Platinum Beta Features in SoftNAS Cloud Enterprise 3.6

Overview

SoftNAS Cloud Enterprise(previously known as SoftNAS Cloud NAS) is an integrated global cloud data platform, combining a software-defined enterprise-class NAS virtual storage appliance, high-speed data transfer up to 20x, and data integration/replication allowing IT to manage and control data. Platinum Beta Features allow customers to have an early look at potential future SoftNAS Cloud Platinum features, and provide SoftNAS early feedback on the Beta features.

Platinum Beta Features

UltraFast: High Speed Data Transfer

SoftNAS®UltraFast™ provides high speed data transfer, accelerating storage network traffic up to 20x compared to TCP/IP. Unlike WAN acceleration products, SoftNAS UltraFast™ is an intelligent, self-tuningstorageacceleration technology, based on UDP, that is designed to address latency, congestion, poor QoS and slow data replication speeds, without redesigning or changing applications, networks or storage. Bandwidth Scheduling enables throughput and bandwidth throttling to regulate network traffic and prioritize bandwidth use.

Use Case– Extending Premise Storage to the Cloud

WithSoftNAS® UltraFast™ Beta, storing and retrieving files from remote cloud instances is optimized. Data stored remotely can be retrieved quickly and easily, allowing your team to share and access files with or from branch offices in remote locations without loss of performance.

Use Case– On-Premise to Cloud Replication

SoftNAS® UltraFast™Beta allows you to quickly migrate, replicate, or integrate data from any source, including legacy systems, and transfer it to any destination, helping you maintain a timelyreplication windows from your on premise data center to any public cloud storage. Liberate your network resources during business hours by scheduling when to use UltraFast, or when not to use UltraFast.

SoftNAS® UltraFast™ Documentation

SoftNAS® UltraFast™Networking

SoftNAS® UltraFast™Common Configuration Steps

SoftNAS® UltraFast™Replication from Premise to Public Cloud

Deploy Source and Target SoftNAS® Cloud ™ with SoftNAS® UltraFast™ Instances

SoftNAS® UltraFast™ Video Playlist

SoftNAS® UltraFast™ Video

Lift and Shift: Data Migration(powered by Apache NiFi)

The Lift and Shift feature of our Platinum Beta provides a wizard to configure migration of on-premises file data to the public cloud leveraging the power of Apache Nifi. Point you Lift and Shiftconfiguration to existing NAS, SAN, file server storage volumes on premise, select your public cloud storage target, configure your target volumes/storage and begin moving your file data to the cloud. Lift and Shit Shift will continuously replicate changes from the source to the target until you stop the Lift and Shift flow.

Use Case – Datacenter Closure

You have decided to close a datacenter, but need to move your data to the cloud. You can use Lift and Shift to automate the process of migrating data to the cloud and use continuous sync to ensure your cloud replicated data stays in sync until you are ready to shut your datacenter infrastructure down.

SoftNAS® Lift and Shift™ Documentation

Lift and Shift™ File Migration

Configuring Ports and Security Groups for Lift and Shift™

Configuring FlexFiles Settings

Lift and Shift™ of a Volume from Source to Target

View Lift and Shift™ Data Flow through NiFi

SoftNAS® Lift and Shift™ Video Playlist

Configuring Network Security Group on Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Configuring Network Security Group on Azure

Configuring Network Security Group on VMware

Configuring the FlexFiles Settings

Using an External FileServer

Lift & Shift Advanced Configuration

Lift & Shift Create Target Storage Wizard

FlexFiles Many to One NiFi Dataflow Template: Quick start to moving data from many sites to one central site

Platinum Beta Features also includes a “Many to One” NiFi Dataflow Template. NiFi Dataflow Templates are generic NiFi dataflows that can be reconfigured and extended to meet your configuration and requirements. The “Many to One” template included as part of the Beta and is configured to aggregate data from 2 remote sites to a central location by default, but can be expanded to include more than 2 remote sites. You can import the “Many to One” template into the NiFi User Interface to reconfigure the generic template to match your configuration.

Use Case Example – Remote Office/Branch Office (ROBO)

Replicate data from remote offices to headquarters for compliance centralization or to provide a centralized data point for business analytics.

Use Case Example – Data AggregationWith many-to-one replication, this Platinum Beta is ideal for consolidating data from remote offices or factories to a single location and ensuring a "single source of truth" for centralized analysis.

Use Case Example – Centralized Disaster Recovery
Easily replicate data from numerous global locations to a centralized repository providing cloud based continuous data protection (CCDP). SoftNAS UltraFast scheduled bandwidth throttling and throughput controls eliminate the backup window problem where data is being created faster than it can be backed up.

Many to OneDocumentation

FlexFiles: Many-To-One Configuration Template

Many to One Video Playlist

Configuring Network Security Group on Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Configuring Network Security Group on Azure

Configuring Network Security Groups on VMware

SoftNAS FlexFiles: FlexFile Settings

SoftNAS FlexFiles: Lift & Shift Steps 1 - 3

SoftNAS FlexFiles: Target Node Template Configuration

SoftNAS FlexFiles: Source Node 1 Template Configuration

SoftNAS FlexFiles: Source Node 2 Template Configuration

SoftNAS FlexFiles: Starting a Many to One Configuration

Apache NiFi: Easily build custom dataflows

Apache NiFi is a development environment that provides a seamless experience between design, control, data translation, feedback and monitoring for development of custom data integration flows and is included in the Platinum Beta. The NiFi User Interface allows you to create your own custom data integration flows using both built in NiFi Processors and custom SoftNAS NiFi Processors.

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NiFi Processor Library

As part of the Platinum Beta Features, SoftNAS has included some new SoftNAS built NiFi Processors that can be used with the extensive list of existing NiFi Processors to build custom flows.

Use Case Example – Big Data Integration
Ingest data from multiple sources and feed it into systems like Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS).

Use Case Example – Filter and Transform Large Datasets

You used the Many to One template to aggregate data from multiple remote sites, but now you need to filter the data into multiple smaller datasets for several business units. Once you have the smaller filtered datasets, some of the data needs to be transform from a XML format to JSON so the business unit’s applications can consume the data.

Apache NiFiDocumentation

Getting Started with Apache NiFi

Scope of this Beta

Platinum Beta features are being delivered to allow customers to try potential future SoftNASfeatures and provide “real world” feedback on them before they are generally available. The scope of the beta will include movement of both block and object data from on premise to a cloud platform and between cloud platforms.

Source Node Type / Target Node Type / Supported Target Node Storage
VMware / AWS / EBS, S3
VMware / Azure / Premium & Standard Disks
AWS / AWS / EBS, S3
AWS / Azure / Premium & Standard Disks
Azure / AWS / EBS, S3
Azure / Azure / Premium & Standard Disks

SoftNAS requests beta participants help SoftNAS by provide specific details regarding their Platinum Beta experience. Your input will help SoftNAS enhance the Beta features. The type of input we are looking forincludes:[AM3]

  • Use case example to help us better understand your application for using these features
  • Simple configuration details including on-premise as well as cloud environment such as type, size, storage types used etc.
  • What you liked as well as disliked
  • If we can follow-up for additional discussions
  • You can submit your input by sending an email to

What is Not Recommended for this Beta

  • Using SoftNAS®UltraFast™ with Lift and Shift or Many to One.
  • Using Lift and Shift or Many to One with Snap HA, SnapReplicate, Dual Controller High Availability (DCHA).

Beta FAQ:

  • Can I use Platinum Beta Features in a Production Environment – The set of beta features are to be used in a test environment only. Platinum Beta Features should not be used in any production environment.
  • How to get support –For support on these beta features, please send an email to . Please include a detailed description of the issue. These beta features are not meant to be used in a production environment and as such, support will be collecting the details provided and take the appropriate actions. However, Beta features are not covered under our SLA with support provided during normal business hours for Silver support, 9am to 5pm US CentralMonday-Friday.
  • What size instance should I use–
  • VMWare:
  • Network: 1Gb/sec (120MB/sec)
  • RAM: 28GB to 64GB
  • CPUs: 6 to 12
  • AWS: m4.2xlarge or larger
  • Azure:DS4_V2 or larger
  • Beta Timeframe – The estimated duration for Beta 1 features are September 20th, 2017 to December 20th, 2017.
  • SoftNAS reserves the right to end or extend support of the Beta
  • How long does it take for FlexFiles services to start after I accept the Beta prompt – It can take 15-20 minutes. All Beta services are dormant until you acknowledge using the Beta services, so it can take several minutes to get all the Beta services started for the first time.
  • Is there a specific sequence of steps needed to set up the FlexFiles features – Yes
  • Set up the Network Security Groups for your SoftNAS Instances
  • Run the FlexFiles Settings command in the Storage Administration Pane within the StorageCenter UI.

After these steps, you can either start the Lift and Shift feature, configure a Many to One relationship, or access the Apache Nifi interface (FlexFiles Architect command in the Storage Administration Pane).

Page | 1 of 7Copyright ©2017 SoftNAS, IncFriday, November 30, 2018

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