What cluster system allows large files to be stored on multiple servers for searches?
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Scale-Out File Server is designed to provide scale-out file shares that are continuously available for file-based server application storage. Scale-out file shares provide the ability to share the same folder from multiple nodes of the same cluster. This scenario focuses on how to plan for and deploy Scale-Out File Server. You can deploy and configure a clustered file server by using either of the following methods:
Scenario descriptionWith scale-out file shares, you can share the same folder from multiple nodes of a cluster. For instance, if you have a four-node file server cluster that is using Server Message Block (SMB) Scale-Out, a computer running Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012 can access file shares from any of the four nodes. This is achieved by applying new Windows Server Failover Clustering features and the capabilities of the Windows file server protocol, SMB 3.0. File server administrators can provide scale-out file shares and continuously available file services to server applications and respond to increased demands quickly by bringing more servers online. All of this can be done in a production environment, and it is completely transparent to the server application. Key benefits provided by Scale-Out File Server in include:
In this scenarioThe following articles are available to help you deploy a Scale-Out File Server:
When to use Scale-Out File ServerYou should not use Scale-Out File Server if your workload generates a high number of metadata operations, such as opening files, closing files, creating new files, or renaming existing files. A typical information worker would generate several metadata operations. You should use a Scale-Out File Server if you are interested in the scalability and simplicity that it offers and if you only require technologies that are supported with Scale-Out File Server. The following table lists the capabilities in SMB 3.0, the common Windows file systems, file server data management technologies, and common workloads. You can see whether the technology is supported with Scale-Out File Server, or if it requires a traditional clustered file server (also known as a file server for general use).
* SMB loopback Continuous Availability (CA) in hyper-converged configurations is available in Windows Server 2019. Note Folder Redirection, Offline Files, Roaming User Profiles, or Home Directories generate a large number of writes that must be immediately written to disk (without buffering) when using continuously available file shares, reducing performance as compared to general purpose file shares. Continuously available file shares are also incompatible with File Server Resource Manager and PCs running Windows XP. Additionally, Offline Files might not transition to offline mode for 3-6 minutes after a user loses access to a share, which could frustrate users who aren't yet using the Always Offline mode of Offline Files. Practical applicationsScale-Out File Servers are ideal for server application storage. Some examples of server applications that can store their data on a scale-out file share are listed below:
If you use a scale-out file share as a library share, you can use only technologies that are compatible with Scale-Out File Server. For example, you can't use DFS Replication to replicate a library share hosted on a scale-out file share. It's also important that the scale-out file server has the latest software updates installed. To use a scale-out file share as a library share, first add a library server (likely a virtual machine) with a local share or no shares at all. Then when you add a library share, choose a file share that's hosted on a scale-out file server. This share should be VMM-managed and created exclusively for use by the library server. Also make sure to install the latest updates on the scale-out file server. For more information about adding VMM library servers and library shares, see Add profiles to the VMM library. For a list of currently available hotfixes for File and Storage Services, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 2899011. Note Some users, such as information workers, have workloads that have a greater impact on performance. For example, operations like opening and closing files, creating new files, and renaming existing files, when performed by multiple users, have an impact on performance. If a file share is enabled with continuous availability, it provides data integrity, but it also affects the overall performance. Continuous availability requires that data writes through to the disk to ensure integrity in the event of a failure of a cluster node in a Scale-Out File Server. Therefore, a user that copies several large files to a file server can expect significantly slower performance on continuously available file share. Features included in this scenarioThe following table lists the features that are part of this scenario and describes how they support it.
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FeedbackSubmit and view feedback for Which file system is used for high availability clusters?IBM® General Parallel File System (GPFS™) software is used to share file systems across the system.
What clustered storage capacity?Clustered storage is the use of two or more storage servers working together to increase performance, capacity, or reliability.
What is a clustered file server?Clustered file systems (CFS) are file systems that run on multiple storage servers and can be accessed and managed as a single system. A CFS pulls together and shares storage capacity that is available, but not always used, on storage networks.
Can one file stored in more than one cluster?In Microsoft's operating system (like DOS, WINDOWS, etc.), the smallest unit of file management and storage, is called "cluster". A file is usually stored in one or more clusters. But it should occupy a "cluster" at least. That is to say two files cannot be stored in the same cluster.
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