SoftNAS deploys in a virtual appliance model, as a CenturyLink Cloud "Partner Template". Follow these step by step instructions to deploy a SoftNAS solution into your CenturyLink Cloud account:
Prerequisite
In order to set up a SoftNAS instance using CenturyLink Cloud, you will need:
- access to the CenturyLink Cloud platform as an authorized user.
- to identify a Network VLAN you want the SoftNAS instance to reside on.
The Support Email
In order to integrate SoftNAS with Century Link, it all starts with an email. CenturyLink support needs to know what sort of instance you wish to setup. The email should be formatted roughly as seen below, with information matching your organizational requirements. Open a service task request ticket via email to servicetasks@ctl.io with the following details:
Note: You will need to edit some of the information below.
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- Of course, your contact info must be provided as well. Contact info is removed from the example screenshot shown below, in order to preserve privacy, but your name, email and phone number are required for Century Link to begin their efforts.
Copying the VLAN from an existing instance
If you are an existing customer and would like to match your new instance's VLAN to that of another instance on the same Data Center, you can help the service desk by providing the network settings from within the CenturyLink console. Simply log in with the information provided by CenturyLink for your prior instance.
- To obtain your network settings, log into CenturyLink.
- Click on Networks, under the Network tab.
- Click the desired VLAN, and copy and paste the information from the Networks Dashboard.
- Add the information to the email.
If this is your first instance, CenturyLink can create a VLAN for you, allowing you to edit it as desired once logged in to your instance. To edit your VLAN info, simply click the Edit button.
CenturyLink will reply with your credentials and all required server information once setup is complete.
Launching the Instance
CenturyLink will reply with credentials and all required data when the provisioning is done, based on the contact information you provide them. Log into CenturyLink, and select the Data Center that you requested the instance be built on. The instance you requested will display under the Data Center. Simply power it up.
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Best practices and setup information for set up of SoftNAS are covered in detail within Getting Started Helper, and the other categories falling under SoftNAS Cloud® SoftNAS®[ Configuration|SoftNAS Cloud® SoftNAS® Configuration]. Follow the instructions presented in the checklist until step 5, Add Storage Devices.
Adding Storage Devices through Century Link
Typically, to add storage in SoftNAS, one would simply click on Disk Devices within the Storage Administration Panel on the left.
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Set up of storage, pools, volumes, high availability, etc is covered in the associated categories of this documentation. SoftNAS Cloud on Century Link most closely resembles VMware vSphere deployments, and will use the same best practices and settings.
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