VTrak A-Class Articles

Compatibility of macOS with A-Class SAN Clients

2017-09-22T00:06:07.5270000

Learn which OS X builds are supported with the latest SR3.3 and VTrakFS client version
1.4.2-54047. When installing the VTrakFS client, ensure that you select and install the package for the specific OS.

A-Class FW Version	VTrakFS Client Version	macOS 10.13	macOS 10.12	OS X 10.11	OS X 10.10	OS X 10.9	OS X 10.8	OS X 10.7
SR3.3 FW 1.16	1.4.2-54047	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
SR3.3 FW 1.16	1.4.2-52197	X	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
SR3.3 FW 1.16	1.4.2-51616	X	Does not support 10.12.4 - 10.12.6	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

If you install 1.4.2-51616 on macOS 10.12.4 or above, your macOS host will suffer from a kernel panic.

This issue can be resolved by installing VTrakFS Client 1.4.2-52197.

If you've installed 1.4.2-51616 on macOS 10.12.4 or above, and are experiencing kernel panics in result of this action, you will need to boot your macOS host in Safe Mode to prevent the VTrakFS Client's kernel extension from loading.

1. Shutdown the macOS host.
2. Boot the machine holding Shift; which will prevent the kernel extension from launching at startup.
3. Run the uninstaller from /Applications/Uninstall VTrakFSClient.pkg
4. Reboot the machine when prompted from the uninstaller.
5. The macOS host will boot gracefully and will not crash.
6. Install VTrakFS Client 1.4.2-52197

Apple KB HT201262
Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac

Contact Promise Technology Support
Need more help? Save time by starting your support request online and a technical support agent will be assigned to your case.
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How do I add the Finder Refresh tool to my Finder toolbar?

2017-07-21T17:02:58.8230000

How do I add the Promise FInder Refresh tool to my Finder toolbar?

Download the Finder Refresh tool from the Promise Support download page and un-compress the file.

Open the Finder_Refresh folder and drag the Finder Refresh app to the Applications folder.

Hold the command button, click the Finder Refresh icon in the Applications folder and drag it to the Finder toolbar.

Wait for the green plus to appear, then release the command button.

Clicking the icon on the tollbar should launch the refresh tool.

How to Save a Service Report from the VTrak A-Class Series

2016-10-12T23:07:08.3930000

How to Save a Service Report from the A-Class

A Service Report is a detailed report covering the configuration and status of all components of the VTrak A-Class Node. A Tech Support Agent or a Field Applications Engineer will request a Service Report for the purposes of diagnosis and troubleshooting a reported issue.

[Instructions]

1. Access the WebPAM PROe GUI via the assigned static Virtual IP Address.
2. Login as an Administrator or a Super User.

[Default A-Class Credentials]

User Name = administrator
Password = password

3. Navigate to the Administration tab and click on the left column tab Report

4. In the System Report tab, you have the option of selecting All
(includes A-Class, SAN Nodes [Ex30s, E5000], NAS Gateway, and all SAN Clients)

5. Selecting All is ideal for sending Tech Support a full Service Report that collects logs from each peripheral; however, you can also just generate a Service Report by just selecting the VTrak A-Class, SAN Nodes, and All NAS Gateway without the clients. In addition, you can also just select the individual node/device, or NAS Gateway that you want to generate logs for.

Example 1 [Selecting All]

Example 2 [Individual Nodes/Devices with no SAN clients]

6. Click Generate Report(s)

This will generate and a compile a zip file that contains all the relevant log information for Tech Support or for Field Applications Engineering (For escalated cases) to diagnose the issue and provide a solution.

7. Depending on your browser's configuration, you may be prompted where to save the zip file, or the file may be automatically saved to your Downloads folder.

Note: This zip file is password protected and only Promise will be able to extract the contents of this zip file.

[OS-X Safari Users]

Make sure to disable = [Open "safe" files after downloading] before generating a Service Report.

This will prevent Safari from extracting the zip file after the download is completed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please open a support request via https://support.promise.com

Why aren't my Aclass sub-folders and files inheriting permissions properly?

2016-07-13T18:23:24.5170000

If you are experiencing issues with the Aclass properly propagating permissions to newly created files and folders, use this command from terminal:

chmod +a "X allow list,add_file,search,add_subdirectory,delete_child,readattr,writeattr,readextattr,writeextattr,readsecurity,file_inherit,directory_inherit" Y

Where:

X = the user name, or group name, or everyone

and

Y = directory path

You can verify if the command executed properly afteward by issuing this command:

ls -le Y

Where:

Y = directory path

One of my VTrak A-Class controllers has a blinking red LED in the back and it's not booting. What could be wrong?

2016-02-27T17:41:58.9200000

All Dual controller VTrak A-Class systems MUST have the ethernet Metadata ports of both controllers connected Metadata network as they are operating as a redundant pair.

If one controller is disconnected from the Metadata network, it will not fully boot and will go into maintenance mode.

You will see a red flashing LED when the controller does not boot.

This is the expected behavior when one controller cannot see the other controller on the Metadata network; it will go into maintenance mode

Note - This also applies to systems using a USB to Ethernet dongle (adaptor) for the Metadata network connection. Both USB to Ethernet dongles will need to be connected to the Metadata network.

I am unable to mount my Linux Red Hat client to VTrak A-Class

2016-02-12T12:28:23.0000000

In order to successfully mount the SAN on RHEL 6.5 please follow the following steps:

Run all these steps as root

1. Installing VTrakFS Client 1.4.1-47250

A. Extract VTrakFSClient-Linux-1.4.1-47250.zip (Wherever you downloaded the VTrakFS zip file to)

B. [root@linux]# tar zxvfVTrakFSClient-Linux-1.4.1-47250.tar.gz

C. This will extract all the necessary files to run the Perl script.

D. Change to directory where the files were extracted to from step B

E. [root@linux]# cd VTrakFSClient-Linux-1.4.1-47250

F. [root@linux VTrakFSClient-Linux-1.4.1-47250]#./installer.pl --with-gui install

G. You will receive the License Agreement and it will ask you to accept it.

Do you accept the terms of License Agreement listed Above?(y/n) y

Installing ./RHEL/6/x86_64/VTrakFSClient-1.4.1-47250.el6.x86_64.rpm ... [Installed]

Install client management failed! See/var/log/clientmgr_install.log for details.

Installing./RHEL/6/x86_64/VTrakFSClient-gui-1.4.1-47250.el6.x86_64.rpm ... [Installed]

Install VTrakFS client success.

Install VTrakFS client manager failed. <—This error is usually due to not having avahi installed

Install VTrakFS client gui success.

If you do get this error, you can check the logs to make sure it is due to not having avahi installed

cat /var/log/clientmgr_install.log

Install client management failed. Before install client management, you must install avahi first.

H. Install avahi via yum install avahi

I. Run the script again, [root@linuxVTrakFSClient-Linux-1.4.1-47250]# ./installer.pl --with-gui install

It will skip the RPMs that were installed and continue the installation. You will see various installed messages indicating that it was installed successfully.

2. Setting up DM-Multipath

A. Before setting up DM-Multipath on your system, ensure that your system has been updated and includes the device-mapper-multipath package.

You set up multipath with the mpathconf utility, which creates the multipath configuration file /etc/multipath.conf.

If the /etc/multipath.conf file already exists, the mpathconf utility will edit it.

If the /etc/multipath.conf file does not exist, the mpathconf utility will use the/usr/share/doc/device-mapper-multipath-0.4.9/multipath.conf file as the starting file.

If the /usr/share/doc/device-mapper-multipath-0.4.9/multipath.conffile does not exist the mpathconf utility will create the /etc/multipath.conffile from scratch.

B. This command enables the multipath configuration file andstarts the multipathd daemon.

[root@linux] # mpathconf --enable --with_multipathd y

C. Run the mpathconf command with the --enable option specified:

[root@linux] # mpathconf --enable

Execute the following command:

[root@linux] service multipathd start

3. Install PerfectPathV0.0.0.9 for RHEL http://www.promise.com/Download.aspx?DownloadFileUID=3953

A. Extract the zip file to the directory that you downloaded it to.

B. [root@linux]# cd Promise-Linux-MPIO

C. [root@linux Promise-Linux-MPIO]# sh promise.sh A-Class alua fc install

D. It will ask you to overwrite the multipath.conf file

E. Hit Y to overwrite the file.

4. Add Linux Client to the A-Class.

A. Access the Virtual IP Address of the A-Class SAN via web browser

B. In the web GUI, go to SAN>Clients

C. Click the + button to add the client. If the client doesn’t show up, this is due to the RHEL’s firewall settings.

D. In my lab, I have the firewall disabled (makes things easier);however, if you need to block certain services and need to have the firewallon, you need to enable Multicast DNS(mDNS) 5353/udp and open up the TCP port by going to Other Ports. Navigate to TCP port 5353.

E. Once you have successfully added the RHEL client to the A-Class, you need to give the client Folder Access rights.

F. In the web GUI, go to File System>Folder and click on the gear and select Access Settings

G. Give the client access settings accordingly. Your squash setting will depend on how your other clients access files and what UID you want to assign to that FC client.

H. Make sure to give the client WriteBack in regards to the Meta Data Write Policy. This will improve performance.

5. Create mount point on RHEL FS

A. In this example, I will create a folder under /mnt

B. [root@linux]# cd /mnt

C. [root@linux mnt]# mkdir –p Name_of_Folder

6. Open VTrakFS Client

A. The client is located under /usr/sbin/VTrakFSClient

B. in the VTrakFS GUI, type the Virtual IP Address of the A-Classunder "Add Server”

C. You should see that the Export Path should state /fsmnt/Name_of_SAN

D. Under Mount Point, select or manually enter the folderlocation/directory that you created in step 5C

E. Mount the SAN volume via the VTrakFS Client.

F. If successful, you should see that the SAN is mounted in thefolder you created in step 5C

If you get any errors, you can try refreshing LMM.

To make sure that the machine is seeing the LUNs:

[root@PHILRHELphilbendeck]# multipath -ll

mpathe(2229a00015574dfa3) dm-4 Promise,VTrak A3800f

size=4.5Tfeatures='1 queue_if_no_path' hwhandler='1 alua' wp=rw

|-+-policy='round-robin 0' prio=50 status=active

| `- 8:0:0:2sdc 8:32 active ready running

`-+-policy='round-robin 0' prio=1 status=enabled

`-9:0:0:2 sde 8:64 active ready running

mpathd(2226300015542e3b0) dm-3 Promise,VTrak A3800f

size=4.5Tfeatures='1 queue_if_no_path' hwhandler='1 alua' wp=rw

|-+-policy='round-robin 0' prio=50 status=active

| `- 9:0:0:1sdd 8:48 active ready running

`-+-policy='round-robin 0' prio=1 status=enabled

`-8:0:0:1 sdb 8:16 active ready running

It’s always good to make sure your multpath.conf file was written correctly by the PerfectPath driver:

[root@PHILRHELphilbendeck]# cat /etc/multipath.conf

defaults{

user_friendly_names yes

checker_timeout20

}

blacklist {

devnode "^(ram|raw|loop|fd|md|dm-|sr|scd|st)[0-9]*"

devnode "^(hd|xvd)[a-z][[0-9]*]"

devnode "^cciss!c[0-9]d[0-9]*[p[0-9]*"

wwid"ATA"

}

devices {

device {

vendor"Promise"

product"VTrak"

path_grouping_policygroup_by_prio

getuid_callout"/sbin/scsi_id--whitelisted --device=/dev/%n"

prio"tpg_pref"

path_checkertur

path_selector"round-robin 0"

hardware_handler"1 alua"

failbackmanual

rr_weightuniform

rr_min_io_rq100

no_path_retryqueue

features"1 queue_if_no_path"

product_blacklist"VTrak V-LUN"

fast_io_fail_tmo20

dev_loss_tmo86400

}

device {

vendor"Promise"

product"Vess"

path_grouping_policygroup_by_prio

getuid_callout"/sbin/scsi_id--whitelisted --device=/dev/%n"

prio"tpg_pref"

path_checkertur

path_selector"round-robin 0"

hardware_handler"1 alua"

failbackmanual

rr_weightuniform

rr_min_io_rq100

no_path_retryqueue

features"1 queue_if_no_path"

product_blacklist "Vess V-LUN"

fast_io_fail_tmo 20

dev_loss_tmo86400

}

A-Class with Mac OS X SMB Re-Share | DS_Store File Copy Errors

2015-12-22T13:19:21.0000000

DS_Store Definition

.DS_Store is the name of a file in the Apple OS X operating system for storing custom attributes of a folder such as the position of icons or the choice of a background image.[1] The name is an abbreviation of Desktop Services Store,[2] reflecting its purpose. It is created and maintained by the Finder application in every folder, and has functions similar to the file desktop.ini in Microsoft Windows. Starting with a full stop (period) character, it is hidden in Finder and many Unix utilities. Its internal structure is proprietary.

The file .DS_Store is created in any directory (folder) accessed by the Finder application, even on remote file systems mounted from servers that share files, for example via Server Message Block (SMB) protocol or the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP). Remote file system, however, may be excluded by operating system settings. Although primarily used by Finder, these files were envisioned as a more general-purpose store of metadata about the display options of folders, such as icon positions and view settings.

Problems

The complaints of many users prompted Apple to publish means to disable the creation of these files on remotely mounted network file systems. However, these instructions do not apply to local drives, including USB flash drives. Before Mac OS X 10.5, .DS_Store files were visible on remote filesystems.

.DS_Store files impose additional burden on revision control process: They are frequently changed and therefore appear in commits, unless specifically excluded.

.DS_Store files are included in archives, such as ZIP, created by OS X users, along with other hidden files and directories.

.DS_Store files have been known to adversely affect copy operations.

Known Issues

DS_Store error code -36

On some rare occasions when trying to copy files, Mac users may encounter "error code -36", which completely halts the copy or move process in the OS X Finder. The full error is usually read as “The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “FileName” can’t be read or written. (Error code -36)”. The filename is sometimes .DS_Store, but it can happen with just about any file.

If you run into Error Code -36 on a Mac, there’s usually a really simple solution thanks to a handy command line tool called "dot_clean". If you’ve never heard of dot_clean, you’re certainly not alone, and the manual page for the command explains that it "merges ._* files with corresponding native files." which may not sound like much to the casual user, but given the oft cause of Error 36 are files prefixed with a dot, that can be exactly what you need to do.

Launch the Terminal (found in /Applications/Utilities/ or with Spotlight)
At the command prompt, type:
dot_clean /Path/To/Directory/With/Problem/
When dot_clean is finished, attempt the file copy again and it should succeed with no error code

For example, if copying files, ~/Documents/FileBackups/ is the problematic directory, use:
dot_clean ~/Documents/FileBackups/

That should be all that is necessary to resolve the issue, just be sure to attempt the file/directory transfer immediately after the command is run.

Technically you could point dot_clean at an entire volume but that’s probably not necessary unless the -36 error is continuously triggered in Finder when trying to backup an entire drive manually.

If the problem is recurrent and you get it constantly when trying to copy files to and from a networked Mac, a network share, external drive of some sort, or to and from a Windows computer, you can also try to delete all .DS_Store files on a Mac using the command line, which can work as a temporary workaround if for some reason dot_clean fails. That was actually what I had done in the past to get around this and other similar input/output error messages before discovering this specific command approach.

dot_clean worked fine to resolve Error Code -36 when copying a directory from a Mac with OS X 10.9.5 to a Mac with OS X 10.10.3 and also to a Windows PC, the original machine was repeatedly throwing the error. It appears as if this error has had an uptick with OS X Yosemite as well, maybe suggesting some incompatibility with certain dot files from other OS versions.

DS_Store Error code -50

If you are experiencing errors when executing the first file/folder copy to your SMB share but the second attempt works; please see below for possible solutions.

Death to .DS_Store

https://www.aorensoftware.com/blog/2011/12/24/death-to-ds_store/

https://github.com/snielsen/DeathToDSStore/

El Capitan Update OS X 10.11

In OS X El Capitan, Apple introduced a new feature called System Integrity Protection (SIP) which prevents filesystem and runtime modification of the operating system. Unfortunately, this prevents the mechanism that Death To .DS_Store uses from working on the Finder process. You can disable SIP to get things working again, although a better choice might be to head over to https://bugreport.apple.com/ and file a radar.

Note: On OS X 10.11 you can not inject code into system apps.

https://github.com/snielsen/DeathToDSStore/issues/3

Disable System Integrity Protection (rootless) in OS X El Capitan

http://osxdaily.com/2015/10/05/disable-rootless-system-integrity-protection-mac-os-x/

Finder Alternatives

XtraFinder

XtraFinder is a free application available from Tran Ky Nam Software. In addition to tabs, which Mavericks now adds, XtraFinder offers Dual Paned file browsing, a pinned Finder window that can slide in from the bottom of your screen for quick access to your files and a load more tweaks.

TotalFinder

TotalFinder is available from BinaryAge for $18 after a 14-day free trial period. TotalFinder has the same major feature set as XtraFinder however your $18, and the loss of a few minor tweaks, gets you more polish and less of an impact on system performance. It also has better developer support and releases faster updates when OS X has major changes.

Path Finder

Path Finder is available from Cocoatech for $40 after a 30-day free trial period. It is a completely different beast than XtraFinder and TotalFinder. While it has most of the features that the other two do, it also has a lot more. Where XtraFinder and TotalFinder are focused on improving Finder, Path Finder aims to totally replace it.

USB-Ethernet adapter configuration for the VTrak A-Class series

2015-10-01T14:12:05.0000000

Note - You must have SR3 or later firmware on the VTrak A-Class system to enable USB-Ethernet adapter support.

The Promise SR3 A-class firmware now has native support for a USB-Ethernet adapter that allows our controllers to connect to a separate, public Ethernet network. We still recommend passing all metadata traffic through the on-board management port; however, if your LDAP and mail servers reside outside of this private metadata network, you’ll be able to leverage the USB-Ethernet adapter to connect to such servers.

In order to configure the USB-Ethernet adapter settings, you must be running A-class firmware SR3 or above. Navigate to SAN > Network Management and click on the pen icon to the right:

Ensure that you assign this port to a separate subnet in order to avoid cross-talk. Additionally, assign the maintenance mode IP’s using the same method.

*Please note: If the USB-Ethernet adapter becomes disconnected while the A-class is powered on, the controller will enter maintenance mode. Please ensure that the adapter is secured with the clip provided by Promise.

If you need to request a USB-Ethernet adapter for your existing A-class, please contact Promise Technical support.

VTrak A-Class USB to Ethernet Adapter Installation Instructions

2015-09-16T15:44:17.0000000

How to lock:

How to unlock:

VTrak A-Class Extended ACL feature in SR3

2015-08-14T14:57:52.0000000

The Promise SR3 A-Class client release introduces Extended Access Control List (EACL) support for Mac OS. Before this release, we had only supported standard POSIX permissions. While this may have sufficed for some users, others required more granular control of their A-class file system permissions. Thus, we’ve implemented support for EACLs with this release. We now support multiple users and multiple groups as well as inheritance. Subfolders/Files may now have different permissions than their parent folders.

In order for EACLs to work properly with the A-class file system, the client must be set to “Squash No-Root” in the Access Settings page. This is accomplished by logging into the A-class GUI and navigating to File System > Folder > Access Settings (using the “gear” drop-down menu):

Save and confirm the setting for each one of the clients.

*Note: If there are existing files and folders created on the A-class using the “Squash All” setting, the permissions for these existing files and folders will need to be manually changed using Mac OS command line. Please contact Promise Technical Support for assistance.

You must also enable the Extended ACL setting on the VtrakFSClient. To access this setting,you need to first open the VtrakFSClient application and click on the server IP.

*Note* If your file system is currently mounted, please unmount the file system, make the setting change, and then remount for the change to take effect.

You’ll then see your mount points in the right-hand window. Select the mount point and then there will be various optional settings available. Navigate to Advanced > Extended ACL and then enable this setting:

Permissions for the A-class files system can be set or modified through the “Get Info” function when browsing to files and folders. Then expand the Sharing and Permissions menu:

Simply click on the “lock” and then use the “+” or “-“buttons to Add or Remove users or groups and then assign their Privileges.

For more information, please see the Apple Knowledge Base article linked below, or contact Promise Technical Support:

What forms of BindDN can be used when binding the A-class to Active Directory?

2015-08-13T16:06:30.0000000

I’m receiving an Error in the VTrak A-Class GUI under Status“LDAP Connection Failure” on my NAS G1100. What’s going on?

First make sure you are running the latest firmware andsoftware for both the VTrak A-Class and NAS G1100. We recommend SR3 A-Classfirmware and client or later. Also make sure the NAS Gateway has SR1 firmware orgreater.

Please note: In our example our Windows LDAP server does nothave DNS set. Likely your LDAP will be configured. In the example below weused the IP of the LDAP server since no DNS was configured on our LDAP server.

Example:

Example settings:

Response TimeOut: 10 sec

LDAD Server <IP Address>

LDAP Port 389

Server Type: Windows Active Directory

DNS: 10.0.0.76

Base DN: dc=aclass,dc=test,dc=com

Anonymous bind: unchecked

Bind DN: aclass\administrator

Bind Password: (password)

UID Attribute: cn

Object Class: user

Group ID Attribute: cn

Object Class of Group

Email notification for Event: unchecked

Full Name Attribute: displayName

Email Address Attribute: n/a

Privilege Settings: “Using Default Privilege

There threeforms of BindDN that can be used when binding the A-Class to Active Directory:

1. <Domain_Name>\<Username>
Example: example.com\Administrator
2. <Username>@<Domain_Name>
Example: Administrator@example.com
3. CN=<Username>,CN=users,DC=<Domain_name>
Example: CN=Administrator,CN=users,DC=example,DC=com

VTrak A-Class and Ex30 Product Manual mentions the UPS control cable is available from Promise. How can I order the cable?

2014-10-28T16:49:43.0000000

Contact Promise Sales and request part:

X30CABUPS - 18 inch 9 pin Micro-D to 9 pin D-Sub connector for Vtrak Ex30 and Vtrak A-Class systems.

I’m running Final Cut 7 with VTrak A-Class SR 1.1 client software version 1.2.0-38854 . Every time I want to render audio or video manually using “COMMAND+R” The render files in either audio or video folders in the A-Class volume do not get created by Final Cut. Using the default rendering under "preferences" in Final Cut works fine with no problems.

2014-07-10T12:09:30.0000000

Solution:

Unmount the A-Class volume
Select the IP address of the A-Class server in question.
To the right, select the export path in question.
Scroll down to the "advanced" section and find "Noac(No Access Cache)"
Change the default value from "Disabled" to "Enabled"
Proceed to mount the file system again and re-render the project.

Note:

No Access Cache = disabled means folder and file attribute caching is enabled

No Access Cache = enable means folder and file attribute caching is disabled

There is no impact to the stability or functionality. This section applies only to file and folder attribute caching.

This feature will be addressed in a next client software release and is only

Applicable to version 1.2.0-38854.

Why can’t I empty the Trash on my VTrakFS volume using OS X Finder?

2014-06-04T14:59:40.0000000

The type of Squash setting you use in the Folder Access Settings for your client workstation will determine how using Finder to empty the Trash will behave.

If your Squash setting is “all” or “no_root” you will be able to empty the Trash using Finder.

If your Squash setting is “root” you will not be able to empty the Trash using Finder. This is because OS X Finder will attempt to change to root privileges and then clear the Trash folder, but the Squash “root” value means that root privileges are not available.

You can still do it using the Terminal command line:

rm -rf /Volumes/<FSNAME>/.Trashes/$UID/*

Where FSNAME is the VTrakFS volume name mounted on your Mac. This will empty the Trash folder in Trashes associated with your User ID.

After a Windows AD user logs into VTrak client and mount, and then logs out, the second Windows AD user cannot mount Vtrak client.

2014-04-11T13:23:20.0000000

Workaround: Reboot VTrak Windows client before the second Windows AD user start to use it.

This issue will be addressed in SR2 release.

VTrak A-Class LUNMap Repair

2014-04-09T12:03:57.0000000

When adding a client to a VTrakFS SAN you may encounter a situation where the file system volume can’t be mounted, even after adding the client to the SAN and Exports in the management GUI. The most likely reason is that all of the LUNs that comprise the file system are not visible to the client over the Fibre Channel ports.

To correct this condition, begin by opening the Mac’s System Information app and go to Fibre Channel.

Select the root Domain entry for one of the two that are cabled to the VTrak.

The SCSI Target Devices should have a Model of VTrak A3800f and the SCSI Logical Unit @ 0 should show no capacity while the SCSI Logical Unit @ 2 and @ 3 should show both a Capacity and LUN Alias.

Both cabled Domains should have the LUNs visible, but if one does not we have to fix that by adding it to the LUN Mapping table.

To do this, the first step is to get the Port World Wide Name [WWPN] for the ports that are cabled to the VTrak A3800.

For example, Fibre Channel Domain 0 has a Port World Wide Name of 28:02:00:01:55:30:A3:9C and FC Domain 1 has a WWPN of 28:01:00:01:55:30:A3:9C.

Next, use the Terminal to connect to the VTrak A3800s management CLI. Note that you must use ssh to establish a session as telnet is disabled by default.

# ssh administrator@<A3800 IP address>

The password is the same as for the GUI; the default is ‘password’.

View the LUN mapping table to see the entered initiator WWPNs with the lunmap command:

administrator@cli> lunmap

LUN Mapping Type : Initiator

LUN mapping and masking : enabled

------------------------------------------------------------------

Initiator 1 Name: 28-01-00-01-55-30-a3-9c

==================================================================

==================================================================

| 1 1 | 2 2 |

For this example only one initiator is listed, 28-01-00-01-55-30-a3-9c, which is the WWPN for the FC Domain 1 port. Because the other port’s WWPN is not listed it can’t see the LUNs.

To remedy this we will manually add the FC Domain 0 WWPN to the list.

The format of the command is:

lunmap –a <action> -l <Logical Drive ID list> -m <LUN to map to> -n <WWPN>

So, using our second WWPN we will match the LD and LUN values for the first WWPN:

administrator@cli> lunmap -a add -l 1,2 -m 1,2 -n 28-02-00-01-55-30-a3-9c

View the LUN mapping table again to verify that the second WWPN has been successfully entered:

administrator@cli> lunmap

LUN Mapping Type : Initiator

LUN mapping and masking : enabled

------------------------------------------------------------------

Initiator 1 Name: 28-02-00-01-55-30-a3-9c

==================================================================

==================================================================

| 1 1 | 2 2 |

------------------------------------------------------------------

Initiator 2 Name: 28-01-00-01-55-30-a3-9c

==================================================================

==================================================================

| 1 1 | 2 2 |

Now that both WWPNs are listed, the LUNs will be visible over both FC Domains, allowing the VTrakFS file system to mount.

You can use command-R to refresh the System Information, and the LUNs should now appear in both FC Domains.

A-Class Access Control Settings Expected Behavior

2014-03-05T12:14:42.0000000

Windows	Default UID and GID of the user			UID and GID used by VTrak File System based on options set in the export entry of the file system (squash_root is the default)
	Example User			FCS Firmware v1.01.0000.00						PR1 Firmware v1.05.0000.00						SR1 Firmware v1.08.0000.00
	Name	UID	GID	squash_root		squash_all		squash_noroot		squash_root		squash_all		squash_noroot		squash_root		squash_all		squash_noroot
	Name	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID
Rules for the default exports created after formatting the filesystem	Windows Administrator	1000	1000	1000	1000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1000	1000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1000	1000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Windows Limited	1000	1000	1000	1000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1000	1000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1000	1000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Rules for the default exports that were modified or new export created	Windows Administrator	1000	1000	1000	1000	0	0	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
	Windows Limited	1000	1000	1000	1000	0	0	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000

Note: To make a Windows client have root privilege, please perform the following steps:

Pre-condition: squash = no_root in export setting.
Enable LDAP from A-Class GUI, and then setup according to Windows AD server.
Create a Windows AD user and assign uid/gid as 0.
Login Windows client using the Windows AD user with uid/gid 0.
Input username/password of the Windows AD user with uid/gid 0.
Mount the A-Class volume.

After the steps above, the Windows client can get root privilege.

Mac OS	Default UID and GID of the user			UID and GID used by VTrak File System based on options set in the export entry of the file system (squash_root is the default)
	Example User			FCS Firmware v1.01.0000.00						PR1 Firmware v1.05.0000.00						SR1 Firmware v1.08.0000.00
	Name	UID	GID	squash_root		squash_all		squash_noroot		squash_root		squash_all		squash_noroot		squash_root		squash_all		squash_noroot
	Name	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID	UID	GID
Rules for the default exports created after formatting the filesystem	root	0	0	0	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	0	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1000	1000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Admin (of Mac OSX)	501	20	501	20	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	501	20	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	501	20	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	JohnDoe	38	38	38	38	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	38	38	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	38	38	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rules for the default exports that were modified or new export created	root	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1000	1000	1000	1000	0	0	1000	1000	1000	1000	0	0
	Admin (of Mac OSX)	501	20	501	20	0	0	501	20	501	20	1000	1000	501	20	501	20	1000	1000	501	20
	JohnDoe	38	38	38	38	0	0	38	38	38	38	1000	1000	38	38	38	38	1000	1000	38	38

Note:

N/A (not applicable) because when default of squash_root is modified, then it follows the rules of the second row
The values shown in red are wrong and have been fixed in SR1

As you can see from the above chart, access setting implementation is not the same across the first two releases.

Please reference the following KB for detailed access control definitions:

http://kb.promise.com/thread/what-do-each-of-the-vtrak-a-class-access-control-list-acl-squash-settings-actually-do

Depending on the code are running or may have previously been running, you mayneed to make some access setting modifications via the A-Class GUI.

If you are having access control problems with files or folders please leave the settings intact and contact Promise technical support.

After proper access control setting configuration has been conducted on A-Class, the existing file or folder permissions may need to be modified manually using chmod, chown and chgrp.

See the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chmod
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chown
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chgrp

What best practices are recommended for A-Class SAN clients?

2014-01-31T14:56:28.0000000

Although the PROMISE A-Class provides three levels of access control to the file system LUNs and Volume, it is still possible that one or more of the data LUNs could be unintentionally formatted on a workstation that was added to the A-Class SAN but then on which the file system was un-mounted.

If the VTrakFS client application is not using the file system, it no longer has control over LUN access and can not protect the LUNs from being formatted, partitioned, or relabeled by the OS X Disk Utility app or other third party tools because the devices are now managed at the raw disk and FC level.

This is a common vulnerability of all products of this type, and it is the end-user's administrative responsibility to manage it, but it is also commonly addressed by following these best practices to reduce the chances of this type of unintended LUN access:

1. Remove all non-administrative access rights to Disk utility tools.

2. Remove all non-administrative access rights to the A-Class VTrakFS client application on SAN workstations, and have set the file system to auto-mount at system startup to prevent the file system from being unintentionally un-mounted.

What kind of protection does the A-Class VTrak File System have?

2014-01-31T14:47:19.0000000

Access to the VTrak File System is controlled by several mechanisms:

1. Fibre Channel WWPN:

a. The VTrak A-Class file system metadata LUN is not exposed to the outside world, so it is not visible to any workstation connected to the Fibre Channel SAN. For other products, such as StorNext, Xsan, MetaSAN, etc, the metadata LUN is exposed to any workstation connected to the FC SAN.

b. The VTrak A-Class file system data LUNs are only exposed to FC workstations that have been added as a client to the A-Class SAN. For other products, such as StorNext, Xsan, MetaSAN, etc, the data LUNs are exposed to any workstation connected to the FC SAN.

c. The VTrakFS data volume is only exposed to A-Class SAN clients that have been granted file system access privileges provided by the IP level access control. For other products, such as StorNext, Xsan, MetaSAN, etc, the file system data Volume is visible to any workstation connected to the FC SAN without granting specific access.

This level of protection is unique to the PROMISE A-Class.

2. Client IP Address:

Mounting the file system and any specific folders can be granted by adding the IP address of a workstation to the SAN. This is a common feature for the A-Class and other similar products. The A-Class provides additional security by using FC access control with IP address access control, which is unique to the A-Class.

3. Folders and Files:

This is handled by the Client Operating System, with additional protection provided by optional LDAP, which is a common feature for the A-Class and other similar products.

How to replace controller(s) on VTrak AClass system

2014-01-23T15:11:56.0000000

Note - The following document is valid only for firmware v1.01.0000.00 (FCS) and v1.05.0000.00 (PR1)

This document is to guide how to replace A‐Class controller in the field, but does not cover how to replace the whole unit (both chassis and all controllers).

For instructions to replace the whole AClass system, please see "File System Recovery after RMA".

Connecting to the CLI prompt via serial connection on both controllers will allow monitoring of the replacement process. However it is not required.

Please get a subsystem report before replacing the controller.

Pull out the first controller from A‐Class.
The first controller is the one on left side from back view of the unit.

Note:
1. Don’t disconnect network cable before pulling out the controller!!!
2. If the first controller is the primary controller, a fail over will be started
  (CLI command ctrl can show which controller is the primary one)
Unplug all remaining cables from the controller that is removed.

Install the replacement controller.

Note:
1. Before plugging in the new controller into the chassis, please make sure that the network cable is connected!!!
2. If there is a Firmware mismatch, firmware will be automatically synced to this controller.
3. The new installed controller will be rebooted automatically after sync.
Plug in all remaining cables

Using CLI, verify using “ctrl” command that both the controllers are show OK Status and in Active mode.

If replacing both the controllers, please continue to the steps below. If this is a single controller VTrak AClass, please skip to Step 12.

Pull out the second controller

Note:
1. Don’t disconnect network cable before pulling out the controller!!!
2. The second controller is primary controller, a fail over will be started.
  (CLI command ctrl can show which controller is the primary one)
Unplug all remaining cables from the controller that is removed.

Install the other replacement controller.

Note:
1. Before plugging in the new controller into the chassis, please make sure that the network cable is connected!!!
2. If there is a Firmware mismatch, firmware will be automatically synced to this controller.
3. The new installed controller will be rebooted automatically after sync.

Plug in all remaining cables.

Login to A‐Class GUI.
1. Go through first time Setup Wizard.
  All steps in this first time Step Wizard can be skipped, because of these settings are kept during the controller replacement.
2. Setup LDAP Setting.
  Because of system limitations, LDAP setting has to be re‐configured manually after both controllers are replaced.

After controller(s) are replaced, please save a new subsystem report for your records.

VTrak AClass LDAP User Management – Active Directory

2014-01-16T16:22:37.0000000

This document will explain how to set up user access management for a VTrak AClass subsystem.

It is assumed that you have a functional MS Active Directory domain configured and administrative access to the domain controller.

Begin by logging in to the VTrak's management interface GUI as administrator.
Select the Administration tab at the top-right, and select the User Management option.
Click the LDAP Settings button.

Here is an example using a domain called dixdomain.local.
Set the Base DN appropriately for your domain.
Set the Server Type for Windows Active Directory, and enter the LDAP server IP address.
You can use the Anonymous Bind option, but if your server does not support that you will have to create a dummy domain user for access.

Dummy Domain User

From the Server Manager, go to the Active Directory Users and Computers panel.
Add a New User and name it appropriately – this example uses VTrak LDAP.
Make it a member of Domain Users.

Use the Test button on the VTrak LDAP Settings page to verify the connection.

What do each of the VTrak A-Class Access Control List (ACL) squash settings actually do?

2013-12-13T15:26:32.0000000

Squash = root *

When squash is set to root, root users will not have access to the files and folders created by other user account types from the client machines unless the owner of those files modifies its permissions in the OS to explicitly allow access. This squash setting prevents users on client machines to log in as root and modify permissions, change, or delete specific files and folders.

Squash = all

When squash is set to all, all users – regardless of account type – will have access to all the files and folders created from the client machines.

Squash = noroot

When squash is set to noroot, root users will have access to the files and folders created by other account types from the client machines. This means that if a user logs in as root on a client machine, they will have the authority to modify permissions, change, or delete all files and folders residing on the Aclass.

Note that if you change the squash setting of a folder AFTER content was placed in it using a different squash setting, this content may not be accessible by all users since the original permissions on the files and folders remain intact. Please contact Promise Technical Support before making such a change in order to understand its impact on your file system.

*The default setting for squash is root on firmware version v1.01.0000.00 through v1.05.0000.00

How to reshare a VTrak A-Class volume on OS X Mavericks via SMB

2013-12-05T15:02:11.0000000

NOTE A-class volumes can only be reshared in OS X Mavericks (v10.9) and later by using SMB sharing. Prior versions of MacOS X do not support file sharing with VTrak A-Class.

In order to share an A-class volume in OS X Mavericks, you must first open the Sharing pane in System Preferences and then select the check box for File Sharing:

Then, under Shared Folders, select the “+” button. This will bring up a menu where you can add the A-class volume – which will be listed under Devices. In the example below, the A-class volume is named “FS1”:

Select the volume and then click “Add”. Your A-class volume will now be listed under Shared Folders:

For more information or advanced configuration options, please see Apple KB HT5884:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5884

Why is multipathing not enabled after running "./installer.pl --with-gui install" on RHEL6.2 64-bit?

2013-08-06T16:16:12.0000000

By default, when we install our multipath package, it is not enabled by default. The user will need to manually configure multipath to start during boot or manually enable it. In order to do so, the user will have to do the following:

Copy correct multipath.conf to clinet-hostname:/etc
Run "installer.pl --with-gui install" to install VTrakFSClient packages.
Run "chkconfig multipathd on"
Run "service multipathd start"

Why does the Windows System Event log display errors when mounting an A-class volume?

2013-08-06T16:10:55.0000000

The Windows System Event log will report VDS error ownership messages for A-class after adding the server and rebooting. Additionally, Partmanager will display warnings for duplicate LUN signatures after mounting the LUNs. There is nothing functionally wrong with the host system or the Vtrak. These errors are logged because the A-class file system architecture deviate from the norm.

Is the VTrakFS licensed from others?

2013-06-28T11:49:05.0000000

VTrakFS is internal proprietary technology from Promise.

What is VTrakFS based on?

2013-06-28T11:47:47.0000000

VTrakFS is based on Promise proprietary proven technology.

How does VTrak A-Class perform against Competition?

2013-06-28T11:43:05.0000000

Performance is equal or better.

Pro-Res is equal to the the competition.
Uncompressed and Frame Based is better than the competition.

What is the warranty on VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T11:40:25.0000000

VTrak A-Class carries a 3-year limited warranty that includes Next Business DAY PROMISE Service Plus (NBD PSP).

When will VTrak A-Class be available?

2013-06-28T11:38:40.0000000

We are targeting end of April 2013.

How will I get VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T11:28:08.0000000

VTrak A-Class will be available through the standard PROMISE distribution channel.

http://www.promise.com/where2buy/where2buy_region.aspx?region=en-US&m=178

Does SANLink work with A-Class?

2013-06-28T11:25:22.0000000

Of course!

VTrakFS access via SANLink to your MacBook Pros, iMac, Mac mini and eventually any Windows/Linux supporting Thunderbolt will be alive and kicking.

What about Xsan and Stornext? Are you going to still support these platforms?

2013-06-28T11:19:44.0000000

Yes!

Our support of Xsan and Stornext is still strong as ever. VTrak A-Class was created to provide customers with more choice and those in need of an integrated, turnkey solution.

What IOP performance can I expect from VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T11:17:36.0000000

You can expect 440,000 Disk IO and 610,000 cache hits.

What sequential performance can we expect from VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T11:15:34.0000000

You can expect 2,400MB/s write and 5,500MB/s read.

What is the largest configuration that is supported by VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T11:13:50.0000000

VTrak A-Class supports 8 total storage nodes in a per VTrak A-Class unit. Each storage node is expandable up to 240 drives spindles. In total, 1920 spindles could be controlled by a single VTrak A-Class unit. Using 4TB drives, that would be in excess of 7 petabytes!

How to you expand VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T11:11:30.0000000

VTrak A-Class is expandable using the battle tested VTrak x30 Series RAID systems and expansion chassis.

How much does each client license cost?

2013-06-28T11:07:39.0000000

Please contact Promise Sales for current pricing information. However, unlike our competitors, the license is a universal license that will work regardless if the client is running Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux.

PHONE: +1 (408) 228-1400
FAX: +1 (408) 228-1100
SALES: sales@promise.com
WEB: www.promise.com

What SKUs are available with A-Class?

2013-06-28T11:04:38.0000000

VTrak A3800fSL

Single Controller
24x4TB 7,200-RPM SAS
4 Client Licenses
2 File Systems

VTrak A3800fDM

Dual Controller
24x4TB 7,200-RPM SAS
10 Client Licenses
4 File Systems

Please contact Promise Sales for current pricing information.

PHONE: +1 (408) 228-1400
FAX: +1 (408) 228-1100
SALES: sales@promise.com
WEB: www.promise.com

What are some of the features that will be supported by VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T10:07:51.0000000

VTrak A-Class will offer an extensive feature set to work within your SAN infrastructure. This will include features such as LDAP (Active Directory & Open Directory), ACLS (Access Control List) support, user quotas, advance anti-fragmentation algorithms, online defragmentation tools, real time SAN statistics, SAN topology browser, and many, many more.

What operating systems are supported by VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T10:04:51.0000000

VTrak A-Class provides support across all major platforms used in the media and entertainment space, Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.

Has PROMISE been in the SAN game, why now and where is the technology coming from?

2013-06-28T10:02:22.0000000

PROMISE has always provided some of the most stable, mature, and reliable products in the market. We have worked hard with partners to integrate and develop technology to be embedded inside the VTrak x30 Series platform to create a world-class SAN filesystem infrastructure.

What does VTrak A-Class do for my TCO?

2013-06-28T09:57:11.0000000

Vtrak A-Class aims to lower your total cost of ownership.

By integrating hardware and removing the need for separate servers, there is less equipment to power, fewer Fibre Channel ports to populate, and less heat generated per SAN.

Who was VTrak A-Class created for?

2013-06-28T09:53:52.0000000

VTrak A-Class was created with creative professionals in the media and entertainment market in mind. For the moment, VTrak A-Class will focus on providing the fastest and most innovative solution to the M&E market. VTrak A-Class is perfect for those in post-production or broadcast and those in need of a SAN for data asset management or archival.

What are the major key factors for VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T09:47:28.0000000

Fast – High performance, low latency over a shared SAN.
Easy – Single vendor solution. SAN server and data is all in one box under a single management software.
Scalable – Grow storage to petabytes while always online and without downtime.
Cost Effective – Single appliance offers significant cost savings over other current solutions.

What customer issues is VTrak A-Class trying to address?

2013-06-28T09:37:52.0000000

Increasing performance requirements
Collaborative editing becoming a requirement
Lack of single vendor, turnkey SAN solution
Complexity and high costs for shared storage
High acquisition cost of video-centric SANs
Unknown product roadmaps

What is VTrak A-Class?

2013-06-28T09:29:14.0000000

VTrak A-Class is an integrated, turnkey storage area network (SAN) appliance that enables multiple clients running Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux to access a shared block file system over Fibre Channel.

I’m looking for a Back Up Disk to Disk to Tape solution for my VTrak A-Class and VTrak X30 SAN.

2013-06-27T11:03:54.0000000

There are many tools for data backup. One popular tool is Archiware P5 Backup.

http://www.archiware.com/p5-backup.302.1.html

Are there any 3rd party tools we can use to migrate data off my existing storage?

2013-06-27T10:17:19.0000000

There are several tools for migrating data onto VTrakA-Class.

One popular tool is Archiware P5 Synchronize.

Please see more information at:

http://www.archiware.com/p5-synchronize.301.1.html

VTrak A-Class Q&A

2013-05-14T09:40:48.0000000

Q: What is the recommended free space to maintained on the SAN?

A: Free space is 30% of the total capacity is recommended for optimal running of defragmentation.

Q: Does the pre-allocation algorithm work with any file type; or is it specific to video files?

A: Pre-allocation algorithm is not based on file type but based on file size.

Q: Is there built in UPS awareness to allow for unattended graceful shutdown in case of a power failure?

A: Yes. Please see the VTrak A-Class user manual for details.

Q: Are Mac OS X 10.6.x or earlier clients supported?

A: The initial software release does not support Mac OS X 10.6.x and earlier. We use ALUA in our Fibre Channel Port and Controller failover and failback functionality. Testing has been only been done with ALUA enabled configurations. Mac OS X 10.6.x and earlier does not support ALUA thus why its not officially supported in FCS (First Customer Ship) firmware release. Currently there are no plans to officially supported. Check back with future services releases.

NOTE: Though not supported, the client can see the Promise Volume and read and write without problem. The concern is with controller Failover and FailBack functionality without ALUA support on the Client OS.

Q: What are "internal LDAP" and "external LDAP" options. I’m assuming that the MDC joins Active Directory or LDAP from an external server.

A: We have a lightweight LDAP server integrated into VTrak A-Class to support user Quota. This feature will not be available on FCS (First Customer Ship) firmware release. It supports a maximum of 20 users. This feature is targeted for a smaller customer environment where external LDAP server are typically not needed and the customer will not need to setup and maintain an external LDAP server just for SAN management. As an alternative LDAP is fully supported with External Windows and Mac LDAP servers with Mac, Windows and Linux clients.

Q: Is a public or private Metadata network recommended?

A: A private Metadata network is recommended for best performance.

Q: Is the Metadata network traffic load heavy?

A: This load is light between each client and VTrak A-Class unit.

Q: Can the Metadata information be provided in-band over Fibre Channel without need of an Ethernet connection for Metadata traffic?

A: Metadata can only be provided over Ethernet. File data only will be provided via Fibre Channel network.

Q: Is there bandwidth throttling capability for client?

A: Yes. Bandwidth throttling is supported on the client.

For Mac and Windows:
- Support for bandwidth control based on Read Write bandwidth threshold. Bandwidth threshold is set through the GUI.
For Linux:
- Support for Write and Read and Read Write bandwidth control. These can be set as a parameter for "mount" command.

Q: Is Mac OS Spotlight supported?

A: Not currently supported with FCS (First Customer Ship) firmware release. Check back with future services releases.

Q: Is Windows indexed search supported?

A: Not currently supported with FCS (First Customer Ship) firmware release. Check back with future services releases.

Q: Does the client need to support multipath over Fibre Channel connections or is there need to install multipath software?

A: This is dependant on client configuration and operating system. Please see the VTrak A-Class user manual for details.

Minimizing File Fragmentation in Vtrak A-CLass VTrakFS file system

2013-04-09T14:36:15.0000000

VTrakFS file system has following built in anti-fragment allocation algorithm that helps minimize file fragmentation

Allocation by Resource Group:
Each LUN/RAID LD in segmented into large equal size chunks called Resource Group (RG). During file creation, each file is assigned to a different RG. By virtually separating files into different RG, interleaving of file’s data is reduced considerably thereby minimizing fragmentation.

Allocation by Goal:
As a file is written, the file system instead of searching for free blocks randomly, will start its search for free blocks starting from the file’s previously allocated block (the goal) so that new data is placed nearby to the previous write. In most of the cases, allocation of the new block happens adjacent to the previous one. This technique minimizes fragmentation of the file.

Pre-Allocation:
The file system considers files with a large size are more likely to become larger. The built in algorithm triggers for large file offset and pre-allocate blocks based on the file offset of the write command predicting that these pre-allocated blocks will be used for subsequent writes. This technique helps reduce fragmentation for large files. The aggressiveness of the pre-allocation can be tuned using knobs provided.

Reservation Windows:
Unlike Pre-Allocation technique which help large file, this technique helps medium size files. Reservation window is a mechanism similar to pre-allocation by reserving free blocks for a file. They are different in that, reservation window only reserves blocks in memory and can be revoked when the filesystem is really short of free blocks. As blocks are reserved preventing other files from allocating them, this helps minimize fragmentation. Knobs are provided to tune the size of reservation windows.

Resource Group by Parent:
DPX format is used to store a single frame of a video stream. Multiple DPX files are used to store sequences of frames making the entire video stream. So DPX files are highly related to each other and they should be sequentially arranged on the storage. If they are separated from each other, they are fragmented on the inter file level. This technique helps address this issue by allocating DPX files in the same directory to be placed in the same Resource Group so that files are contiguously placed.

VTrak A-Class Articles

Compatibility of macOS with A-Class SAN Clients

How do I add the Finder Refresh tool to my Finder toolbar?

How to Save a Service Report from the VTrak A-Class Series

Why aren't my Aclass sub-folders and files inheriting permissions properly?

One of my VTrak A-Class controllers has a blinking red LED in the back and it's not booting. What could be wrong?

I am unable to mount my Linux Red Hat client to VTrak A-Class

1. Installing VTrakFS Client 1.4.1-47250

2. Setting up DM-Multipath

3. Install PerfectPathV0.0.0.9 for RHEL http://www.promise.com/Download.aspx?DownloadFileUID=3953

4. Add Linux Client to the A-Class.

5. Create mount point on RHEL FS

6. Open VTrakFS Client

A-Class with Mac OS X SMB Re-Share | DS_Store File Copy Errors

DS_Store Definition

Problems

Known Issues

Finder Alternatives

USB-Ethernet adapter configuration for the VTrak A-Class series

VTrak A-Class USB to Ethernet Adapter Installation Instructions

VTrak A-Class Extended ACL feature in SR3

What forms of BindDN can be used when binding the A-class to Active Directory?

VTrak A-Class and Ex30 Product Manual mentions the UPS control cable is available from Promise. How can I order the cable?

Why can’t I empty the Trash on my VTrakFS volume using OS X Finder?

After a Windows AD user logs into VTrak client and mount, and then logs out, the second Windows AD user cannot mount Vtrak client.

VTrak A-Class LUNMap Repair

A-Class Access Control Settings Expected Behavior

What best practices are recommended for A-Class SAN clients?

What kind of protection does the A-Class VTrak File System have?

How to replace controller(s) on VTrak AClass system

VTrak AClass LDAP User Management – Active Directory

Dummy Domain User

What do each of the VTrak A-Class Access Control List (ACL) squash settings actually do?

How to reshare a VTrak A-Class volume on OS X Mavericks via SMB

*NOTE* A-class volumes can only be reshared in OS X Mavericks (v10.9) and later by using SMB sharing. Prior versions of MacOS X do not support file sharing with VTrak A-Class.

Why is multipathing not enabled after running "./installer.pl --with-gui install" on RHEL6.2 64-bit?

Why does the Windows System Event log display errors when mounting an A-class volume?

Is the VTrakFS licensed from others?

What is VTrakFS based on?

How does VTrak A-Class perform against Competition?

What is the warranty on VTrak A-Class?

When will VTrak A-Class be available?

How will I get VTrak A-Class?

Does SANLink work with A-Class?

What about Xsan and Stornext? Are you going to still support these platforms?

What IOP performance can I expect from VTrak A-Class?

What sequential performance can we expect from VTrak A-Class?

What is the largest configuration that is supported by VTrak A-Class?

How to you expand VTrak A-Class?

How much does each client license cost?

What SKUs are available with A-Class?

What are some of the features that will be supported by VTrak A-Class?

What operating systems are supported by VTrak A-Class?

Has PROMISE been in the SAN game, why now and where is the technology coming from?

What does VTrak A-Class do for my TCO?

Who was VTrak A-Class created for?

What are the major key factors for VTrak A-Class?

What customer issues is VTrak A-Class trying to address?

What is VTrak A-Class?

I’m looking for a Back Up Disk to Disk to Tape solution for my VTrak A-Class and VTrak X30 SAN.

Are there any 3rd party tools we can use to migrate data off my existing storage?

VTrak A-Class Q&A

Minimizing File Fragmentation in Vtrak A-CLass VTrakFS file system

NOTE A-class volumes can only be reshared in OS X Mavericks (v10.9) and later by using SMB sharing. Prior versions of MacOS X do not support file sharing with VTrak A-Class.