VMware vSAN is available in all-flash or hybrid configurations.
After vSAN is enabled on a cluster, all disk devices presented to the hosts are pooled together to create a shared datastore that is accessible by all hosts in that vSAN cluster. You can then create VMs and assign storage policies to them. The storage policy dictates availability and performance.
vSAN provides the following configuration options:
- All-flash configuration—Uses flash for both the cache tier and capacity tier to deliver enterprise performance and a resilient storage platform. In this configuration, the cache tier is fully dedicated to writes, allowing all reads to come directly from the capacity tier. The cache device protects the endurance of the capacity tier. All-flash configured solutions enable data reduction features to extend the capacity tier.
- Hybrid configuration—Uses flash-based devices for the cache tier and magnetic disks for the capacity tier. Hybrid configurations are ideal for clients looking for higher volume in the capacity tier. The performance of SSD and magnetic spinning disks is comparable in VDI applications if you use a sufficient number of magnetic spinning disks.