Selecting storage and hardware for VMware environments
Top Stories
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Tip
15 Oct 2021
3 VMware disk types you should know: Raw, thick and thin
Raw, thick and thin disks offer portability and file storage efficiency. But each type has its pros and cons, including slower write speeds, less security and increased capacity. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Aug 2021
VMware vSAN file service introduces NFS, SMB file shares
VMware introduced NFS and SMB file shares with the vSAN file service. This service lets VMs access any stored data in the vSAN datastore as long as you configure access rights. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 May 2021
VMware vSphere Bitfusion accelerates ML and AI workloads
VMware's Bitfusion integration enhances vSphere's usage and utility with GPU virtualization to offload both ML and AI processing within VMware systems. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Apr 2021
How to deploy VMware [email protected] Fling
To deploy VMware's Fling appliance and use the [email protected] software, you must have at least vCenter Server 6, a username and passkey, an IP address, a gateway and a DNS. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Dec 2020
Ensure VMware third-party support with the vendor's APIs
Admins can ensure third-party tools are VMware-compatible through the SDK and API Support program, which offers APIs that integrate third-party products with VMware environments. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Nov 2020
How to set up a VMware home lab on a budget
Set up a small, energy-efficient, at-home VMware virtualization lab for under $1,000 by evaluating your PC, software subscription and storage options. Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2020
MinIO brings high-performance object storage to VMware Tanzu
MinIO brings software-defined, cloud-native object storage to VMware Cloud Foundation with Tanzu through the newly launched vSAN Data Persistence platform. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Sep 2020
VMware vSAN vs. SAN: What are the differences?
VMware vSAN differs from a traditional SAN in a few crucial ways, including pooled vs. isolated storage, access management and optimization for different types of environments. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2020
Spinning out VMware could give Dell long-term problems
If Dell decides to spin out VMware, some analysts think VMware would benefit the most. But Dell could also benefit from finding a new software partner. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
New Dell EMC cloud offerings bolt Isilon onto VMware for AI
Dell EMC cloud reference architecture includes all-flash Isilon storage with Dell PowerEdge Servers and switching. VMware integrates Bitfusion GPU as a service for deep analysis. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Mar 2020
Evaluate vSphere vs. OpenStack for your organization
VMware vSphere offers extensive virtualization, while open source OpenStack provides comprehensive cloud building tools. Understand their differences before choosing one. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Feb 2020
4 considerations for vSphere disk provisioning
To provision disk space in vSphere, consider the following: The size of data stores you require, thin vs. thick provisioning, storage acceleration and managing free disk space. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Jan 2020
How to survive in today's IT without DevOps and containers
If you don't write software, you might not require DevOps or containers in your data center. You don't need to give into the pressure to adopt them. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Dec 2019
How to use SnapCenter for VMware backups
NetApp storage appliances and VMware's vSphere platform provide widely used data center resources. Combine their capabilities by using NetApp's SnapCenter to back up vSphere. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Dec 2019
What to consider before you deploy NSX
An SDN like VMware's NSX can provide your organization with agility, automation, microsegmentation and cloud capabilities. However, you must still think carefully before you adopt. Continue Reading
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Answer
25 Oct 2019
Choose between CISC vs. RISC processors for edge virtualization
CISC and RISC processing architectures have different benefits and drawbacks when it comes to implementing virtualization at the edge, but RISC processors reduce power consumption. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Aug 2019
Design a VMware environment with CPUs, storage in mind
A solid infrastructure is critical to smooth operations in the data center. Admins designing a VMware environment should think about CPUs, storage and reference architectures. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Jul 2019
Design vSphere data stores with VM change and growth in mind
As the data inside a VM grows, you can make sure your storage accounts for that growth using a few methods, such as thin-provisioning VMDK files and limiting snapshots. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jul 2019
Examine the role of VMware in the HCI market
VMware carved out a leading position for itself in the HCI market. But HCI's evolution to encompass new areas, such as public cloud, keeps VMware on its toes. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Apr 2019
3 ways to implement vSphere GPU virtualization
You can implement GPU hardware using VMDirectPath I/O, Nvidia Grid or Bitfusion FlexDirect on vSphere. Understand the pros and cons of each to know which will work best for you. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Apr 2019
Craft your data stores with VM storage performance in mind
Proper storage performance requires a systems approach. Discover the different elements at play, such as the queues, SCSI disks and ESXi hosts, and how to optimize your data stores. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Mar 2019
VMware vSAN and HCI offer secure shared storage for VMs
Coupling vSAN's all-flash storage features and vSphere availability support with HCI can lead to better resource utilization and workload performance. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Aug 2018
Get up to speed on VMware vSAN troubleshooting basics
VMware vSAN is only as capable as proper implementation and maintenance enable it to be. To troubleshoot cluster health and performance issues, start with these basics. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Aug 2018
Manage and maintain a VMware VMFS Datastore
Follow these steps to scan for new storage devices, create a Virtual Machine File System Datastore, mount and dismount a VMFS Datastore, and increase the size of a VMFS Datastore. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jun 2018
The VMware HCL: When your hardware doesn't make the cut
If the VMware hardware compatibility list makes your hardware outdated, consider delaying upgrades, reusing hardware and temporarily implementing a workaround. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
09 May 2018
Create a VMware vSAN lab with mimicked storage
VMware vSAN is worth exploring, but its price often keeps it out of reach. To try it out in a test lab, create a vSAN cluster that mirrors the required storage. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 May 2018
Limit the size of VMware hosts to control VM density
Large VMware hosts can be advantageous, but VM density can have unforeseen consequences during a system failure. Evaluate VM functionality to ensure you're ready for a disaster. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
20 Apr 2018
Use iSCSI storage for VMware to create a data store
Administrators can create a data store in vSphere with iSCSI storage. It's a relatively cheap, fully supported option, but it doesn't perform as well as direct-attached storage. Continue Reading
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Answer
06 Apr 2018
How can I use and keep track of VMware flash storage devices?
There are several uses for flash drives in VMware vSphere, but admins must keep an eye on drive lifespan. One way to do that is to compare actual usage with what vendors promise. Continue Reading
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Answer
03 Apr 2018
How does storage acceleration work in a VMware environment?
Storage acceleration helps improve array performance by offloading storage operations from the server to the ESXi host, and it uses fewer processor and memory resources. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Mar 2018
Set up a vSAN 2-node cluster for small or remote deployments
Use a vSAN 2-node cluster for small and branch office deployments. Use a cluster with two physical hosts for data storage and a third server as a witness appliance. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jun 2017
Integrate Ceph object storage in a VMware vSphere environment
It can be challenging to integrate Ceph in a VMware environment, but with the right interface, vSphere administrators can reap the rewards of object storage. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Jun 2017
VSAN Encryption: What it is, what it does and how to use it
New to vSphere 6.6, vSAN Encryption uses an XTS AES-256 cipher to encrypt all objects in the vSAN data store across both all-flash and hybrid configurations. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 May 2017
What is storage I/O control in VMware vSphere 6.5?
VMware storage I/O control helps improve the quality of storage in vSphere. VSphere 6.5 integrates storage I/O control configurations into the VM Storage Policy. Continue Reading
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Answer
22 Apr 2016
How can you disable snapshots in vSphere 6?
Reducing the number of snapshots that you have could boost performance. Here's how to disable snapshots completely. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Jun 2015
How the balloon driver helps VM performance
Using the balloon driver in VMware Tools is a better option for reclaiming RAM from a VM; otherwise there may be a bigger performance issue. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Jan 2015
How are SSD garbage collection, wear leveling and TRIM different?
While using solid-state drives in a vSphere environment can give a boost to VMs that require high performance, it's important to know how certain longevity features function in the storage hardware. Continue Reading
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Answer
06 Jan 2015
How much longer will that SSD last in a vSphere server?
Even modestly sized SSDs can be more expensive than traditional hard drives, but do the benefits outweigh any concerns about longevity? Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Aug 2014
Is vCenter Operations Manager good for storage analysis?
There are many infrastructure management tools on the market to check the health and speed of your storage, but there's a free tool that can do the job. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Aug 2014
Key advantages to a virtualized server environment
An infrastructure architect details his journey to increasing the number of virtualized servers in his UNIX environment. Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Aug 2014
Is thick provisioning better than thin?
There's some doubt about whether there is an advantage to using thin provisioning over thick when setting up virtualized storage; our expert weighs in. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Aug 2013
Correcting misconfigured ESXi shared storage settings
IT shops that started small may find they need to update their ESXi shared storage settings to prevent significant issues when a host fails. Continue Reading
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Answer
01 Apr 2013
Is VMware Capacity Planner free?
Many consultants offer VMware Capacity Planner free to interested virtualization admins, but if you dread their sales pitch, consider vBenchmark. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Apr 2012
Designing a virtual environment with VMware Capacity Planner
Using VMware Capacity Planner to inventory data center resources and project hardware needs, IT pros can save time and money when planning a virtual environment. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
12 May 2011
VMware storage options and Storage vMotion: A guide
VMware storage options include VMFS, thin provisioning, NFS and block-level storage. Virtualization storage features such as VMware Storage vMotion also help protect VM data. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Oct 2010
Why does vendor lock-in get such a bad rap?
Most companies avoid purchasing components from a single vendor -- otherwise known as 'vendor lock-in.' But a single-vendor approach has its advantages. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
13 Sep 2010
VMware resource pool management guide
Poor virtualization performance affects all business operations. Therefore, strict VMware resource pool management is essential for efficient, well-run companies. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Feb 2009
Recovering RDM data with VMware ESX troubleshooting
Accidentally deleting important VMware ESX partitions cost our expert raw device mapping data. But a last attempt with an unlikely solution finally saved the day – and the data. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Jun 2008
Storage options for virtual machines: Raw device mappings, VMFS
Virtual Machine File System is VMware's preferred storage option for virtual machines, but raw device mapping provides similar performance and can be a better choice depending on the specific storage configuration. Continue Reading