Setting Up Your Dell PowerVault MD3460/3860i/3860f/3060e Storage Array

Racking Your Storage Enclosure

This section covers the initial steps for setting up your Dell PowerVault storage array, focusing on physical installation and component verification.

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

NOTE: Indicates important information to help you make better use of your system.

⚠️ CAUTION: Indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data, and provides instructions on how to avoid the problem.

❗ WARNING: Indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

About the Storage Enclosure

The MD Series Dense Storage Enclosure is a 4U chassis featuring five physical-disk drawers, capable of holding 60 physical disks. It is managed by either two RAID controller modules or enclosure management modules (EMMs). A configuration with a single RAID controller or EMM is not supported.

The enclosure houses the following key components:

• Fan Modules (2)
• Power Supplies (2)
• RAID Controller Modules (2)

RAID Controller Modules

The MD Series Dense Storage Enclosure supports four different types of RAID controllers. It is mandatory that all RAID controllers installed within an enclosure are identical; mixing of RAID controllers is not supported. Supported types include:

• 16 Gbps Fiber Channel RAID Controller Module
• 10 Gbps iSCSI RAID Controller Module
• 12 Gbps SAS RAID Controller Module

Verify Storage Array Components

Your system is shipped with RAID controller modules, power supplies, and fan components pre-installed in the enclosure. Before proceeding, ensure that all components are properly seated and have not been dislodged or damaged during shipping.

Install the Enclosure in a Rack

The storage enclosure requires a compatible rack and a rack installation kit. For detailed instructions on installing the rack rails, please refer to the rack installation instructions that were shipped with your enclosure.

❗ WARNING: Do not install physical disks into the enclosure before racking. This significantly increases the enclosure's weight, making lifting and racking unsafe. Consult your enclosure's rack installation instructions for more details.

Locate Your System Service Tag

Your system is identified by a unique Express Service Code and Service Tag. This information is crucial for Dell support personnel to assist you efficiently.

Power Connection Requirements

❗ WARNING: Do not plug the enclosure into a standard power outlet. Your storage array is supplied with two IEC C19 to C20 jumper cords. Connect the C19 plug into the array's power supplies and the C20 plug into the power distribution unit (PDU) within the rack cabinet. For power redundancy, ensure that power connections from each enclosure are split between separate PDUs, which should then be connected to external power receptacles on different circuits. The enclosure exclusively accepts 200 V to 240 V input sources.

Expansion Enclosure Management Modules

You can expand your storage array's capacity by daisy-chaining up to two expansion enclosures, allowing for a maximum of 180 physical disks. Each 4U expansion enclosure added must contain two MD3060e EMMs.

Physical-Disk Drawers

The MD Series Dense Storage Enclosure features five physical-disk drawers, accessible from the front. Each drawer can accommodate up to 12 physical disks.

To open a drawer:

1. Flip both latches outward.
2. Pull the drawer out.

NOTE: When a drawer is opened, the enclosure's cooling fan RPM increases significantly to maintain optimal airflow. This is a normal operational behavior.

Installing Physical Disks

Physical-Disk Carriers

Physical disks are pre-installed in their carriers and shipped separately in anti-static packaging. For instructions on installing and removing physical disks from their carriers, please consult your system's Owner's Manual, available at dell.com/powervaultmanuals.

Physical Disk Installation Guidelines

• To ensure proper airflow, install physical disks from left to right and front to back within each drawer.
• A minimum of four disks must be installed in each drawer, specifically filling slots 0, 3, 6, and 9.
• Keep all drawers closed unless you need to access the physical disks. While the storage array operates normally with a drawer open, it is designed for optimal cooling when all drawers are closed.

To install a physical disk into a drawer:

1. Rotate the physical disk carrier handle upward to the vertical position.
2. Align the two raised buttons on the disk carrier with the corresponding notches on the physical-disk drawer.
3. Lower the physical disk into the drawer slot.
4. Rotate the physical disk carrier handle downward until the physical disk is properly seated in the connector and the carrier handle snaps into place.
5. Close the physical-disk drawer.

⚠️ CAUTION: Do not install disks randomly. Prioritize filling disk slots 0, 3, 6, and 9 first.

⚠️ CAUTION: Verify that the disk is not raised at the back of the drawer slot, as this indicates it is not properly seated. Closing the drawer with an improperly seated disk can damage both the drawer and the physical disk.

To close a drawer:

1. Push the drawer into the enclosure until the release latch clicks into place.
2. Close the latches on each side of the drawer.

Ensure the drawer is pushed in and closed completely.

⚠️ CAUTION: If a drawer is not completely inserted into the enclosure, other drawers may become locked. Do not force a drawer open, as this could damage the physical disk or the drawer itself.

Cabling Your Storage Array and Expansion Enclosure

This section details the cabling procedures for your Dell PowerVault storage array and its expansion enclosures.

Cabling Your Storage Array and Expansion Enclosure

The MD Series Dense enclosure supports both non-redundant (single path) and redundant (dual path) configurations, depending on your specific storage array model. For SAS and iSCSI storage arrays, refer to the respective Deployment Guides. For Fibre Channel storage arrays, consult "Configuring Fibre Channel With Dell MD3800f/3820f/MD3860f Series Storage Arrays" available at dell.com/powervaultmanuals.

The following configurations illustrate basic host server to storage array cabling concepts. Actual port availability varies by MD Series model.

Direct-Attached, Non-Redundant Cabling

This configuration connects host servers directly to the storage array without redundant paths. It typically involves connections to Host Server 1 and Host Server 2, as well as a connection to the Management Station via the Ethernet Management Port.

SAN-Attached Configuration

A supported switch zoning topology is required for deploying the MD3660f Fibre Channel storage array. For optimal throughput, all network components, including switches, routers, and host Network Interface Cards (NICs), must support the highest data speed of the storage array. For instance, connecting a 10 Gbps iSCSI storage array through a 1 Gbps network switch will significantly reduce overall throughput.

Cabling Guidelines

• Always cable your storage array while it is powered down.
• For Fibre Channel storage arrays, always use a Dell-supported Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) transceiver. Refer to the Dell PowerVault Support Matrix at dell.com/powervaultmanuals for compatible options.
• Ensure you understand the data availability and failover requirements for your specific configuration before cabling the storage array.
• Only use Dell MD3060e expansion enclosures to expand the capacity of your storage array.

Cabling Your MD3060e Expansion Enclosure

To add capacity to your RAID storage array, you can daisy-chain up to two 4U enclosures equipped with SAS-based MD3060e EMMs. This setup can provide a maximum of 180 physical disks when Premium Feature activation is utilized.

To connect an MD3060e-based expansion enclosure to your MD Series Dense RAID storage array:

1. Connect a supported SAS cable to the SAS OUT port on the MD Series Dense storage array.
2. Connect the other end of the SAS cable to SAS port 1 on the MD3060e EMM.
3. To add a second MD3060e expansion enclosure, daisy-chain it to the first expansion enclosure.

⚠️ CAUTION: Do not connect the SAS cable to SAS port 2 on the EMM.

⚠️ CAUTION: Similar to the RAID storage arrays, physical-disk slots 0, 3, 6, and 9 must be populated first in the expansion enclosures.

NOTE: A maximum of two expansion enclosures are supported, resulting in a total of three enclosures (one primary and two expansion).

SAN-Attached, Redundant Cabling

This configuration provides redundant data paths through SAN switches, connecting multiple host servers to the storage array and the management station.

Powering on the Storage Array

Follow these steps to correctly power on your storage array and any connected expansion enclosures.

❗ WARNING: Do not plug the enclosure into a standard power outlet. Use the provided IEC C19 to C20 jumper cords. Connect the C19 plug to the array's power supplies and the C20 plug to the rack's power distribution unit (PDU). For power redundancy, distribute connections across separate PDUs and different electrical circuits. The enclosure requires 200 V to 240 V input sources.

1. Turn on all network switches, routers, and other standalone network components.
2. Power on the MD3060e expansion enclosures, if they are connected.
3. NOTE: Wait until the enclosure status LED turns blue before proceeding to the next step.
4. Power on the MD Series Dense storage array.
5. NOTE: Wait until the storage array status LED turns blue before attempting to discover or manage the array.

Installing MD Storage Manager

The Dell PowerVault MD Series Resource DVD includes software and drivers for both Linux and Microsoft Windows operating systems. It also contains MD Storage Manager, a graphical utility used for configuring, managing, and monitoring the storage array and its expansion enclosures.

NOTE: If you are configuring an iSCSI storage array, use the MD Configuration Utility (MDCU) to set up iSCSI host ports and create iSCSI sessions. MDCU launches automatically upon the first system reboot after host installation of MDSM.

To install MD Storage Manager:

1. Insert the PowerVault MD Series Resource DVD into the local drive of the management or host system.
2. If the installer does not launch automatically, navigate to the DVD's root directory (or the downloaded installer ISO) and double-click md_launcher.exe for Windows, or use the auto-run feature for Linux.
3. Select "Install MD Storage Software" from the launcher.
4. The installation wizard will guide you through choosing between "Management Station" or "Host Installation," or both.
5. Ensure that the host-based storage agent and multipath drivers are installed on each host server that will access the storage array.

Review the Readme File

A readme.txt file is located in the Resource DVD's root directory. This file contains the latest updates, fixes, and other important information applicable to your storage array.

Discovering and Managing Your Storage Array

To discover your storage array, your system must be connected to the Ethernet management port on your RAID controller module. This connection can be on the same subnet or routed through a configured network switch. For management operations, ensure you are connected to both RAID controller modules through a fully configured Ethernet management port.

NOTE: For optimal throughput, using out-of-band management is recommended.

Starting MD Storage Manager

To launch MD Storage Manager:

Select Start → Programs → Dell → MD Storage Manager.

The Enterprise Management Window (EMW) will display host servers and storage arrays that have been automatically discovered on your local subnet.

Using the Automatic Configuration Wizard

The Automatic Configuration Wizard simplifies the creation of multiple disk groups, disk pools, virtual disks, and hot spare physical disks with identical attributes. To initiate the wizard, navigate to Storage Array → Configuration → Automatic → Disk Pools or Disk Groups.

Manually Configuring Storage Space

To manually configure your storage space, select Storage → Virtual Disk → Create. Follow the on-screen instructions to define your virtual disk space.

Discovering Your Storage Array

1. In the EMW, click "Setup".
2. Select "Add Storage Array".
3. Choose either "Automatic" or "Manual" discovery.
4. NOTE: Automatic discovery locates all storage arrays on your local subnet. Manual discovery requires you to input the IP address or network name of the storage arrays.
5. Click "OK".
6. Double-click the discovered storage array to open the Array Management Window.