Explaining Advanced Virtual Volumes ConfigurationsKen Werneburg, VMware, Inc

Andy Banta, SolidFire

STO5074

#STO5074

• This presentation may contain product features that are currently under development.

• This overview of new technology represents no commitment from VMware to deliver these features in any generally available product.

• Features are subject to change, and must not be included in contracts, purchase orders, or sales agreements of any kind.

• Technical feasibility and market demand will affect final delivery.

• Pricing and packaging for any new technologies or features discussed or presented have not been determined.

Disclaimer

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vSphere Virtual VolumesManagement & Integration Framework for External Storage

vSphere Virtual

Volumes

The Basics

• Virtualizes SAN and NAS devices

• Virtual disks are natively represented on arrays

• Enables VM granular storage operations using array-based data services

• Storage Policy-Based Management enables automated consumption at scale

• Supports existing storage I/O protocols (FC, iSCSI, NFS)

• Industry-wide initiative supported by major storage vendors

• Included with vSphere

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vSphereVirtual Volumes

SAN / NAS

Vendor Provider (VASA)

Control Path

Control Path

Storage Policies

Access

Capacity

Published Capabilities

Snapshot

Replication

Deduplication

QoS

Virtual Datastore

Storage Admin

vSphere Admin

VVOLs

DataPathProtocol Endpoint PE

vSphere Virtual Volumes Architecture

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VVols are Just Storage “Stuff”

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• Virtual Volumes – Virtual machine objects stored natively on the

array– No file system on-disk formatting required

• There are five different types of recognized Virtual Volumes:– CONFIG – vmx, logs, NVRAM, log files, etc

– DATA – VMDKs

– MEM – Snapshots

– SWAP – Swap files

– Other – Vendor solution specific

vSphere Web Client View

vvol

vSphere Virtual Volumes

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Storage Containers are Where “Stuff” Lives

    

 

VM

VM

VM

VM

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Protocol Endpoints are How You Get the “Stuff”

iSCSI Target

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Bindings are How the “Stuff” Finds Its Way to You

Truck A

Truck B

Truck C

VASA Provider

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Overview• VVols motivations

– Separation of VMware and storage management– Better use of storage capacity and network bandwidth– The upshot: better scalability and control

• Configuration examples– Memory overprovisioning– Multi-tenant use of VVols– Disaster Recovery configurations

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Motivations• Ease of management

• Built on top of existing protocols

• Datastore scalability– Less wasted storage space– No file system contention– Logical Storage Container concept as a replacement

• Scalability through less SAN bandwidth– No vSphere data mover for normal operations– Less Storage vMotion– Less need for SDRS and SIOC

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Different Management Perspectives

• What do the Admins see?

• How are the storage containers set up?

• What does the vSphere Admins see?

• Why are datastores still required?

vSphere Web Client

Storage Management UI

Datastore

Storage Container

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Ease of Management

• What do the Admins see?

• How are the storage containers set up?

• What does the vSphere Admins see?

• Why are datastores still required?

Storage policies

vSphere Web Client

Storage Management UI

Datastore

Storage Container

Storage Capabilities

virtual volumes

virtual machines

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Virtual Volumes

VM objects view from a storage container on an arrayVM objects view from a datastore

vSphere Web Client Storage Management UIvSphere Admin View Storage Admin View

VVol Storage UI

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Multi-Protocol SupportProtocol Endpoints• Access points that enable communication

between ESXi hosts and storage array systems– Part of the physical storage fabric– Created by Storage administrators

Scope of Protocol Endpoints• Compatible with all SAN and NAS Protocols:

- iSCSI- NFS v3 - FC- FCoE

• A Protocol Endpoint can support any one of the protocols at a given time

• Existing multi-path policies and NFS topology requirements can be applied to the PE

Why Protocol Endpoints?

SAN / NAS

Virtual Datastore

DataPathProtocol Endpoint PE

vSphereVirtual Volumes

Storage Container

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Scalability by Separating Datastores and Protocol Endpoints• Today, there are different types of logical

management constructs to store VMDKs/objects:– NFS mount points– IP or block based datastores

• Datastores serve two purposes today:– Endpoints – receive SCSI or NFS reads,

write commands– Storage Container – for large number of VMs

metadata and data files• Differences between Protocol Endpoints

and Datastores:– PEs no longer stores VMDKs but it only becomes

the access point – Now you wont need as many datastores or mount

point as before• Certain offloading operations will be done via

VASA and other will be done using the standard protocol commands

vSphere

storage fabric

PEprotocol endpointSCSI: proxy LUNNFS: mount-point

datastore = protocol endpoint + storage container

storage system

1 VVol (storage container)Per VMDK

One entity on the fabric

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SAN Bandwidth Used Without VVols

VASA API Compatible Array

2

vSphere

VMFS VVOLs

1

vSphere Admins

Migrate VM from VMFS toVVOL datastore

software data mover implementation

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Operations Offloaded with VVols, Using Less SAN Resources

vSphere

VMFS VVOLs

vSphere Admins

offload to array

offload to array

Virtual Machine Operation Offloaded• Virtual Machine provisioning

• Virtual Machine deletes

• Virtual Machine full clones

• Virtual Machine Linked Clones

• Virtual Machine Snapshots

• Storage vMotion

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Advantages All Day Long with VVols

Device-centric Silos

✖ Static classes of service

✖ Rigid provisioning

✖ Lack of granular control

✖ Frequent data migrations

✖ Time consuming processes

✖ Lack of automation

✖ Slow reaction to request

Complex Processes

VI Admin

Storage Admin

App Admin

✖ Not commodity

✖ Low utilization

✖ Overprovisioning

Specialized Costly HW

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Real Life Examples

Memory overprovisioning

Multi-tenant configuration

Disaster Recovery

Snapshot management

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Using 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)

SPBM

object manager

virtual disk

Datastore ProfileVM Storage Policy

vSphere VM Storage Policy Management Framework

Storage Capabilities for Storage Array

Access

Capacity

Published CapabilitiesSnapshot

Replication

Deduplication

QoS

Virtual Datastore

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Special Handling of Swap VVols• If you’re running a memory over-provisioned system, prioritize swap VVols

• Swap volumes need the lowest latency and highest throughput priorities– If your VM can’t use its memory, it can’t do much of anything useful

• If the swap volumes are being used heavily, it might be time to reconfigure vSphere

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Multi-tenant use of VVols• Use Storage Containers as logical separation

• Use individual policies and capabilities as VMs require– Different policies for different VMs– Different policies for different requirements in the VM

• Desktop• Database• Log

Storage Containers

Access

Capacity

Published CapabilitiesSnapshot

Replication

Deduplication

QoS

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Disaster Recovery• Replication policies

• Failover techniques

Published Capabilities

Snapshot

Replication

Deduplication

Encryption

vSphereStorage Policy-Based Mgmt.

Virtual Volumes

Storage PolicyCapacity

Availability

Performance

Data Protection

Security

PEVASA Provider

PE

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Snapshots• Snapshots are a point-in-time, copy-on-write

image of a Virtual Volume with a different ID from the original

• Virtual Volumes snapshots are useful when creating:– A quiesced copy for backup or archival purposes,

creating a test and rollback environment for applications, instantly provisioning application images, and so on

• Two type of snapshots supported:– Managed Snapshot – Managed by ESX

• A maximum of 32 snapshot are supported for fast clones

– Unmanaged Snapshot – Managed by the storage array• Maximum snapshot dictated by the storage array

Managed Snapshot - vSphere

Unmanaged Snapshot - Array

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vSphere Virtual Volumes Supported Features Supported vSphere Features

• SPBM

• Thin Provisioning

• Linked Clones

• Native Snapshots

• Protocols: NFS3, iSCSI, FC, FCoE

• View Storage Accelerator (CBRC)

• vMotion

• SvMotion

• DRS

• XvMotion

• vSphere SDK (VC APIs)

• VDPA/VDP

• View

• vRealize Operations

• vRealize Automation

• Stateless / Host Profiles

Published Capabilities

Snapshot

Replication

Deduplication

Encryption

vSphereStorage Policy-Based Mgmt.

Virtual Volumes

Storage Policy

Capacity

Availability

Performance

Data Protection

Security

PEVASA Provider

PE

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The Benefits of vSphere Virtual VolumesA More Efficient Operational Model For External Storage

Improves Resource Utilization

• Increase capacity utilization• Eliminate overprovisioning• Reduce management overhead

• Eliminate inefficient handoffs between VI and Storage Admin

• Faster storage provisioning through automation

• Simplified change management through flexible consumption

• Self-service provisioning via cloud automation tools

Simplifies Storage Operations

• Leverage native array-based capabilities

• Fine control at the VM level• Dynamic configuration on the fly• Ensure compliance through policy

enforcement using automation

Simplifies Delivery of Service Levels

Wrap upVvols was motivated by manageability, transparency and scalability.

If you don’t care about those reasons, they can help you manage configurations that are otherwise difficult to manage

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Explaining Advanced Virtual Volumes ConfigurationsKen Werneburg, VMware, Inc

Andy Banta, SolidFire

STO5074

#STO5074