Access Methods

Connect to nxtStore block, object, and file storage through the Dashboard, CLI, S3-compatible API, and native mount protocols.

Overview

nxtStore exposes storage through multiple access protocols. The appropriate method depends on the consumer application and the storage type being accessed. This page covers all supported access methods with configuration steps for each.

Prerequisites

• An active NxtSight account with project member access
• For CLI access: openstack CLI installed (CLI Setup)
• For S3 API access: S3 access keys generated from the Dashboard

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Access Method Overview

Access Method	Storage Type	Typical User
NxtSight Dashboard	Block, Object	GUI-based management and exploration
openstack CLI	Block, Object	Scripted management and automation
S3-compatible API	Object	Application integration, SDK access
NFS / SMB mount	Shared File	Legacy application and workstation access
iSCSI / RBD	Block	Hypervisor-level attachment (managed automatically)

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Dashboard Access

Block Storage

1. Navigate to Volumes

   Log in to the NxtSight Dashboard (https://connect.<your-domain>) and navigate to Project → Volumes → Volumes.

2. Manage volumes

   From the volume list you can:

   • Create a new volume (click Create Volume)
   • Attach/Detach volumes to instances (via the Actions menu)
   • Create Snapshot for point-in-time backup
   • Extend volume size
   • Transfer volume to another project

   Use the Filter bar to search volumes by name, status, or volume type across large projects.

Object Storage

1. Navigate to Object Store

   Navigate to Project → Object Store → Containers. Containers in the Dashboard correspond to S3 buckets.

2. Manage containers and objects

   • Create Container to provision a new bucket
   • Upload files directly from the browser
   • Set Access to configure public or private access
   • Generate Temp URL for time-limited pre-signed links

   The Dashboard uses the Swift API naming convention (“containers”) while the S3-compatible API uses “buckets”. Both refer to the same underlying objects.

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CLI Access

Block Storage CLI

1. Authenticate

   Load credentials

   source openrc.sh
   
2. Common volume commands

   List volumes

   openstack volume list
   

   Create a volume

   openstack volume create \
     --size 50 \
     --type ceph-ssd \
     --description "Application data disk" \
     app-data-01
   

   Show volume details

   openstack volume show app-data-01
   

   Attach to a running instance

   openstack server add volume <INSTANCE_ID> app-data-01
   

Object Storage CLI

1. Authenticate

   Load credentials

   source openrc.sh
   
2. Common object storage commands

   List containers

   openstack container list
   

   Create a container

   openstack container create my-bucket
   

   Upload an object

   openstack object create my-bucket /local/path/to/file.tar.gz
   

   Download an object

   openstack object save my-bucket file.tar.gz
   

   List objects in a container

   openstack object list my-bucket
   

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S3-Compatible API

The nxtStore object storage service exposes a fully S3-compatible API. Any application or tool that supports the AWS S3 API can connect to nxtStore without modification.

Generate Credentials

1. Navigate to Access Keys

   In the NxtSight Dashboard, navigate to Project → Object Store → Access Keys and click Create Key.

2. Save your credentials

   The Access Key ID and Secret Access Key are shown once. Store them securely — they cannot be retrieved after the dialog is closed.

   Treat S3 access keys as sensitive credentials. Do not commit them to source control. Use environment variables or a secrets manager in application code.

Python (boto3)

Connect with boto3

import boto3

s3 = boto3.client(
    's3',
    endpoint_url='https://object.<your-domain>',
    aws_access_key_id='YOUR_ACCESS_KEY',
    aws_secret_access_key='YOUR_SECRET_KEY',
    region_name='NxtSight-region-1'
)

# List buckets
response = s3.list_buckets()
for bucket in response['Buckets']:
    print(bucket['Name'])

# Upload a file
s3.upload_file('local_file.txt', 'my-bucket', 'remote_object.txt')

# Download a file
s3.download_file('my-bucket', 'remote_object.txt', 'downloaded_file.txt')

CLI (aws s3)

Configure AWS CLI profile

aws configure --profile NxtSight
# AWS Access Key ID: YOUR_ACCESS_KEY
# AWS Secret Access Key: YOUR_SECRET_KEY
# Default region name: NxtSight-region-1
# Default output format: json

List buckets

aws s3 ls --endpoint-url https://object.<your-domain> --profile NxtSight

Upload a file

aws s3 cp local_file.txt \
  s3://my-bucket/remote_object.txt \
  --endpoint-url https://object.<your-domain> \
  --profile NxtSight

Sync a directory

aws s3 sync ./local-dir/ \
  s3://my-bucket/remote-dir/ \
  --endpoint-url https://object.<your-domain> \
  --profile NxtSight

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NFS / SMB Mount (Shared File Storage)

NFS (Linux)

1. Get the NFS export path

   Navigate to Project → Shared File Systems → Shares and note the export path for your share (format: <gateway-ip>:/<share-path>).

2. Mount the share

   Create mount point

   mkdir -p /mnt/shared-data
   

   Mount via NFS

   mount -t nfs \
     -o vers=4,rw,hard,intr \
     <gateway-ip>:/<share-path> \
     /mnt/shared-data
   
3. Persist mount across reboots

   Add to /etc/fstab:

   /etc/fstab entry

   <gateway-ip>:/<share-path>  /mnt/shared-data  nfs  vers=4,rw,hard,intr  0  0
   

   Mount is accessible at /mnt/shared-data and persists after reboot.

SMB (Windows)

1. Get the SMB share path

   Navigate to Project → Shared File Systems → Shares and note the SMB UNC path for your share (format: \\<gateway-ip>\<share-name>).

2. Map network drive

   In Windows Explorer, right-click This PC and select Map network drive. Enter the UNC path and provide your NxtSight credentials when prompted.

   Or from PowerShell:

   Map network drive (PowerShell)

   net use Z: \\<gateway-ip>\<share-name> /user:<USERNAME> <PASSWORD> /persistent:yes
   

   Drive Z: appears in Windows Explorer and is accessible to applications.

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Next Steps

Data Protection

Configure replication and erasure coding to protect your data

Snapshots

Create and restore point-in-time snapshots for volumes and buckets

Performance

Storage tiering, deduplication, and caching to optimize I/O

Troubleshooting

Diagnose and resolve common access and connectivity issues