What is Virtual Volumes (vVols)?

Eliminate physical containers and enable more flexible consumption of resources with Virtual Volumes (vVols). This integration and management framework for external storage provides finer control at the VM-level, streamlines storage operations, and offers flexibility of choice.

vVols is an integration and management framework that virtualizes SAN/NAS arrays, enabling a more efficient operational model that is optimized for virtualized environments and centered on the application instead of the infrastructure. vVols simplifies operations through policy-driven automation that enables more agile storage consumption for virtual machines and dynamic adjustments in real time, when they are needed. It simplifies the delivery of storage service levels to individual applications by providing finer control of hardware resources and native array-based data services that can be instantiated with virtual machine granularity.

vVols are VMDK granular storage entities exported by storage arrays. vVols are exported to the ESXi host through a small set of protocol end-points (PE). Protocol Endpoints are part of the physical storage fabric, and they establish a data path from virtual machines to their respective vVols on demand. Storage systems enable data services on vVols. The results of these data services are newer vVols. Data services, configuration and management of virtual volume systems is exclusively done out-of-band with respect to the data path. vVols can be grouped into logical entities called storage containers (SC) for management purposes. The existence of storage containers is limited to the out-of-band management channel.

vVols and Storage Containers (SC) form the virtual storage fabric. Protocol Endpoints (PE) are part of the physical storage fabric.

By using a special set of APIs called vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA), the storage system becomes aware of the vVols and their associations with the relevant virtual machines.

Characteristics of vVols:

· No File System.

· ESX manages the array through VASA (vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness) APIs.

· Arrays are logically partitioned into containers, called Storage Containers.

· Virtual machine disks, called vVols, stored natively on the Storage Containers.

· IO from ESXi host to the storage array is addressed through an access point called, Protocol Endpoint (PE).

· Data Services are offloaded to the array. Snapshot, Replication, Encryption.

· Managed through storage policy-based management (SPBM) framework.

VASA (vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness) APIs (VP)

A vVols storage provider, also called a VASA provider is a software component that acts as a storage awareness service for vSphere. The provider mediates out-of-band communication between the vCenter Server and ESXi hosts on one side and a storage system on the other.

· Software component developed by Storage Array Vendors.

· ESX and vCenter Server connect to VASA Provider.

· Provides Storage awareness services.

· Single VASA Provider can manages multiple arrays.

· Supports VASA APIs exported by the ESXi host.

· VASA Provider can be implemented within the array’s management server or firmware.

· Responsible for creating vVols.

Storage Containers (SC)

Unlike traditional LUN and NFS based vSphere storage, the vVols functionality does not require pre-configured volumes on a storage side. Instead, vVols uses a storage container, which is a pool of raw storage capacity or an aggregation of storage capabilities that a storage system can provide to vVols.

· Logical storage constructs for grouping of vVols.

· Logically partition or isolate virtual machines with diverse storage needs and requirement.

· A single Storage Container can be simultaneously accessed via multiple Protocol Endpoints.

· Desired capabilities are applied to the Storage Containers.

· VASA Provider discovers Storage Container and reports to the vCenter Server.

· Any new virtual machines that are created are subsequently provisioned in the Storage Container.

Protocol Endpoint (PE)

Although storage systems manage all aspects of vVols, ESXi hosts have no direct access to vVols on the storage side. Instead, ESXi hosts use a logical I/O proxy, called the Protocol Endpoint (PE), to communicate with vVols and virtual disk files that vVols encapsulate. ESXi uses Protocol Endpoints (PE) to establish a data path on demand from virtual machines to their respective vVols.

· Separate the access points from the storage itself.

· Can have fewer access points.

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

· Access points that enables communication between ESXi hosts and storage array systems.

· Compatible with all SAN and NAS Protocols: iSCSI, NFS v3, FC, FCoE.

· A Protocol Endpoint can support any one of these protocols at a given time.

vVols Objects

A virtual datastore represents a storage container in vCenter Server and the vSphere Web Client. vVols are encapsulations of virtual machine files, virtual disks, and their derivatives.

· Virtual machine objects stored natively on the array storage containers

· There are five different types of recognized vVols:

1. Config-vVol - Metadata

2. Data-vVol - VMDKs

3. Mem-vVol - Snapshots

4. Swap-vVol - Swap files

5. Other-vVol - Vendor solution specific

VSC (Virtual Storage Console)

The virtual appliance for Virtual Storage Console (VSC), VASA Provider, and Storage Replication Adapter (SRA) provides end-to-end life cycle management for virtual machines in VMware environments that use NetApp storage systems. It simplifies storage and data management for VMware environments by enabling administrators to directly manage storage within the vCenter Server.

The 9.6 release of the virtual appliance for Virtual Storage Console (VSC), VASA Provider, and Storage Replication Adapter (SRA) provides the combined features of VSC, VASA Provider, and SRA in a single deployment.

Support for ONTAP 9.6:

The 9.6 release of the virtual appliance for Virtual Storage Console (VSC), VASA Provider, and Storage Replication Adapter (SRA) supports ONTAP 9.6.

Availability of VVol reports:

Starting with the 9.6 release of the virtual appliance for VSC, VASA Provider, and SRA, you can view and export VVol datastore reports. The VVol reports enable you to review and identify potential issues with the VVol datastores and virtual machines in your vCenter Server. The following VVol reports are available:

• VVol Datastore Report

• VVol Virtual Machine Report

Open Virtual Storage Console.