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Hardware Installation

Before using this guide, ensure that you review the instructions in the:

Getting Started Guide

 — The

 Getting Started Guide 

that shipped with the storage array provides information to 

configure the initial setup of the system.

Configuring Fibre Channel With the Dell PowerVault MD3660f Series Storage Arrays

 — This document provides 

information about configurations, host bus adapter (HBA) installation, and zoning. See support.dell.com/

manuals.

Dell PowerVault MD3260/3260i/3660i/3660f/3060e Storage Arrays Administrator's Guide

 — The Administrator's 

Guide provides information about important concepts you must know before setting up your storage solution. 

See the Administrator's Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

The Rack Installation instructions, that shipped with the storage array, provides information on how to rack your 

system.

Planning The Storage Configuration 

Consider the following before installing your storage array:

Evaluate data storage needs and administrative requirements.

Calculate availability requirements.

Decide the frequency and level of backups, such as weekly full backups with daily partial backups.

Consider storage array options, such as password protection and e-mail alert notifications for error conditions.

Design the configuration of virtual disks and disk groups according to a data organization plan. For example, use 

one virtual disk for inventory, a second for financial and tax information, and a third for customer information.

Decide whether to allow space for hot spares, which automatically replace failed physical disks.

Connecting The Storage Array 

The storage array is connected to a host using two hot-swappable RAID controller modules. The RAID controller 
modules are identified as RAID controller module 0 and RAID controller module 1.
Each RAID controller module has four FC IN (host) port connectors that provide FC connections to the host or node. Each 
RAID controller module also contains an Ethernet management port and a SAS OUT port connector. The Ethernet 
management port allows you to install a dedicated management station (server or stand-alone system). The SAS OUT 
port allows you to connect the storage array to optional expansion enclosures for additional storage capacity.

NOTE: When you connect a host server to a storage array FC IN port connector, any OUT port connector of the 
host bus adapter (HBA) of the server can be used.

Cabling The Storage Array

You can cable the storage array to host servers with:

Single path data configuration — A single path configuration allows you to connect a maximum of eight hosts. 

This is a non-redundant configuration.

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Summary of Contents for PowerVault MD3660f Series

Page 1: ...Dell PowerVault MD3660f Series Storage Arrays Deployment Guide ...

Page 2: ... Sempron are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices Inc Microsoft Windows Windows Server Internet Explorer MS DOS Windows Vista and Active Directory are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and or other countries Red Hat and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are registered trademarks of Red Hat Inc in the United States and or other countries Novell and SUSE...

Page 3: ...stalling Host Bus Adapters And Drivers 11 Graphical Installation Recommended 12 Console Installation 13 Silent Installation 13 Silent Installation On Windows 13 Silent Installation On Linux 13 Enabling Premium Features Optional 13 Upgrading PowerVault MD Storage Manager 13 4 Post Installation Tasks 15 Verifying Storage Array Discovery 15 Initial Setup Tasks 16 5 Uninstalling MD Storage Manager 17 ...

Page 4: ...s Server 2008 Disk Management Options 20 Setting Load Balance Policies in Linux 20 7 Appendix Working With SFP Modules And Fiber Optic Cables 21 Guidelines For Using SFP Modules 21 Installing SFP Modules 21 Removing SFP Modules 22 Guidelines For Using Fibre Optic Cables 22 Installing Fibre Channel Cables 23 Removing Fibre Channel Cables 23 8 Appendix Hardware Cabling Best Practices 25 Handling Sta...

Page 5: ...led and minimum system requirements are met For more information see the Support Matrix at support dell com manuals Management Station Requirements A management station uses MD Storage Manager to configure and manage storage arrays across the network A management station must meet the following minimum system requirements Intel Pentium or an equivalent processor 1333 MHz or faster with 512 MB RAM ...

Page 6: ...age Manager you can configure the physical disks in the storage array into logical components called disk groups and then divide the disk groups into virtual disks Disk groups are created in the unconfigured capacity of a storage array Virtual disks are created in the free capacity of a disk group Unconfigured capacity comprises physical disks not already assigned to a disk group When a virtual di...

Page 7: ...l alert notifications for error conditions Design the configuration of virtual disks and disk groups according to a data organization plan For example use one virtual disk for inventory a second for financial and tax information and a third for customer information Decide whether to allow space for hot spares which automatically replace failed physical disks Connecting The Storage Array The storag...

Page 8: ... the physical disk pool to a maximum of 120 or 180 if enabled using Premium Feature activation physical disks using a maximum of two expansion enclosures Expanding With Previously Configured PowerVault MD3060e Series Expansion Enclosures Use this procedure if your expansion enclosure is directly attached to and configured on a Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller PERC H800 adapter Data from virtual disk...

Page 9: ...ch new PowerVault MD3060e expansion enclosures to a PowerVault MD3660f Series storage array 1 Before adding the expansion enclosure s ensure that the storage array software is installed and is up to date For more information see the Support Matrix at support dell com manuals 2 Install the software and driver package included on the PowerVault MD Series resource media For information about installi...

Page 10: ...15 Click Select All to update all the attached expansion enclosures simultaneously 16 Click Start 10 ...

Page 11: ...roviders feature include providers for the Microsoft Virtual Disk Service VDS and Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service VSS framework NOTE For more information about the Microsoft VDS and Microsoft VSS providers see the Administrator s Guide at support dell com manuals NOTE To install the software on a Windows or Linux system you must have administrative or root privileges NOTE If Dynamic Host Conf...

Page 12: ...ware providers Custom Allows you to select specific components NOTE If you are install the MD Storage Manager on a management station that is not connected to a network or server only the Management Station option is available 5 Select the PowerVault MD storage array model s you are setting up to serve as data storage for this host server 6 Choose whether to start the event monitor service automat...

Page 13: ...silent properties Silent Installation On Linux To run silent installation on a Linux system NOTE On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 operating systems run the following script from the root directory to install prerequisite packages md_prereq_install sht 1 Copy the custom_silent properties file in the windows folder of the installation media or image to a writable location on the host server 2 Modify th...

Page 14: ...14 ...

Page 15: ...the same subnet as the management stations will be detected NOTE It may take several minutes for the discovery process to complete Closing the Automatic Discovery Status window before this stops the discovery process After discovery is complete a confirmation screen is displayed 4 Click Close Verifying Storage Array Discovery The Automatic Discovery option automatically discovers both in band and ...

Page 16: ...essary configuration steps The following table lists the recommended configuration steps that can be accomplished in MD Storage Manager NOTE Before configuring the storage array check the status icons on the Device pane to ensure that the enclosures in the storage array are in an Optimal status For more information on the status icons see the Owner s Manual at support dell com manuals Task Purpose...

Page 17: ...indows Server 2008 GUI versions 1 Double click Programs and Features from the Control Panel 2 Select MD Storage Software from the list of programs 3 Click Uninstall Change The Uninstall Complete window is displayed 4 Follow the instructions on screen 5 Select Yes to restart the system then click Done Uninstall MD Storage Manager From Windows Server 2008 Core Versions To uninstall PowerVault Modula...

Page 18: ...ginning the uninstallation procedure 1 From the installation directory open the Uninstall Dell MD Storage Software directory 2 Run the file Uninstall Dell MD Storage Software exe 3 From the Uninstall window click Next and follow the instructions on the screen While the software is uninstalling the Uninstall window is displayed When the uninstall procedure is complete the Uninstall Complete window ...

Page 19: ... RAID controller module that owns the virtual disk equally for I O activity Paths to the secondary RAID controller module are ignored until ownership changes The basic assumption for the round robin policy is that the data paths are equal With mixed host support the data paths may have different bandwidths or different data transfer speeds Least Queue Depth With Subset The least queue depth with s...

Page 20: ...set for this disk device Changing The Load Balance Policy Using The Windows Server 2008 Disk Management Options 1 From the host desktop right click My Computer and select Manage The Computer Management window is displayed 2 Click Disk Management to show the list of virtual disks attached to the host 3 Right click the virtual disk on which you want to set the load balance policy then click Properti...

Page 21: ...tic cables read the following information Use only Dell supported SFPs with the Dell PowerVault MD3660f series storage arrays Other generic SFPs are not supported and may not work with the storage arrays The SFP module housing has an integral guide key that is designed to prevent you from inserting the SFP module incorrectly Use minimal pressure when inserting an SFP module into a FC port Forcing ...

Page 22: ...e cap on the SFP module and the host port 5 Place the SFP module into a static protective package Guidelines For Using Fibre Optic Cables Do not route the cable along a folding cable management arm For devices on slide rails leave enough slack in the cables so they do not bend to a diameter of less than 76 mm 3 inch or a radius less than 38 mm 1 5 inch when extended or become pinched when retracte...

Page 23: ...ng the connector push in the cable until it clicks into place 4 Remove the two protective caps from the other end of the cable and store them future use 5 Connect this end of the cable to one of the following devices An SFP module that is installed in an FC switch port An FC HBA port Removing Fibre Channel Cables To remove an FC cable 1 Press and hold the lever to release the latches before removi...

Page 24: ...24 ...

Page 25: ...erations NOTE If Remote Replication is activated host port 3 on each RAID controller module is dedicated for the communication that occurs between the two storage arrays primary and secondary virtual disks If the Remote Replication premium feature is not being used these host ports are available for ordinary host connections Cabling For Performance Data transfer performance is enhanced by maximizi...

Page 26: ...If you are adding a new expansion enclosure to an existing configuration correctly labeled cables help identify where to connect the new enclosure 26 ...

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