Question 20 - D-PSC-MN-01 discussion

To ensure nondisruptive upgrades in an SMB environment, SMB Continuous Availability (CA) must be enabled. SMB CA allows file shares to remain accessible without interruption during planned maintenance or unexpected node failures.

Key features of SMB Continuous Availability:

Transparent Failover:

Client sessions persist seamlessly when the SMB service fails over to another node.

State Preservation:

Open files, locks, and session states are maintained during the failover.

High Availability:

Enhances the cluster's ability to provide uninterrupted service.

Steps to enable SMB Continuous Availability:

Verify OneFS Version:

Ensure the cluster is running OneFS version that supports SMB 3.0 or higher.

Enable SMB CA on the Cluster:

Use the OneFS WebUI or CLI to enable Continuous Availability for SMB shares.

Configure SMB Shares:

Set the 'Continuous Availability' option on the specific SMB shares that require it.

Client Requirements:

Clients must be running Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012 (or later) to support SMB CA.

By enabling SMB Continuous Availability, upgrades and maintenance can be performed without disrupting client access to file shares.

Dell PowerScale OneFS SMB Administration Guide -- Configuring SMB Continuous Availability

Dell PowerScale OneFS Upgrade Planning Guide -- Ensuring Nondisruptive Upgrades

Microsoft SMB Protocol Documentation -- SMB 3.0 Features