What is workload factory?
The workload factory service helps you optimize, automate, and operate AWS workloads using Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP (FSx for ONTAP) data.
Workload factory introduces best practices by design so that your teams can seamlessly proof-of-concept and productionize new AWS applications right the first time.
As a workload factory user, you can take advantage of customizable managed development and deployment processes that include general file and block storage, databases, migrated VMware environments, and Generative-AI data. This suite of supported workloads is continuously expanding, with new workloads coming soon.
Workload factory is free of charge and is built on zero trust, so you can start using it without providing credentials and enjoy some of its capabilities right away. When your trust grows, we recommend adding credentials to enable workload factory to automatically manage your workloads and data.
This guide focuses on the functionalities of the general storage workload with file and block storage.
How workload factory manages your storage in its entire lifecycle operation
Workload factory supports you throughout the entire lifecycle operation of your storage management, from design (Day 0) to development (Day 1) and management (Day 2).
With workload factory for general purpose storage workloads on AWS, you can:
- Assess the existing AWS storage estate [Day 0]
- Deploy FSx for ONTAP [Day 1]
- Manage FSx for ONTAP [Day 2]
Below, we explore how you can set up this end-to-end general storage workload. This will help you optimize your storage deployments and operations on AWS while adhering to industry best practices.
Choosing your operational mode
To get started with workload factory, you need to create a free account and log in.
For storage management, workload factory supports three operational modes, basic mode, read mode, or automate mode. The operational mode used is defined by the AWS permissions you provide workload factory.
- Basic mode allows workload factory to operate under a zero-trust relationship. There aren’t any permissions required for or used by AWS. In this mode, you can manually assess your AWS storage estate and generate partially filled infrastructure as code (IaC) snippets for FSx for ONTAP operations.
- Read mode grants workload factory read-only permissions, enabling you to get execution-ready IaC code snippets and automatically discover your existing AWS storage estate for one-click TCO assessments.
- Automate mode provides workload factory with read/write permissions, establishing a full-trust relationship. This mode offers full automation allowing you to carry out operations on your AWS environment from the workload factory UI.
If you choose to operate in read mode or automate mode, make sure to add credentials to your account before proceeding.
Day 0 operations: Assess cost-saving options
As your data storage requirements evolve or the costs associated with your current setup rises, you may start to compare costs for storage in various use cases, such as latency sensitive applications, disaster recovery, DevTest, and more.
Here’s an example: Let’s imagine you have an 8 TiB Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) volume that you want to optimize for low latency. From the workload factory general storage tab, you can use the built-in storage infrastructure calculator as an assessment and advisor tool to:
- Explore storage cost savings with FSx for ONTAP
- Discover/apply cost-saving recommendations based on your use case and configuration
Below, we provide details for Day 0 operations.
Explore storage cost savings with FSx for ONTAP
With workload factory, you can utilize the built-in storage infrastructure cost calculator to assess your current data estate.
- From your workload factory console, click on the Explore savings button, and select the Amazon storage solution to analyze between EBS, Amazon FSx for Windows File Server, or Amazon Elastic File System (EFS).
For this demo, we’ll select Amazon EBS.
- From the Use Case dropdown menu, select the “Low-latency - Production databases” option.
- Workload factory automatically populates the other configuration options with:
- Default values for the selected use case, if using basic mode.
- Actual values for your current EBS storage, if using read or automate mode.
Here’s what the storage saving calculation for an Amazon EBS configuration used for Engineering data would look like in workload factory:
You can modify the configuration options as required. For example, you can change the Storage amount per volume.
- Review the calculations to discover cost savings with a detailed monthly cost breakdown.
Discover/Apply cost-saving recommendations based on your use case and configuration
The storage cost calculator also acts as an advisor tool that can recommend the next best action based on the use case and configuration defined in the previous step.
The screenshot below shows the recommendations for the FSx for ONTAP deployment provided by the storage calculator that you can find by scrolling down the page:
In the example, the storage calculator recommends the creation of a single Availability Zone FSx for ONTAP system with complete configuration details.
You can decide to save the configuration, or click on the Create button to get started with Day 1 operations.
If you’re operating in read or automate mode, you can use the “Storage inventory” option in the workload factory homepage to automatically discover all the volumes in the permitted AWS account. From the Storage inventory screen, you can use the “Explore savings” option to compare any EBS, FSx for Windows, or EFS instance or volume in your inventory with FSx for ONTAP to get recommended configuration changes and see how much you can save.
Day 1 operations: Deploy FSx for ONTAP
Workload factory lets you create FSx for ONTAP file systems for a validated deployment. After completing the assessment outlined in the previous section, you can continue with creating an FSx for ONTAP file system based on the suggested plan, following best practices that address your use case configuration.
Workload factory allows you to do that with two options:
- Quick create will set up an FSx for ONTAP system using a recommended best-practice configuration.
- Advanced create will set up an FSx for ONTAP system using a recommended best-practice configuration, but offers you the ability to customize the configuration, if needed.
For this example, we are going to choose the Advanced create option, using the following steps:
- From your workload factory console, click on the Storage tab from the navigation menu on the left (i.e., the second icon from the top).
- In the Storage inventory page, click on the “Create file system” button.
3. Click on the desired create mode—in this case, we are picking Advanced create— complete the configuration fields with your desired values.
As you modify the configuration plan, the IaC snippet automatically updates to reflect the changes. In the codebox, you can choose to auto-generate the code snippet in the format required for an API request, Amazon CloudFormation, or Terraform.
4. If your workload factory is operating in automate mode, clicking on the “Create” button will deploy the configured FSx for ONTAP system directly from the UI. Using basic or read modes, you can copy the auto-generated code snippet from the codebox to the right, and perform the action as part of your CI/CD.
Day 2 operations: Manage FSx for ONTAP
Workload factory also helps you manage your FSx for ONTAP file systems and resources from a centralized interface. This not only provides full compatibility but also extends the suite of AWS management tools (console, CLI, and APIs), enabling seamless access to additional ONTAP features.
To access the management capabilities available for your FSx for ONTAP file system, navigate to the “storage inventory,” select “FSx for ONTAP” on the left and then click the options menu (the three-dot icon) next to the desired file system. Then select “Manage” from the menu options.
From the Overview management page, you can update your FSx for ONTAP configurations. There are many options here, but some of the important include:
- Increasing file system capacity
- Resizing the provisioned IOPS
- Updating encryption
- Setting backup policy
- Resetting the fsxadmin password
Workload factory also enables automatic capacity management. This continuously monitors the SSD storage utilization and automatically increases capacity when required. Here’s what you’d see on the Overview page of a selected FSx for ONTAP file system:
In the volumes tab, you can also manage your data on the volume level, including operations that are not available via the standard management tools. There are multiple options, including major operations such as:
- Setting Snapshot policies
- Creating backups
- Replicating data
- Creating clones
- Editing export policies
- Managing block storage
As an example, let’s change the tiering policy for your volume. Tiering optimizes cost efficiency by having all cold data automatically allocated from the SSD storage tier to the capacity pool storage tier after 31 days of inactivity. From the management dashboard of your file system, you can perform this day 3 operation as follows:
- Navigate to the Volumes tab, and find the desired volume in the volumes list.
- Click on the options menu for the volume, select “Advanced Actions,” then click “Change tiering policy.”
- Select and configure your desired tiering policy from the policy configuration page.
For example, you can choose to set the minimum number of inactivity days before data is automatically defined as cold (“cooling days”) to 31. - Click the “Apply” button to complete the changes to the tiering policy.
Under the hood, the extended management operations are performed with the workload factory “link” system. Workload factory links use AWS Lambda functions that you deploy in your environment which creates a trust relationship and secure connectivity between your workload factory account and one or more FSx for ONTAP file systems. For more information go to the workload factory documentation page.
For more information and instructions for all management functionalities available for FSx for ONTAP in workload factory, check out workload factory’s Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP documentation.
What’s next?
BlueXP workload factory offers a handy solution for managing your FSx for ONTAP storage lifecycle operations on AWS, from assessment to deployment and ongoing management. When it comes to general storage, workload factory allows you to maximize your AWS storage efficiency and keep it optimal over time.
As the platform continues to evolve, you can anticipate broader support for additional workloads and industries, further enhancing the capabilities of workload factory.
To learn more, visit the BlueXP workload factory homepage or start BlueXP workload factory.
