Why VMware storage is a problem – and how to bring it into 2024
Just like all technology, outdated VMware storage can show its age by employing a broad-brush approach rather than a specific one.
While this sledgehammer approach may alleviate or mask certain storage issues within VMware environments, it often falls short, leaving many underlying problems unresolved.
In this article, we look at the consequences of outdated storage for IT teams, and how to solve them (aside from throwing out that old VHS!).
Enter the All-Flash sledgehammer!
All-flash arrays, increasingly cost-effective, offer IT professionals a solution to one of their most vexing issues—the notorious IO blender in VMware setups. This phenomenon occurs when multiple physical servers, each hosting numerous virtual machines, continuously access the storage system, creating a bottleneck. All-flash arrays mitigate this by swiftly responding to IO demands, thanks to their low latency, compared to traditional hard disk or hybrid systems.
However, despite the initial promise, the all-flash solution isn’t a panacea. As virtual machine density rises and workload types become more varied, the IO blender issue resurfaces. Merely reducing latency isn’t enough; intelligent resource allocation is crucial for consistent performance. Without such intelligence, organizations face a dilemma: either refrain from virtualising certain workloads or deploy dedicated storage systems for each workload type, leading to a management nightmare for IT professionals.
Next up, the Hyperconverged sledgehammer:
Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) emerges as another attempt to tackle the IO blender problem in VMware environments. HCI integrates storage software with the hypervisor and VMs on the same hardware, storing a copy of each VM’s data locally to reduce network traffic and the IO blender effect. While some HCI architectures adopt all-flash setups, they still encounter scalability challenges. Adding nodes to the cluster often introduces complexity and inefficiency, particularly in resource utilisation and network management.
HCI’s approach, though aiming to minimize the IO blender, inadvertently exacerbates other issues, such as increased write IO on the network. It sacrifices efficiency in its pursuit of IO optimisation.
It’s time to throw out that old VHS!
To truly address VMware challenges like the IO blender and optimise resource utilisation, a more sophisticated approach is necessary. This entails intelligently allocating infrastructure resources, tailoring solutions to the VMware environment, and efficiently scaling storage capacity and performance.
So, rather than adopting generic systems, purpose-built storage solutions designed specifically for VMware environments offer a more targeted and effective remedy. Read about how Panasonic did just that!