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Network Configuration

Basic network configuration

Please refer to the Syneto Storage Quickstart Guide for instructions on your first setup. This document describes only the Web Interface networking configuration.

Configuring the Services

Basic networking configuration allows you to configure the following:

  • Hostname: network host name
  • Domain name: DNS domain name to append to hostnames during DNS name resolution
  • Default gateway: a router used by the storage to connect to the internet
  • DNS 1,2,3: domain name servers to be used by storage when resolving internet names

Click “Update” to save your changes.

Configuring the Interfaces

The Interfaces section allows you to configure the available network interfaces. Hover over the desired interface and an Edit button will be highlighted on the right. Click on it.

Here you can set the Status of the interface to Down in order to put it offline.

You can choose to get a dynamic IP over DHCP by selecting DHCP from the Protocol box or add it manually via the IP / Netmask box.

The Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) is the last option. For information regarding MTU sizes consult this Wikipedia link or leave the default number.

Aggregates

Link aggregation, or IEEE 802.3ad, is a term which describes using multiple Ethernet network cables/ports in parallel to increase the link speed beyond the limits of any one single cable or port, and to increase the redundancy for higher availability. The Syneto Storage provides quick and easy interface aggregation.

For this go to the Network Interfaces screen and push the “New aggregate” button. A new window will appear where you can configure the new aggregate.

The Status, Protocol, IP / Netmask and MTU were thoroughly explained in the “Basic network configuration” section so we’ll concentrate on the last two here.

Policy

Here you must set the port selection policy to use for load spreading of outbound traffic. The policy specifies which dev object is used to send packets.

  • L2 – selects outbound device according to source and destination MAC addresses of the packet
  • L3 – selects outbound device according to source and destination IP addresses of the packet.
  • L4 – selects outbound device according to the upper layer protocol information contained in the packet (for TCP and UDP this includes source and destination ports)

Note that the policy you’ll choose will have to match that of the switch. If it doesn’t, you’ll end up with asymetric data flows and in some cases random behaviour.

Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP)

LACP supports the automatic creation of port channels by exchanging LACP packets between ports. It learns the capabilities of port groups dynamically and informs the other ports. Once LACP identifies correctly matched Ethernet links, it facilitates grouping the links into a port channel.

LACP packets are exchanged between ports in these modes:

  • active – places a port into an active negotiating state, in which the port initiates negotiations with remote ports by sending LACP packets
  • passive – places a port into a passive negotiating state, in which the port responds to LACP packets it receives but does not initiate LACP negotiation; in this mode, the port channel group attaches the interface to the bundle
  • off – link aggregation occurs without LACP (it works but it is not recommended)

If you want to enable LACP please ensure that your switch supports it.

Adding and deleting an aggregate

Go to Network, Interfaces screen and push the “New aggregate” button. After you configured the aggregate press the Add button. The aggregate will appear in the Interfaces section. To delete the aggregate press the X button that will be highlighted on the right once you hover the mouse over it.

Other information

Link Aggregation does *not* work by passing packets across all the links in an aggregate group in a round robin fashion. Any given source-destination pair will be “pinned” to one of the links in the aggregate. Hence a single TCP connection can never achieve speeds surpassing the throughput of a single link. Therefore, while you might aggregate 4 1Gbps links into a single aggregate, you’ll never get more than 1Gbps in any single data transfer.

VLANs

Tags

VLAN tagging is a network standard for the sharing a physical Ethernet network link by multiple independent logical networks. The number should be unique to this particular VLAN.

Adding and deleting a VLAN

Go to the “New VLAN” button on the Interfaces view. Here add a name for your new VLAN. We will skip the Status, Protocol, IP / Netmask and MTU details as they were already covered in the “Basic network configuration” section. Select the interface you want to create the VLAN on and press Add.

The VLAN will appear in the Interfaces screen. To delete it press the X button that will be highlighted on the right once you hover the mouse over it.

Static routes

You can add a static route by pressing the “New static route” button. You have to enter the Gateway through which your data will pass and the Destination for this data. From then on, all data that wants to arrive to Destination will pass through your selected gateway.

In the Static routes screen you are allowed to configure specific paths for your data.

To delete the route press the X button that will be highlighted on the right once you hover the mouse over it.

Windows network

By default your Syneto Storage is joined to the workgroup called “WORKGROUP”. You can join another one by entering the workgroup name and clicking “Join”. For joining an Active DIrectory please go to “Active directory and CIFS Sharing” section of the manual.
Join Workgroup