VxRail dynamic nodes are VxRail systems that are compute-only nodes used to form a vSphere cluster. Dynamic node clusters rely on external storage resources for its primary storage. External storage resource types can be remote datastores from vSAN clusters using VMware vSAN HCI Mesh or datastores from storage on Dell storage arrays such as PowerStore-T, PowerMax, Unity XT, and PowerFlex. Dynamic node clusters further extends the workload types that VxRail can address. Customers can now deploy VxRail for workloads that may require enterprise storage-level data protection and resiliency or can benefit from independent scaling of compute and storage for better cost economics. Customers can continue to store the workloads on an enterprise array while benefitting from VxRail’s simplified lifecycle management. For applications that may be compute-intensive or storage-intensive, VMware vSAN HCI Mesh allows customers to use a mix of compute clusters and vSAN clusters that can result in better resource utilization and optimized license costs. When VxRail is used to form vSphere clusters and vSAN clusters, customers can benefit from a common operating model with VxRail HCI System Software. 

VxRail dynamic nodes are compute-only nodes running ESXi. There is not support for internal storage, therefore a vSAN license is not required. VxRail HCI System Software is responsible for the lifecycle management of the node. Lifecycle management of the storage array is separate. VxRail dynamic nodes are available with the E660F, P670F, and V670F VxRail models. All configuration options that come with these models are available except for cache and capacity drives.

Figure 20.    VxRail dynamic nodes