Storage Provider Requirements and Considerations

When you use the third-party storage providers, certain requirements and considerations apply.

Typically, vendors are responsible for supplying storage providers. The VMware VASA program defines an architecture that integrates third-party storage providers into the vSphere environment, so that vCenter Server and ESXi hosts can communicate with the storage providers.

To use storage providers, follow these requirements:

• Make sure that every storage provider you use is certified by VMware and properly deployed. For information about deploying the storage providers, contact your storage vendor.
• Make sure that the storage provider is compatible with the vCenter Server and ESXi versions. See VMware Compatibility Guide.
• Do not install the VASA provider on the same system as vCenter Server.
• If your environment contains older versions of storage providers, existing functionality continues to work. However, to use new features, upgrade your storage provider to a new version.
• When you upgrade a storage provider to a later VASA version, you must unregister and reregister the provider. After registration, vCenter Server can detect and use the functionality of the new VASA version.