Introduction

This guide provides detailed steps to deploy protocols in an IBM Storage Scale cluster using the installation toolkit. The deployment of protocol services is carried out on a subset of cluster nodes designated as protocol nodes. These nodes can be configured to run NFS, SMB, and S3 protocol services, either individually or in combination.

Prerequisites

Before deploying protocols, ensure the following:

• A GPFS cluster is configured and running.

• At least one file system exists to serve as the CES shared root file system.

• All protocol nodes use a supported OS and have the same CPU architecture.

• Protocol nodes have the required Spectrum Scale packages installed.

Steps to Deploy Protocols

1. Add Protocol Nodes to the Cluster Definition File

Add nodes that will serve protocol services using:

./spectrumscale node add NODE_IP -p

• NODE_IP: IP address of a protocol node.

• You can add multiple protocol nodes using this command, one at a time or in a loop/script if needed. 

2. Define a Shared File System for Protocols

A shared file system must be defined for storing configuration and metadata used by protocol services. This is referred to as the CES shared root file system.

Use the following command to configure it:  

./spectrumscale config protocols -f cesSharedRoot -m /ibm/cesSharedRoot

• cesSharedRoot: A user-defined fs for the CES shared file system.

• -m /ibm/cesSharedRoot: The mount point where the file system is mounted. You can specify your own mount point depending on your environment.

3. Enable NFS, SMB, and/or S3 Protocols

Enable the desired protocols:

./spectrumscale enable smb nfs s3

• You can enable any one, two, or all three protocols.

  • Example: ./spectrumscale enable smb or ./spectrumscale enable nfs s3

Check which protocols are enabled:

./spectrumscale node list

4. Add CES IP Addresses

CES (Cluster Export Services) IP addresses act as floating IPs for client access. These IPs are managed by the CES and automatically failover between protocol nodes.

To configure the EXPORT_IP_POOL, use:

./spectrumscale config protocols -e EXPORT_IP_POOL

• EXPORT_IP_POOL is a comma-separated list of CES IP addresses.

• These IPs must be from the same subnet and routable by clients.

For CES interface mode, specify the interfaces by using the following command:

./spectrumscale config protocols -i INTERFACES

• Where INTERFACES is the comma-separated list of network interfaces. For example, eth0,eth1
  Note: When using CES interface mode, specify CES IP addresses in CIDR notation, the IP address is followed by a forward slash and the prefix length:
  

  • IPAddress/PrefixLength . For example: 
  • IPv6: 2001:0DB8::/32 (prefix length: 1–124) 
  • IPv4: 192.0.2.0/20 (prefix length: 1–30) 
    

          CIDR notation is required for all CES IPs when using the installation toolkit. Without a valid prefix length, the IP address cannot be added.
          Verify the settings:

./spectrumscale config protocols --list

5. Perform Precheck for Deployment

Before deployment, validate your setup:

./spectrumscale deploy --precheck

This command checks:

• File system availability

• Protocol configuration completeness

• CES IP and interface consistency

• Package and OS prerequisites

6. Deploy Protocols

Once the precheck passes, deploy the protocols:

./spectrumscale deploy

This step:

• Finalizes protocol node configuration

• Starts services for NFS, SMB, and/or S3

• Performs a post-deployment verification

Check the CES status with:

/usr/lpp/mmfs/bin/mmlscluster --ces

Post Deployment Actions

You can rerun the ./spectrumscale deploy command to:

• Add new protocol nodes

• Enable additional protocols

• Apply configuration changes

Conclusion

Using the IBM Spectrum Scale installation toolkit, deploying protocols is streamlined and efficient. By following the structured steps in this guide—from preparing a shared file system to enabling and verifying services—you can ensure a robust and scalable protocol environment within your Storage Scale cluster.

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