StorMagic SvSAN is the virtual SAN that makes the complex world of virtualized storage simple. Perfect for edge computing environments, the technology is based on software-defined storage that eliminates the need for physical SANs. SvSAN is designed to be very simple to install and manage, whether deployed as part of a hyperconverged solution or as a storage-only target for any server environment.
SvSAN is installed as a virtual storage appliance (VSA) on top of a hypervisor, and creates highly available shared storage by synchronously mirroring data between two server nodes. SvSAN runs on any x86 server and can be deployed on either VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V or Linux KVM hypervisors. This document outlines the benefits and details of using StorMagic SvSAN specifically with an open-source KVM hypervisor.
KVM Hypervisor
The Linux KVM (Kernel Virtual Machine) hypervisor is becoming an increasingly popular choice for organizations looking to virtualize their IT infrastructure. As open-source software, with a highly active user and support community, the KVM hypervisor provides organizations with a free, lightweight solution that isn’t tied to ongoing maintenance or upgrade costs.
Furthermore, the KVM hypervisor enables the flexibility to only deploy features that are needed in that environment. The many built-in features on paid hypervisors can add unnecessary complexity and cost. Features not included with standard distributions of KVM can be added by leveraging third party open-source tools, enabling organizations to customize the hypervisor to their exact requirements.
The lightweight yet robust, cost-effective and flexible architecture of KVM mirrors StorMagic SvSAN’s design and capabilities, making the two a perfect fit for many environments.
Why combine SvSAN with KVM?
Deploying StorMagic SvSAN on the KVM hypervisor creates a true open-source hyperconverged infrastructure while avoiding the hypervisor tax. With fast, scripted deployment and integration guides, it is a simple, hassle-free installation process. The benefits of avoiding the hypervisor tax are amplified by SvSAN’s lightweight two-node architecture and hardware requirements. All of this ensures an organization can deploy a highly available solution on any x86 server and any combination of storage inside. This flexibility gives an IT team more choice and more control over their infrastructure, enabling them to tailor it to precise requirements.
Requirements
SvSAN has very low system requirements. The minimum tolerances for operating SvSAN when using the KVM hypervisor are shown in the table opposite. Additionally, any x86 server, any CPU and any storage type can be used when deploying SvSAN onto a KVM cluster.
StorMagic SvSAN requirements:
| CPU | 1 x virtual CPU core1 • 2GHz or higher reserved |
| Memory | 1GB RAM2 |
| Disk | 2 x virtual storage devices used by VSA • 1 x 512MB Boot device • 1 x 20GB Journal Disk |
| Network | 1 x 1Gb Ethernet • Multiple interfaces required for resiliency • 10Gb Ethernet is supported • Jumbo frames supported |
2Additional RAM may be required when caching is enabled
Distributions
StorMagic SvSAN is certified on Ubuntu 20.4 of the Linux KVM. SvSAN’s compatibility with this distribution was made available from SvSAN Version 6.2 Update 5 Patch 5 and onwards.
Linux distribution compatible with SvSAN:
| Linux Distribution | SvSAN Version | |
| 6.2 U5 Patch 5 | ||
| Ubuntu | 20.04 | • |
Features of a KVM hypervisor
An important consideration when deciding whether to use the open-source KVM hypervisor is its range of features, which may be more limited than a paid hypervisor such as vSphere or Hyper-V. Nevertheless, a KVM hypervisor still contains key hypervisor features such as:
- Virtual machine high availability and failover
- Virtual machine migration
- Virtual machine resource hot add
- Virtual machine load balancing
Should an organization require additional features not offered ‘as standard’, there are third party plugins to provide additional functionality. Because of its open-source architecture, the KVM hypervisor can be supplemented with additional tools to create a custom-built solution that delivers exactly what an organization requires. Therefore, an organization can build an open-source hypervisor solution using KVM that is a like-for-like match for a paid-for alternative.
Further reading
SvSAN’s features, capabilities and architecture, right down to the code, are the same regardless of what hypervisor it is installed upon. Using the KVM hypervisor with SvSAN creates the only highly available 2-node KVM hyperconverged solution and enables organizations to avoid the hypervisor tax.
Read more about SvSAN and its features and requirements in the product data sheet. You can take a detailed look at how SvSAN is deployed and managed through the comprehensive deployment guide and manual.
Explore some of the many features of SvSAN such as Predictive Storage Caching, or the witness service in more depth with our extensive library of white papers.
If your organization is ready to test SvSAN, you can do so free of charge, with no obligations. Simply download our fully-functioning free trial of SvSAN from the website.
If you still have questions, or you’d like a demo of SvSAN you can contact the StorMagic team directly by sending an email to [email protected].
