VMs are mounted on the POSIX-compliant exported file system inside a local mount point. It provides a fully managed and scalable storage on file level. The service manages all the file storage infrastructure, meaning you can avoid the complexity of deploying, patching, maintaining and scaling complex file system configurations. The service is highly scalable, highly available, and highly durable.
Currently, the Network File Storage is based on the Solid State Drive (SSD) - Standard performance class. Data is stored on two storage servers, providing active-active redundancy. For additional data protection, every storage server is based either on a hardware or a software RAID system.
Currently, the Network File Storage is based on the SSD Standard performance class, which is recommended for instant data access.
The table below lists the drive types and their specifications:
| Drive Type | SSD - Standard |
|---|---|
Encryption at rest involves encrypting data stored on physical media. It protects data from unauthorized access when the data is not actively being used. Network File Storage is based on Block Storage, and it implements encryption at rest.
Secure deletion ensures that once data is deleted, it cannot be restored, even with access to the physical media. Network File Storage is based on Block Storage, and it implements secure deletion.
Network File Storage is currently limited to German data centers.
The cluster size cannot be decreased despite deleting some shares or data within them; the cluster will not shrink.
Usage mode
Shared
Minimum and maximum cluster size
2 TiB – 42 TiB
Maximum bandwidth
300 MB/s per 4 TiB with a 1 MiB block size
Maximum Read IOPS
24.000 IOPS per 4 TiB with a 4 KiB block size
Maximum Write IOPS
18.000 IOPS per 4 TiB with a 4 KiB block size
SSD Storage: Supports swift data retrieval and reliable data storage.
Storage Size: The minimum cluster size is 2 TiB and the maximum cluster size is 42 TiB. It is a usable space; hence, you do not have to reserve free space for optimal performance.
NFSv4.2: The latest NFS protocol version, NFSv4.2, allows standard read and write operations directly to storage.
Encryption at rest: Provides encryption at rest, by default.
Root squash security: Network File Storage's built-in security mechanism reduces the risk of unauthorized root-level access from the client machine to the NFS server. Enabling this feature prevents superuser privileges to the root user on a client machine. It also prevents potential attacks on the NFS server when the client machine is compromised.
High Performance & Reliability: NFSv4.2 protocol provides high availability and durability and the following benefits:
Reduced protocol overhead with compound operations and caching.
Efficient file operations with minimal server interaction.
Live data movement without interruption.
Detailed file-level access and performance telemetry.
Seamless Management: Benefit from proactive IT infrastructure management and maintenance with IONOS’s managed Network File Storage.
Efficient Data Sharing: Easily distribute and manage data across multiple VMs within a VDC, with centralized data organization and fine-grained POSIX access control.
The billing for Network File Storage is based on the cluster size. The data transfer between the Network File Storage and VMs is not tracked and free.
The initial cluster size must be between 2 TiB and 42 TiB, increasing in 1 TiB increments. All cluster space is fully usable. After creation, the cluster size can only be increased, not decreased.
Prices are listed in the respective price lists:
IONOS Ltd. – United Kingdom.
IONOS Inc. – United States and Canada.
Network File Storage uses the NFS protocol to provide shared data storage accessible to your VMs via a private network. It allows fine-grained POSIX permissions at file and directory levels. You can provision a shared Network File Storage using the NFS protocol. It enables easy data sharing between the connected VMs, all while benefiting from the reliability and security of a cloud-based storage solution.
During cluster creation, you must specify an IP address from your LAN for the cluster. The specified IP address is used as a floating IP address for the two VMs that the Network File Storage uses to provide high availability.
As seen in the illustration, you create a cluster within the Network File Storage and create shares within a cluster. Multiple VMs from within a VDC are connected to shares of a Network File Storage's cluster via a private LAN.
Each cluster can contain multiple shares within it. Shares are individual file systems within the storage. For example, you can imagine it as a cluster being a computer and shares are folders within it that are accessed by VMs. An administrator can allow VMs to use specific shares.
VMs on the same private network can connect to the Network File Storage's cluster. In addition, data can be accessed simultaneously from multiple compute instances (for example, VMs, and containers) without compromising data consistency. Multiple VMs from within the VDC can access the data simultaneously.
IONOS manages maintenance operations, such as software updates and hardware replacement, by offering redundant, high-availability cluster services.
You can also integrate it with Kubernetes clusters to provide persistent storage for containerized workloads.