Virtual volume virtual desktop infrastructure implementation using a primary storage array lacking data deduplication capability
A virtualized storage array provides deduplication for a primary storage array that supports VVOLs. The VVOLs may be created for VMs that support host applications and guest OSs in a VDI environment. A VVOL is initially created as a virtualized managed drive that is backed by the virtualized storage array. The data is deduped by the virtualized storage array. After deduplication the data is either maintained on the virtualized storage array or moved to the primary storage array based on satisfying deduplication criteria such as reduction ratio.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a primary storage array comprising:
a plurality of computing nodes;
a plurality of managed drives, each managed drive comprising non-volatile storage;
at least one protocol endpoint associated with a device number; and
a virtual volume of storage that is uniquely associated with a protocol endpoint of the primary storage array and a sub-address, the protocol endpoint having a device number, the device number and the sub-address uniquely associated with a virtual machine running on a host computer such that the device number and the sub-address distinguish the virtual volume of storage from other virtual volumes of storage associated with the device number; and
a virtualized storage array comprising:
a plurality of computing nodes;
a plurality of managed drives, each managed drive comprising non-volatile storage;
a deduplication algorithm; and
a virtualized device that is backed by the managed drives of the virtualized storage device;
wherein data of the virtual volume of storage is maintained on the virtualized device and deduped by the deduplication algorithm.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising deduplication information that is provided to the primary storage array by the virtualized storage array, the deduplication information indicative of suitability of the data for deduplication.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 comprising a data placement program running on the primary storage array, the data placement program using the deduplication information to determine whether to maintain the data on the virtualized storage array or the primary storage array.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the deduplication information comprises at least one of size reduction percentage and reduction ratio.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the data remains on the virtualized storage array because the deduplication information satisfies predetermined criteria.
6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the data is moved to the primary storage array because the deduplication information fails to satisfy predetermined criteria.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the logical device is deleted from the virtualized storage array.
8. A method comprising:
creating, on a primary storage array, a virtual volume of storage that is uniquely associated with a protocol endpoint of the primary storage array and a sub-address, the protocol endpoint having a device number, the device number and the sub-address uniquely associated with a virtual machine running on a host computer such that the device number and the sub-address distinguish the virtual volume of storage from other virtual volumes of storage associated with the device number;
storing data of the virtual volume of storage on a virtualized device of a virtualized storage array; and
processing the data in the virtualized storage array with a deduplication algorithm.
9. The method of claim 8 comprising providing deduplication information to the primary storage array by the virtualized storage array, the deduplication information indicative of suitability of the data for deduplication.
10. The method of claim 9 comprising a data placement program running on the primary storage array using the deduplication information to determine whether to maintain the data on the virtualized storage array or the primary storage array.
11. The method of claim 10 comprising causing the data to remain on the virtualized storage array in response to the deduplication information satisfying predetermined criteria.
12. The method of claim 10 comprising causing the data to be moved from the virtualized storage array to the primary storage array in response to the deduplication information failing to satisfy predetermined criteria.
13. The method of claim 12 comprising deleting the logical device from the virtualized storage array after moving the data.
14. An apparatus comprising:
a host computer comprising a plurality of virtual machines, each virtual machine supporting a guest operating system that is part of a virtual desktop infrastructure for a client computer;
a primary storage array comprising:
a plurality of computing nodes;
a plurality of managed drives, each managed drive comprising non-volatile storage;
at least one protocol endpoint associated with a device number; and
a virtual volume of storage that is uniquely associated with a protocol endpoint of the primary storage array and a sub-address, the protocol endpoint having a device number, the device number and the sub-address uniquely associated with a virtual machine running on a host computer such that the device number and the sub-address distinguish the virtual volume of storage from other virtual volumes of storage associated with the device number; and
a virtualized storage array comprising:
a plurality of computing nodes;
a plurality of managed drives, each managed drive comprising non-volatile storage;
a deduplication algorithm; and
a virtualized device that is backed by the managed drives of the virtualized storage device;
wherein guest operating system data of the virtual volume of storage is maintained on the virtualized device and deduped by the deduplication algorithm.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising deduplication information that is provided to the primary storage array by the virtualized storage array, the deduplication information indicative of suitability of the guest operating system data for deduplication.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 comprising a data placement program running on the primary storage array, the data placement program using the deduplication information to determine whether to maintain the guest operating system data on the virtualized storage array or the primary storage array.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the deduplication information comprises at least one of size reduction percentage and reduction ratio.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the guest operating system data remains on the virtualized storage array because the deduplication information satisfies predetermined criteria.
19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the guest operating system data is moved to the primary storage array because the deduplication information fails to satisfy predetermined criteria.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the logical device is deleted from the virtualized storage array.