How to configure and get started with ActiveCluster vVols with the FlashArray
With the General Availability release of Purity//FA 6.6.11 a Everpure support case is not longer required to enable support for ActiveCluster vVols. Feature support for stretched vVols is now enabled by default in Purity//FA 6.6.11 and higher.
In order to stretch vVols and leverage ActiveCluster vVols, upgrade to Purity//FA 6.6.11 or later.
Support Section
A support case is no longer required to enabled feature support for AC + vVols. Please advise customers to upgrade to Purity//FA 6.6.11 or later to configure and stretch vVols in their enviornment
In the event the customer is on Purity//FA 6.6.8 - 6.6.10 and can not upgrade Purity//FA but still wants to test or use stretched vVols then it can still be enabled by support. For the sake of these cases, we'll leave the steps for doing that in the KB.
One tunable is required in order to enable ActiveCluster, but we will want to set an additional tunable to enable XCOPY across local pods as well to make a better user experience. These tunables must be set on all arrays that are configured for synchronous replication for use of AC-vVols. The vasa service will also need to be restarted on the array for the new VASA API version to be supported and the new VASA provider version to be advertised to vSphere. The VASA service should be restarted on both controllers.
puretune --set PS_CROSS_POD_XCOPY_ON 1 "CSC # - enable xcopy on local pods"
puretune --set PS_ENABLE_STRETCHED_POD_WITH_PE 1 "CSC # - enable AC-vVols"
service vasa restart && ssh peer
service vasa restart && exit
Again to re-iterate thie point: With the release of Purity//FA 6.6.11 the requirement for the tunable is removed and AC + vVols is enabled by default. Please recommend customers to upgrade to Purity//FA 6.6.11 or higher to leverage ActiveCluster and vVols together.
Once each array to be used is upgraded to Purity//FA 6.6.11 or higher, then these guides will show how to get started with ActiveCluster vVols.
Getting Started with ActiveCluster vVols
There will be no ability or workflow to convert an existing storage container or the default storage container into a stretched container. In order to use ActiveCluster with vVols, a new storage container will need to be created. The guide will cover how to create a stretched container, creating a stretchable container and how to stretch a stretchable container.
The guide assumes the following has already been configured:
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Two arrays have been connected with a synchronous replication link
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Both arrays are running Purity//FA 6.6.11 or higher
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The vCenter Server is running 8.0 U3 or later
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All ESXi hosts that will be using vVols with ActiveCluster have been upgraded to 8.0 U3 or later
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All ESXi hosts that will be using vVols with ActiveCluster have host objects and the host group object on both storage arrays
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Storage providers from both arrays have been registered in the vCenter server and are in an active and healthy state