Dell MD3620F, MD3600F User Manual
Dell PowerVault MD3600f and
MD3620f Storage Arrays
Deployment Guide
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of
your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data if
instructions are not followed.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal
injury, or death.
____________________
Information in this publication is subject to change without notice.
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2011 - 09 Rev. A01
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Introduction to Storage Arrays
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 Hardware Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Planning the Storage Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting the Storage Array
Cabling the Storage Array
Redundant and Non-Redundant
Configurations
Cabling PowerVault MD1200 Series
Expansion Enclosures
Expanding With Previously Configured
PowerVault MD1200 Series Expansion
Enclosures
Expanding With New PowerVault
MD1200 Series Expansion Enclosures . . . . . . . 15
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3 Installing MD Storage Software . . . . . . . 19
Installing Host Bus Adapters and Drivers. . . . . . . . 20
Graphical Installation (Recommended)
Console Installation
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
. . . . . . . . . 20
Contents 3
Silent Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Enabling Premium Features (Optional)
Upgrading PowerVault MD Storage Software
. . . . . . . . . 22
. . . . . 22
4 Post Installation Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Verifying Storage Array Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Initial Setup Tasks
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5 Uninstalling MD Storage Software . . . . 27
Uninstalling MD Storage Software From Windows. . . 27
Uninstalling MD Storage Software From Linux
. . . . . 28
A Appendix—Load Balancing . . . . . . . . . . 29
Windows Load Balance Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Round Robin With Subset
Least Queue Depth With Subset
Changing Load Balance Policies in
Windows Sever 2008
Setting Load Balance Policies in Linux
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
. . . . . . . . . . 30
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
. . . . . . . 31
B Appendix—Working With SFP
Modules and Fiber Optic Cables . . . . . . . . . 33
4 Contents
Guidelines for Using SFP Modules . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Installing and Removing SFP Modules
Guidelines for Using Fiber Optic Cables
. . . . . . . . . 34
. . . . . . . . 35
Installing and Removing Fibre Channel Cables. . . . . 36
C Appendix—Hardware Cabling
Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Handling Static-Sensitive Components . . . . . . . . . 37
Host Cabling for Remote Replication
Cabling for Performance
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
. . . . . . . . . . 37
Single-Controller and Dual-Controller Topologies . . . 38
Labeling Cables
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Contents 5
6 Contents
1
Introduction
NOTE: Throughout the document, Dell PowerVault MD3600f series storage array
refers to both Dell PowerVault MD3600f and Dell PowerVault MD3620f.
This guide provides information about deploying Dell PowerVault MD3600f
and MD3620f storage arrays. The deployment process includes:
• Hardware installation
• Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) software installation
• Initial system configuration
Other information provided include system requirements, storage array
organization, and utilities.
NOTE: For more information on product documentation, see
support.dell.com/manuals.
MDSM enables an administrator to configure and monitor storage arrays for
optimum usability. The version of MDSM included on the PowerVault MD
series resource media can be used to manage both the PowerVault MD3600f
series and the earlier PowerVault MD series storage arrays. MDSM is
compatible with both Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems.
System Requirements
Before installing and configuring the PowerVault MD3600f series hardware
and software, ensure that the supported operating system is installed and
minimum system requirements are met. For more information, see the
Support Matrix at support.dell.com/manuals.
Management Station Requirements
A management station uses MDSM to configure and manage storage arrays
across the network. A management station must meet the following
minimum system requirements:
• Intel Pentium or an equivalent processor (1333 MHz or faster) with 512
MB RAM (1024 MB recommended)
• 1 GB disk space
Introduction 7
• Display resolution of 1024x768 with 16 million colors (1280x1024 32-bit
recommended)
• Microsoft Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, or SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server.
NOTE: Operating system installations can be either native or hypervisior
guest configurations.
NOTE: Supported hypervisors include Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer,
and VMware. For information about the supported versions, see the
Matrix
at support.dell.com/manuals.
• Administrator or equivalent permissions.
Support
Introduction to Storage Arrays
An enclosure containing physical disks accessed through RAID controller
modules is called a storage array. A storage array includes various hardware
components, such as physical disks, RAID controller modules, fans, and
power supplies, gathered into enclosures.
One or more host servers attached to the storage array can access the data on
the storage array. You can also establish multiple physical paths between the
host(s) and the storage array so that loss of any single path (for example,
through failure of a host server port) does not result in loss of access to data
on the storage array.
The storage array is managed by MDSM running on a:
• Host server—On a host server system, MDSM and the storage array
communicate management requests and event information using
SAS connections.
• Management station—On a management station, MDSM communicates
with the storage array either through an Ethernet connection to the
storage array management port or through an Ethernet connection to a
host server. The Ethernet connection passes management information
between the management station and the storage array using SAS
connections.
Using MDSM, you can configure the physical disks in the storage array into
logical components called disk groups and then divide the disk groups into
virtual disks. Disk groups are created in the unconfigured capacity of a storage
array. Virtual disks are created in the free capacity of a disk group.
8 Introduction
Unconfigured capacity comprises physical disks not already assigned to a disk
group. When a virtual disk is created using unconfigured capacity, a disk
group is automatically created. If the only virtual disk in a disk group is
deleted, the disk group is also deleted. Free capacity is space in a disk group
that is not assigned to any virtual disk.
Data is written to the physical disks in the storage array using RAID
technology. RAID levels define the way in which data is written to physical
disks. Different RAID levels offer different levels of accessibility, redundancy,
and capacity. You can set a specified RAID level for each disk group and
virtual disk on your storage array.
For more information about using RAID and managing data in your storage
solution, see the
Owner’s Manual at
support.dell.com/manuals
.
Introduction 9
10 Introduction
2
Hardware Installation
Before using this guide, ensure that you review the instructions in the:
•
Getting Started Guide
storage array provides information to configure the initial setup of the system.
• Planning section of the
information
your storage solution. See the
support.dell.com/manuals
•
Configuring Fibre Channel With the Dell PowerVault MD3600f Series
Storage Array
host bus adapter (HBA) installation, and zoning. See
support.dell.com/manuals
about important concepts you should know before setting up
—This document provides information about configurations,
Planning the Storage Configuration
Consider the following before installing your storage array:
• Evaluate data storage needs and administrative requirements.
• Calculate availability requirements.
• Decide the frequency and level of backups, such as weekly full backups
with daily partial backups.
• Consider storage array options, such as password protection and e-mail
alert notifications for error conditions.
• Design the configuration of virtual disks and disk groups according to a data
organization plan. For example, use one virtual disk for inventory, a second
for financial and tax information, and a third for customer information.
• Decide whether to allow space for hot spares, which automatically replace
failed physical disks.
—The
Getting Started Guide
Owner’s Manual—
Owner’s Manual
.
.
that shipped with the
The planning section provides
at
Hardware Installation 11
Connecting the Storage Array
The storage array is connected to a host using two hot-swappable RAID
controller modules. The RAID controller modules are identified as RAID
controller module 0 and RAID controller module 1.
Each RAID controller module has four FCIN (host) port connectors that
provide FC connections to the host or node. Each RAID controller module
also contains an Ethernet management port and a SAS Out port connector.
The Ethernet management port allows you to install a dedicated
management station (server or stand-alone system). The SAS Out port allows
you to connect the storage array to optional expansion enclosures for
additional storage capacity.
For more information, see the
support.dell.com/manuals.
NOTE: When you connect a host server to a storage array FCIN port connector,
any Out port connector of the host bus adapter (HBA) of the server can be used.
Getting Started Guide
at
Cabling the Storage Array
You can cable the storage array to host servers with:
• Single path data configuration—A single path configuration allows you to
connect a maximum of eight hosts. This is a non-redundant configuration.
• Dual path data configuration—A dual path configuration allows you to
connect a maximum of four hosts.
You choose the data configuration based on:
• Number of hosts required
• Level of data redundancy required
Redundant and Non-Redundant Configurations
Non-redundant configurations are configurations that provide only a single
data path from a host to the storage array. This type of configuration is only
recommended for non-critical data storage. Path failure from a failed or
removed cable, a failed HBA, or a failed or removed RAID controller module
results in loss of host access to storage on the storage array.
12 Hardware Installation
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