Preface

VMware VSAN is a phenomenal concept, technology, solution, and a product—all in one—that has redefined storage provisioning and management in a vSphere-backed infrastructure. The complexities of the traditional SAN have been replaced with simpler, agile, and scalable storage; the key differentiator with VSAN is the fact that complete control of the storage is at the software stack, truly aligning it with the software-defined datacenter vision.

While VSAN has been made simpler, it still needs to be understood and configured appropriately for optimal outcome. With this book, you will be able to understand, deploy, optimize, and monitor a VSAN-backed infrastructure. Based on various use cases and business needs, you will also be able to define appropriate SLAs and ensure compliance through policies.

Besides administration, you will understand what goes on beneath the surface in terms of the architecture and get an explanation of the components that make up VSAN. This helps in closely understanding the limitations of the product and also equips you to analyze and troubleshoot issues that may surface due to anomalies.

This book discusses the first generation of VSAN, as well as its successors, clearly explaining the refinements made in the newer releases to understand the trade-offs with each version.