vSAN
vSAN (VMware vSAN) is a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) software that pools local storage from ESXi hosts to create a distributed, shared datastore for virtual machines. It integrates directly with VMware vSphere, providing software-defined storage that eliminates the need for external storage arrays. vSAN offers features like data deduplication, compression, and encryption to optimize storage efficiency and security.
Developers should learn vSAN when working in VMware-based virtualized environments that require scalable, high-performance storage without dedicated hardware. It is particularly useful for deploying virtualized applications, running databases, or managing large-scale virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) where storage agility and cost savings are priorities. vSAN simplifies storage management by integrating with vCenter Server, making it ideal for DevOps teams automating infrastructure.