Nutanix Files

General

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

Note:

• each File Server is considered as a separate Storage Provider

• DPX vPlus 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, DPX vPlus 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 DPX vPlus 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: [email protected]

• 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.