This blog post is the second in our series of blog posts of VSAN Evaluation using our integrated sizing and TCO tool ( vsantco.vmware.com ). For part 1 that discusses VM profiling go here:

VSAN Evaluation – How to use the VSAN sizing tool – Part 1

In this part of the blog series we will discuss how to adjust our default recommended ready nodes profiles to your specific scenario. I’m aware this part can be somewhat confusing, but after a few tries I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it and can do this in a matter of minutes.

First, let’s start by explaining what a Virtual SAN Ready Node is. Virtual SAN is a pure software product, but using it with non-certified hardware can have some unwanted results. This is why we decided to partner with all the major OEMs to create ready-to-go hardware solutions called ready nodes that can also be used as a reference architecture and be customized to your preferences. My team member and VSAN Product Manager, Rakesh Radhakrishnan, wrote a blog ( Virtual SAN Ready Nodes – Ready, Set, Go!) almost a year ago answering most common questions around the topic. Also check out the most updated list of ready nodes here – Virtual SAN Ready Nodes – and our Virtual SAN Hardware Quick Reference Guide .

Continue reading →

Sizing a vSphere environment for VMware Virtual SAN is not an easy task and if this is how you look like when you approach it you should continue reading. Nevertheless, even if you already did sizing for VSAN in the past there are some nuances that you might want to pay attention to.

First, before we go into explaining how to size for VSAN, it is imperative you understand why this is important:

• If you undersize VSAN for your environment you might not get the performance you expect or won’t have the capacity you need for your virtual machines
• If you oversize VSAN you might end-up with a higher hardware bill that can be at least partially deferred until you actually need to grow VSAN to that size – remember you can grow as you-go, no need for large upfront investments

OK, so when can I get this tool you ask? It is already available, just go to VSANTCO.VMware.com – the tool was recently updated to also allow you to size VSAN with an All Flash architecture.

Continue reading →