ExaGrid Admin Guide

7/22/2019 ExaGrid Admin Guide

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ExaGrid

Administrators Guide

PN: 210-0165-13


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Copyright

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any meanswithout the express written permission of ExaGrid Systems, Inc.

2003-2012 ExaGrid Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

This document, the associated software, and the associated online documentation are the property of ExaGrid Systems, Inc. or its licensors, as applicable, and are loaned to the user under the terms of the ExaGrid Systems, Inc. End User License Agreement. Unauthorizedcopying or use of the software or any associated materials is contrary to the property rightsof ExaGrid Systems and is a violation of state and federal law.

TrademarksExaGrid is a registered trademark of ExaGrid Systems, Inc. ExaGrid Systems (Logo),InstantDR, InfiniteFiler, GRIDdisk and Intelligent Disk-based Data Protection are alltrademarks of ExaGrid Systems, Inc. All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

License Agreement

This document, the associated software and the associated online documentation are the

property of ExaGrid Systems, Inc. or its licensors, as applicable. The use of thesematerials and the software is strictly limited to those users who have signed the ExaGridSystems, Inc. End User License Agreement.

For any software acquired directly or indirectly on behalf of a unit or agency of the UnitedStates Government, whether for civilian agencies or for units of the Department of Defense, the software is a commercial item or commercial computer software (anddocumentation), and pursuant to Section 12.212 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations(FAR) or DoD FAR Supplement Section 227.7202, is provided under restricted rights as

enumerated in the End User License Agreement.


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ExaGrid Administrators Guide iii

Contents

1. The ExaGrid System 1

ExaGrid Hub Sites and Spoke Sites 2

Data Flow 3

2. Networking 4

Network Requirements 4

3. Power Conditioning 7

4. Single and Multi-Site Systems 8

Single-Site ExaGrid Systems 8

Multi-site ExaGrid Systems 9

5. Shares 10

Backup Application Specific Shares 10

Universal Backup Shares 11InstantDR Shares 12

TempDR Shares 14

Utility Shares 15

Share Protection 16

Share Migration 16


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6. The ExaGrid User Interface 17

Logging In 18

7. Creating Shares 19

8. Creating TempDR Shares 22

9. ExaGrid Reports 23

Summary Reports 24

Replication Reports 27

Deduplication Reports 29

10. Monitoring Your ExaGrid System 30

SMTP Email Notifications 30

SNMP Traps 31

Status Monitor 31

ExaGrid MIB 32

11. Configuring Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) 37

Power Off Script 37

Power Off Script Parameters 38

Using powerOffExagrid.pl 39

Example powerOffExagrid.pl Command Line 39

12. IPMI Network Port 40

Resetting the IPMI Network Port User Password 41

Using the IPMI Network Port 44

IPMI and NIC Ports 46

Using Server Message Block (SMB) Signing 48

Character Set Allowed for SMB User Names 49

Character Set Allowed for SMB Passwords 50


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ExaGrid Administrators Guide v

13. Restoring Files 51

14. ExaGrid System Maintenance 52

Shutting Down and Restarting an ExaGrid Server 53

Account Management 53

Adding Additional ExaGrid Servers 55

Adding an ExaGrid Site to an ExaGrid System 56

Software Upgrade 58

NTP Servers 58

Record Keeping 62

15. Encryption Capable ExaGrid Servers 63

Encryption at Rest 63

Boot Protection 70

16. ExaGrid System Disaster Recovery 74

17. Troubleshooting 75

ExaGrid Status Monitor 75

Disk Failure 76

Disk Safety Halt Protection 77

Disk Numbering 78

Power Supply Failure 82

Fan Failure 82

Network Debugging Tools 84

Notifications 85

Consumption 86

Replication 87

18. Performance Tuning 88


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ExaGrid Administrators Guide vii

Preface

This guide provides an overview of the ExaGrid System and getting startedinstructions for the novice ExaGrid Administrator.

Detailed descriptions of the ExaGrid System and advanced administrator procedurescan be found in the ExaGrid Systems online help.

Related Documentation

Contacting ExaGrid Technical SupportIf you have technical questions about this product that are not answered in thisdocument contact ExaGrid Support: Email: [email protected] Phone: 800-868-6985 and at the prompt, press 2.

Title Part Number

Assembling and Initializing Your ExaGrid System 210-0164-xx

ExaGrid Release Notes 210-0174-xx


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GlossaryUnderstanding these terms will help you better understand the ExaGrid System.Disaster Recovery In multi-site systems, in the event of a catastrophic loss of anExaGrid Site, the ability to recover backup data that has been replicated to asurviving ExaGrid Site.

ExaGrid Server - The hardware on which the ExaGrid Software runs. There are

several ExaGrid Server models, each with a different capacity.ExaGrid Site - A logical collection of ExaGrid Servers. An ExaGrid System can bemade up of one or more ExaGrid Sites.

File Collection - A set of files associated with a backup applications backup to anExaGrid Share. ExaGrid reports will report one or more file collections associatedwith a backup job.

Hub ExaGrid Systems use a hub-and-spoke topology. In multi-site ExaGridSystems, one site is designated the hub. When logged into the hub, the hub and allspoke sites are displayed in the navigation tree and system-level reports roll upinformation from all spokes. When logged into a spoke, only the spoke site and itshub are displayed in the navigation tree. system and site-level reports roll upinformation for the spoke site only.

InstantDR Share - A copy of a share at a second ExaGrid Site. When you create anExaGrid Share you have the option of also creating an InstantDR Share on an ExaGrid

Server in another ExaGrid Site. InstantDR Shares are used in disaster recoveryoperations, remote tape copy operations, and in testing data recovery from anotherExaGrid Site.

Landing space The portion of an ExaGrid Servers disk space dedicated to incoming backup data. The size of the landing space varies by ExaGrid Server model. Thelanding space is used to store the most recent version of your backup(s). They arestored in their entirety. Since most restores are done from the most recent backup, thelanding space ensures rapid restores.

Replication - A share setting that instructs the ExaGrid System to maintain a secondcopy of a share on another ExaGrid Site.

Retention Space The portion of an ExaGrid Server that stores and managesdeduplicated Versions of backup files.

Share - A mount point/folder on an ExaGrid Server to which backup applicationswrite.


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ExaGrid Administrators Guide ix

Share Migration - To move a share and its contents from one ExaGrid Server toanother.

Spoke ExaGrid Systems use a hub-and-spoke topology. In multi-site ExaGridSystems, one site is designated the hub. When logged into the hub, the hub and allspoke sites are displayed in the navigation tree and system-level reports roll upinformation from all spokes. When logged into a spoke, only the spoke site and itshub are displayed in the navigation tree. system and site-level reports roll upinformation for the spoke site only.

TempDR Share - TempDR Shares are built manually from shares that are: replicatedto a second ExaGrid Site but were created without a corresponding InstantDR Share.

TempDR shares are used for test recover and in disaster recovery operations.Versions The deduplicated copies of a backup job.


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1

The ExaGrid System

Your ExaGrid System is a disk based backup appliance that sits behind your existing backup server.

ExaGrid uses deduplication technology that allows multiple versions of your backups to be stored in a very small storage footprint.

In addition, the ExaGrid System works in concert with backup applications toduplicate ExaGrid disk-based backups on to tape. This capability is especially usefulto ExaGrid users who: Need a disaster recovery solution for an ExaGrid Single Site configuration Are required to maintain backups on removable media

This chapter provides a high-level overview of the ExaGrid Systems features andcapabilities. Consult the ExaGrid online help for detailed descriptions and step-by-step instructions on how to use the ExaGrid System.

Caution Do not install third party software on your ExaGrid Server. Installingthird party software may result in a loss of data and void your ExaGrid Warranty.

ExaGrid Servers differ in capacity, physical size and network connectors. AllExaGrid Servers run the same ExaGrid software and may be commingled in anExaGrid Site.


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ExaGrid Hub Sites and Spoke SitesThe ExaGrid System uses a hub and spoke topology where there is a single ExaGridSite known as the hub, connected to one or more ExaGrid Sites known as spokes.

Note ExaGrid hub sites can replicate shares to spoke sites. ExaGrid spoke sites canreplicate shares to their hub site. ExaGrid spoke sites cannot replicate shares between each other.

When logged into an ExaGrid Server on a hub site you can: See the hub site and all spoke sites displayed in the ExaGrid user interfaces

navigation tree. The hub site is always listed as the top-most site in the navigationtree.

View reports for the hub site and all spoke sites View events for the hub site and all spoke sites Perform hub site related management tasks

When logged into an ExaGrid Server on a spoke site you can: See the spoke site and the hub site displayed in the ExaGrid user interfaces

navigation tree. Other spoke sites in the system are not displayed. View reports for the spoke site View events for the spoke site Perform spoke site related management tasks


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ExaGrid Administrators Guide 3

Data FlowThe following diagram details the data flow descriptions presented in this section:

Data flows into an ExaGrid Share via a backup application:

Backup application writes to an ExaGrid share. When the backup is complete, the ExaGrid deduplication engine will deduplicate

the backed up data.

Note As more and more backups land, retained and deduplicated, deduplicationratios will improve.

A full copy of the most recent backup is maintained in the Landing Space. The deduplicated versions are kept in the Retention Space. In multi-site ExaGrid Systems, you can specify whether or not to maintain a copy

of a share on a second ExaGrid Site.

When a backup application requests a restore: Since most restores are done from the most recent backup, the ExaGrid system

keeps the most recent backup in its entirety. This ensures extremely fast restores. Restores from an older backup are done by re-assembling the backup from

backup versions.

Hub or Spoke Site

ExaGrid System

Hub or Spoke Site

Landing Space

Retention Space Retention Space

Landing Space


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ExaGrid NIC1

ExaGrid Servers use their NIC1 port to communicate with other ExaGrid Servers inan ExaGrid Site and with ExaGrid Servers in other ExaGrid Sites. Single-ExaGrid Server single-ExaGrid Site systems do not use their NIC1 port and

can be left unconnected. ExaGrid Servers within an ExaGrid Site must connect their NIC1 ports to the

same subnet. ExaGrid Servers within one ExaGrid Site cannot connect their NIC1 ports to the

same subnet used by NIC1 ports of ExaGrid Servers in another ExaGrid Site.Failure to observe this requirement may cause loss of access to data.

NIC1 cannot be used to accept backups from your backup application.

Multicasting Considerations for ExaGrid NIC1 Multicasting is used only between ExaGrid Servers in an ExaGrid Site. Via the

NIC1, multicast packets must not be routed between ExaGrid Sites.

When setting up a subnet for an ExaGrid Sites NIC1 port, ensure that standardmulticasting protocols such as IGMP/IGMP snooping or multicast routing protocolslike DVMRP, PIM, and MOSPF are disabled on the subnet used by your ExaGridsystem.

For example, Cisco 6500 users, if IGMP snooping is configured on the samesubnet to which ExaGrid Servers connect their NIC1 ports, it will not allowmulticast packets between ExaGrid Servers. To disable this functionality in IOS:

1. Select a subnet interface:

Router(config)# interface subnet subnet_ID

2. Disable IGMP snooping:

Router(config-if)# no ip igmp snooping

ExaGrid Backup NICs (NIC2 and Optional NIC3, NIC4, NIC5 and NIC6)

ExaGrid Servers use Backup NICs to accept backups from your backup servers.

NIC2 must be enabled before optional NICs 3 and 4 can be enabled.


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Power Conditioning

Each ExaGrid System requires conditioned power to protect it from unanticipatedpower events. For details on how to configure the power supplied to your ExaGridSystem, consult the Assembling and Initializing Your ExaGrid System guide (PN 210-0164-xx)that came with your ExaGrid System.


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Shares

Shares are mount points created on ExaGrid Servers to which your backupapplication can write. An ExaGrid System uses the following types of shares:

Backup Application Specific SharesApplication specific shares are tailored to specific backup applications. ExaGridprovides detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use your backup applicationwith these shares:

1. In the ExaGrid main menu, click Help .2. From the drop down menu, select the Online Library . The Online library is

displayed.3. Scroll down until you see the guide that applies to your application.4. Right mouse click on the link to the guide and save or print it as needed.

To create an application specific share, see Creating Shares on page 19 .


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Universal Backup SharesExaGrid Universal Backup Shares are designed to accommodate those backupapplications that do not have an ExaGrid Share designed specifically for their use.

Universal Backup Shares are deduplicated and can be replicated and migrated likeother ExaGrid Shares.

ExaGrid Systems has qualified a number of backup applications for use with theUniversal backup Share. Best practices for the qualified applications may be found inyour ExaGrid Systems Online Library.

In addition, ExaGrid is continually qualifying backup applications for the UniversalBackup Share. The ExaGrid web site (www.exagrid.com) will have the most up-to-date list of applications qualified for use with the Universal Backup Share.

In most cases, if your backup application has not yet been qualified by ExaGrid foruse with the Universal Backup Share; the application will work with the UniversalBackup Share provided you follow these simple guidelines:

Note ExaGrid Support may have limited expertise in applications not qualified byExaGrid Systems

1. Create an ExaGrid Universal Backup Share. See Creating Shares on page 19. 2. To write backups to the ExaGrid Universal Backup Share, follow the applications

best practices for writing to disk,3. In addition to following your backup applications best practices, if supported by

your backup application, ensure that: Compression is OFF Encryption is OFF Multiplexing is OFF Deduplication is OFF Concurrent write operations should not exceed 20. ExaGrid recommends to

initially limit concurrent writes to four or five. Over time, increaseconcurrent writes until you reach a number that maximizes theperformance of your backups. Each backup application, due to itsparticular pattern of interpretability will experience different levels of performance.

4. Run a series of test backups and restores to monitor deduplication ratios andperformance and make adjustments as needed.When testing your backups lookfor:

Errors or warnings in the ExaGrid Event Viewer Unusual deduplication ratios


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Unusual deduplication rates A sudden increase in backup durations when the retention period for your

first backups is reached. Restores from backups at the other edge of your retention period that take

an excessive amount of time.

Note Your Exagrid System does not employ real-time reporting. When monitoring backup results it may take up to fifteen (15) minutes for a report to be updated.

The Universal Backup Share may not be suitable for all backup applications. This

includes backup applications that: Create file and folder names that do NOT use UTF-8 encoding. Archive data into many small, individual files Backup data into many small, individual files Overwrite large amounts of backup data sent previously to the ExaGrid Universal

Backup Share. Overwriting a small amount of metadata e.g. control files,catalogs, etc. should perform acceptably.

Treat the ExaGrid Universal Share as primary storage

InstantDR SharesInstantDR Shares are copies of shares that are replicated to a second ExaGrid Site.InstantDR shares can be used to: Recover replicated data after a disaster scenario. In multi-site ExaGrid Systems,

backup data in ExaGrid Shares that are set to replicate to a second site, can berecovered.

Test recovery of replicated data. You can use InstantDR shares to prove that thedata replicated to a second ExaGrid Site is recoverable.

Perform remote tape copy operations. Instant DR shares may also be used tomake a tape copy of data that has been replicated to a second ExaGrid Site. For

details, see the ExaGrid guide that describes how to use your backup application.A copy of your backup application guide can be found in the Online Library. Can be used with Symantecs OpenStorage to achieve:

Seamless integration with the ExaGrid disk backup system Unified control and tracking of all copies of data via the Symantec

applications interface -- including copies replicated to disaster recovery sitesand tape copies

Simplified disaster recovery, as Backup Exec is already aware of all copies of

data and individually tracks retention periods for each copy


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Fast recovery times due to the combination of Symantecs and ExaGridInstantDR capability

Short backup window, by load balancing across Symantec media servers intothe ExaGrid System

Flexibility to retain different amounts of backup data at a local site versus anoff-site disaster recovery location, by better utilizing the unique ExaGridarchitecture.

To see how InstantDR shares are created, see Creating Shares on page 19 .


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TempDR SharesTempDR Shares are built manually from shares that are: replicated to a secondExaGrid Site but were created without a corresponding InstantDR Share.

Note In most cases InstantDR will meet your test recover and disaster recoveryrequirements. You will need to use TempDR shares only in those rare situations forreplicated shares that do not have corresponding InstantDR shares.

A TempDR Share is a snap shot of the replicated contents of a share that does nothave a corresponding InstantDR Share. New data can not be written to them. As thename implies, they are meant to be temporary. TempDR shares are not deduplicatedor replicated.

TempDR shares are used for: Test recovery operations: You can use TempDR shares to prove that the data

replicated to a second ExaGrid Site is recoverable. Disaster recovery: To recover data while you are waiting for the lost site to be

recovered.

To create a TempDR Share, see Creating TempDR Shares on page 22 .


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Share ProtectionShares, and the data they contain, are protected in several ways:

1. The ExaGrid System and the data backed up to it are in your data center.2. When you create a share you must define a whitelist of either DNS names or IP

addresses and subnet masks. Only backup application servers and users loggedinto machines that match the shares whitelist entries are allowed to read from orwrite to the share.

3. Multi-site configurations provide an additional level of data security. Copies of backup files can be kept on a second site. In case of a catastrophic event whereone site has been damaged or destroyed, copies of backups on the second site can be used to rebuild your backups.

4. ExaGrid provides an SMB signing option that allows you to define securitycredentials used to access ExaGrid Shares. See Using Server Message Block(SMB) Signing on page 48 for details.

5. ExaGrid provides a hardware option that employs Encryption at Rest and BootProtection. See Encryption Capable ExaGrid Servers on page 63 for details.

Share MigrationOver time, your backup requirements will change. Because of these changes you

may find it necessary to expand your ExaGrid System and/or add and move sharesfrom one ExaGrid Server to another. To help you balance your backup load, theExaGrid System allows you to move shares from one ExaGrid Server to another. Thisprocess is known as Migration.

Note Once a share has been migrated, backup jobs writing to the share have to beadjusted to accommodate the shares new location.


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Creating Shares

Caution Never create or delete ExaGrid shares on an ExaGrid System withexternal commands or utilities. Always create and delete ExaGrid shares from theExaGrid user interface.

To create a share:

1. In the navigation tree, select the ExaGrid Server on which you want to create theshare.

2. In the main menu, click Manage .3. From the drop down menu select Shares . The ExaGrid Shares page is displayed


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4. Under the Tasks heading, click New. The Create New Share page is displayed .

5. From the drop down menu, select the share type

6. In the space provided, enter a name for the share. You must use unique sharenames on each ExaGrid Server. In addition, ExaGrid recommends using uniqueshare names across your ExaGrid System. Doing so will: Make ExaGrid reports easier to interpret Avoid share name conflicts in disaster recovery scenarios Avoid share name conflicts if you decide to migrate a share to another ExaGrid

Server.7. Select the protocol the application backup server will use to write to the ExaGrid

Share: CIFS, NFS or OST.8. If creating a Utility share, select the amount of space assigned to the share.

9. If this is a multi-site configuration, you may specify an ExaGrid Site to which thisshare will replicate its data: select Replicate data for this share to: Doing so putsan additional copy of the shares contents on another site. Putting a copy ontoanother site provides an additional layer of protection for your data.

For example, you can create a share dedicated to full backups and keep a copy of those backups on the other site. At the same time you can create a share dedicatedto incremental backups and not copy the share to the other site.

Tip For hub sites, consider replicating all shares to the same spoke. Doing so willmake a disaster recovery easier and faster.

10. If the share is being replicated to another ExaGrid Site you may select a specificExaGrid Server on the other ExaGrid Site on which the InstantDR share will becreated. Doing so allows you to balance where data on the other ExaGrid Site is being placed. From the drop down list, select an ExaGrid Server on the otherExaGrid Site.


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Note If your backup application supports Open Storage Technology (OST),InstantDR Shares allow you to take full advantage of OST functionality.

11. In the spaces provided, enter the share access white list information:a. In the spaces provided enter the IP address or DNS names of backup servers

allowed to backup to this share. If a backup server uses multiple IP addresses,all IPs for that server must be entered in the list.

b. In the spaces provided, enter the subnet mask associated with the backupservers that are allowed to write to this share. If you have specified an IPaddress for the backup server(s), leaving this filed blank will restrict access tothe specified IP address.

12. To add the IP addresses and subnet masks, click Add .13. Click Create .The new share confirmation screen is displayed.14. Click OK and the new ExaGrid Share is created.

Note If you create a share and then some time later mark the share to replicate toa second ExaGrid Site, the age of the shares replication queue is based on whenthe share was created and not when it was marked to be replicated.


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ExaGrid Reports

Because your ExaGrid System employs a unified user interface, via a single log in,you can view reports for all ExaGrid Sites and ExaGrid Servers in your ExaGridSystem.

ExaGrid reports use the following icons:

Note The ExaGrid System is not a real time reporting system. Most reports areupdated every fifteen minutes. If a report displays data that appears to be out of date, you may be viewing data between update cycles

Report data is rolled up according to what is selected in the navigation tree. Whenyou select: The ExaGrid icon, you will see reports on the entire ExaGrid System. An ExaGrid Site name, you will see reports on all ExaGrid Servers in the selected

ExaGrid Site. An ExaGrid Server, you will see reports specific to the selected ExaGrid Server.

Note All ExaGrid reports may be exported to a file in XML format.

ExaGrid System Backup File Collections

ExaGrid Site Backup file collectionNOTE: Some backup applications create multiple filecollections for a single backup job.

ExaGrid Server Replication and/or deduplication is in progress

ExaGrid Share Replication and/or deduplication is complete


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Summary ReportsA summary report is the default report displayed when you select an item in theExaGrid navigation tree.

Summary reports provide rolled up, high-level details on: Landing Space Retention Space Deduplication

Landing Space SummaryThe ExaGrid System allows you to write your backup directly to disk, at the speed of disk, without any preprocessing. This approach requires the ExaGrid System toprovide a dedicated area to write backup data. The size of this dedicated area orlanding space varies by ExaGrid Server model. The larger the ExaGrid Server, thelarger the landing space.

This section of the Summary report allows you to determine whether or not there isenough landing space available on an ExaGrid Server for its next backup. In mostcases the space available will be 100% of the system's rating; even if a backup jobwas just written to the ExaGrid Server. This is because ExaGrid Servers candynamically allocate space from their retention space on an as needed basis. As longas your backup job size does not exceed your ExaGrid System's rating, your next backup will fit.


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Note Do not confuse landing space with the total ExaGrid System space. LandingSpace size is determined by ExaGrid Server model number. It is the maximum backup size for which the ExaGrid Server has been rated. Your ExaGrid Server has

much more storage space than what is reported in the landing space section of thisreport.

Orange Landing Space IndicatorIf an ExaGrid Server has retained a large number of backups, there may not be

enough retention space to allocate to the landing space. In this situation, if thisreport is viewed while the ExaGrid Server is deduplicating a previous backup job,the space available may be less than 100% and a portion of the bar graph will turnorange to indicate how much space is used by the previous backup. As processingprogresses, the space available will return to 100%.

Red Landing Space IndicatorIf you begin to outgrow an ExaGrid Server, the retention space may begin usingspace from the landing space.

In this situation, the landing space available may be less than 100% and a portion of the bar graph will turn red to indicate how much space is now used as retentionspace. When landing space is used as retention space, it cannot be reclaimed untilone of the following things happen: The amount of retained data is reduced Shares are migrated to a different ExaGrid Server Additional ExaGrid Servers are added

When landing space is consumed by retained data, to determine if your next backup job will fit on the ExaGrid Server, compare the amount of landing space availablewith the amount of space required to accommodate the next backup.

Retention Space SummaryRetention space is the amount of space dedicated to retaining versions of your backups. The amount of retention space varies by ExaGrid Server model.

The amount of retention space consumed is determined by: Size of backups

The number of backups retained How long backups are retained

H ll h b k d d li


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How well each backup deduplicates

If your backup requirements change and you begin to outgrow the ExaGrid Server,the retention space may begin using space from the landing space.

In such cases you should evaluate the amount of data you are retaining and whetheror not you need to retain less data or add capacity to your ExaGrid System.

Orange Retention Space IndicatorAs your ExaGrid System begins to retain deduplicated versions of backups, thespace consumed by those retained backups will be represented by the Orangeportion of the Retention Space Indicator. The orange portion of the indicator willcontinue to grow until your backups reach their defined retention period. At thattime, the growth of the orange portion of the indicator will stabilize as new versionsof your backups are retained and your backup application removes versions thatexceed its defined retention period.

Red Retention Space IndicatorIf you begin to exceed the rating of your ExaGrid System i.e. writing 5.3TB of data toan EX5000, the ExaGrid Server will try to accommodate the backup by borrowingspace from its retention space. That borrowed space will be represented in red onthe Retention Space Indicator. In such cases you must consider either restructuringyour backup jobs or adding more capacity to your ExaGrid System.

Deduplication SummaryThis section provides a high-level view of how well your data is deduplicating. Thededuplication ratio shows how well your backups are deduplicating. Thededuplication ratio is based on the total amount of backup data written and theamount of space actually consumed after deduplication.

Note Each time a backup job runs, you will see increasingly better datadeduplication ratios.


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Replication ReportsReplication reports provide detailed information about backup data replicating between ExaGrid Sites.

Replicated data may be reported by: Server Share File collection - A file collection is a set of backup files that have landed on an

ExaGrid Server during a specified period of time.You may view replication reports by selecting Reports in the main menu, then fromthe drop down menu select a table-based report of: In Progress Completed

Table-based Replication ReportsThe Replication In Progress and Completed reports are displayed in a table formatand displays information down to the file collection level. You may set a date rangefor the data reported. For example:

From this report you can determine the amount of data transferred and when it wastransferred. Large swings in the amount of data transferred may indicate thatsomething major has changed in a backup job.

A detailed description of replication tabular reports can be found in the ExaGridonline help.

Graph-based Replication ReportsYou can display graph-based reports for the Replication Queue History, Transfer

History or Transfer Rate History for a selected ExaGrid Server(s) for the backup jobswritten to an ExaGrid Server.

The following is an example of a Replication Queue History by backup Server


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The following is an example of a Replication Queue History by backup Serverreport:

Graph-based reports allow you to easily see trends in your ExaGrid Systemsreplication. The graphs also provide controls that allow you to filter out individualitems and to zoom into more detailed dates and times.

A detailed description of replication graph-based reports can be found in theExaGrid online help.


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Deduplication ReportsDeduplication reports provide detailed table-based information about how data inyour ExaGrid System is deduplicating.

Deduplicated data may be reported by: Server Share File collection - A file collection is a set of backup files that have landed on an

ExaGrid Server during a specified period of time.You may view deduplication reports by selecting Reports in the main menu, thenfrom the drop down menu select either: In Progress Completed By Share

From this report you can determine the amount of data actually backed up, theamount of space it consumes on the ExaGrid Server, deduplication ratio for each filecollection as well as a roll up of the deduplication ratio for all file collections.

A detailed description of replication table-based reports can be found in the ExaGridonline help.


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Monitoring Your ExaGrid System

As detailed in ExaGrid Reports on page 23 the ExaGrid system allows you tomanually log in and view the status of your ExaGrid System.

In addition, the ExaGrid System also provides several automated tools that monitorand report status.

SMTP Email NotificationsYou may configure the ExaGrid System to automatically send you or others in yourorganization an email when the ExaGrid System generates an event.

You may also configure the ExaGrid System to send a daily status report. The status

report consists of a summary of the ExaGrid Systems landing space, retention spacededuplication and optionally detailed backup information. The daily status reportmay be sent at a specific hour of the day, to several individuals in your organization,and may be sent in HTML, or text format. Setting the format to NONE will disablesending the status report to the associated email address.

To display the SMTP Email configuration page:

1. From the Navigation Tree, select an ExaGrid Site.

2. From the main menu, click Manage.3. From the drop down menu, select Alert Configuration .4. From the secondary menu, select SMTP Email. The SMTP page is displayed.

The online help has detailed instructions on how to setup SMTP Email alerting.


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SNMP TrapsYou may also configure your ExaGrid System to send alerts about events in theExaGrid System via SNMP traps.

To display the SNMP Trap configuration page:

1. From the Navigation Tree, select an ExaGrid Site.2. From the main menu, click Manage.3. From the drop down menu, select Alert Configuration .

4. From the secondary menu, select SNMP Traps. The SNMP Traps page isdisplayed.

The online help has detailed instructions on how to setup SNMP Trap alerting.

Configure your MIB browser to use SNMP V2.

If you plan to use an SNMP management application, such as Hewlett-PackardsOpenView, you can download the ExaGrid Management Information Base (MIB):

1. In the ExaGrid user interfaces Main menu click Help .2. From the drop down menu select Online Library . The ExaGrid Online Library is

displayed.3. Scroll down and right-click on ExaGrid Grid SNMP Management Information

Base (MIB) and save the MIB file to your required location.

Status MonitorYour ExaGrid System has a phone home capability. The Status Monitor allows youto configure your ExaGrid System to send system information back to ExaGridSupport.

Reports are ExaGrid Site specific. Customers with multiple ExaGrid Sites can set upstatus monitoring for each of their ExaGrid Sites.

ExaGrid Support will automatically run tools against the report. Potential issues can be identified long before they become a problem.

You may send reports to ExaGrid via FTP or email.

To configure the Status Monitor for an ExaGrid Site:

1. From the Navigation Tree, select an ExaGrid Site.2. From the main menu, click Manage.

3. From the drop down menu, select Status Monitor. The Status Monitor page is


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32 ExaGrid Systems

displayed.

ExaGrid MIBThe ExaGrid MIB is made up of industry standard MIB and ExaGrid specific MIBobjects.

A copy of the ExaGrid MIB file can be found in the ExaGrid Online Library. To savea copy of the ExaGrid MIB file:

1. From the main menu, click Help .2. From the drop down menu, click Online Library . The online library is displayed.3. Scroll down the library entries and right click on the ExaGrid MIB file.4. From the pop up menus, click Save as... and save the MIB file with a name and to

a location as needed

Note Before you can use the ExaGrid MIB, you must enable SNMP on eachExaGrid Server you want to monitor.

To enable SNMP on an ExaGrid Server:

1. From the ExaGrid navigation tree, select an ExaGrid Server

2. From the main menu select Identification . The Identification page is displayed:


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3. On the Identification page configure the following SNMP fields:

Standard MIB ObjectsThe ExaGrid MIB supports the following standard MIB objects: System group from RFC 1213. See table below. The entire ifMIB Module (Interface MIB) this includes 64 bit counters useful

for network utilization calculations. Host resources

The hrStorage table is implemented. This table includes memory statisticsincluding total memory available (hrStorageSize) and memory used(hrStorageUsed).

Field Description

SNMP location The MIB-2 system group sysLocationSNMP System Contact The MIB-2 system group sysContact

SNMP v2c ReadCommunity String

Must be set to Public

Enable Access to SNMPAgent

Must be checked to enable SNMP reporting for the ExaGridServer.

The Host Resources hrProcessorLoad MIB object is implemented for allprocessors This MIB object contains: The average over the last minute of the


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34 ExaGrid Systems

processors. This MIB object contains: The average, over the last minute, of thepercentage of time that this processor was not idle.

ExaGrid MIB ObjectsExaGrid MIB objects are made up of WholeGigaBytes and FractionalGigabytes.

A 32 bit gauge does not hold values large enough to represent the bytes countsfound in an ExaGrid System. To accommodate the 32 bit limitation each data itemhas been broken into two 32 bit counters, one for the whole part and one for thefractional part.

The whole part contains a scaled truncated value representing GigaBytes. Thefractional part contains the remainder in bytes.

For example, to determine the byte count for a landing space objects, multiply theegLandingSpaceConfiguredWholeGigabytes value by 1,000,000,000 (10 9) and thenadd the egLandingSpaceConfiguredFractionalGigabytes.

ExaGrid Object TreeThe ExaGrid MIB specifies the following object tree:

exagridServerData (branch) exagridLandingSpace (branch)

egLandingSpaceConfiguredWholeGigabytes (32 bit Gauge) egLandingSpaceConfiguredFractionalGigabytes (32 bit Gauge) egLandingSpaceAvailableWholeGigabytes (32 bit Gauge) egLandingSpaceAvailableFractionalGigabytes (32 bit Gauge)

exagridRetentionSpace (branch) egRetentionSpaceConfiguredWholeGigabytes (32 bit Gauge) egRetentionSpaceConfiguredFractionalGigabytes (32 bit Gauge) egRetentionSpaceAvailableWholeGigabytes (32 bit Gauge) egRetentionSpaceAvailableFractionalGigabytes (32 bit Gauge)

exagridDeduplicationRatio (branch) egBackupDataAvailableWholeGigabytes (32 bit Gauge) egBackupDataAvailableFractionalGigabytes (32 bit Gauge) egBackupDataSpaceConsumedWholeGigabytes (32 bit Gauge) egBackupDataSpaceConsumedFractionalGigabytes (32 bit Gauge)


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Configuring Uninterruptible PowerSupplies (UPS)

Each ExaGrid System requires an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

To protect your ExaGrid System, your UPS management console must execute anExaGrid perl script that, during an unplanned power event, will facilitate an orderlyshutdown of the ExaGrid System.

Your UPS must: Provide enough power to hold up the ExaGrid System for at least five (5) minutes

while the ExaGrid System shuts down. After five minutes, power down the ExaGrid System. Automatically power up the ExaGrid System after power is restored and the UPS

batteries have been recharged at least 90 percent. Be configured in such a way as not initiate a shutdown sequence for minor power

events.

Power Off ScriptA copy of the ExaGrid power off perl script (PowerOffExagrid.pl) resides in the

ExaGrid Managers Online Library. Download a copy of the script from the libraryand use the script in conjunction with your UPS Management software to facilitate aclean shut down of your ExaGrid Site.

To download a copy of the perl script:

1. From the ExaGrid user interfaces main menu, click Help .2. From the drop down menu, click Online Library . The online library is displayed.3. Scroll down to, then right-mouse click ExaGrid UPS Integration Script .

4. Save a copy of the script to a location where it can be executed by your powermanagement software.


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Power Off Script ParametersCalls to the powerOffExagrid.pl perl script use the following parameters:

1. -ip

Where is the IP address of an ExaGrid Server in the Site beingprotected. The ExaGrid Server selected will coordinate the clean shutdown of theother components in the Site.

2. -port

Where is the ExaGrid Servers port number. The default portnumber is 80.

3. -user

Where is the ExaGrid Servers admin accounts user name4. -pass

Where is the ExaGrid Servers admin accounts password

5. -omitMe

-omitMe option is only used if the script is running on an ExaGrid Server. Itprevents the ExaGrid Server from powering off before the UPS has had a chanceto properly power off the other Site components.

6. -skip < ip address>,

Where are the ip addresses of other ExaGrid Servers in the Site thatare protected by another UPS device.


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40 ExaGrid Systems

IPMI Network Port

An IPMI port is are located in the back of you ExaGrid Servers. The actual locationvaries by ExaGrid Model, but like NIC posts, IPMI ports are clearly labeled.

Warning The following procedure exposes a system interface, that if improperlyused can cause a loss of data and void your system warranty.

For ExaGrid Servers with IPMI network ports, you may configure the IPMI networkport as follows:

1. In the ExaGrid navigation tree, select the ExaGrid Server whose IPMI networkport you want to configure.

2. From the Manage drop down menu, select Network.

3. From the secondary menu select IPMI Configuration and the IPMI networkConfiguration page is displayed:

4. In the spaces provided enter:

a. An IP address


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2. Log into the page with the login username and password and the SystemInformation page is displayed:


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42 ExaGrid Systems

3. In the main menu, click Configuration and the configuration page is displayed:

4. From the Options list, click Users and the user list is displayed:


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5. Select the ADMIN user.

6. Click Modify User and the Modify User page is displayed:

7. In the spaces provided, enter the new password.

8. Click Modify , and the password is changed.

Using the IPMI Network Port


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Using the IPMI Network PortTo use the ExaGrid IPMI network port:

1. Enter the IPMI network port address via a secure (HTTPS) web browser sessionand the login page is displayed:

2. Log into the page with the login username and password and the SystemInformation page is displayed:


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IPMI and NIC Ports


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46 ExaGrid Systems

IPMI and NIC PortsYour ExaGrid Server may be configured with two, four or six NICs. In addition,your ExaGrid Server has an IPMI port. All of which are clearly labeled.

Caution For systems with six NICs, pay close attention to the positions of NICs 5and 6

ExaGrid 2U Server IPMI and NIC Port Locations. Optional NICs 5 and 6 Shown

ExaGrid 3U Server IPMI and NIC Port Locations

NIC locations vary from model to model, and are clearly labeled. The NIC locationson your ExaGrid Server may differ from what are called out in these illustrations.

NIC1

NIC2

NIC4

IPMI NIC3

NIC5

NIC6

NIC1

NIC2 NIC4

IPMI

NIC5

NIC6 NIC3


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3. From the drop down menu select Security Credentials and the SecurityCredentials Configuration page is displayed.

4. Click the online help link in the upper right-hand corner of the SecurityCredentials Configuration page for instructions on how to configure credentials


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Credentials Configuration page for instructions on how to configure credentials.

The credentials you specify on the ExaGrid System must match an existing localor domain user account. Domain accounts must be entered without the domaininformation.

Define long in credentials in you backup application as detailed in the ExaGriddocumentation for your backup application.

Character Set Allowed for SMB UserNamesThe character set allowed for user names defined in the ExaGrid System are: User names must not contain more than 32 characters User name must begin with an upper or lower case letter A-Z or a-z

For the rest of the name, you may use any of the following: Upper/lower case A-Z Numeric 0-9 . - _ (period, hyphen, underscore)

Although Windows accepts more characters than this set, your ExaGrid System is

Linux-based and therefore restricts the list of allowable characters.

Character Set Allowed for SMB


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PasswordsThe character set allowed for passwords defined in the ExaGrid System are: Uppercase characters of European languages (A through Z, including diacritic

marks, Greek and Cyrillic characters) Lowercase characters of European languages (a through z, sharp-s, including

diacritic marks, Greek and Cyrillic characters) Base 10 digits (0 through 9) The following non-alphanumeric characters:

Any Unicode character that is categorized as an alphabetic character but is notuppercase or lowercase. This includes Unicode characters from Asian languages.


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52 ExaGrid Systems

ExaGrid System Maintenance

Management and maintenance tasks for your ExaGrid System include:

1. Shutting down and restarting ExaGrid Servers2. Managing ExaGrid accounts3. Adding additional ExaGrid Servers4. Software upgrade5. Record keeping

Shutting Down and Restarting an


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ExaGrid ServerCaution NEVER shut down or restart an ExaGrid Server by cutting power orpressing the power or restart buttons on the front panel. ExaGrid Servers must beshutdown or restarted via the ExaGrid user interface.

To shut down an ExaGrid Server:

1. In the navigation tree, select the ExaGrid Server to be shut down.2. From the main menu, click Manage .3. From the drop down menu, click Administrative State . The Administrative State

page is displayed.4. Click Shutdown .

To restart an ExaGrid Server:

1. In the navigation tree, select the ExaGrid Server to be restarted.2. From the main menu, click Manage .3. From the drop down menu, click Administrative State . The Administrative State

page is displayed.4. Click Restart .

Account ManagementAdmin accounts are used to access the ExaGrid System. The ExaGrid ManagerAdmin account comes with a default password. The account name and passwordwere given to you when your system was installed. ExaGrid recommends that youchange the default passwords.


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Adding Additional ExaGrid Servers


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As your backup requirements grow, you may find it necessary to add additionalExaGrid Servers to your ExaGrid System.

Note Step-by-step instructions on how to install and initialize a new ExaGridServer can be found in the Assembling and Initializing Your ExaGrid System guide thatcame with your new ExaGrid Server.

When you add an ExaGrid Server, you not only increase the amount of storage spacein your ExaGrid System, you also increase the systems ability to take in and process backup data. More ExaGrid Servers mean more memory, CPUs and ports over which backup data can flow.

When a new ExaGrid Server is added, the ExaGrid System will automaticallyredistribute retained backup versions to balance the storage load across the ExaGridServers.

Note Adding a new server will not automatically move (migrate) shares to a newserver. Share migration is a manual process.

To take advantage of the additional ports on the new ExaGrid Server(s):

1. Evaluate existing shares and the jobs writing to them to identify which shares, if moved (migrated) to the new ExaGrid Server, would improve your backupthroughput.

2. Migrate the share(s) to the new ExaGrid Server(s).3. Redirect backup job(s) to the new share location.

Note Consult the ExaGrid Systems online help for instructions on how to migratea share.

Adding an ExaGrid Site to an ExaGrid


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SystemThe ExaGrid System uses a hub and spoke topology. Every ExaGrid System has onehub site. A single-site ExaGrid System is a hub site. Multi-site systems have one huband may have one or more spoke sites.

In most cases, ExaGrid Hub and Spoke Sites will be designated as such during theinitialization process. To add an ExaGrid Site designated as ExaGrid Spoke Site to an

ExaGrid System:1. In the left-hand navigation tree, select the ExaGrid icon.2. In the main menu, click Manage,3. From the drop down menu, select Add Spoke . The Adding a New Spoke page is

displayed.4. In the space provided, enter the IP address of the spoke to be added.

To find the IP address of the ExaGrid Site, via a web browser, navigate to an

ExaGrid Server in the ExaGrid Site. In the ExaGrid navigation tree, place yourmouse cursor over the ExaGrid Sites name. The displayed tool tip contains theExaGrid Sites IP address. For example:

In some cases you may want an existing, single-site ExaGrid System to be joinedwith another ExaGrid Site. To do so, via the ExaGrid user interface you must:

1. Reconfigure the existing single-site ExaGrid System as an ExaGrid Spoke Site.2. Join the newly designated ExaGrid Spoke Site to an ExaGrid Hub Site.

Reconfiguring a Single-site as a Spoke Site

Note Only single-site ExaGrid Systems can be reconfigured as an ExaGrid Spoke


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Site.

The ExaGrid Site in a single-site ExaGrid System is an ExaGrid Hub Site. Toreconfigure the ExaGrid single-site as an ExaGrid Spoke Site:

1. Log into an ExaGrid Server on the ExaGrid System to be redesignated as anExaGrid Spoke Site.

2. In the ExaGrid user interfaces navigation tree, click ExaGrid .

3. In the main menu click Manage .4. From the drop down menu click Network .5. From the secondary menu, click Topology. The Change Topology page is

displayed.6. Click Make Spoke . The site will be redesignated as a spoke.

Joining an ExaGrid Spoke Site to an ExaGrid HubSiteTo join an ExaGrid Spoke Site to an ExaGrid Hub Site:

1. Log into an ExaGrid Server on the hub site.2. From the navigation tree, select ExaGrid.3. In the main menu, click Manage .4. From the drop down menu, select Add Spoke .5. In the space provided, enter the IP address of the ExaGrid Spoke Site.6. Click Add and the ExaGrid Spoke Site will be joined with the ExaGrid Hub Site.

Software Upgrade


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Software upgrades are available through your ExaGrid Technical SupportRepresentative. Upgrades can be downloaded from the ExaGrid Support web site, ora copy can be sent to you.

To view the Software Upgrade page:

1. In the ExaGrid user interfaces navigation tree, select an ExaGrid Site.2. In the main menu, click Manage .3. From the drop down menu, select Software Upgrade . The Software Upgrade page

is displayed.

From the software upgrade page you can: Determine the current version and status of ExaGrid Software across the selected

ExaGrid site. Review the list of upgrade packages that have been uploaded and currently

available to be installed. Enter a path, or browse to, an upgrade package to be uploaded to this ExaGrid

site. Test/Retest an uploaded upgrade package. Apply an ExaGrid upgrade package to the selected site. Remove upgrade packages once they have been applied.

NTP ServersThe ExaGrid Hub Site is set at the time of manufacture to use the public NTP serverpool to synchronize time. ExaGrid Spoke Sites are configured by default to use theExaGrid Hub Site as their NTP server(s).

You may make changes to the ExaGrid Hub Sites factory defaults as needed.

Caution For ExaGrid Spoke sites, using an NTP server other than their ExaGridHub Site may cause unexpected results.

To display an ExaGrid Sites NTP Settings:

1. In the ExaGrid user interface, select the ExaGrid Site.2. In the main menu, click Manage


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2. In the space provided enter regedit and click OK . The Registry Editor isdisplayed.

3. Locate and then expand the following registry entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config\


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4. In the right pane, right-click AnnounceFlags , then click Modify .

5. In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, under Value data, enter 5, and then clickOK .

6. Locate and then expand the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer\


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Record KeepingE G id d th t k d t il d d f h h Wh th li


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62 ExaGrid Systems

ExaGrid recommends that you keep detailed records for each share. Whether onlineor paper, keep the records in a secure place. The contents of a share record will aidcurrent and future members of your organization. The following is an example of ashare record.

Share Record FormShare name:

Date created: Created by:

Date modified: Modified by

Date deleted: Deleted by:

Replicated to a second Site Yes____ No____

Backup Server Type

Type of data being backed up

Copy to tape Yes____ No____


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Encryption Capable ExaGridServers

Encryption Capable ExaGrid Servers run the same ExaGrid software as otherExaGrid Servers, with the added features of Encryption at Rest and Boot Protection.

You may not mix Encryption Capable and non-Encryption Capable ExaGrid Serversin an ExaGrid System.

Encryption Capable ExaGrid Servers can be identified by the -SEC suffix appendedto their name. For example: EX13000E-SEC.

Encryption at Rest and Boot Protection are enabled via the ExaGrid user interface atthe ExaGrid Site level. This ensures that all ExaGrid Servers in a site use the samesettings and password.

Warning ExaGrid cannot retrieve lost passwords. If a password is lost your data

is at risk.

Encryption at RestWarning ExaGrid cannot retrieve lost passwords. If a password is lost your datais at risk.

When Encryption at Rest is enabled, if a disk is removed from an EncryptionCapable ExaGrid Server, its data is encrypted and cannot be read. However, if theentire Encryption Capable ExaGrid Server is removed it can be restarted and its datacan be read.


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If you mouse over the ExaGrid Site name, details about the alarm are displayed:


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To enable or opt-out of Encryption at Rest:

1. In the left-hand navigation tree, select the ExaGrid Site2. From the main menu, click Manage3. From the drop down menu select Security .4. From the secondary menu, select Encryption at Rest and the Encryption at Rest

Management page is displayed:

5. Click Configure and the Enable Encryption at Rest dialog box is displayed:

6. Select either:

a. No, do not enable Encryption at Rest now . Doing so will clear the Encryptionat Rest alarm and does not apply a password for encryption at rest. You mayrevisit this page at another time and enable Encryption at rest

b. Yes, enable Encryption at rest Now. Doing so will require you to enter a newd


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, yp g q ypassword.

Warning ExaGrid cannot retrieve lost passwords. If a password is lost your datais at risk.

7. Click Apply and your selection will be applied:

Adding a New Encryption Capable Server to aSiteTo add a new Encryption Capable server to an Encryption Capable ExaGrid Site:

1. Initialize the ExaGrid Server and add it to the site as detailed in the ExaGrid Assembling and Initializing your ExaGrid Server guide.

2. When the server has been initialized and added to the site, in the left-handnavigation tree, select the ExaGrid Site.

3. From the main menu, click Manage .4. From the drop down menu, select Security .

5. From the secondary menu, select Encryption at Rest and the Encryption at RestManagement page is displayed:


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6. In the space provided, enter the sites Encryption at Rest password.


7. Click Confirm Password and the ExaGrid Servers in the site are listed. The newExaGrid Server will be listed as Not Configured .

Click the Configure button and the new ExaGrid Server will be configured with thesame password and boot protection setting as the other ExaGrid Servers in the site.


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6. Click Confirm Password and the ExaGrid Servers in the site are listed. The newExaGrid Server will be listed as having an Incorrect Password .


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7. Click the Update Password button and the update password dialog box isdisplayed:

8. In the space provided, enter the current Encryption at Rest password for theserver.


9. Click Update , and if you entered the correct password, the server will use thesame password as the other servers in the site.


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4. From the secondary menu, select Encryption at Rest and the Encryption at RestManagement page is displayed:


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5. In the space provided, enter the Encryption Password.6. Click Confirm Password and the Encryption Management page will display the

encryption details for the selected ExaGrid Site:

7. Click Configure and the Encryption at Rest Settings dialog box is displayed:

8. From this dialog box you can change the current Encryption at Rest passwordand/or enable/disable Boot Protection.

9. Make your selections as needed.

10. Click Appl y and you will be prompted to ensure that you want to enable BootProtection:


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11. If you enabled Boot Protection, the Encryption at Rest Management details page

is updated with the Boot Protection listed as On:

Using the IPMI Network Port to Enter BootProtection Password

Each ExaGrid Sever has an IPMI network port that you can configure.

Using the IPMI network port will facilitate entering your encryption password when boot protection is enabled.

See IPMI and NIC Ports on page 46. to identify the location of these ports.

Warning The following procedure exposes a system interface, that if improperlyused can cause a loss of data and void your system warranty.


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used can cause a loss of data and void your system warranty.

Configuring the IPMI Network Port

For ExaGrid Servers with IPMI network ports you may configure the IPMI networkport as follows:

1. In the ExaGrid navigation tree, select the ExaGrid Server whose IPMI networkport you want to configure.

2. From the Manage drop down menu, select Network .3. From the secondary menu, select IPMI Configuration and the IPMI network

Configuration page is displayed:

4. In the spaces provided enter:

a. An IP address b. A subnet maskc. Gateway IP

5. Click Apply and the IPMI network port will be configured.


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ExaGrid System Disaster Recovery

In the event of a catastrophic event where an entire ExaGrid site is no longeravailable, the data from the lost site can be recovered if: The lost site was part of a multi-site system The second site is still available Shares on the lost site were configured to replicate to the second site

To perform a disaster recovery, in your surviving ExaGrid Systems online library,consult: The ExaGrid Disaster Recovery Guide. This guide provides step-by-step

instructions on how to recover your lost ExaGrid System. Once the ExaGrid System has been recovered, consult the ExaGrid application

guide for your backup application. This guide provides step-by-step instructionson how to recover your data via your backup application.


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3. Press return and the ExaGrid Status Monitor is displayed:


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76 ExaGrid Systems

Disk FailureDepending upon the model, an ExaGrid Server chassis contains 12, 14, 16 or 24 diskdrives.

Each ExaGrid Server has RAID 6 with a hot spare. This means that an ExaGridServer can lose up to three disks and continue functioning. However, to ensureoptimum performance, failed disks should be replaced as soon as possible. Replace

the disk in accordance with the maintenance plan that came with your ExaGridServer.

If an ExaGrid Server disk fails, an alert will be generated indicating that the failurehas occurred and which disk has failed. The alert will be sent to all users whonormally receive email alerts from your ExaGrid System. The alert message will alsoappear in the Events report in the ExaGrid Systems user interface.

ExaGrid Server disk failure alerts will contain the disk number that failed. See Disk

Numbering on page 78 for disk locations.

Removing DisksBefore physically removing a disk from an ExaGrid System, first go to the DiskManagement page and perform a software removal of the disk.

1. In the navigation tree select the ExaGrid Server that contains the disk to beremoved.

2 From the main menu click Manage


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2. From the main menu click Manage3. From the drop down menu select Disk and the Disk Management page is

displayed.4. Follow the instructions on the page to perform a software remove and get status

of other disks in the ExaGrid Server.

Disk Safety Halt ProtectionExaGrid Servers use RAID 6 with a hot spare. Disk Safety Halt is initiated if anExaGrid Servers RAID is degraded because:

Two drives are in a failed state and there is no spare. The ExaGrid Server willautomatically go into Disk Safety Halt mode. Once the failed drives arereplaced, the ExaGrid Server s RAID will rebuild and will resume operation.

or Two drives fail - the second drive failed before the spare drive completes its

rebuild. The ExaGrid Server will automatically go into Disk Safety Halt modeand when the spare drive completes rebuilding, the ExaGrid Server resumesoperation.

While in Disk Safety Halt mode, an ExaGrid Server will not accept backups.

Although the primary ExaGrid user interface is not viewable during a disk safetyhalt, you may use ExaGrids Status Monitor to view the status of the systemsRAID and which disks are involved.


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1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Spare

Empty


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EX4000 Disk Numbering



2

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Empty

Spare

Empty

Empty

2

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Spare

15

14

13


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Power Supply FailureDepending upon the model, an ExaGrid Server chassis uses two or three powersupplies.

In the event of a power supply failure, the ExaGrid Server can continue functioning.


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82 ExaGrid Systems

p pp y , gHowever, to maintain the safety margin found in having redundant power supplies,the failed power supply should be replaced as soon as possible. Replace the powersupply in accordance with the maintenance plan that came with your ExaGridServer.

If an ExaGrid Server power supply fails, a 90530 alert will be generated indicatingthat the failure has occurred. The alert will be sent to all users who normally receiveemail alerts from your ExaGrid Server. The alert message will also appear in theEvents report in the ExaGrid Systems user interface. In addition, the failed powersupplys LED status indicator will change from green to amber.

ExaGrid Server power supply failure alerts use the following format:Event ID: 90530

Severity/Type: Warning

Grid Name: Grid Name

Site Name: Your_Site

SiteGrid Name: name

Device Name: Server Name

Description: Power Supply Fault

Detail: Power supplies are indicating a fault condition

Fan FailureDepending upon the model, an ExaGrid Server chassis may use up to six customerreplaceable fans.

In the event of a fan failure an event will be generated detailing which fan has failed.

In such cases, contact ExaGrid Support and depending on your support maintenancecontract, you will be sent a replacement fan, along with step-by-step instructions onhow to replace the fan.

To replace a fan:

1. From the event message that identified the failed fan, record the fans name andlocation.

2. Ensure backup jobs are not writing to the ExaGrid Server.

3. Via the ExaGrid user interface, shut down the ExaGrid Server.http://se2/manager.html

File Edit View Favorites Tools Help

The ExaGrid Server SE2is Online.

Restart

Shutdown

Warning: The functionality on this page will interupt the operation of the selected ExaGrid Server and may cause backup jobsto fail.

Chan

ExaGridSystemsManagementApplication3...

ExaGridSite:SystemEngineer2

SE2:EX1000Site:SystemEngineer1

SE2:EX1000

Settings

Page Too ls

AutoLink Send toB oo km ar ks 5 19 0 bl oc ke d C he ck Go

Refresh

!

1.Click ExaGridServer

2.Click Manage

3.Click Admin.State

4.Click Shutdown


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4. Remove the ExaGrid Server from the rack.

Caution At least two people are needed to lift the ExaGrid Server from the rack.

5. Remove the top cover.6. Before continuing, properly connect an anti-static strap to yourself.

7. Use the following fan map to locate the fan identified in the fan failure eventmessage:

Front of ExaGrid Server

MID-CMID-BMID-A

REAR-D REAR-E

8. To remove the defective fan, press its side release latch and lift the fan out:


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84 ExaGrid Systems

9. To insert the replacement fan, align the fan into the fan rails and gently push thefan in place until it is completely seated into its electrical connector.

10. Replace the top cover.11. Re-rack the ExaGrid Server.12. Reconnect cables.13. Power on the ExaGrid Server.

Network Debugging ToolsExaGrid Systems are appliances. Access to an ExaGrid System is through theExaGrid Systems web-based user interface.

In the unlikely event you need to debug your ExaGrid network settings, the ExaGridSystems user interface provides the following tools:1. Ping2. Traceroute3. Network interface statistics4. Network performance test

To use these tools:

1. In the navigation tree select ExaGrid, an ExaGrid site or an ExaGrid Server.2. In the main menu, click Manage .3. From the drop down menu select Network .4. From the secondary drop down menu, select Diagnostics . The network

Diagnostics page is displayed.

NotificationsIf you encounter issues with receiving email alerts or SNMP traps from yourExaGrid System: If your email server is relay enabled, a missing Send from password will cause

the system to send all messages as relays Relayed messages are often times


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the system to send all messages as relays. Relayed messages are often timestreated as spam by spam filters and filtered out. If you must configure messagesas relays, ensure that the recipients spam filters allow relayed messages from thissite.

See Network Debugging Tools on page 84. to determine proper network

connectivity for each ExaGrid Server. Double check the DNS definition for each ExaGrid Server:

1. In the navigation tree, select an ExaGrid Server.2. In the Main menu, click Manage .3. From the drop down menu select Network .4. From the drop down menu select Configuration . The Network Configuration

page for the selected server is displayed.5. Ensure the DNS IP address is correct. If it is not, enter the correct IP address and

click OK . For SNMP traps, ensure that you are using the latest ExaGrid MIB:

1. In the ExaGrid user interfaces Main menu click Help .2. From the drop down menu select Online Library . The ExaGrid Online Library is

displayed.3. Scroll down and right-click on ExaGrid Grid SNMP Management Information

Base (MIB) .

4. Save the MIB file to your required location.

ConsumptionIn the unlikely event that your ExaGrid System begins experiencing rapidconsumption of storage space:

Ensure the size of your backups and the length of time they are retained does notd t ti g Wh h d E G id S t


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exceed your systems rating. When you purchased your ExaGrid System, yourExaGrid System Engineer sized your system according to your current and future backup requirements. If those requirements have changed, it is possible that you arenow be exceeding your systems rated capabilities. Review your current backupsizes and retention periods.

Ensure your backup deduplication ratios are getting consistently better over time.Review the Deduplication reports. Each time a job runs, its deduplication ratiosshould improve.

The site-level Deduplication Summary report will give you a general overview of deduplication in your ExaGrid System. Use the Deduplication report for All Backupsto gather more detailed information about your ExaGrid Systems deduplication.

ReplicationIn the unlikely event that your ExaGrid System experiences issues replicatingdeduplicated data to another site use the following suggestions to troubleshoot theissue: See the ExaGrid Network Debugging Tools on page 84 to ensure that the


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gg g p gnecessary network bandwidth is available.

Review the ExaGrid Sites replication schedule and ensure it provides a wideenough time window to replicate the ExaGrid Sites data. To view an ExaGridSites replication schedule:

1. In the navigation tree, select an ExaGrid Sites name2. In the main menu, click Manage .3. From the drop down menu, select Replication .4. From the drop down menu, select Schedule . The ExaGrid Sites replication

schedule is displayed. Use the ExaGrid Server-level Replication Transfer Rate History report to identify

daily replication trends. Look for changes in the replication rate. A change mayindicate other network traffic is competing with the transfer of your deduplicateddata.

Use the Replication Transfer History report to identify when a backup jobs datawas available to be replicated.

Use the Replication History report to identify how much data each job contributesto overall replication.

Performance Tuning


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Performance Tuning

Your ExaGrid Server will accept data as fast as your backup server or media servercan write it. Most backup application vendors provide performance tuningdocumentation. If you experience slower than expected writes to your ExaGridSystem, ExaGrid recommends that you consult the backup vendors documentationto get the most out of your backup application.

In general, ExaGrid has found that the following types of things, if addressed, willmaximize backing up to an ExaGrid System:

If your backup server or media server is equipped with a network card that hasoff loading capabilities, off load as much processing as possible to the networkcard. This will free up the servers CPU to process and write the backup faster.

Review and adjust your backup servers or media servers network buffer size.Optimal settings will vary according to backup application and server type.

NetBackup users should review their Shared memory settings (number and sizeof data buffers). Consult the NetBackups Tuning guide that came with yourNetBackup backup application.

NetBackup users should review their client communications buffer size. WhenNetBackup clients are installed, buffers are set from 16K to 64K. ExaGrid hasfound that 128K or larger can enhance performance.

NetBackup users should review their server and client communications buffersize and ensure that they are both set to the same value.


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ExaGridAdministrators Guide

Part Number: 210-0165-13

2003-2012 ExaGrid Systems

Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

No part of this document may be reproducedor transmitted in any form or by any means without

prior written permission of ExaGrid Systems

ExaGrid Admin Guide

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