Scribd
Upload
103 views2 pages

Dell EMC Unity - How To Use Data Reduction and Compression - Considerations and Best Practices

The document provides best practices for using data reduction and compression features on Dell EMC Unity storage systems. It describes how data reduction replaces compression in newer versions, supported configurations, considerations for enabling on new or existing resources, and how to check data savings. Monitoring performance and only enabling these features when the system has sufficient unused capacity is recommended.

Uploaded by

merz asma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
103 views2 pages

Dell EMC Unity - How To Use Data Reduction and Compression - Considerations and Best Practices

The document provides best practices for using data reduction and compression features on Dell EMC Unity storage systems. It describes how data reduction replaces compression in newer versions, supported configurations, considerations for enabling on new or existing resources, and how to check data savings. Monitoring performance and only enabling these features when the system has sufficient unused capacity is recommended.

Uploaded by

merz asma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Knowledge Base Article: 000493765

Dell EMC Unity: How to use Data Reduction and Compression - considerations and best practices.
(User Correctable) (000493765)
Primary Product : Unity Family
Product : Unity Family

Version: 10 Article Type: How To Audience: Level 30 = Customers Last Published: Fri Jun 15 16:08:23 GMT 2018

Summary: The article briefly describes the data savings features on Dell EMC Unity; data reduction and compression, and explains usage best practices.

Instructions: In Dell EMC Unity OE version 4.3 and later, the Data Reduction feature replaces Compression. The Data Reduction
algorithm includes deduplication, compression, and zero-block detection.

Supported configurations:
Data reduction and Compression are supported on All Flash Pools created on Dell EMC Unity Hybrid Flash systems, or
All Flash systems.
They are supported on Thin LUNs, Thin LUNs within a Consistency Group, Thin File Systems, and Thin VMware VMFS
and NFS Datastores. They can be enabled during the resource creation, or enabled / disabled on an already existing
resource.
To support data reduction or compression, Thin File storage resources must be created on Dell EMC Unity OE version
4.2 or later.

When enabling on new / existing resources:


All existing data is left unmodified.
New data written to the resource is run through the data reduction / compression algorithm.
Existing data is reduced / compressed when overwritten.
If you want to achieve savings on already existing data:
To compress existing Block data manually, you can do so using the Compress Now button under LUN / Datastore
Properties.
To run the data reduction algorithm on existing data on a Block resource, you can use the local LUN Move feature, and
select a destination resource with data reduction enabled.
To achieve savings on existing data on a File resource, you'll need to use either host-based migration to a Thin File
System created on OE 4.2 or later with data reduction / compression enabled, VMware VMotion VMs created on NFS
Datastores, or use the native Asynchronous Replication feature.

When disabling data reduction / compression:


All existing data is left as reduced / compressed.
New data written to the resource is not reduced / compressed.
When existing data is overwritten, it'll be stored in its original form (no reduction).
To fully remove data saved by reduction or compression from a block resource, use local LUN / Datastore Move to a
non-data reduction or compression enabled destination.

How do I check the current data savings on a storage pool, individual resource, or the system in general?
1. From Unisphere GUI, under Storage > Pools, go to the Pool Properties of the relevant pool, and
navigate to the Usage tab. You'll see the Data Reduction Savings value. If the OE is prior to 4.3
however, you'll instead find Compression Savings value.
For an individual resource, within its Properties, you'll find the Data Reduction Savings
under the General tab.
If the OE is prior to 4.3 however, you'll instead find Compression Savings reported.

System-level information about savings can be viewed within the System Capacity block on
the system Dashboard page (if the block is not visible, you can add it by clicking Customize
under the Main tab. On OE 4.3 and later, you can also add the System Efficiency view
block, which will show you Thin provisioning, snapshot and data reduction savings.

1. From UEMCLI:
uemcli -u user -p password /stor/config/pool show -detail
uemcli -u user -p password /stor/prov/luns/lun show -detail
uemcli -u user -p password /stor/prov/fs show -detail
uemcli -u user -p password /stor/prov/vmware/vmfs show -detail
uemcli -u user -p password /stor/prov/vmware/nfs show -detail
uemcli -u user -p password /stor/general/system show

On OE 4.3 and later, you'll see Data Reduction space saved, Data Reduction percent and
data reduction ratio values in the outputs.
On OE 4.2, you'll see Compression space saved, Compression percent and
Compression ratio values in the outputs.

It is important to keep the following in mind before enabling data reduction / compression, or creating data
reduction-enabled resources:
Monitor the system, take note of where the performance metrics stand before enabling data reduction or compression.
Compression increases CPU load on the processors, and may lead to data access latency.
Do not enable data reduction or compression on any additional resources if CPU utilization is around 70% or higher.
Do not enable data reduction or compression on any resource when the Write IO Size will be less than 8KB.
Use 'Compress Now' on only a single LUN owned by each SP at a time.
Use 'Compress Now' during off-peak LUN workload times.
Use 'Compress Now' only if the Pool has enough free capacity to temporarily hold a second copy of the LUN.
Keep monitoring system performance as you enable data reduction / compression, or use Move / 'Compress Now' on
more resources.
If you are creating a new LUN, and are intending to use data reduction / compression on it. It is recommended to create
the LUN with data reduction / compression enabled before writing any data. This will eliminate the need to use Move /
'Compress Now' on the LUN after writing on it.

Notes: Relevant Knowledge Base articles and documents:


Dell EMC Unity KB: Enabling compression on a LUN
Dell EMC Unity KB: How does Replication work when Compression is enabled?
Dell EMC Unity KB: How to expand a Pool with Compression-enabled LUNs
Dell EMC Unity KB: Unity: Using the Unity "Compress now" option could result in high response times (User Correctable)
Dell EMC Unity KB: Unity: Why move progress is still showing 100% when compression completed. (DELL EMC
Correctable)
Dell EMC Unity KB: Unity: SP reboots unexpectedly with compressed LUNs. (User Correctable)
Dell EMC Unity KB: Unity: ENABLING AND DISABLING COMPRESSION ON AN EXISTING STORAGE RESOURCE
(User Correctable)
Dell EMC Unity KB: Unity : Does Unity Support Dedup and Compression? (User Correctable)
Unity Compression Overview
Unity Best Practices Guide
Dell EMC Unity KB: Unity CPU Master KB

Primary Product: Unity Family

Product: Unity Family

You might also like