esx: vmfs 2 overview

(source: vmware)



While conventional file systems allow only one server to have read-write access to the same file at a given time, VMFS is a cluster file system that leverages shared storage to allow multiple instances of ESX Server

to read and write to the same storage, concurrently. VMFS allows :

• Easier VM management: Greatly simplify virtual machine provisioning and administration by efficiently
  
  storing the entire virtual machine state in a central location.
• Live Migration of VMS: Support unique virtualization-based capabilities such as live migration of running virtual machines from one physical server to another, automatic restart of a failed virtual machine on a separate physical server, and clustering virtual machines across different physical servers.
• Performance: Get virtual disk performance close to native SCSI for even the most data-intensive applications with dynamic control of virtual storage volumes.

• Concurrent access to storage: Enable multiple installations of ESX Server to read and write from the same storage location concurrently.
• Dynamic ESX Server Modification: Add or delete an ESX Server from a VMware VMFS volume without disrupting other ESX Server hosts.
• VMFS volume resizing on the fly: Create
  
  new virtual machines without relying on a storage administrator.
  
  Adaptive block sizing and addressing for growing files allows you to
  
  increase a VMFS volume on the fly.
• Automatic LUN mapping: Simplify storage management with automatic discovery and mapping of LUNs to a VMware VMFS volume.
• I/O parameter tweaking: Optimize your virtual machine I/O with adjustable volume, disk, file and block sizes.
• Failure recovery: Recover virtual machines faster and more reliably in the event of server failure with Distributed journaling.

VMware VMFS cluster file system is included in VMware Infrastructure

Enterprise and Standard Editions and is available for local storage

only with the Starter edition.