Users Guide
Table Of Contents
- Dell EMC PowerStore Virtualization Infrastructure Guide
- Contents
- Additional Resources
- Introduction
- Overview of the PowerStore Virtualization Infrastructure
- Virtualization configuration in PowerStore appliances
- Managing virtualization components in the PowerStore Manager
- Configure a vCenter Server connection
- Updating internal ESXi hosts on PowerStore X model appliances
- Adding an external ESXi host to a PowerStore X model vSphere cluster
- Using an external ESXi host with a PowerStore cluster
- Additional VMware software and configuration
- VMware NSX-V
- Best practices and limitations
Best practices and limitations
Topics:
• Performance best practices for PowerStore X model clusters
•
Creating VM clones
• Using vVols across multiple vCenter Servers
• vSphere host profiles
• Internal PowerStore X model cluster components visible in vCenter
• Block access for LUNs
• Service and recovery
• PowerStore limitations
• vSphere limitations
Performance best practices for PowerStore X model
clusters
During the initial configuration of a PowerStore X model cluster, best practice settings can be automatically applied to the
cluster to enable maximum performance.
If the best practice settings are not applied during the initial configuration of a PowerStore X model appliance, the steps to
apply some of the settings after the initial configuration have been automated. However, not all the configuration steps have
been automated. It is recommended that you apply the best practices during the initial configuration of an appliance.
The best practice settings include:
● Changing the Cluster MTU size to 9000.
● Changing the Storage MTU size to 9000.
● Providing two additional IP addresses used to configure a second iSCSI target.
For more information, see KB article 110933 PowerStore X Performance Best Practice Tuning or see the PowerStore
Virtualization Integration White Paper.
When changes are made to the MTU settings, the PowerStore X model cluster automatically reconfigures the ESXi hosts.
NOTE:
The MTU settings must be changed using PowerStore Manager or the REST API. Do not change the MTU setting
directly on the distributed switch in vCenter.
Performance best practices for multi-appliance PowerStore X model
clusters
When multiple appliances are clustered together in a scaled-out configuration, DRS may move the compute for a VM away
from the appliance where the storage for the VM resides. This moving of resources results in cross-appliance I/O, where a VM
residing on one appliance must access storage from a second appliance. However, best practices recommend keeping compute
and storage co-located on the same appliance, which can be done by using a VM/Host affinity rule on the PowerStore X model
cluster in vCenter.
When a PowerStore X model cluster is created, the system creates the following VM/Host Groups and VM/Host Rules for each
appliance in the cluster:
● A Host Group that is named Appliance name. The internal ESXi hosts on the appliance are automatically added to this Host
Group.
● A VM Group that is named Appliance name VMs. The VM Group is empty by default.
● A VM/Host Rule that is named Appliance name. The VM/Host Rule is a Should run on hosts in group, which specifies that
VMs in the VM Group should run on the hosts in the Host Group.
5
26 Best practices and limitations