What’s New with the Dell PowerStoreOS 2.1 Release?
Tue, 15 Mar 2022 21:40:19 -0000
|Read Time: 0 minutes
Andrew Sirpis
2022 got off to a great start with the PowerStoreOS 2.1 release. It builds upon the previous release with performance improvements and added functionality to support current and future workloads. PowerStoreOS 2.1 provides these key features:
- NVMe/TCP – This protocol, based on standard IP over Ethernet networks, allows users to take advantage of their existing network for storage. NVMe/TCP is much more efficient, parallel, and scalable than SCSI. It makes an external networked array feel like direct attach storage. PowerStoreOS 2.1 introduced support for NVMe/TCP on PowerStore appliances, which allows users to configure Ethernet interfaces for iSCSI or NVMe/TCP host connectivity.
- SmartFabric Storage Software integration – (SFSS) is a new and innovative software product from Dell Technologies that enables an end-to-end automated and integrated NVMe/oF Ethernet fabric connecting NVMe hosts and targets using TCP. The solution was designed in partnership with VMware and provides enterprise organizations with the agility to stay ahead of growing workload demands. It supports modern, automated, and secure storage connectivity both today and for future hybrid cloud migrations.
- Dynamic Node Affinity – This feature allows PowerStore to dynamically set a node for access when mapping volumes to a host, and allows it to automatically change the node affinity for load balancing purposes.
- DC support with PowerStore 500 – Allows users to utilize DC power supply units instead of just AC with their storage appliance.
- Management and Serviceability
- Customizable Login Message – Enables storage administrators to create, enable, and disable a customizable login message.
- Application Tags – Allows users to specify a volume application tag during volume creation. This allows labeling of the volumes with a specific category and application type, based on the use case. Using application-centric management, users can view and sort through volumes by the application tag, by adding the new “Application” column in the list view.
- Thin Packages and Upgrades – In PowerStore Manager you can manage, upload, and deploy various non-disruptive upgrade (NDU) packages. Generally, the NDU packages consist of two categories: software releases and thin packages. Software releases are PowerStoreOS upgrades that contain the full operating-system (OS) image, or patch or hotfix images, for a specific OS version. Thin packages contain a smaller and more targeted amount of functionality than regular PowerStoreOS packages. These allow Dell to offer off-release updates such as hotfixes, disk firmware, pre-upgrade health check updates, and usually do not require node reboots. Thin packages are what is new with the 2.1 release and since they’re typically smaller in size, it saves users time and effort during the install process.
- Telemetry Notices – There is a notification displayed after the EULA which provides information about the Dell Telemetry collector and privacy policy information.
Check out the information below about this jampacked release: white papers, videos, and an interactive demo. The Dell Info Hub has a wealth of great material and we hope it helps you with your innovative technology solutions!
Resources
Documentation
- Dell Technologies Info Hub
- Dell PowerStore Info Hub Page
- Dell PowerStore: Technical Primer
- Dell PowerStore: Introduction to the Platform
- Dell PowerStore: PowerStore Manager Overview
- Dell PowerStore: Virtualization Integration
- Dell PowerStore: Clustering and High Availability
- Dell PowerStore: Best Practices
- SmartFabric Storage Software Deployment Guide
Videos
- SmartFabric Storage Software (SFSS)
Interactive Demo
Author: Andrew Sirpis, Senior Principal Engineering Technologist
Tags:
PowerStore
PowerStoreOS
SFSS
SmartFabric Storage Software