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Juan Novella

September 15, 2015

Using VMware® Virtual Data Servicesfor IO Acceleration in VMware vSphere® 6

Rich PetersenVMware SanDisk

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Software-Defined Storage Delivers an Efficient Operational Model

Software-Defined StorageStorage Today

SDS Datastore

Policy-driven operational model

VM centric

Flexible, change any time

Simple and agile

Cost Efficient

Deliver an operational model centered on the application

What’s New for VMware vSphere 6?• vSphere 6 enables integration of third party data services

• Uses “IO Filters” for integrating storage services• Caching and Replication first, others coming in the future

• VMware Storage Policy-Based Management (SPBM) • Services are installed, managed and maintained as “native components”

• VMware vCenter™ is “control point” for SDS with third party storage services• Data services for storage functions running at the host level

• Third Party Solutions can be certified VMware Ready™

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vSphere APIs for IO Filtering

New

Overview

• Software-based data services controlled by Storage Policy-Based Management

• Enables secure filtering of a VM’s IO safely in the kernel according to a policy

• Caching and replication initial use cases

• Storage agnostic to different architecture – works with Virtual Volumes enabled storage, Virtual SAN, and legacy storage

Add new 3rd party software-based data services seamlessly in vSphere

Storage Policy Based Management

Virtual SAN

Virtual Data Services

Virtual SAN Shared Datastore

HDDSSD HDDSSD HDDSSD

SAN / NAS SAN / NAS

3rd Party Data Services

CachingReplication

vSphere Virtual Volumes

VAIO

Advantages of the VAIO Framework

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Performance: VAIO delivers data to the IO Filter in 1 microsecond, significantly reducing storage stack latency

Stability: Third party technologies only intercept IO in user world

Compatibility: Replication filter positioned to intercept IO before it reaches the caching filter

Resilience: Decouples vSphere and third party filters, allowing ecosystem partners to release updates independently of VMware release schedule

Ease of Administration: As an SPBM-integrated data service, cache is automatically deployed, managed and maintained cluster-wide through vCenter and vSphere storage policies

Versatility: Hardware agnostic solution supports VMFS on SAN and DAS; NFS on NAS; Virtual Volumes enabled storage, and Virtual SAN

SanDisk & VMware Collaboration Collaboration on VMware “IO Filters” begins Q1 2014

VAIO program announced at VMworld 2014

– SanDisk is the design partner for caching

– EMC is the design partner for replication filter

FlashSoft demo at VMware Partner Exchange™, February 2015

VMware, SanDisk announce VAIO and FlashSoft at VMworld 2015

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Why Customers Choose Host-Side Caching

Removes the storage latency that constrains performance of applications and virtualized servers

Least disruptive means of introducing flash for improved performance – even between data center refreshes

Easy to evaluate, runs automatically with no administrative overhead, and is very economical to purchase and deploy

Reduces overall storage spending by putting flash precisely where needed, instead of replacing all HDD with SSD

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What’s New for FlashSoft® Software? At VMworld, on August 31, SanDisk announced that FlashSoft v4.0

will be released as a Virtual Data Service integrated through VAIO New features:

– Write-back as well as write-through caching– Support for Virtual Volumes, as well as VMFS, NFS and Virtual SAN datastores– Managed as a VMware-native data service – Installed, managed and maintained by VMware vCenter– Integrated through VMware Storage Policy Based Management (SPBM)– Certified VMware Ready

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Management Components

Host Components

Advantages of FlashSoft as a Virtual Data ServicePerformance

Solid-state caching filter for IO acceleration, with read and write caching

Business ValueIO Optimization & storage system offload

StabilityVM-level errors don’t crash the host

CompatibilityWith vSphere & VVOLs, and with VAIO-integrated replication data services

TrustPublic APIs & VMware certification give customers a higher level of confidence

ManageabilityEasier to deploy manage and administer (SPBM & vCenter management of all data services)

APIStorage Policy Based Management

Virtual SAN

Virtual Data Services

Virtual SAN Shared Datastore

HDDSSD HDDSSD HDDSSD

SAN / NAS SAN / NAS

vSphere Virtual Volumes

VAIO

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FlashSoft Software for VMware vSphere 5 & 6FlashSoft 3.7

• ESX 5.1, 5.5• Write-through caching• PSA API• Kernel mode driver• Supports all vSphere cluster features• VM-level acceleration• VMFS (SAN & DAS) storage• PVSP Certified

FlashSoft 4.0 (IO Filters)

• ESX 6.0 Update 1 (and later)• Write-back & write-through caching• IO Filter API• User-world driver integration• Supports all vSphere cluster features • VMDK acceleration• All Storage Support: VMFS, NFS• VVOL • VDI Support• VMware Ready Certified

vSphere 6.0 releases before Update 1 are

not supported

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Enabling Write-Back Caching Snapshot Coherence

– Pre-snapshot notifications Cache Data High Availability

– Write replication in Cache Groups Scalability

– Pairwise Cache Groups Stability

– User-world IO intercept with daemon-based cache design Resource efficiency

– Core FlashSoft design for solid-state caching

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Requirements ChecklistRequirement FlashSoftSupport for all vSphere features (HA, vMotion, SVMotion, DRS, HBR, VCB, snapshots/clones, etc.) Yes

Works with all SSD form factors from all vendors; supports solid-state arrays as “cache appliance” Yes

Support for all datastore types: SAN (VMFS), NAS (NFS) and VVol datastores (even Virtual SAN!) FS 4.0

Write-back and write-through caching modes FS 4.0

Compatibility with host-level replication data services; also pre-snapshot notifications FS 4.0

Selective acceleration (virtual disk level granularity) FS 4.0

Agentless design (Guest OS independence) Yes

Cache shared dynamically by VMs (not statically allocated) Yes

Dynamic cache reallocation for QoS and SLA Yes

Efficient caching for VDI (avoid redundant caching of shared data) Yes

Minimal latency to access data on SSD Yes

Low utilization of server resource, no incremental overhead at scale, low overhead on cluster network Yes

Integrated thru public APIs (PSA), certified by VMware as a “Partner Verified & Supported Product” (PVSP) Yes

Integrated thru public APIs (VAIO), certified “VMware Ready” & VVol compliant FS 4.0

13c© 2015 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. FlashSoft is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s).

@vmwarevsan @flashsoftteam

https://blogs.vmware.com/virtualblocks/ http://itblog.sandisk.com