Create Nutanix File Server Cluster in Prism Element

Taylor Norris
Jul 16, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Mar 11

In a previous blog post I introduced Nutanix Files. In this post I will show you how easy it is to deploy a Nutanix File server cluster in Prism Element.

Before we go into how to deploy a Nutanix Files cluster, lets take a high level view of the Nutanix Files architecture.

High Level Nutanix Files Architecture

You can deploy Nutanix Files on an existing or standalone Nutanix cluster. Unlike standalone NAS appliances, Nutanix Files consolidates VM and file storage, eliminating the need to create a separate infrastructure silo.

Nutanix Files instances are typically composed of at least three file server VMs (FSVMs) to satisfy a quorum for high availability. All the FSVM's start with the same configuration: 4 vCPU and 12 GB of memory. Single FSVM deployments are also supported for one and two node Nutanix cluster deployments.

Networking

The FSVM (File Server Virtual Machine) has two network interfaces:

1. The storage interface

-The storage interface, which communicates with the CVMs and manages Nutanix Volumes iSCSI vDisks, handles deployment, failover, maintenance, and one-click upgrades. It monitors storage faults and sends a heartbeat signal to the local CVM service every second. It's recommended to place the FSVM storage interface on the same VLAN as the Nutanix CVM iSCSI network for optimal performance.

2. The client interface

-The client interface allows connections to SMB shares and NFS exports on the FSVM. Clients can access file data through any FSVM client interface, with automatic redirection if needed. In case of an FSVM failure, the client network address is moved to another FSVM to maintain data access.

Deploy File Server Cluster

Now lets look at how easy it is to deploy a file server cluster in Prism Element.

To deploy a file server cluster:

1. Log in to Prism Element, click the dashboard drop down and select "File Server."

2. On the file server dashboard, click “+ File Server”

Note: you may be prompted to download the file server software. If so, follow the additional steps at the end of this blog.

3. On the Basics tab, enter a file server Name, DNS Domain, and File server storage amount. The UI will automatically recommend file server VM quantities and sizing.

Note: All FSVMs have the same basic configuration: four vCPU and 12 GB of memory.

4. On the Client Network tab, select a "vlan". I will select the "primary - Managed" vlan that I created and click "Next"

5. On the Storage Network tab, select another VLAN then click "Next".

Note: For demonstration purposes I will select the same vlan for both the storage network and client network, but it is recommended to choose 2 different vlan's in a production environment.

6. On the Directory Services Tab, Click the check box for “use SMB Protocol” if you plan to create SMB shares. Then enter your AD info.

Note: You can optionally select "Use NFS Protocol" as well if you want multi-protocol access enabled. Click "Next".

7. Finally, you can select the check box for "Create a Protection Domain and a default schedule", enter the protection domain name, then click "Create".

8. To monitor the creation progress, click the task drop down and select "View All Tasks".

9. Once the file server cluster creation task is complete, you can navigate back to the File Server dashboard and view your newly deployed file server cluster.

At this point your file server cluster is ready for you to create file shares on. If you want a refresher on how to create file shares, view my previous blog post on creating file shares with Nutanix Files.