As data volumes grow, efficient storage management becomes critical to controlling costs. VMware vSAN offers both opportunistic and deterministic space-saving technologies to help organizations optimize storage while maintaining performance.
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Opportunistic Techniques:
These depend on data characteristics and conditions. Examples include:- Deduplication and Compression (DD&C) in the Original Storage Architecture (OSA).
- Compression-only options for performance-sensitive workloads.
- Thin provisioning, which allocates space as needed, and TRIM/UNMAP for reclaiming unused capacity.
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Deterministic Techniques:
These ensure consistent savings through methods like erasure coding, which protects data using less capacity than traditional mirroring.
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Express Storage Architecture (ESA):
ESA integrates compression at the top of the storage stack, reducing CPU and network usage while enhancing performance. Unlike OSA, ESA does not currently support deduplication but offers highly efficient erasure coding. -
Advanced RAID Options:
ESA enables RAID-5 and RAID-6 erasure coding without performance penalties, making it suitable for both small and large clusters.
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For Performance-Driven Workloads:
The compression-only feature in OSA is ideal. It minimizes latency and reduces the risk of storage device failure affecting the entire cluster. -
For Maximum Capacity Savings:
Deduplication and compression, combined with RAID-5/6 erasure coding, offer substantial storage reduction in environments that can support the additional processing requirements.
- Align storage policies with workload needs.
- Use modern high-performance storage and networking hardware.
- Enable TRIM/UNMAP for automated space reclamation, particularly for thin-provisioned environments.
VMware vSAN continues to evolve, providing flexible, scalable, and efficient storage solutions tailored to meet both performance and capacity demands. By leveraging these features, organizations can better manage their storage infrastructure while reducing costs.
