Configuring shared data volumes between Virtual Machines (VMs) is a key requirement for high-availability clustering. This setup enables automated failover and workload mobility for mission-critical applications by allowing multiple VMs to access the same block storage simultaneously.
In a Nutanix AHV environment integrated with Everpure FlashArray, this functionality is delivered with high performance via the NVMe-of/TCP protocol. This KB article provides a step-by-step guide to setting up this integration, ensuring your cluster nodes can coordinate disk access correctly.
What this article covers:
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Prerequisites: Necessary configuration on both the FlashArray and Nutanix hosts to support NVMeof/TCP.
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Volume Group Setup : Creating, presenting and attaching shared storage using Nutanix Volume Groups in Prism Central.
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Lifecycle Management : Supported daily operations when using Volume Groups backed with the FlashArray.
The focus of this article is leveraging Nutanix Volume Groups for seamless data sharing, a separate KB article covering “in-Guest" connectivity will be available soon.
Prerequisites and Requirements
Before configuring shared storage, ensure your environment meets the following platform and integration standards.
Platform & Software Requirements
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Everpure FlashArray:
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Models: All supported FlashArray //X, //XL, and //C models. The compatibility matrix can be found at this link.
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Purity: Purity//FA 6.10.3 or newer.
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Protocol: NVMe-oF/TCP must be configured and enabled to utilize Volume Groups.
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Nutanix Cloud Platform (NCP):
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AOS: Version 7.5 or newer.
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AHV: Version 11 or newer.
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Shared Disk Requirements
For Nutanix Volume Groups
To leverage Nutanix Volume Groups backed by FlashArray, integration connectivity between the two platforms is required so that the hypervisor can provision and manage the storage paths.
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External Storage Setup: The FlashArray must be registered within Prism Element as an External Storage target for the AHV cluster. The Quick Start guide on enabling this connectivity can be found here.
FlashArray volume limits, capacity constraints, and performance characteristics apply to all shared volumes. Because Nutanix Volume Groups are ultimately backed by FlashArray storage, ensure your array has sufficient headroom for the projected I/O of your clustered workloads. More information about support maximums can be found at this link.