Nutanix Files

General

Nutanix Files offers file system storage in the form of network shares (SMB or NFS). With Storware Backup & Recovery, you can easily back up and recover these shares.

Note:

• each File Server is considered as a separate Storage Provider

• Storware Backup & Recovery tracks changes for each file system change using the Nutanix CFT mechanism

  • this shortens backup times because it does not need to perform a metadata scan across your file server, which could contain millions of files and directories.

• only regular files, symlinks, and directories are subject to backup

• for file systems, Storware Backup & Recovery currently build images for each backup before uploading data to the specific backup provider so that it doesn't have to upload objects one-by-one - these images will be merged automatically in restore tasks

In general, the process looks as follows:

• the user adds a new storage provider (Nutanix files)

• inventory synchronization retrieves all the information about storage (of two types: SMB and NFS)

• the user can then do a full backup (storage is mounted and all files are extracted from it)

• incremental backup uses CFT from the API, and based on this list Storware Backup & Recovery only downloads changed files.

Example

Complete the following steps to add the Nutanix Files storage provider:

Go to Storage -> Infrastructure and click on Create button

In the form, provide:

• Nutanix Files as the Storage Provider type

• File Server URL in the Host field (https://FileServerVM-IP:9440)

• Login and password for File Server VM

  • The admin account cannot be used

  • User has to be authorized as REST API access user in File Server Console > Configuration > Manage Roles

  • If you want to use domain account, enter it in the following format: domain\username

• The URL to the Prism Element Host (https://PRISM_ELEMENT:9440)

• User login and password to Prism Element Host

  • The admin account cannot be used

  • User has to have Cluster Admin privileges on the cluster

  • If you want to use domain account, enter it in the following format: [e-mail]

• Choose the node configuration responsible for operations.

  • The node has to have network communication over port 9440 to File Server VM Client Network IP and Nutanix Prism.

Click Save button - now you can run inventory synchronization to detect file systems (storage instances) - they will be visible in Storage -> Instances view

Now you can assign backup SLAs in Storage -> Backup SLAs to schedule periodic backups of these shares. You are also able to mount backups to restore individual files using Mounted Backups (File-level Restore).

Limitations

• Backup/Restore of hidden shares on Nutanix Files with SMB are not supported.