Data is a vital asset to business today, and storing it requires nothing but the best technology. The new Dell PowerVault MD3 Storage Array series from distributor Drive Control Corporation (DCC) is the next generation of affordable, enterprise-class storage hardware.
The MD3 series has been designed to meet a variety of business needs, from storage consolidation and supporting data intensive applications to optimisation of virtualised environments. The MD3 series offers the ideal solution to meet the needs and budgets of entry-level to midrange storage.
“The Dell MD3 series offers enterprise-class hardware at an affordable price, with a high level of flexibility. This versatile series lets users decide on the protocol to use, and supports a wide range of drive types. It features 16 Gigabits (Gb) Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabits Ethernet (GbE) iSCSI, and 12Gb Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) controllers and the latest technology in high-speed connectivity enabling faster data writing and enhanced performance. In addition, Dell offers several optional software features that enhance the features and functionality of the hardware,” says Jaco Erasmus, Dell enterprise division manager at DCC.
For enhanced ease of use, the MD3 series features advanced MD Storage Management software, an intuitive application that is designed to aid simpler interaction with the system for all levels of user. Using this multi-protocol tool, users can easily manage all administrative tasks, including configuration, re-configuration, expansion, maintenance and performance tuning. These tasks can all be performed on the fly with zero system downtime and no interruption to array performance. Flexible options include the ability to mix Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) levels, segment sizes, array sizes, and cache policies all within a single storage array.
The MD3 series is available in a number of different configurations: 12 x 3,5-inch hard drive form factors, 24 x 2,5-inch hard drive form factors, or a high-density enclosure that holds up to 60 x 2,5-inch or 3,5-inch hard drives. Capacity can also be added as required – the 12-drive and 24-drive form factors can scale up to 192 drives when you attach the PowerVault MD1200 or MD1220 expansion enclosures. The 60 Hard Disk Drive (HDD) array can expand to 180 drives in a 12U rack space with its own, specially designed, high-density MD3060e enclosure.
“The MD3 series also offers a number of feature enhancements,” Erasmus adds. “Software features provide added data protection, and optional remote replication and enhanced snapshot features ensure data can be protected at any global location. The integration of VMware VAAI helps improve performance by freeing the server from storage related tasks. Data management is simplified with Dynamic Disk Pools (DDP), which improve storage efficiencies with self-healing dynamic disk rebalancing.
“Other feature enhancements include thin provisioning and Solid State Drive (SSD) cache, which help improve performance. The Dell MD3 series is the ultimate value based storage solution for a number of applications.”
