Introduction - vSphere APIs for Virtual Volumes (VVols)

Virtual Volumes, or VVols, is a new VMware technology that enables storage arrays to deliver a rich set of features such as snapshots, cloning, and replication and can co-exist along with traditional LUN-based datastores. Using Virtual Volumes, VMware’s rich ecosystem of storage vendors enable their storage arrays to support granular virtual disks, delivering better services and optimizations for vSphere releases.

Interacting with vSphere Virtual Volumes SAN storage requires the use of VVol-aware HBA drivers. The use of drivers not specifically updated for use with Virtual Volumes will interfere with proper access to the storage array’s PE LUNs. When testing SAN-based Virtual Volumes storage, please make sure to use only I/O devices and drivers that support the Virtual Volumes feature in your system. The following link points to IO device page that lists all IO devices and drivers that support Vritual Volumes feature