Dell EqualLogic PS6100 series Configuration Manual
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Dell EqualLogic PS6100 series Configuration Manual

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Dell EqualLogic
Configuration Guide
Dell Storage Engineering
•
Configure unified block and file storage solutions based on EqualLogic PS Series
arrays and the FS Series Family of NAS Appliances.
•
Recommendations and best practices for iSCSI SAN and scale-out NAS network fabric
design.
•
Updated capacity guidelines, capabilities, limitations, and feature sets for the
EqualLogic product family.
Version 14.1 March 2013

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Summary of Contents for Dell EqualLogic PS6100 series

  • Page 1 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide Dell Storage Engineering • Configure unified block and file storage solutions based on EqualLogic PS Series arrays and the FS Series Family of NAS Appliances. • Recommendations and best practices for iSCSI SAN and scale-out NAS network fabric design.
  • Page 2 TECHNICAL INACCURACIES. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. © 2013 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. For more information, contact Dell.

  • Page 3: Revision History

    13.3 September Updates: 2012 Updated for PS-M4110 Array. Updated Blade Integration section to include Dell Force10 MXL. Updated for FS7600/FS7610 and Fluid FS 2.0. Updated Controller Firmware Upgrade Path to Firmware 6.x. Updated Section 2.4 RAID Policies Corrected table 25 in Section 4.7.1.
  • Page 4 Appendix B and Appendix C: Content removed and now published as a separate Validated Components List document All significant changes included in the most recent version of this document are highlighted using blue text. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    VMWare ESX Servers ........................2-23 2.3.4 Storage Heartbeat on vSphere 5.0, 4.1, and 4.0 ..............2-24 2.3.5 Linux servers ..........................2-24 2.3.6 Network topology health check ....................2-24 2.3.7 Environmental health ........................2-24 RAID policies ..............................3-25 March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...
  • Page 6 Fast failback ..........................6-46 6.1.5 Sizing Replica Reserve and Delegated Space ................. 6-46 6.1.6 Effect of TCP Window Size on Latency across WAN links ...........6-48 6.1.7 Replication partner compatibility .....................6-48 6.1.8 Clustering ............................6-49 March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...
  • Page 7 Comparing inter-switch connection types ................7-67 Building a high-availability SAN ......................7-68 7.3.1 Design guidelines for host connectivity in a redundant SAN ..........7-69 7.3.2 Multi-path I/O ..........................7-70 7.3.3 Equallogic iSCI SAN Design ......................7-71 March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...
  • Page 8 12.3.1 NAS Container security styles ....................12-115 12.4 NAS Container snapshots .......................12-116 12.5 NAS Snapshots and Replication ..................... 12-117 12.5.1 Snapshots ........................... 12-117 12.5.2 Replication ..........................12-117 FS Series NAS Configuration ......................13-120 March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...
  • Page 9 Optional ports and protocols ......................14-137 Appendix B Recommended switches ....................14-139 Appendix C Supported iSCSI initiators....................14-140 Appendix D Upgrade paths for EqualLogic PS SeriesArrays .............. 14-141 Related publications ............................14-142 March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 viii...
  • Page 10 Introduction With the Dell™ EqualLogic™ PS Series of storage arrays Dell provides a storage solution that delivers the benefits of consolidated networked storage in a self-managing, iSCSI storage area network (SAN) that is affordable and easy to use, regardless of scale. By eliminating complex tasks and enabling fast and flexible storage provisioning, these solutions dramatically reduce the costs of storage acquisition and ongoing operations.

  • Page 11: Ps Series Storage Arrays

    41 SAS + 7 SSD PS2400E comprised of four drive enclosures with 14 drives each Starting with the introduction of the PS4100 and PS6100 family of arrays, configurations using 2.5” and 3.5” disks are available. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...

  • Page 12: Ps Series Supported Configuration Limits

    5 SSD + 9 SAS PS Series supported configuration limits The Dell EqualLogic PS6xxx Series provides the full range of features and capabilities available with the EqualLogic PS Series storage products. The Dell EqualLogic PS4xxx Series provides a subset of features and capabilities, targeted at remote office and small to medium business storage deployments.
  • Page 13 (d) Up to 16 simultaneous replication operations can take place. To avoid service outages or possible loss of connectivity during failovers, Dell recommends increasing initiator timeouts for groups with more than 512 connections. See the iSCSI Initiator and Operating Systems Considerations document for more information.

  • Page 14: Array Models Prior To Ps4100/Ps6100

    Since the EqualLogic PS Series was introduced, there have been several different array models released with new features, better performance and greater storage capacity. The storage array controllers were also improved to take advantage of advances in the underlying networking and storage technologies. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...

  • Page 15: Controller Types In All Models Prior To Ps4100/Ps6100

    Array controllers can be identified and differentiated by the controller "type" designation. Each controller type will have a different colored label to help quickly identify the controller type. Table 4 lists each Dell EqualLogic controller along with some characteristics about each. Table 4 Array controller types –...

  • Page 16: Controller Redundancy In All Models Prior To Ps4100/Ps6100

    It is also critical that port connections for both controllers are configured so that the corresponding ports on each controller are connected to the SAN. If port 0 on the active controller is the only port March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...
  • Page 17 SAN. This is illustrated in the partially connected scenario shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Partially connected controller failover Note how IP addresses are reassigned to the ports during the failover processes shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...
  • Page 18 Figure 2 Fully connected controller failover March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...

  • Page 19: Array Models Ps4100/Ps6100

    1.4.1 Controller types in PS4100/PS6100 models The new controller types available in the PS4100 and PS6100 model arrays became available starting in August 2011. Table 5 lists each Dell EqualLogic controller along with some characteristics. Table 5 PS4100/PS6100 controller types...

  • Page 20: Controller Redundancy In Ps4100/Ps6100 Controllers

    You should also split vertical port pair connections between two switches to ensure 100% bandwidth capability is maintained in the event of a vertical port failover event. Both of these guidelines are illustrated in Figure 3. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 1-11...

  • Page 21: Vertical Port Failover Behavior In Ps4100/Ps6100 Controllers

    ETH0 port on the backup controller (CM1). Vertical port failover is bi-directional. If CM1 is the active controller then vertical port failover will occur from CM1 ports to CM0 ports if necessary. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 1-12...
  • Page 22 The connection paths illustrated in Figure 6 and Figure 7 show how to alternate the port connection paths between the two controllers. Also note how IP addresses are assigned to vertical port pairs. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 1-13...
  • Page 23 Figure 6 PS4100 vertical port failover and optimal connection paths IMPORTANT: By alternating switch connection paths between ports in a vertical port pair, port failover allows the array to maintain 100% bandwidth capability in the event of a switch failure. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 1-14...

  • Page 24: Vertical Port Failover Behavior In Ps4110/Ps6110 Controllers

    Note: The PS4110 and PS6110 PS Series Arrays do not support dual speed connectivity. They are not designed to support the auto-negotiate feature. The connectivity must be 10Gb ONLY - This is the only supported configuration. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 1-15...
  • Page 25 This preference is not guaranteed in future array firmware releases. The connection paths illustrated in Figure 9 show how to connect the port connection paths between the two controllers. Also note how IP addresses are assigned to the vertical port pair. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 1-16...

  • Page 26: Array Model Ps-M4110

    Cache to Flash standby link to the fabric Design switches in the 1 x dedicated backplane of the management port M1000e chassis. – accessible via 14x 2.5” 6Gb/s SAS disk drives March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 1-17...

  • Page 27: Configuration Options

    In the event of a Switch failure, both active and passive ports will automatically link to the redundant fabric switch. • If the active controller fails, the passive controller will takeover. 1.5.4 Networking considerations and guidelines Supported M-Series I/O modules March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 1-18...
  • Page 28 Fabric A not supported on older M1000e systems (Mid-plane v1.0); Mid-plane upgrade kit available • Fabric B supported on all M1000e system • It is recommended that PS-M4110 be placed into their own pool March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 1-19...

  • Page 29: Controller Firmware

    EqualLogic PS Series Storage Arrays Release Notes for version-specific information about the firmware running on your group member(s). • For instructions on how to update the firmware, see the Updating Firmware for Dell EqualLogic PS Series Storage Arrays, available at the EqualLogic customer support site (http://www.equallogic.com/support).
  • Page 30 Later 4.1.x releases 4.2.x, 4.3.x 4.0.x Later 4.0.x releases 4.1.x 3.3.x Later 3.3.x releases 4.0.x 3.2.x Later 3.2.x releases 3.3.x 4.0.x 3.1.x Later 3.1.x releases 3.2.x, 3.3.x 3.0.x Later 3.0.x releases 3.1.x March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 2-21...

  • Page 31: Ps Series Firmware Compatibility With Equallogic Tools

    Host Integration Tools 1.1.x 1.1.x 1.1.x 1.1.x 1.0.x for Linux 1.0.x 1.0.x 1.0.x Manual Transfer Utility 1.2.3 1.2.1 1.2.1 1.2.1 1.2.1 1.1.2 1.1.2 1.2.1 (Windows (Windows only) only) 1.0.2 (Linux 1.0.2 (Linux only) only) March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 2-22...

  • Page 32: Optimizing For High Availability And Preparing For Array Firmware Updates

    It is recommend that the iSCSI Login Timeout value be increased to 60 seconds. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 2-23...

  • Page 33: Storage Heartbeat On Vsphere 5.0, 4.1, And 4.0

    Enable PortFast on all switch ports connected to the host or array ports. See section 7 for complete iSCSI SAN design recommendations. 2.3.7 Environmental health Verify there are no current health and/or performance problems with the EqualLogic environment. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 2-24...

  • Page 34: Raid Policies

    If you use the setup utility, you must manually configure the RAID policy as a separate step, using either the Group Manager GUI or the CLI. See the online help or the Dell EqualLogic Group Manager CLI Reference Guide for more information.

  • Page 35: Raid Level

    Class 1. If you do not know what types of drives are used in your array, see the Dell EqualLogic PS Series Storage Arrays Release Notes, which lists the types of drives used with each PS Series model. In addition, there is labeling on each drive to indicate its capacity and type.

  • Page 36: Performance And Availability Characteristics Of The Supported Raid Levels

    24 drives. and capacity. Systems containing 10K and 15K RPM drives. RAID 5 Dell recommends against using RAID 5 for any business-critical data, although it may be required for certain applications, depending on performance and data availability requirements. RAID 5 carries...

  • Page 37: Supported Raid Policy Conversions

    When you vacate a member, there must be sufficient available free space on another member to store the evacuated data. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 3-28...
  • Page 38 To convert from a no-spares RAID policy to a policy that uses spare drives, you must use the CLI. Refer to the Dell EqualLogic Group Manager CLI Reference Guide. You can also use the CLI to convert to a RAID policy that does not use spare drives, but Dell recommends against doing this.

  • Page 39: Capacity Planning

    Using a RAID 6 policy, Table 11 shows the drive layouts that are enforced based on the number of drives in each array/hot spare configuration, and the total usable storage available for each model. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 4-30...
  • Page 40 PS60x0 XVS with 8x100GB SSD and 8x450GB SAS (b) Legacy PS50E PS6100S (SSD) only PS4000E and PS6000E only (g) PS6100XS only (d) Legacy PS70E, PS100E, PS100X, PS200E, PS300E (h) M4110XS only and PS400E March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 4-31...

  • Page 41: Raid 10 Drive Layouts And Total Reported Usable Storage

    4816 5353 1433 2027 2938 4065 4904 5888 8841 9820 19998 30221 Solid State Disk (b) Legacy PS50E PS4000E and PS6000E only (d) Legacy PS70E,PS100E, PS100X, PS200E and PS300E PS6100S (SSD) only March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 4-32...

  • Page 42: Raid 50 Drive Layouts And Total Reported Usable Storage

    8036 8930 2355 3328 4815 6666 8038 9646 14474 16087 32727 49455 Solid State Disk (b) Legacy PS50E PS4000E and PS6000E only (d) Legacy PS70E,PS100E, PS100X, PS200E and PS300E PS6100S (SSD) only March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 4-33...

  • Page 43: Raid 5 Drive Layouts And Total Reported Usable Storage

    9645 10719 2744 3880 5620 7772 9379 11253 16855 18728 38184 57698 Solid State Disk (b) Legacy PS50E PS4000E and PS6000E only (d) Legacy PS70E,PS100E, PS100X, PS200E, and PS300E PS6100S (SSD) only March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 4-34...

  • Page 44: Array Raid Configurations And Associated Raid Sets

    1 Spare Disk (13+2) RAID 10 2 Spare Disks (7+7) RAID 50 2 Spare Disks (6+1, 6+1 ) For selected configurations RAID 5 1 Spare Disk (14+1) Not for business critical data March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 4-35...

  • Page 45: Ps Series Array Concepts

    Each member can be assigned to only one pool. • Each pool can host up to eight members. • Each group will have at least one pool – the default pool. • Each group can have up to four pools. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 5-36...
  • Page 46 RAID policy for the volume. If the APLB is disabled, the following recommendations apply: • Do not mix arrays with different drive speeds within a single pool unless they are running a unique RAID policy March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 5-37...

  • Page 47: Volumes

    Volumes are visible to iSCSI initiators through one or more of three mechanisms during volume creation: • iSCSI initiator IP address • A host’s iSCSI iqn well-known name • Mutual CHAP authenticated user identity March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 5-38...

  • Page 48: Volume Features

    • Snapshots of volumes with a high data change rate will require a larger snapshot reserve space. • Snapshots have access control lists that are inherited from the parent volume by default. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 5-39...

  • Page 49: Clones

    Once those volumes are created (when the NAS Reserve is created they cannot be shrunk. A volume can be provisioned as a thin provisioned volume at creation or after creation. The following rules apply to thin provisioned volumes: March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 5-40...

  • Page 50: Template Volumes And Thin Clones

    For details on using template volumes and thin clones, see Advanced volume operations  About template volumes and thin clones section of the Series Group Manager documentation. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 5-41...

  • Page 51: Array Firmware Features

    6.1.1 Replication limits You need to consider the following limits when designing a volume replication topology: • A primary group can replicate to multiple partner (secondary) replica groups. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-42...

  • Page 52: Replication Paths

    • Multiple to single group partnership: a common scenario in which multiple primary groups replicate their volumes to a single secondary group partner in a different location. Figure 12 Replication partnership paths March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-43...

  • Page 53: Replication Process

    Once first replication has occurred the system continues to keep track of volume data changes that occur so that subsequent replication processes can copy those changes to the replica set. This tracking process does not consume additional space. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-44...
  • Page 54 Figure 13 Replication Process March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-45...

  • Page 55: Fast Failback

    For example, file system defragmentation of a large partition will significantly increase the amount of space consumed in replica reserve, delegated space on the secondary group and time to complete the next scheduled replication. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-46...
  • Page 56 Subsequent replication events will copy only the changed data. The recommended and space efficient guidelines for sizing replication reserves and delegated space are presented in Table 20. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-47...

  • Page 57: Effect Of Tcp Window Size On Latency Across Wan Links

    WAN links. The ability to change this setting is currently not supported using the EqualLogic Group Manager. Customers interested in changing TCP Window size settings should contact Dell EqualLogic Technical Support for assistance. For more details on how this setting can affect replication performance across WAN links, see the following publication: •...

  • Page 58: Clustering

    How Synchronous replication works SyncRep is enabled on a per-volume basis. In volumes for which SyncRep is not enabled, volume data and snapshots are located only in the pool to which the volume is assigned. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-49...

  • Page 59: Synchronous States

    6.2.5 Requirements for using SyncRep Before you can configure a volume to use SyncRep, verify that the following requirements are met: • Two pools, each containing at least one member. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-50...

  • Page 60: How Syncrep Protects Volume Availability

    SyncAlternate volume unavailable If the group can write to the SyncActive volume, but can no longer write to the SyncAlternate, initiator access to the volume continues without disruption, as shown in Figure 16. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-51...

  • Page 61: Tracked Changes Written To The Syncalternate Volume

    When all tracked changes are written, the volume goes back in sync. 3. New writes are simultaneously written to both the SyncActive and SyncAlternate, and normal SyncRep operations resume as shown in Figure 17. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-52...

  • Page 62: Syncactive Volume Unavailable

    Volume Out of Sync: If the volume is out of sync, the group administrator performs the steps outlined in the online help to safely restore access to the volume: Table 22 below gives a comparison between traditional replication and SyncRep. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-53...
  • Page 63 You can also restore to the point in time when any previous replicas were created, provided that the replicas have been retained. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-54...
  • Page 64 The secondary group must have enough free space delegated to the primary group for the volume reserve and the replicas that record changes to the volume's data over time. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 6-55...

  • Page 65: Protecting Your Equallogic Group With Internet Protocol Security

    IPsec is supported only for PS Series array models PS6xxx, PS41x0, and PS-M4110, and can only be enabled for a group if all members support IPsec. See the Dell EqualLogic PS Series Storage Arrays Release Notes for more information.

  • Page 66: Protected Intra-Group Traffic

    You can configure IPsec to use manual keys. However, manual keying provides significantly weaker security than IKEv1 or IKEv2, and is also significantly more difficult to configure. Consequently, Dell strongly discourages the use of manual keying in any production environment. IKEv1 or IKEv2 are the preferred keying methods.

  • Page 67: About Ipsec Pre-Shared Keys

    You can also use IPsec policies to determine what traffic is being protected using IPsec, and what traffic is being passed or dropped without encryption. IPsec policies are managed using the IPsec policy commands. See the Dell EqualLogic Group Manager CLI Reference Guide for more information.

  • Page 68: Performance Considerations

    • IKE mobillity is not supported • NAT Traversal (NAT-T) is not supported. Dell recommends against placing a firewall that performs address translation between the PS Series group and its IPsec peers. • If you use the Windows default IPsec lifetime rekey values, the high rekey rates may be disruptive for protected iSCSI traffic.

  • Page 69: Equallogic San Design

    An EqualLogic SAN can now be used to provide block level access (direct iSCSI access to PS Series arrays) or file system level access (via the FS Series appliance) using NFS or CIFS protocols and the Dell FluidFS scale-out file system.

  • Page 70: General Requirements And Recommendations

    Ethernet port on one array to all other Ethernet ports on all other arrays in the group. • All switches and host network controllers within the infrastructure must have flow control enabled for optimal performance. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-61...

  • Page 71: Quality Of Service (Qos)

    PS Series groups. If you plan to use QoS, Dell recommends that you use it only on VLANs that do not carry iSCSI traffic, or on WANs, where bandwidth is shared with other applications and the PS Series array uses it for time-insensitive replication traffic.
  • Page 72 Adequate buffer space per switch port: In addition to supporting data transfers between the hosts and the SAN, Dell EqualLogic arrays also use the SAN to support inter-array communication and data load balancing. For this reason, the more buffer space per port that a switch can provide the better.

  • Page 73: Connecting San Switches In A Layer 2 Network

    All non-inter-switch trunk ports should be marked as “edge” ports or set to “portfast”. • Support for unicast storm control: iSCSI in general, and Dell EqualLogic SANs in particular can send packets in a very “bursty” profile that many switches could misdiagnose as a virally induced packet storm.
  • Page 74 There are several options depending on the vendor of the switch. Table 23 describes the most common options. Note: For best performance and reliability, we recommend that all interconnection paths between non-stacking switches (LAGs) use a dynamic link aggregation protocol such as LACP. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-65...
  • Page 75 Note: A multi-stack SAN infrastructure as described in this section may provide added reliability to the SAN environment. But, it may also introduce additional latency and the potential for lower throughput. The SAN designer will have to carefully consider the performance and reliability implications. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-66...

  • Page 76: Sizing Inter-Switch Connections

    Actual requirements will vary. For more details 10GbE switches in a mixed speed SAN see Section 8. 7.2.3 Comparing inter-switch connection types Table 25 provides details and recommendations for selecting interconnect options. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-67...

  • Page 77: Building A High-Availability San

    NIC configuration on the server requires at least two NICs installed into separate PCI slots in the server. Table 26 below shows how to achieve redundant server NIC connection configurations for a server with three installed NICs. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-68...

  • Page 78: Design Guidelines For Host Connectivity In A Redundant San

    Design guidelines for host connectivity in a redundant SAN Using the Dell PowerEdge R610 server as an example, you configure redundant connection paths to the SAN switches as shown in Figure 21 below. The R610 server shown in Figure 21 has one additional dual-port PCI-E NIC installed.

  • Page 79: Multi-Path I/O

    On each array enable at least two(2) ports for host connectivity. • Install the Dell provided MPIO extension features if available for the host operating system. • For Microsoft Windows, install the Device Specific Module (DSM) found in the Host Integration Toolkit for Windows.

  • Page 80: Equallogic Isci San Design

    All information is presented using a set of basic reference designs that make the following assumptions: • The SAN network is physically isolated from all other network traffic • The examples are based on best practice design principles. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-71...

  • Page 81: Redundant San Configuration

    In a redundant iSCSI SAN, each component of the SAN infrastructure has a redundant connection or path. The following figures show example connection paths necessary to create a Redundant SAN. Figure 23 Redundant SAN Connection Paths: PS3000 to PS6000 Family Arrays March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-72...
  • Page 82 Figure 25 Redundant SAN Connection Paths: PS6100 Note: For a production environment, the configuration examples shown above will protect your access to data. These are the ONLY SAN configurations recommended by Dell. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-73...

  • Page 83: Partially Redundant San Configurations

    Table 27 below shows configurations using a single array controller. Table 27 Single controller array configurations Single NIC Single Switch Single Controller Dual NIC Single Switch Single Controller Dual NIC Dual Switch Single Controller March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-74...

  • Page 84: Minimum Cabling Scenarios: Ps4100 And Ps6100

    Dual array controller configurations 7.3.5.2 You can configure a Dell EqualLogic array to run using dual controllers. Table 28 below shows configurations using a single array controller. Table 28 Dual controller array configurations Single NIC Single Switch Dual Controller Single NIC...
  • Page 85 Note: The example configurations shown in this section only apply to the PS4100 and PS6100 family arrays and are recommended only when you do not have available SAN switch ports necessary to support fully cabled configurations. Figure 26 Minimum cabling scenario: PS4100 March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-76...
  • Page 86 Figure 27 Minimum cabling scenario: PS6100 March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 7-77...

  • Page 87: Mixed Speed Environments - Integrating 1Gbe And 10Gbe Sans

    The design is based on using features provided by the Dell PowerConnect 6248 1Gb Ethernet switch and the Dell PowerConnect 8024 10Gb Ethernet switch. • The Dell PowerConnect 8024 is not a stackable switch, so a link aggregation group (LAG) is used to create the inter-switch trunk paths. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...

  • Page 88: Optimizing Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol Behavior

    RSTP blocked path in Figure 28. We manually assigned a high link cost to one of the 20Gb uplink LAGs so that it became the RSTP blocked path. The straight uplink pattern must be used when using non-stackable switches March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 8-79...

  • Page 89: Mixed Speed San Best Practices

    Rapid Spanning Tree is going to block links to make sure that 10Gb traffic (i.e. EqualLogic inter- array data flow) never crosses the 1Gb switch. • You must configure pools and volumes in a way that minimizes impact to IO performance. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 8-80...
  • Page 90 10Gb arrays (from those initiators). You may see high latency and retransmit rates when 10Gb initiators connect to 1Gb targets. • When adding 10Gb arrays, place them in separate pools from your 1Gb arrays. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 8-81...

  • Page 91: Blade Server Chassis Integration

    Fabric B or the Fabric C I/O modules. Figure 30 illustrates the layout of the three fabric I/O modules located on the back of the M1000e chassis. Table 29 M1000e fabric mapping LOM/MLOM Mezzanine B Mezzanine C Fabric March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-82...
  • Page 92 M1000e blade chassis to an external switch using pass-through module. In Section 9.3 we discuss strategies for connecting M1000e blade chassis to an external SAN infrastructure utilizing a two-tier design. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-83...

  • Page 93: Designing A San Using Blade Chassis I/O Modules With Arrays Directly Attached

    PowerConnect M-Series blade I/O modules and the maximum number of arrays that could be directly attached to a single M1000e blade chassis. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-84...
  • Page 94 SAN network. Regardless of the maximum number of I/O modules supported in a single stack, Dell recommends not going above six switches in the stack due to possible hop related latency.
  • Page 95 This ensures that even if a single mezzanine card fails, there is still an active port on the SAN network. Table 32 and Table 33 illustrate the stacking strategies between the two I/O modules in each of these two configurations as described. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-86...
  • Page 96 IO configuration in a potential single point of failure • • Reduces administration overhead Upgrading switch FW will require scheduled downtime for SAN network March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-87...
  • Page 97 Table 34 and Table 35 illustrate the non-stacking strategies between the two I/O modules in each of these two configurations as previously described. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-88...
  • Page 98 Spanning Tree must be considered if available solution uplinking SAN to external switches or • Switch FW can be upgraded without additional M1000e enclosures requiring network to be brought offline March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-89...

  • Page 99: San Design For Multiple M1000E Enclosure

    LACP or “front-port” stacking. Due to the limited number of external ports available on Dell’s PowerConnect M-Series blade I/O modules, SAN growth can be limited. For 10Gb SAN solutions that will require multiple arrays and/or multiple M1000e chassis, it is recommended that you do not consider directly attached arrays and follow the guidelines described in Section 9.2.
  • Page 100 Each M1000e enclosure should be able to host one to four arrays depending on the M-Series I/O module used. By stacking each enclosure’s fabric I/O modules into a single stack, a single SAN network infrastructure can be constructed. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-91...
  • Page 101 • Additional scalability will require SAN network redesign and possible downtime. Other notes • Limited scalability due to potentially excessive hop-counts and latency. Recommend no more than 2-3 enclosures in this design March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-92...
  • Page 102 1Gb ports, it is still somewhat limited. Also, if you foresee needing more M1000e enclosures than the two to three enclosure maximum recommended, then a different SAN design strategy should be considered. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-93...

  • Page 103: Designing A San Using Blade Pass-Through Module

    Ethernet mezzanine card to an externally accessible port. These ports can then be connected to one or more external switches that are hosting PS Series arrays. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-94...
  • Page 104 • SAN traffic isolated outside of M1000e enclosure • Less expensive that multi-tiered switch solution • Supports non-dell branded switching as a single vendor solution • No firmware to update on the pass-through modules. Other Notes • Additional M1000e enclosures are added in similar fashion to diagram above •...

  • Page 105: Designing A San Using Blade Chassis I/O Modules As Host Access To External Switches For Array Connection

    In the end, it depends on your specific needs to determine which configuration is best for your solution. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-96...
  • Page 106 Can support different vendor switches in the external tier Other notes • If available, use 10Gb links between M-series I/O modules and external switches • Additional M1000e enclosures are added in similar fashion to diagram above. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-97...
  • Page 107 Care needs to be taken to ensure that addition of switches does not cause a spanning tree reconfiguration. • Do not interconnect the M-series I/O modules together. • Additional M1000e enclosures are added in similar fashion to diagram above. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-98...
  • Page 108 Ease of Administration Other Notes • Recommend using 10GbE or larger links within inter-switch LAGs to provide better bandwidth scalability. • Additional M1000e enclosures are added in similar fashion to diagram above. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-99...
  • Page 109 Care needs to be taken to ensure that addition of switches does not cause a spanning tree reconfiguration. • Do not interconnect the M-series I/O modules together. • Additional M1000e enclosures are added in similar fashion to diagram above. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-100...
  • Page 110 10Gb links are used between M-series I/O module stacks and the external stack • This strategy works for a single fabric or dual fabric M-Series I/O module configuration (See Section 0 for details) March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-101...
  • Page 111 10Gb links are used between M-series I/O module stacks and the external stack • This strategy works for a single fabric or dual fabric M-Series I/O module configuration (See Section 9.1 for details) March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-102...

  • Page 112: Fluid File System

    Fluid File system The Dell EqualLogic FS Series NAS Appliance adds scale-out unified file and block Network Attached Storage (NAS) capabilities to any EqualLogic PS Series iSCSI SANs. The key design features and benefits provided by the EqualLogic FS Series Appliance include: •...

  • Page 113: Fs Series Architecture

    In a file only scenario the initiators on the FS Series appliance are the only iSCSI clients connecting to the PS Series arrays. The pools and volumes in the arrays provide storage for FS Series appliance file I/O only. This scenario is shown in Figure 33. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 10-104...

  • Page 114: Dell Fluidfs

    Figure 33 FS Series NAS (file only) 10.2 Dell FluidFS Dell EqualLogic FS Series appliances, coupled with PS Series arrays, offer a high performance, high availability, scalable NAS solution. FS Series Firmware V2.0 adds the following features: • NAS Container Replication •...
  • Page 115 PS Series array based snapshots. Note: FS Series FluidFS snapshots and PS Series volume based snapshots function independently and have no impact on each other. Please see the following whitepaper for more information on Dell FluidFS: Dell Fluid File System: http://www.dellstorage.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=1578 NAS Replication: NAS replication is point-in-time and uses file system snapshot technology.

  • Page 116: Fs Series Nas Appliances

    FS Series NAS Appliances The FS7500 is the premier offering in the Dell FS Series product line. Table 45 lists the basic functional details for each FS Series product. Table 45 FS Series Models FS Series Model System Components I/O Connections...
  • Page 117 Maximum quota rules per NAS container (user quotas) Maximum quota rules per 100,000 100,000 cluster (user quotas) Maximum number of containers enabled for replication Maximum number of active container replications in progress (rest are queued) March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 11-108...

  • Page 118: Initial Nas Cluster Valid Configurations

    The table below describes the configurations allowed during initial configuration. Table 47 Initial valid configurations Cluster Controller Pair 1 Controller Pair 2 Two-controller FS7500 Two-controller FS7600 Two-controller FS7610 Four-controller FS7500 FS7500 Four-controller FS7500 FS7600 Four-controller FS7600 FS7600 Four-controller FS7610 FS7610 March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 11-109...

  • Page 119: Fs7500 System Components

    The system components and required power cabling paths are shown in Figure 34. Figure 34 FS7500 system components and power cabling FS7500 Installation and Setup Guide For detailed information on racking and power supply cabling see the March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 11-110...

  • Page 120: Fs7500 File System Operation On Controller Failover

    Each NAS controller contains a built-in battery backup to protect cache in case of controller power failure. The system components are shown in Figure 35 and Figure 36. Figure 35 Rear view of the FS7600 NAS appliance March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 11-111...

  • Page 121: Fs7610 Components

    11.6 FS7610 components FS7610 hot pluggable NAS FS7610 hot pluggable Controller 1 NAS Controller 2 Figure 36 FS7610 NAS Appliance March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 11-112...

  • Page 122: Fs Series File Level Operations

    It resides within a single EqualLogic storage pool. Only one storage pool in the EqualLogic storage group can be used for allocating the NAS reserve. • It is formatted with the Dell FluidFS. • A fixed amount of storage space in the pool (512GB per controller node pair) is consumed by NAS cluster metadata.

  • Page 123: Nas Container

    Figure 38 below. Note that you can setup “mixed protocol” access to portions of a container. This means that the same portion of the container can be simultaneously mounted by NFS clients and mapped by CIFs clients. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 12-114...

  • Page 124: Nas Container Security Styles

    The default security style for NAS containers is NTFS. Referring to in Figure 38, you could assign any of the three container security styles to it. Given that portions of it are simultaneously March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 12-115...

  • Page 125: Nas Container Snapshots

    12.4 NAS Container snapshots Dell FluidFS snapshots are created and managed by the FS Series appliance to provide a container level snapshot capability. They are read-only and are created using a redirect-on-write method. This method is also referred to as allocate-on-write. This approach requires only one I/O operation and delivers higher write performance.

  • Page 126: Nas Snapshots And Replication

    Note: NAS replication uses the SAN side network to replicate file data. Refer to the NAS Network Setup Guide for details on making you’re the customer network is ready to support NAS replication. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 12-117...
  • Page 127 Figure 39 NAS replication Replication requirements: • Both sites must be EqualLogic FS appliances. Replication from FS7600 to any other Dell product using FluidFS is not supported. • Each site (or EqualLogic Group) must have the same number of NAS controllers or NAS appliances.
  • Page 128 • Permanent Promote: Promote Read/Write in case primary site or container is not available and clients need to be failed over to secondary site. All writes are preserved March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 12-119...

  • Page 129: Fs Series Nas Configuration

    Note: While it is possible to operate an FS7500 appliance in a partially cabled configuration, this configuration is not supported by Dell. You should use a fully cabled configuration in a production environment. You will also need to provision the required switch port count on the iSCSI SAN and client LAN sides of the system to support a fully connected configuration.
  • Page 130 Thus, it is very important that you follow connection pattern shown in Figure 41 to ensure corresponding ports are connected to the same switch. This connection pattern prevents controller interconnect traffic from crossing the inter-switch connection. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 13-121...

  • Page 131: Fs7600/7610 Connection Paths

    Figure 41 Connection Paths for FS7500 iSCSI SAN, IPMI and Controller Interconnect 13.2 FS7600/7610 connection paths The Dell EqualLogic NAS appliances require the following networks: • Client network: Used for client access to the NFS exports and CIFS shares hosted by the NAS cluster.
  • Page 132 It is recommended to keep the client and SAN side networks physically separate and deploy two switches on both sides to protect against a switch failure. Figure 42 FS7600 AND FS7610 networks See figures below for network connections. Figure 43 FS7600 network March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 13-123...
  • Page 133 Figure 44 FS7610 network March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 13-124...
  • Page 134 Data Protection • FS76x0/FS7500 does not support replication to local NAS cluster • EqualLogic block replication/clones/snapshots cannot be used to protect data managed by FS appliances. Use NAS replication to protect file data. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 13-125...

  • Page 135: Data Center Bridging (Dcb)

    DCB is a collection of Standards designed to improve QoS networking and management in the Data Center that enables iSCSI SANs or FCoE SANs or both to converge with regular server LAN traffic on March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-126...
  • Page 136 Support for iSCSI application protocol priority with DCBX (also known as iSCSI TLV) Note: DCB uses 10Gb and higher Ethernet only. I/O convergence using DCB for Dell EqualLogic iSCSI storage is the future direction for “Converged iSCSI” in a lossless Ethernet environment.
  • Page 137 LAN traffic, allowing the network ports and the inter-connecting links to carry multiple traffic types or protocols. A DCB enabled converged Ethernet infrastructure includes the NIC/CNA on the end-devices (servers and storage arrays) along with the switching infrastructure. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-128...

  • Page 138: Dcb Requirements For Equallogic

    SAN. Once all devices in the SAN are DCB compliant, then DCB can be re- enabled. Switches and server CNAs/NICs that are designated as DCB Supported in the EqualLogic Compatibility Matrix have been fully validated by Dell to ensure compatibility for EqualLogic SANs. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1...

  • Page 139: Methods For Configuring Dcb

    For a complete list of components that support the DCB standards, see the: EqualLogic Compatibility Matrix Additionally, there is a partner verified support program (PVSP) between Dell and VMWare. This agreement is to support Internet SCSI (iSCSI) over Data Center Bridging (DCB) Solution for ESX in a DCB environment with EqualLogic storage.

  • Page 140: Basic Deployment Topology Example

    The topologies are tested deployments that can be used with EqualLogic storage arrays. There are three categories of SAN designs for M1000e blade chassis integration: • Blade IOM switch only • ToR switch only March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-131...

  • Page 141: Blade Iom Switch Only

    Network ports of both the hosts and the storage are connected to external ToR switches. 10 GbE pass-through IOM switches are used in place of blade IOM switches in the M1000e blade chassis. The switch interconnect can be a stack, a LAG, or a VLTi. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-132...

  • Page 142: Blade Iom Switch With Tor Switch

    Host network ports are connected to the M1000e blade IOM switches and the storage network ports are connected to ToR switches. The switch interconnect can be a stack, a LAG, or a VLTi and should March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-133...

  • Page 143: Data Center In A Chassis Dcb Design

    14.6 Data Center In A Chassis DCB design Find guidance for incorporating a data center-in-a-chassis with the new Dell EqualLogic PS-M4110 Blade Array, Force10 Blade IO Modules, and PowerEdge M-Series blade servers to form a reliable, stable, and well performing full end-to-end DCB solution.

  • Page 144: Vlans For Iscsi

    VLAN IDs 0 and 1 are not recommended, because these may be the default or reserved VLAN for some switches, and as such, may forward frames untagged (e.g. no VLAN tagging). VLAN tagging is required to fully support DCB. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-135...
  • Page 145 For a comprehensive understanding of integrating an M1000e Blade Chassis in a Full End-to-End Data Center Bridging environment, see the following white paper: M1000e Blade Enclosure and EqualLogic Arrays SAN Design using Force10 Switches March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-136...

  • Page 146: Appendix A Network Ports And Protocols

    Group communication 20002 Internal Event logging A.2 Optional ports and protocols Table 50 lists the optional ports and protocols used for management and alerts. They are not required for correct array operation. March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-137...
  • Page 147 From group IP address EqualLogic Diagnostics Software update and diagnostic procedures; to all individual member IP addresses SMTP E-mail and diagnostic notifications; from all individual member IP addresses to the configured SMTP server March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-138...

  • Page 148: Appendix B Recommended Switches

    Appendix B Recommended switches The list of recommended switches is now maintained in a separate document. • EqualLogic Compatibility Matrix http://en.community.dell.com/dell- groups/dtcmedia/m/mediagallery/19856862/download.aspx March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-139...

  • Page 149: Appendix C Supported Iscsi Initiators

    Appendix C Supported iSCSI initiators The list of supported iSCSI initiators is now maintained in a separate document. • EqualLogic Compatibility Matrix http://en.community.dell.com/dell- groups/dtcmedia/m/mediagallery/19856862/download.aspx March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-140...

  • Page 150: Appendix D Upgrade Paths For Equallogic Ps Seriesarrays

    Yes – cus kit tool PS4110 Yes – cus kit tool PS6100 None Yes – cus kit tool PS6110 None Yes – cus kit tool PS-M4110 None Yes – cus kit tool March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-141...

  • Page 151: Related Publications

    EqualLogic Compatibility Matrix http://en.community.dell.com/dell- groups/dtcmedia/m/mediagallery/19856862/download.aspx • EqualLogic Technical Content http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/storage/w/wiki/2660.equallogic-technical- content.aspx • Rapid EqualLogic Configuration Portal http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/storage/w/wiki/3615.rapid-equallogic- configuration-portal-by-sis.aspx • Switch Configuration Guides http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/storage/w/wiki/4250.switch-configuration-guides- by-sis.aspx • Storage Infrastructure and Solutions Team Publications http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/storage/w/wiki/2632.storage-infrastructure-and- solutions-team-publications.aspx March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 14-142...
  • Page 152 THIS WHITE PAPER IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND MAY CONTAIN TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND TECHNICAL INACCURACIES. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND.

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