6.7

Table Of Contents
The basic components of I/O filtering include the following:
VAIO Filter Framework A combination of user world and VMkernel infrastructure provided by ESXi.
With the framework, you can add filter plug-ins to the I/O path to and from
virtual disks. The infrastructure includes an I/O filter storage provider (VASA
provider). The provider integrates with the Storage Policy Based
Management (SPBM) system and exports filter capabilities to
vCenter Server.
I/O Filter Plug-In A software component provided by VMware or developed by VMware
partners that intercepts and filters I/O data in transit between virtual disks
and guest operating systems. If VMware partners develop the I/O filter, the
filter might include additional optional components that help in its
configuration and management.
The following figure illustrates the components of I/O filtering and the flow of I/O between the guest OS
and the virtual disk.
VAIO Filter Framework
Virtual Machine
GuestOS
Filter 1
Filter 2
Filter N
I/O Path
Virtual Disk
I/O Path
vSphere Storage
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