vSAN stores each VM as objects (home namespace, swap, every disk, snapshots), and each is broken into components that its storage policy places across hosts.
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Each book explains vSAN object in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- vSAN
VMware's software-defined storage, which combines local devices across a cluster's ESX hosts into one shared datastore. Available as OSA or ESA, VCF can use it as principal storage.
- storage policy
Storage Policy Based Management uses these rules to describe the storage requirements of a VM. When one changes on vSAN, the change is rolled out in asynchronous batches, not all at once.
Related terms
- VMDK
How a virtual disk is stored: a descriptor file and data on NFS or VMFS, or a vSAN object.
- vSAN component
Part of a vSAN object, for example a replica or a witness, positioned as the VM storage policy dictates. On failure it becomes Degraded and rebuilds immediately, or Absent and by default waits 60 minutes before rebuilding.
- vSAN quorum
A vSAN object stays online only if a majority of its votes can be reached. This stops both sides of a split cluster from continuing to use one object.