11.0 HP StoreVirtual Storage VSA Installation and Configuration Guide (TA688-96141, September 2013)

1 Planning for the HP StoreVirtual VSA
HP StoreVirtual VSA software is a Virtual Storage Appliance that provides complete array
functionality of HP StoreVirtual 4000 Storage for VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V
environments without external array hardware. The HP StoreVirtual VSA uses scale-out, distributed
clustering to provide a pool of storage with enterprise storage features and simple management.
Multiple StoreVirtual VSAs running on multiple servers create a scalable pool of storage with the
ability to make data highly available.
Beginning with Version 11.0, StoreVirtual VSAs are Adaptive Optimization-capable and can use
multiple tiers of storage. Adaptive Optimization stores data which is accessed most frequently on
the fastest performing media in a storage system—typically solid state drives. Adaptive Optimization
in HP StoreVirtual automatically adapts to changing workloads and moves data accordingly and
transparently. After Adaptive Optimization is enabled, the LeftHand OS stores the most accessed
data to faster/higher tiers in the Adaptive Optimization-capable storage tier.
Figure 1 Example of software-defined storage on HP ProLiant servers with the StoreVirtual VSA
Careful planning of the virtual network configuration, the StoreVirtual VSA configuration, and the
configuration of the HP StoreVirtual management groups, clusters and volumes for data storage
ensures that you can take full advantage of the features and benefits of the HP StoreVirtual Storage.
Planning the virtual network configuration
Before you install the StoreVirtual VSA on the network, plan the virtual network configuration,
including the following areas:
• Design and configuration of the virtual switches and network adapters
• Host names and IP addresses for StoreVirtual VSAs
• Virtual network configuration, including the virtual IP address (VIP) of the StoreVirtual cluster
for iSCSI access
Designing your virtual storage pool
The design of your virtual storage pool affects both its performance and its reliability for production
use. Use the concepts and practices in this manual when installing and managing your virtual
storage pool to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
4 Planning for the HP StoreVirtual VSA