In this podcast we discuss VMware VVOLs with Satyam Vaghani, Co-Founder and CTO PernixData. In Satyam’s previous job, he was VMware’s Principal Engineer and Storage CTO and worked extensively on VVOLs and other VMware storage enhancements. He also happens to be the GreyBeards second repeat guest.
With vSphere 6 coming out by the end of this quarter, it’s a good time to talk about VVOLs and VASA 2.0.
In the podcast, Ray and Howard got a bit wild on the terminology we used to describe how VMware VVOLs work. Satyam wanted to be sure that we at least provided a decoder ring to get us back to proper VMware terminology.
- So in the podcast when we discuss the magic LUN, control LUN or the container LUN, VMware calls this the Protocol Endpoint (PE). VMware uses the+ PE for a message passing interface to inform a storage system what IO to perform. Although technically in block storage the PE is a LUN, it really has no data storage behind it, rather it’s only used as a message box to perform IO on other storage objects.
- In the podcast when we talk about micro-LUNs, sub-LUNs or VM data objects. VMware calls these items a Virtual Volume (VVOL). VVOLs represent a new version of VMDK. But because VVOLs no longer have to reside with other VVOLs (VMDKs) on the same LUN, they can be replicated, snapshotted, cloned, etc., all by themselves, without having to impact other VVOLs in the storage system.
VMware is also releasing VASA 2.0 to provide an easier, more standardized approach to provisioning VVOLs. Together, VVOLs and VASA 2.0 should theoretically greatly reduce the burden on VMware storage administration.
We go into more detail how block storage VVOLs work, the benefits of VVOLs-VASA 2.0, and many other items in our discussions with Satyam. Listen to the podcast to learn more…
This months episode runs about 45 minutes. 
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Satyam Vaghani Bio’s
Satyam Vaghani is Co-Founder and CTO at PernixData, a company that leverages server flash to enable scale-out storage performance that is independent of capacity. Earlier, he was VMware’s Principal Engineer and Storage CTO where he spent 10 years delivering fundamental storage innovations in vSphere. He is most known for creating the Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) that set a storage standard for server virtualization. He has authored 50+ patents, led industry-wide changes in storage systems and standards via VAAI, and has been a regular speaker at VMworld and other industry and academic forums. Satyam received his Masters in CS from Stanford and Bachelors in CS from BITS Pilani.