Qsan XCubeSAN XS5224D User manual

XCubeSAN SANOS 4.0
User’s Manual
Applicable Models:
XS5224D, XS5216D, XS5212D, XS5212S, XS5226D, XS5226S, XS3224D
XS3224S, XS3216D, XS3216S, XS3212D, XS3212S, XS3226D, XS3226S
QSAN Technology, Inc.
www.QSAN.com

Copyright
© Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced or transmitted without written permission from QSAN Technology, Inc.
April 2017
This edition applies to QSAN XCubeSAN SANOS (SAN Operating System) 4.0. QSAN believes the
information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to
change without notice.
Trademarks
QSAN, the QSAN logo, XCubeSAN, and QSAN.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of QSAN
Technology, Inc.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, and Hyper-V are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States and/or other countries.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.
Mac and OS X are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle
and/or its affiliates.
VMware, ESXi, and vSphere are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United
States and/or other countries.
Citrix and Xen are registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. in the United States
and/or other countries.
Other trademarks and trade names used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the
marks and names or their products are the property of their respective owners.

Notices i
Notices
This XCubeSAN SANOS 4.0 user’s manual is applicable to the following XCubeSAN models:
XCubeSAN Storage System 4U 19” Rack Mount Models
Model Name
Controller Type
Form Factor, Bay Count, and Rack Unit
XS5224D
Dual Controller
LFF 24-disk 4U Chassis
XS3224D
Dual Controller
LFF 24-disk 4U Chassis
XS3224S
Single Controller
LFF 24-disk 4U Chassis
XCubeSAN Storage System 3U 19”Rack Mount Models
Model Name
Controller Type
Form Factor, Bay Count, and Rack Unit
XS5216D
Dual Controller
LFF 16-disk 3U Chassis
XS3216D
Dual Controller
LFF 16-disk 3U Chassis
XS3216S
Single Controller
LFF 16-disk 3U Chassis
XCubeSAN Storage System 2U 19”Rack Mount Models
Model Name
Controller Type
Form Factor, Bay Count, and Rack Unit
XS5212D
Dual Controller
LFF 12-disk 2U Chassis
XS5212S
Single Controller
LFF 12-disk 2U Chassis
XS3212D
Dual Controller
LFF 12-disk 2U Chassis
XS3212S
Single Controller
LFF 12-disk 2U Chassis
XS5226D
Dual Controller
SFF 26-disk 2U Chassis
XS5226S
Single Controller
SFF 26-disk 2U Chassis
XS3226D
Dual Controller
SFF 26-disk 2U Chassis
XS3226S
Single Controller
SFF 26-disk 2U Chassis
Information contained in this manual has been reviewed for accuracy. But it could include
typographical errors or technical inaccuracies. Changes are made to the document
periodically. These changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. QSAN
may make improvements or changes in the products. All features, functionality, and product
specifications are subject to change without prior notice or obligation. All statements,

ii © Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All Right Reserved.
information, and recommendations in this document do not constitute a warranty of any
kind, express or implied.
Any performance data contained herein was determined in a controlled environment.
Therefore, the results obtained in other operating environments may vary significantly.
Some measurements may have been made on development-level systems and there is no
guarantee that these measurements will be the same on generally available systems.
Furthermore, some measurements may have been estimated through extrapolation. Actual
results may vary. Users of this document should verify the applicable data for their specific
environment.
This information contains examples of data and reports used in daily business operations.
To illustrate them as completely as possible, the examples include the names of individuals,
companies, brands, and products.
All of these names are fictitious and any similarity to the names and addresses used by an
actual business enterprise is entirely coincidental.

Contents iii
Table of Contents
Notices ............................................................................................................................ i
Preface ....................................................................................................................... xviii
About This Manual ......................................................................................................................xviii
Related Documents.....................................................................................................................xviii
Technical Support .......................................................................................................................xviii
Information, Tip and Caution........................................................................................................xix
Conventions...................................................................................................................................xix
1. SANOS Overview..................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Introduction to SANOS ....................................................................................................... 1
1.1.1. SANOS System Architecture ............................................................................... 1
1.1.2. SANOS Storage Pool Architecture ...................................................................... 3
1.1.3. SANOS 4.0 Functionality List .............................................................................. 4
1.2. Terminology ........................................................................................................................ 6
2. Prepare for Installation ........................................................................................... 9
2.1. Prepare for Configuration Planning................................................................................... 9
2.1.1. Configuration Planning for Initial Setup ........................................................... 15
2.1.2. Management IP Configuration Planning .......................................................... 16
2.1.3. Notification Configuration Planning ................................................................. 16
2.1.4. iSCSI Configuration Planning ............................................................................ 16
2.1.5. Fibre Channel Configuration Planning.............................................................. 18
2.1.6. Storage Configuration Planning........................................................................ 19
2.1.7. Backup Configuration Planning......................................................................... 20
2.2. System Parameters .......................................................................................................... 21
2.3. Configuration Example ..................................................................................................... 24
3. Getting Started...................................................................................................... 31
3.1. Power on the Storage System.......................................................................................... 31
3.2. Discover the SAN Storage System .................................................................................. 31
3.2.1. QFinder Utility ..................................................................................................... 31
3.3. Initial Setup........................................................................................................................ 33
4. SANOS User Interface........................................................................................... 38
4.1. Accessing the Management Web UI ............................................................................... 38
4.2. SANOS 4.0 Desktop Panel................................................................................................ 39
4.3. Function Menus ................................................................................................................ 40
4.3.1. Dashboard Menu................................................................................................ 41

iv © Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All Right Reserved.
4.3.2. System Settings Menu....................................................................................... 41
4.3.3. Host Configuration Menu .................................................................................. 42
4.3.4. Storage Management Menu.............................................................................. 43
4.3.5. Data Backup Menu............................................................................................. 44
4.3.6. Virtualization Menu ............................................................................................ 44
4.3.7. Monitoring Menu................................................................................................ 45
4.4. Accessing the Management USB LCM ........................................................................... 45
5. Dashboard ............................................................................................................ 50
5.1. Dashboard ......................................................................................................................... 50
5.2. Hardware Monitoring........................................................................................................ 57
6. System Settings.................................................................................................... 60
6.1. General System Settings .................................................................................................. 60
6.2. Management Port Settings .............................................................................................. 62
6.3. Power Settings.................................................................................................................. 65
6.3.1. Boot Management Settings............................................................................... 65
6.3.2. Cache to Flash Status........................................................................................ 67
6.3.3. UPS Settings and Status.................................................................................... 68
6.4. Notification Settings......................................................................................................... 71
6.4.1. Email Settings..................................................................................................... 71
6.4.2. Alert Settings ...................................................................................................... 72
6.4.3. SNMP Settings ................................................................................................... 74
6.5. Maintenance...................................................................................................................... 76
6.5.1. System Information ........................................................................................... 76
6.5.2. Firmware Update................................................................................................ 78
6.5.3. Firmware Synchronization................................................................................. 81
6.5.4. System Identification ......................................................................................... 81
6.5.5. Reset to Factory Defaults .................................................................................. 82
6.5.6. Configuration Backup ........................................................................................ 84
6.5.7. Reboot and Shutdown........................................................................................ 85
7. Host Configuration................................................................................................ 86
7.1. Host Protocol Technology................................................................................................ 86
7.1.1. iSCSI Technology ............................................................................................... 86
7.1.2. Fibre Channel Technology................................................................................. 87
7.2. Host Connectivity Overview ............................................................................................. 88
7.3. Configure iSCSI Connectivity ........................................................................................... 90
7.3.1. Configure iSCSI Ports ........................................................................................ 90
7.3.2. Configure iSCSI Settings.................................................................................... 95
7.3.3. Configure iSCSI Targets .................................................................................... 96
7.3.4. Configure iSCSI CHAP Accounts ....................................................................100

Contents v
7.3.5. Active Sessions ................................................................................................102
7.4. Configure Fibre Channel Connectivity ...........................................................................104
7.4.1. Configure Fibre Channel Link Speed...............................................................104
7.4.2. Configure Fibre Channel Topology .................................................................105
7.4.3. Configure Fibre Channel Targets ....................................................................106
7.4.4. Clear Fibre Channel Counters..........................................................................107
8. Storage Management.......................................................................................... 108
8.1. RAID Technology.............................................................................................................108
8.2. SANOS Storage Architecture .........................................................................................113
8.2.1. Pool Technology...............................................................................................113
8.2.2. Volume Technology .........................................................................................114
8.2.3. LUN Technology...............................................................................................115
8.2.4. Hot Spares........................................................................................................ 117
8.3. Working with Disk Drives................................................................................................118
8.3.1. List Disks ..........................................................................................................119
8.3.2. Operations on Disks.........................................................................................121
8.3.3. S.M.A.R.T. .........................................................................................................124
8.4. Configure Thick Provisioning Pools ..............................................................................126
8.4.1. Create a Thick Provisioning Pool.................................................................... 126
8.4.2. List Thick Provisioning Pools .......................................................................... 131
8.4.3. Operations on Thick Provisioning Pools ........................................................133
8.4.4. Migrate a Thick Provisioning Pool ..................................................................136
8.4.5. Operation Limitations during Migration ......................................................... 139
8.5. Configuring Volumes...................................................................................................... 140
8.5.1. Create a Volume............................................................................................... 140
8.5.2. List Volumes.....................................................................................................144
8.5.3. Operations on Volumes ...................................................................................145
8.5.4. Extend Volume Capacity.................................................................................. 150
8.5.5. Fast RAID Rebuild.............................................................................................151
8.6. Configure LUN Mappings ...............................................................................................153
8.6.1. Map a LUN of iSCSI Connectivity....................................................................153
8.6.2. Map a LUN of Fibre Channel Connectivity......................................................154
8.6.3. List LUN Mappings........................................................................................... 155
8.6.4. Operations on LUN Mappings .........................................................................156
8.7. Connect by Host Initiator................................................................................................ 156
8.8. Disk Roaming ..................................................................................................................157
9. Thin Provisioning................................................................................................ 158
9.1. Overview ..........................................................................................................................158
9.1.1. Thick Provisioning vs. Thin Provisioning........................................................ 159
9.2. Theory of Operation........................................................................................................160

vi © Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All Right Reserved.
9.2.1. Thin Provisioning Architecture........................................................................160
9.2.2. Space Reclamation ..........................................................................................161
9.3. Configure Thin Provisioning Pools ................................................................................ 161
9.3.1. Create a Thin Provisioning Pool......................................................................162
9.3.2. List Thin Provisioning Pools............................................................................167
9.3.3. Operations on Thin Provisioning Pools ..........................................................170
9.3.4. Add a Disk Group in a Thin Provisioning Pool................................................173
9.4. Configure Volumes .........................................................................................................175
9.4.1. Create a Volume in a Thin Provisioning Pool.................................................175
9.4.2. List Volumes and Operations on Volumes.....................................................179
9.5. Configure LUN Mappings and Connect by Host Initiator............................................. 180
10. SSD Cache .......................................................................................................... 181
10.1. Overview ..........................................................................................................................181
10.2. Theory of Operation........................................................................................................183
10.2.1. System Memory and SSD Cache Capacity.....................................................183
10.2.2. SSD Cache Pool Architecture..........................................................................184
10.2.3. RAID Level of SSD Cache Pool........................................................................186
10.2.4. Read/Write Cache Cases.................................................................................188
10.2.5. Populating the Cache.......................................................................................192
10.2.6. SSD Cache Tuning............................................................................................193
10.3. Configure SSD Cache .....................................................................................................194
10.3.1. Enable SSD Cache License..............................................................................194
10.3.2. Create an SSD Cache Pool ..............................................................................195
10.3.3. List SSD Cache Pools.......................................................................................199
10.3.4. Operations on SSD Cache Pools.....................................................................202
10.4. Monitor SSD Cache Statistics........................................................................................204
10.5. SSD Cache Notices......................................................................................................... 207
11. Auto Tiering........................................................................................................ 208
11.1. Overview ..........................................................................................................................208
11.1.1. SSD Cache vs. Auto Tiering............................................................................. 209
11.2. Theory of Operation........................................................................................................210
11.2.1. Auto Tiering Architecture.................................................................................211
11.2.2. Hotness Analysis .............................................................................................212
11.2.3. Relocation.........................................................................................................213
11.2.4. Tiering Policies................................................................................................. 214
11.3. Configure Auto Tiering Pools.........................................................................................216
11.3.1. Enable Auto Tiering License............................................................................216
11.3.2. Create an Auto Tiering Pool ............................................................................216
11.3.3. List Auto Tiering Pools.....................................................................................222
11.3.4. Operations on Auto Tiering Pools...................................................................225

Contents vii
11.3.5. Add a Tier (Disk Group) in an Auto Tiering Pool ............................................227
11.3.6. Hot Spares in an Auto Tiering Pool.................................................................228
11.4. Configure Volumes .........................................................................................................228
11.4.1. Create a Volume in an Auto Tiering Pool .......................................................228
11.4.2. List Volumes and Operations on Volumes.....................................................232
11.5. Configure LUN Mappings and Connect by Host Initiator.............................................233
11.6. Auto Tiering Notices.......................................................................................................233
11.7. Transfer to Auto Tiering Pool......................................................................................... 233
11.7.1. Transfer from Thick Provisioning Pool to Auto Tiering.................................233
11.7.2. Transfer from Thin Provisioning Pool to Auto Tiering...................................235
12. Data Backup........................................................................................................ 239
12.1. Managing Snapshots...................................................................................................... 239
12.1.1. Theory of Operation .........................................................................................239
12.1.2. Configure Snapshot ......................................................................................... 242
12.1.3. Configure Rollback Snapshot.......................................................................... 246
12.1.4. Configure Schedule Snapshots.......................................................................247
12.1.5. Snapshot Notices.............................................................................................248
12.2. Managing Local Clones..................................................................................................250
12.2.1. Theory of Operation .........................................................................................251
12.2.2. Configure Local Clone .....................................................................................253
12.2.3. Configure Schedule Local Clone Tasks.......................................................... 256
12.2.4. Local Cloning Options......................................................................................257
12.2.5. Local Clone Notices......................................................................................... 259
12.3. Managing Remote Replications..................................................................................... 259
12.3.1. Remote Replication Topologies ......................................................................260
12.3.2. Theory of Operation .........................................................................................263
12.3.3. Configure Remote Replication ........................................................................265
12.3.4. Configure Traffic Shaping ............................................................................... 271
12.3.5. Configure Schedule Remote Replication Tasks............................................. 273
12.3.6. Replication Options.......................................................................................... 274
12.3.7. Configure MPIO in Remote Replication Task.................................................275
12.3.8. Configure MC/S in Remote Replication Task Path........................................281
12.3.9. Local Clone Transfers to Remote Replication ...............................................284
13. Monitoring .......................................................................................................... 290
13.1. Log Center .......................................................................................................................290
13.1.1. Operations on Event Logs ............................................................................... 291
13.2. Monitoring Enclosures....................................................................................................292
13.2.1. Hardware Monitoring.......................................................................................292
13.2.2. Configuring SES................................................................................................294
13.3. Performance Monitoring ................................................................................................296

viii © Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All Right Reserved.
13.3.1. Disk Performance Monitoring .........................................................................296
13.3.2. iSCSI Port Performance Monitoring ............................................................... 297
13.3.3. Fibre Channel Port Monitoring ........................................................................298
14. Troubleshooting.................................................................................................. 299
14.1. Fault Isolation Methodology ..........................................................................................299
14.1.1. Basic Steps.......................................................................................................299
14.1.2. Stopping I/O......................................................................................................299
14.1.3. Diagnostic Steps ..............................................................................................300
14.2. Rebuild .............................................................................................................................300
14.3. Volume Restoration ........................................................................................................302
14.3.1. Configure Volume Restoration........................................................................303
15. Support and Other Resources.............................................................................. 304
15.1. Getting Technical Support.............................................................................................. 304
15.2. Online Customer Support ...............................................................................................306
15.3. Accessing Product Updates...........................................................................................310
15.4. Documentation Feedback ..............................................................................................311
Appendix..................................................................................................................... 312
Glossary and Acronym List.........................................................................................................312
End-User License Agreement (EULA) ........................................................................................ 315

Contents ix
Figures
Figure 1-1 SANOS System Architecture............................................................................................ 1
Figure 1-2 SANOS System Architecture with Single Controller Configuration .............................. 2
Figure 1-3 SANOS Storage Pool Architecture .................................................................................. 3
Figure 1-4 SANOS 4.0 Desktop Panel ............................................................................................... 4
Figure 2-1 Dual-controller Topology................................................................................................ 17
Figure 3-1 QFinder Utility ................................................................................................................. 32
Figure 3-2 Login Page of web UI ..................................................................................................... 33
Figure 3-3 Initial Configuration Step 1 ............................................................................................ 34
Figure 3-4 Initial Configuration Step 2 ............................................................................................ 35
Figure 3-5 Initial Configuration Step 3 ............................................................................................ 36
Figure 4-1 Login Page of web UI ..................................................................................................... 38
Figure 4-2 SANOS 4.0 Desktop Panel ............................................................................................. 39
Figure 4-3 Portable USB LCM .......................................................................................................... 46
Figure 4-4 USB LCM Screen............................................................................................................. 46
Figure 5-1 Dashboard Function Submenu...................................................................................... 50
Figure 5-2 Dashboard....................................................................................................................... 50
Figure 5-3 System Information Block in the Dashboard................................................................ 51
Figure 5-4 System Information Popup Window ............................................................................. 52
Figure 5-5 System View Block in the Dashboard ........................................................................... 53
Figure 5-6 Pool Information Popup Window .................................................................................. 54
Figure 5-7 Performance Block in the Dashboard ........................................................................... 56
Figure 5-8 Event Logs in the Dashboard......................................................................................... 57
Figure 5-9 Hardware Monitoring Function Submenu..................................................................... 58
Figure 5-10 Hardware Monitoring ..................................................................................................... 58
Figure 5-11 Head Unit Popup Window .............................................................................................. 59
Figure 6-1 General Function Submenu ........................................................................................... 60
Figure 6-2 General Settings ............................................................................................................. 61
Figure 6-3 Management Port Function Submenu.......................................................................... 62
Figure 6-4 Management Port settings ............................................................................................ 63
Figure 6-5 Power Settings Function Submenu............................................................................... 65
Figure 6-6 Boot Management Settings........................................................................................... 65
Figure 6-7 Cache to Flash................................................................................................................ 67
Figure 6-8 UPS Status and Settings................................................................................................ 69
Figure 6-9 Notifications Function Submenu................................................................................... 71
Figure 6-10 Email Settings................................................................................................................. 72
Figure 6-11 Alert Settings .................................................................................................................. 73
Figure 6-12 SNMP Settings................................................................................................................ 74

x © Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All Right Reserved.
Figure 6-13 Maintenance Function Submenu .................................................................................. 76
Figure 6-14 System Information........................................................................................................ 77
Figure 6-15 Firmware Update ............................................................................................................ 79
Figure 6-16 Enable Licenses.............................................................................................................. 80
Figure 6-17 Both Firmware Versions are Synchronized .................................................................. 81
Figure 6-18 Turn on the UID (Unique Identifier) LED........................................................................ 82
Figure 6-19 Reset to Defaults ............................................................................................................ 82
Figure 6-20 Configuration Backup..................................................................................................... 84
Figure 6-21 Reboot and Shutdown.................................................................................................... 85
Figure 6-22 Reboot Options............................................................................................................... 85
Figure 7-1 Overview Function Submenu......................................................................................... 88
Figure 7-2 Host Port Overview......................................................................................................... 89
Figure 7-3 iSCSI Ports Function Submenu ..................................................................................... 90
Figure 7-4 List iSCSI Ports............................................................................................................... 91
Figure 7-5 iSCSI IP Address Settings.............................................................................................. 92
Figure 7-6 Set Link Aggregation...................................................................................................... 92
Figure 7-7 Set VLAN ID..................................................................................................................... 93
Figure 7-8 Set Jumbo Frame ........................................................................................................... 94
Figure 7-9 Ping Host......................................................................................................................... 95
Figure 7-10 Entity Name and iSNS Settings ..................................................................................... 96
Figure 7-11 iSCSI Targets .................................................................................................................. 97
Figure 7-12 Authentication Method .................................................................................................. 97
Figure 7-13 Change CHAP Users....................................................................................................... 98
Figure 7-14 Change Target Name ..................................................................................................... 99
Figure 7-15 Change Network Portal.................................................................................................. 99
Figure 7-16 Change Alias.................................................................................................................100
Figure 7-17 Create a CHAP User .....................................................................................................100
Figure 7-18 List CHAP Users ...........................................................................................................101
Figure 7-19 Modify a CHAP User.....................................................................................................102
Figure 7-20 Active Sessions ............................................................................................................102
Figure 7-21 Fibre Channel Ports Function Submenu .....................................................................104
Figure 7-22 List Fibre Channel Ports...............................................................................................104
Figure 7-23 Change Link Speed.......................................................................................................105
Figure 7-24 Change Topology..........................................................................................................105
Figure 7-25 Target Configuration ....................................................................................................107
Figure 8-1 Storage Architecture of Thick Provisioning Pool.......................................................114
Figure 8-2 Volume in Storage Architecture ..................................................................................115
Figure 8-3 LUM Mappings in Storage Architecture......................................................................116
Figure 8-4 Hot Spares ....................................................................................................................118
Figure 8-5 Disks Function Submenu .............................................................................................118
Figure 8-6 List Disks.......................................................................................................................120

Contents xi
Figure 8-7 Disk Health Check ........................................................................................................122
Figure 8-8 Set Dedicated Spare.....................................................................................................122
Figure 8-9 Update Disk Firmware..................................................................................................123
Figure 8-10 More Information of Disk Drive ...................................................................................124
Figure 8-11 S.M.A.R.T. Attributes of Disk Drive..............................................................................125
Figure 8-12 Pools Function Submenu.............................................................................................126
Figure 8-13 Create a Thick Provision Pool Step 1..........................................................................127
Figure 8-14 Create a Thick Provision Pool Step 2..........................................................................128
Figure 8-15 Create a Thick Provision Pool Step 3..........................................................................129
Figure 8-16 Create a Thick Provision Pool Step 4..........................................................................130
Figure 8-17 Create a Thick Provision Pool Step 5..........................................................................131
Figure 8-18 A Thick Provisioning Pool is Created..........................................................................131
Figure 8-19 List Thick Provisioning Pools ......................................................................................132
Figure 8-20 Change Disk Properties................................................................................................134
Figure 8-21 Add Disk Group.............................................................................................................135
Figure 8-22 Migrate RAID Level .......................................................................................................136
Figure 8-23 Expand a Thick Provisioning Pool...............................................................................136
Figure 8-24 Migrate a Thick Provisioning Pool ..............................................................................137
Figure 8-25 Migrate RAID Level Step 1 ...........................................................................................137
Figure 8-26 Migrate RAID Level Step 2 ...........................................................................................138
Figure 8-27 Migrate RAID Level Step 3 ...........................................................................................138
Figure 8-28 Migrate RAID Level Step 4 ...........................................................................................139
Figure 8-29 Pools Function Submenu.............................................................................................140
Figure 8-30 Create a Volume in Thick Provisioning Pool Step 1...................................................141
Figure 8-31 Create a Volume in Thick Provisioning Pool Step 2...................................................142
Figure 8-32 Create a Volume in Thick Provisioning Pool Step 3...................................................143
Figure 8-33 A Volume in Thick Provisioning Pool is Created and Initializing ..............................143
Figure 8-34 List Volumes .................................................................................................................144
Figure 8-35 Local Cloning Options..................................................................................................146
Figure 8-36 Map a LUN of iSCSI Connectivity ................................................................................146
Figure 8-37 Unmap LUNs.................................................................................................................147
Figure 8-38 Set Snapshot Space .....................................................................................................147
Figure 8-39 Create Local Clone .......................................................................................................148
Figure 8-40 Change Volume Properties..........................................................................................149
Figure 8-41 Verify Parity...................................................................................................................149
Figure 8-42 Extend Volume Capacity..............................................................................................150
Figure 8-43 Enable Fast RAID Rebuild When Creating a Volume..................................................152
Figure 8-44 Pools Function Submenu.............................................................................................153
Figure 8-45 Map a LUN of iSCSI Connectivity ................................................................................153
Figure 8-46 Map a LUN of FC Connectivity.....................................................................................155
Figure 8-47 List LUN Mappings .......................................................................................................155

xii © Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All Right Reserved.
Figure 9-1 Traditional Thick Provisioning.....................................................................................158
Figure 9-2 Thin Provisioning..........................................................................................................159
Figure 9-3 Benefits of Thin Provisioning ......................................................................................159
Figure 9-4 Storage Architecture of Thin Provisioning Pool.........................................................160
Figure 9-5 Pools Function Submenu.............................................................................................162
Figure 9-6 Create a Thin Provisioning Pool Step 1 ......................................................................163
Figure 9-7 Create a Thin Provisioning Pool Step 2 ......................................................................164
Figure 9-8 Create a Thin Provisioning Pool Step 3 ......................................................................165
Figure 9-9 Create a Thin Provisioning Pool Step 4 ......................................................................166
Figure 9-10 Create a Thin Provisioning Pool Step 5 ......................................................................167
Figure 9-11 A Thin Provisioning Pool is Created............................................................................167
Figure 9-12 List Thin Provisioning Pools ........................................................................................168
Figure 9-13 Change Thin Provisioning Policy.................................................................................171
Figure 9-14 Add Disk Group.............................................................................................................172
Figure 9-15 Move Disk Group ..........................................................................................................173
Figure 9-16 Add Disk Group.............................................................................................................174
Figure 9-17 List Pool after Adding a Disk Group............................................................................175
Figure 9-18 Create a Volume in Thin Provisioning Pool Step 1 ....................................................176
Figure 9-19 Create a Volume in Thin Provisioning Pool Step 2 ....................................................177
Figure 9-20 Create a Volume in Thin Provisioning Pool Step 3 ....................................................178
Figure 9-21 A Volume in Thin Provisioning Pool is Created..........................................................178
Figure 9-22 Change Volume Properties..........................................................................................179
Figure 10-1 SSD Read and Write Cache..........................................................................................182
Figure 10-2 Storage Architecture of SSD Cache Pool....................................................................184
Figure 10-3 The Relationship between SSD Cache Pool and Storage Pool .................................185
Figure 10-4 SSD Read Cache with NRAID+.....................................................................................186
Figure 10-5 SSD Read-write Cache with NRAID 1+ ........................................................................187
Figure 10-6 Read Data with Cache Miss.........................................................................................188
Figure 10-7 Read Data with Cache Hit ............................................................................................189
Figure 10-8 Write Data .....................................................................................................................190
Figure 10-9 Write Data .....................................................................................................................191
Figure 10-10 SSD Cache Function Submenu....................................................................................194
Figure 10-11 Enable SSD Cache License ..........................................................................................195
Figure 10-12 Create an SSD Cache Pool Step 1...............................................................................196
Figure 10-13 Create an SSD Cache Pool Step 2...............................................................................197
Figure 10-14 Create an SSD Cache Pool Step 3...............................................................................198
Figure 10-15 An SSD Cache Pool is Created ....................................................................................198
Figure 10-16 Another SSD Cache Pool is Created ...........................................................................199
Figure 10-17 List SSD Cache Pools...................................................................................................200
Figure 10-18 SSD Cache Pool Column Descriptions........................................................................200
Figure 10-19 SSDs Column Descriptions..........................................................................................201

Contents xiii
Figure 10-20 Enabled Volume Column Descriptions .......................................................................201
Figure 10-21 Add / Remove SSDs from the SSD Cache Pool..........................................................203
Figure 10-22 Add SSDs into the SSD Cache Pool.............................................................................204
Figure 10-23 SSD Cache Function Submenu....................................................................................205
Figure 10-24 SSD Cache Statistics....................................................................................................206
Figure 11-1 Auto Tiering Pool..........................................................................................................209
Figure 11-2 SSD Cache vs. Auto Tiering .........................................................................................210
Figure 11-3 Storage Architecture of Auto Tiering Pool..................................................................211
Figure 11-4 Auto Tiering Relocation................................................................................................214
Figure 11-5 Pools Function Submenu.............................................................................................216
Figure 11-6 Enable Auto Tiering License ........................................................................................216
Figure 11-7 Create an Auto Tiering Pool Step 1.............................................................................217
Figure 11-8 Create an Auto Tiering Pool Step 2.............................................................................218
Figure 11-9 Create an Auto Tiering Pool Step 3.............................................................................219
Figure 11-10 Create an Auto Tiering Pool Step 4.............................................................................220
Figure 11-11 Create an Auto Tiering Pool Wizard Step 5 ................................................................221
Figure 11-12 An Auto Tiering Pool is Created ..................................................................................221
Figure 11-13 List Auto Tiering Pools.................................................................................................222
Figure 11-14 Auto Tiering Pools and Status.....................................................................................225
Figure 11-15 Relocation Schedule.....................................................................................................226
Figure 11-16 Relocate Now................................................................................................................226
Figure 11-17 Add Disk Group.............................................................................................................227
Figure 11-18 Hot Spares in Auto Tiering Pool ..................................................................................228
Figure 11-19 Create a Volume of Auto Tiering Pool Step 1.............................................................229
Figure 11-20 Create a Volume of Auto Tiering Pool Step 2.............................................................230
Figure 11-21 Create a Volume of Auto Tiering Pool Step 3.............................................................231
Figure 11-22 A Volume in Auto Tiering Pool is Created ..................................................................231
Figure 11-23 Change Volume Properties.......................................................................................... 232
Figure 11-24 Transfer Thick Provisioning Pool to Auto Tiering Step 1 ..........................................234
Figure 11-25 Transfer Thick Provisioning Pool to Auto Tiering Step 2 ..........................................234
Figure 11-26 Transfer Thick Provisioning Pool to Auto Tiering Step 3 ..........................................235
Figure 11-27 Transfer Thin Provisioning Pool to Auto Tiering Step 1 ............................................236
Figure 11-28 Transfer Thin Provisioning Pool to Auto Tiering Step 2 ............................................237
Figure 11-29 Transfer Thick Provisioning Pool to Auto Tiering Step 3 ..........................................238
Figure 12-1 Copy-on-Write Technology...........................................................................................240
Figure 12-2 Volume Shadow Copy Services Workflow..................................................................241
Figure 12-3 Snapshot Function Submenu ......................................................................................242
Figure 12-4 Set Snapshot Space .....................................................................................................242
Figure 12-5 Take Snapshot..............................................................................................................243
Figure 12-6 List Snapshots..............................................................................................................243
Figure 12-7 List Snapshots..............................................................................................................244

xiv © Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All Right Reserved.
Figure 12-8 Set Writable Snapshot Capacity to Expose Snapshot ...............................................245
Figure 12-9 Schedule Snapshots.....................................................................................................247
Figure 12-10 Host data I/O Route......................................................................................................249
Figure 12-11 Local Clone Diagram....................................................................................................251
Figure 12-12 Local Clone Steps.........................................................................................................251
Figure 12-13 Rollback Local Clone....................................................................................................253
Figure 12-14 Create Target Volume ..................................................................................................254
Figure 12-15 List Source and Target Volumes for Local Clone ......................................................254
Figure 12-16 Create Local Clone .......................................................................................................255
Figure 12-17 List Source and Target Volumes................................................................................. 255
Figure 12-18 Schedule Local Clone...................................................................................................257
Figure 12-19 Local Cloning Options..................................................................................................258
Figure 12-20 Remote Replication Diagram.......................................................................................259
Figure 12-21 Local Clone Transfers to Remote Replication............................................................260
Figure 12-22 One-Directional Remote Replication ...........................................................................260
Figure 12-23 Bi-Directional Remote Replication...............................................................................261
Figure 12-24 One-to-Many Remote Replication................................................................................261
Figure 12-25 Many-to One Remote Replication................................................................................262
Figure 12-26 Many-to Many Remote Replication .............................................................................262
Figure 12-27 Remote Replication Steps............................................................................................263
Figure 12-28 Snapshot Function Submenu ......................................................................................264
Figure 12-29 Example of Creating a Remote Replication Task.......................................................265
Figure 12-30 Create Target Volume in Site B ...................................................................................266
Figure 12-31 List Target Volume in Site B ........................................................................................266
Figure 12-32 Create a Remote Replication Task Step 1 ..................................................................267
Figure 12-33 Create a Remote Replication Task Step 2 ..................................................................268
Figure 12-34 Create a Remote Replication Task Step 3 ..................................................................269
Figure 12-35 Create a Remote Replication Task Step 4 ..................................................................270
Figure 12-36 Remote Replication Task is Created...........................................................................270
Figure 12-37 Shaping Setting Configuration....................................................................................272
Figure 12-38 Set Traffic Shaping.......................................................................................................273
Figure 12-39 Schedule Remote Replication......................................................................................274
Figure 12-40 Replication Options ......................................................................................................274
Figure 12-41 Remote Replication MPIO Diagram.............................................................................276
Figure 12-42 Remote Replication Source Controller Fail Diagram .................................................276
Figure 12-43 Remote Replication Target Controller Fail Diagram .................................................. 277
Figure 12-44 Add Multipath in Remote Replication Step 1..............................................................278
Figure 12-45 Add Multipath in Remote Replication Step 2..............................................................279
Figure 12-46 Add Multipath in Remote Replication Step 3..............................................................280
Figure 12-47 List Multipath in Remote Replication Task.................................................................280
Figure 12-48 Add Path Connection ...................................................................................................282

Contents xv
Figure 12-49 List Multiple Connections in Remote Replication Task Path ....................................282
Figure 12-50 Delete Path Connection ...............................................................................................283
Figure 12-51 Local Clone Transfers to Remote Replication Diagram ............................................284
Figure 12-52 List Source and Target Volumes for Local Clone ......................................................285
Figure 12-53 Rebuild Clone Relationship Step 1 ..............................................................................286
Figure 12-54 Rebuild Clone Relationship Step 2 ..............................................................................287
Figure 12-55 Rebuild Clone Relationship Step 3 ..............................................................................288
Figure 12-56 Rebuild Clone Relationship Step 4 ..............................................................................289
Figure 12-57 Remote Replication Task is Created...........................................................................289
Figure 13-1 Log Center Function Submenu....................................................................................290
Figure 13-2 Event Logs.....................................................................................................................290
Figure 13-3 Download Event Logs...................................................................................................291
Figure 13-4 Enclosure Function Submenu......................................................................................292
Figure 13-5 Hardware Monitoring ...................................................................................................293
Figure 13-6 Enable SES ....................................................................................................................295
Figure 13-7 SES Status.....................................................................................................................295
Figure 13-8 Performance Function Submenu ................................................................................296
Figure 13-9 Disk Performance Monitoring .....................................................................................297
Figure 13-10 iSCSI Performance Monitoring....................................................................................298
Figure 14-1 Volume Restoration......................................................................................................302
Figure 15-1 Download Service Package in the SANOS UI .............................................................305
Figure 15-2 Appearance of a Console Cable..................................................................................306
Figure 15-3 Connect the Console Cable .........................................................................................306
Figure 15-4 The Procedures of Setup Serial Console by HyperTerminal .....................................308
Figure 15-5 The Procedures of Setup Serial Console by PuTTY...................................................310

xvi © Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All Right Reserved.
Tables
Table 2-1 Configuration Worksheet................................................................................................. 9
Table 2-2 System Parameters........................................................................................................ 21
Table 2-3 Configuration Worksheet Example ............................................................................... 24
Table 4-1 SANOS 4.0 Function Menus .......................................................................................... 40
Table 4-2 USB LCM Function List .................................................................................................. 46
Table 4-3 USB LCM Menu Hierarchy.............................................................................................. 48
Table 5-1 System Information Block Descriptions ....................................................................... 51
Table 5-2 Storage View Block Descriptions .................................................................................. 53
Table 5-3 Volume Column Descriptions........................................................................................ 54
Table 5-4 Disk Group Column Descriptions .................................................................................. 55
Table 5-5 Disk Column Descriptions.............................................................................................. 55
Table 6-1 Power Module Column Descriptions ............................................................................ 68
Table 6-2 Flash Module Column Descriptions .............................................................................. 68
Table 6-3 UPS Column Descriptions.............................................................................................. 69
Table 6-4 Status in System Information Column Descriptions.................................................... 78
Table 7-1 iSCSI Parameters............................................................................................................ 87
Table 7-2 Fibre Channel Parameters ............................................................................................. 88
Table 7-3 Active Sessions Column Descriptions........................................................................103
Table 8-1 RAID Level Summary - 1...............................................................................................111
Table 8-2 RAID Level Summary - 2...............................................................................................112
Table 8-3 Thick Provisioning Pool Parameters...........................................................................114
Table 8-4 Volumes Parameters....................................................................................................115
Table 8-5 LUN Parameters ...........................................................................................................117
Table 8-6 Enclosure and Disk Parameters ..................................................................................119
Table 8-7 Disk Column Descriptions............................................................................................120
Table 8-8 Pool Column Descriptions ...........................................................................................132
Table 8-9 Disk Column Descriptions............................................................................................133
Table 8-10 Volume Column Descriptions......................................................................................144
Table 8-11 LUN Mapping Column Descriptions............................................................................156
Table 9-1 Thin Provisioning Pool Parameters.............................................................................161
Table 9-2 Pool Column Descriptions ...........................................................................................168
Table 9-3 Disk Group Column Descriptions ................................................................................169
Table 9-4 Disk Column Descriptions............................................................................................169
Table 9-5 Thin Provisioning Policy Column Descriptions ..........................................................171
Table 10-1 The Relationship between System Memory and SSD Cache Capacity ....................183
Table 10-2 SSD Cache Parameters................................................................................................185
Table 10-3 I/O Type Table for SSD Read Cache ...........................................................................193

Contents xvii
Table 10-4 I/O Type Table for SSD Read-write Cache ..................................................................194
Table 10-5 SSD Cache Statistics Descriptions..............................................................................206
Table 11-1 SSD Cache vs. Auto Tiering .........................................................................................210
Table 11-2 Auto Tiering Pool Parameters .....................................................................................211
Table 11-3 Pool Column Descriptions ...........................................................................................222
Table 11-4 Disk Group Column Descriptions ................................................................................223
Table 11-5 Disk Column Descriptions............................................................................................224
Table 11-6 Pool Tiering Status Column Descriptions...................................................................225
Table 12-1 Snapshot Parameters ..................................................................................................242
Table 12-2 Snapshot Column Descriptions...................................................................................244
Table 12-3 Local Clone Parameters...............................................................................................252
Table 12-4 Remote Replication Parameters .................................................................................264
Table 14-1 RAID Rebuild .................................................................................................................301
Table 14-2 Volume Restoration Column Descriptions .................................................................302

xviii © Copyright 2017 QSAN Technology, Inc. All Right Reserved.
Preface
About This Manual
This manual provides technical guidance for designing and implementing QSAN XCubeSAN
series SAN system, and it is intended for use by system administrators, SAN designers,
storage consultants, or anyone who has purchased these products and is familiar with
servers and computer networks, network administration, storage system installation and
configuration, storage area network management, and relevant protocols.
Related Documents
There are related documents which can be downloaded from the website.
All XCubeSAN Documents
XCubeSAN QIG (Quick Installation Guide)
XCubeSAN Hardware Owner’s Manual
XCubeSAN Configuration Worksheet
XCubeSAN SANOS 4.0 User’s Manual
Compatibility Matrix
White Papers
Application Notes
Technical Support
Do you have any questions or need help trouble-shooting a problem? Please contact QSAN
Support, we will reply to you as soon as possible.
Via the Web: https://qsan.com/support
Via Telephone: [phone] extension 136
(Service hours: 09:30 - 18:00, Monday - Friday, UTC+8)
Via Skype Chat, Skype ID: qsan.support
(Service hours: 09:30 - 02:00, Monday - Friday, UTC+8, Summer time: 09:30 - 01:00)
Via Email: [e-mail]