Users Guide

Overview of the Modular Disk Storage

Manager Plug-in for VMware vCenter

Web Client

The Dell PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Array vCenter Plug-in (MD vCenter Plug-in) is a VMware

vCenter Server Plug-in that provides integrated management of Dell MD Storage Arrays from in a VMware

Web Client session. The Web Client is a single management interface that you can use to manage the

VMware infrastructure and all of your day-to-day storage requirements. Instead of learning another

management application, you can focus on the entire virtual infrastructure.

Unless otherwise noted, later references to "MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in" or "MD vCenter Plug-in"

in this document are used interchangeably to represent the MD VMware vCenter Plug-in.

NOTE: The MD vCenter Plug-in is not a direct replacement for the MD Storage Manager software,

which is still required for performing certain storage administration tasks.

The MD vCenter Plug-in enables you to perform the following tasks:

• Configure ESXi hosts to MD storage arrays.

• Create and delete virtual disks.

• Map virtual disks from the MD storage arrays to the ESXi host.

• View the vCenter Datastores available to MD Storage Arrays virtual disks.

You can create hardware snapshots, virtual disk copies, synchronous, and remote replication when these

premium features are enabled on the storage array. The MD vCenter Plug-in uses an application server to

facilitate the interface between the Web Client and the MD Storage arrays are based on the authenticated

logged-in user and the privileges assigned to that user's role.

The MD vCenter Plug-in requires that a VMware vCenter server is installed in the environment. The MD

vCenter Plug-in does not function in a configuration with only a Web Client and an ESXi host

configuration.