Storage Utilization Policy Statement

At SoftIron, we are committed to ensuring the optimal performance, reliability, and support of our storage solutions. To assist our customers in maintaining the health of their SoftIron storage systems, we have established the guidelines set out below regarding storage utilization.

These guidelines apply both to cluster-wide and per-device utilization. Individual devices may be at unequal utilization due to different storage device classes, storage distribution configuration, among other drivers and factors.

  1. 75% Storage Utilization - Warning State - Immediate Action Needed

When storage utilization reaches 75%, we strongly recommend that customers proactively contact SoftIron to begin the process of evaluating a storage expansion or reduce usage of the affected product. Early intervention at this stage can help prevent potential performance issues and ensure the system continues to meet the customer’s needs. Of note, if cluster global storage utilization is at or above 75%, it is statistically probable that some individual devices may be at or above 85%. As a reminder, storage utilization and supportability apply both cluster-wide and per-device. The system is at increased risk of becoming unsupportable and immediate action is recommended to avoid degradation in performance or potential failure.

  1. 85% Storage Utilization - Error State - Unsupported Configuration

When storage utilization reaches 85%, the customer should closely monitor the cluster on a daily basis and evaluate individual device weighting and utilization. At this stage, manual intervention will be required to address any potential issues. At this capacity utilization, the cluster is unsupported. Of note, if cluster global storage utilization is at or above 85%, it is statistically probable that some individual devices may be at or above 95%. As a reminder, storage utilization, and supportability apply both cluster-wide and per-device. Immediate action must be taken to reduce storage usage, expand capacity, or otherwise rectify the situation to prevent system downtime or potential data loss.

  1. 95% Storage Utilization - Outage State - Potentially Unrecoverable

At 95% or higher raw storage utilization, there may not be sufficient available space on individual devices to safely operate the cluster or even recover. Downtime or data loss is probable at this storage utilization level. The cluster may be unable to transition into a read/write state, which could prevent data deletion and further complicate recovery efforts.

Support and Guidance SoftIron is available to assist customers in addressing any concerns related to storage utilization. Should you approach any of the thresholds outlined above, please contact SoftIron Support (support@softiron.com) for guidance on how best to manage and optimize your storage environment.

By adhering to these guidelines, customers can help ensure that their SoftIron systems continue to operate efficiently, securely, and within supported parameters.

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