vSphere
What's new in VMware vSphere 5.0 Storage
Technical overview of new features and enhancements to the core capabilities in vSphere that provide more performance optimization, and easier provisioning, monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities.
What’s New in VMware vSphere 4.1—Storage
Technical overview of new storage related features in the vSphere 4.1 release that enables greater scalability and ease of management.
Managing Performance Variance of Applications Using Storage I/O Control
Performance Study of how Storage I/O Control effects application workloads in a heavy I/O configuration.
Best Practices for Running vSphere on NFS storage
This paper provides a technical overview of deployment considerations and best practices for running vSphere on Network File System shared storage.
Everything You Need to Know about vSphere and Data Storage
Storage Magazine cover article, January 2010
Dynamic Storage Provisioning
Considerations and best practices for using virtual disk thin provisioning.
What Is New in VMware vSphere™ 4: Storage
Technical overview of new storage related features in the vSphere 4.0 release that enable more efficiency, greater control and more choice for storage virtualization. Features such as virtual disk thin provisioning, VMFS Volume Grow, New iSCSI Software Initiator, and new views and alert in vCenter.
Performance
Performance Characterization of VMFS and RDM using a SAN
Results of a study comparing performance of Raw Disk Maps to dedicated VMFS volumes.
Storage Subsystem Performance in VMware ESX: BusLogic Versus LSI Logic
This paper compares the performance of virtual BusLogic and LSI logic SCSI drivers in ESX.
Scalable Storage Performance
This paper discusses queue depth and use of scis reservations with recommendations.
Performance Characteristics of VMFS and RDM
Another paper that compares performance consideration of Raw Disk Maps and VMFS.
Comparison of Storage Protocol Performance
Compares performance of ESX on four network storage options and shows all are viable options.
Performance Counters (useful for performance troubleshooting)
This paper explains what storage performance metrics can be used with ESXTOP utility.
VMware vSphere storage APIs
VMware vSphere provides an API and SDK environment to allow customers and independent software vendors (ISV) to enhance and extend the functionality of vSphere. Within the realm of VMware vSphere storage virtualization, the following APIs exist
VMware vSphere API for Data Protection
VMware vSphere API for Array Integration
VMware vSphere API for multi-path
VMware vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA)
Storage Connectivity
Download the Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide
Download the iSCSI SAN Configuration Guide
Read the Best Practices for Running vSphere on NFS Storage whitepaper
Backup
vSphere 4.x and 5.0 tools
VMware data recovery. An overview of the data protection solution for your VMware environment.
You can also download the
VMware Data Recovery Data Sheet
vSphere API for Data Protection. Learn more about the VMware vSphere API for Data Protection.
Virtual Infrastructure 3.x tools
Consolidated Backup in VMware Infrastructure 3
This paper provides a brief introduction and overview of VMware Consolidated Backup.
VMware Consolidated Backup: Improvements in Version 3.5
Provides an overview of what is new for VCB in release 3.5 for VCB.
VMware Consolidated Backup Best Practices Guidelines and Considerations
This paper provides sizing guidelines, recommendations and troubleshooting tips for VCB.
Optimized Backup and Recovery for VMware Infrastructure with EMC Avamar
Architecture overview and technical details of Avamar backup options for VMware Infrastructure 3.
VMware Consolidated Backup - Partner Integration Guide
Functionality for partners who want to integrate backup solutions with VMware backup API.
Take the Next Step
Learn more about VMware storage-related products such as VMware Storage VMotion and VMware vStorage VMFS.
