Talon FAST User Guide. Date Version Author Comments. November 15, Jaap van Duijvenbode Final Release

Transcription

1 Talon FAST User Guide Date Version Author Comments November 15, Jaap van Duijvenbode Final Release 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Talon FAST User Guide... 1 Table of Contents Introduction / Overview Before you begin Initial Appliance Configuration Network Configuration Active Directory Configuration Configuring Talon FAST basics Configuring Core Appliance role Configuring Edge appliance role Verify basic FAST functionality Where to go next Pre-Population Talon Storage Solutions

3 1. INTRODUCTION / OVERVIEW Welcome to the Talon FAST 2.x User s Guide. This manual will assist you in setting up your Talon FAST appliance software. The next two pages will provide a brief introduction and overview of the Talon FAST solution. The Talon FAST solution is an enterprise-class solution that connects remote and branch office users by allowing secure and optimized data transfer across the WAN via a combined effort of TCP acceleration, virtual storage, cache encryption and a collection of technologies encompassing branch office IT services. 3

4 Talon FAST provides two categories of performance-enhancing technologies: WAFS Transport Protocol Technology - Talon FAST utilizes its own WAFS Transport Protocol technology to further address issues unique to both CIFS and NFS, which are susceptible to interruptions. WAFS Transport Protocol overcomes these issues by using a sub- set of technologies focused on improving performance over the WAN. Data Reduction Technology - Data Reduction leverages aggressive compression and optimization technology that is file-aware and application intelligent, dramatically reducing the amount of data sent across the WAN. Its compression technology features two techniques, TCP Flow Compression and Dictionary-Based Compression, together forming a system of indexed data streaming saving both time and bandwidth. The above technologies work together to provide a complete WAN optimization and server consolidation solution. By integrating Talon FAST in a business environment, Remote users are able to access centralized applications or centrally stored data over the WAN at LAN-like speeds, securing the integrity of business data by minimizing the amount of data traveling between the data center and branch offices. IT organizations can consolidate servers and storage using flexible platform options. As a result, costs are dramatically reduced and data security is significantly enhanced. Talon FAST data can be stored and maintained in one location; at data centers where storage can easily be backed up and managed, putting an end to the challenges around the management of remote office file servers. Residual servers used for critical branch office functions can be completely replaced by utilizing the Branch IT Services. Remote office hardware used for critical branch office functions can be eliminated and IT management simplified by deploying a Talon FAST remote appliance. File services, local print services, domain control, and SMS are among some of the functions that can be handled by a Talon FAST appliance. For example, print services provided by Talon FAST appliances handle printing locally, without requiring print requests made across the WAN. 4

5 2. BEFORE YOU BEGIN This chapter describes how to configure Talon FAST so that it will be ready to support features such as CIFS acceleration, and includes the following sections: Initial Configuration on page 6 Configuring Edge and Core Appliances on page Where to Go Next on page 17 To complete Talon FAST configuration tasks, you will need the following information: IP address Subnet Mask Gateway IP address The NetBIOS name you wish to assign to your Talon FAST appliance (or you can use the pre-configured unique name) The DNS suffix to be appended to the name of the unit when completing its fully qualified domain name (FQDN) The user name and password of an administrative user in this domain The FQDN or IP address of this unit for the management server Core units only: The domain name, username and password of the Talon FAST service user account The NetBIOS or FQDN file server name of data center file servers Edge units only: The NetBIOS name and IP address of the partner core unit 5

6 3. INITIAL APPLIANCE CONFIGURATION Once the Talon FAST hardware has been physically installed and connected to a power source or power distribution unit and the Gb1 and/or Gb2 Ethernet adapters have been connected to a Gigabit Ethernet switch the system is ready for its first boot process. Note; The Talon FAST license is generated against the MAC address of Gb1 therefore Gb1 must always be enabled. During initial boot, the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system is preparing for first use, completing the out-of-the-box experience by installing the correct drivers and installing the necessary components for the respective hardware or virtual appliance. After the base install of the Talon FAST appliance, the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system will guide you through an initial configuration wizard to configure operating system specifics such as localization and product key. Once the initial configuration wizard has completed you can login locally to the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system with the following credentials: Username: Password: FASTAdmin Tal0nFAST! 6

7 4. NETWORK CONFIGURATION The Talon FAST appliance allows you to configure basics such as IPv4 address, NetBIOS name and domain membership through the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Manager management console, which is automatically started after logging in to the Talon FAST appliance using the local FASTAdmin account. Click View Network Connections to open the Network Connections available to this appliance. Virtual appliances only host a single Local Area Connection which is based on 1Gbps E1000 subsystem. Talon FAST appliance models include Broadcom BASP teaming specifics for load balancing or fail-on-fault operations. This document only covers the basic configuration of IPv4 addresses, subnet mask, gateway and DNS server settings using the Local Area Connection virtual network adapter which is applicable to any Talon FAST appliance. Right-click the Local Area Connection adapter Click Properties Select Internet Protocol 4 (TCP/IPv4) Click Properties This opens the basic IPv4 configuration window. In order to manually configure the IP address, gather information from page 5 and fill out the following fields: IP Address Subnet mask Default Gateway Preferred DNS Server Alternate DNS Server Click OK to confirm configuration The Talon FAST appliance is now configured to communicate with other devices on the network in order to join the company s Active Directory domain. In order to configure advanced networking features such as BASP network teaming please read the Talon FAST release notes. 7

8 5. ACTIVE DIRECTORY CONFIGURATION The Talon FAST appliance needs a unique NetBIOS computer name in order to allow users to access data in the branch office. It is recommended to adhere to the company s naming scheme for ease of management. In many cases the NetBIOS computer name represents a logical name including a geographical location, i.e. Core FAST appliance located in Amsterdam. AMS-FAST-CORE1 Edge FAST appliance located in London. LON-FAST-EDGE1 Use the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Manager console in order to configure the Talon FAST appliance NetBIOS name by clicking Change System Properties. Click Change to modify NetBIOS settings Type the NetBIOS Computer name Select Member of Domain Type the Active Directory FQDN Confirm by clicking OK 8

9 Complete the Configuration: Provide a domain username and password User must be Domain Administrator Confirm by clicking OK After the Talon FAST appliance is successfully joined to the company s Active Directory domain confirm a system reboot by clicking Restart Now. 9

10 6. CONFIGURING TALON FAST BASICS Once the configuration for the Windows Server 2008 R2 portion has been successfully completed Talon FAST basics (such as licensing and system notification) can be configured. When configuring the Talon FAST software it is recommended to login to the respective Talon FAST appliance using a Domain Administrator user account. Using either a physical console or use a Remote Desktop Connection (RDP): Click the Talon FAST Configuration shortcut located on the desktop The Talon FAST Configuration Console will be started for the first time allowing you to configure the Talon FAST appliance using the Initial Configuration assistant. 10

11 License Configuration Proceed to the first step of the Initial Configuration by performing the license configuration. Click Perform next to the unchecked License Configuration step This opens a new tab Licensing in order to apply a license file Click Browse to select the.xml file which you acquired from your Talon Sales or Support representative Click Open to apply the license A confirmation message should be received. Click OK. Reboot License configuration is mandatory in order to activate the Talon FAST appliance roles. Without a valid license the Talon FAST services will not start. Notes: o o o o The license file is generate against the MAC address of physical LAN port Gb1 (Local Area Connection) Gb1 must always be enabled The license file must always be.xml formatted A reboot is mandatory after uploading the Talon FAST license Once the Talon FAST UI reports that the license has been applied correctly, you can proceed (optional) to the Notification tab in order to complete basic notification features. 11

12 Notification Configuration Talon FAST appliances can be configured in order to accommodate proactive monitoring using SNMP and notification. Please follow the steps below to configure SNMP notification and Notification. Select the Enable SNMP Notification checkbox to enable SNMP services Provide a NetBIOS name or IP address of the SNMP trap receiver Click Apply in order to confirm the settings Click Enable notification checkbox to enable notification Provide From Address, To Address, SMTP server, SMTP Port, SMTP User and SMTP Password in order to allow Talon FAST services to send notification s through your company s server Click Apply in order to confirm the settings It is recommended to reboot the appliance to prepare for Talon FAST appliance role configuration. After the reboot please login using the procedure on page 10 - Configuring Talon FAST basics - of this document. 12

13 7. CONFIGURING CORE APPLIANCE ROLE Proceed to Talon FAST Configuration UI by using the procedure on page 10 - Configuring Talon FAST basics - of this document. When a Talon FAST appliance is designated the core appliance role Talon FAST branch office appliances will connect to access data center file server resources. The services on this appliance run as a domain user account. This type of account, known as the service user account, must have the following privileges on each of the CIFS servers that will be associated with the Core FAST appliance: Must be a domain user (it is recommended that the service user account be a member of the Domain Admins group in Active Directory) Must have Run As Service privilege Must be a member of the data center (backend) file server s Backup Operators group To configure the service user account on your core: Click the Tab System Overview and click Perform next to the unchecked Talon Service User step listed in the FAST Core Configuration Steps section of the Initial Configuration assistant This opens a new tab: FAST Core and shows section Talon Service User. Enter the User name and Password of the Talon FAST Service Account created beforehand in Active Directory. Click Apply to confirm the configuration of the Service user account 13

14 If company policy dictates that the Service Account cannot be a domain admin, please use the following security principles to prepare the Talon FAST service account: o The Service Account must be allowed Log On Locally rights o The service account must be a member of the Local Administrator group on the Talon core appliance If the service user account has not yet been added to the backup operators group on each CIFS server at the data center, do so now Talon FAST core appliances provide CIFS optimization for backend file servers located in the data center where the Talon FAST core appliance itself resides. Please follow the steps below to add CIFS services to the Talon FAST core appliance. Click CIFS File Servers section in the FAST Core tab of the Talon Configuration Console or use the CIFS Servers Configuration step listed in the FAST Core Configuration Steps section of the Initial Configuration assistant Provide a NetBIOS or FQDN name in the Add a new CIFS Server field containing the backend CIFS server to publish throughout all connected Talon FAST branch office appliances Click Add in order to add the respective server to the Configured CIFS Servers list. The changes are applied directly to the Talon FAST core appliance configuration without displaying a confirmation box. Note: It is mandatory to allow Everyone Full-Control on the ACL of each share on the backend file server. Additional features such as configuring Global Exclusion List, File Blocking, Selectable File Handling and Pre-population will be described in the Where to go next - Advanced Core Appliance chapter of this document. 14

15 8. CONFIGURING EDGE APPLIANCE ROLE Proceed to Talon FAST Configuration UI by using the procedure on page 10 - Configuring Talon FAST basics - of this document. When a Talon FAST appliance is designated the edge appliance role it will connect to a Talon FAST core appliance to provide users at the remote site with access to data center file server resources. To configure the Edge Appliance Role: Click Perform next to the unchecked FAST Core Configuration step listed in the FAST Edge Configuration Steps section of the Initial Configuration assistant This opens a new tab FAST Edge and shows section Core Appliances in order to provide a Talon FAST core appliance for the use of Talon FAST optimization services. Click Add to add a Talon FAST core appliance o Provide Appliance ID, preferably the NetBIOS name of the Talon FAST core appliance o Provide IP Address/FQDN of the Talon FAST core appliance o Optionally provide Disaster Recovery IP Address/FDQN for Talon FAST High Availability configuration (under construction) o Click Ok to confirm the addition of the Talon FAST core appliance Additional features such as configuring Advanced Options and Security will be described in the Where to go next - Advanced Edge Appliance chapter of this document. 15

16 9. VERIFY BASIC FAST FUNCTIONALITY In order to verify that the Talon FAST appliance configuration has completed successfully use a Microsoft Windows XP/7 client workstation in the branch office to verify optimization specifics. In the steps below you will find some basics to verify that Talon FAST optimization is fully functional and successfully caching files. In this example we are using our London edge connected to New Jersey core, using \\fileserver backend file server which hosts a Data share. Open File through Windows Explorer Browse to \\LON-FAST1\FASTData (where LON-FAST1 is the respective Talon FAST edge appliance) Click on NJ-FAST1 subfolder (which represents connected Talon FAST core appliance) o This will initiate a fetch of available backend file servers from the Talon FAST core appliance Click on FILESERVER (which is our CIFS backend file server) o This will fetch a list of available shares for the backend file server associated. o Subsequently open a respective Data share o Open Test folder Notice the X sign on the folders inside the Talon FAST edge appliance. This means that files/folders have not been cached locally on the respective LON-FAST1 edge. Once you open a folder for the first time with file contents it will display all files and folders with the X sign. Open one of the documents listed in Windows Explorer. Double-click the file to open the cold file (not cached locally). Talon FAST uses compression/reduction mechanisms to improve initial performance. Keep in mind, however, files marked with an X are not cached locally and as a result first-time opens take longer than subsequent opens. Once the file has been opened the X icon disappears from the now warm file (cached locally). All subsequent opens of the file will be considerably faster since the files are fetched from the contents of the local cache on the Talon FAST branch appliance. Note: The X icon is represented by a clock symbol in Microsoft Windows 2000/XP 16

17 10. WHERE TO GO NEXT Advanced Core appliance Global Exclusion List The Global Exclusion List feature allows CIFS server shares to be hidden from Talon FAST Edge appliances, and therefore end-user clients. The shares with the configured names will not be exported through Talon FAST from any data center file server configured on this Talon FAST Core appliance. This feature is used when there are multiple shares with the same name on several servers. To hide shares from Edge appliances Open the Talon FAST Configuration Console Select FAST Configuration tab, followed by selecting FAST Core tab Click Global Exclusion List Fill out Share Name to prevent distribution through Talon FAST Click Add to add a share name to the exclusion list o Once added to the list the change is applied 17

18 Advanced Core appliance Selectable File Handling Certain applications, such as Microsoft Access, rely on partial file locking and partial file updates for file sharing coherency. In order to use these kinds of applications with WAFS, you must first disable file locking for the file extensions associated with the application. Pass-through policies are applied to file patterns globally and cannot differ between Edge appliances attached to the configured Core appliance. To disable file locking for an appliance Open the Talon FAST Configuration Console Select FAST Configuration tab, followed by selecting FAST Core tab Click Selectable File Handling Enter the file type extensions (used by the application) separated by commas and preceded by a period in the File Extensions text box Click Apply to apply the settings Changes will be applied immediately 18

19 Advanced Edge appliance Advanced Options WARNING: The features listed below may impact system performance or functionality. Always consult a Talon Storage Solutions representative before committing these changes. To enable Talon FAST Edge appliance Advanced Options Open the Talon FAST Configuration Console Select FAST Configuration tab, followed by selecting FAST Edge tab Click Advanced Options Check the checkboxes associated to the desired functionality Changes will be applied immediately 19

20 Cache Read/Write status Edge appliances can be set to Read-Only so that users can read the files but cannot change them unless they are saved using a different name or saved locally on the client PC. During the read-only process, all data on the Edge appliance cache is flushed to the data center file server. Use this feature when an Edge appliance is to be retired or replaced. WAN Disconnection Support Edge appliances can detect disconnection from configured Core appliance(s) and allow users to perform the following WAN Disconnection Support operations on files served by the disconnected Core appliance Continue operations on already-open files (including edit and save) Create new files and folders Rename newly created files Open existing files read-only The following Talon FAST file operations are not supported while in disconnected mode: Open existing files for modification under the same name Rename existing files Rename folders if they are not empty Do an unlimited number of file operations while in disconnected mode The following Talon FAST features are not supported when in disconnected operations mode: Quota support Note: File operations, for example, file copy and save that are in process during a WAN disconnection may fail. During disconnected operations, the Edge appliance logs supported file operations and once the WAN connection is reestablished, the Edge appliance reintegrates with the Core appliance. Disk Quota Management When you enable the disk quota support feature, Talon FAST will impose disk volume restrictions on the shares of the data center CIFS server that is being optimized. 20

21 11. PRE-POPULATION Advanced Core appliance Pre-Population The pre-population feature copies and/or updates shares, directories, folders and/or files from data center servers to the branch office Edge appliance(s) at predetermined times and frequencies. This pre-populates Talon FAST Edge appliances with data that will be used by their attached clients, creating a warm cache on the appliance. Branch office clients receive files from the warm cache much faster than files that have to be fetched from data center servers and then sent over the WAN. You can schedule data pre-population from the Core appliance, which triggers data pulls from the Talon FAST Edge appliance. Note: You must have at least one data center file server configured for the Core appliance before you can define and schedule pre-population jobs. 21

22 Advanced Core appliance Pre-Population (continued) The Pre-Population page displays a list of both data pushes scheduled from the Core appliance, and data pulls scheduled from the Talon FAST Edge appliances. The Pre-population window displays the following information for each scheduled pre-population job. Field name JobID Edge Server Path Recursive File Modified Time File Extensions Start Time End Time Description An automatically generated job identification number Name of the FAST Edge appliance to be pre-populated with data (or All if data will be pushed from the specified server to all Edge appliances) Name of the data center file server Path of the folder on the data center server with information to be shared, for example, \\myserver\folder\sharefolder If Yes, the pre-population data is recursive, and will transfer the files in the indicated directory as well as all its subdirectories. If No, only the specified folder will be pre-populated. File modification times, if only data with specific modified by dates are to be prepopulated File extensions of any file types to be specifically included in or excluded from the data push or pull Start time of the pre-population job End time of the pre-population job 22

23 To Configure and Schedule a Pre-population Job Open the Talon FAST Configuration Console Select FAST Configuration tab, followed by selecting FAST Core tab Click Pre-Population Click Add from the Pre-population page. The Add Scheduler Job window opens. o Click the WAFS Edge drop-down menu, and select a FAST Edge appliance to receive the files, or choose All to pre-populate files to all of the FAST Edge appliance connected to this FAST Core appliance. o From the Data Center File Server drop-down menu, select the file server with the data to be prepopulated. o In the Path field, enter the UNC path for the file or directory to be pre-populated (for example, \\<server_name>\<share_name>\<directory>). o (Optional) Enable the Recursive checkbox to make the pre-population job recursive, that is, to transfer the files in the indicated directory as well as all its subdirectories. Pre-population jobs that are not recursive only transfer the files in the directory indicated by the path; they do not transfer files within any subdirectories. o (Optional) Enable the Filter by File Modified Time checkbox to pre-populate only those files modified within a specified time interval. Click the drop-down menu to specify a time frame (minutes, hours, days, weeks) then type a number of minutes, hours, days or weeks in the text box. o (Optional) To pre-populate only specific types of data, click the Filter by File Types dropdown menu and select Include or Exclude. Type the file extensions of the files to include or exclude in the entry blank, (for example, doc, pdf, html, or xls). File extensions should not be preceded by a period, and multiple extensions must be separated by commas. o In the Start Time and End Time fields, set the start and end dates and times for the initial and final data subject to pre-population. If this is a one-time job, the Start Time field needs to be populated at least 10 minutes in advance and the End Time field should be set 24 hours later. o o Notes: Population jobs can only be configured from the Core appliance When scheduling repetitive pre-population jobs, all job times are relative to the time zone of the FAST Edge appliance. However, for a one-time job, the start time corresponds to the time zone of the Core appliance. 23

24 o o (Optional) Select the Repeat checkbox if the push should repeat multiple times. If Repeat is selected, both the Start Time and End Time fields must be configured. For repeating jobs, the Start Time specifies the beginning of the window for which a repeating job can occur. A repeating job will begin on the time and days specified in the Frequency column, as long as those days are within the Start Time and End Time window. Set the end date and time for a repeating job using the drop-down menus next to the End Time field. The job will be deleted from the list of scheduled jobs 24 hours after the specified end time. Select a Frequency radio button to select the dates the push job will repeat. To repeat by day interval: Click the first Frequency radio button. By default, the repetitive push job is scheduled to repeat every day at the specified time. To repeat the job on other dates, click the first dropdown list and select one of a series of dates ranging from every other day of the month (2,4...) to the fifteenth and thirtieth of the month (15,30). Next, click the hour and minute drop-down lists to specify a time that the pre-population job should occur. Note: Jobs scheduled for the fifteenth and thirtieth of the month will only occur once in February, on the 15th. Since that month has only 28 or 29 days, the job will not repeat again until the next scheduled date on the 15th of March. o o o o o To repeat by day of the week: Click the second Frequency radio button, and click the drop-down list to select the day of the week the pre-population job could occur. Next, click the hour and minute drop-down lists to specify a time that the push should occur on those days. To repeat by date of the month: Click the third Frequency radio button, then click the drop-down list to select the day of the month that the pre-population job should occur. Next, click the hour and minute drop-down lists to specify a time that the push should occur on those dates. Click Apply to commit the pre-population job. The Add Pre-Population Job window will close, and the new job will display in the table on the Prepopulation page. To configure a second scheduled pre-population job, repeat these steps. 24

25 12. TALON STORAGE SOLUTIONS Customer Support 24x7 Worldwide Quality support Talon Storage Solutions strives to deliver the best-in-class products and support. Our support team is available 24x7, 365 days a year. In order to gain access to the latest product updates, patches, documentation and our on-line knowledgebase customers with a valid support contract can access the Talon Storage Solutions support website by clicking the Customer Support tab in the Talon FAST user interface or directly visit our web page at DISCLAMER: THIS DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED BY TALON STORAGE SOLUTIONS ON AN "AS IS" BASIS. TALON STORAGE SOLUTIONS MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE OPERATION OF THE WEBSITE OR THE INFORMATION, CONTENT, MATERIALS, OR PRODUCTS INCLUDED IN THIS DOCUMENT. TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY APPLICABLE LAW, TALON STORAGE SOLUTIONS DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. Although Talon Storage Solutions has attempted to provide accurate information in this documentation, Talon Storage Solutions assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information. Talon Storage Solutions may change the programs or products mentioned in this document at any time without notice, but Talon Storage Solutions makes no commitment to update the programs or products mentioned on this website in any respect. Mention of non-talon Storage Solutions products or services is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. 25