vSAN 8 New Features - Express Storage Architecture Explained!

Learn more details about VMware vSAN 8 and the Express Storage Architecture that has many great advantages over the original storage architecture found in legacy vSAN versions we have today. Learn about 100X performance improvement using native snapshots! Also, learn about how disk groups are going away in favor of storage pools!

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Why did VMware add the new vSAN 8 Express Storage Architecture? - 0:37
Comparing hardware then and now - 0:56
What are the core technologies that comprise the vSAN 8 solution? - 3:07
New Log Structured File System and Object Manager - 3:30
Storage Pools have replaced Disk Groups in Express Storage Architecture - 4:22
The storage pool eliminates the need for cache and capacity tiers - 5:15
Services have been moved much further up the storage stack such as Compression, Encryption, etc - 5:50
Performance, efficiencies, capacity benefits, reduced network, and CPU overhead is minimized - 7:08
Adaptive RAID 5 Erasure coding, including 4+1 and 2+1 schemes - 7:30
RAID5 can now be enabled with a 3 host vSAN cluster - 8:08
vSAN 8 adapts to the number of hosts in teh cluster and adapts parity schemes with Express Storage Architecture - 8:35
Express Storage Architecture introduces native vSAN snapshots - 9:12
Highlights include performance, consistent, fast, scalable, and 100X performance improvements! 9:56
Original Storage Architecture with vSAN still exists in vSAN 8 along with ESA - 11:00
It requires vSAN ready nodes certified to work with the Express Storage Architecture - 11:50
Wrapping up final thoughts on vSAN 8 Express Storage Architecture - 12:46

Read my full technical write up of the new vSAN 8 technical features here:


Read my post on vSphere 8, vSAN 8, and VMware Cloud Foundation+ here:

[pa]

Hello There. How much memory does VSAN ESA consumes based on one NVMe disk per host. Especially in a home lab with limited memory not running nested just a bit concerned. Thank you

[mganesh]

I have a question. Do we need a Raid Controller or card for ESA AF-2/4/6?

[Shpongle]

This is a very interesting topic and I’m still new to all of the benefits that VMware are releasing, however, I’m having a hard time seeing the benefit from the vsan addition. As a commenter has posted before me, it requires flash drives in order to make this efficient. Personally, at home I’m running on traditional sata ssd’s which works fine but my question is how can I visualize and quantify this improvement. Are there tests on my system that can give me a baseline for speed performance before and after? If you have to have something like nvme flash drives and then put vsan on top isn’t it kind of like adding a cherry on top of a sundae? It’s already quick but just slightly quicker?

[jimberry]

I am using NFS datastores on SSD's in my NAS or on a spinning raid 6 storage pool on the NAS (for less important stuff.) I suppose I should be doing this better, I just don't know how. Do you have a video on the basics of setting up a SAN properly? I am a VMUG advantage member.

[ajas]

With aditional price or in Enterprise licence ;)

[ManolVojka]

Is it possible to upgrade to ESA, from existing OSA Configuration if the esxi nodes have already identical drives capacity and model for caching tier and capacity tier as well?

[onur]

It pains me to admin that vSAN is now taking the Nutanix road. Ditching the cache drives and make all disks into both cache and capacity.

[fbifido]

Why can't it work with current hardware ???

[xmagat]

adding more layers cannot increase performance. and then intelligently used=no data when needed