Dell EqualLogic Includes Flash-Enabled Array

Dell, Inc. announced enterprise technology to help customers architect new data centers and modernize campus networks, while meeting increasing IT performance and network access demands.

The new solutions include the highest-performing Dell EqualLogic storage solutions to date and higher-speed wireless and simplified campus networking switches.

The new products announced help customers architect and build future-ready data centers which address customer expectations for instant access to information no matter if they are in the office or working remotely.

New Dell EqualLogic releases include the PS6210 storage arrays, which extend ability to deliver flash at the price of disk solutions for customers seeking both faster performance and higher cost efficiency for their data-intensive virtual environments.(4)

The new suite of Dell Networking campus solutions enables customers to deploy and scale campus networks and maximize efficiency with visibility into the network environment from a single console. The networking solutions also secure the devices and information at the network edge, leverage existing investments, and can reduce capital expenses by more than 50%.(2)

Dell also unveiled new systems management capabilities for OpenManage, including intelligent auto-configuration of servers, which are infrastructure-aware, to simplify IT management tasks, deliver optimal workload and server performance, and to provide additional time and cost-savings to customers.

“Dell continues to be an increasingly important partner for enterprises of all sizes as we deliver innovative products to help customers solve problems in new ways,” said Marius Haas, chief commercial officer and president, Dell enterprise solutions. “Today’s announcements further redefine data center economics with technology that provides unsurpassed product functionality and lower TCO to power modern workloads through storage and networking innovation. Dell’s approach offers intelligent solutions that prepare customers with a future-ready data center built on a scalable architecture to support their data center growth.”

Dell Storage Platform
Offers up to Three Times Performance Improvement
The new generation of EqualLogic storage technologies allows customers to scale from small environments to large data centers while addressing their needs for enterprise storage that is easy to manage and optimized for highly-virtualized environments. The simplicity and virtualization support designed into EqualLogic has helped the company remain the overall market leader of iSCSI-based storage for more than the past five years, according to IDC.(6)

Storage customers can benefit from offerings announced
that seamlessly integrate into existing environments
without requiring downtime or a storage overhaul:

PS6210 Series arrays – With six models, including all-flash, hybrid and all-HDD options, the new arrays offer increased throughput, up to three times higher performance and four times the memory of prior generations with a faster, more powerful storage controller. New flash-enabled arrays can support 2.4 times the virtual desktops (7) and double the OLTP database workload performance with half the latency of prior-generation arrays.(8) The scale-out architecture enables organizations to minimize I/O bottlenecks and address growing workloads with flash-enabled SANs that can achieve more than 1.2 million IO/s with less than two millisecond latency.9
EqualLogic Array Software 7.0 – It simplifies storage management, accelerating customers’ virtualization efforts by streamlining ongoing administration with new policy-based access controls and an improved user interface, available, like all EqualLogic software, at no additional charge for customers with support contracts. Dell offers a new 64-bit software version for new arrays that works seamlessly with a 32-bit version for older arrays.
EqualLogic SAN HQs 3.0 – SAN monitoring software provides reporting and analysis and performance and event monitoring across multiple EqualLogic groups. The new release includes Array Software 7.0 features support and Dell SupportAssist enhancements that improve customer support with expanded automated support case creation and new case tracking.
Fluid File System (FluidFS) v3 on EqualLogic FS7610/7600 – This file system software decreases the capacity needed to store common enterprise file data by up to 48% by deduplicating and compressing redundant data when no longer needed.(10) FluidFS v3 offers expanded protocol support and more third-party certifications, growing the ecosystem of industry-specific supported solutions, including healthcare PACS vendors.

The new generation of EqualLogic storage extends cost competitive all-flash offerings on the heels of Dell being recognized as the preferred vendor for flash-based enterprise solutions among IT leaders globally, according to independent research from ITIC and Storage Strategies NOW.(11) The arrays unlock the power of flash, allowing customers to achieve up to 3 times the IO/s performance compared to the previous generation of flash-enabled arrays.(1) One PS6210 all-flash array can provide higher performance and capacity compared with four all-15K disk arrays while delivering 64% lower latency, 75% less rack space and 11% lower total cost.(4)

Dell Networking With New Campus Solutions to Connect Modern Workforce
Just as network architectures in the data center are transforming to accommodate new workloads, applications and delivery models, so too are campus network architectures. Rising end-user expectations for a rich multimedia experience, increased mobility, BYOD, and access to cloud services are often incompatible with previous-generation campus network architectures. Most current campus network designs were never intended to provide today’s ‘everywhere’ wireless access. As Bob Laliberte, senior analyst for Enterprise Strategy Group, notes, ESG research indicates that the majority of respondents (60%) from a recent campus network survey were actively moving to a 10GbE core campus network to meet these new demands.(5)

Dell Networking W-Series – Modernize Wireless Edge with Wired-Like Speeds

W-Series Gigabit Wireless Access Points deliver data rates up to 1.3Gb/s for end-to-end wireless infrastructure solutions utilizing the 802.11ac standard. Unlike other solutions that require an add-on module, these new access points were designed to simplify .ac wireless implementations.
The new Dell W-AP224/225 are the first purpose-built 802.11ac enterprise access points shipping in the market, allowing customers to deploy the performing gigabit wireless access points available – up to three times faster than 802.11n access points.
ClientMatch technology the W-AP224/225 access points ensure predictable Wi-Fi performance.
Dell 220 series enterprise access points offer centralized configuration, data encryption, policy enforcement and network services, as well as distributed and centralized traffic forwarding.

Dell Networking N-Series – Grow as Needs Change

Many customer campus networks still employ 10/100Mbps speeds at the edge and 1GbE in the core. The Networking N-Series is a family of energy efficient, cost-effective 1GbE and 10GbE switches designed for modernizing and scaling campus network infrastructures with a comprehensive enterprise feature set.
New enterprise OS redefines simplicity using a familiar command-line and user interface which means configuration and processing is identical across the N-Series switch families, allowing for consistent configurations, management, and troubleshooting.
Achieve HA and full bandwidth utilization with multi-chassis link aggregation and support firmware upgrades without taking the network offline.
For greater interoperability in multivendor networks, all N-Series switches offer the latest open standard protocols and include technology to interface with Cisco protocols.

Dell Networking C-Series – Manage Expansion with Optimum Uptime for the Enterprise

The C-Series delivers a highly-available foundation with versatile, high performance modular switches for demanding enterprise and end-user environments. The series are modular, redundant 1/10/40 GbE switches designed with flexible connectivity, dependable operation and software for enterprises, mid-market, and data center environments. Customers can achieve high-performance aggregation and back-end infrastructure for end-user mobility, reducing bottlenecks and congestion with high density 10GbE and 40GbE operation.
Readily support unified communication and collaboration and VDI across a global workforce with scalable user density and performance on-demand.
Mix-and-match easily and pay-as-you-grow with flexible Ethernet expansion and deployment options, to deliver agile functionality and operate efficiently.

Dell OpenManage Delivers Advanced Automation
to Optimize Infrastructure and Workloads
IT is under constant pressure to optimize infrastructure for the workloads that matter most to the business, monitor and manage the full stack of hardware within their environment, decrease deployment time and simplify operational tasks. With enhancements to Dell’s agent-free embedded server management technology, iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller, customers can now automate server deployments and configurations for workload performance and availability. The automation features simplify systems management operations for environments of any scale – from one server to thousands – allowing administrators to decrease time from setup to production by more than 90%.

Availability

PS6210 Series, supporting software, and FS7610/00 with Fluid FS v3 are available worldwide this month.
Networking W-series is available worldwide today.
Networking N-series availability is expected in early 2014.
Networking C-series with POE+ and 10G line cards is available today, 40G line cards are expected in the first quarter 2014.
OpenManage enhancements will be available worldwide in December 2013.

“As a Dell EqualLogic customer for several years, we have leveraged the technology to give our firm a distinct advantage over our competitors,” said Rich Raether, director of security and network services for Milwaukee-based Quarles & Brady LLP. “We initially partnered with Dell to help reduce the complexity of our SAN environment, but EqualLogic filled many of our other needs including DR with offsite replication and elimination of backup tapes with SAN-based snapshots. As we transition to 10GbE platforms, we are looking forward to new enhancements on the PS6210 and FS7610, including increased speed and capacity savings with compression and data deduplication. These features will make it easier for our engineers to deliver better services to our attorneys and make them more productive in servicing our clients.”

“We are modernizing our network with the new Dell Networking N-Series that provides consistent L2/L3 solution to manage our network peripheral sprawl in the workplace, saving space and operational expenses with an easily managed end-of-row solution,” said Jonathan LaChance, global network and telecom manager, National Instruments.

(1) Performance will vary depending on the workload and drive type. Based on September 2013 Dell performance testing comparing the PS6210XS and PS6110XS arrays with 4KB block and 100% random read IOs.

(2) Calculation performed for 720 access ports (15 N2048 switches versus comparable Cisco 2960X-48TD-L) in 3 stacks operating at 1Gb speeds and 30 10Gb ports (2 N4032F switches versus Cisco 4500X-32SFP+). Cost comparisons use list price as available on November 24, 2013.

(3) Results based on Reducing Deployment Time with Dell Chassis Management Controller, a principled technologies report commissioned by Dell, July 2013, comparing the differences in time and steps to manually set up an M1000e chassis fully populated with 16 identically configured M620 server nodes, versus manual configuration of a baseline M620 blade and automatically replicating the server settings to the additional 15 blades in the enclosure. Actual performance will vary based on configuration, usage and manufacturing variability. .

(4) One PS6210S (SSD) can replace four PS6210XV (15K) arrays for a (30,000 IO/s OLTP database workload and 10TB of usable capacity) and deliver up to 35% more IO/s, 75% Rack U reduction, 64% lower latency, 8% more capacity, 11% lower price and lower power. Based on November 2013 Dell internal analysis of US list pricing, technical specifications and performance testing when comparing the PS6210XV and PS6210S arrays with 70/30 R/W random workload with 8K block size. System comparisons will vary depending on the workload and configuration.

(5) ESG Research Report, The Evolving State of the Campus and Wireless Network, due to be published January 2014.

(6) Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Disk Storage Systems Tracker, December 2013.

(7) Performance will vary depending on the VDI workload. Based on October 2013 Dell performance tests using LoginVSI VDI workload generator tool.

(8) Performance may vary depending on the workload and drive type. Based on September 2013 Dell performance testing comparing the PS6210XS and PS6110XS arrays with 4KB block and 70/30 R/W random workload.

(9) Performance may vary depending on the workload and drive type. Based on September 2013 Dell performance testing using 8 PS6210XS arrays with PowerEdge R620 and R610 servers and Dell Networking switches, using 100% read workloads.

(10) Based on May 2013 internal Dell analysis of the FS8600 NAS appliance with Fluid Data Reduction, using real-world home share environment comprised of Office files (21%), .GZ (19%) and .flate (19%) files, among others.

(11) Storage Strategies NOW, Enterprise Use Cases for Solid State Storage/Flash Memory, August 2013.