Virtual file server

1. A method for transparently migrating a virtual file server, comprising:

creating a virtual volume set that includes a virtual file server within a physical file system of a first storage device of a first computing device associated with a first storage cluster, wherein the virtual volume set is automatically provisioned to meet a requested size and the virtual file server provides multi-tenancy without requiring dedicated containers for each tenant;

detaching the virtual file server from the first storage device, wherein the virtual file server comprises a server layer and a data layer and is decoupled from an operating system of the first computing device;

migrating the virtual file server across a storage cluster boundary by transparently migrating the virtual file server from the first storage device to a second storage device of a second computing device associated with a second storage cluster;

retrieving, by a processor of the second computing device, server identity information from the server layer for the second storage device, the server identity information including at least an Internet Protocol address of the virtual file server and being embedded in a policy container within the server layer of the virtual file server, wherein the server identity information comprises metadata and authentication information; and

instantiating, by the processor, the virtual file server within a physical file system of the second storage device, including making the virtual file server have a same appearance as when previously attached with the first storage device by updating the server identity information, the virtual file server being decoupled from an operating system of the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said migrating the virtual file server is performed by:

detaching the physical file system from the first storage device; and

attaching the physical file system to the second storage device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said migrating the virtual file server is performed by replicating blocks of the virtual file server from the first storage device to the second storage device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata and authentication information define a configuration of the virtual file server as the virtual file server appears to the operating system of the first computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising binding file sharing configuration to the data layer of the virtual file server.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said migrating the virtual file server facilitates load balancing between storage arrays.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating block snapshots.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second storage device comprises a second storage array and wherein the second storage array provides block storage over a first protocol, file storage over a second protocol, and object storage over a third protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual volume set comprises a plurality of virtual file servers and wherein said migrating the virtual file server comprises migrating the virtual volume set.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first storage device and the second storage device comprise a multi-protocol storage array of flash drives that provides block storage over a first protocol, file storage over a second protocol, and object storage over a third protocol.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a virtual machine on the second storage cluster detects the virtual file server within the physical file system of the second storage device and reads metadata from the server identity information to access an underlying file system associated with the virtual file server.

12. A system comprising:

a processing resource; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium, coupled to the processing resource, having stored therein instructions that when executed by the processing resource cause the processing resource to:

create a virtual volume set that includes a virtual file server within a physical file system of a first storage device of a first computing device associated with a first storage cluster, wherein the virtual volume set is automatically provisioned to meet a requested size and the virtual file server provides multi-tenancy without requiring dedicated containers for each tenant;

detach the virtual file server from the first storage device, wherein the virtual file server comprises a server layer and a data layer and is decoupled from an operating system of the first computing device;

migrate the virtual file server across a storage cluster boundary by transparently migrating the virtual file server from the first storage device to a second storage device of a second computing device associated with a second storage cluster;

retrieve server identity information from the server layer for the second storage device, the server identity information including at least an Internet Protocol address of the virtual file server and being embedded in a policy container within the server layer of the virtual file server, wherein the server identity information comprises metadata and authentication information; and

instantiate the virtual file server within a physical file system of the second storage device, including making the virtual file server have a same appearance as when previously attached with the first storage device by updating the server identity information, the virtual file server being decoupled from an operating system of the second computing device.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the virtual file server is migrated by:

replicating blocks of the virtual file server from the first storage device to the second storage device; or

migrating the virtual volume set.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the metadata and authentication information define a configuration of the virtual file server as the virtual file server appears to the operating system of the first computing device.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the processing resource to bind file sharing configuration to the data layer of the virtual file server.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein one or both of the first storage device and the second storage device comprise a multi-protocol storage array of flash drives that provides block storage over a first protocol, file storage over a second protocol, and object storage over a third protocol.

17. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processing resource cause the processing resource to:

create a virtual volume set that includes a virtual file server within a physical file system of a first storage device of a first computing device associated with a first storage cluster, wherein the virtual volume set is automatically provisioned to meet a requested size and the virtual file server provides multi-tenancy without requiring dedicated containers for each tenant;

detach the virtual file server from the first storage device, wherein the virtual file server comprises a server layer and a data layer and is decoupled from an operating system of the first computing device;

migrate the virtual file server across a storage cluster boundary by transparently migrating the virtual file server from the first storage device to a second storage device of a second computing device associated with a second storage cluster;

retrieve server identity information from the server layer for the second storage device, the server identity information including at least an Internet Protocol address of the virtual file server and being embedded in a policy container within the server layer of the virtual file server, wherein the server identity information comprises metadata and authentication information; and

instantiate the virtual file server within a physical file system of the second storage device, including making the virtual file server have a same appearance as when previously attached with the first storage device by updating the server identity information, the virtual file server being decoupled from an operating system of the second computing device.

18. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the virtual file server is migrated by:

replicating blocks of the virtual file server from the first storage device to the second storage device; or

migrating the virtual volume set.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the metadata and authentication information define a configuration of the virtual file server as the virtual file server appears to the operating system of the first computing device.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein one or both of the first storage device and the second storage device comprise a multi-protocol storage array of flash drives that provides block storage over a first protocol, file storage over a second protocol, and object storage over a third protocol.