6.5.1

Table Of Contents
Contents
About vSphere Storage 8
Updated Information 9
1
Introduction to Storage 10
Traditional Storage Virtualization Models 10
Software-Defined Storage Models 12
vSphere Storage APIs 12
2
Getting Started with a Traditional Storage Model 14
Types of Physical Storage 14
Supported Storage Adapters 25
Datastore Characteristics 26
3
Overview of Using ESXi with a SAN 30
ESXi and SAN Use Cases 31
Specifics of Using SAN Storage with ESXi 31
ESXi Hosts and Multiple Storage Arrays 32
Making LUN Decisions 32
Selecting Virtual Machine Locations 34
Third-Party Management Applications 34
SAN Storage Backup Considerations 35
4
Using ESXi with Fibre Channel SAN 37
Fibre Channel SAN Concepts 37
Using Zoning with Fibre Channel SANs 39
How Virtual Machines Access Data on a Fibre Channel SAN 39
5
Configuring Fibre Channel Storage 41
ESXi Fibre Channel SAN Requirements 41
Installation and Setup Steps 43
N-Port ID Virtualization 43
6
Configuring Fibre Channel over Ethernet 47
Fibre Channel over Ethernet Adapters 47
Configuration Guidelines for Software FCoE 48
Set Up Networking for Software FCoE 48
Add Software FCoE Adapters 49
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