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Cluster Name Space

BlueArc Cluster Name Space (CNS) delivers a unified name space across file systems enabling global data access to data from any mount-point. CNS allows administrators to manage physical storage pools and file systems without affecting how users access their files. Administrators simply create a virtual file system directory structure with links to real file systems within the Titan or across clustered Titans. With support for up to 512TB, administrators can bring together many file systems in one coherent directory structure, while providing secure yet simplified access for their clients.

Adding to BlueArc's existing Titan High Availability Clustering, CNS provides a virtualized file structure to mount from any clustered Titans with global access to all the data through any node in the cluster. Administrators can create a simple or sophisticated virtual folder structure, called a CNS tree, and link real file systems from either Titan throughout this virtual structure. Any file or folder can be then accessed via CIFS or NFS from any Titan cluster node, ensuring broad uniform access to data.

CNS works in conjunction with BlueArc Tiered Storage capabilities to provide a consolidated name space even across file systems using different disk technologies. For example administrators can create a pseudo directory with link to a tier one Fibre Channel file system for a working user directory and another with a tier two Serial ATA file system for an archive directory. All of these directories would simply appear as different folders on any mount point to CIFS or NFS clients, reducing the need for multiple mount points and automounter configurations.

BlueArc CNS can also be incorporated into an Enterprise Name Space structure enabling an enterprise wide name space. CNS simply with stand-alone or clustered Titans as a homogenous names space, and in addition CNS can be implemented as a branch of a full Enterprise Name Space configuration, enabling a full heterogeneous name space across your enterprise.

CNS simplifies client access and the confusion of dealing with many separate file systems. To improve management of these file systems and control workflow, BlueArc provides detailed performance monitoring and load balancing tools that allow file systems to be easily moved between Titans as necessary to accommodate load balancing, priority projects, or even maintenance. The movement of file systems is nearly instantaneous and transparent to client mount points, as clients only see the virtual CNS tree, not a physical file system. No remounting of a file system is necessary, allowing for a more flexible environment.

In real world deployments, CNS can be used in many different ways to improve the client use and administration of file system data. For example, in an entertainment environment, a CNS tree can be created containing different shot directories, each with an active working directory and an archive directory for previous revisions. Although this is seen as one directory structure, the working directory can be a fast Fibre Channel file system for artist access and rendering, and the archive directory can be a more economical Serial ATA file system for older revision files, thus providing a lower TCO. Although possible in the past, now clients can see both file systems within the same folder structure, allowing them to easily move data between them.

In enterprise consolidation environments CNS provides a truly centralized file server structure. Windows, Linux, or other software-based file servers limit the size of the file system, and are limited in performance, forcing the proliferation of filers as your capacity or user count grows. With Titan and CNS administrators can scale to 100's of terabytes, and provide a virtual CNS tree for all users to mount. As users, projects, and performance are needed, more pseudo directories can be added within the existing CNS mount point, and instantly be accessed by the appropriate users. Increases in capacity, file systems, or performance are all accommodated within a Titan or Titan cluster without any change in the way users mount the file server. In conjunction with BlueArc's virtual storage pool capabilities, CNS enables administrators to setup file systems to automatically grow as need up with pre-defined rules, eliminating storage provisioning time with no down-time. The end-user view of the file structure never changes as it dynamically scales to meet demands.

Cluster Name Space revolutionizes the way that administrators can present data to clients - a truly unified name space across all file systems. Any data, anywhere within a Titan CNS structure enable: less end-user confusion, lower administrator overhead, and the most flexible structure to accommodate any type of environment today and as you scale into the future.