Trying to understand how proxmox integration services works

[buzzzo]

As per topic: In the tech description i've read that the integrations services allow to have thin provisioning and snapshot on standard san.
What i've not understood is how the product achieve this without having any custom plugin for various san vendor support.

Maybe would be better to add some details in the docs.
Btw this product is a game changer for proxmox if what is claimed to do is true.

Thx

[yaroslav (staff)]

There is a custom plugin there (this guide describes how to install it https://www.starwindsoftware.com/resour ... ion-guide/).
Snapshots are possible for VMDK and RAW, not QUEMU disks.

[buzzzo]

Thx for your answer

But still not clear.
The vmdk format cannot be used on shared storage on proxmox, only ONLY lvm.
I've already read the docs but as outlined in my previous post it does not explain how to plugin works.

Thx

[yaroslav (staff)]

The document does not really disclose the technology behind, that's true. It focuses on the outcome: backups work with LVM (thin lvm, to be more specific).
From what I understand, LVM module does not support snapshots. LVM-thin supports snapshots, but does not support shared LVM. Thin LVM uses Thin LV pool for all VMs.
Our plugin effectively makes thin shared LVM, yet, there is a catch: disks need to be RAW or VMDK.
Sadly, I don't think I really can explain how the plugin works under the hood though.

[buzzzo]

Hi

Thx again

Honestly don't understand how you could use a vmdk format on an lvm.
VMDK is supposed to be a file, where lvm is supposed to be a "disk" format, which is used by hypervisor as container for virtual disk
(that is, if vm1 have 2 disk, it's translated in lvm to be 2 lv), so you could not store a vmdsk file inside an lvm logical volume.

What kind of format is supposed to be "RAW" ? just plain lv inside a vg (speaking in lvm slang)

Still confused on your plugin...

Thx

[yaroslav (staff)]

You are welcome.
Shared LVM does not support snapshots. Plugin makes a shared LVM to support snapshots.
Virtual machine disks that you put on that LVM need to have a mechanism that handles the snapshots. I don't remember all the details, to be honest, but there is a difference between how these two formats handle the snapshots.
Speaking of storage formats, I think this readout explains it a bit https://dubaiwrc23.ae/proxmox-vm-options-explained/.

[buzzzo]

Thx for your explanation.

Does the plugin works only with starwind vsan or with every san solution ?.
Regarding starwind vsan: do you have something native for your product that support thin provisioning AND snapshot on proxmox ?

thx again

[yaroslav (staff)]

Hi,

You are welcome.

Does the plugin works only with starwind vsan or with every san solution ?.

AFAIK, it was intended only for StarWind VSAN.

Regarding starwind vsan: do you have something native for your product that support thin provisioning AND snapshot on proxmox ?

VSAN provides a block device that represents the shared storage. That block device has no snapshots-oriented limitations.
These block devices are fixed and do not feature VSAN-native snapshots (anymore).
Snapshots are something file systems and further device processing are responsible for. In other words, the limitation comes from the Proxmox side, not StarWind VSAN. To help users integrate Proxmox and our device into it, with Veeam, the plugin was developed.
It has no problem with snapshots in Hyper-V or ESXi.

[buzzzo]

Good, it's just what i'm expecting to hear: a native plugin for starwind vsan.

Just for clarification: from the documentation seems that the plugin was a "universal" solution, eg from the description on thw web site:

"StarWind x Proxmox VE SAN Integration Services turns on essential storage features your generic SAN might lack in Proxmox: thin provisioning, VM snapshots, and linked clones"

The term used here "generic SAN" it's a little bit confusing.

Anyway thx again for your support.

[yaroslav (staff)]

Always happy to help
You can try plugin interoperability with any third-party solution though.

[buzzzo]

Hi

Now that proxmox 9 is out, Are the integration services compatible with it ?

[yaroslav (staff)]

Thanks for your questions!
Testing is on our to-do list. I'd suggest reopening this thread a bit later.