POWERSTORE

CONCEPTS AND
FEATURES

PARTICIPANT GUIDE

PARTICIPANT GUIDE
 PowerStore Concepts and Features

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page i

Table of Contents

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 2

PowerStore Introduction ........................................................................................... 3

What Is PowerStore? ........................................................................................................... 4
Use Cases for PowerStore................................................................................................... 6
PowerStore Platform Configurations .................................................................................... 8
PowerStore T Cluster ........................................................................................................... 9
PowerStore X Cluster ........................................................................................................ 10
Scalability .......................................................................................................................... 11
PowerStore Models ............................................................................................................ 12
PowerStore Introduction Key Points ................................................................................... 13

Hardware Introduction ............................................................................................. 14

Base Enclosure .................................................................................................................. 15
Expansion Enclosure ......................................................................................................... 31
Top of Rack Switches ........................................................................................................ 33
PowerStore Hardware Key Points ...................................................................................... 40

Software Introduction .............................................................................................. 41

PowerStore Management Software ................................................................................... 42
PowerStore Manager ......................................................................................................... 44
PowerStore CLI ................................................................................................................. 47
REST API .......................................................................................................................... 49
Licensing ........................................................................................................................... 50
PowerStore Software Key Points ....................................................................................... 52

Reference Material ................................................................................................... 53

Dell EMC Online Support ................................................................................................... 54
Dell EMC PowerStore Series Product Page ....................................................................... 56
PowerStore Manager In App (Offline) Help ........................................................................ 57
SolVe Tool ......................................................................................................................... 59

PowerStore Concepts and Features

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Appendix ................................................................................................. 61

Glossary .................................................................................................. 65

PowerStore Concepts and Features

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 PowerStore Introduction

PowerStore Concepts and Features

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PowerStore Introduction

Introduction

This course introduces the concepts and features for the PowerStore mid-range
storage product line, including:
 PowerStore Introduction and use cases
 Hardware Introduction, including base and expansion enclosures and Top of
Rack switches
 Software Introduction, including PowerStore Manager, CLI, REST API
 Reference Material, including online help, Dell EMC support site and product
pages, and the SolVe tool

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 PowerStore Introduction

PowerStore Introduction

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PowerStore Introduction

What Is PowerStore?

PowerStore is a next-generation midrange data storage solution targeted at

customers who are looking for value, flexibility, and simplicity.

 Optimized for transactional, virtualized, and hyperconverged applications

 Purpose-built all-flash Active/Active storage appliance that supports the new
Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) communications protocol
 Supports NVMe Solid State Drive (SSD) and NVMe Storage Class Memory
(SCM) media types for storage
 Supports NVMe NVRAM media type for cache
 Supports SAS SSDs by expansion
 Consolidates storage and virtual server environments. The PowerStore platform
design includes two major configurations:
 PowerStore T
o Can be configured for Block only or Unified (Block and File) storage
 Block uses FC and iSCSI protocols for access
 File uses NFS and SMB protocols (SDNAS) for access
 PowerStore X
o Block only storage with hypervisor installed on the system
o Uses FC and iSCSI protocols
o Capability to run customer applications on native virtual machines (VMs)
with a separate VMware license (integrated ESXi hypervisor
deployment).
 Both configurations support VMware virtual volumes (vVols)
 Flexible scale-up/down and scale-out capabilities
 Scale up: Base Enclosure and up to three Expansion Enclosures

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 PowerStore Introduction

 Scale out: Two (up to four) Appliances

 Integrated data efficiencies and protection

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PowerStore Introduction

Use Cases for PowerStore

Application Application Examples Use Case

Description Examples

Healthcare Medical
and industry professionals can
applications use products from
vendors such as
MEDITECH using
PowerStore to
store patient
information to
share with other
providers.

Analyze data Products like SAP

to drive Leonardo, using
efficient PowerStore
strategies. storage, enable IT
professionals to
analyze data from
multiple sources to
solve problems.

Agile PowerStore
Deployment storage provides a
for industry- foundation for
leading applications such
platforms as Pivotal Cloud
Foundry to support
full development
life cycle.

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 PowerStore Introduction

Services to Dell EMC Data

streamline IT Protection Suite
operations can protect data on
PowerStore to
meet ever-
changing data
growth and
governance
requirements while
protecting
workloads across
an evolving IT
landscape.

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PowerStore Introduction

PowerStore Platform Configurations

PowerStore consist of two major configurations also called modes or personalities:

PowerStore T and PowerStore X.

PowerStore T is storage centric and provides both Block and File services. The
software stack starting with a CoreOS is deployed directly on bare metal hardware.

PowerStore X is designed to run applications and provide storage. PowerStore X

systems are Block-only storage with a hypervisor (ESXi) installed on the bare metal
and the software stack is deployed on the hypervisor. This design enables the
deployment of customer VMs and custom applications.

The basic hardware on both configurations is called a Node. A node contains the
processors and memory and is the storage processor or storage controller. Two
nodes are housed in a Base Enclosure. The nodes are configured Active-Active
(each node has access to the same storage) or high availability. You can build an
Appliance that is based on a Base Enclosure. You can add Expansion
Enclosures to each appliance for more storage capacity.

PowerStore T Architecture PowerStore X Architecture

Appliance

Base Enclosure

Node A

Node B

CoreOS

ESXi

VM (CoreOS VMs)

Expansion Enclosure

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PowerStore T Cluster

Appliance Appliance Appliance Appliance

Base Enclosure Base Enclosure Base Enclosure Base Enclosure

Node A Node B Node A Node B Node A Node B Node A Node B

CoreOS CoreOS CoreOS CoreOS CoreOS CoreOS CoreOS CoreOS

Expansion Enclsosure(s) Expansion Enclsosure(s) Expansion Enclsosure(s) Expansion Enclsosure(s)

Up to four PowerStore T appliances can be connected in a cluster. The cluster can

be made up of different PowerStore T models. For example, a PowerStore 1000
and a PowerStore 3000 can be combined in the same cluster.

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PowerStore Introduction

PowerStore X Cluster

Up to four PowerStore X Appliances can be connected to form a PowerStore X

Cluster. All appliances in the same cluster must be a PowerStore X. The mixing of
appliance types, such as PowerStore T with PowerStore X, is not supported.

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Scalability

Appliance 3

Appliances scale
up with one or
more expansion
Appliance 2 shelves.

Appliance 1

Cluster - Scale out with appliances

Each PowerStore configuration and model provides different performance.

PowerStore can be scaled up and scaled out.

Scaling up is adding more storage. Except for the PowerStore 500 (T only)
model, an appliance can be a single Base Enclosure or a Base Enclosure with up
to three Expansion Enclosures. Each Appliance can accommodate up to 100
drives. Depending on the model, each appliance has 0, 2, or 4 NVMe NVRAM
drives used for cache, leaving 96 drives maximum available for data.

The PowerStore 500 T model does not support expansion enclosures or NVMe
NVRAM drives, for a maximum 25 drives available for data.

Scaling out is to add more Base Enclosures. Scaling out increases processing
power and storage. One up to four Appliances of any model can be grouped to
form a four appliance cluster.

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PowerStore Introduction

PowerStore Models

There are eleven different models available within the PowerStore platform: Six
PowerStore T models and five PowerStore X models. The higher the model
number, the more CPU cores and memory per appliance.

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PowerStore Introduction Key Points

The PowerStore series midrange storage solution includes:

1. PowerStore T, configured for block only or block and file storage.
2. PowerStore X, configured for block storage with hypervisor.
3. Both PowerStore T and PowerStore X come in 1000, 3000, 5000, 7000, and
9000 models.
a. The PowerStore T also comes in a 500 model.
b. The bigger the number, the faster the processor and better performance.
4. PowerStore appliances are made up of a base enclosure and up to three
optional expansion enclosures.

a. Up to four appliances are allowed in a cluster.

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Hardware Introduction

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Base Enclosure

PowerStore Models

The PowerStore platform design includes two major configurations: PowerStore T

and PowerStore X.

There are eleven different models within the PowerStore product line: Six
PowerStore T models and five PowerStore X models. The higher the model
number, the more CPU cores and memory per system. PowerStore systems
consist of nodes, one or more base enclosures, one or more expansion enclosures
(except 500 T), and appliances. Click here to see expected performance and
capability from each model.

For high availability, PowerStore systems have:

 Two redundant power supplies

 Multiple redundant network ports with system bond
 Two redundant nodes
 RAID-protected disk drives

PowerStore systems support clusters of up to four appliances for:

 Constant uptime with intracluster migrations
 Scale up
 Simplified management
 Automatic data placement

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Hardware Introduction

Base Enclosure Hardware

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Front Components

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Node Modular Design

Important: The CPU Board, LCC, and the Midplane are not CRUs or
FRUs. They are internal to a node.
The Embedded Module is also called the I/O Personality Module
(IOPM).

Here is the top view of a node with the cover removed. Note the modular
design. The Link Control Card (LCC) Board interfaces between the CPU Board and
the NVMe drives. The CPU Board contains the CPUs, Memory, and M.2 modules.
The I/O Personality Module (Embedded Module) interfaces between the CPU
Board and the enclosure I/O connections (Embedded SAS, Service, Management,
and so forth).

There is a Midplane (not shown). The Midplane sits between the front and back of
the enclosure and separates the front-facing drives from the rear-facing nodes. It
distributes power and signals to all components in the enclosure. On the front of
the base enclosure, drives plug directly into the Midplane connections. On the back
of the base enclosure, the nodes, power supply modules, and I/O module plug
directly into the Midplane connections.

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LCC Board

CPU Board

Embedded
Module

Node Internal Component Locations

The locations of the internal components of PowerStore 1000 to 9000 are shown
here.

Seven (7) Fans

Internal Battery Backup Module

Two (2) CPUs

Two (2) M.2 Devices

24 DIMM Slots

4-Port Mezz Card

Two (2) I/O Module Slots

Power Supply Slot

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The PowerStore 500 T has a slightly different fan assembly, with six two-fan fan
modules:

PowerStore 500 Fan Module

Node Internal Components

Dual Inline memory modules

The PowerStore 500 T model has six 288-pin sockets with 16 GB DDR4 DIMMs.
On the PowerStore 1000 to 5000 models, each node has 24 288-pin DIMM sockets
to support up to 24 DDR4 DIMMs. The maximum memory varies for each model of
PowerStore. Memory upgrades, such as upgrading from 192 GB to 576 GB, are
not supported.

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16 GB DDR4 DIMM

Internal Battery Backup Module

Each node includes an internal battery that powers the associated node during a
power event. On the PowerStore 1000 to 9000 models, the battery is Lithium-ion
(Li-ion).

On the PowerStore 500 only, the battery provides power to the CPU and enables
cache vaulting during power loss or node panic.

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Battery backup module

Internal M.2 Modules

The primary M.2 240-GB SSD module is the primary boot device. It contains the
base operating system and storage system software. It also holds the root file
system and log files (main core dumps and data collects). On the PowerStore
500 model, each node has one 240 GB M.2 boot module. On PowerStore 1000 to
9000 models, the CPU Board on each node has slots for two internal M.2
modules, also called M.2 SSD or disk modules.

On the PowerStore 500 only, the M.2 module is used for cache to recover from
system failure. You can recover a new or broken node by performing PXE
installation from the peer node of a single appliance. Connect to the service
container and run svc_repair.

The secondary M.2 120-GB module has several partitions, one of which stores an
image file that is used for recovering or reimaging the primary M.2 disk. The other

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partitions M.2 include flag files (D@RE), certificate files, backup files, firmware
repository, and a secondary location for core dumps and data collects.

M.2 boot module

Fan Modules

Two fans are assembled into one fan module. On PowerStore 1000 to 5000
models, there are seven customer-replaceable fan modules within each node. The
PowerStore 500 model has six fan modules. The fan modules provide continuous
airflow through the front drives and out the back of the node to keep the
components at optimal operating temperatures. The BMC monitors and adjusts the
fan speeds as necessary.

A node can run with a single fan failure. If a fan fails, the temperature threshold
reduces from 50° to 45° C (113° to 122° F), and all fans run at maximum speed. If
two fan modules fault within the same node, the node performs a protective
thermal shutdown. Replacing fan units requires a node shutdown.

Fan module - bottom view

Fan module - side view

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Hardware Introduction

Power Supplies

There are two models of power supplies, 1800 W, and 2200 W. Higher CPU
configurations draw more power, and therefore require a more powerful power
supply. Do not mix power supply types in a Base Enclosure. The required input
voltage to the power supplies is 220–240v (High Line Power). Customers with 110v
(Low Line Power) must provide 220–240v or use step-up transformers.

AC Power

DC Power

Fault

Power supply LEDs

Drive Slots

 The Base Enclosure has 25 slots that are labeled 0 to 24. It supports only
NVMe devices
 SAS SSDs can only be added to Expansion Enclosures.
 The Base Enclosure contains a combination of NVMe data drives and NVMe
NVRAM devices.
 Base enclosure data drives are for data storage. They can be any combination
of NVMe SSD and NVMe SCM. A minimum of six data drives must be used.
 On the PowerStore 500 model, slots 0-24 are used for data storage. There are
no NVRAM disks:

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Data

PowerStore 500 disk view

 On the PowerStore 1000 and 3000 models, the last two slots (23 and 24) are
populated with two NVMe NVRAM devices. NVRAM slots 21 and 22 must
remain unpopulated on PowerStore 1000 and 3000 models:

Data NVRAM

PowerStore 1000 and 3000 disk view

 PowerStore 5000, 7000, and 9000 have higher performance requirements.

Those models are populated with four NVMe NVRAM devices in all the
NVRAM slots, 21 through 24:

Data NVRAM

PowerStore 5000, 7000, and 9000 disk view

 A vault is a location to dump the contents of cache to nonvolatile storage during

a power failure. Vaulting is the process of dumping that data to a safe location.

Drive Offerings

PowerStore supports four types of drives: NVMe SSD (Flash), NVMe Storage
Class Memory (SCM) SSD, NVMe NVRAM, and SAS SSD (Flash).

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The Base Enclosure supports three The Expansion Enclosure supports one
device types: device type:
 NVMe SSD (Data drive slots)  SAS SSD (All Slots)
 NVMe SCM (Data drive slots)
 NVMe NVRAM (NVRAM slots)

Data drive slots in the base enclosure can be populated with NVMe SSD or NVMe
SCM drives in any combination. You can mix NVMe SSD and NVMe SCM drives in
the same base enclosure. If you use NVMe SCM drives, you cannot add
expansion enclosures.

 Supported device capacities:

 Three (3) capacities of NVMe SCM Flash
 Four (4) capacities of NVMe Flash for use in Base Enclosure
 Three (3) capacities of SAS Flash for use in Expansion Enclosure
 One (1) capacity of NVMe NVRAM for cache in Base Enclosure

Click here for more information about FIPS.

 All devices, except the NVMe NVRAM, are 100% FIPS Type-D (FIPS certified
and labeled).

Interface Type Writes GB Encryption Block Size

Per Day Type
(WPD)

NVMe SCM 30 375 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

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NVMe SCM 30 750 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

NVMe SCM 30 1500 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

NVMe SSD/Flash 1 1920 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

NVMe SSD/Flash 1 3840 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

NVMe SSD/Flash 1 7680 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

NVMe SSD/Flash 1 15360 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

SAS SSD/Flash 1 1920 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

SAS SSD/Flash 1 3840 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

SAS SSD/Flash 1 7680 FIPS (Type- 512

D)

NVMe NVRAM Used for 8 Not FIPS 512

Cache certified

Rear Components and Modules

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Embedded Module - Mezz Cards

Each node contains the Embedded Module I/O Personality Module (IOPM). The
Embedded Module has two slots that are called (MEZZ 0 and MEZZ 1) MEZZ 0
slot can hold one 4-port card for front-end connectivity. Depending on the
PowerStore model, the MEZZ 1 slot is not used.

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Hardware Introduction

PowerStore 500T

A 4-port
card (MEZZ
0) is
optional
and only
required for
unified
MEZZ 0 MEZZ 1
deployment
(file
services) and clustering.

The 4-Port Mezz Card is used for cluster interconnect and front-end connectivity.

Only the 4-Port 25 GBE SFP based Mezz card is supported

 The card supports 1 GbE SFP to RJ45, 10 GbE SFP, 25 GbE SFP28, active
and passive TwinAx, and 10 GbE active or passive TwinAx
 No active TwinAX for 25 GbE

The Mezz card includes 4x TwinAx cables to be used to connect appliance to Top
of Rack switch.

A 2-Port Card on MEZZ 1 is is used for front-end connectivity and replication. The
2-Port card is a fixed 10 GbE Optical card.

PowerStore 1000-9000

Every
Appliance
must
contain a 4-
Port Card
on MEZZ 0.

The 4-Port MEZZ 0 MEZZ 1

Mezz Card
is used for connection of the Base Enclosure to an intercluster switch.

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There are two (2) types of 4-Port Mezz cards

 4-port 25 GbE SFP-based card. The 4-Port 25 GbE SFP-based card supports 1
GbE SFP to RJ45, 10 GbE or 25 GbE SFP, 25 GbE passive TwinAx, and 10
GbE active or passive TwinAx.
 4-port 10GBaseT card. The 4-Port 10GBaseT embedded module serves
Ethernet traffic at the supported speeds of 1 GbE and 10 GbE.

The first two ports of the 4-Port Card on the Embedded Module should be
connected to one of the 10GbE/25GbE Ethernet switches.

MEZZ 1 slot is empty for these models but has a USB port and a Nonmaskable
Interrupt (NMI) button.

I/O Module Types

There are three types of I/O modules (SLICs) available for installation into a Base
Enclosure:

4-Port BaseT

The 4-Port BaseT I/O module is supported in PowerStore T models. It can run at
interface speeds of 10 Gb/s and 1 Gb/s. The Ethernet module provides hosts
access to block storage resources over the iSCSI protocol.

Dell Technologies certified technicians can add I/O modules to empty slots after the
system is set up. Customers can replace faulty I/O modules.

Four 1/10 Gb/s

BaseT Ports

Link LED

Activity LED Power/Fault LED

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4-Port 25 GbE SFP-based

The 4-Port 25 GbE SFP-based I/O module is supported in PowerStore T models.

The Ethernet module provides hosts access to block storage resources over the
iSCSI protocol. The I/O module uses an optical 25 GbE or 10 GbE capable SFP+
connection to a host or switch port.

Power/Fault LED
SFP Link LEDs

The 4-Port 25 GbE SFP-based module supports the following types of SFP
transceivers:

 25 GbE SFP to RJ45

 25 GbE SFP-based SFP passive TwinAx
 10 GbE or 25 GbE SFP28
 10 GbE active or passive TwinAx
 1 GbE SFP to RJ45

4-Port 32 Gb Fibre Channel

The 4-Port 32 Gb Fibre Channel I/O module is supported in PowerStore T and

PowerStore X models. The I/O module is used to serve Fibre Channel block
protocol using SAN to hosts. Each port has an optical 16 Gb/32Gb capable SFP
connection to a host or switch port.

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SFP Link LEDs Power/Fault LED

 The SLIC supports two different types of SFP transceivers:

 32 Gb/s (can auto-negotiate to 16 Gb/s or 8 Gb/s)

 16 Gb/s (can auto-negotiate to 8 Gb/s or 4 Gb/s)

NVMe-oF

PowerStore supports Non-Volatile Memory express over Fabrics (NVMe-oF).

 NVMe-oF is front-end connectivity over 32 Gb FC I/O modules.
 NVMe-oF is supported on any 32 G/16 G FC switches running Brocade FOS
8.1.0 or later and Cisco NX-OS 8.1(1) or later.
 Fibre Channel front-end ports simultaneously support SCSI and NVMe access.
 You can use both protocols on same port or use each protocol on separate
ports.
 Both protocols are active with no option to disable one of them.
 Host Bus Adapter (HBA) supports 32 Gb Gen6 and 7.
 Marvell QLogic QLE series
 Broadcom Emulex LPe series
 NVMe Expansion shelf is not supported.

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PowerEdge Server PowerStore Array

HBAs

Switch

NVMe front-end connectivity

I/O Module Slot Information

Different PCIe channels are associated with each slot. Slot 0 has a 16 lane PCIe
channel, and Slot 1 has an eight lane PCIe channel. The 4-Port 32 Gb Fibre
Channel I/O module or the 4-Port 25 GbE SFP-based I/O module should be
installed in Slot 0 when possible.

Slot 1 Slot 0

Slot 0 Slot 1

Important: Install I/O modules in pairs—one module in Node A, and

one module in Node B. Both nodes must have the same type of I/O
modules in the same slots.

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Expansion Enclosure

PowerStore Expansion Enclosure Component List

Each Dell EMC PowerStore Expansion Enclosure consists of the following

components:

Component Description

Drive carrier Drive carriers provide contact with the enclosure slot guides
and connectors.

Drives Different drive types are distinguished by their type, capacity,

and speed labels on each drive.

Link Control Two LCCs support, control, and monitor the Expansion
Cards (LCCs) Enclosure and are the primary interconnect management
element. The LCCs connect to the node and other downstream
Expansion Enclosures.

Power Power supply and blower cooling assemblies are integrated

supplies/cooling into single modules. Each power supply can supply power to
modules both LCCs and the peer power supply fans.

Midplane The midplane separates the front-facing disk drives from the
rear-facing LCCs and distributes power and signals to all the
enclosure components.

Electromagnetic Protects the drives and unit from EMI.

Interference
(EMI) shielding

Cable Provide cable management for the power cables and SAS
management cables that attach to the back ports.
arms

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Expansion Enclosure Front and Back Components

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Expansion Enclosure Supported Drives

There are three (3) capacities of SAS Flash drives supported in Expansion
Enclosures. All drives are FIPS certified and labeled.

Interface Type WPD GB Encryption B/S

Type

SAS SSD/Flash 1 1920 FIPS 512

(Type-D)

SAS SSD/Flash 1 3840 FIPS 512

(Type-D)

SAS SSD/Flash 1 7680 FIPS 512

(Type-D)

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Top of Rack Switches

Ethernet Switches

Connect PowerStore to a pair of Ethernet switches to ensure high availability.

Single-switch configurations do not provide high availability. This requirement
applies to switches used for iSCSI, file, intercluster management, and intercluster
data. Dell EMC does not process PowerStore orders that include only a single
switch.

Each node must have at least one connection to each of the Ethernet switches.
Multiple connections provide redundancy at the NIC and switch levels.

It is recommended that you deploy the switches with Multichassis Link

Aggregation Group (MC-LAG). The Dell version of MC-LAG is called Virtual Link
Trunking interconnect (VLTi) topology. Alternative connectivity methods—including
reliable L2 uplinks and dynamic LAG—should be used only when VLTi is not a
possibility.

The PowerStore supports Dell EMC Networking Top-of-Rack (ToR) switches

running OS10 Enterprise Edition (OS10EE). Third-party switches with requisite
features are supported. See the PowerStore Simple Support Matrix for a list of
supported switches.

In PowerStore V2.0, PowerStore T model appliances can be deployed without Top-

of-Rack switches when NAS, iSCSI Storage networks, clustering, and
asynchronous replication are not required.

Dell Technologies recommends the following supported Dell EMC PowerSwitch

Ethernet switches:

For information about OS10EE, go to Dell Support and search for

OS10EE.

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Hardware Introduction

Dell Picture (click image to enlarge) Specifications

EMC
OS10EE
Model

S4148F-  48 Fixed 10-GbE SFP+

ON ports
 2 Fixed 40-GbE QSFP+
Click here for a 3D view of the ports
S4148F-ON switch.  4 Fixed 100-GbE QSFP28
ports

S4148T-  48 Fixed 10-GBASE-T

ON ports
 2 Fixed 40-GbE QSFP+
Click here for a 3D view of the ports
S4148T-ON switch.
 4 Fixed 100-GbE QSFP28
ports

S5248F-  48 Fixed 25-GbE SFP28

ON ports
 2 Fixed 200-GbE QSFP28-
Click here for a 3D view of the DD ports
S5248F-ON switch.
 4 Fixed 100-GbE QSFP28
ports

PowerStore T and PowerStore X Switches

PowerStore T and PowerStore X have different switch configurations.

PowerStore T uses two data switches PowerStore X uses two data switches.
and a management switch. Management runs through the data
switch connections.

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Data Switch 1
Management Switch

Data Switch 1 Data Switch 2

Data Switch 2
con

VLTi
connections

Example of PowerStore rack with one Example of PowerStore rack with two data
management switch and two data switches switches

Considerations for OOB management configuration:

 At least one OOB management switch is recommended for PowerStore T
configurations. PowerStore X does not support OOB management.
 Can be configured with or without a management VLAN.
 Switch ports must support untagged native VLAN traffic for system discovery.

PowerStore External Network Requirements

External networks are configured on the switches, in the PowerStore Initial

Configuration Wizard (ICW), and from the PowerStore Manager, REST API, or CLI.

Network configuration requires that, at a minimum, you provide a subnet for each
network. The management, storage, and NAS network must each run on a different
subnet. You cannot run any of the external networks on the same nonoverlapping
subnet.

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Important: Dell Technologies recommends that each network is

configured with a dedicated VLAN.

The following external networks are required for PowerStore deployments:

Network Types of Traffic Tagged Switch Use Node

or Transport
Untagged Ports

Initial PowerStore Untagged PowerStore PowerStore T

discovery Discovery Utility. T: uses dedicated
Management 1-GbE
switch Management
PowerStore PowerStore X
X: Primary uses ports 0
data switch and 1 of 4-port
card, 1-GbE
Management
port not used

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Management Management network Either PowerStore PowerStore T

traffic, which provides T: uses dedicated
access to: Management 1-GbE
switch Management
 Infrastructure
PowerStore PowerStore X
services, such as
X: Primary uses ports 0
DNS, NTP, and
data switch and 1 of 4-port
SMTP.
card, 1-GbE
 PowerStore from Management
the PowerStore port not used
REST API,
PowerStore
Manager, and
PowerStore CLI
 SupportAssist

Storage Storage network Either Primary data 4-port card

(block) traffic and switch
external data mobility
traffic, such as
replication and
storage migration.
PowerStore iSCSI
target portals for
front-end traffic.

NAS Server Network attached Either Primary data First two ports
(PowerStore storage (file) front-end switch of the 4-port
T only) access, such as NFS, card
SMB, and FTP. (VLTi/LACP)

First port of the

4-port card
(Active/Backup)

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vMotion The IP addresses are Either Enables First two ports

(PowerStore used for a dedicated users to of the 4-port
X only) network that transfers migrate card
virtual machines virtual
between appliances. machines
within the
vSphere
cluster.

PowerStore Internal Network Requirements

Network configuration overview:

 All types of PowerStore networks must be configured on the switch. The
Management must be configured the first time that you create a cluster in the
PowerStore Initial Configuration Wizard (ICW). Configure the Storage network
for iSCSI after the installation.
 NAS server networks are created through the PowerStore Manager, REST
API, or CLI after the initial cluster is created in PowerStore.
 As you add NAS servers to PowerStore, configure the Ethernet switches to
support the NAS server networks.
 An intracluster management network (ICM) and intracluster data network (ICD)
are preconfigured with the PowerStore.
 The intracluster management network uses IPv6 only. The IPv6 subnet is
automatically generated using standards that are based on IPv6 unique local
address (ULA).

Types of internal networks:

Network Types of Traffic

Intracluster Used to manage internal communication such as to the

management cluster database, and between appliances within a
cluster. The intracluster management network is
encrypted with IPSec.

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Intracluster data Used for intracluster data mobility traffic, such as

storage migration between appliances.

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PowerStore Hardware Key Points

Multiple hardware components make up the PowerStore system:

1. Base Enclosure:
 The base enclosure is made up of nodes A and B, which manage the
system.
 The base enclosure holds up to 25 drives.
2. Expansion Enclosure:
 Each expansion enclosure holds up to 25 SAS SSDs.
 An appliance may be a single base enclosure or a base enclosure plus up to
three expansion enclosures.
3. Top of Rack Switches:

 PowerStore T uses a management switch plus two data switches.

 PowerStore X uses two data switches, and management traffic uses those
same connections.
 A high-performance connection between data switches like VLTi is the
recommended configuration.

See this guide for more information: Hardware Information Guide for
PowerStore 1000,3000, 5000, 7000, and 9000.

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PowerStore Management Software

Use PowerStore Manager to access, configure, and manage individual PowerStore

appliances and clusters.

PowerStore Manager

Cluster

PowerStore T PowerStore T PowerStore T

Node B Node B Node B

Node A Node A Node A

Base Enclosure Base Enclosure Base Enclosure

Expansion Enclosure Expansion Enclosure

Expansion Enclosure

This three-appliance PowerStore T cluster is managed under a single instance of PowerStore

Manager.

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PowerStore Manager

Cluster

PowerStore X

Node B

Node A
Base Enclosure

Expansion Enclosure

Expansion Enclosure

A single PowerStore X appliance still forms a cluster.

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PowerStore Manager

Dashboard

1 2 3

PowerStore Manager opens to the Dashboard page by default with three

categories of information about the manage cluster/appliances. These categories
are divided in tabs: Overview, Capacity, and Performance. Many tabs provide
interactive filtering with persistent selections, and auto data refresh as status
changes.
1. The Overview tab provides monitoring on critical resources, and a summary of
provisioned block and file storage resources. Select a subtopic from these
sections, such as Volumes, which is shown on the Example—Volumes tab.
2. The Capacity tab displays information about space that is being used on the
cluster, including savings from data reduction. It also shows an estimate of
when the system is due to reach 100% capacity.
3. The Performance tab displays performance information, as shown on the
Example—Performance tab.

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Example—Volumes

1
A
2

1. To display a list of volumes, select Storage > Volumes from the dashboard.
A. To create one or multiple volumes, select +Create.
B. Selecting the Volumes widget on the Overview tab of the Dashboard page
opens the Volumes page under the Storage section. The Volumes page
displays a list of volumes that are provisioned in the cluster/appliances.
Selecting one item of the list displays the volume properties information such
as capacity, performance, and host mappings. You can continue to examine
by selecting a volume from the list. This procedure allows you to view
information specific to that volume, including:
 Current usage
 Historical usage
2. To make bulk changes to multiple volumes, select the check boxes and then
More Actions.

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Example—Performance

 To view a specific area, such as Performance, click the tab.

 The Performance tab displays a summary view of the overall system
performance on the last hour. You can optimize the view for different intervals
and different performance data, such as latency or IOPS.
 Data updates automatically.

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PowerStore CLI

Click image to enlarge.

You can manage the PowerStore system using PowerStore CLI (PSTCLI) instead
of a user interface interface.
 Intended for advanced users who want to run scripts to automate routine tasks.
 Supported tasks include:
 Configuring and monitoring the system
 Managing users
 Provisioning storage
 Protecting data
 Controlling host access to storage
 You can also use it for data exchange protocols, such as SNMP.

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Click here to find the PowerStore CLI User Guide.

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REST API

REST API is another way to manage the system.

 What is REpresentational State Transfer (REST)?

 A web-friendly API protocol style
 Follows standard HTTP conventions
 Commonly used in web services
 Use cases:

 Automated remote management, including replication.

 DevOps integrations
 Third-party tool integrations
 User interface and CLI backend—you can add your own extensions.
 Uses:
o Monitoring alerts—low space, performance issues, or hardware failures
o Historical metrics collection—billing, forecasting
o Data center integration
o Adding common storage task options not in the standard UI

Click here for a technical description of REST.

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Licensing

License Features

Features:
 Each PowerStore appliance requires a license.
 The license enables all PowerStore features.
 Licenses are permanent—no expiration.
 Appliances have a 30-day trial period without installing any licenses.
 Reinitializing the appliance resets the trial period.
 Appliance serial number is added to Dell EMC License database (ELMS)
accessible through Dell EMC Software License Central.
 VMware/ESXi Licensing is not part of PowerStore eLicensing feature.

Installation Process

Request

http

Licenses
PowerStore Appliance
Dell EMC License Central

 Primary appliance automatically retrieves licenses for all appliances in a cluster.

 Primary retries three times if retrieval fails.
 Primary retries once a day until it succeeds.
 Customers can manually retrieve and install licenses at dark sites or when
automatic process fails.
 If no license is loaded within 30 days, you cannot use system.
 Each license contains the appliance serial number—signed to prevent
alteration.

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When all cluster licenses are successfully installed, cluster displays active license
status under Settings > Cluster > Licensing, as shown:

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PowerStore Software Key Points

PowerStore can be managed in these ways:

1. PowerStore Manager is a user interface allowing access, configuration, and
administration of PowerStore appliances and clusters.
2. PowerStore CLI, commonly called PSTCLI, is a command line interface into
the system.
3. REST API can be used to automate remote management, manage metrics and
alerts, and integrate into the data center.
4. PowerStore licensing is automatic or manually, and covers all features except
VMware/ESXi.

See this guide for more information: Setting Up PowerStore

Manager.

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Reference Material

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Dell EMC Online Support

The Dell Technologies Support site (https://www.dell.com/support) is the main

resource for locating Product Support.

The Dell Technologies PowerStore Documentation site

(https://www.dell.com/powerstoredocs) is the main resource for locating
PowerStore documentation.

Complete the registration information to fully access the support site and
resources. Support features include Support by Product, Knowledge Bases,
Warranty and Contracts, Service Requests, Order Support, Contact Support, and
Downloads. Select any of the blue hypertext URLs to link to products and
resources.

For more information about the Support site, search for the “Dell EMC Customer
Support Guide” from the landing page.

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Important: Websites, web pages, and tools periodically change,

therefore some of these pages may have a different appearance than
what is shown here.

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Dell EMC PowerStore Series Product Page

The Support site provides links to a PowerStore product page. Features include
watching how-to videos, accessing online training modules, downloading the latest
product software, searching and participating in the online community, and more.
The “Replace Drives, Power Supplies and Other Parts” provides information and
links on ordering parts, identifying, and replacing a failed CRU. For deployments,
support options can be accessed through the product's support website.

Create a support account to register a system, download licenses, or obtain

update software.

If you are using a Community Edition, go to the Dell EMC Community Network
website. The Dell EMC Community Network website includes product-specific
communities that include relevant discussions, links to documentation and videos,
events, and more. The community not only provides you more information about
the products but also helps guide you through specific issues you may be
experiencing.

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PowerStore Manager In App (Offline) Help

Help can be found inside the PowerStore Manager application. Click the question
mark in the upper right corner. From the drop-down, there are options for Online
Help, General Support, Gather Support Materials, About version information,
and Configuration Recommendations.

Select Online Help to access the help Welcome page.

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SolVe Tool

SolVe can be used to locate/generate service information and procedures for Dell
EMC products. There are two versions: Desktop and Online. The Desktop version
does not require network access and can be used in dark sites. After SolVe is
launched, PowerStore can be selected as the product. To generate a procedure,
select a menu item then select the procedure that you are going to perform. SolVe
is updated periodically so it is a good idea to load the latest version when prompted
to do so. Always try to maintain the most current version.

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Appendix

Expected Performance and Capability

PowerStore T and 500 (T 1000 3000 5000 7000 9000

X Models only)

Max Drives 25 96

NVRAM per None 2 4

Appliance (Caching
Strategy)

Base Enclosure A 2U, two-node enclosure with 25 2.5-inch NVMe drive slots

Expansion None A 2U enclosure that is attached to a PowerStore

Enclosure base enclosure with 25 2.5-inch SAS drives slots
(3 max per appliance).

CPUs per 2 x Intel 4 x Intel 4 x Intel 4 x Intel 4x 4 x Intel

Appliance CPUs, CPUs, CPUs, CPUs, Intel CPUs,
CPUs,

System Per 192 GB 384 GB 768 GB 1,152 1,536 2,560

Memory Appliance GB GB GB

Per Node 96 GB 192 GB 384 GB 576 GB 768 1,280

(6 x 16 (12 x 16 (12 x 32 (12 x 16 GB GB
GB) GB) GB) GB + 12 (24 x (20 x 64
x 32 32 GB) GB)
GB)

Supported Drive NVMe NVMe SCM SSD (Flash), NVMe SSD (Flash),
Types SCM SAS SSD (Flash)
(Flash), Notes: Appliances with NVMe SCM drives in the
NVMe base enclosure cannot have expansion
SSD enclosures.
(Flash) Base enclosures with NVMe SSD drives can
have expansion enclosures with SAS SSD
drives.

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Max Raw Capacity 384 TB * 898.56 *

per Appliance * Maximum raw capacity may vary based on
available drive sizes.

Embedded Ports on 4x 4x 25/10/1 GbE Optical or 4x 10/1 GbE BaseT

Embedded Module 25/10/1
GbE
Optical
(Optional)
2x10
GbE
Optical

PowerStore T 4-port 25 4x 32/16/8 Gb FC, 4x 25/10/1 GbE Optical, or 4x

supported I/O GbE SFP 10/1 GbE BaseT
Modules (2 slots based
per Node) 4-port
BaseT
4-port 32
Gb Fibre
Channel

PowerStore X N/A 4x 32/16/8 Gb FC

supported I/O
Modules (2 slots
per Node)

Embedded SAS I/O 2 mini- 4 x 4 lane 12 Gb/s SAS ports for back-end
Ports per Appliance SAS HD connection
back-end
ports
(unused)

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Glossary
NVMe
Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) is a communications protocol specifically
developed for SSDs.

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