5. Configuring Storage

This section is for the purpose of understanding how to configure storage on NexLog DX-Cloud (AWS).

We currently create 4 partitions when we install our software onto a recorder:

  • Root: Contains everything the operating system will have

  • Log: Contains the log files for the recorder. Under /var/log

  • Config: Contains all our configuration files

  • Storage: Contains everything from our media (calls) and our database

The point of configurable storage mounts is so that we can put these partitions on different devices. It’s advisable to put the storage partition on an HDD. This is for cost saving.

5.1. Creating a Volume

From the AWS homepage, navigate to the search bar at the top and type in “volumes”. The webpage should automatically find the Volumes page for you under “Features”. Click on it to access the Volumes console.

On the right of the Volume console, click on the orange button called “Create volume”. This will navigate you to a webpage where you can configure the creation of your volume.

Volume Type: st1

Size (GiB): Whatever size it is licensed for

Availability Zone: Choose the same availability zone that your NexLog DX-Cloud is in

Snapshot ID - optional: Don’t create volume from a snapshot

Click on the orange “Create volume” button to create the volume.

5.2. Attaching a Volume to your Instance

The webpage will automatically take you back to the Volume console. In order to find your newly created volume, click on the “Created” column header twice to sort by newest. Your newly created volume should be at the top.

Hover over the blank space in the name column and click on the edit button. A window will pop up that will let you insert a name for the volume. Please insert an appropriate name and hit save.

Next, click on the Volume ID of that volume in order to access the volume’s properties. In the top right, there is a white “Actions” buttons. Click on that for a dropdown menu, and click on “Attach volume”.

Here you can choose which instance to attach this volume to. In the instance box, click on it and search for the name of your instance. Select your instance and click on the orange “Attach volume” button at the bottom to attach your volume.

Please reboot your NexLog DX-Cloud for it to recognize the new volume.

5.3. Formatting Volumes

Now that your volume is created and attached, you must now create its partitions.

Go to your NexLog DX-Cloud Configuration Manager. Navigate to the Disk Utility tab by navigating to, System → Storage Devices → Disk Utility Tab. There should be a new device with no partitions in it. You will be able to select the device and click “format/resize”.

Note

Do not worry about the device names changing after a reboot. Just find the device that does not have partitions on it yet.

Here you will create the partition sizes. For partition name, put whatever you would like. Preferably it describes what the partition is for. For size, put the size of the partition. Click on “Format” when you are done.

Eventide Communications recommends creating one large partition that is the entirety of the newly volume created. You will be mounting our storage partition onto it in the next section.

Disk Utility

Fig. 5.1 Disk Utility

Note

Once you create the partitions, you can only edit the last partition. Partitions before the last one will become non-editable.

The recorder will now automatically reboot. Check back at the Disk Utility tab to make sure that the volumes have been created.

5.4. Choosing your Mount Point

Now that we have our partitions created, we have to choose the mount point for those partitions. These mount points are:

  • OS

  • Storage/Media

  • Database

  • Logs

Navigate to Device Configuration by going to, System → Storage Devices → Device Configuration Tab. For each location, click on the dropdown menu and choose which partition you want to mount to.

Device Configuration

Fig. 5.2 Device Configuration

Eventide Communications recommends moving the Storage/Media mount point to the newly created partition on the new volume.

Click on save and confirm. The NexLog DX-Cloud will reboot.

5.5. Expanding the Database Partition

After the reboot, log back into your NexLog DX-Cloud. Now that the Storage/Media mount point has been moved to a new volume, we will need to fill the rest of the space in the initial volume.

Go back to the Disk Utility tab and select the first drive to “format/resize”. Expand the database partition to fill the remaining space in the drive. Click on “Format” when you are done.

The recorder will now automatically reboot. Check back at Disk Utility tab to make sure that the partition has been expanded.