Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere supports connecting a storage system directly to either a Storage Virtual Machine (SVM) or to a cluster management LIF. When the storage connects directly to an SVM, not all of the VSC features are supported. To use all of the features, you must connect the storage to a cluster management LIF.
In addition, if you have a VSC environment that supports SnapCenter, you must use the VSC GUI to add the SVMs to VSC as clusters. Otherwise, you will not be able to use all the VSC features.
VSC supports the following features when the storage system connects to a cluster management LIF. However, VSC does not support these features when the storage system connects directly to an SVM:
Although RBAC is fully supported, VSC does not perform the initial privilege validation on storage that is directly connected to an SVM.
When you are using clustered Data ONTAP and a cluster management LIF, VSC can query the storage system to determine whether that storage system is using a direct or indirect path. VSC then reports this information and supplies information that you can use to set up a direct path. Better performance is typically seen when direct paths are used. If a storage system connects directly to an SVM, VSC cannot query the storage system to determine the path.
VSC cannot check the space shared by volumes that have data deduplication enabled when the storage system is directly attached to an SVM.
VSC cannot update the mirror if you use load-sharing mirrors for the SVM root volume.
VSC cannot perform EMS logging when the storage system is directly attached to an SVM.