This topic applies to XInsight-managed systems running QSM 4.2 or later, XEVO 3.2 or later, or KSM 1.1 or later.
Go to Storage > Volume. The Volume page displays the volumes in each storage pool and provides controls for managing their capacity, operating status, usage, performance properties, and deletion.
Create a Volume #
Click the + icon in the Volumes pane to open the volume creation options.
QSM and XEVO Systems #
Configure the following settings as applicable:
- Volume Type: Available for QSM systems only.
- Block Volume: Provides block-level storage that can be assigned to block host groups and accessed through supported block protocols such as iSCSI or NVMe/TCP.
- File Volume: Provides storage for creating shares that can be accessed through supported file protocols such as CIFS, NFS, FTP, or WebDAV.
- Volume Usage: Select RAID for general storage or Replication Task for a replication destination.
- Volume Name: Enter a name for the volume.
- Capacity: Specify the initial volume capacity.
- Snapshot Space: Configure snapshot space as required.
- Create Quantity: Specify the number of volumes to create as required.
- Block Size: Select the block size as required.
Click Finish to create the volume.
KSM Systems #
For KSM systems, click the + icon, select Create Volume, and then select the destination pool.
Enter a Volume Name, specify the Capacity, and configure Snapshot Space as required.
Click Finish to create the volume.
Note: Plan the initial volume capacity carefully. A volume can be extended to a maximum of 1,024 times its initial capacity. Avoid setting the initial capacity unnecessarily small if significant future expansion is expected. For example, a volume initially created with a capacity of 1 TB can be extended up to a maximum of 1,024 TB.
Note: A thin-provisioned volume can have a logical capacity greater than the pool’s currently available physical space. Monitor pool usage and ensure that sufficient physical capacity remains available as data is written.
Create a CSI Volume #
CSI volume creation is available for KSM systems.
For block storage, the CSI Driver connects the KSM system to a QSAN storage system through iSCSI and dynamically provisions storage for microservices.
Before creating a CSI volume, prepare the required storage resources on the QSM system:
- Create a storage pool with sufficient available capacity.
- Create the required block host group.
- Record the pool name and host group name for the CSI configuration.
On the KSM system, go to Cluster > CSI Driver and click the + icon in the Storage Classes pane.
In Create Storage Class, select Use existing connection or Create new connection. When creating a new connection, configure the storage-system address, port, HTTPS setting, username, and password. Use a fixed IP address for the storage-system connection to maintain a stable CSI connection.
Select iSCSI for Protocol, enter a name for the storage class, and specify the prepared storage pool and host group. Click Create.
To review or modify storage-system connections, click Manage Connections. A connection that is currently used by a storage class cannot be deleted.
After the storage class is created, go to Application menu, select the required microservice, and then select Storage. Under CSI Storage, click the + icon to add a CSI volume. Select the required storage class, configure the volume settings and mount path, and then confirm the configuration.
After the volume is provisioned and mounted, it appears in the CSI Volume List, which displays information such as the volume name, volume size, and mount path.
Note: The storage pool must have sufficient available capacity for CSI volume provisioning. Verify the storage class, storage-system connection, and host group configuration if the CSI volume cannot be created or mounted.
Create a System Volume #
System volume creation is available for KSM systems.
Click the + icon in the Volumes pane, and then select Create System Volume. Select the destination pool, enter the volume name and capacity, and enable Snapshot Space as required. Click Finish, review the confirmation message, and then click Create.
Creating a new system volume transfers the data from the existing system volume to the new volume. The previous system volume is deleted after the transfer.
Warning: Review the selected pool, capacity, and snapshot settings before confirming. Do not interrupt the system-volume transfer.
Volume Information #
Select a volume to view its name, containing pool, capacity, health, and volume type. Depending on the platform and volume type, additional information such as block size and volume usage might also be displayed.
The Health field can display the following states:
- Optimal: The volume is operating normally.
- Partial Optimal: The volume has encountered a read or write error but remains operational.
- Degraded: One or more drives associated with the volume have failed, but the volume remains accessible.
- Failed: The volume is no longer available for normal use.
For KSM systems, regular volumes and system volumes are listed separately in the navigation pane.
Capacity #
Select Capacity to view the used and total capacity of the volume.
To increase the capacity, enable Extend Volume, specify the additional capacity, and confirm the change. The volume can be extended only when its storage pool has sufficient unallocated capacity.
Note: A volume can be extended to a maximum of 1,024 times its initial capacity. Volume capacity cannot be reduced after it has been extended.
Status #
Select Status to view the current operating status of the volume.
The Status field can display the following states:
- Online: The volume is available for normal use.
- Offline: The volume is not available for normal use.
- Rebuilding, Migrating, Scrubbing, Cloning, Rolling back, Pre-checking, Replicating, Erasing, Moving, Relocating, EE-Rebuilding, or Initiating: Indicates that the corresponding volume operation is in progress.
Change Volume Usage #
Volume usage conversion is available for QSM and XEVO systems.
Select Volume Usage to view the current purpose of the volume. A volume with RAID usage can be converted to Replication Task usage so that it can serve as a replication destination. Select Replication Task, review the confirmation message, and then click Confirm.
Warning: Changing the volume usage from RAID to Replication Task is irreversible.
Volume Properties #
Performance properties are available for QSM and XEVO systems.
Select Properties to configure the following performance settings:
- Volume Priority: Sets the I/O priority of the volume relative to other volumes when system resources are under contention.
- Background I/O Priority: Sets the priority of background operations to balance background processing with regular host I/O.
- Cache Mode: Controls how the system cache is used for I/O operations on the volume.
- Read-Ahead: Prefetches data into cache when sequential read patterns are detected to improve sequential read performance.
- Video Editing Mode: Optimizes I/O behavior for video editing and other workloads that involve large sequential data transfers.
Change these settings only when required by the workload because inappropriate values can reduce overall storage performance.
WORM Protection #
WORM protection is available for File Volumes on QSM systems only.
Select WORM to configure the protection period for the selected file volume.
Enable the WORM Protection toggle, and then specify the protection period in Years, Days, Hours, and Minutes as required. Click Apply to enable the protection.
Warning: Once WORM Protection is enabled, it cannot be disabled. Verify the protection period carefully before applying the setting.
Delete a Volume #
Select the volume, and then click Delete under Volume Deletion. Review the confirmation message and click Delete to continue.
Warning: Deleting a volume permanently removes the volume and all data stored on it. This action cannot be undone. Back up all required data and remove any host or service associations before deleting the volume.
Delete a System Volume #
Available for KSM systems only.
Select a volume under System Volumes, and then click Delete under Volume Deletion. Whether a system volume can be deleted depends on the KSM configuration and its transfer state:
- On a stand-alone master, the current system volume can be deleted.
- If both a previous system volume and a transferring or transferred system volume exist, only the transferring or transferred system volume can be deleted.
Review the confirmation message, and then click Delete to continue.
Warning: Verify the system configuration and system-volume transfer state before deleting a system volume.
