Configure shared storage

Last updated on 2021-05-19 | Also Applies to Adobe Connect 10

Know how to configure Adobe Connect to use NAS and SAN devices to manage content storage of the meeting archives, uploaded content, recordings, and so on.

About shared storage

You can use the installer or the Application Management Console to configure Adobe Connect to use NAS and SAN devices to manage content storage. Content is any file published to Adobe Connect, such as courses; SWF, PPT, or PDF files; and archived recordings.

The following are possible shared storage configurations:

Content is copied to the primary external storage device and pulled to each Adobe Connect server’s content folder as needed. Old content is purged from each server’s content folder to make room for new content as needed. This configuration frees resources on the application server which is especially helpful in a large cluster. (Enter a value in the Shared Storage box and the Content Cache Size box.)
Content is copied to all servers and the primary external storage device. This configuration is recommended for small clusters unless you have a large amount of content that is randomly accessed. (Enter a value in the Shared Storage box; leave Content Cache Size blank.)

Note:

If you have an Adobe Connect cluster and don’t configure shared storage devices, the cluster works in full mirroring mode (content published to Adobe Connect is copied to all servers) and content is never automatically removed from any servers.

Configure shared storage

Follow these steps to configure the shared storage. Alternatively, you can also configure the shared storage during installation.

If you’re configuring shared storage for one Adobe Connect server, follow the instructions in the first task.
If you’re configuring shared storage for a cluster, follow the instructions in the first task for one computer in the cluster and then follow the instructions in the second task for all the other computers in the cluster.

Configure Adobe Connect without shared storage and run Adobe Connect on one server before you proceed.

Configure a shared volume on an external storage device.

The account under which the Adobe Connect service runs must have read and write permissions on the shared volume.

(Optional) If you are updating an existing Adobe Connect server to use shared storage volumes, you must copy the content from one of the existing servers to the shared volume.

Stop the server (Start > Programs > Adobe Connect Server > Stop Adobe Connect Central Application Server and Stop Adobe Connect Meeting Server).

Copy the folder[root_install_dir]\content\7 to the shared volume you created in step 1.

Note:

Some computers in a cluster may have extra content. Adobe Connect cannot use these files but if you want to copy them to the shared volume for archival purposes, you could write and run a script that compares the content of every computer with the content of the shared volume.

Start Adobe Connect (Start > Programs > Adobe Connect Server > Start Adobe Connect Meeting Server and Start Adobe Connect Central Application Server).

On the Adobe Connect server, choose Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services to open the Services window, select Adobe Connect Service, and do the following:

Right-click and select Properties.

Select the Log On tab.

Select This account and if the shared volume has a user name and password, enter them and click Apply.

Restart Adobe Connect (application server only).

Open the Application Management Console (Start > Programs > Adobe Connect Server > Configure Adobe Connect Server).

On the Application Settings tab, select the Server Settings tab, scroll down to the Shared Storage Settings section and enter a folder path in the Shared Storage box for example, \\volume\directory\.

If the primary storage device fills up, you can add another device to the primary position. Separate the paths by semicolons (;).

\\volume\directory;\\volume2\directory

Note:

Writing (copying to the storage folder) is performed only on the first folder. Reading (copying from the storage folder) is performed in sequence starting with the first folder until the file is found.

(Optional) To configure the content folder on Adobe Connect to act like a cache (assets are removed automatically when space is needed and are restored on demand), enter a value in the Content Cache Size box

The content cache size is a percentage of the disk space to use as a cache. Adobe recommends that you set the value between 15 and 50 because the cache can grow well beyond the set size. The cache is purged only after viewed content has expired (24 hours after it was last viewed).

Click Save and close the Application Management Console.

Restart Adobe Connect (application server only).