As virtualized environments move from trials to production environments and grow across data centers, integrating storage management with virtualization layer managers, and specifically vSphere, has become a vexing issue. With vSphere 5, VMware has tried to solve this problem with some success writes Wikibon CTO David Floyer in “VSphere 5 Storage Integration Chips Away at Management Overhead”. Despite the numerous new APIs covering both block and file (NFS) storage in vSphere 5, however, the integration is not complete and depends heavily on the specific storage technology in use. Basically Wikibon has found the level of integration ranges from very good with EMC VNX to low with the Hitachi and IBM systems. Those latter two vendors have not invested any effort in accommodating the VMware APIs, Floyer writes, speculating that they may be saving that for new storage products.

At the very high end, “some of the hybrid NFS implementations show promise that a total level of integration at the application level can and will be achieved.” However, products from these small startups were not included in the Wikibon research since they have not yet made an impact in the market.

Overall, the unified EMC and NetApp systems that support both block and file management score highest in VMware integration, with EMC’s VNX scoring an 87 in the “Assessment by Vendor Array”, followed by NetApp FAS at 79. The top block-only storage arrays were the EMC EMC VNX and VMAX, with NetApp third, and HP 3PAR and Dell Compellent in a statistical dead-heat for fourth.

The significance of this is that higher levels of integration generally equate to lower management costs. That, as Floyer points out, is only one of several considerations in selecting new storage products, although an increasingly important one as large data centers are virtualized.

Storage integration is one of the major issues that David Floyer and other Wikibon analysts and SiliconAngle CEO and Entrepreneur John Furrier will discuss with C-suite executives from VMware and key third-party vendors at VMworld 2012 August 27-29. Their interviews with be broadcast live from the SiliconAngle Cube will be webcast live over www.siliconangle.tv. This is don’t miss coverage for IT professionals as virtualization transforms the environments they manage.

Like all Wikibon community research, the full report complete with charts is available in its entirety without charge on the Wikibon.org Web site. Interested IT professionals are invited to register on the Wikibon site, which allows them to read, correct, and comment on this and other Wikibon research as well as receive Wikibon’s Peer Incite announcements and newsletters.