Dell PowerScale Deploy key terms

The distributed file system operating system that runs on PowerScale nodes, presenting a single shared namespace and volume across all nodes in a cluster.

A group of PowerScale nodes that are joined, cabled, and configured together so they act as one logical system with shared storage and a unified namespace.

A single PowerScale hardware or virtual appliance in a cluster, contributing CPU, memory, and drives to the shared file system and participating in cluster-wide operations.

The sixth-generation PowerScale hardware family that uses NVMe-based internal storage and requires a dedicated backend network for inter-node communication rather than InfiniBand.

The private, high-speed interconnect that carries internal cluster traffic such as data striping and metadata operations between nodes, separate from client-facing front-end networks.

The client-facing network interface on each node that serves SMB, NFS, S3, and other access protocols, often managed through SmartConnect addresses for load balancing.

A PowerScale feature that provides a single DNS name and virtual IP pool for client access, distributing connections across nodes and moving addresses during failover.

A defined range of front-end IP addresses assigned to interfaces on specific nodes, used by SmartConnect to hand out client connections and support failover.

A logical partition of a cluster that scopes authentication providers, IP pools, SMB shares, and NFS exports so multiple tenants or environments can share one cluster.

The default access zone created with every cluster, holding the built-in administrative access and serving as the baseline configuration for additional zones.

A top-level network container that groups subnets and IP pools, letting a cluster support multiple distinct network configurations such as separate client and replication networks.

A network segment defined within a groupnet that contains one or more IP pools and specifies addressing details such as prefix length and gateway for that segment.

The client-facing network configuration on a PowerScale node, used for data access and management, distinct from the internal backend interconnect.

The direct out-of-band connection to a node used during initial configuration and recovery, allowing access before network settings are applied.

The guided process of setting a node's hostname, networking, and joining it to a cluster, performed via serial console, web interface, or configuration wizard.

The operation that adds a configured node to an existing cluster, after which the node contributes capacity and participates in cluster-wide data protection.

The process of moving a cluster to a newer OneFS release, performed in a rolling manner that keeps the cluster serving clients while nodes update in sequence.

A Windows file-sharing resource exported by a PowerScale cluster, configured with permissions, access zone membership, and optional continuous availability settings.

A Linux/UNIX file-sharing definition that grants specified clients access to a directory path, with options for read-only access, root squash, and security flavors.

An object-storage container exposed by PowerScale through its S3-compatible interface, allowing applications to store and retrieve objects alongside file data.

The configuration that links a cluster to directory services such as Active Directory or LDAP so users and groups resolve consistently for access control.

A point-in-time, space-efficient copy of a directory or volume that can be used to recover files or restore data without duplicating the full contents.

A rule that automatically creates snapshots at defined intervals or times, with settings for retention and which paths are protected.

The replication feature that copies data from a source cluster to a target cluster on a schedule, supporting failover and failback for disaster recovery.

The process of promoting a replication target or standby resource to active service when the primary becomes unavailable, restoring client access to protected data.

A network protocol that lets backup software control a PowerScale cluster's file-level backups, including snapshot-based backups, without routing all data through a media server.

A tiering feature that moves cold file data from cluster storage to a supported cloud or object target while keeping the file visible and accessible in the namespace.

A named setting that defines how many node or drive failures a cluster can tolerate for a given file or directory, balancing protection level against usable capacity.

The overall operational state of a cluster as reported by monitoring tools, covering node status, drive health, network connectivity, and active alerts.

The record of system events and alerts generated by cluster components, used to investigate failures, configuration changes, and warning conditions.

A collected archive of logs, configuration, and diagnostic data from a cluster, typically gathered for support analysis when troubleshooting an issue.

The RESTful management interface that exposes cluster configuration and status as resources, allowing automation of provisioning, monitoring, and reporting tasks.

The practice of tracking cluster metrics such as throughput, IOPS, latency, and CPU utilization to identify bottlenecks and validate that the deployment meets workload needs.

The loss of a single storage device in a node, which the cluster detects and works around by rebuilding data onto remaining drives according to the protection policy.

The process that gracefully removes a failing or failed drive or node from service while preserving data availability, allowing replacement and rebuild without disruption.

A file-level backup operation driven through NDMP that captures data from a cluster to backup media, often using snapshots to keep the backup consistent.