Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize

family and IBM XIV

Using the VASA support provided by IBM Storwize and IBM XIV to
automate virtual machine storage placement

Jeremy Canady

IBM Systems and Technology Group ISV Enablement

November 2013

© Copyright IBM Corporation, 2013

Table of contents
Abstract........................................................................................................................................1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................1
Prerequisites ...............................................................................................................................1
IBM storage systems ..................................................................................................................1
IBM Storwize family ................................................................................................................................. 2
IBM XIV .................................................................................................................................................... 3
VMware vSphere .........................................................................................................................3
IBM Storage Integration Server .................................................................................................3
VMware vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) ...........................................................4
Installation and configuration ....................................................................................................4
IBM Storage Integration Server installation ............................................................................................. 4
VASA configuration.................................................................................................................................. 5
Add storage arrays to IBM Storage Integration Server............................................................................ 7
Configure array credentials ............................................................................................... 8
Add storage array to IBM Storage Integration Server ....................................................... 9
VASA integration use cases ....................................................................................................10
Multiple development stage example .................................................................................................... 11
Dev stage ........................................................................................................................ 11
QA stage.......................................................................................................................... 11
Load-test.......................................................................................................................... 11
Multiple development environments and stages ................................................................................... 13
Summary....................................................................................................................................19
Resources..................................................................................................................................20
About the author .......................................................................................................................20
Trademarks and special notices..............................................................................................21

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
Abstract
This white paper provides an overview of how the support of VMware vSphere APIs for Storage
Awareness (VASA) provided by the IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV Storage System can be
used to provide smarter and more reliable deployment of virtual machines.

Introduction
Integration between management, automation, and hardware systems has become a requirement to
support the ever-evolving software-defined environments and virtual infrastructures. Users expect the
solutions to have a higher level of awareness regarding the infrastructure when deploying workloads to
software-defined environments or virtual environments.
To address this, VMware has created the vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA). In short, VASA is
an application programming interface (API) that allows vSphere to be aware of the underlying capabilities
of each storage volume provided by the storage system. Thanks to the new IBM® Storage Integration
Server, the IBM Storwize® family now provides support for VASA.

This paper provides an overview of the new IBM Storage Integration Server and VASA, and how the new
VASA support can be used with virtual machine (VM) storage policies to automate the placement of virtual
machines on Storwize-backed data stores.

Prerequisites
To successfully understand and implement the IBM Storage Integration Server with VASA support, the
reader needs to have familiarity with several technologies and needs to complete the following prerequisite
tasks.

Technology skills prerequisites

 VMware vCenter Server management and administrator
 IBM Storwize management

 IBM XIV® Storage System management

 Linux® command-line familiarity
Implementation prerequisites
 Operational VMware vSphere 5.1 or later environment
 Virtual machine or physical server running a compatible Linux distribution
 IBM XIV or IBM Storwize storage system configured and zoned to a VMware vSphere
environment

IBM storage systems

IBM provides a range of storage systems designed to meet challenges. IBM storage systems support
many advanced storage functionalities such as IBM Real-time Compression™, automated tiering, storage
virtualization, and thin provisioning. These advanced functions, combined with the performance and
reliability expected of an IBM solution, result in better system performance and lower IT costs.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
1
IBM Storwize family
The IBM Storwize family consists of a set of virtualized storage systems designed to reduce cost, simplify
management, provide cost saving advanced functionality, and provide high scalability. To meet this
challenge, IBM offers a range of storage systems running on the same core Storwize code base.
 IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller (SVC)
IBM System Storage® SAN Volume Controller provides a modular and highly scalable storage
virtualization solution. SVC allows customers a single point of management for all the storage in
their IT infrastructure. SVC also augments the virtualized storage systems by providing advanced
storage features such as Real-time Compression and automated tiering, to name a few. For
additional information about IBM SVC, refer to the following URL:
ibm.com/systems/storage/software/virtualization/svc/
 IBM Storwize V7000
The IBM Storwize V7000 storage system provides block storage enhanced with enterprise-class
features to midrange customer environments. The Storwize V7000 system can scale up to 240
drivers per control enclosure. Additionally, up to four control enclosures can be clustered, allowing
the Storwize V7000 system to scale up to 906 drives. For additional information about the IBM
Storwize V7000 system, refer to the following URL:
ibm.com/systems/storage/disk/storwize_v7000/index.html

 IBM Storwize V7000 Unified

The IBM Storwize V7000 storage system combines the block storage capabilities of the Storwize
V7000 system with advanced file storage capabilities to form a single system for greater ease of
management and efficiency. The IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system contains the same 2U drive
enclosures of the Storwize V7000 system and two 2U file modules. For additional information
about the IBM Storwize V7000 Unified, refer to the following URL:
ibm.com/systems/storage/disk/storwize_v7000/index.html

 IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node

IBM Flex System™ V7000 Storage Node is a high-performance block-storage solution that has
been designed to integrate directly with IBM Flex System. IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node
provides advanced storage capabilities, such as IBM System Storage Easy Tier®, IBM Real-Time
Compression, thin provisioning, and more. For more information the IBM Flex System V7000
Storage Node, refer to the following URL:
ibm.com/systems/flex/storage/v7000/index.html
 IBM Storwize V5000
The IBM Storwize V5000 system provides cost-efficient midrange storage. Built from the same
technology as the IBM SAN Volume Controller and IBM Storwize V7000 systems, the IBM
Storwize V5000 system offers advanced storage features in a cost-conscious package. For
additional information about the IBM Storwize V5000 system, refer to the following URL:
ibm.com/systems/hk/storage/disk/storwize_v5000/index.html

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
2
  IBM Storwize V3700
The IBM Storwize V3700 system is an entry-level storage system designed for ease of use and
affordability. Built from the same technology used in all of the Storwize family, the Storwize V3700
system offers some of the advanced features that can be found in other Storwize models. For
more information about the IBM Storwize V3700 system, refer to the following URL:
ibm.com/systems/storage/disk/storwize_v3700/index.html

IBM XIV
IBM XIV is an enterprise-class disk storage system designed to provide hotspot-free high performance
with extreme ease of use. XIV features a grid design that allows for automated tuning to provide peak
performance without administrator intervention. Designed for five-nines reliability, the XIV system provides
peace of mind with its self-healing capability and rebuilds within an hour. For additional information about
the IBM XIV Storage System, refer to the following URL:
ibm.com/systems/storage/disk/xiv/index.html

VMware vSphere
VMware vSphere is a virtualization platform capable of transforming a traditional data center, consisting of
industry-standard hardware, into a shared mainframe-like environment. Through the use of virtualization
technology, hardware resources are abstracted into pools that can be allocated to a variety of workloads.
VMware vSphere is the core enabling technology of VMware’s software-defined environment.

IBM Storage Integration Server

The IBM Storage Integration Server is a centralized service platform that provides a consolidated method
for IBM storage system monitoring, automation, and provisioning. IBM Storage Integration Server provides
a centralized and standardized location for independent software vendor (ISV) frameworks and platforms
to integration with a diverse range of IBM storage systems. At the time of publishing this paper, IBM
Storage Integration Server supports storage-level integration into VMware vSphere through the VMware
vSphere Web Client and VASA. IBM Storage Integration Server provides the foundation for integration
with future IBM systems and ISV solutions.
IBM Storage Integration Server consists of a Linux server running as either a virtual machine or a physical
server. IBM Storage Integration Server acts as the intermediary between the IBM storage systems and the
ISVs framework or platform. You can find additional details regarding the installation and configuration in
the “Installation and configuration” section of this paper. Figure 1 provides a visual overview of the IBM
Storage Integration Server solution.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
3
Figure 1: Integration of IBM storage systems with a VMware environment

VMware vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA)

VASA is an API designed to allow vSphere to gain insight into the storage systems that it uses. VASA
allows vSphere to discover the functional capabilities of a volume, such as if the volume has Real-time
Compression enabled. This information can then be used to help automate the placement of virtual
machines.

Installation and configuration

Installation of IBM Storage Integration Server and configuration of VASA is a two-part process. First, IBM
Storage Integration Server is installed onto the server, then each component is configured. After the
configuration is complete, IBM storage arrays can be added to IBM Storage Integration Server for
management.

IBM Storage Integration Server installation

This section provides a quick overview of the IBM Storage Integration Server installation process. For
detailed instructions, refer to the IBM Storage Information Server user guide.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
4
Requirements
 Server running a compatible version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
 IBM Storage Integration Server compatible web browser
 Shell access to the server as a privileged user
 IBM Storage Integration Server installation package

IBM Storage Integration Server installation

 Download the IBM Storage Integration Server installation package.
 Unpack the installation files.
 Install all Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) packages in the proper order.

VASA configuration
With the installation of IBM Storage Integration Server, the VASA provider is already installed and
operational. To begin using the VASA provider, two additional steps must be completed. First, the VASA
provider must be registered with any vCenter servers that will be using it. Then, storage arrays must be
added to IBM Storage Integration Server. Instructions to add storage arrays are provided in the
subsequent sections.

Before the VASA provider can be registered with vCenter, a secret must be set. The secret is a user name
and password combination that will be used by vCenter to authenticate the VASA provider. The same
secret will be used for all connecting vCenter servers. To configure the secret, log in to the VASA web GUI
and navigate to the VASA tab. Next, click Change Secret as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Option to change VASA secret

In the Set Secret dialog box, enter a valid user name and password and click Set. The configuration dialog
box is shown in Figure 3.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
5
Figure 3: Set Secret dialog box

To register the VASA provider with vCenter, log in to the vCenter Web Client and navigate to the vCenter
Management tab. Click the Add storage provider button, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Add storage provider button

A new dialog box appears asking for the various connectivity parameters. The name can be anything the
user would like. One suggestion is to use the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the IBM Storage
Integration Server. In the User name and Password fields, you need to enter the user name and
password provided during the VASA secret creation. Finally, the URL is the URL to the VASA provider on
the IBM Storage Integration Server. The URL is shown along with the prompt in Figure 5.
 URL: https://< IBM Storage Integration Server Server FQDN or IP>:8443/services/vasa1

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
6
Figure 5: vSphere Web Client storage (New Storage Provider window)

After the provider has been registered, and the initial discovery complete, the Storage Providers window
now displays the storage systems that the VASA provider is providing information for. No storage systems
will be listed until they are added to IBM Storage Integration Server (which is explained in a later section).
Figure 6 shows the Storage Providers window after storage systems have been added to IBM Storage
Integration Server.

Figure 6: vSphere Web Client storage providers page with storage systems

Add storage arrays to IBM Storage Integration Server

IBM Storage Integration Server is capable of managing multiple IBM storage systems from a single
installation. The single installation allows consumers of IBM Storage Integration Server services, such as
VASA, to have a single point of contact for multiple storage systems. This reduces configuration

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
7
complexity and management overhead. For this to function, all storage systems that IBM Storage
Integration Server provides services for must be connected to the IBM Storage Integration Server.

Configure array credentials

To add a storage system to IBM Storage Integration Server, credentials must first be defined. Log in
and navigate to the Arrays tab. Click Set Credentials (as shown in Figure 7) to configure the login
credentials for the storage system. IBM Storage Integration Server uses a single set of credentials to
access all storage systems. Administrators need to make sure that proper user accounts exist on all
storage systems that connects to IBM Storage Integration Server.

Figure 7: IBM Storage Integration Server – Option to set array credentials

In the Set Credentials dialog box (shown in Figure 8), enter the user name and password that has
been configured on all the storage systems.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
8
Figure 8: IBM Storage Integration Server – setting array credentials

Add storage array to IBM Storage Integration Server

To add a storage system to IBM Storage Integration Server, first log in to the IBM Storage Integration
Server web GUI and then navigate to the Arrays tab. Click Add in the Storage Arrays section as
shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9: IBM Storage Integration Server – adding storage array

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
9
 In the Add Array dialog box (shown in Figure: 10), select the appropriate storage system type and
then provide the FQDN or the IP address for the storage system. Clicking Add will add the storage
array to IBM Storage Integration Server. At this point, IBM Storage Integration Server begins providing
VASA information for the newly added storage array to any registered vCenter servers.

Figure: 10 IBM Storage Integration Server – adding an array

After the array has been added, the array window displays basic information regarding the array (as
shown in Figure 11). During the initial addition phase, a small set of information is gathered by the IBM
Storage Integration Server. The periodic background collection process runs at a later time to collect
detailed information.

Figure 11: IBM Storage Integration Server with storage arrays added

VASA integration use cases

The VASA integration provided by IBM Storage Integration Server allows vCenter to gain additional insight
into each storage volume backed by an IBM storage system. The IBM VASA provider supports two
profiles, BlockDeviceProfile and CapabilityProfile. The BlockDeviceProfile allows vCenter to inquire about
the block device. The CapabilityProfile allows VCenter to inquire about the capabilities of the volumes
presented by the device allowing vCenter to know, for example, if the volume is using Real-time
Compression.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
10
The primary use case for this information is to use it with VM storage policies. VM storage policies are
friendly names that can be assigned to a set of storage capabilities and tags. VM storage policies allow
administrators to define a friendly name such as “Development” that automatically selects the proper data
stores. To further illustrate how VASA and VM storage policies can be used, a couple of example use
cases have been provided.

Multiple development stage example

For this example, assume a portion of the virtual environment has been dedicated to software
development. The development team uses three development stages, dev, QA, and load-test.
Administrators have designed specific storage solutions for each environment.

Dev stage
The dev stage is where developers develop new features and functions. This stage must support a
multitude of temporary virtual machines for each developer but does not require top-level
performance. To accommodate this, the storage administrators have designed and deployed a set of
storage pools backed by 10k SAS drives.
Capacity: Large
Performance: Medium
Solution: Disk pools containing 10k SAS drives.

QA stage
The QA stage is where the quality assurance teams take the completed software and run it through a
battery of tests. Various development instances have now been refined to a much smaller subset of
instances. This reduces the overall capacity needs. The QA tests do not test at full load but they do
need to test for reasonable performance under the light testing load. To accommodate this, the
administrators have decided to provide disk pools containing 10k SAS drives with Easy Tier.
Capacity: Medium
Performance: High
Solution: Disk pools containing 10k SAS drives with Easy Tier.

Load-test
The load-test stage is the final stage of the software development cycle. The QA approved software
build is deployed onto near production like hardware and loaded with above production load. Only a
single instance of the software makes it to the load-test stage at a time, so capacity requirements are
low. However, for the load test to be accurate, the backing hardware needs to be like production. To
accommodate this need, administrators have selected to use a disk pool containing solid-state drives.
Capacity: Small
Performance: Extreme
Solution: Disk pools containing solid-state drives.
The solution is now designed and implemented. During usage, administrators discover issues that are
becoming a larger problem. During VM allocation, administrators, or self-service developers, have
begun incorrectly placing VMs. The correct placement of a VM relies on the proper naming of the data

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
11
store and the understanding of the naming scheme. In some cases, data stores have been mislabeled
upon creation or migrated to different storage pool without the label being changed. Additionally, it is
suspected that some developers are intentionally placing development VMs on production storage to
increase local performance. To correct this issue, administrators have decided to use the VASA
support of their IBM storage and VM storage policies.
Administrators create three separate storage policies, Dev Storage, QA Storage, and Load-test
Storage. Each profile is configured with a rule-set that limits storage to the appropriate type of storage.
Figure 12 displays the configuration for the QA Storage VM storage profile.

Figure 12: VM storage profile rule creation

When a new VM is being deployed, administrators and self-service users can select the proper profile.
The user will be presented with a list of data stores that are compatible with the selection. This can be
seen in Figure 13.

Figure 13: VM storage selection with the QA Storage profile

Besides properly locating virtual machines upon creation, the new configuration also allows for
auditing the compliance. In the event a VM is relocated to the wrong data store, it will be flagged for
administrators to take the appropriate action. This can be seen in Figure 14.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
12
 Figure 14: Not compliant VM

Multiple development environments and stages

For this example, the previous example is expanded to support multiple development environments. In the
previous example, a portion of the virtualized infrastructure was dedicated to software development.
Storage was automatically selected for each development stage based on VASA information and VM
storage policies. For this example, assume that there are now three development teams working on
separate pieces of software. Each team needs to have dedicated storage resources and multiple levels of
performance. A representation of the resulting hierarchy is provided in the following list.
 Product A Development Team
- Product A Development

- Product A QA
- Product A Load-test
 Product B Development Team
- Product B Development
- Product B QA
- Product B Load-test

 Product C Development Team

- Product C Development
- Product C QA

- Product C Load-test
As before, storage has been selected for each stage of development. Administrators now face the
issue of how to separate the storage between the development teams. Although the load-test stage
can use the same type of storage between development teams, they should not use the same physical
storage. The solution is to use the tagging feature of VMware vSphere.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
13
Tagging has become a common feature of many services. Blogging software allows writers to tag their
posts, photo management software allows users to tag their photos, and even some email software
has forgone folders and instead allows users to tag email. Tags are a simple text identifier that can be
attached to any object. Objects can contain any number of tags. The tags then allow users to quickly
select objects based on whether the object has a tag associated to it.
The tagging implementation in vSphere allows administrators to attach tags to hosts, data stores,
virtual machines, and many other objects. These tags allow administrators the ability to quickly sort
and select the objects they are interested in. This tagging feature can be used by VM storage policies
to help automatically select the appropriate data stores. Figure 15 and Figure 16 give a visual
representation of how tags can be used to select objects.

Figure 15: Tagging example one

Figure 16: Tagging example two

The vSphere tag implementation includes categories, which are an additional component that might
not be found in many other tagging solutions. By default, a tag can be attached to one of many

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
14
different types of objects within vSphere. Categories allow administrators to provide some restriction to
specific tags. For example, you can have a tag that is only appropriate to a virtual machine. You use
this tag to select a set of virtual machines to be automatically restarted. Without categories, the tag
can be applied to an object that does not need to be restarted, such as a data store.
Categories also provide an additional important functionality, the ability to modify the cardinality of the
tags in the category. This allows an object to be associated with only one tag from the category. For
example, an administrator can tag every virtual machine based on its location. Without this limitation, a
virtual machine can be tagged with multiple locations.
To solve the problem with multiple development environments, tagging can be used to select the
proper data store. VASA capabilities can then be used to select the correct storage from the subset
created by the tag selection. This can be seen in the following list representation.
 Product A Development– vSphere Tag
o Product A Development – VASA (SAS)
o Product A QA – VASA (Easy Tier)
o Product a Load-test – VASA (SSD)
 Product B Development– vSphere Tag
o Product B Development – VASA (SAS)
o Product B QA – VASA (Easy Tier)
o Product B Load-test – VASA (SSD)
 Product C Development– vSphere Tag

o Product C Development – VASA (SAS)

o Product C QA – VASA (Easy Tier)
o Product C Load-test – VASA (SSD)

To use the tagging feature, the tags must first be created. After navigating to the tags window in the
vSphere Web Client, click New Tag. In the New Tag dialog box, enter the relevant tag information. For
this use case, administrators will create a new tag for every product. They will also place the tag in a
category devoted to development storage. The category will be set to One tag per object to prevent a
data store from being associated with tags for multiple development teams. Creating the tag for
Product A Storage can be seen in Figure 17.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
15
Figure 17: vSphere New Tag dialog box

With the tag created, it must be applied to all data stores that are dedicated to that development team.
There is no need to tag the data stores differently to accommodate for the development stages. The
selection of storage will be handled by VASA. To tag a data store, navigate to the data store and then
click Actions  Assign Tag, as shown in Figure 18.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
16
Figure 18: Data store Actions menu

Select the proper tag and click Assign.

Figure 19: Data store tag assignment window

The tag has now been created and assigned to the proper data stores. The final step is to define the
new VM storage profile for each environment. The same steps are taken as in the previous example
but this time a tag is added. To add a tag, click Add tag-based rule… (as shown in Figure 20).

Figure 20: VM storage policy rule set window

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
17
Selecting the proper tag will add it to the rule. This can be seen in Figure 21.

Figure 21: VM storage policy rule set window

After completion, the VM storage policies now use two pieces of information when determining proper
placement of a virtual machine. First, it looks for data stores that have assigned tags that match the
rule. Next, it uses VASA to determine whether the backing storage supports the capabilities that the
rule requires. The result is a listing of only the data stores that are appropriate for that virtual machine.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
18
Summary
The IBM Storwize family provides a wide range of advanced storage features that can provide storage
administrators the ability to optimize the storage for specific workloads, providing better performance and
utilization. Although storage administrators might design optimal configurations for a specific workload, the
disconnect between the workload placement and storage capabilities can introduce errors. By using the
new VASA support for the IBM Storwize family and VMware vSphere’s VM storage policies, administrators
can automatically classify storage, automate the proper placement of workloads, and audit the placement
at a later time.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
19
Resources
The following websites provide useful references to supplement the information contained in this paper:
 IBM Systems on PartnerWorld
ibm.com/partnerworld/systems

 Virtual Loaner Program

ibm.com/systems/vlp

 IBM Redbooks
ibm.com/redbooks

 IBM Publications Center

www.elink.ibmlink.ibm.com/public/applications/publications/cgibin/pbi.cgi?CTY=US

 IBM Storage Integration Server Documentation

pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/strhosts/ic/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.help.strghosts.doc%
2Fhsg_isis_1.1.0.html

 VMware vSphere Support Center

www.vmware.com/support/vsphere/

About the author

Jeremy Canady is an IT specialist in IBM System and Technology Group ISV Enablement Organization.
He has more than 8 years of experience in IT administration and over 4 years of experience working with
VMware virtualization products.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
20
Trademarks and special notices
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2013.
References in this document to IBM products or services do not imply that IBM intends to make them
available in every country.
IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. If these and other IBM trademarked
terms are marked on their first occurrence in this information with a trademark symbol (® or ™), these
symbols indicate U.S. registered or common law trademarks owned by IBM at the time this information
was published. Such trademarks may also be registered or common law trademarks in other countries. A
current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at "Copyright and trademark information" at
www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
Information is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind.
All customer examples described are presented as illustrations of how those customers have used IBM
products and the results they may have achieved. Actual environmental costs and performance
characteristics may vary by customer.
Information concerning non-IBM products was obtained from a supplier of these products, published
announcement material, or other publicly available sources and does not constitute an endorsement of
such products by IBM. Sources for non-IBM list prices and performance numbers are taken from publicly
available information, including vendor announcements and vendor worldwide homepages. IBM has not
tested these products and cannot confirm the accuracy of performance, capability, or any other claims
related to non-IBM products. Questions on the capability of non-IBM products should be addressed to the
supplier of those products.
All statements regarding IBM future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice,
and represent goals and objectives only. Contact your local IBM office or IBM authorized reseller for the
full text of the specific Statement of Direction.

Some information addresses anticipated future capabilities. Such information is not intended as a definitive
statement of a commitment to specific levels of performance, function or delivery schedules with respect to
any future products. Such commitments are only made in IBM product announcements. The information is
presented here to communicate IBM's current investment and development activities as a good faith effort
to help with our customers' future planning.
Performance is based on measurements and projections using standard IBM benchmarks in a controlled
environment. The actual throughput or performance that any user will experience will vary depending upon
considerations such as the amount of multiprogramming in the user's job stream, the I/O configuration, the
storage configuration, and the workload processed. Therefore, no assurance can be given that an
individual user will achieve throughput or performance improvements equivalent to the ratios stated here.
Photographs shown are of engineering prototypes. Changes may be incorporated in production models.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
21
Any references in this information to non-IBM websites are provided for convenience only and do not in
any manner serve as an endorsement of those websites. The materials at those websites are not part of
the materials for this IBM product and use of those websites is at your own risk.

Using VMware VASA with IBM Storwize family and IBM XIV
22