Cooperation with VMware Performance Improvement in virtualized server environments

vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI) is provided in "VMware vSphere" which enables platform virtualization. VAAI is an API which improves system performance and scalability by making effective use of the resources of ETERNUS AF/ETERNUS DX (herein after called ETERNUS). ETERNUS support the following functions of VAAI.

Full Copy: Replication of virtual machine/Copy for migration

Previously, it is required to copy data through a server for replication of virtual machine, data migration, etc. This function enables data copy within a ETERNUS without going through the server. This reduces load on the server and improves system performance.

Block Zeroing: Zero out when allocating storage area in new virtual machine

When allocating storage area to create a new virtual machine, etc., it is necessary to zero out the storage area as initialization process. Previously, this process is performed at the server side. Performing this process at the ETERNUS side instead reduces load on the server and speeds up capacity allocation of virtual machine.

Hardware Assisted Locking: Improved exclusion control

When writing to virtual server disk volumes the logical volume locking size in VMware vShere environments is large. This means subsequent writes to the same area have to wait for the first one to finish. By performing exclusion control at the ETERNUS storage level uses much smaller block unit sizes. This improves the operational efficiency of the overall virtual machine environment.

Thin Provisioning Space Reclamation - Release of unallocated areas

Unallocated areas created by file or virtual machine deletion can be released. They are released by issuing a UNMAP command or deleting a file on VMFS. They are not released by file deletion by the OS of a virtual machine.
A host notification function notifies the host when the number of primary allocated blocks reached its threshold value.

Benefits

• Significant reductions in server loads
• Improved performance of the overall virtual environment

Product Requirements

• *Note:
  When using the ETERNUS DX S2 series, it is necessary to apply firmware version V10L20-0000 or higher.