Dell PowerStore 3000X EMC PowerStore Virtualization Infrastructure Guide - Page 7

A VM can consist of multiple vVols depending on its configuration and status. The different types of vVol objects are ConfigvVol, Data-vVol (equivalent to VMDK), Memory-vVol, and Swap-vVol. For more information, see Virtual volumes overview on page 7. Protocol Endpoints Protocol Endpoints (PEs) are used as I/O access points from ESXi hosts to a PowerStore cluster. These endpoints establish a data path on-demand for virtual machines and their respective vVol datastores. For more information, see Protocol Endpoints and vVols on page 8. VASA provider The vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) provider is a management server that supports vVol commands using the vSphere APIs. VASA enables the basic information about the storage system and storage resources on a PowerStore cluster to be made available to the vCenter Server. This information includes storage policies, properties, and health status. A PowerStore X model appliance includes a native VASA provider that enables vVols and is automatically registered in vSphere as part of the initial configuration process. To use vVols on a PowerStore T model cluster, you must manually register the VASA provider on the PowerStore T model cluster from the vCenter Server. Storage containers A storage container is used to present vVol storage from a PowerStore cluster to vSphere. vSphere mounts the storage container as a vVol datastore and makes it available for VM storage. The default storage container is mounted automatically on the internal ESXi nodes of a PowerStore X model appliance. When a PowerStore cluster is used to provide VM storage, user VMs should be provisioned on the vVol datastores. Agent VMs should be provisioned on the private VMFS datastores of the PowerStore X model to allow the agent VMs to start before the controller VMs. CAUTION: Do not provision user VMs on the private VMFS datastores of the PowerStore X model appliance. The private VMFS datastores are reserved for the controller nodes on the PowerStore X model appliance. For more information, see Storage containers overview on page 8. Storage Policy Based Management vVols use Storage Policy Based Management (SPBM) to ensure that VMs have the appropriate storage capabilities through their entire life cycle. VM storage policies can also be created after the storage provider is registered. These policies are used to determine the storage capabilities when a VM is provisioned. For information about creating a VM storage policy, see the VMware vSphere documentation. Virtual volumes overview vVols are storage objects that are provisioned automatically on a storage container and store VM data. vVol provisioning Different management actions generate different vVols that are associated with a VM. Table 1. Types of vVols Management action Create a VM vVols created ● Data-vVol (.vmdk) ● Config-vVol Overview 7