IBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAI

Version1.2.0.1,ReleaseNotes

IBM Storage Device Driver for VMware VAAI Version 1.2.0.1

Release Notes
First Edition (February 2012)

2011,2012IBMCorporation

IBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAI

FirstEdition(February2012)

Version1.2.0.1,ReleaseNotes

ThiseditionappliestoVersion1.2.0.1oftheIBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAIsoftware package.Newereditionsmaybeissuedforthesameproductversioninordertoaddmissing information.Theeditionisresetto'FirstEdition'foreverynewproductversion. CopyrightInternationalBusinessMachinesCorporation2011,2012 USGovernmentUsersRestrictedRightsUse,duplicationordisclosurerestrictedbyGSAADP ScheduleContractwithIBMCorp.

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Version1.2.0.1,ReleaseNotes

Contents
Overview.......................................................................................................................... 1 Compatibilityandrequirements....................................................................................... 1
Supportedstoragesystems.............................................................................................................. 1 Requiredsoftwareonthehost ........................................................................................................ 1

Changelog........................................................................................................................ 1
Version1.2.0.1(February2012)....................................................................................................... 2 Version1.2.0(June2011)................................................................................................................. 2 Version1.1.0.1(April2011) ............................................................................................................. 2

Knownlimitations ............................................................................................................ 2 Generalnotices ................................................................................................................ 2

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IBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAI

Version1.2.0.1,ReleaseNotes

Overview
TheIBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAIisasoftwarepluginthatintegrateswiththe VMwareESXandESXi4.1environment,aspartoftheVMwarevStorageAPIsforArray Integration(VAAI). TheIBMsoftwarepluginconsistsofakernelmodulethatreportstotheVMwareVAAIdriverand allowsoffloadingextendedVMwareoperationstoIBMStorwizeV7000,IBMSystemStorage SANVolumeController(SVC),andtheIBMXIVStorageSystem.

Compatibilityandrequirements
Thissectionspecifiesthecompatibilityandrequirementsofversion1.2.0.1oftheIBMStorage DeviceDriverforVMwareVAAI.

Supportedstoragesystems
TheIBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAIsupportsthreedifferentIBMstorageproducts,as listedinthefollowingtable. Storagesystem IBMXIVStorageSystem Microcodeversion 10.2.4.aorlaterinthe 10.2.4.xversionseries 11.0,11.1 IBMStorwizeV7000 IBMSANVolumeController(SVC) 6.2,6.3 6.2,6.3 N/A N/A Compatibilitynote N/A

Requiredsoftwareonthehost
TheIBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAIrequiresVMwareESX4.1orESXi4.1tobe installedonthehostsystem(ESXorESXiserver). Note:VMwareESXi5.0orlateralreadyincludesbuiltindriversthatsupportIBMstoragesystems (XIV,StorwizeV7000,andSANVolumeController).TheIBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMware VAAIisrequiredonlyifyouareusingESX4.1orESXi4.1.

Changelog
ThissectionsummarizesthechangesmadeindifferentversionreleasesoftheIBMStorageDevice DriverforVMwareVAAI.

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Version1.2.0.1,ReleaseNotes

Version1.2.0.1(February2012)
Version1.2.0.1includesthefollowingfix: VAAI172973 Fixed:Insomerarecases,XIV,StorwizeV7000,orSVCstoragesystems cannotbeclaimedbytheIBMStoragedevicedriver.

Version1.2.0(June2011)
Version1.2.0introducedsupportforIBMStorwizeV7000andIBMSystemStorageSANVolume Controller(SVC),inadditiontotheIBMXIVStorageSystemthatwassupportedintheprevious version.

Version1.1.0.1(April2011)
Version1.1.0.1wastheinitialversionthatintroducedtheoffloadingofthefollowingVMware extendedoperationstotheIBMXIVStorageSystem: Fullcopy(clone)Copiesdatafromonelogicalunit(LUNbased)toanotherwithoutwritingto theESXserver.Ratherthanissuingreadandwriterequestsfromthehost,thedatacopying operationisinitiatedonthestoragesystem.Thisspeedsupthevirtualmachine(VM)cloning operationandreducestheCPUloadonthehost. BlockzeroingAssignszeroestolargestorageareaswithoutactuallysendingthezerostothe storagesystem.ThisspeedsuptheVMinitiationoperation,andreducestheI/OandCPUload onthehost. HardwareassistedlockingLocksaparticularrangeofblocksinasharedlogicalunit, providingexclusiveaccesstotheseblocks.InsteadofusingSCSIreservationthatlocksthe entirelogicalunit,lockingspecificblocksisamoreefficientalternativethatgreatlyimproves scalabilityinlargeserverarrays.ThelockingisperformedusingAtomicTest&Set(ATS) commands.

Knownlimitations
Version1.2.0.1oftheIBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAIhasnoknownlimitations.

Generalnotices
Thissectionincludesnoticesregardingreferencepublications,helpinformation,andtrademarks.

Relatedpublications
ForadditionalinformationabouttheIBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAI,refertothe followingpublications:

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Version1.2.0.1,ReleaseNotes

IBMStorageDeviceDriverforVMwareVAAIInstallationGuide,availableontheIBMXIV StorageSystemInformationCenter: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/ibmxiv/r2

IBMStorwizeV7000InformationCenter: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/storwize/ic IBMSANVolumeController(SVC)InformationCenter: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/svc/ic VMwareVAAIwebsite: http://www.vmware.com/products/vstorageapisforarrayintegration PerformanceBestPracticesforVMwarevSphere4.1: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/Perf_Best_Practices_vSphere4.1.pdf vSphereCommandLineInterfaceInstallationandReferenceGuide: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40/vsp_40_vcli.pdf

PerformanceofIBMandnonIBMproducts
IBMisnotresponsiblefortheperformanceorinteroperabilityofanynonIBMproductdiscussed herein.QuestionsonthecapabilitiesofnonIBMproductsshouldbeaddressedtothesuppliersof thoseproducts. PerformancedataforIBMandnonIBMproductsandservicescontainedinthisdocumentwas derivedunderspecificoperatingandenvironmentalconditions.Theactualresultsobtainedbyany partyimplementingsuchproductsorserviceswilldependonalargenumberoffactorsspecificto suchpartysoperatingenvironmentandmayvarysignificantly.IBMmakesnorepresentationthat theseresultscanbeexpectedorobtainedinanyimplementationofanysuchproductsorservices.

Documentationformat
ThepublicationsforthisproductareinAdobePortableDocumentFormat(PDF)andshouldbe compliantwithaccessibilitystandards. IfyouexperiencedifficultieswhenyouusethePDFfilesandwanttorequestawebbasedformat oraccessiblePDFdocumentforapublication,sendarequestbyemailtostarpubs@us.ibm.com. Intherequest,besuretoincludetheIBMpublicationnumberandtitle. WhenyousendinformationtoIBM,yougrantIBManonexclusiverighttouseordistributethe informationinanywayitbelievesappropriatewithoutincurringanyobligationtoyou.

HowtoorderIBMpublications
TheIBMPublicationsCenterisaworldwidecentralrepositoryforIBMproductpublicationsand marketingmaterial.

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Version1.2.0.1,ReleaseNotes

TheIBMPublicationsCenterofferscustomizedsearchfunctionstohelpyoufindthepublications thatyouneed.Somepublicationsareavailableforyoutoviewordownloadatnocharge.Youcan alsoorderpublications.Thepublicationscenterdisplayspricesinyourlocalcurrency.Youcan accesstheIBMPublicationsCenterat: http://www.ibm.com/shop/publications/order

Gettinginformation,help,andservice
Ifyouneedhelp,service,technicalassistance,orjustwantmoreinformationaboutIBMproducts, youcanfindavarietyofsourcestoassistyou.Youcanviewthefollowingwebsitestoget informationaboutIBMproductsandservicesandtofindthelatesttechnicalinformationand support. IBMhomepage(ibm.com) IBMSupportPortal(www.ibm.com/storage/support) IBMDirectoryofWorldwideContacts(www.ibm.com/planetwide)

Amendments
Thisdocumentcouldincludetechnicalinaccuraciesortypographicalerrors.IBMmaymake changes,improvementsoralterationstotheproducts,programsandservicesdescribedinthis document,includingterminationofsuchproducts,programsandservices,atanytimeandwithout notice.Theinformationcontainedinthisdocumentiscurrentasoftheinitialdateofpublication onlyandissubjecttochangewithoutnotice.IBMshallhavenoresponsibilitytoupdatesuch information.

Trademarks
IBM,theIBMlogo,andibm.comaretrademarksorregisteredtrademarksofInternational BusinessMachinesCorp.,registeredinmanyjurisdictionsworldwide.Otherproductandservice namesmightbetrademarksofIBMorothercompanies.AcurrentlistofIBMtrademarksis availableontheCopyrightandtrademarkinformationwebsiteat: http://www.ibm.com/legal/us/en/copytrade.shtml VMware,theVMwarelogo,ESX,ESXi,vSphere,vCenter,andvStoragearetrademarksor registeredtrademarksofVMwareCorporationintheUnitedStates,othercountries,orboth. OtherproductandservicenamesmightbetrademarksofIBMorothercompanies.

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