Distributed virtual volumes are a key component of Dell VPLEX that enable active-active data center configurations. Here’s how they contribute to this capability:

Active-Active Data Centers: In an active-active data center setup, both data centers are actively running workloads and can take over for each other in case of a failure.This configuration requires a storage solution that can provide simultaneous access to the same data from multiple locations1.

Distributed Virtual Volumes: VPLEX creates distributed virtual volumes that span across two geographically separated clusters.These volumes can be accessed and written to simultaneously from both locations, which is essential for maintaining operations in an active-active environment1.

Cache Coherence: VPLEX uses a cache coherence algorithm to ensure that write operations are synchronized across both sites.This means that when data is written to a distributed virtual volume, it is updated in both locations at the same time, ensuring consistency1.

Application Support: Distributed virtual volumes support mission-critical applications that require high availability and continuous operations, such as Oracle RAC, by allowing them to operate in an active-active manner across data centers1.

VPLEX Metro: The VPLEX Metro product supports active-active data centers by allowing applications to simultaneously read and write on both sites, which increases resource utilization and provides infrastructure that is actively used rather than remaining idle2.

By leveraging distributed virtual volumes, VPLEX enables organizations to create highly available, geographically distributed virtual data centers that support continuous data access and mobility.