vCenter Server 7.0.3 and vCenter Server 8.0 both support VMware vSAN, which is a software-defined storage solution that is integrated with vSphere.
However, there are some new features in vCenter Server 8.0 that are specific to vSAN:
vSAN File Services: vCenter Server 8.0 introduces vSAN File Services, which allows you to create SMB and NFS shares on vSAN datastores. This enables you to use vSAN as a file-based storage solution, in addition to its block-based storage capabilities.
vSAN Health Services: vCenter Server 8.0 includes new health services for vSAN, which allow you to monitor the health of your vSAN cluster and receive alerts when issues are detected. This helps you identify and resolve problems more quickly and easily.
vSAN Encryption: vCenter Server 8.0 now allows you to encrypt vSAN datastores, providing an additional layer of security for your data.
vSAN Performance Diagnostics: vCenter Server 8.0 includes new performance diagnostics for vSAN, which allow you to analyze performance metrics and identify potential bottlenecks in your vSAN cluster.
vSAN iSCSI Target Service: vCenter Server 8.0 introduces a new feature called vSAN iSCSI Target Service, which allows you to create iSCSI targets on vSAN datastores. This enables you to use vSAN as a block-based storage solution for use cases such as backup and disaster recovery.
vSAN Witness Appliance: vCenter Server 8.0 includes the vSAN Witness Appliance, which allows you to deploy a vSAN witness host in a public cloud, such as AWS or Azure. This enables you to create stretched clusters that span on-premises and cloud environments.
These are some of the new features in vCenter Server 8.0 that are specific to vSAN, but it’s not an exhaustive list. Overall, vCenter Server 8.0 provides more advanced management, monitoring and security capabilities for vSAN.
How to check vSAN compatibility server hardware models?
There are a few different ways to check server hardware compatibility with VMware vSAN:
VMware Compatibility Guide: This is an online tool that allows you to check the compatibility of specific server hardware models with different versions of VMware vSAN. You can search for hardware by manufacturer, model, or part number and view the results to see if the hardware is compatible with vSAN.
VMware Hardware Compatibility List (HCL): The HCL is a list of server hardware models that have been certified by VMware as compatible with vSAN. You can search the HCL by manufacturer, model, or part number to see if a specific piece of hardware is supported.
Vendor’s website: Many server hardware manufacturers provide information about the compatibility of their products with VMware vSAN on their website. This can be found on the support page of the vendor website.
VMware vSAN documentation: The vSAN documentation contains a list of the hardware requirements for the vSAN hosts, and other components. By comparing the specs of your server hardware with the requirements listed in the guide, you can determine if your hardware is compatible with vSAN.
It’s important to note that while a server may be compatible with vSAN, it may not be the optimal configuration, and it might not provide the best performance. Therefore, it’s recommended to check the vendor’s website and the VMware Compatibility guide to ensure the server hardware is on the list of supported hardware for vSAN.
Another important thing to keep in mind is the firmware version of the hardware, it should be up-to-date and compatible with the vSAN version. This information can also be found on the VMware Compatibility guide or on the vendor’s website.