Quantum DXi4601 User manual

User Essentials
© 2013 Quantum | Information Solutions
DXi4000 6-67128-03 Rev A
*6-67128-03 A*
Documentation and Training
For information on configuring, operating, and maintaining your DXi4601, open a Web browser and
go to www.quantum.com/dxi4000docs. You will find product documentation, best practice guides,
how-to videos, and other product resources there.
For information about available training courses, go to
www.quantum.com/ServiceandSupport/StorageCareLearning/index.aspx.
Review this document after your DXi4601 system has
been installed. It will help you become familiar with your system. This document
is not, however, a substitute for the DXi4000 User’s Guide or for Quantum training.
Licensed Features
On the DXi GUI, go to Utilities > License Keys and review the licensed features.
Pre-installed features:
NAS: Network Attached Storage (NAS) is one of the options for presenting the DXi4000 to
the host. The Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocol and Network File System (NFS)
protocol are supported.
OST: OpenStorage (OST) is one of two options for presenting the DXi4000 to the host. Specific
versions of NetBackup and Backup Exec are required. For more details, refer to the DXi-Series
OST Configuration Guide.
Deduplication: Enables data deduplication capability.
Replication: Enables the replication feature, which is the process of creating and managing
duplicate versions of your data.
Storage Capacity: (DXi4601 only) Enables the purchased storage capacity for the system. A
storage capacity license key is pre-installed for all initially purchased capacity (4, 8, or 12 TB).
Storage Capacity upgrade feature (DXi4601 only)
You can increase the available storage capacity of the system up to a total of 12 TB, by adding
additional license keys. To increase your storage capacity, contact your Quantum sales representative
to purchase a storage capacity upgrade license. After you purchase the license, you will receive a
License Certificate containing an authorization code. Follow the detailed steps in the “Adding a License
Key” section of the DXi4000 User’s Guide to complete the storage capacity upgrade. After adding a
Storage Capacity license, the DXi4601 needs to be rebooted to activate the additional capacity.
You need your system serial number when contacting a Quantum sales representative.
You can locate the serial number two ways:
From the GUI: Look at the Home page of the
remote management pages. The serial number
is located in the System Details section.
On Physical Components: You can also locate
the system serial number by looking at the front
and rear of the server node. The top of the EST
tab on the front of the unit includes the serial
number (labeled as Service Tag), and so does
a sticker on the rear of the unit. An example
system serial number is 1A2B3C4.
Basic Configuration (Network, NAS, OST, Replication)
The Configuration Wizards launch during the initial configuration but they can
be used at any time by clicking the Wizards button from the DXi Main menu.
The Configuration Wizards provide you with step-by-step instructions for
setting up NAS, OST, replication, email alerts, and technical support features
such as registering your product.
In addition to using the Wizards menu, you can configure network, NAS, OST,
replication, and space management settings from the DXi Main menu by doing
any of the following:
• Edit Network Configuration. Go to Configuration > System > Network.
Consult your network administrator prior to changing any of the
information. (DXi4000 User’s Guide, “DXi4000 Configuration” chapter).
• Configure NAS. Go to Configuration > NAS. (DXi4000 User’s Guide,
“DXi4000 Configuration” chapter).
• Configure OST. Go to Configuration > OST. (DXi4000 User’s Guide,
“DXi4000 Configuration” chapter).
• Set up replication. Go to Configuration > Replication. (DXi4000 User’s Guide, “DXi4000
Configuration” chapter). Note: OST replication (optimized duplication) does not require the
same set up as replication for NAS shares. (DXi-Series OST Configuration Guide).
During data replication, data is sent from one system (the source) to another system (the
target), usually in another location. Sources send replicated data, consisting of unique
blocks not already present at the target, to the target, as well as the metadata for the entire
backup set.
Quantum recommends scheduling replication to run after backups are complete. (DXi4000
User’s Guide, “Adding or Editing a Scheduled Event” section). In addition, always replicate
a new share immediately after creating it. This establishes the initial data structure on the
target system and greatly increases the speed of the first replication.
• Configure space reclamation. Go to Utilities > Space Reclamation (DXi4000 User’s Guide,
“Utilities” chapter). Go to Configuration > Scheduler to configure a space reclamation
schedule (DXi6000 User’s Guide, “Adding or Editing a Scheduled Event” section).
Space reclamation is the process used to delete blocks that are no longer referenced by
metadata, returning capacity to the free space pool for future reuse. It’s a best practice to run/
schedule space reclamation on a daily basis. The operation can use a significant amount of
CPU processing and disk I/O. Avoid running or scheduling space reclamation during known
backup periods.

DXi4000 6-67128-03 Rev A
*6-67128-03 A*
© 2013 Quantum | Information Solutions
Troubleshooting and Help
Before calling Quantum Support, review these FAQs:
Question: How can I free up disk space on my DXi?
Answer: There are multiple ways you can remove data from your DXi:
• You can delete data from your NAS share.
• If the DXi is a target system, you can delete the replicated snapshots.
• After one or more of the previous actions have been taken, you must run space
reclamation to free up the space.
Question: When should I schedule replication and space reclamation for best performance?
Answer: If possible, try to schedule your backups, replication and space reclamation to run
at different times throughout the day. By keeping those processes separate your
blockpool performance will improve.
Question: How can I increase my deduplication rate?
Answer: Three things that will hurt your deduplication ratio are software compression,
encryption, and multiplexing. Most backup applications have options that can be
enabled or disabled for these functions and are often enabled by default. They should
be disabled or the DXi will not be able to achieve an optimal deduplication ratio.
Question: What should I do when my backups fail?
Answer: Backup jobs may have failed for some of the following reasons:
• The DXi ran out of space during the backup window.
• Your backup host lost network connectivity to the DXi.
• Your backup application may have crashed. Try re-running the backup before
contacting Quantum support.
Here are some tips you may find helpful for troubleshooting:
1. Review the “Troubleshooting” chapter in the DXi4000 User’s Guide.
2. Search for solutions in the Knowledge Base at http://qsupport.quantum.com/kb/.
3. Download log files for Technical Support. They will need these to troubleshoot problems.
• Utilities > Diagnostics > System Diag File > Generate New/Download Current
• Utilities > Diagnostics > Storage Array Diag File > Generate New/Download Current
4. Access eSupport by opening an Online Service Request at
https://onlineservice.quantum.com/OA_HTML/xxibu/jtflogin.jsp
5. Contact Quantum Support. In US, call 800-284-5101. In Europe, call toll free [phone]
or direct [phone]. You will need your system serial number. For additional contact
information, go to www.quantum.com/ServiceandSupport/Contacts/Index.aspx
Status and Notifications / Alert Options
• Set up Email notifications. Go to Configuration > Notifications > Email > Recipients. (DXi4000
User’s Guide, “Notifications” section).
• Set up SNMP. Go to Configuration > Notifications > SNMP. (DXi4000 User’s Guide,
“Notifications” section).
• Install and configure StorageCare Guardian. Product documentation and whitepapers are
located at www.quantum.com/ServiceandSupport/Services/GuardianInformation/Index.aspx
• StorageCare Guardian securely links Quantum hardware and the diagnostic data from the
surrounding storage ecosystem to Quantum’s Global Services Team for faster, more precise
root cause diagnosis.
• Check the system status on the Home page. (DXi4000 User’s Guide, “DXi4000 Home Page”
chapter).
• Check Status from the DXi Main menu. Go to Status > Hardware. Storage array failures are
critical and must be addressed immediately to minimize the chances of data loss. (DXi4000
User’s Guide, “DXi4000 Status” chapter)
• Review the Service Ticket buttons. Follow the suggested actions. (DXi4000 User’s Guide,
“DXi4000 Alerts” chapter).
Hardware
• Identify the Ethernet ports on the server node.
• Identify the LEDs on the server node.
• Identify the disk drives. The DXi4601 uses hard disk drives (HDDs).
Server Node
ST
1
3
2
1
2
Gb 2
Gb 1
2 3 4 5
Back
Ethernet Ports
Front
HDDs
Basic Operation
• Log on to DXi remote management pages and change the default password (password) for the
Administrator user (Configuration > System > Security > Web & CLI Passwords).
• Power on and shut down the system in the order described in the “Turning On and Shutting
Down the System” section of the DXi4000 User’s Guide.
Software Upgrades
• Check to see if a software upgrade is
available. Go to the Home page and click
Software Upgrade (DXi4000 User’s Guide,
“Software Upgrades” section). Software
upgrades can include new features as
well as bug fixes.
• Configure the system to automatically
check for software upgrades on a daily
basis (DXi4000 User’s Guide, “Software
Upgrades” section). If a software upgrade
is available, you will be notified by an
admin alert as well as by a Quick Tip icon
on the Home page.