on IEEE 802.3X Flow Control on your switch is highly
recommended.
• Standardized features, such as QoS, IEEE 802.1p, 802.1Q, class based
queuing and trafc shaping, are fully supported.
• Clients are recommended to be physically connected (aka “wired”) to the
LAN as opposed to being connected wirelessly.
CheckBoxContents
Check the box of your Gridstore Storage node to ensure it contains all
components in the list below.
• A Gridstore Storage Node, ready to rack mount
• Alternative rack mount ears and parts
• 7 ft. Ethernet cable
• 7 ft. power cord
• Getting Started Guide

4
sTep 1: seT up GridsTore sToraGe nodes
In this step, you will rack mount, connect and power on the Gridstore Storage
Nodes for your Grid. Note that each Gridstore Storage Node comes ready to
rack mount.
Note:You need at least three Gridstore Storage Nodes in a Grid.
As you follow the steps, refer to the images below.
1. Rack mount the Gridstore Storage Nodes in the appropriate location in
your datacenter.
2. For each Gridstore Storage Node, connect one end of the supplied
Ethernet cable into the back of the unit, and the other end of the Ethernet
cable into a switch.
3. For each Gridstore Storage Node, connect the appropriate end of the
power cord into the power connection at the back of the Gridstore Storage
Node, and connect the other end into a power source.
4. Press the power button on the front of each Gridstore Storage Node to
power it on.
All storage nodes will display a solid green light. You are now ready to install
the Gridstore software, which will enable you to congure, manage and
connect to the Grid.

GETTING STARTED GUIDE 5
sTep 2: insTall GridsTore sofTware
With three or more Gridstore Storage Nodes connected to the network and
powered on, you are ready to install the Gridstore software. The installation
le (.msi le) for this software includes the vController software, which
enables any supported host to access storage on the Grid, and GridControl,
which is an MMC snap-in used to congure and manage the Grid.
1. Obtain the installation le (.msi) by doing the following:
•Send an email to suppor[email protected].
•In the subject line, enter vController Software Request.
•In the body of the email, enter the serial number(s) for your Gridstore
Storage Node(s).
Important:Do not rename the Gridstore installation le (.msi le).
2. After you receive the installation le, double-click on it to install it on an
administrative workstation.
The InstallShield Wizard opens.

6
3. Click the Next button and follow the installation instructions, clicking the
Next button after each window until you reach the Install Setup Type
window.
This window displays options for a complete or custom installation.
4. Select the Complete option.
Note:This option installs both the vController software and GridControl
MMC snap-in, which you need to congure and manage the Grid.
5. Click the Next button until you reach the Ready to Install window, and
then click the Install button.
Upon completion, you are now ready to congure the Grid.
sTep 3: ConfiGure GridsTore sToraGe nodes
After setting up the Gridstore Storage Nodes and installing the Gridstore
software, you are now ready to congure the Gridstore Storage Nodes.
This step includes conguring network settings and specifying details for
receiving alerts from the Grid. Alerts notify you by email for important or
critical events such as when a Gridstore Storage Node has stopped, failed or
run out of capacity.
1. Launch the Gridstore software by double-clicking the GridControl icon on
your desktop.
The software launches, displaying the GridControl window.

GETTING STARTED GUIDE 7
2. In the left navigation tree, click the arrow next to Storage Nodes to expand
it, and then click New Nodes. (You can also double-click Storage Nodes to
expand it.)
The New Nodes window displays the following center pane. After a few
moments, the new Gridstore Storage Nodes will appear with a status of
“Running,” as seen below.

8
3. In the Network Details area of the New Nodes window, enter network
settings relevant to your network:
•In the Start IP Address text box, you can use the IP Address that was
auto-detected, or you can enter a new one.
•Click the Apply Range button to apply IP addresses in a series to the
other new Gridstore Storage Nodes.
•Enter the other applicable network settings, such as the Default
Gateway, Subnet Mask, Domain Name and Preferred DNS Server.
4. In the Alerting Details section of the New Nodes window, enter alerting
details relevant to your network:
•Select the Disable Alerting check box if you do not wish to receive
alerts, and then skip to the next step.
•In the SMTP Server text box, enter the IP address for the SMTP server
you would like the email alerts to be sent from.
Note:The SMTP server will need to accept SMTP relays from the IP
addresses of all Gridstore Storage Nodes within the Grid.
•In the Email Address text box, enter the email address where you
would like alerts to be sent.
Note:Use a semi-colon (;) to separate multiple email addresses.
•Enter an SMTP Username and SMTP Password, and select the Use
Credentials check box if the SMTP server requires them to be used.

GETTING STARTED GUIDE 9
5. When nished entering both network and alerting details, click the Apply
button just below the Alerting Details area.
The settings are applied and each Gridstore Storage Node is rebooted.
Tip:You can scroll to the bottom of the New Nodes window to watch the
status of these actions.
Note:You will receive a conrmation email from the alerting system that
reads, “Your email account is now registered to receive Gridstore alerts.”
After this process is complete, the Gridstore Storage Nodes appear in the
New Nodes window with a status of “Congured.”
Congratulations! You are now ready to use your Grid!
Tip:When you click Storage Nodes in the left navigation tree of GridControl,
you will see the newly congured Gridstore Storage Nodes there.