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VMware Cloud Foundation Stretched Cluster on Dell VxBlock 1000 Multi-Site
Executive summary Introduction Product overview Solution architecture
Solution architecture
Management domain architecture
Workload domain architecture
Connectivity Testing and validation Conclusion References

Solution architecture

Solution architecture

  • This section describes the active/active solution design that we implemented by using a Cloud Foundation on a VxBlock multisite stretched-cluster deployment configuration. The design for the stretched-cluster VxBlock was built with VPLEX Metro node as the storage replication technology. An alternate design using PowerMax SRDF/Metro provides an additional avenue for customers who are considering this solution.

    This design provides enhanced levels of flexibility and availability that extend the core capabilities of the cloud platform. The VMware Cloud Foundation on VxBlock solution supports a stretched-cluster configuration between two availability zones, using AMP Central with VMware vSAN on the management domain and a VI workload domain using replicated storage with Metro node or a PowerMaxSRDF/Metro. A vMSC configuration is added to protect VI workload domain workloads by using supplementary storage for the workloads that are running on them.

    Two types of vMSC configuration are supported with stretched Cloud Foundation on VxBlock: uniform and nonuniform.

    • Uniform host access configuration—vSphere hosts from both sites are all connected to a storage node in the storage cluster across all sites. Paths presented to vSphere hosts are stretched across a distance. This is supported with Metro HA with Cross-Connect.
    • Nonuniform host access configuration—vSphere hosts at each site are connected only to storage nodes at the same site. Paths presented to vSphere hosts from storage nodes are limited to the local site. This is supported with Metro HA without Cross-Connect.

    The following figure shows an illustration of a Multi-AZ VxBlock deployment in Uniform host access configuration:

    DiagramDescription automatically generated

    Figure 4.   Uniform host access configuration

    The LUNs under the Metro node are the back-end storage. In the PowerMax SRDF/Metro deployment option, all replication and storage would be self-contained by the array.

    The following figure shows the topology of the Cloud Foundation on VxBlock in nonuniform stretched-cluster configuration.

    DiagramDescription automatically generated

    Figure 5.   Non-uniform host access configuration

    Note: Due to the configuration of our lab equipment, our reference environment was built in a non-uniform configuration.