VMware SRM 8.3 GA

In addition to vSphere 7, VMware released SRM 8.3 today. The big ticket item in SRM 8.3 is support for Virtual Volume (vVol) array replication. Prior to 8.3, VMware only supported vSphere Replication with vVols but now array vendors can enable support via their VASA Providers. With SRM and vVols there is no requirement for a Storage Replication Adapter (SRA). The VASA Provider handles everything. Of course if you have a mixed environment with VMFS and NFS, you’ll still need an SRA. There is no issue with co-existence.

SRM 8.3 is also the terminal release for the Windows version. Going forward VMware will only support the SRM appliance which uses docker containers running on Photon OS. All SRAs will have to be ported over to containers if they have not been so already.

Support

So this all sounds great right? It does, yet what of support on the PowerMax for these features? Unfortunately no good news there yet. Here’s the current status:

• No support for SRM 8.3 with our SRDF SRA.
  • SRM 8.2 on Windows is the most current version we support.
• No support for the SRM appliance on any SRM version.
• No support for vVol replication and therefore no support for SRM with vVols.

Now when can we expect support for any and all above? Well, it’s all coming in our next PowerMax release. I think I can only be generic and say it will be this year, but if you need a more specific timeline you can always speak to your Dell EMC team. At that point we will support all of the above for 8.3 – an SRA for VMFS, a VASA Provider for vVols for SRM, and the appliance. Like you I wish it were sooner, but then again I’d like to be free of my house sooner, too! But we all must do our part so stay safe and we’ll get there together.

 

Advertisement