vSAN: Virtualization Storage Ledger 2026 Scorecard

Part of the Virtualization Storage Ledger (edition 2026-10-16). How the scores work: methodology.

Snapshot

Type: product
Owner: Broadcom Inc. through its VMware division (acquisition closed November 2023, date grade C)
Licence: Subscription only inside VMware Cloud Foundation (1 TiB of vSAN per licensed core) or VMware vSphere Foundation (0.25 TiB per core), extra capacity by add-on; 16 cores per CPU minimum; perpetual and standalone vSAN ended with the notice of 2024-01-22
Latest release: vSAN 9.1.1 inside VCF 9.1.1 (2026-09-03); vSAN 8.0 U3i (2026-02-24) on the 8.x line
Support lifecycle: vSAN 7.x general support ended 2025-10-02 after a six month extension; 8.0 end of technical guidance listed as 2029-10-11; 9.x window not published
Next milestone: none dated; VCF Native Object Store (S3) is a tech preview in 9.1.1; ESA on AWS, Google Cloud and Azure named for "the near future" at the 9.0 launch
Hypervisors: VMware ESX only, as a kernel-level storage layer with vCenter required (Broadcom VCF 9.1 release notes)
Tier: Storage inside a VM platform
Archetype: Rent extractor with a reference product
Evidence grade: B. Release dates come from Broadcom build-number and VCF correlation pages, the 9.0, 9.1 and 9.1.1 release notes and the licensing KB (grade A). Feature headlines for 2015 to 2022 were not re-opened, so those steps are grade C. Pricing facts rest on the Broadcom service description via a search summary and press reports (grade B).

Scope of the scores: vSAN is sold only inside a VCF or VVF subscription and runs only inside ESX, which the hypervisor integration ceiling of 4 and the lock-in rows reflect. vSAN Max, the disaggregated storage-only cluster, is scored here as a topology item and not as a separate entry.

Scorecard

Dimension	Score	Direction
Capability today	84.3 / 100	higher is better
Momentum since end of 2022	+10.9 points (2015 to 2022: +19.2)	higher is better
Credibility	17.0 / 25	higher is better
Commercial risk	21.0 / 25	lower is better
Technical lock-in	15.5 / 25	lower is better
Integrator fit	13.0 / 20	higher is better
AI leverage	6.0 / 20	higher is better
Ledger Index	60.7 / 100	balanced weights; see the methodology

Capability by domain, 2015 to today

Scores 0 to 5 against fixed anchors; total is weighted to 100.

Domain (weight)	2015	2019	2022	Today
Data services core (15)	2.5	4	4	4.5
Resilience and HA (15)	3.5	4	4	4.5
Performance and protocols (12)	2	3	4	4
Hypervisor integration (12)	3.5	4	4	4
Scale and topology (10)	3.5	3.5	4	4.5
Data protection and DR (10)	2.5	2.5	2.5	4.5
Security (8)	1.5	3	3.5	4
Operations and automation (8)	3.5	3.5	3.5	4.5
Hardware and deployment freedom (5)	3	3	3	3
Kubernetes and containers (5)	0	0	3	3.5
Total / 100	54.2	66.2	73.4	84.3

Year by year: 2015: 54.2 · 2016: 62.3 · 2017: 66.2 · 2018: 66.2 · 2019: 66.2 · 2020: 72.2 · 2021: 72.2 · 2022: 73.4 · 2023: 74.4 · 2024: 76.4 · 2025: 79.0 · 2026: 84.3

What moved the score

Year	Domain	Change	Points	Trigger
2016	Data services core	2.5 → 4	+4.5	6.2: deduplication and compression on all-flash, RAID-5/6 erasure coding, IOPS limits per policy
2016	Hypervisor integration	3.5 → 4	+1.2	6.2: per-VM policy depth with IOPS limits; single-hypervisor ceiling of 4 applies
2016	Performance and protocols	2 → 3	+2.4	6.5: iSCSI target service for hosts outside the cluster
2017	Resilience and HA	3.5 → 4	+1.5	6.6: local protection inside stretched clusters, so a site loss and a host loss are survived together
2017	Security	1.5 → 3	+2.4	6.6: native data-at-rest encryption with an external key manager
2020	Kubernetes and containers	0 → 3	+3.0	7.0: Cloud Native Storage with the vSphere CSI driver; RWX through File Services
2020	Performance and protocols	3 → 3.5	+1.2	7.0: vSAN File Services with NFS, SMB in the following update
2020	Scale and topology	3.5 → 4	+1.0	7.0 U1: HCI Mesh lets compute clusters mount a remote vSAN datastore
2020	Security	3 → 3.5	+0.8	7.0: data-in-transit encryption (version from background knowledge)
2022	Performance and protocols	3.5 → 4	+1.2	8.0: Express Storage Architecture with a single-tier NVMe data path; no NVMe/TCP target and no independent benchmarks
2023	Scale and topology	4 → 4.5	+1.0	vSAN Max GA (2023-12-13): disaggregated storage-only ESA clusters of 6 to 32 hosts, 8.6 PB per cluster (vendor figure)
2024	Data protection and DR	2.5 → 3.5	+2.0	8.0 U3: vSAN Data Protection with native snapshot protection groups
2025	Data protection and DR	3.5 → 4	+1.0	9.0: vSAN-to-vSAN replication with RPO down to one minute, recovery through Live Recovery
2025	Operations and automation	3.5 → 4.5	+1.6	9.0: VCF Operations shows vSAN capacity against TiB entitlements; dying disk handling for cache devices; licensing reporting now part of day-two work
2026	Data protection and DR	4 → 4.5	+1.0	9.1: replication from any source datastore into vSAN ESA, tag-based protection groups, multiple retention schedules, on-premises clean room recovery
2026	Data services core	4 → 4.5	+1.5	9.1: global deduplication GA on ESA with encryption; Auto RAID-6 as the default; QoS still has no minimum guarantee
2026	Kubernetes and containers	3 → 3.5	+0.5	9.1: RWX file volumes extended, CNS to 50,000 volumes per vCenter; no KubeVirt or RWX block
2026	Resilience and HA	4 → 4.5	+1.5	9.1: site maintenance mode for stretched clusters, stretched storage across vCenter instances, RAID-6 default on ESA
2026	Security	3.5 → 4	+0.8	9.1: end-to-end encryption for disaggregated vSAN; clean room recovery workflow for ransomware cases

Direction, 2023 to 2026

Each release item carries one theme and one driver (V vision, C customer need, M market window, U upstream, P portfolio).

Date	Item	Theme	Driver
2023-12	vSAN Max GA (announced at Explore 2023-08-31): disaggregated storage-only clusters	Scale	V
2023-12	Move to subscription with VVF and VCF bundles announced	Licensing	P
2024-01	End of availability of perpetual licences and standalone vSAN	Licensing	P
2024-06	8.0 U3: ESA stretched clusters, vSAN Data Protection with protection groups	Resilience	C
2024-06	8.0 U3: capacity-based licensing option	Licensing	P
2025-03	Distributor reports a 72-core minimum per order line and a late-renewal surcharge; the minimum is withdrawn in April	Licensing	P
2025-04	vVols deprecated from VCF and VVF 9.0	Packaging	P
2025-06	9.0: vSAN-to-vSAN replication with Live Recovery; traffic separation; 500 file shares per cluster	Data protection	C
2025-06	9.0: global deduplication on ESA in limited availability	Data services	V
2025-06	Roadmap: ESA on AWS, Google Cloud VMware Engine and Azure VMware Solution	Packaging	M
2026-05	9.1: global deduplication GA with encryption; Auto RAID-6 default	Data services	V
2026-05	9.1: replication from VMFS and NFS sources into vSAN ESA; on-premises clean room recovery	Data protection	P
2026-05	9.1: tag-based protection groups, multiple retention schedules, site maintenance mode	Data protection	C
2026-05	9.1: end-to-end encryption for disaggregated vSAN	Security	C
2026-05	9.1: stretched storage across vCenter instances; shared clusters mount OSA and ESA datastores	Scale	C
2026-05	9.1: RWX file volumes extended; CNS to 50,000 volumes per vCenter; online expand for clustered VM disks	Kubernetes	C
2026-08	Explore: AI Assistant for VCF, AI Factory and AgentMinder announced	AI	V
2026-09	9.1.1: VCF Native Object Store (S3) in tech preview	Data services	V
2026-09	9.1.1: lab and proof-of-concept allowance for NVMe devices outside the compatibility guide	Hardware	C
2026-10	VCF Code Assist MCP server released as a Fling (0.1.1)	AI	V

Centre of gravity: Licensing (4), Data protection (3), Data services (3)
Blind spots (no items): Performance, Hypervisor integration, Operations
Driver mix: Vision 30%, Customer need 35%, Market window 5%, Upstream 0%, Portfolio 30%
Idea-to-need index: 0.43 (0 = demand-pulled, 1 = thesis-pushed)

Credibility: 17.0 / 25

Criterion	Score	Basis
Cadence	4	9.0, 9.0.1, 9.0.2, 9.1 and 9.1.1 in 15 months and patches on the 8.0 line; dates are not published in advance
Roadmap transparency	2.5	Blog roadmap lists without dates; release notes public, some support content behind login
Say-do	3	vSAN Max went GA 3.5 months after announcement and global deduplication 11 months after limited availability; ESA on hyperscalers, the AI assistant and the S3 object store are still pending or preview
Velocity	4.5	9.1 alone lists 18 vSAN items; two substantive releases a year
Lifecycle stability	3	About five years of general support per major and in-place upgrades; the 7.x end date moved, vVols were deprecated and the standalone product was withdrawn

Commercial risk: 21.0 / 25 (lower is better)

Criterion	Score	Basis
Price and licence volatility	5	Perpetual to subscription in 2024, standalone product withdrawn, a 72-core minimum announced by a distributor and withdrawn in 2025, late-renewal surcharge reported
Purchase constraints	4.5	Subscription only, VCF or VVF bundle only, 16 cores per CPU minimum, vSAN Max under VCF capped at 1 TiB per core before add-ons
Channel and access	3.5	Patch downloads need an active entitlement; Broadcom partner terms were not readable from a Broadcom page (the VM Platform Ledger records an invitation-only programme)
Owner stability	4	Acquired in November 2023 by a listed owner that reversed licensing, packaging and partner terms within its first year
Cost of staying supported	4	Subscription renewals only; perpetual holders keep running software without patches unless under contract

Technical lock-in: 15.5 / 25 (lower is better)

Criterion	Score	Basis
Formats	3	VMDK is readable elsewhere; vSAN objects are not, so leaving means a storage migration
Export path	2.5	Storage vMotion to VMFS or NFS inside vSphere; no tooling toward other hypervisors
Stack coupling	4.5	Runs only inside ESX, needs vCenter, and the licence is tied to VCF or VVF cores
Hardware / cloud coupling	3	Compatibility guide and ReadyNodes; ESA production use needs certified NVMe; runs offline
Skills and tooling coupling	2.5	Proprietary tooling (vCenter, PowerCLI) with the largest skills pool in the field

Integrator fit: 13.0 / 20

Criterion	Score	Basis
Partner programme openness	2	Broadcom terms not verified from a Broadcom page; the VM Platform Ledger scores the programme as invitation-only
Multi-tenancy and self-service	2.5	vCenter roles and VCF Automation; the vendor named "deeper multi-tenancy" as a roadmap item in June 2025
API and infrastructure-as-code	4	vSAN management API, Python SDK and PowerCLI; the Code Assist MCP Fling covers vSAN and vSAN Data Protection
Skills and certification	4.5	VMware certification with a vSAN track and a large pool of certified engineers

AI leverage: 6.0 / 20

How the product uses AI, scored per year like capability. Only GA counts.

Criterion	2019	2022	Today	Latest step
AI workload infrastructure	1	2	2	2022: 8.0: ESA single-tier NVMe data path; vSAN is the storage under VMware Private AI; AI protocol and secondary-storage features are roadmap only
AI platform stack	0	0	0	2015: None verified for the storage layer; Private AI Services and AI Factory sit in VCF and their availability was not verified here
AI-assisted operations	1	1	1.5	2026: 9.1.1: AI Assistant for VCF in tech preview, counted as half a step
Agent openness	2	2	2.5	2026: VCF Code Assist MCP server is a Fling (0.1.1, 2026-10-05), counted as half a step; no GA MCP server

Year by year: 2015: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 6

AI say-do, 2023 to 2026: 5 AI items announced; 0 GA, 2 still preview, 3 pending, 0 dropped. The AI assistant is a tech preview and the MCP server a Fling; AI Factory, AgentMinder and the AI storage roadmap items have no GA date.

vSAN's AI story is the NVMe performance of ESA under VMware's private AI stack; nothing AI-specific has shipped in the storage layer itself. The operator assistant and the MCP server exist only as a tech preview and an experimental Fling, so a buyer should count neither until Broadcom gives them a GA date.

Reading

vSAN scores as the reference for storage inside a single hypervisor: data services, stretched clusters, replication and the 9.1 protection features all sit at 4.5 against today's anchors. The scores it loses are structural. It serves ESX only, it cannot be bought on its own, and the licensing changes since 2024 give it the highest commercial risk in the group. A buyer should check the vSAN capacity entitlement against raw capacity across all clusters before signing, because the per-core TiB allowance and the vSAN Max cap decide the real price.

Open questions and items to re-score

End of general support dates for vSAN 8.0 and 9.x could not be read from the Broadcom lifecycle PDF; 8.0 at 2027-10 is inferred from the five-year rule.
Whether the 20 percent late-renewal surcharge reported in March 2025 is still applied has not been confirmed from a Broadcom source.
Broadcom partner programme terms were not readable; the integrator score rests on the VM Platform Ledger's finding.
Data-in-transit encryption is placed at 7.0 (2020) from background knowledge; the 2015 to 2022 feature headlines were not re-opened this edition.
VCF Native Object Store (S3) and the AI Assistant for VCF are tech previews; re-score when GA.
Whether vSAN 9.x offers a supported NVMe/TCP or iSCSI export to non-ESX hosts was not confirmed; performance stays at 4.
The VCF 9.1 date is 2026-05-12 in the Broadcom KB and 2026-05-25 in a third-party report; the KB date is used.

	’16	’17	’20	’22	’23	’24	’25	’26
Data services core	1							1
Resilience and HA		2						2
Performance and protocols	2		2	1
Hypervisor integration	3
Scale and topology			3		1
Data protection and DR						1	2	3
Security		1
Operations and automation							1
Hardware and deployment freedom
Kubernetes and containers			1