Question: What RAID configurations does this support?
Answer: The PS Series supports RAID 5, 10, and 50.

Question: So the entire array is one big raid group? So it is a single-purpose, single-application box?
Answer: No. Each individual node has a certain type of RAID (10, 5, 50) and a certain type of disk (SATA, 10K, 15K SAS). The nodes in the group are striped together and appear as one big storage array to the connected servers. With the different RAID types and the Disk types you can have different LUNs with different performance capabilities.

Question: What does MPIO stand for?
Answer: Multi Path Input Output

Question: Does the distributed array-to-array replication option support MS-Exchange? (I'm thinking about EMC messaging vis-a-vis usage of SAN Copy instead of Mirrorview for this requirement.)
Answer: Auto-Snapshot Manager supports SQL database replication today similar to EMC's SAN copy. We are currently in development for the Exchange support that's planned for release first half 2008.

Question: Will this Dell EqualLogic product cause Dell to EOL the AX150i, AX4-5, MD3000i early?
Answer: No. These products fit between the AX4-5 and the CX arrays in terms of price and capabilities. MD3000i is our value offering and will remain a very viable part of our business. (AX4-5 is responsible for the EOL of the AX150.)

Question: If we have multiple enclosures in a single san, do all of the enclosures need to use the same raid type?
Answer: Each enclosure can be configured with it's own RAID type.

Question: What about path load balancing / fault tolerance for other OS's? Linux, VMware?
Answer: Yes. We support VMWare, Solaris, Linux, Mac, HPuX, AIX. If the OS has an industry standard iSCSI initiator, we support it.

Question: Who installs / configures the layered software?
Answer: There is no "layered" SW as in the EMC sense. All SW is included at no additional cost with purchase of the PS array. This SW (snapshots, replication, clones, thin provisioning) is all array based.

Question: Can you not have multiple raid arrays or carve LUNS like you could in an EMC array?
Answer: Yes. Each node has to be a certain RAID type, but you can have different RAID types in the same group.

Question: What is the max number of servers that can be connected -- limited like the MD series?
Answer: It is limited to a max of 512 hosts per SAN.

Question: What kind of cables do the PS5xx arrays use to connect themselves together?
Answer: Standard network cables.

Question: Can customers with existing EL arrays add Dell-purchased arrays to the pool of storage?
Answer: Yes.

Question: What type of PS/training will we offer? Will a customer be allowed to self install or will we require PS?
Answer: Self Installation, Remote and EDT. Current EqualLogic customers choose self-installation the majority of the time.

Question: Group Manager-- are there limits to how many EQ arrays it can manage? Multiple managers? If so, do multi-managers talk to each other?
Answer: The limits are as follows: 12 arrays per SAN, 8 arrays per pool within a SAN and one group manager per SAN.

Question: Will there be a tool that will allow us to manage PV, EqualLogic and Dell|EMC?
Answer: They are separate management interfaces at this point.

Question: Can pools span arrays?
Answer: Yes.

Question: When will the EqualLogic arrays be monitored in Dell OpenManage ITA?
Answer: TBD: Planning discussions are underway.

Question: How is newly released functionality/software delivered to the customer? Can they do or is that a part of maintenance? Is there a cost to new features that come out after the purchase?
Answer: FW updates are made available via the support site. There is no charge for FW upgrades.

Question: How robust is this compared to Mirrorview/SAN copy?
Answer: PS Series is an Enterprise-class array with Enterprise-class capabilities.

Question: Are there any best practices/recommendations from Microsoft AGAINST the PS Series (i.e. separating out the OS, LOGS, and DATA in a DB (application)? I know you can set up different virtual LUNS, but it seems you cannot dedicate individual hard drive disk groups to accommodate that type of recommendation.
Answer: Today Microsoft has endorsed iSCSI configurations for apps like SQL and Exchange but they have not made any recommendation on data layout. You can separate IO by placing volumes in different pools within the SAN. This will allow for isolation of IO types from one pool to another.

Question: Will the software be a drop-in-the-box disk or loaded on the system?
Answer: All SW is loaded on the array except for the Host Integration Tools (which allow for application-consistent snapshots).

Question: Are the EqualLogic arrays certified for Oracle? Will it be added to the Dell | Oracle Tested and Validated Configurations?
Answer: EqualLogic does support Oracle. We are working to get it on the tested and validated configurations. Planning is happening as we speak.

Question: Is it EqualLogic best practice to recommend iSCSI HBAs?
Answer: The solution fully supports GigE NICs, TOE cards, or HBAs.

Question: Will Dell offer evals on EQ?
Answer: Buy and Try will be offered in some cases. We will also offer regularly scheduled remote demonstrations and on-demand remote demonstrations. Ask about having an array brought to you for an on-site demonstration.

Question: Would it be possible to get some start up/set up guides to look at when we launch? These are helpful to show the customer.
Answer: Check dell.com/equallogic. Lots of material will be available there.

Question: How are the 3 Gigabit ports used? Are they port aggregated or do they support I/O independently? As I add a new shelf, do I address them with a second IP address?
Answer: Each active GigE port will need its own IP address. They will automatically load balance throughput.

Question: Does Virtualized storage restripe data equally between pools like EMC metalun expansion?
Answer: We stripe data across arrays within the same pool but not across pools.

Question: Do you have performance data on the PS5000E vs. the MD3000i and the AX4-5?
Answer: We will make PS-series performance available, but performance will not be the deciding factor. PS performance is quite good vs. AX and MD. The value of PS is advanced SW capabilities that come all-included.

Question: As you add arrays, does that mean you can stack the arrays together, or does that mean you just plug the new EQ into IP switch?
Answer: Into the Ethernet/IP switch.

Question: It was my understanding that the CX3 series was the first and only mid-tier array to show 5 x 9's. Is the availability of this array being positioned as on par w/ the CX3?
Answer: Yes. This is an enterprise-class array.

Question: How is the back end handled in a multi-chassis environment? Is there a master/slave relationship to keep track of volume metadata? What happens if access to the primary array with metadata goes down?
Answer: There is no primary array. They are all "peers."

Question: For PITCs, is the actual scheduling maintained on the host or array? I. e., if I "schedule" a snap at 12p every day, what determines that it will happen?
Answer: There are two ways to schedule snapshots. Snapshots can be scheduled from the group manager for the volume but they will be "crash consistent" because there will be no app integration. Auto-Snapshot Manager allows app integration through VSS to allow consistent snapshots of app data. These are scheduled on the host using Auto-Snapshot Manager.

Question: Can an EqualLogic act as a target for an EMC replication D/R application (i.e. Mirrorview)?
Answer: No.

Question: I'm not getting it. If all arrays are "peers" and an iSCSI is a point-to-point connection, how can the server access the right array that has the right part of its data?
Answer: The host maps to the volume through access control lists for that volume and volume data is spanned across the arrays in a pool.

Question: Can any of the hard drives be set up as a Hot Spare or does the customer only get RAID 50 in case they think two drives will fail at the same time, how soon will we have RAID 6?
Answer: Each array has two hot spares.

Question: Does the PS series have vault drives to host all their layered apps like an EMC array has, and if so, what is the disk space consumed?
Answer: There are no vault drives for layered apps.

Question: Does it do global hotsparing or only in the chassis they are in?
Answer: Only in the chassis they are in.

Question: So if customers have a vested investment and sizeable EMC footprint, EqualLogic would not be the best option when considering D/R, correct?
Answer: Absolutely correct.

Question: So not validated with Exchange yet?
Answer: No. There is very good ESRP posted on MS site and it is WHQL qualified.

Question: Where is the ACL (access control list) kept? Inside the server? In the MPIO software? How does the server access (R/W) a specific block?
Answer: ACL is on the array.

Question: Does the PS also handle its own data dedup?
Answer: Not at this point.

Question: EMC SANcopy supports EQL arrays ?
Answer: SANcopy will not support PS Series.

Question: Will the PS5xx work with older PS arrays?
Answer: Yes.

Question: It's hard to understand how an I/O (either Read or Write) is fulfilled. Which array responds to a server request, if many might have parts of that volume?
Answer: The array on which the data resides responds to the request.

Question: Can you upgrade from Complete Care to Complete Care Plus?
Answer: Yes.

Question: What about in a Write operation? Which array gets the request?
Answer: The arrays load balance based on I/O pattern. This is automatic.

Question: So the array DOES NOT support raid 1-- correct?
Answer: Correct.

Originally posted 2/1/2008