Contrary to the statement in http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1021976 , saying that the VMware SAN HCL contains info pertaining VAAI capability of storage arrays, that info is nowhere to be found (or I'm just blind).
Does anybody have a list of which arrays support VAAI (or a certain subset of the VAAI features)? If not, maybe poeple could post their experiences with which SANs they found to support VAAI?
Script for checking and administrating VAAI status from the CLI:
http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2010/07/script-automate-vaai-configurations-in.html
VAAI support is listed as a footnote for arrays that have been certified with VAAI. Such arrays would have met the following requirements:
1) Firmware supports VMware VAAI standard
2) A VAAI plugin is available (shipping with ESX/ESXi 4.1 or available from the storage vendor)
An example of an HCL listingof an array that is supported with VAAI
Notice footnote 4 (at the time this reply was written) which states:
VAAI primitives "Full Copy", "Block Zeroing", and "Hardware Assisted Locking" are supported with vmw_vaaip_eql plug-in.
Updating this old post
A new version of the Web HCL will provide search criteria spcific to VAAI.
As of this date, the new interface is still in "preview" stage. You can access it by clicking the "2.0 preview" button at the top of the page which is at:
The criteria are grouped under "Features Category", "Features" and "Plugin's".
Features Category: Choice of "All" or "VAAI-Block"
Features: Choce of "All", Block Zero", "Full Copy", "HW Assisted Locking" and more.
Plugin's: Choce of "All" and any of the listed plugins.
There are also some unofficial lists, like this:
http://blog.fosketts.net/2011/02/08/vmware-vaai-storage-array-support-plain-english/
VMware and BIG company like HP, Dell, EMC, netap block Vaai for smaller company!
Not sure if I agree with that statement. 3PAR had day 1 support for VAAI on their arrays, and at the time were an independent 550 person company....much smaller than the 310,000 that HP is.
I know company from Taiwan, This Company steel waiting for response from VMware... 9 month - this procedure is tooo long... for small company
DISCLAIMER - I work for HP Storage
Big companies, and I can only speak for HP, don't block anything. Like any company, VMware has limited resources so they start with the vendors that have more VMware marketshare. Yes, HP does have engineering to engineering meetings with VMware as things like VAAI get developed, long in advance of the release. They even seek our input since teams like HP LeftHand (and now HP 3PAR) have a lot of expertise about storage in a VMware environment.
I don't speak for VMware but no company has the resources to work with every storage vendor and startup to the same degree. But I can guarantee that HP doesn't block anything. That's not even possible.
Since 3PAR wasn't part of HP when the original VAAI shipped, I don't have insight into how they were able to do that. But I'm aware of a small start up called Evostor that was embraced by VMware when they came out of steal mode. I don't believe they made it but goes to the point that VMware decides who they work with and the big vendors don't do have the power to block even if they wanted to - except maybe EMC. :smileydevil: