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The PowerMax multicontroller storage arrays in this Ready Stack deliver low latency that can be measured in microseconds, not milliseconds, and deliver standout performance and scalability for mission-critical applications. With a base capacity of 13 TB usable (TBu), the PowerMax array can provide up to 4.42 PB effective (PBe) through inline compression and deduplication. The array can provide up to 6.7 million IOPS of performance.
The PowerMax array uses thin provisioning exclusively, and inline compression and deduplication provide additional data efficiency.
The following table shows the capacity and performance of the PowerMax models:
Table 8. Capacity and performance of PowerMax models
Capacity/performance |
PowerMax 2000 |
PowerMax 8000 |
Maximum IOPS |
1 million |
6.7 million |
Initial capacity |
13.2 TBu* |
54 TBu |
Incremental capacity |
13.2 TBu* |
13.2 TBu |
Maximum capacity per array |
1 PBe |
4 PBe |
* Base capacity and flash capacity increments of 11.3 TBu are possible with RAID 5 (3+1) on PowerMax 2000.
The base component of a PowerMax array is the PowerMax brick. The modular brick architecture reduces complexity and enables easier system configuration and deployment. The architecture also enables the system to scale while continuing to deliver predictable high performance.
Each brick includes the following components:
The following table shows the component details of the PowerMax models:
Table 9. Component comparison: PowerMax 2000 and PowerMax 8000
Component/feature |
PowerMax 2000 |
PowerMax 8000 |
Number of PowerMax bricks |
1–2 |
1–8 |
CPU |
Intel Xeon E5-2650-v4 2.5 GHz 12 core |
Intel Xeon E5-2697-v4 2.8 GHz 18 core |
Number of cores per CPU/engine/system |
12/48/96 |
18/72/576 |
Cache: Per-engine options |
512 Gb/1,024 Gb/2,048 Gb |
1,024 Gb/2,048 Gb |
Cache: System minimum |
512 Gb |
1,024 Gb |
Cache: System maximum |
4 TB (with 2,048 Gb per engine) |
16 TB (with 2,048 Gb per engine) |
Maximum number of front-end I/O modules per engine |
8 |
81 |
DAE |
Gen 3 PCIe, NVMe SSD, 24 drives |
Gen 3 PCIe, NVMe SSD, 24 drives |
NVMe drives supported (2.5-in.) |
1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, 7.68, 15.36 TB |
1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, 7.68, 15.36 TB |
Maximum number of drives per brick |
482 |
363 |
Maximum number of drives per array |
96 |
288 |
Maximum number of software data movers |
4 (3 active plus 1 standby)4 |
4 (3 active plus 1 standby)5 |
Maximum number eNAS I/O modules per software Data Mover |
2 |
2 |
1 A single-engine PowerMax 8000 has six I/O modules for the life of the array. Slot 9 is not used.
2 PowerMax 2000 has 40 usable drives with RAID 5 (7+1) (default) or RAID 6 (6+2) plus spares (2 DAEs), or 44 usable drives with RAID 5 (3+1) plus spares (2 DAEs).
3 PowerMax 8000 has 32 usable drives with RAID 5 (7+1) (default) or RAID 6 (6+2) plus spares. On PowerMax 8000:
4 Four Data Movers require a minimum of two PowerMax bricks.
5 Four Data Movers require a minimum of two PowerMax bricks. Six or eight Data Movers are available by RPQ.
The number of hosts that the PowerMax array supports depends on the number of PowerMax bricks in the array and the number of 32 Gb FC ports that are available in each brick. All 32 Gb FC host parallel ports are in groups of four. Ports are spread across directors, SAN fabrics, and I/O modules for redundancy. Each port group supports a maximum of 64 hosts.
The following table shows the number of supported port groups and hosts, based on the array model and number of PowerMax bricks:
Table 10. Number of port groups and supported hosts
Array model |
Number of bricks |
Minimum number of port groups |
Supported hosts |
Maximum number of port groups |
Supported hosts |
PowerMax 2000 |
1 |
4 |
256 |
8 |
512 |
2 |
8 |
512 |
16 |
1,024 |
|
PowerMax 8000 |
1 |
4 |
256 |
6 |
384 |
2 |
8 |
512 |
16 |
1,024 |
|
3 |
12 |
768 |
24 |
1,536 |
|
4 |
16 |
1,024 |
32 |
2,048 |
|
5 |
20 |
1,280 |
40 |
2,560 |
|
6 |
24 |
1,536 |
48 |
3,072 |
|
7 |
28 |
1,792 |
56 |
3,584 |
|
8 |
32 |
2,048 |
64 |
4,096 |
The following table provides a reference for SAN scaling. Consider other technical and nontechnical requirements when selecting a deployment model.
Table 11. SAN scaling for sample configurations
Component |
Enterprise Small |
Enterprise Medium |
Enterprise Large |
SAN fabric |
|
|
|
Storage |
PowerMax 2000
|
PowerMax 2000/8000
|
PowerMax 2000/8000
|
The PowerMax 2000 and PowerMax 8000 arrays support the following features.
Both models include support for:
Data at Rest Encryption (D@RE) provides hardware-based, on-array, back-end encryption for PowerMax arrays by using SAS I/O modules that incorporate AES-XTS inline data encryption. These modules encrypt and decrypt data as it is being written to or read from disk. D@RE supports either an internal embedded key manager or an external, enterprise-grade key manager that is accessible through Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP). The PowerMax arrays support the following external key managers:
Dell EMC TimeFinder software provides native local replication on the PowerMax arrays. The software delivers point-in-time copies of volumes that can be used for backup, decision support, data warehouse refreshes, or any other process that requires parallel access to production data. TimeFinder SnapVX technology provides snapshot and cloning functionality. TimeFinder SnapVX features include:
SRDF operates in the following modes:
Each PowerMax model can be purchased with two primary software packages—Essentials and Pro. Each package includes software licenses to meet many customer needs, as shown in the following table.
Note: Additional software licenses can be purchased separately.
Table 12. PowerMax software licensing
Dell EMC software/feature |
Essentials software package |
Pro software package |
AppSync Starter Pack |
Yes |
Yes |
Compression/deduplication |
Yes |
Yes |
Data at Rest Encryption |
Optional |
Yes (not required) |
Embedded Management |
Yes |
Yes |
Embedded NAS |
Optional |
Yes (not required) |
PowerPath |
No |
75 licenses |
ProtectPoint |
Optional |
Optional |
RecoverPoint |
Optional |
Optional |
SnapVX |
Yes |
Yes |
SRDF |
Optional |
Yes |
SRDF/Metro |
Optional |
Yes |
Storage Analytics |
Yes |
Yes |
Unisphere 360 |
Optional |
Yes |
ViPR Suite |
Optional |
Yes |
The SAN network architecture is defined by two-tier and three-tier topologies. The number of switch hops between the host and the storage for a given topology is as follows:
The two-tier topology is a collapsed-core topology that exists when storage arrays are connected to the core and the compute servers are attached to the host edge switch. The collapsed core topology is designed as follows:
The three-tier topology is an edge-core-edge topology. This topology exists when the storage array is attached to the storage edge switch and the servers are attached to the host edge switch.
The edge-core-edge topology is designed as follows:
The data center fabric SAN is a classic redundant A/B fabric with the following connectivity:
Each edge switch connects to the core switch by using eight 32 Gb uplinks. The Dell EMC Connectrix MDS 9148T and 9396T multilayer fabric switches are fixed-form-factor switches. The Dell EMC Connectrix MDS 9706 Multilayer Director and Dell EMC Connectrix MDS 9710 Multilayer Director support 48-port modules with 32 Gb line-rate FC ports, requiring a minimum of three Fabric-3 modules to be populated.
Populate all ports on the 48-FC-port modules with a 32 Gb, small-form-factor pluggable device (SFP).