version 4.0 | document revision 1

1 Overview

1.1 Introduction

DataCore FileFly provides policy-based file tiering for Windows files and SMB shares. It automates and manages the movement of files from primary storage locations to lower cost object storage residing on-premises or on public clouds. The source locations may be Windows File Servers and SMB file shares exported by NetApp and Isilon NAS devices. The destinations include DataCore Swarm Object Storage as well as public cloud storage providers adhering to the S3 protocol such as Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Storage, Wasabi Cloud and others.
Files are migrated from primary storage locations to the object store. Files are demigrated transparently when accessed by a user or application. FileFly also provides a range of Disaster Recovery options.

1.1.0.1 What is Migration?

From a technical perspective, file migration can be summarized as follows: first, the file content and corresponding metadata are copied to secondary storage as an MWI file/object. Next, the original file is marked as a 'stub' and truncated to zero physical size (while retaining the original logical size for the benefit of users and the correct operation of applications). The resulting stub file remains on primary storage in this state until such time as a user or application requests access to the file content, at which point the data is automatically returned to primary storage.
Each stub encapsulates the location of the corresponding MWI data on secondary storage, without the need for a database or other centralized component.

1.2 Conventions used in this Book

References to labels, values and literals in the software are in 'quoted italics'.
References to actions, such as clicking buttons, are in bold.
References to commands and text typed in are in fixed font.
Notes are denoted: Note: This is a note.
Important notes are denoted: Important: Important point here.

1.3 System Components

1.1 provides an overview of a FileFly deployment. All communication between FileFly components is secured with Transport Layer Security (TLS). The individual components are described below.

 

1.3.0.1 DataCore FileFly Admin Portal

FileFly Admin Portal is the system's policy manager. It provides a centralized web-based configuration interface, and is responsible for task scheduling, server monitoring and file reporting. It lies outside the data path for file transfers.

1.3.0.2 DataCore FileFly Agent

DataCore FileFly Agent performs file operations as directed by Admin Portal Policies. The FileFly Agent is also responsible for retrieving file data from secondary storage upon user / application access.
File operations include migration and demigration, as well as a range of operations to assist disaster recovery. Data is streamed directly between agents and storage without any intermediary staging on disk.
When installed in a Gateway configuration, FileFly Agent does not allow migration of files from that server.
Optionally, Gateways can be configured for High-Availability (HA).

1.3.0.3 DataCore FileFly FPolicy Server

FileFly FPolicy Server provides migration support for NetApp filers using the NetApp FPolicy protocol. This component is the equivalent of DataCore FileFly Agent for NetApp filers.
FileFly FPolicy Server may also be configured for High-Availability (HA).

1.3.0.4 DataCore FileFly LinkConnect Server

FileFly LinkConnect Server provides link-based migration support for either Dell EMC OneFS or as an alternative method for migrating files from Windows Server volumes in the case where an agent may not be installed directly on the file server. This component performs a similar role to DataCore FileFly Agent for SMB shares.
FileFly LinkConnect Server may also be configured for High-Availability (HA).

1.3.0.5 DataCore FileFly DrTool

DataCore FileFly DrTool is an additional application that assists in Disaster Recovery.
Note: This functionality is not included with Community Edition licenses.

1.4 FileFly Admin Portal Concepts

DataCore FileFly Admin Portal is the web-based interface that provides central management of a FileFly deployment. It is installed as part of the FileFly Tools package.
When entering the FileFly Admin Portal, the 'Dashboard' displays – more on the dashboard in §1.5. The remainder of this section follows the Admin Portal's navigation menu.

1.4.1 Servers

The 'Servers' page displays the installed and activated agents across the deployment of FileFly. Health information and statistics are provided for each server or cluster node. Use this page when activating the other components in your system.
Click a Server's ellipsis control to:

• view additional server information

• configure storage plugins

• add / retire / restart cluster nodes

• upgrade a standalone server to high-availability

• view detailed charts of recent activity

• edit server-specific configuration (see Appendix E)

1.4.2 Sources

Sources describe volumes or folders to which Policies may be applied (e.g., locations on the network from which files may be Migrated).
A Source location is specified by a URI. Platform-specific information for all supported sources is detailed in Chapter 5. A filesystem browser is provided to assist in setting the URI location interactively.

1.4.2.1 Subdirectory Filtering

Within a given Source, individual directory subtrees may be included or excluded to provide greater control over which files are eligible for policy operations. Excluded directories are not traversed.
In the Source editor, the directory tree may be expanded and explored in the 'Subdirectory Filtering' section. By default, the entire source is included.

1.4.3 Destinations

Destinations are storage locations that Policies may write files to (e.g., locations on the network to which files are Migrated). Platform-specific information for all supported sources is detailed in Chapter 5.
Optionally, a Destination may be configured to use Write Once Read Many (WORM) semantics for migration operations. No attempt is made thereafter to update the resultant secondary storage objects. This option is useful when the underlying storage device has WORM-like behavior, but is exposed using a generic protocol.

1.4.4 Rules

Rules allow a specific subset of files within a Source or Sources to be selected for processing.
Rules can match a variety of metadata: filename / pathname, size, timestamps / age, file owner, and attribute flags. A rule matches if all of its specified criteria match the file's metadata. However, rules can be negated or compounded as necessary to perform more complex matches.
You will be able to simulate your Rules against your Sources during Policy creation.
Some criteria are specified as comma-separated lists of patterns:

• wildcard patterns, e.g. *.doc (see Appendix A.1)

• regular expressions, e.g. /2004-06-[0-9][0-9]\.log/ (see Appendix A.2)

Note that:

• files match if any one of the patterns in the list match

• whitespace before and after each pattern is ignored

• patterns are case-insensitive

• filename patterns starting with '/' match the path from the point specified by the Source URI

• filename patterns NOT starting with '/' match files in any subtree

• literal commas within a pattern must be escaped with a backslash

1.4.5 Policies

A Policy specifies an operation to perform on a set of files. Depending on the type of operation, a Policy will specify Source(s) and/or Destination(s), and possibly Rules to limit the Policy to a subset of files.
Each operation has different parameters, refer to Chapter 4 for a full reference.

1.4.6 Tasks

A Task schedules one or more Policies for execution. Tasks can be scheduled to run at specific times, or can be run on-demand using the Quick Run control on the 'Dashboard'.
While a Task is running, its status is displayed in the 'Running Tasks' panel of the 'Dashboard'. When Tasks finish they are moved to the 'Recent Tasks' panel.
Operation statistics are updated in real-time as the task runs. Operations will automatically be executed in parallel, see E for more details.
If multiple Tasks are scheduled to start simultaneously, Policies on each Source are grouped such that only a single traversal of each file system is required.

1.4.6.1 Completion Notification

When a Task finishes running, regardless of whether it succeeds or fails, a completion notification email may be sent as a convenience to the administrator. This notification email contains summary information similar to that available in the 'Recent Tasks' panel on the 'Dashboard'.
To use this feature, either:

• check the 'Notify completion' option when configuring the Task, or

• click the notify icon on a running task on the 'Dashboard'

1.4.7 Reports

Reports – generated by Gather Statistics Policies – contain charts detailing:

• a 30-day review of access and change activity

• a long-term trend chart to assist with planning migration strategy

• a breakdown of the most common file types

• optionally, a breakdown of file ownership

1.4.8 Recovery

The 'Recovery' page provides access to multiple versions of the recovery files produced by each Create Recovery File From Source/Destination Policy. Retention options may be adjusted in 'Settings'.
Refer to Chapter 6 for more information on performing recovery operations.

1.4.9 Settings

The FileFly Admin Portal 'Settings' page allows the configuration of a wide range of global settings including:

• email notification

• configuration backup (see §3.3)

• work hours

• Admin Portal logging

• user interface language selection

It is also possible to suspend the scheduler, to prevent scheduled Tasks starting while maintenance procedures are being performed.
Server-specific settings and plugin configuration are available on the 'Servers' page.

1.4.10 Help

The 'Help' page provides version information, as well as links to documentation and support resources. You may also view the global log, or generate a system diagnostic file (support.zip) for use when contacting DataCore Support.

1.5 FileFly Admin Portal Dashboard

The 'Dashboard' provides a concise view of the FileFly system status, current activity, and recent task history. It may also be used to run Tasks on-demand using the Quick Run control.
The 'Notices' panel, displayed on the expandable graph bar, summarizes system issues that need to be addressed by the administrator. This panel will guide you through initial setup tasks such as license installation.
The circular 'Servers' display shows high-level health information for the servers/clusters in the FileFly deployment.

1.5.1 Storage Charts

'Primary' and 'Secondary' storage charts may be read together to gain insight into the impact of currently configured migration policies on primary and secondary storage consumption over time. Each bar indicates an amount of storage space consumed or released. Consumed storage is indicated by a positive bar, while released storage is shown in the negative. Stacked bars indicate the contributions of the different operations by color.
A Migration Policy consumes secondary storage in order to release primary storage.
Demigration consumes primary storage immediately, but defers release until later. Either the primary storage is released by a Quick-Remigrate, or the associated secondary storage is released by a Scrub.
In a complex environment, these charts provide insight into patterns of user-behavior and policy activity.
Click on a bar to zoom in to an hourly breakdown for the chosen day.

1.5.2 Other Charts

The 'Processed' line chart graphs both the rate of operations successfully performed and data processed over time. Data transfer and bytes Quick-Remigrated (i.e. without any transfer required) are shown separately.
The 'Operations' breakdown chart shows successful activity by operation type across the whole system over time. Additionally, per-server operations charts are available using the 'Servers' page – see §1.4.1.
The 'Operations' radar chart shows a visual representation of the relative operation profile across your deployment. Two figures are drawn, one for each of the two preceding 7-day periods. This allows behavioral change from week to week to be seen at a glance.

1.5.3 Task Control & History

Per-file operation details (including any error messages) may be viewed by clicking a Task's log icon. It is also possible to start and stop Tasks, update task configuration, or request a completion notification for a task that is already in progress.

2 Deployment

Refer to these instructions during initial deployment and when adding new components. For upgrade instructions, please refer to §3.7 instead.
For further information about each supported storage platform, refer to Chapter 5.

2.1 Installing FileFly Tools

The DataCore FileFly Tools package consists of the FileFly Admin Portal and the FileFly DrTool application (not licensed for Community Edition users). FileFly Tools must be installed before any other components.

2.1.0.1 System Requirements

• A dedicated server with a supported operating system:

  • Windows Server 2019

  • Windows Server 2016

  • Windows Server 2012 R2

  • Windows Server 2012

• Minimum 4GB RAM

• Minimum 2GB disk space for log files

• Active clock synchronization (e.g. using NTP)

2.1.0.2 Setup

1. Run DataCore FileFly Tools.exe

2. Follow the instructions on screen

After completing the installation process, FileFly Tools must be configured using the Admin Portal web interface. The FileFly Admin Portal will be opened automatically and can be found later using the Start Menu.
The web interface will lead you through the process of initial configuration: refer to the 'Notices' panel on the 'Dashboard' to verify all steps are completed.

2.2 Installing FileFly Agents

Each FileFly Agent server may fulfill one of two roles, selected at installation time.
In the 'FileFly Agent for migration' role, an agent assists the operating system to migrate and demigrate files. It is essential for the agent to be installed on all machines from which files will be migrated.
In the 'FileFly Gateway agent' role, an agent provides access to external devices and storage services. While it does allow access to local disk and mounted SAN volumes, it does not provide local migration source support. Storage plugins will normally be deployed on Gateways.

2.2.1 High-Availability Gateway Configuration

A high-availability gateway configuration is recommended. Such FileFly Gateways must be activated as 'High-Availability FileFly Gateways'.

2.2.1.1 High-Availability Gateway DNS Setup

At least two FileFly Gateways are required for High-Availability.

1. Add each FileFly Gateway server to DNS

2. Create an FQDN that resolves to all of the IP addresses

3. Use this FQDN when activating the HA Servers

4. Use this FQDN (or a CNAME alias to it) in FileFly Destination URIs

Example:

• gw-1.example.com → 192.168.0.1

• gw-2.example.com → 192.168.0.2

• gw.example.com → 192.168.0.1, 192.168.0.2

Note: The servers that form the High-Availability Gateway cluster must NOT be members of a Windows failover cluster.

2.2.2 DataCore FileFly Agent for Windows Servers

2.2.2.1 System Requirements

• Supported Windows Server operating system:

  • Windows Server 2019

  • Windows Server 2016

  • Windows Server 2012 R2

  • Windows Server 2012

• Minimum 4GB RAM

• Minimum 2GB disk space for log files

• Active clock synchronization (e.g. using NTP)

Note: When installed in the Gateway role, a dedicated server is required, unless it is to be co-located on the FileFly Tools server. When co-locating, create separate DNS aliases to refer to the Gateway and the FileFly Admin Portal web interface.

2.2.2.2 Setup

1. Run the DataCore FileFly Agent.exe

2. Follow the instructions to activate the agent using FileFly Admin Portal

2.2.3 DataCore FileFly FPolicy Server for NetApp Filers

A DataCore FileFly FPolicy Server provides migration support for one or more NetApp Filers through the FPolicy protocol. This component is the equivalent of DataCore FileFly Agent for NetApp Filers. Typically FileFly FPolicy Servers are installed in a high-availability configuration.

2.2.3.1 System Requirements

• A dedicated server with a supported operating system:

  • Windows Server 2019

  • Windows Server 2016

  • Windows Server 2012 R2

  • Windows Server 2012

• Minimum 4GB RAM

• Minimum 2GB disk space for log files

• Active clock synchronization (e.g. using NTP)

2.2.3.2 Setup

Installation of the FileFly FPolicy Server software requires careful preparation of the NetApp Filer and the FileFly FPolicy Server machines. Instructions are provided in §5.3.

2.2.4 DataCore FileFly LinkConnect Server

A DataCore FileFly LinkConnect Server provides link-based migration support for one or more Dell EMC OneFS or Windows SMB shares. This component performs a similar role to DataCore FileFly Agent without the need for software to be installed directly on the NAS or file server.

2.2.4.1 System Requirements

• A dedicated server with a supported operating system:

  • Windows Server 2019

  • Windows Server 2016

• Minimum 2GB disk space for log files (on the system volume)

• Minimum 1TB disk space for LinkConnect Cache (as a single NTFS volume)

• RAM: 8GB base, plus:

  • 4GB per TB of LinkConnect Cache

  • 0.5GB per billion link-migrated files

• Active clock synchronization (e.g. using NTP)

2.2.4.2 Setup

Installation of the FileFly LinkConnect Server software requires careful configuration of both the NAS / file server and the FileFly LinkConnect Server machines. Instructions are provided in §5.4 for OneFS and §5.2 for Windows file servers. Other devices are not supported.

2.3 LinkConnect Client Deployment

2.3.0.1 Installation

Having deployed one or more LinkConnect Servers, all Windows clients that will need to access link-migrated files will require the LinkConnect Client Driver to be installed as follows:

1. Verify the client machine is joined to the Active Directory domain

2. Run DataCore FileFly LinkConnect Client Driver.exe

3. Follow the prompts

Alternatively, to ease deployment, the installer may be run in silent mode by specifying /S on the command line. Note that when upgrading the driver silently, the updated driver will not be loaded until the next reboot.
Important: Client Driver versions newer than the installed FileFly LinkConnect Server version should not be deployed.

2.3.0.2 Deployment Considerations

Access to NAS / file server shares containing files that have been link-migrated must use the domain credentials of the logged-in Windows desktop session. When a user accesses a link-migrated file, the client driver will transparently redirect the access to the FileFly LinkConnect Server if required. This redirected access will use the same logged-in Windows desktop session credentials.
Installation of the client driver will enable remote symlink evaluation in Windows. If remote symlink evaluation was disabled prior to client driver installation (this is the default behavior in Windows 10), the driver will continue to prevent remote symlink access for other symlinks. Do not disable remote symlink evaluation (e.g. by group policy) after installation since performing this causes the client driver to stop functioning.

3 Usage

3.1 DNS Best Practice

Storage locations in DataCore FileFly are referred to by URI. Relationships between files must be maintained over a long period of time. Verify the FQDNs used in these URIs are valid long-term, even as individual server roles are changed or consolidated.
In a production deployment, always use Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) in preference to bare IP addresses.
It is recommended to create DNS aliases for each logical storage role for each server. For example, use different DNS aliases when storing your finance department's data as opposed to your engineering department's data – even if they initially reside on the same server.

3.2 Getting Started

3.2.1 Analyzing Volumes

Once the software has been installed, the first step in any new FileFly deployment is to analyze the characteristics of the primary storage volumes. The following steps describe how to generate file statistics reports for each volume.
In the FileFly Admin Portal web interface:

1. Create Sources for each volume to analyze

2. Create a 'Gather Statistics' Policy and select all defined Sources

3. Create a Task for the 'Gather Statistics' Policy

   • For now, disable the schedule

4. On the 'Dashboard', click the quick run icon

5. Run the Task

6. When the Task has finished, view the report(s) on the 'Reports' page3.2.2 Migrating Files

Using the information from the reports, create a rule to select files for migration. A typical rule might limit migrations to files modified more than six months ago. The reports' long-term trend charts indicate the amount of data migrated by a 'modified more than n months ago' rule – adjust the age cutoff as necessary to suit your filesystems.
To avoid unnecessary migration of active files, be conservative with your first Migration Rule – it can be updated to migrate more recently modified files on subsequent runs.
Once the Rule has been created:

1. Create a Destination to store your migrated data

   • see Chapter 5 for platform-specific instructions

2. Create a Migration Policy and add the Source(s), Rule, and Destination

3. Use the 'Simulate rule matching…' button to explore the effect of your rule

4. Create a Task for the new Policy

5. Run the task

When the task is completed, check the corresponding 'Recent Tasks' entries on the 'Dashboard'. Click on the log icon to review any errors in detail.
Migration is typically performed periodically: configure a schedule on the Migration Task.

3.2.3 Next Steps

Chapter 4 describes all FileFly Policy Operations in detail and helps to get the most out of FileFly.
The remainder of this chapter gives guidance on using FileFly in a production environment.

3.3 Configuration Backup

This section describes how to backup DataCore FileFly configuration (for primary and secondary storage backup considerations, see §3.4).

3.3.1 FileFly Tools

Backing up the DataCore FileFly Tools configuration preserves policy configuration and server registrations as well as per-server settings and storage plugin configuration.

3.3.1.1 Backup Process

Configuration backup can be scheduled on the Admin Portal's 'Settings' page. A default schedule is created at installation time to backup configuration once a week.
Configuration backup files include:

• Policy configuration

• Server registrations

• Per-Server settings, including plugin configuration, keys, etc.

  • Note: FileFly FPolicy Server configuration is not included – see §3.3.2.1

• Recovery files

• Settings from the Admin Portal 'Settings' page

• Settings specified when FileFly Tools was installed

It is strongly recommended that these backup files are retrieved and stored securely as part of your overall backup plan. These backup files can be found at:
C:\Program Files\DataCore FileFly\data\AdminPortal\configBackups
Additionally, log files may be backed up from:

• C:\Program Files\DataCore FileFly\logs\AdminPortal\

• C:\Program Files\DataCore FileFly\logs\DrTool\

3.3.1.2 Restore Process

1. Verify the server to be restored and has the same FQDN as the original server

2. If present, uninstall DataCore FileFly Tools

3. Run the installer: DataCore FileFly Tools.exe

   • use the same version that was used to generate the backup file

4. On the 'Installation Type' page, select 'Restore from Backup'

5. Choose the backup zip file and follow the instructions

6. Optionally, log files may be restored from server backups to:

   • C:\Program Files\DataCore FileFly\logs\AdminPortal\

   • C:\Program Files\DataCore FileFly\logs\DrTool\

3.3.2 Per-Server Configuration

Backing up the configuration on each server will allow for easier redeployment of agents in the event of a disaster.

3.3.2.1 Windows Backup Process

On each Windows Server backup the entire installation directory.
e.g. C:\Program Files\DataCore FileFly\

3.3.2.2 Windows Restore Process

On each replacement server:

1. Reinstall with the same version of the installer

2. Stop the 'DataCore FileFly Agent' service

3. Restore the contents of the following directories from the backup:

   • C:\Program Files\DataCore FileFly\data\FileFly Agent\

   • C:\Program Files\DataCore FileFly\logs\FileFly Agent\

4. Restart the 'DataCore FileFly Agent' service

3.4 Storage Backup

Each stub on primary storage is linked to a corresponding MWI file on secondary storage. During the normal process of migration and demigration, the relationship between the stub and MWI file is maintained.
The recommendations below guarantee the consistency of this relationship is maintained even after files are restored from the backup.

3.4.1 Backup Planning

Verify the restoration of stubs is included as part of the backup & restore test regimen.
When using Scrub policies, verify the Scrub grace period is sufficient to cover the time from when a backup is taken to when the restore and Post-Restore Revalidate steps are completed (see §3.4.2).
It is strongly recommended to set the global minimum grace period accordingly to guard against the accidental creation of scrub policies with insufficient grace. This setting may be configured on that FileFly Admin Portal 'Settings' page.
Important: It is NOT possible to safely restore stubs or MigLinks from a backup set taken more than one grace period ago.

3.4.1.1 Additional Planning

To complement standard backup and recovery solutions, and to allow the widest range of recovery options, it is recommended to schedule a 'Create Recovery File From Source' Policy to run after each migration.

3.4.2 Restore Process

1. Suspend the scheduler in FileFly Admin Portal

2. Restore the primary volume

3. Run a 'Post-Restore Revalidate' policy against the primary volume

   • To verify all stubs are revalidated, run this policy against the entire primary volume, NOT against the migration source

   • This policy is not required when only WORM destinations are in use

4. Restart the scheduler in FileFly Admin Portal

If restoring the primary volume to a different server (a server with a different FQDN), the following preparatory steps are required:

1. On the 'Servers' page, retire the old server (unless still in use for other volumes)

2. Install FileFly Agent on the new server

3. Update Sources as required to refer to the FQDN of the new server

4. Perform the restore process as above

3.4.3 Platform-specific Considerations

3.4.3.1 Windows

Most enterprise Windows backup software respect FileFly stubs and back them up correctly without causing any unwanted demigrations. For some backup software, it may be necessary to refer to the software documentation for options regarding Offline files.
When testing backup software configuration, test that backup of stubs does not cause unwanted demigration.
Additional backup testing may be required if Stub Deletion Monitoring is required. Please refer to Appendix E for more details.

3.4.3.2 NetApp Filers

Please consult §5.3.5 for information regarding snapshot restore on NetApp Filers.

3.5 Production Readiness Checklist

3.5.0.1 Backup

1. Check your FileFly configuration is adequately backed up – see §3.3

2. Review the storage backup and restore procedures described in §3.4

3. Check backup software can backup stubs without triggering demigration

4. Check backup software restores stubs and that they can be demigrated

5. Schedule regular 'Create Recovery File From Source' Policies on your migration sources – see §4.10

3.5.0.2 Antivirus

Generally, antivirus software does not cause demigrations during normal file access. Some antivirus software demigrates files when performing scheduled file system scans.
Prior to production deployment, always check that installed antivirus software does not cause unwanted demigrations. Some software must be configured to skip offline files in order to avoid these inappropriate demigrations. Consult the antivirus software documentation for further details.
If the antivirus software does not provide an option to skip offline files during a scan, DataCore FileFly Agent may be configured to deny demigration rights to the antivirus software. Refer to Appendix E for more information.
It may be necessary for some antivirus products to exempt the DataCore FileFly Agent process from real-time protection (scan-on-access). If the exclusion configuration requires the path of the executable to be specified, be sure to update the exclusion whenever FileFly is upgraded (since the path changes on upgrade).

3.5.0.3 Other System-wide Applications

Check for other applications that open all the files on the whole volume. Audit scheduled processes on file servers – if such processes cause unwanted demigration, it may be possible to block them (see Appendix E).

3.5.0.4 Monitoring and Notification

To facilitate proactive monitoring, it is recommended to:

1. Configure email notifications to monitor system health and Task activity

2. Enable syslog – see Appendix E

3.5.0.5 Platform Considerations

For further information on platform-specific interoperability considerations, please refer to the appropriate sections of Chapter 5.

3.6 Policy Tuning

Periodically re-assess file distribution and access behavior:

1. Run 'Gather Statistics' Policies

   • Examine reports

2. Examine Server statistics – see §1.4.1