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The PowerMax platform is the first Dell data storage product to fully use NVMe technology for customer application data. The PowerMax array is built using an end-to-end NVMe storage architecture, allowing it to reach unprecedented I/O densities and performance by eliminating the flash media choke points that are found with traditional SAS and SATA interfaces. With the PowerMax array, customers can deploy innovative applications in the areas of real-time analytics, machine learning, and big data, which demand lower latency and higher performance than were provided by legacy all-flash offerings.
PowerMax is the industry’s most secure mission-critical storage platform. With the latest software release (PowerMaxOS 10), the PowerMax platform delivers over 200 new features with industry-leading storage automation and advanced cyber resiliency to help companies accelerate their journey through digital transformation.
The new PowerMax models use Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and advanced storage technologies including end-to-end NVMe, InfiniBand 100 Gb/s, dual-ported NVMe flash drives, NVMe/TCP connectivity, and hardware-based data reduction. Each PowerMax model is designed for 6 nines of data availability and delivers continuously up-to-date storage throughout its product life cycle with Dell’s Future-Proof program, Anytime Upgrade, seamless data mobility, and PowerMaxOS upgrades in under six seconds.
The end-to-end NVMe design increases performance, scalability, and flexibility for customer innovation, providing IT organizations with reliable mission-critical storage that remains continuously modern over time. For more information, see PowerMax All-Flash Enterprise Data Storage - NVMe.
The PowerMax family consists of four models: the PowerMax 2000 and 8000 models and the new PowerMax 2500 and 8500 models. The PowerMax 2500 and PowerMax 8500 are next generation multinode scale-out architecture models with end-to-end NVMe and 100 Gb per second InfiniBand. Based on PowerMaxOS 10 and the latest global inline data reduction, the new PowerMax models deliver predictable performance, scalability and enhanced flexibility, and the highest levels of efficiency to increase your competitiveness.
The PowerMax 2500 model provides organizations with an attractive entry point into mission-critical storage, with up to seven times more storage capacity (8 PBe) packaged in half the footprint of earlier models. Along with the industry’s richest data services, the 2500 model offers flexibility and agility to support demanding mixed workloads of block, file, and mainframe storage with the highest levels of availability and cyber resiliency.
The PowerMax 8500 model delivers exceptional performance at scale for massive consolidation of block, file, and mainframe storage to reduce complexity and drive down the total cost of operation (TCO). Customers can start small with two nodes and grow to 16 nodes and 18 PBe of total capacity. The 8500 model is ideal for mixed workloads that require always-on operations with advanced cyber resiliency.
The following table shows the system specifications for the PowerMax 2500 and 8500 arrays:
PowerMax model | Node pairs per model | CPU | Cache per node pair options | Maximum cache | Maximum number of drives | Maximum capacity |
2500 | 1-2 | Intel Xeon Gold 5218, 2.8 GHz with 16 cores. 64 cores per engine/node pair. 128 cores per system | 896 GB 1.792 TB 3.584 TB
| 7.1 TB | 96 | 9 PB |
8500 | 1-8 | Intel Xeon Gold 6254 3.9 GHz with 18 cores. 72 cores per engine/node pair. 576 cores per system | 1.792 TB, 3.584 TB | 28 TB | 384 | 20 PB |
PowerMax has modular storage components that are defined by units called node pairs. Each node pair features two PowerMax nodes, packaged software, cache, and the ability to add 48-slot Dynamic Media Enclosures (DMEs). NVMe drive capacity can be added to the system for up to a total usable capacity of 8 PBe on the PowerMax 2500 and up to 18 PBe on the PowerMax 8500 (with global inline compression and deduplication enabled). Scaling out a PowerMax system by adding node pairs produces a predictable, linear performance improvement regardless of the workload.
For more information about the available PowerMax 2500 and 8500 system configurations, see the PowerMax 2500 and 8500 specification sheet.
PowerMax arrays use the PowerMax Adaptive Compression Engine (ACE) for inline hardware compression. The ACE data-reduction method provides the highest space-saving capability with a negligible performance impact. PowerMax technology uses inline hardware-based data deduplication, which identifies repeated data patterns on the array and stores the repeated data only once. This functionality prevents the consumption of critical core resources on the PowerMax system and limits performance impact.
PowerMax File is fully integrated into the PowerMax 2500 and 8500 arrays. PowerMax File provides flexible and secure multiprotocol file sharing (NFS 3.0, 4.0/4.1, and CIFS/SMB 3.0) and multiple file server identities (CIFS and NFS servers). PowerMax File offers a reliable, highly available, scale-out, high performance, 64-bit file system and runs as a container instance inside each File guest.
Consolidated block and file storage reduces costs and complexity while increasing business agility. Customers can use data services across block and file storage including storage provisioning, dynamic host I/O Limits, and Data at Rest Encryption. For more information, see the following PowerMax: Info Hub Product Documentation: