Managing Stores

Managing Stores

A store is the logical name for the physical location of the vDisk folder. This folder can exist on a local server or on shared storage. When vDisks files are created in the Console, they are assigned to a store. Within a site, one or more Provisioning Servers are given permission to access that store in order to serve vDisks to target devices.

A Provisioning Server checks the database for the Store name and the physical location where the vDisk resides, in order to provide it to the target device

Separating the physical paths to a vDisks storage locations allows for greater flexibility within a farm configuration, particularly when using HA. When HA is implemented, if the active Provisioning Server in a site fails, the target device can get its vDisk from another Provisioning Server that has access to the store and permissions to serve the vDisk.

If necessary, copies of vDisks can be maintained on a secondary shared-storage location in the event that connection to the primary shared-storage location is lost. In this case, the default path can be set in the store properties if all Provisioning Servers can use the same path to access the store. If a particular server cannot use the path (the default path is not valid for that server, not because of a connection loss, but because it is simply not valid) then an override path can be set in the store properties for that particular server. Provisioning Servers will always use either the default path (if the override path does not exist in the database) or the override path if it does exists in the database.

Store Administrative Privileges

Stores are defined and managed at the farm level by a farm administrator. Access or visibility to a store depends on the users administrative privileges:

• Farm Administrators have full access to all stores within the farm. • Site Administrators have access to only those stores owned by the site. • Device Administrators and Device Operators have read-only access. Site

Administrators may also have read-only access if that store exists at the farm level, or if that store belongs to another site.

Store Properties

Stores are created in the Store Properties dialog. This dialog allows you to: • Name and description of the store.

• Select the owner of the store (the site which will manage the store). • Provide a default path to the store (physical path to the vDisk). • Define default write cache paths for this store.

• Select the servers that can provide this store.

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After a store is created, Store information is saved in the Provisioning Services database. Each site has one vDisk Pool, which is a collection of vDisk

information required by Provisioning Servers that provide vDisks in that site. The vDisk information can be added to the vDisk pool using the vDisk Properties dialog or by scanning a store for new vDisks that have not yet been added to the database.

The Store Properties dialog includes the following tabs: • “General Tab: Store Properties”

• “Paths Tab: Store Properties”

• “Servers Tab: Store Properties”

General Tab: Store Properties

The table that follows, lists and describes information that displays in this tab.

Paths Tab: Store Properties

The table that follows, lists and describes information that displays in this tab. Field/Button Description

Enter the store name View, type the logical name for this store. For example, PVS-1 Enter the store

description View or type a description of this store.

Security Optional. View or scroll to select the site that will act as owner of this store. This feature allows a farm administrator to give one site’s administrators, special permission to manage the store. These rights are normally reserved for farm administrators.

Field/Button Description Enter the default store

path View or type the UNC path to the vDisk folder that this store represents. Note: Windows service may not have access to a mapped drive, requiring the use of a UNC path.

The default path is used by all Provisioning Servers that do not have an override store path set. The Browse button is not active until at least one Provisioning Server is selected on the Servers tab.

Enter the default write

cache paths View, add, edit, remove, or move the default write cache paths for this store. Entering more than one write cache path allows for vDisk load to be distributed to physically different drives. When a target device first connects, the Stream Service picks from the list. If using HA, the order of the write cache paths, for any override paths in the server store properties, must match the order of the write cache paths specified here.

Servers Tab: Store Properties

The table that follows, lists and describes information that displays in this tab.

Store Configuration and Management Tasks

The following lists tasks that are specific to configuring and managing a store. • “Creating a Store”

• “Creating a vDisk File” (references the Managing vDisks chapter) • “Adding Existing vDisks to a vDisk Pool or Store” (references the

Managing vDisks chapter) • “Accessing Audit Information”

Creating a Store

1. In the Console tree, right-click on Stores, then select the Create store

menu option. The “Store Properties” dialog appears.

2. On the General tab, type the store name (logical name for this storage location) and a description of this store.

3. To provide a site administrator with permission to manage this store, under Security, select the site within this farm that will act as the store owner. Otherwise, leave this blank so that only farm administrators can manage this store.

Field/Button Description

Select a site from the listView or scroll to select the site where Provisioning Servers that can access this store exist (multiple sites can access the same store).

Check the servers that

will provide this store All Provisioning Servers within the selected site display in this list. Check the box next to all servers that are permitted to access this store. If the store is only for a specific site, only those servers within that site are valid selections.

If the default path is not valid for a selected Provisioning Server, you must define an override path in that server’s properties dialog, on the Store tab.

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4. On the Paths dialog, type or browse for the default path for this store (physical location of the vDisk folder). If the user is a site administrator, only those sites that they administer will be available in the list.

5. The write cache path(s) for the selected store display under the paths list. Optionally, click Add to add additional write-cache paths to use for this store. Entering more than one write cache paths allows for vDisk load to be distributed to physically different drives. When a target device first connects, the Stream Service picks from the list. If using HA, the order of the write-cache paths for any override paths in store properties for that server, must match the order of the write-cache paths specified here. 6. Click the Servers tab. Select a site from the list. All Provisioning Servers in

that site appear. Check the box next to each Provisioning Server that will access this store. Repeat this step for each site if necessary. (If this procedure is performed by a site administrator, only those sites that they administer appear.)

7. Click OK to save Property settings.

Note The Browse button is not active until at least one Provisioning Server is selected on the Servers tab.