Using a vSphere Storage Appliance at a remote site

[TheVMinator]

I'm considering vSphere Storage Appliance (VSA) at a remote site.  The remote site has two hosts and no vCenter Server.  To use VSA, I would need to connect my two hosts to a vCenter Server over a wan connection to another continent.  Is this feasible?  How much bandwidth do I need between vCenter and my hosts to make the use of VSA feasible?  If I can't install and vCenter Server locally, what are the other options? 

[SantiniStorMagi]

Hi,  I cant give you much information on weather VSA would work in this particular configuration but I'm sure one of the VMware VSA team will help here.  I can however suggest the requested "other options".

You may want to take a look at SvSAN from StorMagic. We've developed our VSA solution specifically around multi-site and remote site environments.   With the configuration you've explained - ie 2 server configuration with vCenter off-site, this is feasible and we have several customers doing this already with 1 - 2200 sites with only 1 - 8 vCenters. The amount of Bandwidth you need isn't the factor here but rather the line latency. With SvSAN you require 1 second or less but in fairness we have some customers with line latency of 2900ms running with out issues.

http://www.stormagic.com/SvSAN_5.php

[TheVMinator]

Any input on this question from anyone who is using or knows VSA?

Thanks for your input also - this is some helpful information on how your product works.  At the current time we are considering only VSA though - but thanks for offering the info.

Anyone have any input on this original question if the solution in question is VSA?

[Duncan Epping]

this may help: vSphere Storage Appliance Cluster Service (VSACS) White Paper