nfs Export show Watchdog shares

[BJST]

Good day,

I redeployed a SimpliVity cluster (redeployment from scratch with 4.1.3 and esx7.03). Checking the deployment I found on 2 of 3 nodes some strange Exports:

With dsv-nfsd-export-show I see some entries like:

/mnt/svtfs/0/WATCHDOG-420b...

mounted to partner nodes of the federation.

what are these exports for and why do they only exist on 2 of 3 nodes? Another cluster I redeployed don't have them at all.

[Mahesh202 · Accepted solution]

Hi BJST

The entries you're seeing with the "dsv-nfsd-export-show" command are likely related to the SimpliVity file system, which uses NFS to export file systems between nodes in the federation. Here's some more information on what these exports are for and why they might be present on only some of the nodes:

• SimpliVity file system: The SimpliVity file system is a proprietary file system used by SimpliVity hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) systems. It's designed to provide high performance, scalable storage for virtual machines and other workloads. One key feature of the SimpliVity file system is its ability to export file systems between nodes in the federation using NFS.
• WATCHDOG files: The "WATCHDOG-420b..." files you're seeing in the exports are likely related to the SimpliVity file system's watchdog process. This process is responsible for monitoring the health of the file system and ensuring that it's functioning properly. The watchdog process creates files with names like "WATCHDOG-420b..." to indicate that it's still running.
• Node federation: SimpliVity HCI systems are typically deployed as federations of nodes, with each node contributing storage and compute resources to the overall system. When a node joins a federation, it needs to export its local file systems to the other nodes in the federation so that they can access them. This is typically done using NFS.

As for why these exports are present on only some of the nodes, it's possible that they were not properly created during the deployment process. It's also possible that they were created as part of a software update or configuration change on those nodes. If the exports are not causing any issues with the system, they may not be a cause for concern. However, if you're seeing unexpected behavior or performance issues, it's worth investigating further. You may want to check the system logs for any errors or warnings related to NFS or the SimpliVity file system.

Hope this helps.!!

Regards
Mahesh.

[BJST]

Indeed 2 nodes were added after the external share was created and the last node didn't had these watchdog exports. This would match the process.

Support advised me that these shares could be deleted with dsv-nfsd-export-delete, which worked and they didn't apear so far. They didn't give me this explanation so thanks.

[Mahesh202]

Hi BJST

You're welcome! I'm glad to hear that the "dsv-nfsd-export-delete" command worked for you and that the exports haven't reappeared. If you have any further questions or issues with your SimpliVity deployment, feel free to ask!

Regards
Mahesh.