VASA Provider/Storage Provider

The FlashArray has a storage provider running on each FlashArray controller called the VASA Service. The VASA Service is part of the core Purity Service, meaning that it automatically starts when Purity is running on that controller. In vSphere, the VASA Providers will be registered as Storage Providers. While Storage Providers/VASA Providers can manage multiple Storage Arrays, the Pure VASA Provider will only manage the FlashArray that it is running on. Even though the VASA Service is running and active on both controllers, vCenter will only use one VASA Provider as the active Storage Provider and the other VASA Provider will be the Standby Provider.

Here are some requirements and recommendations when working with the FlashArray VASA Provider.

• Requirement: Register both VASA Providers, CT0 and CT1, respectively.
  • While it's possible to only register a single VASA provider, this leaves a single point of failure in your management path.
• Recommendation: Do not use a Active Directory user to register the storage providers.
  • Should the AD service/server be running on vVols, Everpure strongly recommends not to use an AD user to register the storage providers. This leaves a single point of failure on the management path in the event that the AD User have permissions changed, password changed or the account is deleted.
• Recommendation: User a local array admin created to register the storage providers.
• Recommendation: Should the FlashArray be running Purity 5.3.6 or higher, Import CA signed certificates to VASA-CT0 and VASA-CT1
  • Follow the KB that covers Web Guide: Configuring Multiple Non-Linked vCenters with the FlashArray VASA Provider and Web Guide: Managing the VASA Certificates with purecert via the CLI ​.
  • The Best Practice would be to have a different certificate expiration date for each VASA certificate. For example, VASA-CT0 expires on Nov 14 and VASA-CT1 expires on Dec 14.