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PowerStore: 1,500 VMware Horizon VDI users
Executive summary Introduction Connectivity
Introduction
Block storage
Networking
Storage design Data encryption Test results Summary Appendix: Technical support and resources

Networking

Home > Storage > PowerStore > Virtualization and Cloud > PowerStore: 1,500 VMware Horizon VDI users > Networking

Networking

  • environment for this configuration is an Ethernet-only solution. The connections are 25 GbE, with trunking for management redundancy and performance. The NAS servers use dual 25 GbE ports on each node for an aggregate bandwidth of 100 Gb/sec.

    Figure 1.   Logical network

    NAS servers

    A key feature of PowerStore is the ability to support multiple NAS servers on the same array. This support has multiple benefits, including the following:

    • NAS servers support multitenancy.
    • NAS servers are logically separated from each other.
    • Clients of one NAS server do not have access to data on other NAS servers.
    • Each NAS server has its own independent configuration (for example, DNS, LDAP, NIS, interfaces, protocols, and so forth).

    Each NAS instance is isolated so multiple environments can share a single system. Enforced isolation helps increase security and stability. Because a NAS instance runs on a dedicated PowerStore node for maximum performance, a minimum of two NAS servers is recommended in a VDI environment. The load can then be split between two NAS instances with a NAS server on each node. The type of data being stored determines the best method of balancing the load.

    For VDI user profiles, a tool like VMware Dynamic Environment Manager (DEM) can be used to balance the data across multiple file systems. This tool allows setting dynamic rules to place data based on user-defined criteria. This use automates data redirection for greater control and centralized management.

    In this environment, two NAS servers are configured. PowerStore Manager automatically assigns the first NAS server created to node A. PowerStore Manager automatically assigns the second NAS server created to node B. This configuration helps keep the appliance balanced to optimize performance. As each NAS server is an isolated process, each NAS server has its own file system (FS) provisioned from the appliance storage pool. Multiple file systems can be created for each NAS instance if necessary.

    In this environment, VMware DEM is used for condition-based file redirection. DEM is configured to use a simple algorithm that redirects odd-numbered VDI user profiles (such as user1, user3) to the file system associated with the NAS server on node A. Even-numbered user profiles are redirected to the file system associated with the NAS server on node B. In the context of this testing, using two NAS servers is done to help ensure NAS server load balancing across the storage nodes. Redirection of user profiles is not a requirement but a guideline. 

    See the Dell EMC PowerStore: VDI Best Practices Guide for more information about the advantages of using file redirection with VDI.

    Figure 2.   NAS, file, and SMB configuration used for VDI profile redirection

    File systems

    PowerStore arrays support multiple file systems for flexibility, security, and availability. This support allows for creating file shares that are based on user type or operating environment. A single NAS and file-system instance can support both SMB and NFS simultaneously.

    For this testing, DEM is used for round-robin placement of user profiles as shown in Figure 2. This configuration load-balances the file activity and reduces the number of files on each share for backup purposes. The scenario is designed to simulate Windows desktop users accessing files from a Windows server.