Virtual Volumes Technical Deep DivePatrick Dirks, VMware, IncPete Flecha, VMware, Inc

STO7645

#STO7645

CONFIDENTIAL 2

• 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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Traditional Storage is Difficult to Align to Application Specific Needs

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Customers Face Several Challenges with Storage Today

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Fragmentation of roles

Specific management tools

Specialized skillsets

Static classes of service

Lack of fine grained control

Frequent data migrations

Time consuming processes

Lack of automation

Slow reaction to request

Rigid Infrastructure Complex ProcessesSiloed Management

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Key Issues With Traditional Storage Management

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Goal: Deliver Storage Requirements To Workloads Consistently And With Agility

Capacity (per-Disk)

CapacityPerformanceCapabilitiesResiliency(per-LUN)

Capabilities applied at LUN/Volume level2.No visibility to storage

capabilities during provisioning1.

Vendor specific configuration required in advance of workload demand3.

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Legacy Storage Model Introduces Lots of Complexity

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Datastores

DatastoreClusters

Reservations Finance Gold

Finance Silver

Finance Bronze

ReservationPolicy

HR Gold HR Silver HR Bronze

BusinessGroups Finance HR

vSph

ere

VR

A

Align Application Requirements with Infrastructure

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Goal: Deliver Storage Requirements To Workloads Consistently And With Agility

Capabilities applied at Virtual Disk level via SPBM Storage Policies

2.Storage capabilities integrated via Storage Policy-Based Management1.

Consumed on demandvia VVols/VSAN/VAIO3.

CapacityPerformanceCapabilitiesResiliency(per-VM/Disk)

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Storage Policy-Based Model Simplifies Operations Significantly

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Finance Gold

Finance Silver

Finance Bronze HR Gold HR Silver HR Bronze

Finance HR

Datastores

DatastoreClusters

Reservations

ReservationPolicy

BusinessGroups

vSph

ere

VR

A

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Agenda

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1 What are VVols?

2 Architecture

3 VVols in Operation

4 Questions and Answers

vSphere Virtual VolumesA More Efficient Operational Model for External Storage

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VMware vSphere Virtual Volumes

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Integration Framework for VM-Aware Storage

VirtualVolumes

Overview

• Virtual disks are natively represented on arrays

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

• Extends vSphere Storage Policy-Based Management to the storage ecosystem

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

• Based on T10 industry standards

• Industry-wide initiative supported by major storage vendors

• Included with vSphere

VM

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Virtual Volumes Introduces a New Architecture• Arrays logically partitioned into

Storage Containers (i.e. Separate HR, Finance)

• Bi-directional out of band communication with VASA Provider

• VASA Provider specific to vendor

• No Filesystem

• VM-granular storage policy-based management via SPBM and VASA

• Data Services offloaded to the Array

• Protocol Endpoint (PE) directs IO from VM to Virtual Volume

• Non disruptive – data path follows standard T10/NFS industry standards

VVol-enabled array

PE VP

Data PathNFS, iSCSI, FC

Control Path

VASA APIs

Protocol Endpoint

VASA Provider

vSphereStorage Policy-Based Management

IO Device

Finance

HR

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vSphere Virtual VolumesvSphere Web Client View

vvol

CONFIG

DATA

SWAP

MEM

• Virtual Volumes – Virtual machine objects stored natively

on the array.– No Filesystem 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 – vSphere solution specific type

Data PlanevSphere Virtual Volumes

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Storage ContainerStorage Containers

• Logical storage constructs for allocating array resources

• Typically defined and setup by storage administrators on the array in order to define:

– Storage capacity allocations and restrictions

– Capabilities to be presented

• Minimum one storage container per array

• Maximum depends on the array

vSphere Virtual Volumes

SAN / NAS

Storage Containers

HR Finance

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Differences Between Storage Containers and LUNs• Fixed size mandates greater number of LUNs• Formatted with a fixed-size file system on every LUN• Changing LUN size requires reformatting• Provisioned using file system commands• Can only apply homogeneous capability on all VMs

(VMDKs) provisioned in that LUN.

• Size limit selected by Storage administrator• Size can be adjusted up/down as needed on the fly• Max number of Storage Containers depend on the

array ability and capacity • Can support different capabilities for different VMs

or VVols in that Storage Container using SPBM

Storage Containers

LUNs

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Discovery Procedures – Storage Container

Virtual Datastore

Virtual Volumes

HR Finance

vCenter

VASA Provider

Storage Container Discovery Process• Storage admin sets up Storage Container with

desired capacity limit and selection of capabilities

• VASA Provider presents Storage Container and container’s capabilities to vCenter

• vSphere admin creates “Virtual Datastores” on each host to grant access to Storage Container

• Any new VMs that are created will subsequently be provisioned in the Virtual Datastore depending on match with storage policies

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Protocol Endpoints Protocol Endpoints• Access points that enables 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 Storage Container’s PEs must all be either SAN or NAS

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

SAN / NAS

Virtual Datastore

DataPath

Protocol Endpoint

vSphereVirtual Volumes

Storage Container

PEPE Protocol Endpoint

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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 operation will be done via VASA and other will be done using the standard protocol commands

vSphere

storage fabric

PEProtocol EndpointSCSI: proxy LUNNFS: mount-point

storage system

1 VVol (storage container)Per VMDK

One entity on the fabric

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Discovery Procedures – Protocol EndpointProtocol Endpoint discovery process• SCSI PEs are discovered by hosts during

an ESX rescan as usual

• NFS PEs are configured using IP addresses or file paths and stored on hosts

• Hosts inform array’s VP about PEs found and accessible

SAN / NAS

Virtual Datastore

DataPath

Protocol Endpoint

vSphereVirtual Volumes

Storage Container

PE PE Protocol Endpoint

Management PlanevSphere Virtual Volumes

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Storage Policy-Based Management – App Centric Automation

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Overview• Intelligent placement

• Fine control of services at VM or even individual disk level

• Automation at scale through policy

• Need new services for VM?• Change current policy on-the-fly

• Attach new policy on-the-fly

Virtual Machine Storage policyReserve Capacity 40GB

Deduplication On

Disk Type SSD

Disk Encryption Off

Storage Policy-Based Management

vSphere

Virtual SAN Virtual Volumes

Virtual Datastore

VASA Provider (VP)

CONFIDENTIAL 23SAN / NAS

Virtual Datastore

DataPath

vSphereVirtual Volumes

Storage Container

VASA Provider (VASA)

Control Path

Control Path

PE PE

• Software component developed by Storage Array Vendors

• ESX and vCenter Server connect to VASA Provider

• Provides Storage awareness services

• Single VASA Provider can manage multiple arrays

• Supports VASA API Suite

• VASA Provider can be implemented within the array’s management server or firmware or as a VM

• Responsible for creating and managing Virtual Volumes

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Storage Capabilities and VM Storage Policies

SPBM

object manager

virtual disk

Datastore ProfileVM Storage Policy

vSphere VM Storage Policy Management Framework

Storage Capabilities for Storage Array

Access

Capacity

Published CapabilitiesCompression

Replication

Deduplication

QoS

Virtual Datastore

• 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)

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Array Capabilities and Storage PoliciesStorage Capabilities to Storage Policies

• Storage Admin creates Storage Containers, selecting• size limit• capabilities

• VI Admin registers VP• VP presents Storage

Containers and associated capabilities to vSphere

• VI Admin authors VM Storage Polices based on presented capabilities to match expected VM needs

• VI Admin assigns policies as VMs are provisioned

• Storage policies determine selection of datastore

Storage PolicyCapacity

Availability

Performance

Data Protection

Security

Published CapabilitiesCompression

Replication

Deduplication

Encryption

vSphereStorage Policy-Based Mgmt.

Virtual Volumes

VASA Provider PE PE

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Compliance Made Easy With Automated Policy Monitoring

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Management Workflow• What do the Admins see?

• How are the storage containers setup?

• What does the vSphere Admins see?

• Why are we still creating datastores in this new model?

Storage policies

vSphere Web Client

Storage Management UI

Datastore

Storage Container

Storage Capabilities

virtual volumes

virtual machines

VVols in Operation Provisioning and Lifecycle Workflows

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Storage Container

vvol

DATA

vvol

CONF

vvol

SWAP

vvol

DATA

vvol

CONF

vvol

SWAP

Provisioning Workflow

storage arrays

PE

vSphere Admin1. Create Virtual Machines2. Assign a VM Storage Policy3. Choose a suitable Datastore

Under the Covers

Provisioning operations are translated into VASA API calls in order to create the individual virtual volumes, passing storage policies to array

Under the Covers

Provisioning operations are offloaded to the array for the creation of virtual volumes on the storage container that are stored based on capabilities defined in the VM Storage Policies

offload to array

Virtual Datastore

vSphereVirtual Volumes

PEPE

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Binding Operations

create bind

unbinddelete

VM Creation VM power-onopen (2)

I/O read (2)

I/O write (2)

VM power-offclose (2)

VM destroy

VP rebalance

REBINDI/O

Virtual Volume Lifecycle

• Bindings are data path coordinating mechanisms that occurs between VASA providers and ESXi hosts for accessing virtual volume.

• Different Binding Mechanism:• Binding – allows array create I/O channels

for a virtual volume

• Unbind – destroys the I/O channel for a virtual volume to a given ESXi host

• Rebind – provides the ability to change the I/O path (i.e. choice of PE) for a given virtual volumes run time using array-generated events.

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Snapshots• Snapshots are a fixed point in time image of a

Virtual Volume with a different ID from the original.

• Snapshots may be read-only or read/write

• Virtual Volumes snapshots are useful in the contexts of creating:– a quiesced copy for backup or archival purposes,

creating a test and rollback environment for applications.

• Two type of snapshots supported:– Managed Snapshot – Created and managed by

vSphere. • A maximum of 32 vSphere managed snapshot are

supported for linked clones of an individual VM

– Unmanaged Snapshot – Created and managed by the storage array.

Managed Snapshot - vSphere

Unmanaged Snapshot - Array

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Snapshots: Files vs VVols

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main.vmdk

VMFS VVol

VVol ID 42

main.vmdk

snap.vmdk

VVolID 42

Flat file

snap.vmdk

Redo log

Redo log

snap.vmdk

VVolID 86

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VVolID 861

Reverting Snapshots

main.vmdk

VVol ID 42

main.vmdk

snap.vmdk

VVolID 42

Flat file

VVolID 86

backout VVolID 243

VMFS VVol

Future Considerations

IntegrateData Services

Simplify Management Support Industry LeadingVirtualization Platform

Replication

Encryption

Device advancements

Usability

Operate at scale

Virtual disk level control

Scalability

Performance

Integration

Future Themes for Storage Management

Future

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VASA Replication Model

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Overview

• Replication is modeled as relationship (“Replication Group”) between “Fault Domains”

• Topology Discovery (Fault Domains, Replication Groups) through VASA APIs

• Replication operations defined on “Replication Groups” such as

– Synchronize– Failover– TestFailover– Reverse Replication

Future Considerations

NewYork

Boston

PaloAlto

HR Replication Group

Marketing Replication Group

FinanceReplication Groups

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What Do Customers Want?

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Application

Compute

Optimize Infrastructure Simplify OperationsDeliver Agility

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What Do Customers Like About Virtual Volumes

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Application driven provisioning

Rapid automation

Faster VM operations

Streamlined administration

Policy driven offerings

Flexible levels of control

Better storage utilization

Avoid over provisioning

VM-aware space reclamation

Application

Compute

Storage

Optimize Infrastructure Simplify OperationsDeliver Agility

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Certified Partners with Solutions

vSphere Virtual Volumes is an Industry-wide Initiative

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All Industry Leaders

>30 Partners Involved

>40 VVol-Enabled

Arrays

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Come Join the Discussion

STO10719-GDGroup Discussion: Meet the Virtual Volumes Product and Engineering Team Today at 1:00 PM

VirtualVolumes

VM

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Come Join the Discussion

VirtualVolumes

VM

STO8619 Transitioning to VVols: Partner Panel Wednesday at 4:00 PM

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