Planning and configuring cloud storage fabric with SCVMM

Microsoft Windows Azure Pack based cloud solution support both block based storage and file based storage configured with VMM for storing virtual machines and other cloud IaaS resources.

Storage requirements and solutions are likely to be different for private clouds and service provider clouds. While it is common to see traditional enterprise class SAN storage solutions in private clouds, software defined storage solutions on commodity hardware are also in use for both private and service provider cloud solution. VMM supports a wide range of storage solution integration for automated provisioning and management solving storage challenges for both private clouds and service provider clouds.

In the case of block based storage, VMM can take advantage of Storage Area Network (SAN) using Fibre Channel, iSCSI and SAS storage connectivity solutions for storing virtual machines and resources.

For file based storages, VMM can be integrated with storage solutions supporting SMB 3.0 protocol for file based storage access. Windows server file server provides SMB capabilities, enabling shared storage capabilities without purchasing expensive storage array solutions.

Cloud storage deployment options in VMM

There are various options available in VMM to store virtual machines and other cloud resources. Every storage appears to Hyper-V hosts as local or remote storage, local storage stands for storage devices locally attached or assigned to hosts where remote storage defines remotely connected LUNs. Let's have a look at major options for providing storage fabric in a VMM environment.

• Directly attached storage (DAS): This is storage disks connected directly to hypervisor hosts, commonly in a form of disk drive inside a server chassis connected via inbuilt RAID controller or SAS based JBOD connectivity. This is dedicated to each host and isn't shared. This doesn't provide any high availability or host failure tolerance, hence is not recommended for production usage.
• Traditional SAN arrays: Enterprise class storage solutions from leading vendors such as EMC, NetApp, Hitachi and so on, comes under this category. These solutions can be used to store virtual machines on LUNs using FC/iSCSI and other connectivity mechanisms. VMM can be integrated with iSCSI target arrays by supporting both static and dynamic discovery.
• Storage solutions with SMI-S or SMP providers: Storage solutions which support integration with SCVMM using SMI-S or SMP protocol comes under this category. SMI-S enables automated storage provisioning and management using VMM console enabling a true automated cloud solution. It is recommended to integrate any supported existing traditional storage with VMM in a private cloud for automation at storage layer. See vendor specific guidelines for configuring SMI-S for VMM integration.
• File storage (SMB 3.0): With Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V supports storing virtual machines on file shares accessible via SMB protocol. Windows Server based file server clusters can be deployed and integrated with VMM for storing cloud virtual machines and resources.
• Scale out file server: Scale out file server is a Windows Server feature which ensures continuous availability of file share storage across multiple hosts simultaneously. SOFS can take advantages of JBOD connected for file server nodes to provide always available file shares to Hyper-V hosts. SOFS uses SMB protocol for providing storage access. SOFS can be easily provisioned and managed using System Center Virtual Machine Manager.
• Software Defined Storage (Microsoft Storage Spaces): In today's era of Software Defined infrastructure, Microsoft provides Windows storage spaces which can be utilized for delivering storage solutions on commodity hardware without purchasing expensive storage arrays. This can be utilized by cloud service providers for providing shared storage features and capabilities without investing in traditional storage solutions. Microsoft storage space groups physical disks together in a storage pool which can be used to create space for data storage requirements. It can be configured to protect failure at each level by maintain multiple copies of data. Storages spaces can be used to provide shared storage capabilities by using multiple nodes connected to JBOD trays.

Tip

A list of supported storage solutions for VMM integration can be found at http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/16100.system-center-2012-vmm-supported-storage-arrays.aspx

Configuring storage fabric in VMM

Let's have a look at the various configurable parameters available in VMM for storage fabric.

• Storage classifications: Storage classification can be used to provide a friendly name or container to storage resources available such as gold storage, silver storage differentiating upon factors such as capacity, performance, resiliency and more. This can ease daily administrative tasks while assigning storage by representing complex architecture in a simplified way. You can associate storage pools with classification for mapping resources with a friendly name. To create a storage classification you need to perform the following steps:
  1. Login to VMM console and open Fabric workspace.
  2. Right click on Storage | Classification and Pools to create classification.
  3. Provide a friendly name and description and click Add.
  
• Storage provider: Storage provider provides options to add storage devices in VMM for automated LUN provisioning and management. VMM 2012 R2 provides flexibility to add the following storage solutions:
  • Windows based file server
  • SAN or NAS device discovered and managed by a SMI-S provider
  • SAN device managed by native SMP providers
  • Fibre channel fabric discovered and managed by SMI-S providers

By integrating storage devices in VMM, we can provision and assign LUNs to Hyper-V hosts using VMM console, provisioning and management of storage devices can be performed using VMM, which allows the flexibility of having completed automated storage deployment and management.

• Adding a storage device in VMM:
  1. Launch VMM console and connect to VMM server with admin permissions.
  2. Open fabric workspace, right click on Providers under the Storage section.
  3. Select Add Storage Devices, and select the type of device from the given option.
     
  4. Provide discovery scope, credentials and more details depending upon the storage provider type.
  5. Select an available storage device and finish the wizard to add.
  6. Verify the array listed in the VMM storage fabric workspace.
• Post storage device integration tasks:
  • Create storage pools and LUNs
  • Map the storage pool with classification created earlier
  • Assign LUNs and storage pools to the hosts
  • Manage and monitor storage resources