Storage layer

Dell EMC Unity storage arrays include transactional workloads, databases, virtualized servers, and multiple workload consolidations. Dell EMC Unity supports block and file environments with the flexibility to configure a system, capacity points, and Integrated Data Protection options, and are optimized for VMware virtualized applications.

Regardless of the storage protocol implemented, VxBlock Systems 1000 can include cabinet space, cabling, and power to support the hardware. Dell EMC Unity storage controllers eliminate the need for separate hardware for file sharing and facilitate moving from block storage to unified storage.

Dell EMC Unity Hybrid and All-Flash storage arrays provide a scalable hardware design and advanced software capabilities using spinning and flash drives. Dell EMC Unity All-Flash arrays support high-density solid-state disks (SSDs) including 3D NAND triple level cell (TLC) drives.

The following storage array models are available:

The Dell EMC Unity All-Flash 350F to 650F storage arrays have the latest system hardware and contain only flash drives. The following table lists the processors and memory per storage processor:

The Dell EMC Unity Hybrid storage arrays have the latest system hardware and contain flash and spinning drives.

The following table lists the processors and memory per storage processor:

Array components and specifications

Dell EMC Unity storage arrays contain the disk processor enclosure (DPE) that house the redundant storage processors (SPs).

The DPE provides slots for two SPs and integrated drive slots for 25 slots for 2.5-inch drives or 12 slots for 3.5-inch drives.

Dell EMC Unity All-Flash models support only the drive carrier in the DPE with 25 Slots for 2.5-inch drives.

Dell EMC Unity Hybrid models support two types of drive carriers in the DPE with either:

• 12 slots for 3.5-inch drives
• 25 slots for 2.5-inch drives

Each SP contains the following components:

• Single socket CPU
• Three to four DDR5 DIMM slots, depending on the model
• Internal battery backup unit (BBU)
• Two integrated 10 GbE BaseT ports (RJ45)
• Two integrated converged network adapter (CNA) ports (SFP+ or Twinax)
  • 10 GbE optical
  • 16 Gbps FC
• Two integrated 12 Gbps SAS ports for DAE connections
• Two slots for additional I/O modules (SLICs)
  • Four-port 12 Gbps SAS (bus expansion)
  • Four-port 16 Gbps FC
  • Four-port Ethernet 10 GbE optical

The integrated Ethernet ports and the Ethernet I/O modules supply Network Attached Storage (NAS) to associated hosts for file system access. The SPs run virtual NAS servers for file sharing.

Note: VxBlock System 1000 uses the 10 GbE optical option for NAS usage.

DAEs contain individual disk drives and are available in the following configurations:

• Two U model that can house 25 x 2.5-inch disks
• Three U model that can house 80 x 2.5-inch disks

Models

The following tables show capacity and performance of the Dell EMC Unity All-Flash storage arrays:

Models

The following tables show capacity and performance of the Dell EMC Hybrid storage arrays:

Dell EMC Unity storage features

Dell EMC Unity storage offers several features, including Integrated Data Protection, encryption, file storage, and replication.

Integrated Data Protection

The following Integrated Data Protection features are supported:

• VPLEX
• RecoverPoint and RecoverPoint for VM
• Avamar/Data Domain

Encryption

Dell EMC Unity Data at Rest Encryption (D@RE) prevents unauthorized access to lost, stolen, or failed drives by encrypting all sensitive user data. D@RE uses hardware-based encryption modules in the SAS controllers and 12 Gbps SAS I/O modules. The modules encrypt data that are written to the drives and decrypt data that are retrieved from the drives. Because of the controller-based approach, D@RE supports all Dell EMC Unity drive types.

The D@RE feature offers external key management as a security option. If an entire Dell EMC Unity system, including drives, is lost or stolen, external key management prevents unauthorized access.

During system initialization, the D@RE feature is enabled when the license file is installed. Installing the license on the storage array activates D@RE. If the license file includes D@RE, D@RE is permanently enabled on the system and cannot be disabled. Similarly, if the license file does not include D@RE, D@RE is permanently disabled on the system and cannot be enabled. D@RE is enabled or disabled only during initial installation. D@RE does not support enabling encryption on non-D@RE enabled systems.

File storage

If sufficient Ethernet ports can provide separate LACP connections, the same array can provide internal and external file systems.

• Each LACP pair needs a connection to each LAN switch in the VxBlock 1000.
• Both SPs must have the same LACP configurations. For example, if the integrated CNA ports are configured for 10 GbE, Ethernet port 4 connects to LAN switch A and port 5 connects to LAN switch B.
• Both SPs should be cabled the same. The two ports (Ethernet ports 4 and 5) should be an LACP pair. An internal or external NAS server can use the LACP pair. You create an extra LACP pair to allow both internal and external NAS Servers.

Internal and external shares are created with two different NAS servers:

• SP-A hosts one share.
• SP-B hosts one share.

Each server hosts different file systems. The file systems are balanced across the NAS servers. More NAS servers can be created for different VLANs, but always in pairs for balance across the SPs.

Replication

Dell EMC Unity storage arrays provide native support for both synchronous and asynchronous remote replication and support for RecoverPoint to provide remote replication.

For block storage configurations, the VxBlock System 1000 can include RecoverPoint, which provides continuous data protection and remote replication for on-demand protection and recovery. RecoverPoint capabilities include:

• Policy-based management
• Application integration
• Bandwidth reduction

The Dell EMC Unity All-Flash All-Inclusive Base Software package includes RecoverPoint.

To implement RecoverPoint, add two or more RecoverPoint Appliances (RPAs) in a cluster to the VxBlock System 1000. This cluster can accommodate approximately 80 Mbps sustained throughput through each RPA.

To ensure proper sizing and performance of an RPA solution, Dell EMC Technical Consultants collect the following information:

• The type of data to be replicated
• Data change rates
• Data growth rates
• Network speeds

FAST Cache and FAST VP for Dell EMC Unity Hybrid arrays

Use these best practices when using FAST Cache and FAST VP on Dell EMC Unity Hybrid arrays.

Use the following guidelines when using FAST Cache on Dell EMC Unity Hybrid arrays:

• Place available flash drives in disk pools before using FAST cache to take advantage of flash for metadata acceleration, snapshots, and replication.
• Use FAST cache for pools that do not contain extreme performance tier drives.
• Separate pools where FAST Cache is and is not active.

Use the following guidelines when using FAST VP on Dell EMC Unity Hybrid arrays:

• Use multi-tier pools where possible and when performance is required. Use a minimum of 5% Extreme Performance (Flash) capacity.
• Create as few pools as possible to support the different I/O performance requirements. Create a separate pool only when the I/O profile for an application differs from the other applications. For example, an application with static data may require a capacity tier-only pool.
• Configure all LUNs in the pool with tiering policy Start High then Auto-Tier unless the data profile for the LUN requires the highest available or lowest tier available.
• Schedule FAST VP relocations before backups or nightly batch processing.
• For applications that are continuously active, consider configuring FAST VP relocations to run constantly.
• Maintain at least 10% free capacity in storage pools, so that FAST VP relocations can occur efficiently.

Software licensing

Dell EMC Unity licenses include base and optional software.

All-inclusive base software includes the following:

Management software

• Unisphere: Element Manager
• Unisphere Central: Consolidated dashboard and alerting
• CloudIQ: Cloud-based storage analytics
• Thin provisioning
• Dynamic pools (Not available on Hybrid arrays)
• Traditional pools (Available with All-Flash arrays only through the CLI)
• FAST VP and FAST Cache (Available only with Hybrid arrays)
• Data reduction (Block and File)
• Proactive assist: Configure remote support, online chat, open a service request, and so on
• Quality of Service
• Dell EMC Storage Analytics Adapter for VMware vRealize
• File and Block tiering/archiving to public/private cloud (Cloud Tiering Appliance)

Unified protocols

• File
• Block

Local protection

• Controller-Based Encryption (optional), with internal or external key management
• Local point-in-time copies (Snapshots and thin clones)
• AppSync Basic
• Common Event Enabler; Antivirus Agent, Event Publishing Agent

Remote protection

• Native Asynchronous Block and File Replication
• Native Synchronous Block Replication
• Snapshot Shipping
• RecoverPoint Basic
• RecoverPoint for VMs

Optional software

• AppSync Advanced
• Integrated Data Protection Suite: Backup, archive, and collaboration software
• RecoverPoint Advanced
• PowerPath Migration Enabler
• PowerPath Multipathing
• VPLEX

Note: For more details on software licensing, contact your sales representative.

Storage scale

The number of VxBlock System 1000 hosts that the Dell EMC Unity arrays support depends on the number of 16 Gbps FC ports available on each SP.

All host I/O ports (16 Gbps FC) are placed in port groups of four ports. Ports are spread across SPs, SAN fabrics, and I/O modules for redundancy. Each port group supports a maximum of 64 hosts.

Dell EMC Unity arrays support:

• 4–20 Gbps FC ports
• 0–16 10 GbE ports

The following table indicates the number of hosts that each Dell EMC Unity array supports: