VMware VSphere 4 Storage Protocol Comparison

For VMware vSphere environments, there are now a variety of storage protocols to choose from. However, you need to choose the best way to fit your specific resource and performance goals.

Which storage protocol should I choose for VMware vshpere deployments?
I am often asked what kind of storage protocol is best for VMware vSphere data stores. But there is no clear right or wrong answer to this question, and I usually answer, "it depends." "Of course, this is an answer to all the questions, isn't it?" And the reason I answer this is, what kind of storage protocol do you choose depends on what the ultimate goal of your data stores needs to accomplish? Now, before we dive into this topic, let's start by detailing the advantages and disadvantages of common storage protocols.

Fibre Channel (FC)
Advantages:

• Low latency (non-IP storage network)
• As we all know, high reliability
• Support for virtual machine file system (VMFS)

Disadvantages:

• Requires dedicated host Bus Controller (HBA)
• Expensive, requires storage Area network (SAN) switches and HBAs
• More management work (san switch, swap zone, etc.)

Fiber Ethernet (FCOE) Benefits:

• The ability to fuse storage and other network traffic into the same set of networks
• Provides Ethernet-based lossless storage protocol with data center bridging capabilities
• Support for VMFS

Disadvantages:

• Relatively low visibility and reliability
• Requires a lossless Ethernet infrastructure with a minimum of 10GB
• Unable to Route
• Trouble with the wrong row

Advantages of the Internet Small Computer system interface (ISCSI):

• As we all know, high reliability
• Low price
• Can rely on existing network components
• Using Vsphere's own iSCSI Software controller
• Supports multi-path input/output (MPIO) load Balancing
• Lower latency under normal conditions
• Support for VMFS

Disadvantages:

• As an IP-based storage protocol, higher latency is generated
• Cannot route using iSCSI interface Bindings
• Higher latency if using the Iscci interface card
• Security concerns

Network File System (NFS)
Advantages:

• As we all know, high reliability
• Low price
• Can rely on existing network components
• You can use the compression and deduplication features of these NFS servers
• Easy-to-scale data stores

Disadvantages:

• Single-connection session, cannot use MPIO load balancing
• Security concerns
• VMFS not supported

With this information in mind, what kind of protocol will you eventually decide to use? Again, it's up to you to focus on your ultimate goal. If your goal is to use VMFS and its native features, then you need to choose a block-based protocol (such as FC, FCoE, or iSCSI). Otherwise, you can use file-based protocol (NFS) to take advantage of the features provided by the storage vendor. If your goal is to use IP-based storage to minimize the overall overhead associated with FC mode, you can only choose between iSCSI and NFS. If your goal is a lossless non-IP storage option, choose between FC and FCoE. However, if your existing environment does not have an FC infrastructure (FC switch, FC SAN, Server FC adapter) and there is not enough budget to purchase these devices, then you can use iSCSI (block) or NFS (files) in an IP-based manner. This allows you to take advantage of your existing network infrastructure.

As you can see, each of these approaches has its advantages and disadvantages. Your decision should depend on your own needs and goals, and each of these protocols can be a trusted solution if designed properly.

VMware VSphere 4 Storage Protocol Comparison