Dell PowerVault MD3660f User Manual

Dell PowerVault MD3660f Series Storage Arrays Deployment Guide

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Contents

1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................5

System Requirements...............................................................................................................................................5

Management Station Requirements.................................................................................................................. 5

Introduction To Storage Arrays................................................................................................................................ 5

2 Hardware Installation.................................................................................................................7

Planning The Storage Configuration ........................................................................................................................7

Connecting The Storage Array ................................................................................................................................ 7

Cabling The Storage Array....................................................................................................................................... 7

Redundant And Non-Redundant Configurations................................................................................................8

Cabling PowerVault MD3060e Expansion Enclosures..............................................................................................8

Expanding With New PowerVault MD3060e Expansion Enclosures................................................................. 8

3 Installing MD Storage Manager............................................................................................. 11

Installing Host Bus Adapters And Drivers.............................................................................................................. 12

Graphical Installation (Recommended).................................................................................................................. 12

Console Installation ............................................................................................................................................... 13

Silent Installation ................................................................................................................................................... 13

Silent Installation On Windows........................................................................................................................13

Silent Installation On Linux...............................................................................................................................13

Enabling Premium Features (Optional)................................................................................................................... 13

Upgrading PowerVault MD Storage Manager....................................................................................................... 14

4 Post Installation Tasks............................................................................................................. 15

Verifying Storage Array Discovery......................................................................................................................... 15

Initial Setup Tasks............................................................................................................................................ 16

5 Uninstalling MD Storage Manager........................................................................................ 17

Uninstalling MD Storage Manager From Windows................................................................................................17

Uninstall MD Storage Manager From Microsoft Windows Operating Systems Other Than Microsoft

Windows Server 2008.......................................................................................................................................17

Uninstall MD Storage Manager From Windows Server 2008 GUI Versions.................................................... 17

Uninstall MD Storage Manager From Windows Server 2008 Core Versions...................................................17

Uninstalling MD Storage Manager From Linux...................................................................................................... 18

6 Appendix — Load Balancing.................................................................................................. 19

Windows Load Balance Policy...............................................................................................................................19

Round Robin With Subset....................................................................................................................................... 19

Least Queue Depth With Subset.............................................................................................................................19

Changing Load Balance Policies In Windows Sever 2008 .................................................................................... 19

Changing The Load Balance Policy Using Windows Server 2008 Device Manager Options.................................20

Changing The Load Balance Policy Using The Windows Server 2008 Disk Management Options....................... 20

Setting Load Balance Policies in Linux...................................................................................................................20

7 Appendix — Working With SFP Modules And Fiber Optic Cables...................................21

Guidelines For Using SFP Modules.........................................................................................................................21

Installing SFP Modules.....................................................................................................................................21

Removing SFP Modules................................................................................................................................... 22

Guidelines For Using Fibre Optic Cables.................................................................................................................22

Installing Fibre Channel Cables........................................................................................................................23

Removing Fibre Channel Cables.......................................................................................................................23

8 Appendix — Hardware Cabling Best Practices.................................................................. 25

Handling Static Sensitive Components...................................................................................................................25

Host Cabling For Remote Replication..................................................................................................................... 25

Cabling For Performance........................................................................................................................................25

Labeling Cables.......................................................................................................................................................25

Introduction

This guide provides information about deploying Dell PowerVault MD3660f storage arrays. The deployment process includes:

• Hardware installation

• Modular Disk Storage Manager (MD Storage Manager) 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.

MD Storage Manager enables an administrator to configure and monitor storage arrays for optimum usability. The version of MD Storage Manager included on the PowerVault MD Series resource media can be used to manage both the PowerVault MD3660f Series and other PowerVault MD Series storage arrays. MD Storage Manager is compatible with both Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems.

System Requirements

Before installing and configuring the PowerVault MD3660f 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 MD Storage Manager 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.

• 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 hypervisor guest configurations.

NOTE: Supported hypervisors include Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, and VMware. For information about the supported versions, see the Support Matrix at support.dell.com/manuals.

• Administrator or equivalent permissions.

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.

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 MD Storage Manager running on a:

• Host server — On a host server system, MD Storage Manager and the storage array communicate management requests and event information using SAS connections.

• Management station — On a management station, MD Storage Manager 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 MD Storage Manager, 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.

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 Administrator's Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

Hardware Installation

Before using this guide, ensure that you review the instructions in the:

•

Getting Started Guide

configure the initial setup of the system.

•

Configuring Fibre Channel With the Dell PowerVault MD3660f Series Storage Arrays

information about configurations, host bus adapter (HBA) installation, and zoning. See support.dell.com/ manuals.

•

Dell PowerVault MD3260/3260i/3660i/3660f/3060e Storage Arrays Administrator's Guide

Guide provides information about important concepts you must know before setting up your storage solution. See the Administrator's Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

• The Rack Installation instructions, that shipped with the storage array, provides information on how to rack your system.

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

that shipped with the storage array provides information to

— This document provides

— The Administrator's

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 FC IN (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.

NOTE: When you connect a host server to a storage array FC IN port connector, any OUT port connector of the host bus adapter (HBA) of the server can be used.

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.

Redundancy is established by installing separate data paths between the host and the storage array, in which each path is to one of the two RAID controller modules installed in the storage array. Redundancy protects the host from losing access to data in the event of path failure, because both RAID controller modules can access all the disks in the storage array.

NOTE: For detailed information about all cabling configurations including direct and SAN-attached hosts, cabling for remote replication environments, the use of zoning, and HBA installation, see

the Dell MD3660f Series Storage Array

, at support.dell.com/manuals.

Configuring Fibre Channel With

Cabling PowerVault MD3060e Expansion Enclosures

You can expand the capacity of your PowerVault MD3660f Series storage array by adding PowerVault MD3060e expansion enclosures. You can expand the physical disk pool to a maximum of 120 (or 180, if enabled using Premium Feature activation) physical disks using a maximum of two expansion enclosures.

NOTE: Hot plug of MD3060e expansion enclosure is not recommended. Power on all MD3060e expansion enclosures before you power on the array enclosure. For helpful videos and other resources on PowerVault MD series, see dell.com/PVresources.

Expanding With New PowerVault MD3060e Expansion Enclosures

Perform the following steps to attach new PowerVault MD3060e expansion enclosures to a PowerVault MD3660f Series storage array:

1. Before adding the expansion enclosure(s), ensure that the storage array software is installed and is up to date.

For more information, see the Support Matrix at support.dell.com/manuals.

2. Install the software and driver package included on the PowerVault MD Series resource media.

For information about installing the software, see Installing MD Storage Manager.

3. Using MD Storage Manager, update the RAID controller module and NVSRAM firmware to the latest versions available on support.dell.com.

4. Click Tools → Upgrade RAID Controller Module Firmware from the Enterprise Management Window (EMW).

5. Stop all I/O to the storage array and turn off affected host systems attached to the storage array.

6. Turn off the storage array.

7. Turn off any expansion enclosure(s) in the affected system.

8. Cable the expansion enclosure(s) to the storage array.

9. Turn on the expansion enclosure(s) and wait for the enclosure status LED to turn blue.

10. Turn on the storage array and wait for the status LED to indicate that the unit is ready:

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