Review the following considerations when creating and managing ZFS storage pools.
Using whole physical disks is the easiest way to create ZFS storage pools. ZFS configurations become progressively more complex, from management, reliability, and performance perspectives, when you build pools from disk slices, LUNs in hardware RAID arrays, or volumes presented by software-based volume managers. The following considerations might help you determine how to configure ZFS with other hardware or software storage solutions:
If you construct a ZFS configuration on top of LUNs from hardware RAID arrays, you need to understand the relationship between ZFS redundancy features and the redundancy features offered by the array. Certain configurations might provide adequate redundancy and performance, but other configurations might not.
You can construct logical devices for ZFS using volumes presented by software-based volume managers. However, these configurations are not recommended. Although ZFS functions properly on such devices, less-than-optimal performance might be the result.
For additional information about storage pool recommendations and when using ZFS with hardware RAID, see Chapter 11, Recommended Oracle Solaris ZFS Practices.
For more information about cautions with pool devices, see Changing Pool Devices.