This document provides an overview of the MRSCAPS design framework and how it can be applied to analyze VMware Virtual SAN (VSAN). It discusses VSAN considerations for each element of MRSCAPS: manageability using the vSphere console and health check plugin; recoverability through backups and replication; security with additional encryption options; cost based on licensing models; availability leveraged through storage policies and HA; performance through hardware optimizations and flash configurations; and scalability to large clusters and additional hosts. The presentation includes screenshots and concludes with a Q&A session.

1. © 2014 VMware Inc. All rights reserved.
VSAN Design
MRSCAPS Perpective
Nelson Fonseca (VCAP5-DCD | VCAP5-DCA)
Date

2. Agenda
• MRSCAPS Design Framework Overview
• MRSCAPS Applied to VMware Virtual SAN
• Q&A Session
CONFIDENTIAL 2

3. MRSCAPS Design Framework
• MRSCAPS is nothing more than a simple Design Framework that can
be applied to any IT System
– M: Manageability
– R: Recoverability
– S: Security
– C: Cost
– A: Availability
– P: Performance
– S: Scalability
Overview
3CONFIDENTIAL

4. Vmware Virtual SAN
Manageability

5. VSAN Manageability
• Use the Ruby vSphere Console (RVC) built in the vCenter (Windows or
Linux)
– More than 20 low level commands to manage VSAN:
• Check Cluster State, Check Resyncs, Start Proactive Rebalance, etc ...
• RVC Depends on vCenter
• Have a Bullet Proof DR Plan for your vCenter Server
– VSAN VM’s still run without vCenter !
• Install the VSAN Health Check Plugin
– Delivered in the box with VSAN 6.1
– Delivered out of the box with VSAN 6.0
Overview
5CONFIDENTIAL

6. VSAN Manageability
VSAN Health Check Plugin
6CONFIDENTIAL

7. VSAN Manageability
• If vROPS is installed there is a Management Pack for VSAN
– Provides granular metrics on several performance and capacity indicators
like:
– Heatmaps dashboards that provide an overview of the VSAN DS performance
– Throughput/Latency/Disk Usage per controller/DG/SSD/MD
– Alerts for VSAN
vROPS Management Pack for VSAN
7CONFIDENTIAL

8. Vmware Virtual SAN
Recoverability

9. VSAN Recoverability
• Backup Policy for your VM’s on VSAN is crucial:
– Don’t rely only on Storage Policies: They are not backups !
• Deploy vSphere Data Protection:
– Better out of VSAN Datastore:
• Aditional protection against underlying physical devices failures used by VSAN.
Works like an Off Site Backup
• vSphere Replication can be integrated in VSAN with or without Site
Recovery Manager
– For single site replication, better to replicate to a non VSAN Datastore
– 5 min RPO with VSAN 6.1 !
Recoverability
9CONFIDENTIAL

10. Vmware Virtual SAN
Security

11. VSAN Security
• VSAN doesn’t provide encryption at the vmkernel level
– This feature wil be included in future releases !
• But it is still possible to add encryption on top of VSAN:
– Hytrust DataControl
• Software agent that encrypts data from within the guest OS of a VM, ensuring
protection and data security.
Security
11CONFIDENTIAL

12. Vmware Virtual SAN
Cost

13. VSAN Cost
• Choose wisely your licensing model.
• In VSAN 6.1 there are now 3 licenses available.
– VSAN Standard
– VSAN Advanced (Stretched Cluster + All Flash)
– ROBO (25 VMs per site)
• How to get a VSAN Cluster:
– VSAN Ready Nodes (Partners)
– EVO:Rail (Hyperconverged Solution)
– Build your own VSAN Cluster (VSAN DIY)
Cost
13CONFIDENTIAL

14. Vmware Virtual SAN
Availability

15. VSAN Availability
• VM availability is leveraged by VSAN Storage Policies:
– FTT (Failures to Tolerate) ranges from 0 to 3
– FTT protects your VM’s against Network, Disks or Host failures
– Business Critical VM’s  Higher FTT
• HA also increases VM’s Availability in VSAN
– Carefully plan HA Failover Capacity as usual
– Max VM’s per host in VSAN 5.5 is 100 and 200 in VSAN 6
• 4 node VSAN cluster recommended over a 3 node:
– 3 node cluster doesn’t “re-protects” your VMs against host failures.
Availability
15CONFIDENTIAL

16. VSAN Availability
• VSAN 6.1 introduces a new feature able to deliver aditional availability
for your VM’s across distant sites
VSAN Stretched Cluster
16CONFIDENTIAL

17. Vmware Virtual SAN
Performance

18. VSAN Performance
– Use 10 Gb/40Gb Network:
• Object rebuild much faster
• Great Overall Performance
– All Flash VSAN
• Incredibly Fast !
• Available since VSAN 6.0
– For Hybrid VSAN:
• 10% SSD/MD ratio is a golden rule
• Muliple Disk Groups per host
• 15K rpm MD’s for capacity tier
• Raid Controller with High Queue Depth
• Pcie SSD’s instead of SATA SSD’s
• Increase number of stripes per object
Performance recommendations
18CONFIDENTIAL

19. Vmware Virtual SAN
Scalability

20. VSAN Scalability
– VSAN Scales out up to 64 Nodes
• Petabyte Ready !
– Need to scale out storage resources ?
• Just add more Disks Groups to the hosts
– Need more CPU/RAM resources but have enough Storage ?
• Just add new hosts to the cluster with no local storage (still need extra VSAN
Licenses)
– IO performance scales linearly with the number of hosts
– VSAN 6.0 pro-actively rebalances data to the new hosts
Scalability
20CONFIDENTIAL

21. Thank You !
Q & A Session