Why Virtual Storage Area Network (vSAN)?

vSAN offers a rapid deployment model for VMs, enabling the provisioning of storage and other resources through a single administrative console. In partnership with VMware, vSAN presents a compelling alternative to traditional fibre channel SANs, which are often bogged down by complexity and operational challenges.

The solution introduces a high-performance storage tier, optimized for enterprise-class virtual environments. vSAN is designed to be simple to operate, robust, and efficient, significantly reducing the total cost of ownership. It stands out as an ideal solution for enterprises requiring scalability and a strong return on investment.

A vSAN configuration typically involves a pre-configured single or multi-node server setup tailored for vSAN VMs. Many solutions come with predefined configuration profiles that specify the type and amount of CPU, memory, HDD, and I/O controller devices within each server, focusing on either price or performance to meet diverse user case requirements. These profiles consider a target number of VMs per node, based on an average VM profile size.

Incorporating clustering technology, vSAN minimizes the risk of faults through incremental replication, enhancing reliability. It offers centralized storage solutions that are pivotal for a variety of applications, providing VM solutions more quickly and cost-effectively. Whether it’s for conducting research, deploying platforms across multiple sites, or simply running business operations, clustered storage with replication proves invaluable.

The flexibility, scalability, and performance of VMware vSAN are augmented by exceptional manageability and numerous other benefits. With the 7th Update, a notable feature is the vSAN HCI Mesh. This innovation allows vSAN administrators to mount remote vSAN datastores from other vSAN clusters, optimizing the utilization of available storage across clusters. HCI Mesh supports running the compute for a VM locally while leveraging a storage backend from a remote vSAN datastore, enhancing flexibility and resource efficiency.