Over time, the Primary and Secondary Storages exhaust their available space, requiring CloudStack Administrators to actively manage and free up these resources. Although administrators can view the stored files, they cannot determine whether these files are associated with any CloudStack Volume, Snapshot, Template, or ISO Image.
To solve this, Apache CloudStack 4.19 introduced a new feature that allow Administrators to browser both Primary and Secondary Storage resources. This feature enables Administrators to list, download, and migrate files between different Storages, providing greater flexibility and control in managing Storage resources.
Feature Description
Primary Storage
With the Primary Storage Browser, Administrators easily browse and manage files directly from the Primary Storage. The file browser displays the size of each file, and if a file or directory is linked to a specific resource, such as a Volume, Volume Snapshot, Template, or ISO Image. The browser provides a direct link to that resource for easier navigation an management.
Secondary Storage
The Secondary Storage Browser functions similarly to the Primary Storage but with some additional capabilities. Administrators can not only browser files but also download them. If a file or directory is linked to a resource, it can be easily moved to another Secondary Storage. This feature streamlines the process of freeing up space on Secondary Storage, making data management more efficient and flexible.
New Search Filters for Storage Resources
CloudStack Administrators can use a new search form for Volumes, ISO Images, Templates, and Volume Snapshots by specifying the Primary and Secondary Storage. This enhancement helps Administrators localize where the resource is found by filtering based on the CloudStack Storage target.
- Searching Volumes filtering by Primary Storage
- Searching Volume Snapshots filtering by Primary and/or Secondary Storage
- Searching Templates filtering by Primary and/or Secondary Storage
- Searching ISO Images filtering by Primary and/or Secondary Storage
Additionally, in the Primary and Secondary Storage panel, the above filters are applied to locate specific resources on the designated storage.
- Primary Storage filters
- Secondary Storage filters
Changes in the Zone Tab for Templates and ISO Images
Previously, only Secondary Storage was displayed in the Zones tab to show the download status and percentage of Templates and ISOs. With this new feature, Primary Storage is now also included, allowing Administrators to view cached Templates and ISOs along with their respective download state and percentage.
Conclusion
The enhanced browsing and search capabilities in Apache CloudStack 4.19 are a major advancement in the CloudStack Storage management. By enabling administrators to browse Primary and Secondary Storage, list and download files, and migrate resources across different storage systems, CloudStack offers greater flexibility and control. The addition of new search filters further improves the ability to efficiently locate and manage storage resources, contributing to better resource utilization and streamlined data management.
Currently, this feature supports only the NFS provider, but it lays the foundation for future expansion to other providers. Along with the browser, other UI enhancements are designed to improve the platform’s usability, increase the efficiency of data management, and provide an enhanced user experience.
Vishesh Jindal is a software engineer at ShapeBlue. He has experience in developing and managing cloud infrastructure. He has a particular interest in databases and has worked extensively on them.
When Vishesh is not working, he enjoys watching anime, playing DOTA, or working on an open-source project.
