3.1. Block Storage (Provisioned I/O Performance)

3.1.1. Overview

3.1.1.1. Overview

This menu provides provisioned I/O performance block storage connectible via Logical Network with iSCSI protocol.

  • By applying the storage IO control, a high-IOPS performance (2 IOPS / GB, 4IOPS / GB) is provided.

  • Capacities of 100GB to 12,000GB per volume are provided.

  • Volume is applicable to Availability Zone (Zone / Group) securing physical redundancy.

  • Virtual storage, the logically conceptual archetype, enables Customers to add volumes to Logical Network without minding physical configurations and physical capacities.

  • Customers can obtain a snapshot per volume and restore it.

  • Customers can subscribe/terminate this menu via Customer Portal / API.


Depending on the purpose of use like in the following examples, the baremetal server can be used from the virtual server.

  • External storage for database

  • External storage for the countermeasures of data missing by fatal server failure

  • External storage for hypervisor to store data

  • External storage for data analysis, such as data mining, OLTP, etc.



3.1.1.2. Features

Provisioned I/O Performance

  • Customers can stably enjoy the storage I/O performance without being affected by load factors of other Customers or other volumes.

  • NTT Com has already configured the storage I/O performance in advance not to be affected by other load factors.

  • Following access pattern is the storage I/O performance. However, the actual I/O performance may be different depending on Custsomers’ conditions of use or the status of server/network.

    • Access Pattern: Block is 16KB, Random Access is 100%, Read is 80%.

Simplified Menu

  • Changing the capacity of volume is not offered in this menu; however, NTT Com provides the easy operation and pricing system by focusing on the operation to create/delete volume only.

3.1.2. Available Functions

  • Customers can subscribe this menu via Customer Portal / API.

  • Customers can use for one logical network, one virtual storage connected. In addition, you can create and use one or more of the volume for one of the virtual storage.

  • Customers need to create a volume after creating virtual storage.

  • This menu will be connected to two types of Logical Network: Data Plane and Storage Plane. Customers can have the use case that Data Plane is for connecting external network, and Storage Plane is for focusing on server-to-storage transmission.

  • Customers can refer to the Service Description of Logical Network as for the MTU values for Data Plane and and Storage Plane.

Image_iSCSI_4IOPS

3.1.2.1. List of Functions

Storage (Provisioned Block and I/O Performance) is an external storage menu provided with Enterprise Cloud2.0 menu. There are mainly four functions provided in this menu.

Function

Details

Virtual Storage Management

Customers can create 1 virtual storage per 1 logical network.
Furthermore, Customers can delete Virtual Storage they created, and modify the settings.

Volume Management

Customers can create multiple volumes for one Virtual Storage.
Furthermore, Customers can delete volume they created, and modify the settings.

Snapshot Management Function

Customers can obtain a snapshot per volume.
-Suppose a volume capacity is 1, Customers can obtain snapshots of the volume via Customer Portal/API with maximum snapshot capacity of 0.3.
-If 95% of the maximum snapshot capacity is exceeded, snapshots will be deleted automatically in the oder of oldness until 95% is reached. Snapshots deleted automatically are displayed on the snapshot list as automatically deleted.

From the detailed information of an existing volume, Customers can check the total capacity (in percent) used by the snapshots obtained under the volume.
API

NTT Com provides API so that Customer can perform self-management of this menu.


3.1.2.2. Description of Functions

Virtual Storage Management

Function

 

Function

Details

Create Virtual Storage

Create Virtual Storage

New/Add

Customers can create 1 virtual storage per 1 logical network.

 

Name

Name

Customers can arbitrarily grant a name to the virtual storage.
(1 to 255 characters. Alphabet, number, hyphen and underscore are available. Space character is not permitted. First character must be the alphabet.)
The name should be unigue within the Tenant.
 

Description

Details

Customers can input and save the description of their Virtual Storage.
(Customers can input up to 255 alphanumeric characters(*1))
 

Volume Type

Volume Type

Customers can select the volume type. (It looks like in the future a variety of volume type will be chosen)

 

Network Settings

Logical Network/Subnet

Customers can assign Virtual Storage to the Logical Network ID and Subnet on Logical Network.
Please set the routing configuration of the virtual storage as Host Routes.
 

IP Address Pool

IP Address Pool

Customers can specify IP address pool for Virtual Storage.
It is to be noted that the range of IP addresses will be up to 30 in the CIDR range of the subnet.
 

Static Route

Setting additional route

Customers can specify a static route.
Up to five static routes per one Virtual Storage are available.

Delete Virtual Storage

Delete Virtual Storage

Delete

Customers can delete the Virtual Storage created by them.
If there is a volume, the virtual storage can not be deleted.
When you delete a virtual storage, logical network and subnet will not be deleted.

Modify Virtual Storage

View List

View

Customers can view the list of their Virtual Storage.

 

View Detailed Information

View

Customers can view the detailed information of their Virtual Storage.

 

Modify Detailed Information

Name/Description/Volume Type/IP address pool/Additional routes

Customers can modify the detailed information of their Virtual Storage.
Customers can extend the IP address pool, but cannot shrink it.(Even if the number of IP address is the same, it is not allowed to shrink the IP address range)

Volume Management

Function

 

Function

Details

Create Volume

Create Volume

New/Add

Customers can create multiple volumes for one Virtual Storage.
There is no limit for the number of volume.
As an iSCSI target, the target IP address for each volume is assigned.
 

Name

Name of Volume

Customers can add the name of Virtual Storage.
(1 to 255 characters. Alphabet, number, hyphen and underscore are available. Space character is not permitted. First character must be the alphabet.)
The name should be unigue within the Tenant.
 

Description

Details

The name should be unigue within the Tenant.
(Customers can input up to 255 alphanumeric characters(*1))
 

Access Control of iSCSI Initiator

Initiator IQN

Customers can limit the possible connections to the iSCSI initiator for each volume (access control). (Maximum IQN 32 pieces)
 

Select size

Volume(GB)

Customers can select the size of the volume.
 

Select IO performance

IOPS/GB
Customers will be able to select the IO performance (2 or 4) of the volume.
 

Select Group

Zone / Group

Customers can select the group per volume.

Delete Volume

Select Volume

Delete

Customers can delete the volume created by them.
 

Erase Data within Disk

Delete

NTT Com does not erase the data of the deleted volume.

Manage Volume

View List

View

Customers can view the list of their Volume.

 

View Detailed Information

View

Customers can view the detailed information of their Volume.

 

Modify Detailed Information

Volume Name/Description/Initiator IQN

Customers can modify the detailed information of their volume.

※1 Available alphanumeric characters:abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789!”#$%&’()*+,-./:;<=>?@[]^_`{|}~
and Space, New Line (LF, CR) and Tab (HT).


Snapshot Management Function

Function

 

Function

Details

Snapshot Acquisition

Snapshot Acquisition

New/Add

Customers can create multiple snapshots for one volume.
The maximum number of obtainable snapshots per volume is 100.
The capacity that can be stored to snapshots is limited to maximum 30% of the volume size. If the snapshot capacity exceeds 95% of the limit, the snapshots will be deleted automatically in the order of oldness until the snapshot capacity decreases to less than 95%. Snapshots deleted automatically are displayed on the snapshot list as “automatically deleted”.
The snapshots automatically deleted will not appear in the list display and detailed display after some time.
For the snapshots deleted automatically, while they appear in the list display or detailed display, Customers can delete them and make them non-displayable immediately.
 

Name

Snapshot Name

Customers can give any name to a snapshot.
(1 to 255 characters. Alphabet, number, hyphen and underscore are available. Space character is not permitted. First character must be the alphabet.)
The name should be unique within the Tenant.
 

Description

Details

Customers can input and save the description of the snapshot.
(Customers can input up to 255 alphanumeric characters(*1))

Restore from Snapshot

Select Snapshot

(Restoration)

Customers can restore the obtained snapshots to the source volume. The data on the restored volume revert to those when the restored snapshot was obtained.
If restoration is performed while multiple snapshots exist on the target volume, snapshots newer than the restored snapshot will be deleted automatically. (Because the target volume returns to the state when the snapshot to restore was obtained.)
The snapshots automatically deleted will not appear in the list display and detailed display after some time.
For the snapshots deleted automatically, while they appear in the list display or detailed display, Customers can delete them and make them non-displayable immediately.

Delete Snapshot

Select Snapshot

Delete

Customers can delete the snapshots created and available.
Customers can also delete snapshots that are deleted automatically due to capacity limit over or restoration. If successful, those snapshots will be hidden.

Manage Snapshot

View List

View

Customers can view the list of their snapshots.
 

View List

View

Customers can view the detailed information of their snapshots.
From detailed information of an individual snapshot, Customers can check the capacity the snapshot uses.
From the detailed information of an existing volume, Customers can check the total capacity (in percent) used by the snapshots obtained under the volume.
 

Modify Detailed Information

Snapshot Name

Customers can edit the detailed information (change setting) of their snapshot.
※1 Available alphanumeric characters:abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789!”#$%&’()*+,-./:;<=>?@[]^_`{|}~
and Space, New Line (LF, CR) and Tab (HT).

API

Please refer to the API reference.



3.1.3. Menu

3.1.3.1. Menu / Plan

Menu

Flavor

Capacity (GB)

Billing Unit

Storage (Block Provisioned I/O Performance)

2 IOPS/GB 100 GB

Charge per minute

  2 IOPS/GB 250 GB  
  2 IOPS/GB 500 GB  
  2 IOPS/GB 1,000 GB  
  2 IOPS/GB 2,000 GB  
  2 IOPS/GB 4,000 GB  
  2 IOPS/GB 8,000 GB  
  2 IOPS/GB 12,000 GB  
 

Snapshot(2 IOPS/GB)

Per 1GB

Charge per day

  4 IOPS/GB 100 GB

Charge per minute

  4 IOPS/GB 250 GB  
  4 IOPS/GB 500 GB  
  4 IOPS/GB 1,000 GB  
  4 IOPS/GB 2,000 GB  
  4 IOPS/GB 4,000 GB  
  4 IOPS/GB 8,000 GB  
  4 IOPS/GB 12,000 GB  
 

Snapshot(2 IOPS/GB)

Per 1GB

Charge per day



3.1.3.2. Subscription Method

  • Customers can create, delete and edit their subscription via Customer Portal / API.

  • Customers will not be able to change the IO performance (flavor), the capacity (size). If the customer wants to change, please create a new volume, and delete the old volume after migrating the data.

  • A Volume capacity exceeding 12,000GB is not provided at the moment.

  • Please refer to the service description of the logical network about the maximum number of logical network.


Target

Type

Details

Qty.

 

Volume(GB)

 
     

Minimum

Maximum

Minimum

Maximum

Virtual Storage

Create (New/Additional)

Create Virtual Storage

1 (Mandatory)

The number of logical networks

N/A

 
 

Delete

Delete Virtual Storage

1  

N/A

 
 

Update (Modify)

Only updating the settings is available (excl. network settings)

1  

N/A

 

Volume

Create (New/Additional)

Create (New/Additional)

1 (Mandatory)

Unlimited

100 12,000
 

Delete

Delete Volume

1  

N/A

 
 

Update (Modify)

Only updating the settings is available (Capacity change is not available)

1  

N/A

 

Snapshot

Create

Create Snapshot

1 (Mandatory)

100 1

Suppose the volume is 1, then the maximum upper limit of the snapshot capacity is 0.3.
 

Restoration

Restore data to Volume from snapshot

1  

N/A

 
 

Delete

Delete Snapshot

1  

N/A

 
 

Edit

Only updating the settings is available

1  

N/A

 


3.1.4. Terms and Conditions

3.1.4.1. Conditions for Usage with Other Menus

  • The subscriptions of Logical Network is needed when Customers subscribe this menu.

  • Other than the above, there is no specific conditions.


3.1.4.2. Minimum Contract Period

  • There is no minimum contract period.


3.1.5. Pricing

3.1.5.1. Initial Fee

  • There is no initial fee.


3.1.5.2. Monthly Fee

** Volume **

  • Offer price for the service, will occur for each volume.

  • Customers will be charged for each month depending on the volume of IO performance (flavor) and size (capacity).

  • Monthly fee applied for this menu is per-minute-basis with capped pricing per month.


Snapshot

  • Offer price for the service, will occur for each volume.

  • NTT Com will measure the maximum value of the daily snapshot capacity at an appropriate timing. Customers will be charged every month for the total capacity in the month by the unit price of GB per day.

  • Billing is metered where snapshot capacity varies in accordance with snapshot usage situation.



3.1.6. Quality of Service

3.1.6.1. Support Coverage

  • NTT Com provides a guide on redundant configuration (multi-path) for Customers.

  • For more details other than the above, please see Support Service Description.


3.1.6.2. Quality of Operation

  • For the details please refer to the Monitoring document:


3.1.6.3. SLA

  • The SLA of this menu is based on the standardized SLA for Enterprise Cloud 2.0


3.1.7. Restrictions

3.1.7.1. Important Notes Before the Use

  • All data backups are at Customers’ risk and ownership.

  • The IO performance(flavor) and size(capacity) after using the volume can not be changed.

  • The deletion and creation of the volume and virtual storage can not be canceled after the application is completed.

  • Virtual Storage、creating, deleting, and editing volume will require each Tenant to proceed; therefore, there might be a chance for Customers to report unexpected failure when multiple actions are being taken place simultaneously.

  • As the I/O performance affected by server/network environment, NTTCom cannot guarantee particular I/O performance.

  • Since the throughput performance is not secured, it may be affected by the load status of the other customers.

  • The snapshot function does not guarantee data consistency in the system.

  • If there is a snapshot under a volume, the volume cannot be deleted.

  • Depending on applications such as RDBMS, a rest point has to be created before obtaining a snapshot.

  • If operations using the snapshot function are to be implemented, Customers are recommended to run the recovery test including applications.
    The snapshot function is used for high-speed recovery of data when user error or data breakage occurred. To realize this, snapshots are obtained in the same physical device as the volume.
    Therefore, data recoverability using snapshot may be affected by fault of physical devices.
    It is different from backup where data are stored doubly to different external media.

3.1.7.2. Verified Environments

  • Customers need to IPv4 address to utilize this menu.

  • When Customers utilize this menu, they need to install and install and configure from the OS they use. Please refer following documents:”Tutorial Section 6: How to Use Storage”

  • Operating system which is being processed with this service’s iSCSI Mount Verification is as follows:

OS Versions

Cent OS Server 7.1-1503
Windows Server 2012 R2
Ubuntu Server 14.04
Red Hat Enterprise Linux server 7.1,8.0,8.1,8.2,8.4,8.6
Rocky Linux 8.5