Configure OSNexus QuantaStor on Supermicro servers

Setting up OSNexus QuantaStor on Supermicro servers involves several steps, from hardware preparation to software configuration and best practices for optimal performance.

Here's a general guide:

1. Supermicro Hardware Preparation:

• Compatibility: Make sure your Supermicro servers are compatible with OSNexus QuantaStor. Supermicro often offers solutions pre-installed with QuantaStor, which greatly simplifies the process. Review the OSNexus Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). Supermicro servers based on X13/H13, X12/H12, X11, X10, and X9 with Intel and AMD EPYC/Scalable processors are generally supported.
• Network Connections (IPMI/BMC):
• Connect the 1GbE RJ45 IPMI/BMC port to your top-of-rack switch for out-of-band (OOB) management.
• Configure a static IP on the IPMI port to ensure continuous remote access.
• Familiarize yourself with the Supermicro IPMI interface (via IPMI View or the BMC Web GUI) to monitor your system, update firmware, and perform other management tasks.
• Power Supplies: If possible, connect dual server power supplies to separate PDUs for added redundancy.
• Discs:
• RAID Controllers: Please note that OSNexus QuantaStor is based on open storage technologies like Ceph and ZFS. This means that if you're using ZFS, using a hardware RAID controller is generally not recommended. Instead, OSNexus software will handle RAID.
• Data Pool Disks: Identifies the disks that will be used for the data pool.
• Metadata Pool Disks (SSD/NVMe): For configurations using HDDs as data devices, SSDs/NVMe are generally required for the metadata pool, as HDDs are too slow for storing file system metadata.
• Data Pool Offload Disks (SSD/NVMe): Consider using SSD/NVMe for write-ahead logging (WAL) and metadata offload (MDB) to improve read and write performance.
• RAM: The general recommendation is a 1:1 ratio, with 1 GB of RAM added for every TB of usable storage. For backup and archive setups, RAM requirements may be lower.
• Ethernet Ports: Configure Ethernet ports according to your network needs (10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 100GbE, etc.).
• Processors: Select processors appropriate for your workload.

2. Installing OSNexus QuantaStor:

• If you purchased a Supermicro OSNexus solution, it likely comes pre-installed. Upon booting your system, you'll see the QuantaStor welcome screen and the console login page.
• If you need to install it, follow the instructions in the OSNexus QuantaStor installation guide.

3. Initial Configuration of OSNexus QuantaStor:

• Accessing the Console/Web GUI: Once the system boots, you will be able to access the QuantaStor console or web graphical user interface (GUI).
• Network Configuration:
• Configure the network interfaces with static IP addresses if necessary. For example, use the command qs np-modify --port=eno1 --ip-address=172.31.200.240 --netmask=255.255.0.0 --port-type=static --gateway=172.31.0.1.
• Check the configuration with qs np-list.
• License Activation:
• If you obtained a license key from Supermicro (SFT-OOB-LIC), activate it. This can be done in-band (from the localhost operating system) or out-of-band (via IPMI/BMC).
• In-band: Open a command prompt and run # sum -c ActivateProductKey --key <License_Key>.
• Out of band: Open a command prompt and run # sum -i <BMC_IP_address> -u <Username> -p <Password> -c ActivateProductKey --key <License_Key>.
• You can also activate it through the Supermicro Management Utility (SSM) web interface by uploading a text file with the BMC MAC addresses, BMC IP addresses, and license keys.
• Creating Storage Pools:
• Within the QuantaStor GUI, create storage pools using the identified disks for data and metadata.
• Define your storage layout and consider data compression if your workload allows.
• Service Configuration: Enable and configure the storage services you need (NFS, SMB/CIFS, iSCSI, Fibre Channel, S3).

4. Best Practices and Performance Considerations:

• Updates: Keep your operating system, Supermicro server firmware, and QuantaStor software up-to-date to ensure security and optimal performance.
• Redundancy:
• Implement a high availability (HA) solution if it is critical, using at least 2 or 3 servers per cluster.
• Connect power supplies to separate PDUs.
• RAM/Capacity Ratio: Follow the recommendation of 1 GB of RAM per TB of usable capacity for balanced performance.
• SSDs/NVMe for Metadata and Caching: Use dedicated SSDs/NVMe for metadata pools and performance offload (write-ahead-logging and metadata offload) on HDD-based systems to significantly improve performance.
• Monitoring: Uses OSNexus QuantaStor and Supermicro IPMI/BMC monitoring tools to monitor system status, performance, and events.
• Security: Implement security best practices, such as role-based access control (RBAC) and end-to-end encryption.
• Capacity Planning: Consider backfill space and reserved drive slots for future expansion and to avoid performance degradation.

Relevant Documentation:

• Supermicro-OSNEXUS Quick Start Guides: Supermicro often provides specific guides for its joint solutions with OSNEXUS.
• OSNexus QuantaStor Documentation: See the official OSNexus documentation for details on advanced configuration and troubleshooting.
• Supermicro IPMI View/BMC Manuals: For out-of-band management of your servers.

Setting up a software-defined storage solution like OSNexus QuantaStor requires careful planning and a good understanding of both the underlying software and hardware.