HP StorageWorks Clustered File System 3.6.0 Windows Storage Server Edition Administration Guide (403103-005, January 2008)

Chapter 3: Introduction to HP Clustered File System 11
Volume Manager
The HP Clustered File System Volume Manager can be used to create
dynamic volumes consisting of disk partitions that have been imported
into the cluster. Dynamic volumes can be configured to use either
concatenation or striping. A single PSFS filesystem can be placed on a
dynamic volume.
The Volume Manager can also be used to extend a dynamic volume and
the filesystem located on that volume. Other Volume Manager operations
include recreating or destroying a volume.
PSFS Filesystems
A PSFS filesystem can be created either on a dynamic volume created
with the Volume Manager or on a partition of a disk that has been
imported into the cluster.
The PSFS filesystem provides the following features:
• Concurrent access by multiple servers. After a filesystem has been
created on a shared disk, the filesystem is available to all cluster
servers having physical access to the device via the SAN.
• Support for standard filesystem operations such as assigning or de-
assigning drive letters. These operations can be performed with the
HP CFS Management Console or from the command line.
• Quotas for users, including both hard and soft limits.
• Support for existing applications. The PSFS filesystem uses standard
read/write semantics and does not require changes to applications.
• Journaling and live crash recovery. Filesystem metadata operations
are written to a journal before they are performed. If a server using the
filesystem should crash during an operation, the journal is replayed
and any journaled operations in progress at the time of the crash are
completed. Users on other servers will experience only a slight delay
in filesystem operations during the recovery.