PowerStore and K8s - PowerStoreOS 4.0 validated for Azure Arc-enabled data services
Mon, 29 Jul 2024 17:33:18 -0000
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Kubernetes (K8s) is quickly becoming the standard for deploying cloud-native applications as well as many AI/ML tools and solutions. PowerStoreOS 4.0 has been validated by Microsoft to run Kubernetes (K8s) based Microsoft Azure Arc-enabled data services. This validation is essential for customers running any K8s based application with PowerStore. Even if you do not use Azure Arc, the breadth and depth of this testing provides confidence for customers running any Kubernetes application on-premises with PowerStore.
The validation process
Microsoft has published continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline tests for partners and customers to run. For Microsoft to support an Arc-enabled data services solution, it must pass these tests. At a high level, these tests perform the following:
- Connect to an Azure subscription provided by Microsoft.
- Deploy the components for Arc-enabled data services, including SQL Managed Instance, using direct and indirect connect modes to K8s cluster.
- Validate Kubernetes (K8s), hosts, data storage, storage provisioning using container storage interface (CSI), and networking.
- Run Sonobuoy tests ranging from simple smoke tests to complex high-availability scenarios and chaos tests.
- Upload the results to Microsoft for analysis.
When Microsoft accepts the results, it adds the new or updated solution to its list of validated solutions. At that point, the solution is officially supported. This process is repeated as needed as new component versions are introduced. Complete details about the validation testing and links to the GitHub repositories are available here.
PowerStore validated solution
For the latest Dell PowerStoreOS 4.0 release, PowerStore was validated using an on-premises Kubernetes cluster running SUSE Rancher RKE2 v1.28.10, Dell PowerStore with PowerStoreOS 4.0, and CSI Driver for Dell PowerStore 2.10.1. These are the latest versions of RKE2, PowerStoreOS, and Dell CSI at the time of writing. PowerStore supports any Kubernetes distribution supported by the CSI Driver for Dell PowerStore.
This validation with Microsoft allows customers to deploy K8s applications with PowerStore confidently. This further demonstrates Dell Technologies commitment to providing PowerStore support for modern, cloud-native architectures such as Kubernetes.
Additionally, it provides a fully validated stack for running Azure Arc-enabled data services and demonstrates that Dell and Microsoft are partnering to provide thoroughly tested solutions for our customers.
More to come
Stay tuned for more additions and updates from Dell Technologies to the list of validated solutions for Azure Arc-enabled data services. Dell Technologies is leading the way in hybrid solutions, as proven by our work with partners such as Microsoft on these validation efforts. Contact your Dell Technologies representative for more information about these solutions and validations.
Author: Doug Bernhardt, Sr. Principal Engineering Technologist
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