Setting Up the CTERA Appliance

The Web interface includes a Setup Wizard that enables you to quickly configure basic, recommended settings for your appliance. The wizard opens automatically upon initial login; however, if desired, you can close the wizard at any stage, and set up the appliance without the aid of the wizard. You can run the wizard at any time using the following procedure.

To run the Setup Wizard

1. In the Configuration tab's navigation pane, click Main > Home.

   The Main > Home page appears.

2. Click Setup Wizard.

   The Setup Wizard opens, displaying the Easy Storage Setup dialog box.

   

   For each drive, the following information is listed: port number, disk capacity in GB, disk type, and disk model.

   If there is already data on a drive, the Format option appears next to it.

3. (Optional) To format a drive, do the following:
   1. Click Format next to the drive.

      A confirmation message appears.

   2. Click Yes.

      The drive is formatted, and all of its contents are erased.

   	Warning
   	Formatting erases all data on the drive. If you would like to retain data on a drive, do not format it.
   	Tip
   	The appliance supports using hard drives preformatted using the following file systems: FAT32, NTFS, EXT3, NEXT3™. If your hard drive is already formatted using one of these file systems, then you are not required to format it. If you choose to format a drive, it will use the NEXT3 file system.

4. Click Next.

   The following things happen:

   • If the Setup Wizard determines that certain storage configuration changes would be beneficial, the Proposed Actions dialog box appears describing the changes.

     

   	Tip
   	You can configure or modify storage settings later on. See Managing Storage.

   Do the following:

   1. (Optional) To skip implementing the proposed configuration changes, click Skip these changes.
   2. Click Next.
   • The Account Details dialog box appears.

     

5. If you have a CTERA Portal account, do the following:
   1. Select the Yes, I have a CTERA Portal account check box.
   2. In the Portal Address field, type the hostname of the CTERA Portal.
   3. In the Username field, type the user name for your CTERA Portal account.
   4. In the Password field, type the password for your CTERA Portal account.
6. Click Next.

   Your appliance is added to your CTERA Portal account.

   The Backup Encryption dialog box appears.

   

7. Do one of the following:
   • To encrypt files using a secure 256-bit encryption key automatically generated by your appliance, before backing up the files online, choose Allow CTERA to automatically generate and store my encryption key.
   • For increased security, you can optionally secure your files further, with a secret passphrase that is known only to you, by doing the following:
     1. Choose I will provide a secret passphrase. My files cannot be accessed without this passphrase.
     2. Click Next.

        The Backup Passphrase dialog box appears.

        

     3. In the Passphrase and Retype passphrase fields, type the passphrase you want to use for accessing your files.

        The Passphrase Strength field displays the passphrase's strength.

   	Warning
   	Your passphrase is completely confidential, and CTERA does not retain it online or offline. It is therefore important to keep this passphrase in a safe place, as there is no way of retrieving it if you lose it. Without this passphrase, you cannot access your files.
   	Tip
   	You can change your passphrase in the CTERA Portal; however, you need to remember the passphrase in order to do so.

8. Click Next.

   The Wizard Completed screen appears.

   

9. Click Finish.