Power Vault MD3200 and MD3220 Technical Guidebook

DELL PowerVault MD3200/MD3220
Series of Storage Arrays

A Dell Technical Guide Book
Version 1.0
Technical Guide Book for PowerVault MD3200 and MD3220 Series Arrays
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.
© 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material in any manner whatsoever without
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Dell, the DELL logo, and the DELL badge, PowerConnect, and PowerVault are trademarks of Dell Inc.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server and Hyper-V are either trademarks or registered trademarks of
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products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its
own.
June 2010
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Technical Guide Book for PowerVault MD3200MD3220
Contents
Product Overview .......................................................................................................4
6Gb Serial Attached SCSI (SAS 2.0) ...................................................................................4
Chassis ....................................................................................................................8
Front View and Features ...............................................................................................9
Hard Drives ...............................................................................................................14
Hard Drive Indicators ...................................................................................................16
Storage Capacity Expansion ...........................................................................................17
SAS Cables ................................................................................................................18
6Gb SAS HBA ..............................................................................................................18
MD Storage Manager ....................................................................................................19
MD3200 Series Storage Manager Software Packages ..............................................................19
Enterprise Window ......................................................................................................20
Array Window ............................................................................................................21
Recovery Guru ...........................................................................................................28
Working with Physical and Logical Disks ............................................................................29
Disk Group Configuration ..............................................................................................29
Virtual Disk Configuration ..............................................................................................30
Configuration Metadata ................................................................................................31
Global Hot Spares .......................................................................................................31
Storage Partitioning .....................................................................................................31
Snapshot ..................................................................................................................32
Virtual Disk Copy ........................................................................................................32
Online Administration ..................................................................................................33
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Host Operating System Support .......................................................................................34
Environmental............................................................................................................35
Power Supply Specs .....................................................................................................35
Thermal management ..................................................................................................36
Over-Temperature Shutdown .........................................................................................36
Configuration Guidelines ...............................................................................................38
General Configuration Rules ...........................................................................................38
Tables
Table 1. Selected Controller Features ............................................................................8
Table 2. Detailed Dimensions (mm) ...............................................................................8
Table 3. MD3200 and MD3220 Front Panel Feature Description ..............................................11
Table 4. Power Indicator Description .............................................................................14
Table 5. Supported Drives ...........................................................................................15
Table 6. Drive Indicator Description ..............................................................................16
Table 7. RAID Configuration Support ..............................................................................30
Table 8. Supported Servers .........................................................................................35
Table 9. Power Supply Specifications .............................................................................36
Table 10. Environmental Specifications ............................................................................37
Figures
Figure 1. Controller Architecture ...................................................................................5
Figure 2. MD3200 RAID Controller Module View – LEDs .........................................................6
Figure 3. MD3200 and MD3220 Dimensions ........................................................................9
Figure 4. MD3200 Front View and Features .......................................................................9
Figure 5. MD3200 Front Panel Indicators ..........................................................................10
Figure 6. MD3220 Front View and Features .......................................................................10
2
Figure 7. MD3220 Front Panel Indicators ..........................................................................11
Figure 8. MD3200 and MD3220 Front Bezel Feature and Indicators...........................................12
Figure 9. MD3200 and MD3220 Rear View .........................................................................13
Figure 10. Power Supply Indicator Codes ...........................................................................13
Figure 11. Hard Drive Indicators (includes HDD and SSD) ........................................................16
Figure 12. Expansion and cabling ....................................................................................17
Figure 13. Mini-SAS Cable Transition ................................................................................18
Figure 14. MD Storage Manager: Enterprise Window .............................................................20
Figure 15. MD Storage Manager: Setup Tab ........................................................................21
Figure 16. MD Storage Manager: Array Window....................................................................22
Figure 17. MD Storage Manager: Logical Tab .......................................................................23
Figure 18. MD Storage Manager: Physical Tab .....................................................................24
Figure 19. MD Storage Manager: Mappings Tab ....................................................................25
Figure 20. MD Storage Manager: Setup Tab ........................................................................26
Figure 21. MD Storage Manager: Access to Tasks ..................................................................27
Figure 22. MD Storage Manager: Support Tab ......................................................................28
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Product Overview
The PowerVault MD3200 is the next generation series of directly connected shared SAS arrays replacing the
MD3000 product in the product portfolio. The MD3200 series of arrays provides vastly superior functionality
over its predecessor and is industry leading in the areas of performance, flexibility and scalability.
The MD3200 series of arrays were designed with performance in mind. Each controller is equipped with
four 6Gb SAS ports providing total aggregated bandwidth of 4,000MB/s of throughput for a dual controller
system which is 4X the throughput of the MD3000 and the most competitive products in the external RAID
SAS array market. For small block random access applications like databases, the MD3200 series is capable
of performing over 2X the IOP performance of the MD3000 making it a great platform for a wide variety of
applications and IT environments.
When it comes to flexibility, the MD3200 series of storage arrays is second to none. There are four base
offerings to choose from allowing users to best meet their specific IT demands and budgets.
MD3200 single controller model – A single RAID controller in a 2U, 12 drive 3.5” HDD enclosure provides the
lowest cost with the highest storage capacity offering when using large near-line SAS drives.
MD3200 dual controller model – Dual, active/active controllers in a 2U, 12 drive 3.5” HDD enclosure
provides a high availability and high capacity storage offering when using large near-line SAS drives.
MD3220 single controller model – A single RAID controller in a 2U, 24 drive 2.5” HDD enclosure provides a
low cost, high spindle count storage solution that maximizes IOPS when using SSD or 15K, 2.5” SAS drives.
MD3220 dual controller model – Dual, active/active controllers in a 2U, 24 drive 2.5” HDD enclosure
provides the combination of a highly available storage solution with a high spindle count to maximize IOPS
when using SSD or 15K, 2.5” SAS drives.
This series of arrays raises the bar for scalability in the entry-level storage space. Single controller models
are capable of support up to four hosts connected to a single array. Dual controller models are capable of
support up to four hosts with fully redundant I/O data paths or up to eight hosts with non-redundant data
paths. Additional storage capacity can be added up to a maximum of 96 HDD via the MD1200 and/or
MD1220 enclosures. Users can also mix 3.5” and 2.5” enclosures behind their base units in order to achieve
the optimal drive tiering that best matches their application needs. Within each enclosure users can mix
SSD, SAS and near-line SAS drives maximizing their return on investment.
In addition to the above mentioned features, the MD3200 series offers optional data protection features
like snap shots and virtual disk copy services to assist users in protecting their data in a more effective
manner. Initial set up is also much easier than the previous product with the addition of improvements in
the Modular Disk Storage Manager.
6Gb Serial Attached SCSI (SAS 2.0)

SAS provides a scalable point-to-point topology capable of addressing storage connectivity at many levels.
As SAS enters its second generation, the standard is evolving to enable better bandwidth utilization, easier
management mechanisms, and network robustness.
6Gb/s SAS 2.0 not only doubles the current data transfer rate it provides standardized zoning, self-
discovery, and self-configuration methods to expanders. This makes larger and more complex topologies
easier than ever to implement.
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Key features of SAS 2.0
• 6Gb/s SAS Signaling – doubles the transfer rate from 3Gb to 6Gb
• DFE (Decision Feedback Equalization) – increases cable limit to 10m ( 2 – 4 is typical)
• Supports SAS mini connectors (SFF-8088 and SFF-8087)
• SSC (Spread Spectrum Clocking ) – ease of design implementation – reduce peak amplitude
of radiated emissions
• Supports SED (Self-Encrypting Drive) with Instant Secure Erase
• Delivers 2nd generation SAS Discovery
• Standardized Zoning
• Expanded to 256
• Discovery executed by SAS Expanders
• Reduces time to discover large topologies
Figure 1. Controller Architecture
The RAID controllers are the “engines” or the “brains” of the MD3200 and MD3220 storage arrays. They
perform the RAID calculations, control the I/O movement, communicate with the management client, store
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the firmware, and protect data until it can be written safely to the hard disk drives. The MD3200’s
architecture is designed to excel in multi-host systems environments. Its I/O system core provides built-in
hardware XOR for high-speed RAID parity calculations – enabling it to easily handle very compute-intensive
tasks. Each RAID controller contains 2GB of cache for a total of 4GB of cache in a dual controller
configuration which is mirrored with the other controller’s cache for high availability. In the event of a
power failure, the controllers are protected with battery assisted persistent cache backup which destages
cache to non-volatile media for indefinite safe keeping.
Each controller has a 36-port 6 Gb/s SAS expander that provides access to the drives in the MD3200 or
MD3220 enclosure. The SAS expanders enable each controller to access all of the drive ports, creating
active/active drives loops that provide both controllers redundant access to all attached disk drives.
Each controller has the following external connections:
• Four 6Gb SAS ports for host connectivity

• One 6 Gb/s SAS port for drive enclosure expansion for additional capacity
• One Ethernet management ports for LAN out-of-band management
• One PS/2 serial interface for service
Figure 2. MD3200 RAID Controller Module View – LEDs
Location LED Term Color Icon General Behavior
OFF = No power applied

1 Power Green l
ON = Power is applied
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Location LED Term Color Icon General Behavior
OFF = The controller is operating normally

2 Controller Fault Amber
ON = The controller has defaulted
Indicates the location of the enclosure within

3 Controller Identifier Blue the system.
OFF = No data is in cache

4 Cache Active Green
ON = Data is in cache
OFF = The battery is operating normally

5 Battery Fault Amber
ON = The battery has defaulted or is missing
A button which allows the user to reset the

6 Password Reset Switch N/A
default MD Storage Manager password
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Table 1. Selected Controller Features
Automated I/O path protection with host-based, One or more virtual disks per disk group
multipath failover drivers
Automatic drive failure detection and rebuild Up to 256 virtual disks

using a global hot spare drive
Integrated storage partitioning, snapshot and Dynamic disk group expansion

virtual disk copy functionality
RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 Dynamic virtual disk expansion
Greater than 2TB virtual disk size support Dynamic RAID level migration
Smart battery allows the controller to monitor Dynamic capacity expansion

different parameters on the cache offload
batteries such as state-of-charge and state of
health
Dynamic segment size migration Dynamic defragmentation
Up to 30 hard disk drives per disk group in a RAID5 Non-disruptive firmware upgrades
and RAID6 and up to 96 drives in a RAID0 or RAID1
Chassis
Dimensions and Weight
The PowerVault™ MD3200 and MD3220 enclosures use a rack mount 2U chassis.
Table 2. Detailed Dimensions (mm)
Za Za
Max Sys
Model Number Xa Xb Y Zb Zc Weight
with with
(kg)
bezel bezel
PV MD3200 481.5 446.3 86.8 38.0 19.0 561.0 602.0 29.3
PV MD3220 481.5 446.3 86.8 38.0 19.0 508.0 549.0

24.2
8
Figure 3. MD3200 and MD3220 Dimensions
PowerVault™ MD3200: Weight (maximum configuration) 29.3 kg (64.6 lb)
PowerVault™ MD3220: Weight (maximum configuration) 24.2 kg (53.4 lb)
Front View and Features
Figure 4. MD3200 Front View and Features
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Figure 5. MD3200 Front Panel Indicators
Figure 6. MD3220 Front View and Features
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Figure 7. MD3220 Front Panel Indicators
Table 3. MD3200 and MD3220 Front Panel Feature Description
FRONT PANEL / BEZEL INDICATOR AND FETAURE DESCRIPTION
Item Indicator, Button, or Icon Description

Connector
1 Enclosure status LED The enclosure status LED lights when the enclosure power is
on.
Lights blue during normal operation and when the

management software is identifying the enclosure.
Blinks blue when the management software is identifying

the enclosure or when the system identification button is
pressed.
Lights amber when the enclosure is turned on or is reset.
Blinks amber when the enclosure is in the fault state.
2 Power LED The power LED lights when at least one power supply is
supplying power to the enclosure.
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FRONT PANEL / BEZEL INDICATOR AND FETAURE DESCRIPTION

Connector
3 Not Applicable This LED has no use in the MD3200 or MD3220.
4 System Identification The system identification button on the front control panel
Button can be used to locate a particular enclosure within a rack.
When the button is pushed, the system status indicators on
the control panel and the RAID controllers blinks blue until
the button is pushed again.
5 Hard Drives MD3200—Up to 12 SAS hot-swappable drives.
MD3220—Up to 24 2.5-inch SAS hot-swappable drives.
6 Not Applicable This switch has no use on the MD3200 or MD3220.
Figure 8. MD3200 and MD3220 Front Bezel Feature and Indicators
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Figure 9. MD3200 and MD3220 Rear View
RAID Controller Module 0 RAID Controller Module 1
Power Supply / Cooling Fan

Modules
Figure 10. Power Supply Indicator Codes
13
Table 4. Power Indicator Description
POWER INDICATOR AND FETAURE DESCRIPTION

Connector
1 DC Power The LED lights green when the DC output voltage is within
the limit.
If this LED is off, it indicates that the DC output voltages are

not within the limit.
2 Power supply/cooling fan The LED lights amber when the DC output voltage is not
fault within the limit or a fault with the fan is detected. If this
LED is off, it indicates that no fault condition is present.
3 AC Power The LED lights green when the AC input voltage is within the
limit.
If this LED is off, it indicates either there is no power or the

AC input voltage is not within the limit.
Hard Drives
The MD3200 and MD3220 support SAS hot-pluggable HDDs (hard-disk drives) and SSD (solid-state drives).
MD3200 allows for both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch form factor drives, and the MD3220 allows for 2.5-inch form
factor drives. Note that 2.5” HDD in the MD3200 requires a unique drive carrier that houses a 2.5” HDD
and fits into a 3.5” HDD slot. Any combination of SAS rotational speeds and SSD drives can be mixed within
an MD3200 or MD3220 enclosure.
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Table 5. Supported Drives
Form Factor Speed (rpm) Capacity (GB)
7,200 500 GB
146 GB
2.5” SAS
10,000 300 GB
600GB (post RTS)

HDDs up to 6Gb/s
73 GB
SSDs up to 3Gb/s 15,000
146 GB
SSD 150 GB
500 GB
3.5” SAS 7,200 1 TB
2 TB
HDDs up to 6Gb/s 300 GB
15,000 450 GB
600 GB
SATA interface drives are not supported with the MD3200 and MD3220.
6Gb/s SAS interface HDDs and 3Gb/s SAS interface SSDs are configured in the MD3200 and MD3220,
from Dell’s factory.
3Gb/s SAS interface HDDs are supported in the field with the supported MD3200 carrier.
The front bezel of the system contains a lock. A locked bezel secures the system hard drives.
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Hard Drive Indicators

Figure 11. Hard Drive Indicators (includes HDD and SSD)
Table 6. Drive Indicator Description
Drive-Status Indicator Pattern (RAID Only) Condition
Blinks green two times per second Identify drive/preparing for removal
Off Drive ready for insertion or removal
NOTE: The drive status indicator remains off

until all hard drives are initialized after system
power is turned on. Drives are not ready for
insertion or removal during this time.
Blinks green, amber, and off Drive predicted failure
Blinks amber four times per second Drive failed
Blinks green slowly Drive rebuilding
Steady green Drive online
Blinks green three seconds, amber three Rebuild aborted

seconds, and off six seconds.
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Storage Capacity Expansion

Both the MD3200 and MD3220 systems are capable of supporting up to 96 total hard drives. Adding
additional drives past what the base platforms hold is a simple matter of connecting either MD1200 and/or
MD1220 JBODs to the expansion ports on the MD32X0. Users can mix and match the MD1200 (3.5” HDD
enclosure) and the MD1220 (2.5” HDD enclosure) in any combination that provides them the best mix of
drives for their environment up to a total of 96 drive slots. The diagram below shows the proper way to
cable JBODs to the MD32X0 storage arrays.
If using 100% MD1200 enclosures for storage expansion on an MD3200 a total of seven MD1200 enclosures
can be added to achieve a total of 96 HDD. If using 100% MD1220 enclosures for expansion on an MD3200, a
total of three MD1220 enclosures can be added. Adding three MD1220 enclosures provides a total of 84 HDD
slots.
If using 100% MD1220 enclosures for storage expansion on an MD3220, a total of three MD1220 enclosures
can be added to achieve a total of 96 HDD. If using 100% MD1200 enclosures for expansion on an MD3220, a
total of six MD1200 enclosures can be added to achieve a total of 96 HDD.
It is important to note that the older 3Gb SAS JBODS (MD1000 and MD1120) cannot be used as expansion
enclosures on the MD3200 or the MD3220.
Figure 12. Expansion and cabling
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SAS Cables
The MD3200 and MD3220 arrays and the MD1200 and MD1220 JBODs standardize on the 6Gb/s (SAS 2.0)
Mini-SAS cable (SFF 8088). The Mini-SAS cable is unique from the SAS cable used with the previous MD3000
array and MD1000 JBOD.
Figure 13. Mini-SAS Cable Transition
Connectors on both ends of the Mini-SAS cable are universally keyed. Either end of the cable can
be connected to the host, MD3200 RAID controllers or JBODs.
To remove the Mini-SAS cable, pull the pull-tab to release the cable from the connector on the
EMM and the host system.
6Gb SAS HBA

Connecting the MD3200 and MD3220 to servers requires the use of the 6Gb SAS HBA. The SAS 5/E HBA will
not work with the MD3200 series of arrays. Key features of the 6Gb SAS HBA:
• Dual ports
• PCI Express 2.0 Host Interface
• SAS 2.0 compliant
• Fits in standard PCI Express card slots
• Standard ½ length & ½ height card design
• Coexistence with PERC H700, H800 and PERC 6 in the same server
• Coexistence with PERC H200, SAS 6 and SAS 5 in the same server
• Support for select 9G (Tape Only), 10G, 11G Platforms
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MD Storage Manager
The MD Storage Manager provides the perfect combination of robustness and ease-of-use—two attributes
not commonly found together in an entry-level storage management tool. The new MD Storage Manager
graphical user interface (GUI) is ideally suited for the full-time storage administrator, who wants complete
control over their storage configuration, as well as the part-time system administrator, who needs an
intuitive interface that helps them ensure optimal storage utilization.
• Features of the next generation MD Storage Manager:

• Automated I/O path protection with host-based, multipath, failover drivers
• Centralized management of one or more MD3200 and/or MD3220 arrays from any location
• Backwards compatibility with MD3000 and/or MD3000i arrays
• Integrated storage partitioning, snapshot and virtual disk copy functionality
• Support for up to 8 partitions
• Support for up to 8 snapshots per virtual disk and a total of 128 snapshots per system
• Support for up to 8 simultaneous virtual disk copies per array and a total of 255 copies per system.
• RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10 and 6 supported
• Up to 30 physical disks supported per disk group (RAID levels 5 and 6)
• Up to 96 drives in RAID level 0
• Up to 96 drives in RAID level 1/10
• Local key management for SDE enabled drives
• One or more virtual disks per disk group
• Up to 256 virtual disks (LUNs) per array
• Dynamic capabilities support on-the-fly reconfigurations
• Dynamic disk group expansion
• Dynamic RAID level migration
• Dynamic virtual disks expansion
• Dynamic capacity expansion
• Dynamic segment size migration
• Dynamic defragmentation
• Non-disruptive firmware upgrades
• Support for unlimited hot spares
MD3200 Series Storage Manager Software Packages

The MD3200 series Storage Manager software contains the following four packages:
Client – This package contains the graphical user interfaces (GUI) for monitoring and managing the storage
arrays. It also contains an optional monitor service used to send alerts when there is a critical problem
with the storage arrays.
Utilities – This package contains several providers to simplify integration with Microsoft tools (VSS and VDS)
and integration to 3rd party management tools that take advantage of SMI-S protocols.
Agent – This package contains software that allows a storage management station to communicate with the
controllers in the storage array over the I/O path of a host.
Failover Driver – This package contains the multi-path driver used to manage the I/O paths into the
controllers in the storage array. If there is a problem on the path or a failure of one of the controllers, the
driver automatically re-routes the request from the hosts to the other controller in the storage array.
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Enterprise Window
The Enterprise Window is the main window that opens when the MD Storage Manager is initially launched.
Within the Device tab, it provides a view of all of the storage arrays, including partially managed storage
arrays, in the overall management domain. It also allows for the automatic or manual addition and
removal of storage and provides a view of all the MD arrays including prior generation MD3000 and MD3000i
arrays
Figure 14. MD Storage Manager: Enterprise Window
The Enterprise Window Setup tab is also accessible in the Enterprise Window. This Setup tab provides
quick access to common setup tasks. For example, from the Setup tab window, a user can upgrade
controller firmware, set alert notifications (email and SNMP), and perform other high-level configuration
functions.
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Figure 15. MD Storage Manager: Setup Tab
There are two ways to select an array to manage from the Enterprise Window. This includes;
Clicking the Manage a Storage Array in the Setup tab, then select the desired storage array; or,
go to the Devices tab and double-click on a storage array
Either of these two options will open the Array Window for the selected storage array.
Array Window
The Array Window provides all of the functions to configure, maintain and troubleshoot any individual
storage array. Multiple Array Windows can be open at the same time to manage multiple storage arrays if
the need to do so every arises. The Array Window provides a task-oriented user interface and is designed
to be both informative and intuitive. From any of the six primary tabs located on the Array Window -
Summary, Logical, Physical, Mapping, Setup and Support – users can simply make changes on the fly to
quickly adapt their array to meet their needs.
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Figure 16. MD Storage Manager: Array Window
The Summary tab (shown above) provides administers with a quick look at all the pertinent information
regarding the selected MD3200 or MD3220 storage array as well as links to various management tasks.
These include:
A Status area which indicates whether the storage array is in an optimal state, whether there are any long-
running operations in progress with the ability to view the operations and whether alert notifications have
been set. If the array is in a non-optimal state, a link is provided to launch the Recovery Guru. The
Recovery Guru provides valuable troubleshooting assistance by diagnosing storage array problems and
determining the appropriate procedure to use for recovery. The Recovery Guru displays a summary list of
storage array problems, detailed information about a selected problem, and recovery steps to follow for
the selected problem.
The Capacity section provides an indication of the total capacity available on the storage array and the
configured and available capacity.
The Disk Groups &Virtual Disks area provides basic information on the number of disk groups, virtual
disks, and RAID levels used on the storage array. In addition, a link is provided to allow the user to view
additional disk group and virtual disk information in a non-embedded dialog.
The Hardware Components area provides basic hardware information about the selected storage array
such as the number of physical disks, media types and if there are any configured hot spare physical disks.
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The Hosts & Mappings area provides information about the number of hosts, virtual disk mappings, and
storage partitions that have been configured. There is also a link provided to allow the user to get more
detailed information about the hosts and mappings by launching a non-embedded dialog.
The Information Center area provides links to various help-related information and tutorials.
The Logical tab is the second tab accessible on the Array Window and contains two panes: the Logical
pane and the Properties pane.
Figure 17. MD Storage Manager: Logical Tab
The Logical pane provides a tree-structured view of the array’s disk configurations. Clicking the plus (+)
sign or the minus (-) sign adjacent to the array will expand or collapse the view. These views under the
storage array include un-configured capacity as well as configured disk groups and their associated virtual
disks. Snapshots, if any, can also be viewed from the virtual disk in which they reside.
The Properties pane provides detailed information about the component selected in the Logical pane.
The information varies depending on what type of component is selected. Information may include
whether the component is in an optimal status, total capacity, RAID level, media and interface type as well
as controller ownership.
The physical component’s overview is provided in the Properties pane and is associated with the logical
component selected in the Logical pane. A greater detailed view can be found by right-clicking a
23
component, and selecting “View Associated Physical Components”. This physical view can also be retrieved
by selecting the Physical tab which will be covered next.
The Physical tab provides both a physical view of the storage array as well as detailed information
regarding the physical components. Within the Physical tab, the Physical pane appears on the left and
the Properties pane appears on the right. The Physical pane shows a graphical representation of the
physical components in the storage subsystem, such as the RAID controller modules and the expansion
enclosures while the Properties pane displays detailed information about the component that is selected
in the Physical pane.
Figure 18. MD Storage Manager: Physical Tab
The drop down menu in the Physical pane allows the user select which physical components they would
like displayed in the Properties pane.
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Next, is the Mappings tab which provides an overall view of the host-to-virtual disk mappings configured on
the storage array. The Mappings window includes both a Topology pane as well as a Defined Mappings
pane.
Figure 19. MD Storage Manager: Mappings Tab
The Topology pane shows a tree-structured view of virtual disk that are related to the storage partitions.
Click the plus (+) sign or the minus (-) sign adjacent to a node to expand or collapse the view. Users can
right-click a node to open a pop-up menu that contains the applicable actions for that node. Views include
undefined mappings within the storage array as well as the servers connected to the storage array.
Once a virtual disk is selected, the Defined Mappings pane will provide mapping information pertinent to
that node. By clicking on the storage array for example, the virtual drives associated with the storage
array will be listed as well which hosts they are accessible. By selecting a host, the user can also see a list
of virtual disks assigned to it.
The user can also create mappings by right-clicking on a virtual disk in the Topology pane and selecting
“Partitioning”, which allows them to create mappings via a Wizard and will quickly create a new single
partition. A user can also select “Define Additional Mappings” to define additional mappings. This step
allows the user to map the virtual disk to additional host of host groups in an existing storage partition.
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The next tab is the Setup tab which provides access to nearly all routine administrative tasks that a user
would typically run into.
Figure 20. MD Storage Manager: Setup Tab
The Setup tab includes tasks, such as:
Blink Storage Array selection which allows the user to turn on the indicator lights of the storage array to
identify it physically.
Rename Storage Array allows for the storage array to be renamed so it can be easily identified in the
storage management software.
Set a Storage Array Password prompts the user for a new password for the storage array to prevent
unauthorized users from making configuration changes.
Configure Storage Array is a key task which allows the user to create disk groups, virtual disks and hot
spare physical disks.
Map Virtual Disks option provides for the user to map virtual disks to hosts to that the virtual disk can
used for I/O operations. As mentioned previously, this can also be accomplished from the Mappings tab.
Save Configuration selection, users can save their configuration parameters in a file to use for restoration
or replication.
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It is important to note that many tasks can also be accessed from the pull down menus across the top;
or, by going to the Logical, Physical or Mappings tabs in the Array Window and right-clicking on the
appropriate object (i.e. storage array, virtual disk drive, controller, etc.). For example, right-clicking on
an array provides the same options as clicking on the Setup tab or the top pull down menus options.
Figure 21. MD Storage Manager: Access to Tasks
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The final tab is the Support tab which provides a central location when storage array recovery, support
information or a description of the storage array components are needed.
Figure 22. MD Storage Manager: Support Tab
Gather Support Information selection allows a user to save information about the storage array (such as
its profile and event log information) to a file so that it can be saved and sent it to technical support.
Storage Array Profile provides a detailed description of all components and properties of the storage
array such as the number of physical drives used, firmware versions of the controller(s), which components
are running optimally and the number of Snapshots taken.
Download Firmware option allows the user to download RAID controller module firmware, NVSRAM,
physical disk firmware, environmental management module (EMM) firmware and EMM configuration
settings.
View Event Log will provide a detailed list of storage array events.
View Online Help is available for detailed instructions on how to accomplish any of the tasks in the Array
Window to optimally configure the storage array.
Recovery Guru
If a problem should ever arise with the array, the Recovery Guru provides valuable troubleshooting
assistance by diagnosing storage array problems and determining the appropriate procedure to use for
recovery. The Recovery Guru displays a summary list of storage array problems, detailed information
about a selected problem, and recovery steps to follow for the selected problem.
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Working with Physical and Logical Disks
Disk Group Configuration

A disk group is a set of physical disks that the controller
logically groups together to provide one or more virtual Disk Group A
disks to a host. Each disk group is comprised of the
same drive technology (i.e. SAS, near-line SAS or SSD)
and has an assigned RAID level. While multiple RAID
levels can be intermixed in a single MD3200 series
storage array, each disk group has a single RAID level.
The number of physical disks that make up a disk group
can be selected manually or automatically. When using
the MD Storage Manager software’s automatic
configuration option, disk groups will be configured
balancing the load across as many physical disk channels
and physical disk modules as possible. This ensures Disk Disk Disk Disk
maximum protection and performance. 1 2 3 4
MD Storage Manager software also provides the ability to

dynamically add additional physical disks to existing disk
groups. Existing virtual disks are then re-striped across
all physical disks in the newly expanded disk group. This
takes place while the disk group and all its virtual disks
remain online and accessible for I/O.
The selection of the RAID configurations is equally critical for each application to meet the desired data
availability, performance or capacity requirements. And like physical disk types and configuration settings,
the MD3200 series of arrays support the intermixing of RAID configurations to provide maximum flexibility
and utilization. RAID 5 is generally considered the best balance of cost, performance and reliability. The
table below outlines the tradeoffs of the various supported RAID configurations.
29
Table 7. RAID Configuration Support
RAID-0 RAID-1 and 1+0 RAID-5 RAID-6
Physical disks operated Physical disks operated

independently with data independently with data
Data is striped Data is “mirrored”
and parity blocks and dual parity blocks
Description across multiple to another
distributed across all are distributed across all
physical disks. physical disk.
physical disks in the physical disks in the
group. group.
Min # of physical
disks in a disk 1 2 3 4
group
Max # of physical
disks in a disk 96 96 30 30
group
Usable capacity as
100% 50% 66.67% to 96.67% 50% to 93.33%
% of raw capacity
Application IOPS | MB/s IOPS IOPS | MB/s IOPS | MB/s
Same advantages as
Good for reads, small
Performance due Performance as RAID-5 but with better
IOPS, many concurrent
to parallel multiple requests data protection. Two
Advantages IOPS and random I/Os.
operation of the can be fulfilled hard drives can fail
Parity utilizes small
access simultaneously without losing access to
portion of raw capacity.
data.
No redundancy. Overhead on writes will

Storage costs are Writes are particularly
Disadvantages One physical disk be slightly more
doubled demanding
fails, data is lost demanding than RAID-5
Virtual Disk Configuration

Disk Group A
A virtual disk is a logical structure on a storage array
for data storage. A virtual disk is created by slicing a
disk group into a stripe set with a defined capacity.
Each disk group supports up to one or more virtual disks
and a maximum of 256 virtual disks per MD3200 series Virtual Disk
of storage system. During the virtual disk creation
process, the user specifies the capacity of the virtual
disk and the virtual disk name. Additional settings
include preferred controller ownership and a virtual Disk Disk Disk Disk
disk-to-LUN mapping parameter (See Storage 1 2 3 4
Partitioning section).
30
Configuration Metadata
MD3200 series of controllers store configuration metadata in a private 512 MB region on every configured
physical disk. This metadata area contains physical disk state and status information, virtual disk state and
status information and controller and subsystem information. The metadata on each physical disk stores
that physical disk’s state and status, the worldwide name of its disk group, the virtual disks it contains and
the definitions for those virtual disks. Additionally, one physical disk in each disk group (with a minimum
of three in each storage system) stores the controller- and subsystem-level information.
Storing metadata in this nonvolatile region provides the highest availability and enables easier
reconfigurations and migrations. As system configuration data resides on every configured physical disk,
controllers and/or multiple physical disks can be removed or swapped without losing the system
configuration. Physical disks can be relocated within the storage system to improve channel
utilization/protection or even migrated as a complete disk group into another storage system. In
instances, all configuration metadata and user data remains intact on the physical disks.
Global Hot Spares

If a physical disk fails in the MD3200 or MD3220 storage array, the controller uses redundancy data to
reconstruct the data onto a hot spare physical disk. The hot spare is automatically substituted for the
failed physical disk without requiring user intervention. Once the failed drive is replaced, the data is then
automatically copied back to the new drive. The user then has a choice of allowing the hot spare to return
to its role as a hot spare drive or become a permanent member of a disk
group, therefore, eliminating the copy back process. The replacement
Host A Host B
drive, in this case, would then be in an unassigned state. This feature may
be appealing as it reduces the degraded mode time by avoiding the copy
back process. The MD3200 and MD3220 storage arrays both support an
unlimited number of global hot spare physical disks, and each can be a spare
for any like-technology disk in the array (i.e. SAS for SAS, near-line SAS for
near-line SAS and SSD for SSD). Generally speaking, the physical disks that
are assigned as a hot spares should have a capacity that is equal to or
greater than the capacity of the largest physical disk in the storage array.
Logical Logical
Storage Partitioning partition partition
The MD3200 series of arrays Storage Partitioning feature enables a single A B
storage array to be logically partitioned and function as up to 8 virtual
arrays. A storage partition is a logical entity consisting of one or more LUN LUN
virtual disks that are accessed by a single host or shared among a collection
of hosts that are part of a host group. A storage partition is created when
one or more virtual disks are mapped to an individual host or host group.
This virtual disk-to-LUN mapping allows you to define what host or host LUN LUN
group will have access to a particular virtual disk in your storage system.
Hosts and host groups can only access data through assigned virtual disk-to-
LUN mappings. Partition access is maintained at the controller level,
ensuring complete data integrity in multi-host, multi-OS environments. LUN
The virtual disk-to-LUN mapping implementation creates valuable flexibility

unmapped
for the storage administrator as any available virtual disk can be mapped to virtual disk
any attached server. So, while the individual servers see a virtual array that
consists of only their LUNs/virtual disks, the virtual disks can be intermixed throughout the storage system
within one or more disk groups.
The system’s logical partitioning combined with its configuration capabilities enables administrators to
choose from a range of virtual disks with different characteristics to meet a server's exact needs for a given
31
application. A given host can concurrently have virtual disks with different capacities, different RAID
levels, and different physical disk types. This flexibility enables hosts with different capacity, performance
or data protection demands to effectively share a single storage array.
Snapshot
The MD3200 series of arrays Snapshot functionality
provides an additional level of data protection and the
means to improve production data utilization.
Snapshot enables non-production servers to access an
up-to-date copy of production data for a variety of
applications – including backup, application testing, or Source Snapshot
data mining – while the production data remains Virtual Virtual
online and user-accessible. Disk Disk
A snapshot is a point-in-time image of a source virtual

disk. It is the logical equivalent of a complete physical
copy, but is created much more quickly and requires Snapshot
less disk space. Snapshots appear and function as Repository
standard virtual disks; they are host-addressable and
can be read, written to or copied. Logical
Physical
Snapshot uses an innovative copy-on-write technology to maintain the logical snapshot virtual disk while
minimizing disk utilization. When the snapshot is “taken,” the controller suspends I/O to the source virtual
disk for a few seconds while it creates a new physical virtual disk – called the repository virtual disk – to
store snapshot metadata and copy-on-write data. When a data block on the source virtual disk is modified,
a copy-on-write occurs, copying the contents of blocks that are to be modified into the repository virtual
disk for safekeeping. This repository virtual disk combined with the original source virtual disk creates the
logical snapshot virtual disk.
Since the only data blocks that are physically stored in the repository virtual disk are those that have
changed since the time of the snapshot, the snapshot technology uses less disk space than a full physical
copy. The repository virtual disk is typically 20 percent of the base virtual disk, but will vary depending on
the amount of changes to the data. The longer a snapshot is active, the larger the repository is needed.
Virtual disk snapshot provides notification when the repository
virtual disk nears a user-specified threshold (a percentage of its
full capacity). And at any time, the volume expansion feature
can be used to dynamically expand the repository virtual disk.
Virtual Disk Copy

The MD3200 series of arrays Virtual Disk Copy functionality
provides administrators with another tool to effectively manage
information growth and maximize the utilization of the storage
array. Virtual disk copy creates a complete physical copy, or a
clone, of a virtual disk within a storage array. The clone virtual Base
PiT
Virtual
disk is a unique entity that can be assigned to any host and Virtual
Clone
disk Copy
used by applications requiring a point-in-time (PiT) copy of disk
production data – such as backup, application testing or
development, information analysis or data mining – without
affecting the performance of the production virtual disk.
Virtual disk copy is configured and accessed via easy-to-use

wizards. It supports up to eight concurrent copies taking place within a single array. Virtual disk copy is a
32
background operation with five user-defined priority settings, enabling administrators to minimize either
copy time or the overall I/O impact to the storage system. As virtual disk copy is controller based, it
requires no host interaction or CPU cycles – minimizing the impact to applications and the storage
infrastructure.
Virtual disk copy can be used in conjunction with virtual disk snapshot – which creates a PiT image of a
virtual disk while maintaining read / write access – enabling a complete PiT clone to be created without
interrupting the I/O activity of the production virtual disk. Additionally, virtual disk copy can be used to
redistribute data – moving virtual disks from older, slower disk physical disks to newer, faster, or higher
capacity physical disks – to optimize application performance and/or capacity utilization.
Online Administration
The MD3200 series of storage arrays allows primary storage management tasks to be performed while the
storage remains online with complete read/write data access. This allows storage administrators to make
configuration changes, conduct maintenance, or expand the storage capacity without disrupting I/O to its
attached hosts. Online capabilities include:
Add Free Capacity

Capacity Expansion enables the capacity and number of physical disks to be increased for a given disk
group. Up to two physical disks at a time can be added to existing disk groups, with the existing virtual
disks then being striped across the full set of physical disks now comprising the disk group.
Dynamic Expansion
This feature enables new drive modules to be added, virtual disk groups to be configured, and virtual disks
to be created without disrupting access to existing data. Once a newly created virtual disk is defined, the
array provides immediate virtual disk availability and is enable it to be instantly mapped and accessed by a
host(s).
Dynamic Virtual Disk Expansion
This feature allows for the capacity expansion of an existing virtual disk by using the free capacity on an
existing virtual disk group. And since dynamic virtual disk expansion concatenates (combines) the new
capacity with the original capacity, maximum performance and utilization is assured.
Dynamic RAID Level Migration
This level of migration changes the RAID level of a virtual group on the existing drives, without requiring
the relocation of data. With this dynamic feature, customers can easily adjust RAID levels when their
application, availability, or performance needs change.
Dynamic Segment Size Migration
With this feature, the segment size of a given virtual disk can be dynamically changed.
Dynamic Defragmentation
Dynamic defragmentation allows the user to rearrange virtual disks and consolidates free capacity within a
virtual disk group resulting in optimized access patterns for existing and newly created volumes.
Non-disruptive firmware upgrades

Enables controller firmware upgrades to occur with no interruption to data access. The new firmware is
33
transferred to the first controller, its flash memory is updated, and the controller is rebooted. The
firmware is then passed from the first controller to the second, and the process is repeated. With a multi-
path driver installed, access to all storage arrays’ virtual disks is maintained throughout the process.
Host Operating System Support

The MD3200 series of storage arrays support the following operating systems:
Microsoft Windows 2008
Microsoft Windows 2003
Microsoft Hyper-V
RedHat Enterprise Linux
SuSE Enterprise Linux
VMware
Xen Server (RTS+)
Please consult with the MD3200/MD3220 Support Matrix for a complete list of supported configurations.
34
Table 8. Supported Servers
R910 R410
R905 R210
R900 PE2970
R815 PE2950 III
R810 PE1950 III
R805 T710
R715 T610
R710 T410
R610 T310
R510 PE2900 III
Please consult with the MD3200/MD3220 Support Matrix for the most up to date list of supported servers.
Environmental
Power Supply Specs

The PowerVault™ MD3200 and MD3220 power supply is rated at 600 W. It operates on input voltages
ranging from 100 – 240 V, auto-switching to the sensed line level.
EMC classification is Light Industry
FCC classification is Class A
35
Table 9. Power Supply Specifications
AC Characteristics
INPUT PARAMETER Requirement
Input Voltage Range 90 – 264 VAC
Input Frequency 47 – 63 Hz
Peak Inrush Current 55 A for 10ms or less, 25 A for 10-150ms
Power Factor over full AC input range 0.9 @ output load > 90%
Minimum Efficiency measured 20%, 50% and Must Meet Climate Savers requirements:
80% output load over full range of AC input and
environmental conditions
Load Condition Efficiency
20% 87%
50% 90%
100% 87%
Peak Output Power 600 Watts
Thermal management
The cooling system for the enclosure is designed to allow all components (power supplies, RAID controllers,
HDDs, SSDs etc.) to meet their full operating specifications. There may be up to four fans in each power
supply/fan module. This configuration provides N+1 fan redundancy, meaning that the enclosure can be
sufficiently cooled for normal operation even if one fan fails.
Firmware shall continuously monitor the temperature sensors within the enclosure and take proper actions
to throttle the fans in order to maintain optimal operating temperature.
Over-Temperature Shutdown
In order to prevent potential damage to the drives and subsequent loss of data, the power supply has the
capability to shut itself down or be shut down by the RAID controllers in the event of an over-temperature
condition. When the power supply incorporates its internal thermal shutdown feature, it will automatically
restart when the over temperature condition no longer exists. Hysteresis of at least 5 degrees is employed
to prevent a frequent toggling on and off of the outputs.
36
Table 10. Environmental Specifications
Temperature
Operating 10° to 35°C (50° to 95°F) with a maximum temperature gradation
of 10°C per hour
Note: For altitudes above 2950 feet, the maximum operating
temperature is de-rated 1°F/550 ft.
Storage -40° to 65°C (-40° to 149°F) with a maximum temperature
gradation of 20°C per hour
Relative Humidity
Operating 20% to 80% (non-condensing) with a maximum humidity
gradation of 10% per hour
Storage 5% to 95% (non-condensing) with a maximum humidity gradation
of 10% per hour
Maximum Vibration
Operating 0.25 G at 3 – 200 Hz for 15 min
Storage 0.5 at 3 – 200 Hz for 15 min
Maximum Shock
Operating One shock pulse in the positive z axis (one pulse on each side of
the system) of 31 G for 2.6 ms in the operational orientation
Storage Six consecutively executed shock pulses in the positive and

negative x, y, and z axes (one pulse on each side of the system)
of 71 G for up to 2 ms
Altitude
Operating -16 to 3048 m (-50 to 10,000 ft)
Note: For altitudes above 2950 feet, the maximum operating
temperature is de-rated 1°F/550 ft.
Storage -16 to 10,600 m (-50 to 35,000 ft)
Airborne Contaminant Level
Class G2 or lower as defined by ISA-S71.04-1985
37
Configuration Guidelines
General Configuration Rules

The MD3200 and MD3220’s extensive configuration flexibility enables customized performance tuning,
maximum capacity utilization and the highest data protection to support application servers with vastly
different requirements. A single storage array can concurrently support multiple RAID levels (0, 1, 5, 10
and 6), multiple drive technologies (SSD, SAS and near-line SAS), multiple and various disk group sizes, and
one or more virtual disks per disk group.
Below are general configuration rules for MD3200 series of arrays.
Up to 8 direct attached servers with single I/O paths to a dual controller storage array
Up to 4 direct attached servers with redundant I/O paths to a dual controller storage array
Up to 96 total drives consisting of SSD, SAS and/or near-line SAS drives per storage system
SSD drives are limited to a single shelf (12 drives for a MD3200 or 24 drives for a MD3220)
MD1200 and/or MD1220 storage enclosures can be add to a MD3200 or MD3220 storage array for expansion
up to 96 total hard drives
Up to 30 hard disk drives per disk group in a RAID 5 and RAID 6
Up to 96 hard disk drives per disk group in a RAID1/10
Each disk group can be configured as RAID level 0, 1, 5, 10 or 6.
Disk groups with different RAID levels can coexist in a single storage system.
Disk groups are comprised of either SSD or SAS drives. A given disk group cannot have both SSD and SAS
drives.
Up to 256 virtual disks (LUNs) per storage array
Each virtual disk can support 8 snapshots, with a maximum of 128 snapshots per storage array.
38

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DELL PowerVault MD3200/MD3220

Series of Storage Arrays

6Gb Serial Attached SCSI (SAS 2.0) ...................................................................................4

Front View and Features ...............................................................................................9

Hard Drives ...............................................................................................................14

Hard Drive Indicators ...................................................................................................16

Storage Capacity Expansion ...........................................................................................17

SAS Cables ................................................................................................................18

6Gb SAS HBA ..............................................................................................................18

MD Storage Manager ....................................................................................................19

MD3200 Series Storage Manager Software Packages ..............................................................19

Enterprise Window ......................................................................................................20

Array Window ............................................................................................................21

Recovery Guru ...........................................................................................................28

Working with Physical and Logical Disks ............................................................................29

Disk Group Configuration ..............................................................................................29

Virtual Disk Configuration ..............................................................................................30

Configuration Metadata ................................................................................................31

Global Hot Spares .......................................................................................................31

Storage Partitioning .....................................................................................................31

Virtual Disk Copy ........................................................................................................32

Online Administration ..................................................................................................33

Host Operating System Support .......................................................................................34

Power Supply Specs .....................................................................................................35

Thermal management ..................................................................................................36

Over-Temperature Shutdown .........................................................................................36

Configuration Guidelines ...............................................................................................38

General Configuration Rules ...........................................................................................38

Table 2. Detailed Dimensions (mm) ...............................................................................8

Table 3. MD3200 and MD3220 Front Panel Feature Description ..............................................11

Table 4. Power Indicator Description .............................................................................14

Table 5. Supported Drives ...........................................................................................15

Table 6. Drive Indicator Description ..............................................................................16

Table 7. RAID Configuration Support ..............................................................................30

Table 8. Supported Servers .........................................................................................35

Table 9. Power Supply Specifications .............................................................................36

Table 10. Environmental Specifications ............................................................................37

Figure 2. MD3200 RAID Controller Module View – LEDs .........................................................6

Figure 3. MD3200 and MD3220 Dimensions ........................................................................9

Figure 4. MD3200 Front View and Features .......................................................................9

Figure 5. MD3200 Front Panel Indicators ..........................................................................10

Figure 6. MD3220 Front View and Features .......................................................................10

Figure 7. MD3220 Front Panel Indicators ..........................................................................11

Figure 8. MD3200 and MD3220 Front Bezel Feature and Indicators...........................................12

Figure 9. MD3200 and MD3220 Rear View .........................................................................13

Figure 10. Power Supply Indicator Codes ...........................................................................13

Figure 12. Expansion and cabling ....................................................................................17

Figure 13. Mini-SAS Cable Transition ................................................................................18

Figure 14. MD Storage Manager: Enterprise Window .............................................................20

Figure 15. MD Storage Manager: Setup Tab ........................................................................21

Figure 16. MD Storage Manager: Array Window....................................................................22

Figure 17. MD Storage Manager: Logical Tab .......................................................................23

Figure 18. MD Storage Manager: Physical Tab .....................................................................24

Figure 19. MD Storage Manager: Mappings Tab ....................................................................25

Figure 20. MD Storage Manager: Setup Tab ........................................................................26

Figure 21. MD Storage Manager: Access to Tasks ..................................................................27

Figure 22. MD Storage Manager: Support Tab ......................................................................28

6Gb Serial Attached SCSI (SAS 2.0)

Key features of SAS 2.0

Figure 1. Controller Architecture