The platform supports several different types of storage for ephemeral and persistent storage, and for modern data stack storage. The CSI Drivers by Dell implement an interface between CSI (spec v1.5)-enabled Container Orchestrator (CO) and Dell storage arrays. It is a plug-in that is installed into Kubernetes to provide persistent storage using the Dell storage system.
Stateful applications create a demand for persistent storage. OpenShift Container Platform uses the Kubernetes persistent volume (PV) framework to enable cluster administrators to provision persistent storage for a cluster. Developers can use persistent volume claims (PVCs) to request PV resources without having specific knowledge of the underlying storage infrastructure.
CSI advantages
The Container Storage Interface (CSI) specification standardizes the exposure of block and file storage systems to workloads running on container orchestration systems such as Kubernetes. Kubernetes can now be readily extended to support any storage solution with CSI drivers that the vendor provides. Vendors can use an operator to manage the life cycle of their drivers directly, without waiting until the next core Kubernetes release.
Storage feature support
Dell CSI drivers enable a wide range of storage options to be employed with the OpenShift Container Platform. For information about the available CSI drivers, including their features and capabilities for each of the supported Dell storage options, see Container Storage Interface (CSI) Drivers Series.
Container Storage Modules
Dell CSMs are modules that enable simple and consistent integration and automation experiences, extending enterprise storage capabilities.
The following figure shows the Dell CSMs. The CSMs that are available on request as technical preview features, Encryption and App Mobility, are identified with an asterisk symbol.
CSMs expose enterprise features of storage arrays to Kubernetes so that the developers can use these features in their deployments efficiently and seamlessly. CSMs reduce the complexities of management, making it easier to consume enterprise storage. CSMs can automate daily operation tasks such as provisioning, snapshotting, replication, observability, authorization, application mobility, encryption, and resiliency. For more information and the support matrix, see Dell Technologies Container Storage Modules.