Interoperability of transparent cloud tiering with other IBM Storage Scale features

This topic describes the interoperability of transparent cloud tiering with other IBM Storage Scale features.

IBM Spectrum Archive (LTFS) and IBM Storage Protect: Running IBM Spectrum Archive and transparent cloud tiering on the same file system is not supported.; However, both IBM Storage Protect and transparent cloud tiering can co-exist on the same systems if they are configured with different file systems.; It is advised not to enable the Data Management API (DMAPI) on the file system that is managed by the transparent cloud tiering.

AFM: Running transparent cloud tiering service on AFM Gateway nodes is not supported.; Data from AFM or AFM DR filesets cannot be accessed by transparent cloud tiering.; Using transparent cloud tiering on AFM home is not supported.

Multi-clusters: Multi-cluster support is limited to remotely mounted clients.

File Placement Optimizer (FPO): Transparent cloud tiering is supported on FPO cluster. Recalled files might not have optimal placement.

IBM Storage Scale Object: Transparent cloud tiering can be configured on Object file sets.

Snapshots: Transparent cloud tiering should not be used to migrate/recall snapshots. Space that is contained in snapshots is not freed if a file is migrated to cloud object storage. Data tiered to the cloud is not designed for proper behavior relative to a snapshot. It is not recommended to take a snapshot on a file set or filesystem that contains data tiered by transparent cloud tiering service.

Sparse files: Transparent cloud tiering can be used to migrate/recall sparse files. However, sparseness is not maintained and on recall, full blocks are allocated.

Encryption: Transparent cloud tiering can be used with Scale file system level encryption feature (available in the Advanced and Data Management Editions). However, all the data that is migrated to the cloud object storage is migrated with the key that is configured for transparent cloud tiering. Essentially, when data is read from file system, the files get decrypted, and encrypted again at user space by transparent cloud tiering and pushed into the cloud storage.

Compression: Transparent cloud tiering can be used along with Scale file system level compression capability. Essentially, when data is read from the file system, the files are uncompressed, transparent cloud tiering push uncompressed, but by default encrypted, files onto the cloud storage.

CES (protocol services): Transparent cloud tiering can co-exist with active or inactive NFS, SMB, or Object services on the CES nodes.

IBM Storage Protect: For the file systems that are managed by IBM Storage Protect system, ensure that hot data is backed up to IBM Storage Protect by using the mmbackup command, and as the data gets cooler, migrate them to the cloud storage tier. This ensures that the mmbackup command has already backed up the cooler files that are migrated to the cloud.

Elastic Storage Server (ESS): Transparent cloud tiering cannot be deployed directly on ESS nodes. However, it can be deployed on X86 protocol nodes that can be attached to ESS. On a Power® Linux® cluster, a few X86 protocol nodes can be added and transparent cloud tiering can be configured on those nodes. Remotely mounted client support is also helpful when running with ESS configurations since multi-cluster configurations with ESS are very common.

Mixed-node cluster configuration: Transparent cloud tiering service runs on x86, Power LE Linux nodes, and IBM Z® nodes. Transparent cloud tiering does not run on Windows or Power BE Linux nodes. No mixed-node cluster support with Windows. Both x86 Linux and Power Linux nodes can initiate migrations/recalls of data, and these nodes can initiate a transparent recall on file access.; transparent cloud tiering is supported for use only in IBM Storage Scale clusters and on any associated remotely mounted clients, with Intel x86 Linux and Power LE Linux nodes. Use of Windows, PowerPC® Big Endian, Linux on Z or AIX® nodes that access file systems, where transparent cloud tiering is used (either within the cluster or via a remotely mounted client), is untested and unsupported. Inclusion of such nodes is allowed only if there is no possibility that they will ever access transparent cloud tiering; for example, such nodes are tested and supported for PowerPC Big Endian nodes in Elastic Storage Server (ESS) BE & LE servers, where no user applications are supported on Elastic Storage Server (ESS).

IBM Storage Scale Stretch Clusters: This service can be used in conjunction with stretch clusters. cloud services node classes can be set up all on one site or, most usually, can be split across sites to allow for continued access to cloud data even through failure of an entire site.

Note: For information on known limitations, see Known limitations of cloud services.