Nimble performance degradation when storage array is 90% or more full.

The Nimble will not maintain high performance if the array is 90% full. Nimble's guidelines for optimal performance is 85% full. When the array is close to full, it can lead to an increased number of write operations being spread across fewer available physical storage blocks, which can cause increased fragmentation and ultimately, reduced performance.

In bock-based storage implementations, the file system is managed by the host, not the array. Because of this, the array does not typically know when a file has been deleted or moved from a storage volume and therefore does not know when or if to release the space.  This behavior is especially detrimental in thinly-provisioned environments where that space could be immediately allocated to another device/application or just returned to the pool of available storage.

Beginning with vSphere 5.0, VMWare introduced Dead Space Reclamation which makes use of the SCSI UNMAP command to help remediate the issue. UNMAP enables an administrator to initiate a reclaim operations from an ESXi host to compatible block storage devices.  The reclaim operation instructs ESXi to inform the storage array of space that previously had been occupied by a virtual disk and is now freed up by either a delete or migration and can be reclaimed.  This enables the array to accurately manage and report space consumption of a thinly-provisioned datastore and enables users to better monitor and forecast storage requirements.

VMs within PremierOne are generally configured as thinly-provisioned.

HOST IPs are generally standard for Motorola provided hardware.
For example:

By default SSH service is stopped for security purposes. You will first need to start the SSH service for the HOST you want to access via PUTTY. (Remember to stop SSH service when done connecting with PUTTY on the host)

For each HOST perform the following:

LOGON to HOST using PUTTY
Use the root user account and password. (Please note the password will not display on the screen)

Once logged in execute the following commands:

► Type cd /vmfs/volumes (changes to the directory where the volumes are located)
► Command prompt should now show /vmfs/volumes as the current directory as illustrated below

► Type ls -la to get a list of volumes in vmfs/volumes

You will get a list of items returned.  We only care about the ones in LIGHT GREEN which are the volumes we will execute the UNMAP operation against.

For each volume perform the following:

► esxcli storage vmfs unmap -l volume
■ Volume names are case sensitive

■ For Example:
• esxcli storage vmfs unmap -l Backup01
• esxcli storage vmfs unmap -l Backup02

If command completes quickly then unlikely it found much to do.
If command takes a bit then it is likely it found work to do.

You can quickly bring up the previous command by pressing the up arrow.
Then simply change the volume name and execute, rinse, repeat until all are done.

► Type EXIT to close the current putty session/window.

(Remember to stop SSH service when done connecting with PUTTY on the host)