This IBM® Redbooks® publication details the configuration and best practices for using the IBM FlashSystem® family of storage products within a VMware environment. The first version of this book was published in 2021 and specifically addressed IBM Spectrum® Virtualize Version 8.4 with VMware vSphere 7.0. This second version of this book includes all the enhancements that are available with IBM Spectrum Virtualize 8.5. Topics illustrate planning, configuring, operations, and preferred practices that include integration of IBM FlashSystem storage systems with the VMware vCloud suite of applications: VMware vSphere Web Client (vWC) vSphere Storage APIs - Storage Awareness (VASA) vSphere Storage APIs – Array Integration (VAAI) VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) VMware vSphere Metro Storage Cluster (vMSC) Embedded VASA Provider for VMware vSphere Virtual Volumes (vVols) This book is intended for presales consulting engineers, sales engineers, and IBM clients who want to deploy IBM FlashSystem storage systems in virtualized data centers that are based on VMware vSphere. Note: There is a newer version of this book: "IBM Storage Virtualize and VMware: Integrations, Implementation and Best Practices, SG24-8549". This book addresses IBM Storage Virtualize Version 8.6 with VMware vSphere 8. The new IBM Storage plugin for vSphere is covered in this book.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication details the configuration and best practices for using IBM's FlashSystem family of storage products within a VMware environment. This book was published in 2021 and specifically addresses Spectrum Virtualize Version 8.4 with VMware vSphere Version 7.0. Topics illustrate planning, configuring, operations, and preferred practices that include integration of FlashSystem storage systems with the VMware vCloud suite of applications: - vSphere Web Client (VWC) - vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) - vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI) - Site Recovery Manager (SRM) - vSphere Metro Storage Cluster (vMSC) This book is intended for presales consulting engineers, sales engineers, and IBM clients who want to deploy IBM FlashSystem® storage systems in virtualized data centers that are based on VMware vSphere.

In this IBM® Redbooks® publication, we describe recommendations based on an IBM b-type storage area network (SAN) environment that is utilizing VMware vSphere ESXi. We describe the hardware and software and the unique features that they bring to the marketplace. We then highlight those features and how they apply to the SAN environment, and the best practices for ensuring that you get the best out of your SAN. For background reading, we recommend the following Redbooks publications: - Introduction to Storage Area Networks and System Networking, SG24-5470 - IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller Best Practices and Performance Guidelines, SG24-7521 - IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller and Storwize V7000 Replication Family Services, SG24-7574 - Implementing the IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller V6.3, SG24-7933 - IBM SAN Volume Controller Stretched Cluster with PowerVM and PowerHA, SG24-8142 - Implementing the IBM SAN Volume Controller and FlashSystem 820, SG24-8172 - IBM System Storage DS8000 Copy Services for Open Systems, SG24-6788 - IBM System Storage DS8000: Host Attachment and Interoperability, SG24-8887 This book is aimed at pre- and post-sales support, system administrators, and storage administrators.