For each Dell storage product, the steps to provision storage to VMware Cloud Foundation vary. This section details the high-level steps for each storage system.

Dell Unity

The Unity array can present multiple protocols for the principal workload domain storage and iSCSI datastores for supplemental storage.

This document does not provide detailed steps for provisioning datastores to vSphere hosts. For more information, see Dell Unity Family: Configuring Hosts to Access VMware Datastores.

The high-level steps to provision storage to the workload cluster are as follows:

1. If using VMFS on FC, perform the following steps:
   1. Create FC zones for the workload domain ESXi hosts.
   2. Perform the following steps in SDDC Manager:

i             Commission the workload domain hosts.

ii           Create a workload domain from the commissioned hosts.

If using a Unity NFS share for the storage selection, see the steps in Workload domain configuration with NFS.

2. If using VMFS on iSCSI, perform the following steps:
   1. Add an iSCSI Distributed Port Group and assign it the iSCSI VLAN.
   2. Add a VMkernel adapter to each workload domain host with an IP in the storage network.
   3. Add a software iSCSI adapter to each workload domain host.
   4. Add the iSCSI targets for the array to the iSCSI adapter, and then rescan.
3. Perform the following steps in the Unity Unisphere interface:
   1. Create the hosts for the workload domain ESXi hosts.
   2. Create a block LUN specifying the name, capacity, and other options needed for the datastore. Configure the host access to specify the workload domain vSphere hosts.
   3. Optionally, use the Create Datastore Wizard from the VMware storage section to automatically provision a datastore to the vSphere hosts, which bypasses the following manual datastore-creation steps.
4. Create the datastore using the steps outlined in Datastore creation.

PowerMax

The PowerMax array can present multiple protocols for the principal workload domain storage, and it can present iSCSI datastores for supplemental storage. The process of presenting storage from PowerMax arrays to a workload domain is completed in the same manner as presenting storage to conventional vSphere clusters.

This document does not provide detailed steps for provisioning datastores to vSphere hosts. For more information, see Using Dell VMAX and PowerMax in VMware vSphere Environments.

The high-level steps to provision storage to the workload cluster are as follows:

1. If using VMFS on FC, perform the following steps:
   1. Create FC zones for the workload domain VMware ESXi hosts.
   2. Perform the following steps in SDDC Manager:

i             Commission the workload domain hosts.

ii           Create a workload domain from the commissioned hosts.

2. If using VMFS on iSCSI, perform the following steps:
   1. Add an iSCSI distributed port group and assign it the iSCSI VLAN.
   2. Add a VMkernel adapter to each workload domain host with an IP in the storage network.
   3. Add a software iSCSI adapter to each workload domain host.
   4. Add the iSCSI targets for the array to the iSCSI adapter and then rescan.
3. Perform the following steps in the Unisphere for PowerMax interface:
   1. Create the port group for the PowerMax target ports zoned to the ESXi hosts.
   2. Create the hosts and hosts group for initiators belonging to the workload domain ESXi hosts.
   3. Create a storage group specifying the name and volume capacity for the datastore.
   4. Create the masking view to present the new volume to the workload domain vSphere cluster.
4. Create the datastore using the steps outlined in Datastore creation.

PowerStore

The PowerStore T model appliance can present multiple protocols for the principal workload domain storage. For supplemental storage, the PowerStore T model can present iSCSI or NVMe/FC.

The PowerStore X model appliance can present storage externally to workload domain hosts as a VMFS on FC datastore for principal workload domain storage. For supplemental storage, the PowerStore X model can present iSCSI datastores. PowerStore X model ESXi hosts cannot be used to create or be used as part of a VMware Cloud Foundation workload domain cluster.

Detailed steps for provisioning datastores to vSphere hosts are not covered within this document. For more information, see the PowerStore Virtualization Infrastructure Guide.

The high-level steps to provision storage to the workload cluster are as follows:

1. If using VMFS on FC, perform the following steps:
   1. Create FC zones for the workload domain ESXi hosts.
   2. Perform the following steps in SDDC Manager:

i             Commission the workload domain hosts.

ii           Create a workload domain from the commissioned hosts.

The workload domain storage selection must use:

• PowerStore T model – VMFS on FC, NFSv3, vSAN, or vVols
• PowerStore X model – VMFS on FC, or vSAN

If using a PowerStore NFSv3 share, see the steps in Workload domain configuration with NFS.

2. If using VMFS on iSCSI, perform the following steps:
   1. Add an iSCSI Distributed Port Group and assign it the iSCSI VLAN.
   2. Add a VMkernel adapter to each workload domain host with an IP in the storage network.
   3. Add a software iSCSI adapter to each workload domain host.
   4. Add the iSCSI targets or Global Storage Discovery IP for the appliance to the iSCSI adapter and then rescan.
3. If using NVMe/FC, perform the following steps:
   1. Create FC zones for the workload domain ESXi hosts.

Create zones with the NVMe WWNs (not the SCSI WWNs). Each PowerStore cluster FC Front End (FE) port is assigned one SCSI WWN and one NVMe WWN, which can be found in the PowerStore Manager’s hardware ports section.

2. Enable NVMe support on the HBAs and change the NQN format according to the latest PowerStore Host Configuration Guide:

i             With QLE HBAs, issue the following command:

esxcli system module parameters set -p ql2xnvmesupport=1 -m qlnativefc

ii           With LPe3200X HBAs using the lpfc driver, issue the following command:

esxcli system module parameters set -m lpfc -p lpfc_enable_fc4_type=3

iii         Change the NQN format with the following command:

esxcli system module parameters set -m vmknvme -p vmknvme_hostnqn_format=0

iv         Reboot the host.

3. Perform the following steps in SDDC Manager:

i             Commission the workload domain hosts.

ii           Create a workload domain from the commissioned hosts using a supported principal storage option. NVMe/FC datastores are only supported as supplemental storage.

4. Perform the following steps in the PowerStore Manager:
   1. Create the hosts and host group for the workload domain ESXi hosts.

While the SCSI and NVMe WWNs on the ESXi host are potentially the same for each of the respective vmhba adapters, additional hosts and host groups must be created in the PowerStore Manager for the NVMe/FC ports.

2. Create a volume specifying the name, size, and other options for the datastore. Configure the host mappings to specify the workload domain vSphere host group.
3. Optionally, use the Dell Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI) vSphere plug-in to automatically provision a datastore to the vSphere hosts, which bypasses the manual datastore-creation steps described in Datastore creation.

5. Create the datastore using the steps outlined in Datastore creation.

SC Series

The process of presenting storage from SC Series arrays to a workload domain is completed in the same manner as presenting storage to conventional vSphere clusters. Because FC datastores are added and managed outside of VMware Cloud Foundation, normal SC Series administrative tools can be used.

This document does not provide detailed steps for provisioning datastores to vSphere hosts. For more information, see the current Dell Storage Manager Administrator’s Guide on Dell.com/support.

The high-level steps to provision storage to the workload cluster are as follows:

1. If using VMFS on FC, perform the following steps:
   1. Create FC zones for the workload domain ESXi hosts.
   2. Perform the following steps in SDDC Manager:

i             Commission the workload domain hosts.

ii           Create a workload domain from the commissioned hosts.

2. If using VMFS on iSCSI, perform the following steps:
   1. Add an iSCSI Distributed Port Group and assign it the iSCSI VLAN.
   2. Add a VMkernel adapter to each workload domain host with an IP in the storage network.
   3. Add a software iSCSI adapter to each workload domain host.
   4. Add the iSCSI targets for each controller to the iSCSI adapter, and then rescan.
3. Perform the following steps in Dell Storage Manager or Dell Unisphere for SC Series interface:
   1. Create the Server objects and Server Cluster for the workload domain ESXi hosts.
   2. Create a volume specifying the name, size, and other options for the datastore.

For the Server (Dell Storage Manager Client) or Server Mapping (Unisphere for SC Series web interface), select the server cluster previously created.

3. Configure the server mappings to specify the workload domain vSphere cluster.

4. Create the datastore using the steps outlined in Datastore creation.

PowerFlex

The process of presenting storage from a PowerFlex two-layer system (where storage and compute nodes remain separate operationally) to workload domains for supplemental storage is the same as presenting storage to conventional vSphere clusters. Because the datastores are managed outside of VMware Cloud Foundation, use only PowerFlex storage administrative tools for storage-specific operations.

The high-level steps to provision storage to the workload cluster are as follows:

1. Prerequisites
   1. Set up and deploy the VMware Cloud Foundation management domain per VMware best practices.
   2. Set up and deploy the VMware Cloud Foundation workload domain per VMware best practices.
   3. Set up and deploy the PowerFlex two-layer configuration using PowerFlex Manager (VxFlex Manager) per PowerFlex Systems best practices.

2. Installation
   1. Install and configure the PowerFlex SDC driver on the VMware Cloud Foundation workload domain compute nodes.
   2. Configure PowerFlex specific network options on the VMware Cloud Foundation workload domain compute nodes through vCenter.
3. Post installation
   1. Create PowerFlex LUNs through the PowerFlex UI.
   2. Expose PowerFlex LUNs to workload domain nodes.
   3. Map PowerFlex LUNs to VMware Cloud Foundation workload domain nodes through vCenter.

4. Create the datastore using the steps outlined in Datastore creation.

For more detailed information about deployment of PowerFlex systems as supplemental storage with VMware Cloud Foundation, see the PowerFlex Systems with VMware Cloud Foundation white paper.

XtremIO

The process of presenting storage from XtremIO storage controllers to a workload domain is completed in the same manner as presenting storage to conventional vSphere clusters. Since the datastores are managed outside of VMware Cloud Foundation, use only XtremIO administrative tools for storage-specific operations.

This document does not provide detailed steps for provisioning datastores to vSphere hosts.

The high-level steps to provision storage to the workload cluster are as follows:

1. Perform the following steps in SDDC Manager:
   1. Commission the workload domain hosts.
   2. Create a workload domain from the commissioned hosts. The workload domain storage selection must use either VMFS on FC for FC arrays, or an alternative principal storage option such as vSAN for iSCSI arrays.

2. Perform the following steps in the XtremIO Storage Management interface:
   1. Create the initiator group for initiators belonging to the workload domain ESXi hosts.
   2. Create a volume specifying the name, size, and other options for the datastore.
   3. Map the volume to the initiator group for the workload domain ESXi hosts.
3. Create the datastore using the steps outlined in Datastore creation.