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SUSE Certified Storage for Virtualization

Definition

The “SUSE Certified Storage for Virtualization” certification is part of the SUSE Certified product certification framework and it provides a standardized process for partners to validate their storage appliances with SUSE Virtualization.

SUSE Virtualization now supports the provisioning of root volumes and data volumes using external container storage interface (CSI) drivers. Once the CSI driver is installed and the SUSE Virtualization cluster is configured, an external storage solution can be used to store and manage virtual machine images, store virtual machine disks on volumes provisioned by the CSI driver, and perform other critical storage functions.

SUSE Partners can use this framework to test what’s needed to validate storage for SUSE Virtualization’s reference architecture. By following this step-by-step process, partners can effectively certify their external storage option, help enterprises pair the right storage with SUSE Virtualization, and enhance its adoption with SUSE Virtualization customers. 

Note: This certification does not provide instruction on how to develop the CSI driver itself. The vendor is wholly responsible for the creation and maintenance of their own CSI driver. 

The  “SUSE Certified Storage for Virtualization” certification aims to:
 

  • Ensure Compatibility: Test third-party storage appliances are fully compatible with SUSE Virtualization, promoting seamless integration and reducing the likelihood of conflicts or issues. 
  • Maintain Quality Standards: Certify that a storage appliance adheres to best practices and meets the quality standards set forth by SUSE, providing a consistent and reliable user experience. 
  • Stability for Upgrades: Upgrading your SUSE Virtualization cluster, storage controllers, or CSI should not result in a breakdown of your environment. By validating your third party storage with SUSE Virtualization, you are providing a common set of functionality that users of SUSE Virtualization can expect a consistent baseline. 
  • Promote Interoperability: Certify third-party storage appliances to work effectively with other certified components within the SUSE Cloud Native ecosystem, fostering a more collaborative and efficient ecosystem. 
  • Simplify Deployment and Management: Verify that third-party storage appliances can be easily configured in a SUSE Virtualization cluster managed by SUSE Rancher, providing a smooth experience for end-users and administrators. 
  • Streamline Support: Allow partners to showcase their commitment to supporting their storage appliance when deployed within a SUSE Virtualization cluster managed by SUSE Rancher, ensuring that SUSE Rancher Prime customers can rely on expert assistance when needed. 
  • Build Trust and Recognition: Serve as a mark of quality and trust, demonstrating to customers that the certified storage appliance meets industry standards and is backed by SUSE's endorsement. 


By obtaining the “SUSE Certified Storage for Virtualization”  certification, SUSE partners can showcase their commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable, and interoperable third-party storage solutions, while benefiting from the comprehensive product certification framework within the SUSE One Partner Program.

Certification Prerequisites

 

  1. Review the SUSE One Partner Program requirements and sign up for the SUSE One Partner Program if you are not a SUSE One Partner yet.
  2. After joining the SOPP, request permission to join the SUSE Certified Storage for Virtualization testing program at [email protected]
  3. Upon acceptance to the certification program, you will be provided with not-for-resale subscriptions for all necessary products from SUSE to perform your testing as well as a liaison from the SUSE product or engineering teams.

 

Familiarity with Helm charts, Harvester, Kubernetes, and Rancher is required – check out the Rancher Academy on the latest free, community training for Kubernetes and Rancher.

 

Certification Requirements

iii. Validate that you can successfully live migrate a virtual machine

  • All certification testing must be completed on the latest stable release of SUSE Virtualization.
  • Testing infrastructure requirements:

    a. Minimum three-node SUSE Virtualization cluster

    b. Important: Laptops and nested virtualization are not supported for this validation.

    c. For node hardware requirements and recommendations, see the latest support matrix.

    d. For networking and port requirements, see the latest Network Requirements documentation.

  • The following three scenarios are to be run successfully to validate the integration of a third-party storage appliance:

    a. Baseline: With a virtual machine using volumes backed only by SUSE Storage:

    i. Create snapshots

    ii. Perform an offline volume expansion

    iii. Support for live migration of virtual machines

    This test is imperative to the certification. This determines a standardized baseline to ensure your setup is working properly. By fulfilling this, you should have what we define as a basic functioning virtual machine with volumes backed by SUSE Storage.

     

    b. Test 1: Starting with a virtual machine with its boot volume backed by SUSE Storage:

    i. Create at least 2 additional volumes backed by your storage appliance

    ii. Create snapshots via the SUSE Virtualization UI

    iii. Validate that you can successfully live migrate a virtual machine

     

    c. Test 2: Starting with a virtual machine with its boot volume and data volumes backed by your storage appliance:

    i. Create at least 2 additional volumes backed by your storage appliance

    ii. Create snapshots via the SUSE Virtualization UI

    • Note: Snapshotting must be supported by the CSI driver. If not, this functionality will fail.

    iii. Validate that you can successfully live migrate a virtual machine

    • Note: Live migrate must be supported by the CSI driver. If not, this functionality will fail.

 

Certification Workflow

  1. Prepare your storage appliance for certification:

    a. Get administrative access to a SUSE Virtualization cluster

    b. Ensure that your storage appliance is installed and configured for use

    c. Create and/or compile comprehensive documentation for your storage appliance, including configuration and troubleshooting guides

    d. Create a document with step-by-step instructions for integrating the storage appliance into a new SUSE Virtualization cluster

    e. Create a document with step-by-step instructions for upgrading the storage appliance in an existing SUSE Virtualization cluster

  2. Test the storage appliance on a SUSE Virtualization cluster

    a. Set up a test environment for SUSE Virtualization to run the baseline test. Run through the following steps:

    i. Create a new SUSE Virtualization cluster

    ii. Create a StorageClass

    iii. Create and upload an image

    iv. Create an empty volume for your storage type

    v. Create a virtual machine

    vi. Take SUSE Virtualization snapshots

    vii. Perform a live migration of a virtual machine

    b. Repeat these steps for Baseline, Test 1, and Test 2 as outlined in the Certification Requirements.

    c. Document the validated procedures and monitor the performance of the storage appliance using SUSE Virtualization’s built-in monitoring tools (rancher-monitoring).

  3. Submit your storage appliance for certification

    a. Complete the SUSE Certified Proof of Performance documentation form(s) with proof of storage appliance validation for certification to the certification team.

    i. This will be provided to you by your Virtualization liaison

    b. Collaborate with the certification team to address any issues or concerns that arise during the certification process.

  4. Complete the certification process

    a. Send the Proof of Performance documentation and documented validated procedures to [email protected]

    b. Receive confirmation from the SUSE certification team that your storage appliance is certified. Once approved, your SUSE Virtualization storage certification will be listed in the SUSE Partner Certification and Solutions Catalog (PCSC)

    c. Update your storage appliance’s documentation (if applicable) to reflect the certification status

    d. Promote your certified storage appliance to the SUSE Virtualization and Rancher Prime community and customers

  5. Maintain and recertify your certified storage appliance

    a. Keep your storage appliance up-to-date with the latest x.Y.z SUSE Virtualization releases, which are released every 4 months.

    b. Address any reported issues or bugs in a timely manner

    c. You need to recertify your storage appliance with each new minor SUSE Virtualization release and any relevant updates to the CSI driver or storage controller software.

    d. Update your storage appliance’s certification status with a list of all the tested versions (SUSE Virtualization, CSI driver, and controller firmware) with SUSE as needed.