NetApp and VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3 Storage Best Practices

NETAPP TECHNICAL REPORT
NetApp and VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3
Storage Best Practices M. Vaughn Stewart, Michael Slisinger, & Larry Touchette | NetApp December 2008 | TR3428 | Version 4.4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... 4

2
VMWARE STORAGE OPTIONS ............................................................................................... 4
2.1
VMFS DATASTORES CONNECTED BY FIBRE CHANNEL OR ISCSI..........................................................5
2.2
NAS DATASTORES CONNECTED OVER ETHERNET..................................................................................6
2.3
RAW DEVICE MAPPINGS WITH FIBRE CHANNEL OR ISCSI ......................................................................7
2.4
DATASTORE COMPARISON TABLE .............................................................................................................8

3
FAS CONFIGURATION AND SETUP ....................................................................................... 9
3.1
STORAGE SYSTEM CONFIGURATION..........................................................................................................9

4
VIRTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE 3 CONFIGURATION BASICS............................................... 10
4.1
CONFIGURATION LIMITS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..............................................................................10
4.2
STORAGE PROVISIONING ...........................................................................................................................17
4.3
NETWORK FILE SYSTEM (NFS) PROVISIONING .......................................................................................19
4.4
STORAGE CONNECTIVITY ...........................................................................................................................23

5
IP STORAGE NETWORKING BEST PRACTICES................................................................. 34

6
VMWARE ESX NETWORK CONFIGURATION OPTIONS..................................................... 36
6.1
HIGH AVAILABLE IP STORAGE DESIGN WITH TRADITIONAL ETHERNET SWITCHES ........................36
6.2
ESX NETWORKING WITHOUT ETHERCHANNEL.......................................................................................38
6.3
ESX WITH MULTIPLE VMKERNELS, TRADITIONAL ETHERNET, AND NETAPP NETWORKING WITH SINGLE MODE VIFS .................................................................................................................................................40
6.4
ESX WITH MULTIPLE VMKERNELS, TRADITIONAL ETHERNET, AND NETAPP NETWORKING WITH MUTI-LEVEL VIFS.....................................................................................................................................................41
6.5
DATASTORE CONFIGURATION WITH TRADITIONAL ETHERNET...........................................................42
6.6
HIGH AVAILABLE IP STORAGE DESIGN WITH ETHERNET SWITCHES THAT SUPPORT CROSS-STACK ETHERCHANNEL ........................................................................................................................................43
6.7
ESX NETWORKING AND CROSS-STACK ETHERCHANNEL ....................................................................43
6.8
ESX, CROSS-STACK ETHERCHANNEL, AND NETAPP NETWORKING WITH MULTIMODE VIFS.........45
6.9
DATASTORE CONFIGURATION WITH ETHERCHANNEL..........................................................................46

7
INCREASING STORAGE UTILIZATION................................................................................. 47
7.1
DATA DEDUPLICATION ................................................................................................................................48
7.2
STORAGE THIN PROVISIONING ..................................................................................................................50

8
MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................... 52
8.1
MONITORING STORAGE UTILIZATION WITH NETAPP OPERATIONS MANAGER.................................52
8.2
STORAGE GROWTH MANAGEMENT ..........................................................................................................52
9
BACKUP AND RECOVERY ............................................................................... [download for more]