When preparing physical servers and virtual machines, it was difficult to smoothly provide servers as the configuration of storage units and the storage network was necessary.
Using the following functions of Resource Orchestrator, servers can be provided smoothly.
Allocating Storage to a Virtual L-Server
There are two ways to allocate storage to a virtual L-Server:
Allocate disk resources (virtual disks) automatically created from virtual storage resources (datastores) [VMware] [Hyper-V] [OVM for x86] [Xen] [KVM] [Solaris Zones (Solaris 11)]
Allocate disk resources (raw devices or partitions) that were created in advance [KVM] [Solaris Zones (Solaris 10)] [OVM for SPARC]
Through coordination with VM management software, virtual storage resources (such as the file systems of VM guests) that were created in advance are automatically detected by Resource Orchestrator. From the detected virtual storage resources, virtual storage resources meeting virtual L-Server specifications are automatically selected by Resource Orchestrator.
(Virtual storage resources registered in a storage pool where the priority level is high and virtual storage resources with a high capacity are selected by priority.)
From the automatically selected virtual storage resources, disk resources (such as virtual disks) of the specified size are automatically created and allocated to the virtual L-Server.
[Xen]
GDS single disks can be used as virtual storage.
Create LUNs for the storage units.
LUNs are used for virtual L-Server disks. Create the same number of LUNs as that of necessary disks.
The size of each LUN must be larger than the size of each virtual L-Server disk.
Make the VM host (In a Solaris Zone (Solaris 10), the global zone) recognize the LUNs created in step 1 as raw devices.
When migrating VM guests (In a Solaris Zone (Solaris 10), the non-global zone) for virtual L-Servers, configure zoning and affinity to set LUNs as shared disks.
Partitions are also used for virtual L-Server disks. Create the same number of partitions as that of necessary disks. The size of each partition must be larger than the size of each virtual L-Server disk.
Use the rcxadm disk command to register the raw devices or the partitions with Resource Orchestrator as disk resources.
When migrating VM guests for virtual L-Servers, register the raw devices or the partitions shared between multiple VM hosts as disk resources defined to be shared.
It is not necessary to register disk resources used for Solaris 11 VM hosts.
From the registered disk resources, disk resources meeting the virtual L-Server specifications are automatically selected and allocated to the L-Server by Resource Orchestrator.
For details on storage allocation methods and server virtualization types for virtual L-Servers, refer to "Table 2.8 Storage Allocation Methods and Storage Types and Server Virtualization Types for Virtual L-Servers".
Allocating Storage to a Physical L-Server
There are two ways to allocate storage to a physical L-Server:
Allocate disk resources (LUNs) automatically created from virtual storage resources (RAID groups)
Through coordination with storage products, Resource Orchestrator automatically detects virtual storage resources that were created in advance.
From the detected virtual storage resources, Resource Orchestrator automatically selects virtual storage resources meeting physical L-Server specifications.
(Virtual storage resources registered in a storage pool where the priority level is high and virtual storage resources with a high capacity are selected by priority.)
From the automatically selected virtual storage resources, create disk resources of the specified size and allocate them to the physical L-Server.
Allocate disk resources (LUNs) that were created in advance
Through coordination with storage products, Resource Orchestrator automatically detects disk resources that were created in advance.
From the detected disk resources, Resource Orchestrator automatically selects disk resources meeting physical L-Server specifications and allocates them to the L-Server.
For detail on storage allocation methods and storage types for physical L-Servers, refer to "Table 2.7 Storage Allocation Methods and Storage Types for Physical L-Servers".
Effective Utilization of Storage Using Thin Provisioning
Thin provisioning is technology for virtualizing storage capacities.
It enables efficient utilization of storage.
The function does not require the necessary storage capacity to be secured in advance, and can secure and extend the storage capacity according to how much is actually being used.
Thin provisioning can be achieved using the following two methods:
Method for using the thin provisioning of a storage unit
Resource Orchestrator can be coordinated with the thin provisioning of ETERNUS storage, EMC CLARiiON storage, EMC VNX storage, EMC Symmetrix DMX storage, or EMC Symmetrix VMAX storage.
With ETERNUS storage, a virtual resource pool comprised of one or more RAID groups is called a Thin Provisioning Pool (hereinafter TPP).
Also, a virtual volume that shows a volume with a greater capacity than the physical disk capacity of the server is called a Thin Provisioning Volume (hereinafter TPV).
Capacity is allocated to TPVs from TPPs.
With Resource Orchestrator, TPPs can be managed as virtual storage resources.
The virtual storage resource of a TPP is called a virtual storage resource with thin provisioning attributes set.
The virtual storage resource of a RAID group is called a virtual storage resource with thick provisioning attributes set.
With Resource Orchestrator, ESC can be used to create a TPV in advance and manage that TPV as a disk resource.
The disk resource of a TPV is called a disk with thin provisioning attributes set.
The disk resource of an LUN is called a disk with thick provisioning attributes set.
With EMC CLARiiON storage or EMC VNX storage, a Storage Pool can be composed of a physical disk.
Also, a virtual volume that shows a volume with a greater capacity than the physical disk capacity of the server is called a Thin LUN.
Capacity is allocated to Thin LUNs from the Storage Pool.
With Resource Orchestrator, Storage Pools can be managed as virtual storage resources.
In Resource Orchestrator, Thin LUNs can be managed by creating a Thin LUN in advance using Navisphere.
The disk resource of a Thin LUN is called a disk with thin provisioning attributes set.
The disk resource of a Traditional LUN or Thick LUN made for Storage Pool is called a disk with thick provisioning attributes set.
With EMC Symmetrix DMX storage or EMC Symmetrix VMAX storage, a device with thin provisioning attributes set (hereinafter Thin Device) can be made from the DISK group.
In Resource Orchestrator, Thin Devices can be managed by creating a Thin Device in advance using Solutions Enabler.
A disk resource of a Thin Device is called a disk with thin provisioning attributes set.
A disk resource other than a Thin Device is called a disk with thick provisioning attributes set.
Method for using the thin provisioning of server virtualization software
Resource Orchestrator can be coordinated with the thin provisioning functions of VMware and Hyper-V.
In VMware, a virtual disk with a thin provisioning configuration is called a thin format virtual disk.
In Hyper-V, a virtual disk with a thin provisioning configuration is called a variable-capacity VHD.
With Resource Orchestrator, thin format virtual disks and variable-capacity VHDs can be managed as disk resources.
A thin format virtual disk is called a disk with thin provisioning attributes set.
A thick format disk resource is called a disk with thick provisioning attributes set.
Storage resource management
With Resource Orchestrator, storage resources (virtual storage resources and disk resources) can be managed in a storage pool. Storage pools must take into account the existence of thin provisioning attributes.
The following resources can be registered in a storage pool with thin provisioning attributes set:
Virtual storage resources with thin provisioning attributes set
Disk resources with thin provisioning attributes set
Disk resources with thick provisioning attributes set
The following resources can be registered in a storage pool without thin provisioning attributes set:
Virtual storage resources with thick provisioning attributes set
Disk resources with thick provisioning attributes set
Disk resources with thin provisioning attributes set
[VMware] [Hyper-V]
Thin provisioning cannot be set for VMware datastores and Hyper-V CSVs. Therefore, the following settings must be specified in Resource Orchestrator.
When creating disk resources from virtual storage resources registered in a storage pool with thin provisioning attributes set, set the thin format and allocate the disk resources to an L-Server.
When creating disk resources from virtual storage resources registered in a storage pool without thin provisioning attributes set, set the thick format and allocate the disk resources to an L-Server.
For how to set thin provisioning attributes for a storage pool, refer to "20.2 Creating" in the "User's Guide for Infrastructure Administrators (Resource Management) CE".
Note
[VMware] [Hyper-V]
When creating a virtual L-Server with a cloning image specified, the provisioning attribute of the cloning image takes preference over the provisioning attribute of the storage pool.
[KVM]
The only disk resources that can be created from virtual storage are thin format disk resources. Thick format disk resources cannot be created.
For details, refer to "E.5.4 Storage Preparations (NAS Configurations)".
[Solaris Zones (Solaris 11)]
The only disk resources that can be created from virtual storage are thin format disk resources. Thick format disk resources cannot be created.
For details, refer to "E.6.3 Storage Preparations".
Note
When the virtual storage resource is used by the thin provisioning, the area is secured according to the capacity actually used.
Therefore, the capacity that Resource Orchestrator virtually allocated from the size of the unused space of the virtual storage resource to the virtual storage resource cannot be comprehended.
In Resource Orchestrator, to understand the total capacity virtually allocated to the storage pool, the following results are displayed in the free space of the storage pool where the thin provisioning attribute was set.
Total capacity of virtual storage resources registered in storage pool - "Total of capacity that Resource Orchestrator virtually allocated" |
Therefore, the free space of the storage pool where the free space of virtual storage (*) that the VM management product or the storage management product displayed and the attribute of the thin provisioning were set might not correspond.
*Note: Datastore, storage repository, TPP, and FTRP, etc.
Effective Utilization of Storage Using Automatic Storage Layering
Automatic Storage Layering is a feature that monitors data access frequency in mixed environments that contain different storage classes and disk types. It then automatically relocates data to the most appropriate storage devices based on set data usage policies.
Resource Orchestrator can be coordinated with Automatic Storage Layering for ETERNUS storage. For details on coordination with Automatic Storage Layering, refer to "10.1.2 Storage Configuration".
Coordination with Automatic Storage Layering for ETERNUS Storage
In ETERNUS storage, the physical disk pool created using Automatic Storage Layering is called a Flexible TieR Pool (hereafter FTRP). The virtual volume created using Automatic Storage Layering is called a Flexible Tier Volume (hereafter FTV). FTV is allocated from FTRP.
In Resource Orchestrator, an FTRP can be managed as a virtual storage resource. The virtual storage resource for FTRP, similar to a TPP, is called a virtual storage resource for which the Thin Provisioning attribute has been configured.
In Resource Orchestrator, after creating an FTV using ESC, that FTV can be managed as a disk resource. The disk resource for FTV, similar to a TPV, is called a disk for which the Thin Provisioning attribute has been configured.
Management of FTRP and FTV
In Resource Orchestrator, FTRP and FTV can be managed as storage resources in storage pools.
FTRP and FTV are considered the same as TPP and TPV for Thin Provisioning. For details, refer to "Effective Utilization of Storage Using Thin Provisioning".
Note
Users are recommended to operate the storage pool used for registering FTRP and FTV separately from the storage pool used for registering TPP and TPV.
When operating the storage in the same storage pool, the storage may not be operated by taking advantage of the properties, since the virtual storage to be selected will change depending on the amount of free space when allocating disks.
Automatic Detection of Storage Resources
When addition or modification of storage is performed using storage management software or VM management software, periodic queries are made to the storage management software or VM management software to detect changes to the configuration/status of storage. The interval between regular updates varies according to the number of storage resources.
Information
If there are large numbers of storage resources, detecting changes in storage configurations and status may take longer than three minutes.
For example, it takes six to seven minutes to detect changes in the following storage configuration:
Storage Units: 1
RAID Groups: 200
By right-clicking a storage resource on the ROR console orchestration tree and selecting [Update] on the displayed menu, the configuration/status of the storage management software and VM management software is refreshed without waiting for the regular update.
After that, perform registration in the storage pool.
