Our PanelKeith NorbieSr. Business Development Manager, SolidFire@keithnorbie
Josh AtwellCloud Architect, SolidFire@josh_atwell
Rawlinson RiveraPrincipal Architect, VMware@punchingclouds
Andy BantaStorage Janitor, SolidFire@andybanta
Ken WerneburgSenior Architect, VMware@VmKen
Brought to you by:
Agenda
• SolidFire and VMware
• Topics:
–What are VVOLs? Why care?–Storage Based Policy Management & VVOLs
–Architectural Changes with VVOLs–How are VVOLs Consumed?–SolidFire & VVOLs
• Q & A throughout
Change in the Operational Model
vSphereVirtual Volumes
SolidFire
Vendor Provider (VASA)
Control Path
Control PathVVOLs
DataPathProtocol Endpoint PE
Overview
• No File System
• ESX manages array through VASA APIs
• Arrays are logically partitioned into containers, called Storage Containers
• VM disks, called Virtual Volumes, stored natively on the Storage Containers.
• IO from ESX to array is addressed through an access point called Protocol Endpoint (PE)
• Data services are offloaded to the array
• Managed through storage policy-based management framework
Storage Admin
VI Admin
Storage Policies
Virtual DatastoreAccess
Capacity
Published Capabilities
Without Virtual Volumes
vSphere
Enables Greater Control
Policy based Management
Offloaded Data Services
Eliminates LUN Management
Provides Per-VM GranularityvSphere
Array-a Array-b
LUN
LUNLUN
LUN
LUN
AND
External Storage Architectures
With Virtual Volumes
6
Replication Snapshots Caching Encryption De-duplication
• Easy Capacity management• Meet VM SLOs• Access Control and Security
VVOLs – Serving different roles
• Ability to express application (VM/VMDK) granular data services• Provide easy on-demand Capacity provisioning• Compliance Monitoring• Ability to get most out of the storage system
VI admin
Storage admin
Virtual Machines
VVOLs – New Operations
Storage capabilities
Storage policies
vSphere Web Client
Storage Management UI
Datastores
Virtual Volumes
Storage Container
What do the admins need to get familiar with?
VVol VVol VVol
9
Storage Capabilities and VM Storage Policies
• Storage Capabilities are array based features and data services specifications that capture storage requirements that can be satisfied by a storage arrays advertised as capabilities.
• Storage capabilities define what an array can offer to storage containers as opposed to what the VM requires.
• Arrays Storage Capabilities are advertises to vSphere through the Vendor Provider and VASA APIs
• In vSphere Storage Capabilities are consumed via VM Storage Policy constructs.
• VM Storage Policies is a component of the vSphere Storage Policy-based management framework (SPBM)
VASA Provider (VP)
- Software component developed by Storage Array Vendors
- ESX and vCenter Server connect to VASA Provider
- Provides Storage awareness services- Single VASA Provider can manager multiple
arrays- Supports VASA APIs exported by ESX- VASA Provider can be implemented within
the array’s management server or firmware- Responsible for control plane
vSphere 6.0 - Protocol Endpoints (PE)Why Protocol Endpoints?
• Separate the access points from the storage itself
• Can have fewer access points
What are Protocol Endpoints?
• Access points that enable communication between ESXi hosts and storage array systems.
• They are part of the physical storage fabric
• Created by storage administrators
•Compatible with all SAN and NAS Protocols:- iSCSI- NFS v3 - FC- FCoE
Virtual Volumes
VASA Provider PE
13
Storage Container (SC)What are Storage Containers?
• Logical storage constructs for grouping of virtual volumes.
• Setup by storage administrators
• Capacity is based on physical storage capacity
• Logically partition or VM isolation with diverse storage needs and requirement
• Minimum one storage container per array
• Maximum depends on the array
• A single SC can be simultaneously accessed via multiple Protocol Endpoints
Virtual Volumes
vCenter
SC SC
Topic #4: How are VVOLs Consumed?
New Deployments (vSphere, vRealize)
Migrating to VVOLs (SPBM, vRealize)
VMware Virtual VolumesWhat Does SolidFire Intend to Deliver?
• Protocol Endpoints will exist per node, not as an external VM• Every SolidFire feature recognized by vSphere will be supported natively through
our VASA provider• We will not compromise the “Why?” of SolidFire• We will have the most differentiated, most complete block storage solution for
VMware Virtual Volumes, because that’s what we do
Scale-Out Infrastructure Agility
GuaranteedQuality of Service
Complete System Automation
In-Line Data Reduction
Self HealingHigh Availability
Summary and Last Takes
• VVOLs are about Storage Automation – Are you automating?• VVOLs are also about IT Consumption• VVOLs rev 1 is has rev 1 limitations – No replication support• You can benefit and modernize your vSphere 6 storage without VVOLs!• SolidFire will provide a VVOLs implementation that exceeds most rev 1
implementations today!– Performance Management– Scale– Automation Integration