Targets

Ngenea provides the capability to off-site data, import data, or send data between pixstor sites. The destination for the data is known as a target.

Ngenea targets provide the association between the pixstor file system and the target.

Typically a target is mapped to the location of a Space on the pixstor file system.

../_images/ngenea_targets_button.png

Click the targets button to navigate to the Targets screen

Viewing Targets

Clicking the Targets button in the main menu bar displays the list of Ngenea targets:

|brand_backend_name| Targets Page

Filtering Targets

../_images/ngenea_targets_filter_bar.png

To filter the list of Ngenea targets, type the target or part of a target name in the filter bar.

Target Wizard

Adding a Target

Important

This function can only be performed by a Hub Administrator.

../_images/add_ngenea_target_button.png

Click the Add Ngenea target button to start the Ngenea Target Wizard

Type & reference

Ngenea supports the following storage target types:

Storage Target Type

Description

S3

AWS S3 and S3 compatible targets

Microsoft Azure

Azure Blob Storage

SpectraLogic BlackPearl

Spectralogic DS3 targets

Google Object Storage

Google Cloud Storage

POSIX file system mount

Locally mounted targets, such as NFS

Select the required target type from the drop down menu.

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard Type Reference

Enter a 'friendly name' for the Ngenea target reference.

E.G.:

  • myproject (such as 'deepspace')

  • mydepartment (such as 'graphics')

  • a descriptive phrase (such as 'referencematerial')

Select the sites to create the target on.

Depending on the Storage target type selected, a Type-specific configuration page will be shown after selecting Next.

Type-specific config AWS S3 or compatible

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard S3 Target Type

Enter the settings as required, which must match those set in the S3 object storage provider:

Setting

Description

Bucket

The name of the storage bucket as specified at the object storage service.

Access key ID

The unique access key for the AWS user account performing data transfers. This will be stored encrypted.

Secret access key

The unique security key for the AWS user account performing data transfers. This will be stored encrypted.

Region

The AWS (or S3 compliant provider) region hosting the S3 Cloud Storage

Storage server address

Not used for Amazon S3 Cloud Storage. For services which reside at specific IPs, such as AWS Snowball, MinIO or LocalStack, specific the host or IP address to connect to.

Storage server port

The TCP/IP port used to communicate

Scheme

HTTP or HTTPS transfer. HTTPS is recommended. Data integrity cannot be guaranteed over HTTP transfer schemes.

Verify SSL

Whether to verify the SSL connection of the target. Disabling the SSL verification allows connections to storage targets which do not provide valid SSL certificates. Connecting to invalid SSL certificates is insecure.

Type-specific config Microsoft Azure

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard Azure Target Type

Enter the settings as required, which must match those set in the Azure object storage provider:

Setting

Description

Access key ID

The unique access key for the Azure user account performing data transfers. This will be stored encrypted.

Scheme

HTTP or HTTPS transfer. HTTPS is recommended. Data integrity cannot be guaranteed over HTTP transfer schemes.

Container

The storage container for the blob data.

Storage account.

The Azure namespace containing the Container

Type-specific config Spectra Logic BlackPearl

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard BlackPearl Target Type

Enter the settings as required, which must match those set in the BlackPearl DS3 object storage provider:

Setting

Description

Bucket

The name of the storage bucket as specified at the object storage service.

Access key ID

The unique access key for the BlackPearl user account performing data transfers. This will be stored encrypted.

Secret access key

The unique security key for the BlackPearl user account performing data transfers. This will be stored encrypted.

Storage server address

The FQDN hostname of the BlackPearl.

Type-specific config Google Object Storage

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard Google Cloud Storage Target Type

Enter the settings as required, which must match those set in the Google Cloud Storage object storage provider:

Setting

Description

Bucket

The name of the storage bucket as specified at the object storage service.

Google authentication JSON

Enter the contents of the JSON key for the user or service account granted permission to transfer data to Cloud Storage bucket. This will be stored encrypted. For more information refer to Google documentation

Important

If the Ngenea Target is to be used as a backup only target, do not define JSON information in the Google Authentication JSON. Instead define keyword CredentialsFile with the path to the file containing JSON credentials on pixstor. For more information refer to Backup-Only Targets.

Type-specific config Filesystem Mount

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard File System Target Type

Enter the settings as required, which must match the location of the NAS mount point on the pixstor:

Important

Target mounts points are site-specific however Hub will create the target across all selected sites.

Setting

Description

Target mount point

The location of the POSIX compliant mounted storage. E.G. If the external POSIX storage is mounted on /mmfs1/myexternalnas enter /mmfs1/myexternalnas

Migration

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard migration settings

Configure the migration settings as required to handle data migration accordingly:

Setting

Description

File match

Refer to the RegEx Filters example table below

Delete on recall

Determines whether to delete the recalled data from the external storage target after the data has been successfully recalled.

Backup-only target

Determines whether the target will be used to hold backup, not live data. Required to backup a Space. Refer to Backup Only |brand_backend_name| Targets

Example regex filters where a space named myspace is present on the pixstor filesystem at location /mmfs1/data/myspace:

RegEx Filter Examples

Outcome

/mmfs1/data/myspace/(.*)

Data with the myspace folder is eligible for Ngenea operations. Dehydrated files within the myspace folder are present at the root of the storage target.

/mmfs1/data/(myspace/.*)

The myspace directory and data within is eligible for Ngenea operations. The myspace folder is present at the root of the storage target.

/mmfs1/data/myspace/subdirectory/(.*)

Data with the subdirectory of the myspace directory is eligible for Ngenea operations. Dehydrated files within the subdirectory of the myspace directory are present at the root of the storage target. The myspace directory is not present. Data immediately within the myspace directory (other than that within the subdirectory) is not eligible for Ngenea operations.

/mmfs1/data/myspace/(subdirectory/.*)

The subdirectory of the myspace directory and data within is eligible for Ngenea operations. The subdirectory of the myspace directory is present at the root of the storage target. The myspace directory is not present. Data immediately within the myspace directory (other than that within the subdirectory) is not eligible for Ngenea operations.

Advanced configuration

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard Advanced Configuration

To add configuration settings to a target to control specific behaviour during Ngenea data operations.

../_images/ngenea_target_wizard_add_new_key_button.png

Click the Add new key to define a new configuration setting

../_images/ngenea_target_advanced_keyword_edit.png

Enter the name of the configuration setting in the Keyword field

../_images/ngenea_target_advanced_key_type_dropdown.png

Select the type of configuration setting from the drop down menu. Choose or enter the value for the configuration setting.

Example of added Advanced configuration settings:

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard Advanced Configuration Completed Example

Summary

Upon completing the wizard steps a summary is presented:

|brand_backend_name| Target Wizard Summary
../_images/wizard_finish_create_button.png

Click the Finish & Create button to apply the changes displayed on the wizard summary page.

Alternatively Go back and change the proposed configuration as required or close the wizard to cancel the creation of the Ngenea target.

Editing a Target

Important

This function can only be performed by a Hub Administrator.

Clicking the Targets button in the main menu bar displays the list of Ngenea targets:

|brand_backend_name| Targets Page
../_images/ngenea_target_edit_button.png

Click the edit icon on the required Ngenea target row to edit the Ngenea target

  • Modify the Ngenea target settings as required. Refer to Adding a Target for settings guidance.

|brand_backend_name| Targets Edit Dialog

Deleting a Target

Important

This function can only be performed by a Hub Administrator.

Clicking the Targets button in the main menu bar displays the list of Ngenea targets:

|brand_backend_name| Targets Page
../_images/ngenea_target_delete_button.png

Click the delete icon on the required Ngenea target row to delete the Ngenea target

A confirmation dialog is raised:

|brand_backend_name| Target Delete Confirmation Modal
  • Click Yes to delete the Ngenea target. This action is irreversable.

  • Alternately click no, or close the confirmation dialog.

Browse a Target

Important

This function can only be performed by a Hub Administrator.

Clicking the Targets button in the main menu bar displays the list of Ngenea targets:

|brand_backend_name| Targets Page
../_images/ngenea_target_browse_button.png

Click the browse icon on the Ngenea target row to browse the Ngenea target

For more information on browsing and importing from an Ngenea target, see Target Import