A storage view in Dell VPLEX is a logical construct that defines the visibility and access relationships between hosts (initiators), storage (virtual volumes), and VPLEX front-end (FE) ports. Here’s a detailed explanation of the characteristics:
Initiator Multiplicity:An initiator, which is typically a host’s HBA (Host Bus Adapter) port, can indeed be part of multiple storage views. This allows a single host to access different sets of virtual volumes through different storage views.
VPLEX FE Port Multiplicity:VPLEX FE ports can also be included in multiple storage views. This design provides flexibility in connecting multiple hosts to various virtual volumes through shared FE ports.
Initiator and FE Port Pairing:While both initiators and FE ports can exist in multiple storage views, each unique initiator and FE port pair can only be part of one storage view. This rule ensures that the path from a host to a virtual volume through a specific FE port is uniquely defined, preventing any ambiguity in the data access path.
References:
The Dell VPLEX documentation outlines the concept of storage views and their characteristics, emphasizing the importance of properly configuring storage views to ensure correct visibility and access control between hosts and storage resources1.
Best practices guides and technical whitepapers provided by Dell further explain how to configure storage views in VPLEX, detailing the relationships between initiators, FE ports, and virtual volumes1.
By understanding these characteristics, a VPLEX storage administrator can effectively manage access to storage resources, ensuring that hosts have the necessary visibility to the virtual volumes they require for their operations.
