VMware vSAN Cheatsheet: Hyperconverged Infrastructure Storage

Overview

VMware vSAN is a software-defined storage solution that integrates directly with VMware vSphere to create a distributed storage layer.

Core Concepts

• Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI)
• Distributed Storage Architecture
• Software-Defined Storage
• Storage Policy-Based Management

Key Components

1. vSAN Cluster

   • Minimum 3 hosts
   • ESXi hosts with local storage devices

2. Disk Groups

   • Cache tier (SSD/NVMe)
   • Capacity tier (HDD/SSD)

3. Storage Policies

   • Define storage characteristics
   • Customize performance and availability

Installation Prerequisites

• vSphere 6.7 or higher
• Compatible ESXi hosts
• Minimum hardware requirements:
  • 32 GB RAM
  • Supported SSD/HDD configurations
  • 10 Gbps network infrastructure

Configuration Workflow

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
# vSAN Deployment Steps
1. Enable vSAN in vSphere Cluster
2. Configure disk groups
3. Define storage policies
4. Create storage objects
5. Monitor cluster health

Key CLI Commands

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
# vSAN Management
esxcli vsan network list
esxcli vsan storage list
esxcli vsan cluster get
esxcli vsan health summary

# Performance Monitoring
vsanSparse performance statistics

Storage Policies

• Failure Tolerance Method

  • RAID-0 (No Redundancy)
  • RAID-1 (Mirroring)
  • RAID-5/6 Erasure Coding

• Performance Configurations

  • Flash Read Cache Reservation
  • Object Space Reservation
  • Number of Disk Stripes per Object

Security Best Practices

1. Enable encryption at rest
2. Use secure network configurations
3. Implement role-based access control
4. Regular software updates
5. Monitor cluster health and performance

Troubleshooting Techniques

• Check disk group health
• Validate network connectivity
• Review vSAN performance metrics
• Analyze storage policy compliance
• Use vSAN Observer for detailed diagnostics

Performance Optimization

• Use all-flash configurations
• Optimize disk group design
• Balance cache and capacity tiers
• Implement storage policies strategically
• Monitor and tune network configuration

Common Use Cases

1. Software-Defined Datacenter

   • Simplified storage management
   • Scalable infrastructure

2. Remote and Branch Offices

   • Compact, efficient storage solution
   • Centralized management

3. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

   • High-performance storage
   • Predictable I/O performance

Licensing

• vSAN Standard: Basic storage features
• vSAN Advanced: Enhanced performance
• vSAN Enterprise: Full feature set

Scaling Strategies

• Horizontal scaling (add hosts)
• Vertical scaling (upgrade host resources)
• Dynamic capacity expansion
• Non-disruptive upgrades

Resource Recommendations

• Official VMware vSAN Documentation
• VMware vSAN Design Guide
• Performance and Best Practices Handbook
• Community Forums and Knowledge Base

Recommended Learning Path

1. Virtualization fundamentals
2. Storage architecture concepts
3. vSAN technical deep dive
4. Hands-on lab experience
5. vSAN certification preparation