6.5.1
Table Of Contents
- vSphere Storage
- Contents
- About vSphere Storage
- Updated Information
- Introduction to Storage
- Getting Started with a Traditional Storage Model
- Overview of Using ESXi with a SAN
- Using ESXi with Fibre Channel SAN
- Configuring Fibre Channel Storage
- Configuring Fibre Channel over Ethernet
- Booting ESXi from Fibre Channel SAN
- Booting ESXi with Software FCoE
- Best Practices for Fibre Channel Storage
- Using ESXi with iSCSI SAN
- Configuring iSCSI Adapters and Storage
- ESXi iSCSI SAN Requirements
- ESXi iSCSI SAN Restrictions
- Setting LUN Allocations for iSCSI
- Network Configuration and Authentication
- Set Up Independent Hardware iSCSI Adapters
- About Dependent Hardware iSCSI Adapters
- About the Software iSCSI Adapter
- Modify General Properties for iSCSI Adapters
- Setting Up iSCSI Network
- Using Jumbo Frames with iSCSI
- Configuring Discovery Addresses for iSCSI Adapters
- Configuring CHAP Parameters for iSCSI Adapters
- Configuring Advanced Parameters for iSCSI
- iSCSI Session Management
- Booting from iSCSI SAN
- Best Practices for iSCSI Storage
- Managing Storage Devices
- Storage Device Characteristics
- Understanding Storage Device Naming
- Storage Rescan Operations
- Identifying Device Connectivity Problems
- Edit Configuration File Parameters
- Enable or Disable the Locator LED on Storage Devices
- Erase Storage Devices
- Working with Flash Devices
- About VMware vSphere Flash Read Cache
- Working with Datastores
- Types of Datastores
- Understanding VMFS Datastores
- Understanding Network File System Datastores
- Creating Datastores
- Managing Duplicate VMFS Datastores
- Increasing VMFS Datastore Capacity
- Administrative Operations for Datastores
- Set Up Dynamic Disk Mirroring
- Collecting Diagnostic Information for ESXi Hosts on a Storage Device
- Checking Metadata Consistency with VOMA
- Configuring VMFS Pointer Block Cache
- Understanding Multipathing and Failover
- Raw Device Mapping
- Software-Defined Storage and Storage Policy Based Management
- About Storage Policy Based Management
- Virtual Machine Storage Policies
- Working with Virtual Machine Storage Policies
- Populating the VM Storage Policies Interface
- Default Storage Policies
- Creating and Managing VM Storage Policies
- Storage Policies and Virtual Machines
- Assign Storage Policies to Virtual Machines
- Change Storage Policy Assignment for Virtual Machine Files and Disks
- Monitor Storage Compliance for Virtual Machines
- Check Compliance for a VM Storage Policy
- Find Compatible Storage Resource for Noncompliant Virtual Machine
- Reapply Virtual Machine Storage Policy
- Using Storage Providers
- Working with Virtual Volumes
- About Virtual Volumes
- Virtual Volumes Concepts
- Virtual Volumes and Storage Protocols
- Virtual Volumes Architecture
- Virtual Volumes and VMware Certificate Authority
- Snapshots and Virtual Volumes
- Before You Enable Virtual Volumes
- Configure Virtual Volumes
- Provision Virtual Machines on Virtual Volumes Datastores
- Virtual Volumes and Replication
- Best Practices for Working with vSphere Virtual Volumes
- Filtering Virtual Machine I/O
- Storage Hardware Acceleration
- Hardware Acceleration Benefits
- Hardware Acceleration Requirements
- Hardware Acceleration Support Status
- Hardware Acceleration for Block Storage Devices
- Hardware Acceleration on NAS Devices
- Hardware Acceleration Considerations
- Thin Provisioning and Space Reclamation
- Using vmkfstools
- vmkfstools Command Syntax
- The vmkfstools Command Options
- -v Suboption
- File System Options
- Virtual Disk Options
- Supported Disk Formats
- Creating a Virtual Disk
- Initializing a Virtual Disk
- Inflating a Thin Virtual Disk
- Converting a Zeroedthick Virtual Disk to an Eagerzeroedthick Disk
- Removing Zeroed Blocks
- Deleting a Virtual Disk
- Renaming a Virtual Disk
- Cloning or Converting a Virtual Disk or RDM
- Extending a Virtual Disk
- Upgrading Virtual Disks
- Creating a Virtual Compatibility Mode Raw Device Mapping
- Creating a Physical Compatibility Mode Raw Device Mapping
- Listing Attributes of an RDM
- Displaying Virtual Disk Geometry
- Checking and Repairing Virtual Disks
- Checking Disk Chain for Consistency
- Storage Device Options
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Web server to host partner packages for filter installation. The server must remain available after
initial installation. When a new host joins the cluster, the server pushes appropriate I/O filter
components to the host.
Configure I/O Filters in the vSphere Environment
To set up data services that the I/O filters provide for your virtual machines, follow several steps.
Prerequisites
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Create a cluster that includes at least one ESXi host.
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VMware offers the I/O filters. In addition, you can use the filters that VMware partners create through
the vSphere APIs for I/O Filtering (VAIO). Typically, the partner filter packages are distributed as
vSphere Installation Bundles (VIBs) and can include I/O filter daemons, CIM providers, and other
associated components. For information, contact your vendor or your VMware representative.
Procedure
1 Install I/O Filters in a Cluster
If you use I/O filters provided by third parties, install the I/O filters in an ESXi host cluster.
2 View I/O Filters and Storage Providers
You can review I/O filters available in your environment and verify that the I/O filter providers appear
as expected and are active.
3 Configure Virtual Flash Resource for Caching I/O Filters
If your caching I/O filter uses local flash devices, configure a virtual flash resource, also known as
VFFS volume. You configure the resource on your ESXi host before activating the filter.
4 Enable I/O Filter Data Services on Virtual Disks
Enabling data services that I/O filters provide is a two-step process. You create a virtual machine
policy based on data service capabilities that the I/O filters provide, and then attach this policy to a
virtual machine.
What to do next
For information about troubleshooting I/O filters, see the vSphere Troubleshooting documentation.
Install I/O Filters in a Cluster
If you use I/O filters provided by third parties, install the I/O filters in an ESXi host cluster.
VMware partners create I/O filters through the vSphere APIs for I/O Filtering (VAIO) developer program.
The filter packages are typically distributed as vSphere Installation Bundles (VIBs). The VIB package can
include I/O filter daemons, CIM providers, and other associated components.
Typically, to deploy the filters, you run installers provided by vendors. Installation is performed at an ESXi
cluster lever. You cannot install the filters on selected hosts.
vSphere Storage
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