About file storage

File storage is a storage architecture that uses the Server Message Block (SMB) 3.x protocol to manage data in the form of files.

Virtuozzo Hybrid Infrastructure allows you to organize multiple nodes into a highly available file storage cluster. Within this cluster, you can create SMB shares, which serve as access points to underlying storage volumes. Each share can be configured with a redundancy scheme (to protect against data loss), a tier (to balance performance and cost), and a failure domain (to ensure resilience across hardware or node failures).

Within each SMB share, you can define one or more SMB exports that are actual exported directories storing user data. Each export has a unique name and path, which identify it on the network and allow it to be mounted from Windows and other SMB-compatible clients. Access to exports can be controlled through Active Directory integration, NTFS-level permissions, and export-specific access control settings, ensuring secure and manageable file sharing across the environment.