If your plans for any VI workload domains include using external storage resources in your data center to support virtual machine operations, then you must prepare your data center to provide at least one LUN to the nodes that are members of a VxRail cluster supporting a VI workload domain.

Figure 50.    Fibre channel network providing storage resources for VI workload domain

Before initial deployment, ensure that these pre-requisites are met:

• Your VI workload domain will be deployed on a standard VxRail cluster, and not on a VxRail stretched cluster. vSAN is the only storage option with VI workload domains supported by VxRail stretched clusters.
• Your planned deployment is not based on a Cloud Foundation on VxRail consolidated architecture, where the management domain and VI workload domains share VxRail cluster resources. vSAN is the only storage option for the management domain, and therefore external storage is not supported for consolidated architectures.
• Ensure that your Fibre Channel storage array and Fibre Channel switches are compatible with the Cloud Foundation on VxRail version you select to support VI workload domains. Your Dell Technologies account team can help identify if your data center resources are compatible.
• The VxRail nodes ordered to support the VI workload domains are configured at the factory with compatible Fibre Channel adapter cards. Your Dell Technologies account team will guide you through the ordering and selection process.
• Ensure that there are sufficient open ports on the Fibre Channel switches in your data center to support connecting the LUNs to the nodes. Plan on a minimum of two Fibre Channel connections to each VxRail node.
• Ensure you have sufficient unused storage capacity on the storage array to support the planned VI workload domains. Dell Technologies resources will perform a sizing exercise to determine the size of the LUN or LUNs required to support the planned workload.
• The VxRail cluster will depend on the LUNs for primary storage. Plan on creating at least one LUN of a minimum of 800 GB on the storage array. Also plan on masking any LUNs, and zoning the VxRail nodes to the storage array, before any VxRail cluster initial deployment activity.