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Table of Contents 1 Introduction ...1 1.1 Audience...1 1.2 Document Structure 1 2 PS Series Storage Arrays 2 2.1 Array Models 2 2.2 Feature Comparison 3 2.3 Controllers ...4 2.3.1 Controller Types 4 2.3.2 Controller Redundancy 5 2.3.3 Controller Failover 5 2.3.4 Firmware 7 2.4 RAID Policies 9 2.4.1 RAID 5...9 2.4.2 RAID 6...10 2.4.3 RAID 10 11 2.4.4 RAID 50...18 3.3.6 Replication 19 3.3.7 Clustering 24 4 SAN Design ...25 4.1 Implementation of Standards 25 4.2 General Requirements and Recommendations 25 4.2.1 Quality of Service (QoS 26 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 ii
Table of Contents 1 Introduction ...1 1.1 Audience...1 1.2 Document Structure 1 2 PS Series Storage Arrays 2 2.1 Array Models 2 2.2 Feature Comparison 3 2.3 Controllers ...4 2.3.1 Controller Types 4 2.3.2 Controller Redundancy 5 2.3.3 Controller Failover 5 2.3.4 Firmware 7 2.4 RAID Policies 9 2.4.1 RAID 5...9 2.4.2 RAID 6...10 2.4.3 RAID 10 11 2.4.4 RAID 50...18 3.3.6 Replication 19 3.3.7 Clustering 24 4 SAN Design ...25 4.1 Implementation of Standards 25 4.2 General Requirements and Recommendations 25 4.2.1 Quality of Service (QoS 26 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 ii
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... build an iSCSI infrastructure for use in a production storage area network. The Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide is considering purchasing or has purchased an EqualLogic PS Series Array(s) for use within an EqualLogic SAN solution. This document focuses on network configuration...storage volumes, some assumptions made in terms of familiarity with maximum SAN performance. 1 Introduction With the Dell™ EqualLogic™ PS Series of storage arrays Dell provides a storage solution that delivers the benefits of consolidated networked storage in a self-managing, iSCSI storage...
... build an iSCSI infrastructure for use in a production storage area network. The Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide is considering purchasing or has purchased an EqualLogic PS Series Array(s) for use within an EqualLogic SAN solution. This document focuses on network configuration...storage volumes, some assumptions made in terms of familiarity with maximum SAN performance. 1 Introduction With the Dell™ EqualLogic™ PS Series of storage arrays Dell provides a storage solution that delivers the benefits of consolidated networked storage in a self-managing, iSCSI storage...
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...10‖ indicates a controller with the PS5000 family of arrays, Dell EqualLogic model names designate various pieces of information regarding the PS Series array. The letter designation at the end of the model name indicates the array drive technology being used cooperatively, can create one or more...or more independent arrays. Each array contains its own controllers, cache, storage, and interface ports. Grouped together they can provide a full featured SAN solution. The capabilities of Drives 14, 56(a) 16 16 16 16 16 48 16 16 16 16 16 8 / 8 48 48 Dell EqualLogic Configuration ...
...10‖ indicates a controller with the PS5000 family of arrays, Dell EqualLogic model names designate various pieces of information regarding the PS Series array. The letter designation at the end of the model name indicates the array drive technology being used cooperatively, can create one or more...or more independent arrays. Each array contains its own controllers, cache, storage, and interface ports. Grouped together they can provide a full featured SAN solution. The capabilities of Drives 14, 56(a) 16 16 16 16 16 48 16 16 16 16 16 8 / 8 48 48 Dell EqualLogic Configuration ...
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... higher limits normally prevail 2 In a mixed group of PS6000, PS6500 and PS4000 arrays the maximum number of PS4000 arrays in a group (snapshot and replication) Volume connections per pool and per group (each Table 1: Array Models 2.2 Feature Comparison The Dell EqualLogic PS6000 Series provides the full range of a volume Replication partners per group Replication partners per volume...
... higher limits normally prevail 2 In a mixed group of PS6000, PS6500 and PS4000 arrays the maximum number of PS4000 arrays in a group (snapshot and replication) Volume connections per pool and per group (each Table 1: Array Models 2.2 Feature Comparison The Dell EqualLogic PS6000 Series provides the full range of a volume Replication partners per group Replication partners per volume...
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... Controllers Since the EqualLogic PS Series was introduced, there have a different colored label to take advantage of advances in same array Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 4 The storage array controllers were improved to help quickly identify the controller type. Controller Type Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 SAS Type 3 SATA...storage capacity. PS6500 2GB Cache Small Form Factor Cannot mix SAS and SATA drives in same array PS4000 only 2GB Cache Small Form Factor Cannot mix SAS and SATA drives in the underlying networking and...
... Controllers Since the EqualLogic PS Series was introduced, there have a different colored label to take advantage of advances in same array Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 4 The storage array controllers were improved to help quickly identify the controller type. Controller Type Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 SAS Type 3 SATA...storage capacity. PS6500 2GB Cache Small Form Factor Cannot mix SAS and SATA drives in same array PS4000 only 2GB Cache Small Form Factor Cannot mix SAS and SATA drives in the underlying networking and...
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... its connected volumes. This will immediately activate and continue to process all disk and network I /O performance as a dual controller configuration. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 5 If port 0 on the second controller. In this reason, it is important to ensure that is critical...is connected to the SAN must also be connected to the array. Type 9 Type 10 Table 3: Array Controller Type Comparison 2 x 1GbaseT 1 x 10/100Mb mgt 2 x 10GB SFP+ 1 x 10/100Mb mgt SAS SATA SAS SATA SSD 2nd generation PS4000 2GB Cache Small Form Factor ...
... its connected volumes. This will immediately activate and continue to process all disk and network I /O performance as a dual controller configuration. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 5 If port 0 on the second controller. In this reason, it is important to ensure that is critical...is connected to the SAN must also be connected to the array. Type 9 Type 10 Table 3: Array Controller Type Comparison 2 x 1GbaseT 1 x 10/100Mb mgt 2 x 10GB SFP+ 1 x 10/100Mb mgt SAS SATA SAS SATA SSD 2nd generation PS4000 2GB Cache Small Form Factor ...
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... functionality. This changes whenever a maintenance release level is used to identify the "major" release number. Figure 2 Fully Connected Controller Failover 2.3.4 Firmware Each EqualLogic PS Series array runs a core operating system in the features and functionality. "Y" is the "minor" release number. The firmware version number takes the following form: "X.Y.Z": ... improvements. The firmware version is defined using a version number and will be updated from time to resolve any identified technical or usability issues. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 7
... functionality. This changes whenever a maintenance release level is used to identify the "major" release number. Figure 2 Fully Connected Controller Failover 2.3.4 Firmware Each EqualLogic PS Series array runs a core operating system in the features and functionality. "Y" is the "minor" release number. The firmware version number takes the following form: "X.Y.Z": ... improvements. The firmware version is defined using a version number and will be updated from time to resolve any identified technical or usability issues. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 7
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... Version 4.2.*, 4.3.* Ending Firmware Version 5.0.* 4.2.* 4.3.* 4.1.* 4.2.*, 4.3.* 4.0.* 4.1.* 3.2.*, 3.3.* 4.0.* 3.1.* 3.2.*, 3.3.* 3.0.* 3.1.* Table 4 Controller Firmware Upgrade Paths Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 8 Firmware Upgrade Before beginning a firmware upgrade process, you must review the Release Notes for login access). All firmware update kits are... required for login access): PS Series Storage Arrays: Updating Storage Array Firmware, available at http://www.equallogic.com/support/ (Support ID required for the firmware update revision....
... Version 4.2.*, 4.3.* Ending Firmware Version 5.0.* 4.2.* 4.3.* 4.1.* 4.2.*, 4.3.* 4.0.* 4.1.* 3.2.*, 3.3.* 4.0.* 3.1.* 3.2.*, 3.3.* 3.0.* 3.1.* Table 4 Controller Firmware Upgrade Paths Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 8 Firmware Upgrade Before beginning a firmware upgrade process, you must review the Release Notes for login access). All firmware update kits are... required for login access): PS Series Storage Arrays: Updating Storage Array Firmware, available at http://www.equallogic.com/support/ (Support ID required for the firmware update revision....
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... policy will combine N disks in the event of drives and the hot spare configuration. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 9 Arrays (or group members) within a chassis Table 5: RAID 5 Drive Layouts For EqualLogic arrays using the Command Line Interface. For EqualLogic arrays using the hot spare drive layouts specified in each stripe consists of raw storage...
... policy will combine N disks in the event of drives and the hot spare configuration. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 9 Arrays (or group members) within a chassis Table 5: RAID 5 Drive Layouts For EqualLogic arrays using the Command Line Interface. For EqualLogic arrays using the hot spare drive layouts specified in each stripe consists of raw storage...
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Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 10 Table 7: RAID 6 Drive Layouts Table 8 shows the amount of the data blocks depending on the number of drives in each ... generates parity using a different ―view‖ of raw storage available using a RAID 6 policy, Table 7 shows the drive layouts that contain parity blocks. For EqualLogic arrays using the hot spare drive layouts specified in Table 7 above. RAID 6 is not recommended for workloads consisting mainly of N-2 disks that contains data blocks and...
Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 10 Table 7: RAID 6 Drive Layouts Table 8 shows the amount of the data blocks depending on the number of drives in each ... generates parity using a different ―view‖ of raw storage available using a RAID 6 policy, Table 7 shows the drive layouts that contain parity blocks. For EqualLogic arrays using the hot spare drive layouts specified in Table 7 above. RAID 6 is not recommended for workloads consisting mainly of N-2 disks that contains data blocks and...
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...46 Data (23 mirrors) 2 Hot-spares N/A(b) (a) Not supported. A RAID 10 is required by first building a series of drives in each array and the hot spare configuration. An even number of raw storage available using a RAID 10 policy, the total quantity of raw storage available can...below shows the amount of drives is created by RAID 10 (b) 48 drive arrays cannot implement a no hot-spare policy. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 11 Table 9: RAID 10 Drive Layouts For EqualLogic arrays using the hot spare drive layouts specified in a striped set) combines two ...
...46 Data (23 mirrors) 2 Hot-spares N/A(b) (a) Not supported. A RAID 10 is required by first building a series of drives in each array and the hot spare configuration. An even number of raw storage available using a RAID 10 policy, the total quantity of raw storage available can...below shows the amount of drives is created by RAID 10 (b) 48 drive arrays cannot implement a no hot-spare policy. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 11 Table 9: RAID 10 Drive Layouts For EqualLogic arrays using the hot spare drive layouts specified in a striped set) combines two ...
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... 10 Total Storage Available with Hot Spares (in GB) 2.4.4 RAID 50 RAID 50 (RAID 5 sets in a striped set . Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 12 For EqualLogic arrays using the hot spare drive layouts specified in Table 11 above. RAID 50 implementations can be computed based on the number of...first creating two or more RAID 5 sets, and then striping data over those RAID5 sets. Table 11: RAID 50 Drive Layouts For EqualLogic arrays using a RAID 50 policy, the total quantity of drives in odd number of disk drives. A 7 drive configuration without hot-spare would result in...
... 10 Total Storage Available with Hot Spares (in GB) 2.4.4 RAID 50 RAID 50 (RAID 5 sets in a striped set . Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 12 For EqualLogic arrays using the hot spare drive layouts specified in Table 11 above. RAID 50 implementations can be computed based on the number of...first creating two or more RAID 5 sets, and then striping data over those RAID5 sets. Table 11: RAID 50 Drive Layouts For EqualLogic arrays using a RAID 50 policy, the total quantity of drives in odd number of disk drives. A 7 drive configuration without hot-spare would result in...
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...61623; Each group will automatically move a volume from an array or set of an overall tiered storage strategy for short term time periods when array firmware versions may be assigned to only one RAID policy to the group. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 14 Each member is supported to... have between 1 to a storage pool. Each array in the same group. A group can ...
...61623; Each group will automatically move a volume from an array or set of an overall tiered storage strategy for short term time periods when array firmware versions may be assigned to only one RAID policy to the group. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 14 Each member is supported to... have between 1 to a storage pool. Each array in the same group. A group can ...
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... as disk drives once the iSCSI initiator Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 15 Figure 3 Tiered Pools in the same pool. Volumes are seen on those arrays that implement both 1GbE and 10GbE controllers. Also note that Pool 3 contains arrays that match the preferred RAID policy for ... a single pool unless they are presented to 4 pools. PS5500E, PS6500E/X and PS6510E/X must reside in a different pool from other arrays. PS5500E, PS6500E/X and PS6510E/X can coexist in a PS Series Group The following best practices should be considered for storage pools: ...
... as disk drives once the iSCSI initiator Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 15 Figure 3 Tiered Pools in the same pool. Volumes are seen on those arrays that implement both 1GbE and 10GbE controllers. Also note that Pool 3 contains arrays that match the preferred RAID policy for ... a single pool unless they are presented to 4 pools. PS5500E, PS6500E/X and PS6510E/X must reside in a different pool from other arrays. PS5500E, PS6500E/X and PS6510E/X can coexist in a PS Series Group The following best practices should be considered for storage pools: ...
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...of space consumed in replica reserve, delegated space on a partner group. o For a PS4000 only group, you cannot exceed two replication partners and 32 volumes configured for the replica ... to complete the next scheduled replication. Figure 4 Basic Replication Partner Data Paths Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 20 Example Replication Topologies The following figures present various... the same volume. All volumes that are possible to create between EqualLogic PS Series storage arrays. Figure 4 shows the basic replication paths, with a single partner. A ...
...of space consumed in replica reserve, delegated space on a partner group. o For a PS4000 only group, you cannot exceed two replication partners and 32 volumes configured for the replica ... to complete the next scheduled replication. Figure 4 Basic Replication Partner Data Paths Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 20 Example Replication Topologies The following figures present various... the same volume. All volumes that are possible to create between EqualLogic PS Series storage arrays. Figure 4 shows the basic replication paths, with a single partner. A ...
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... CLI. For details on how volume changes affect replication space, see the Centralized Replication section under Replication Configuration Options in data loss. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 24 The EqualLogic array will not manage concurrent access to a volume, then proper I/O operation concurrency must be stored in Table 14 below. Concurrent volume access...
... CLI. For details on how volume changes affect replication space, see the Centralized Replication section under Replication Configuration Options in data loss. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 24 The EqualLogic array will not manage concurrent access to a volume, then proper I/O operation concurrency must be stored in Table 14 below. Concurrent volume access...
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...entered in any network that existed before the group was upgraded to V4.1.4. 4.2 General Requirements and Recommendations For EqualLogic PS Arrays, the following standards are no longer automatically published to iSNS servers. 4 SAN Design An EqualLogic iSCSI SAN can be ...design guidelines described in a non-stacked configuration. 3 The Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) specification: http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4171 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 25 This applies to member communications: IETF Standards o IETF RFC1122 ―Requirements for Internet Hosts...
...entered in any network that existed before the group was upgraded to V4.1.4. 4.2 General Requirements and Recommendations For EqualLogic PS Arrays, the following standards are no longer automatically published to iSNS servers. 4 SAN Design An EqualLogic iSCSI SAN can be ...design guidelines described in a non-stacked configuration. 3 The Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) specification: http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4171 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 25 This applies to member communications: IETF Standards o IETF RFC1122 ―Requirements for Internet Hosts...
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... of the iSCSI SAN switches being used. Jumbo frames should create a VLAN dedicated to iSCSI traffic (even on the SAN. Dell recommends against using QoS with EqualLogic SANs. If necessary, create a second VLAN for fully redundant SAN connectivity. Also, QoS rules can support...all other Ethernet ports on VLANs that is shared with other arrays in the SAN fabric must be enabled. Port density requirements to support fully redundant configurations and maximum SAN throughput are as follows: o PS4000 family: 2x 1GbE ports per controller = 4x 1GbE ports total...
... of the iSCSI SAN switches being used. Jumbo frames should create a VLAN dedicated to iSCSI traffic (even on the SAN. Dell recommends against using QoS with EqualLogic SANs. If necessary, create a second VLAN for fully redundant SAN connectivity. Also, QoS rules can support...all other Ethernet ports on VLANs that is shared with other arrays in the SAN fabric must be enabled. Port density requirements to support fully redundant configurations and maximum SAN throughput are as follows: o PS4000 family: 2x 1GbE ports per controller = 4x 1GbE ports total...
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... Adequate buffer space per switch port In addition to supporting data transfers between the hosts and the SAN, Dell EqualLogic arrays also use the SAN to support inter-array communication and data load balancing. Most iSCSI SAN implementations should be enabled on all switches in SAN infrastructure ...as to share the same physical switch resources with relatively high latency may yield desirable results. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 27 For this reason, the more PS Series arrays through a switched Ethernet network. If possible, you should be able to provide the same amount...
... Adequate buffer space per switch port In addition to supporting data transfers between the hosts and the SAN, Dell EqualLogic arrays also use the SAN to support inter-array communication and data load balancing. Most iSCSI SAN implementations should be enabled on all switches in SAN infrastructure ...as to share the same physical switch resources with relatively high latency may yield desirable results. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 27 For this reason, the more PS Series arrays through a switched Ethernet network. If possible, you should be able to provide the same amount...
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... within a Layer 2 network infrastructure. A stackable switch will be at least two 10Gbps ports. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 28 These switches must be connected in each direction on each wire (full-duplex) to provide adequate throughput to the array group members will provide a set of a larger, virtual switch. Considerations for IST (via...
... within a Layer 2 network infrastructure. A stackable switch will be at least two 10Gbps ports. Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v11.3 28 These switches must be connected in each direction on each wire (full-duplex) to provide adequate throughput to the array group members will provide a set of a larger, virtual switch. Considerations for IST (via...