hpc-cache-add-storage.md

title	description	author	ms.service	ms.topic	ms.date	ms.author
Add storage to an Azure HPC Cache	How to define storage targets so that your Azure HPC Cache can use your on-premises NFS system or Azure Blob containers for long-term file storage	ekpgh	hpc-cache	how-to	09/30/2020	v-erkel

Add storage targets

Storage targets are back-end storage for files that are accessed through an Azure HPC Cache. You can add NFS storage (like an on-premises hardware system), or store data in Azure Blob.

You can define up to ten different storage targets for one cache. The cache presents all of the storage targets in one aggregated namespace.

The namespace paths are configured separately after you add the storage targets. In general, an NFS storage target can have up to ten namespace paths, or more for some large configurations. Read NFS namespace paths for details.

Remember that the storage exports must be accessible from your cache's virtual network. For on-premises hardware storage, you might need to set up a DNS server that can resolve hostnames for NFS storage access. Read more in DNS access.

Add storage targets after creating your cache. Follow this process:

1. Create the cache
2. Define a storage target (information in this article)
3. Create the client-facing paths (for the aggregated namespace)

The procedure to add a storage target is slightly different depending on whether you're adding Azure Blob storage or an NFS export. Details for each are below.

Click the image below to watch a video demonstration of creating a cache and adding a storage target from the Azure portal.

Add a new Azure Blob storage target

A new Blob storage target needs an empty Blob container or a container that is populated with data in the Azure HPC Cache cloud file system format. Read more about pre-loading a Blob container in Move data to Azure Blob storage.

The Azure portal Add storage target page includes the option to create a new Blob container just before you add it.

Portal

From the Azure portal, open your cache instance and click Storage targets on the left sidebar.

The Storage targets page lists all existing targets and gives a link to add a new one.

Click the Add storage target button.

To define an Azure Blob container, enter this information.

• Storage target name - Set a name that identifies this storage target in the Azure HPC Cache.

• Target type - Choose Blob.

• Storage account - Select the account that you want to use.

  You will need to authorize the cache instance to access the storage account as described in Add the access roles.

  For information about the kind of storage account you can use, read Blob storage requirements.

• Storage container - Select the Blob container for this target, or click Create new.

  

When finished, click OK to add the storage target.

Note

If your storage account firewall is set to restrict access to only "selected networks," use the temporary workaround documented in Work around Blob storage account firewall settings.

Add the access control roles to your account

Azure HPC Cache uses Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC) to authorize the cache service to access your storage account for Azure Blob storage targets.

The storage account owner must explicitly add the roles Storage Account Contributor and Storage Blob Data Contributor for the user "HPC Cache Resource Provider".

You can do this ahead of time, or by clicking a link on the page where you add a Blob storage target. Keep in mind that it can take up to five minutes for the role settings to propagate through the Azure environment, so you should wait a few minutes after adding the roles before creating a storage target.

Steps to add the Azure roles:

1. Open the Access control (IAM) page for the storage account. (The link in the Add storage target page automatically opens this page for the selected account.)

2. Click the + at the top of the page and choose Add a role assignment.

3. Select the role "Storage Account Contributor" from the list.

4. In the Assign access to field, leave the default value selected ("Azure AD user, group, or service principal").

5. In the Select field, search for "hpc". This string should match one service principal, named "HPC Cache Resource Provider". Click that principal to select it.

   [!NOTE] If a search for "hpc" doesn't work, try using the string "storagecache" instead. Users who participated in previews (before GA) might need to use the older name for the service principal.

6. Click the Save button at the bottom.

7. Repeat this process to assign the role "Storage Blob Data Contributor".

Azure CLI

[!INCLUDE cli-reminder.md]

Prerequisite: Storage account access

Before you add a blob storage target, check that the cache has the correct roles to access the storage account, and that firewall settings will allow the storage target creation.

Azure HPC Cache uses Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC) to authorize the cache service to access your storage account for Azure Blob storage targets.

The storage account owner must explicitly add the roles Storage Account Contributor and Storage Blob Data Contributor for the user "HPC Cache Resource Provider".

Storage target creation will fail if the cache doesn't have these roles.

It can take up to five minutes for the role settings to propagate through the Azure environment, so you should wait a few minutes after adding the roles before creating a storage target.

Read Add or remove Azure role assignments using Azure CLI for detailed instructions.

Also check your storage account's firewall settings. If the firewall is set to restrict access to only "selected networks," the storage target creation might fail. Use the workaround documented in Work around Blob storage account firewall settings.

Add a blob storage target with Azure CLI

Use the az hpc-cache blob-storage-target add interface to define an Azure Blob storage target.

Note

The Azure CLI commands currently require you to create a namespace path when you add a storage target. This is different from the process used with the Azure portal interface.

In addition to the standard resource group and cache name parameters, you must provide these options for the storage target:

• --name - Set a name that identifies this storage target in the Azure HPC Cache.

• --storage-account - The account identifier, in this form: /subscriptions/<subscription_id>/resourceGroups/<storage_resource_group>/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/<account_name>

  For information about the kind of storage account you can use, read Blob storage requirements.

• --container-name - Specify the name of the container to use for this storage target.

• --virtual-namespace-path - Set the client-facing file path for this storage target. Enclose paths in quotation marks. Read Plan the aggregated namespace to learn more about the virtual namespace feature.

Example command:

az hpc-cache blob-storage-target add --resource-group "hpc-cache-group" \
    --cache-name "cache1" --name "blob-target1" \
    --storage-account "/subscriptions/<subscriptionID>/resourceGroups/myrgname/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/myaccountname" \
    --container-name "container1" --virtual-namespace-path "/blob1"

---

Add a new NFS storage target

An NFS storage target has different settings from a Blob storage target. The usage model setting helps the cache to efficiently cache data from this storage system.

Note

Before you create an NFS storage target, make sure your storage system is accessible from the Azure HPC Cache and meets permission requirements. Storage target creation will fail if the cache can't access the storage system. Read NFS storage requirements and Troubleshoot NAS configuration and NFS storage target issues for details.

Choose a usage model

When you create a storage target that points to an NFS storage system, you need to choose the usage model for that target. This model determines how your data is cached.

There are three options:

• Read heavy, infrequent writes - Use this option if you want to speed up read access to files that are static or rarely changed.

  This option caches files that clients read, but passes writes through to the back-end storage immediately. Files stored in the cache are never compared to the files on the NFS storage volume.

  Do not use this option if there is a risk that a file might be modified directly on the storage system without first writing it to the cache. If that happens, the cached version of the file will never be updated with changes from the back end, and the data set can become inconsistent.

• Greater than 15% writes - This option speeds up both read and write performance. When using this option, all clients must access files through the Azure HPC Cache instead of mounting the back-end storage directly. The cached files will have recent changes that are not stored on the back end.

  In this usage model, files in the cache are not checked against the files on back-end storage. The cached version of the file is assumed to be more current. A modified file in the cache is written to the back-end storage system after it has been in the cache for an hour with no additional changes.

• Clients write to the NFS target, bypassing the cache - Choose this option if any clients in your workflow write data directly to the storage system without first writing to the cache. Files that clients request are cached, but any changes to those files from the client are passed back to the back-end storage system immediately.

  With this usage model, the files in the cache are frequently checked against the back-end versions for updates. This verification allows files to be changed outside of the cache while maintaining data consistency.

This table summarizes the usage model differences:

Usage model	Caching mode	Back-end verification	Maximum write-back delay
Read heavy, infrequent writes	Read	Never	None
Greater than 15% writes	Read/write	Never	1 hour
Clients bypass the cache	Read	30 seconds	None

Create an NFS storage target

Portal

From the Azure portal, open your cache instance and click Storage targets on the left sidebar.

The Storage targets page lists all existing targets and gives a link to add a new one.

Click the Add storage target button.

Provide this information for an NFS-backed storage target:

• Storage target name - Set a name that identifies this storage target in the Azure HPC Cache.

• Target type - Choose NFS.

• Hostname - Enter the IP address or fully qualified domain name for your NFS storage system. (Use a domain name only if your cache has access to a DNS server that can resolve the name.)

• Usage model - Choose one of the data caching profiles based on your workflow, described in Choose a usage model above.

When finished, click OK to add the storage target.

Azure CLI

[!INCLUDE cli-reminder.md]

Use the Azure CLI command az hpc-cache nfs-storage-target add to create the storage target.

Note

The Azure CLI commands currently require you to create a namespace path when you add a storage target. This is different from the process used with the Azure portal interface.

Supply these values in addition to the cache name and cache resource group:

• --name - Set a name that identifies this storage target in the Azure HPC Cache.

• --nfs3-target - The IP address of your NFS storage system. (You can use a fully qualified domain name here if your cache has access to a DNS server that can resolve the name.)

• --nfs3-usage-model - One of the data caching profiles, described in Choose a usage model, above.

  Verify the names of the usage models with the command az hpc-cache usage-model list.

• --junction - The junction parameter links the client-facing virtual file path with an export path on the storage system.

  An NFS storage target can have multiple virtual paths, as long as each path represents a different export or subdirectory on the same storage system. Create all of the paths for one storage system on one storage target.

  You can add and edit namespace paths on a storage target at any time.

  The --junction parameter uses these values:

  • namespace-path - The client-facing virtual file path
  • nfs-export - The storage system export to associate with the client-facing path
  • target-path (optional) - A subdirectory of the export, if needed

  Example: --junction namespace-path="/nas-1" nfs-export="/datadisk1" target-path="/test"

  Read Configure aggregated namespace to learn more about the virtual namespace feature.

Example command:

az hpc-cache nfs-storage-target add --resource-group "hpc-cache-group" --cache-name "doc-cache0629" \
    --name nfsd1 --nfs3-target 10.0.0.4 --nfs3-usage-model WRITE_WORKLOAD_15 \
    --junction namespace-path="/nfs1/data1" nfs-export="/datadisk1" target-path=""

Output:

{- Finished ..
  "clfs": null,
  "id": "/subscriptions/<subscriptionID>/resourceGroups/hpc-cache-group/providers/Microsoft.StorageCache/caches/doc-cache0629/storageTargets/nfsd1",
  "junctions": [
    {
      "namespacePath": "/nfs1/data1",
      "nfsExport": "/datadisk1",
      "targetPath": ""
    }
  ],
  "location": "eastus",
  "name": "nfsd1",
  "nfs3": {
    "target": "10.0.0.4",
    "usageModel": "WRITE_WORKLOAD_15"
  },
  "provisioningState": "Succeeded",
  "resourceGroup": "hpc-cache-group",
  "targetType": "nfs3",
  "type": "Microsoft.StorageCache/caches/storageTargets",
  "unknown": null
}

---

View storage targets

You can use the Azure portal or the Azure CLI to show the storage targets already defined for your cache.

Portal

From the Azure portal, open your cache instance and click Storage targets, which is under the Settings heading on the left sidebar. The storage targets page lists all existing targets and controls for adding or deleting them.

Click on a storage target's name to open its details page.

Read Edit storage targets to learn more.

Azure CLI

[!INCLUDE cli-reminder.md]

Use the az hpc-cache storage-target list option to show the existing storage targets for a cache. Supply the cache name and the resource group (unless you have set it globally).

az hpc-cache storage-target list --resource-group "scgroup" --cache-name "sc1"

Use az hpc-cache storage-target show to see details about a particular storage target. (Specify the storage target by name.)

Example:

$ az hpc-cache storage-target show --cache-name doc-cache0629 --name nfsd1

{
  "clfs": null,
  "id": "/subscriptions/<subscription_ID>/resourceGroups/scgroup/providers/Microsoft.StorageCache/caches/doc-cache0629/storageTargets/nfsd1",
  "junctions": [
    {
      "namespacePath": "/nfs1/data1",
      "nfsExport": "/datadisk1",
      "targetPath": ""
    }
  ],
  "location": "eastus",
  "name": "nfsd1",
  "nfs3": {
    "target": "10.0.0.4",
    "usageModel": "WRITE_WORKLOAD_15"
  },
  "provisioningState": "Succeeded",
  "resourceGroup": "scgroup",
  "targetType": "nfs3",
  "type": "Microsoft.StorageCache/caches/storageTargets",
  "unknown": null
}
$

---

Next steps

After creating storage targets, continue with these tasks to get your cache ready to use:

• Set up the aggregated namespace
• Mount the Azure HPC Cache
• Move data to Azure Blob storage

If you need to update any settings, you can edit a storage target.