Enabling Virtual SAN, if the environment is configured and ready, is an easy click of the mouse. If the environment is not ready however, the task of troubleshooting a new product, can easily become quite daunting. As we track the issues that have arisen during Virtual SAN deployments, we see that the majority of issues are common from deployment to deployment. The great news here is that these common issues can readily be identified and resolved. The real challenge is getting the information and guidance out into the hands of those who need it, before they actually have need of it.
It is for this purpose I introduce you to, the Virtual SAN 5.5 Validation Guide. This guide began as an internal collection of the most common Virtual SAN deployment troubleshooting scenarios. After receiving a number of requests from our customers, we have decided to publish this guide publicly as well.
The Virtual SAN 5.5 Validation Guide is a collection of common gotchas and recommended practices in spreadsheet form for easy reference and checkoff during the deployment process. There are two sections to this guide, the first section contains validation steps for common issues that can occur during the install process. The second section contains validation steps potentially required during post-install activities. Where possible, it contains both manual steps (vCenter Web Client actions) and CLI steps (RVC, ESXCLI, PowerCLI). These CLI steps can readily be translated into script form for easy automation.
This is a living document and will be updated with new information as it arrives. If you see any corrections to be made, or if you have any additions, suggestions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected] and I will include it in the next document release.
p.s. Don’t forget to look at our blog series on “Managing Virtual SAN with the Ruby vSphere Console. It is a great tool for troubleshooting and monitoring vSphere and Virtual SAN environments!
