If you’re using SAN in your Power Systems environment without taking advantage of FlashCopy, we have one question for you: Why not?
FlashCopy takes a quick snapshot of your data at a particular point in time, then POOF! Your data is available for backup or use on another partition for high availability, disaster recovery, or even to create a test environment for your developers.
Join IBM i expert Chuck Stupca, IBM emeritus, as he explains how FlashCopy works and how best to take advantage of its unique features. We’ll also discuss ways that it helps you build a better backup strategy for your IBM i environment:
• Making a backup copy of production for tape-based saves
• Providing test environments from your production data in seconds
• Comparing FlashCopy to a save-while-active backup
Modul One Day Workshop Proxmox Automation With AnsibleI Putu Hariyadi
Modul One Day Workshop "Proxmox Automation With Ansible" yang diselenggarakan oleh Network Community (NETCOM) Universitas Bumigora pada hari sabtu dan minggu, 2-3 Nopember 2019.
APNIC Senior Network Analyst/Technical Trainer Dave Phelan presents on open source SD-WAN at mnNOG, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from 18 to 23 September 2023.
If you’re using SAN in your Power Systems environment without taking advantage of FlashCopy, we have one question for you: Why not?
FlashCopy takes a quick snapshot of your data at a particular point in time, then POOF! Your data is available for backup or use on another partition for high availability, disaster recovery, or even to create a test environment for your developers.
Join IBM i expert Chuck Stupca, IBM emeritus, as he explains how FlashCopy works and how best to take advantage of its unique features. We’ll also discuss ways that it helps you build a better backup strategy for your IBM i environment:
• Making a backup copy of production for tape-based saves
• Providing test environments from your production data in seconds
• Comparing FlashCopy to a save-while-active backup
Modul One Day Workshop Proxmox Automation With AnsibleI Putu Hariyadi
Modul One Day Workshop "Proxmox Automation With Ansible" yang diselenggarakan oleh Network Community (NETCOM) Universitas Bumigora pada hari sabtu dan minggu, 2-3 Nopember 2019.
APNIC Senior Network Analyst/Technical Trainer Dave Phelan presents on open source SD-WAN at mnNOG, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from 18 to 23 September 2023.
How do the 802.11u and HotSpot 2.0 work?Michal Jarski
Detailed description of interworking mechnisms introduced by IEEE 802.11u standard and how they are used by HotSpot 2.0 next generation Wi-Fi access layer.
Alfresco DevCon 2019 Performance Tools of the TradeLuis Colorado
Discover tips and tools that will help you to keep your Alfresco environment in shape. Most of the best tools are free or Open Source, and this presentation will guide you through the steps to improve the performance of your system.
With so much attention on cryptographic protection of data in flight, as well as weaknesses discovered in existing cryptographic protocols and algorithms, z/OS administrators and auditors need to be able to assess the quality of the cryptographic network protection being applied to their z/OS workloads. But with so many protocols and so many ways to configure and use them, this assessment can be daunting if not downright impossible. This session introduces a new z/OS V2R3 Communications Server feature called z/OS Encryption Readiness Technology (zERT) that provides the data that you need to build a complete picture of your z/OS cryptographic network protection posture.
IBM z/OS Communications Server z/OS Encryption Readiness Technology (zERT)zOSCommserver
Back in 2017, we introduced you to a new capability called z/OS Encryption Readiness Technology (zERT). zERT provides z/OS network security administrators the data they need to understand and assess the quality of the cryptographic protection being applied to their z/OS network traffic. This session will cover new zERT features that have been added, including the zERT Network Analyzer (a z/OSMF plugin), a healthy list of IBM and ISV products that consume zERT SMF data, some new configuration options, and a few hints and tips.
Domino Server Health - Monitoring and ManagingGabriella Davis
If you're a Domino administrator how do you decide what to monitor on your servers and how to manage them ? What are the key things to monitor? How do good practice management tools such as statistics reporting, DDM, cluster symmetry, database repair and policy settings make your work lighter and faster. Finally we’ll talk about some of the “must dos” in the day, week and month of a Domino admin.
Presented at Engage.ug in Brussels May 2019
TechBook: Using EMC VNX Storage with VMware vSphereEMC
This EMC Engineering TechBook describes how VMware vSphere works with the EMC VNX series. The content in this TechBook is intended for storage administrators, system administrators, and VMware vSphere administrators.
How do the 802.11u and HotSpot 2.0 work?Michal Jarski
Detailed description of interworking mechnisms introduced by IEEE 802.11u standard and how they are used by HotSpot 2.0 next generation Wi-Fi access layer.
Alfresco DevCon 2019 Performance Tools of the TradeLuis Colorado
Discover tips and tools that will help you to keep your Alfresco environment in shape. Most of the best tools are free or Open Source, and this presentation will guide you through the steps to improve the performance of your system.
With so much attention on cryptographic protection of data in flight, as well as weaknesses discovered in existing cryptographic protocols and algorithms, z/OS administrators and auditors need to be able to assess the quality of the cryptographic network protection being applied to their z/OS workloads. But with so many protocols and so many ways to configure and use them, this assessment can be daunting if not downright impossible. This session introduces a new z/OS V2R3 Communications Server feature called z/OS Encryption Readiness Technology (zERT) that provides the data that you need to build a complete picture of your z/OS cryptographic network protection posture.
IBM z/OS Communications Server z/OS Encryption Readiness Technology (zERT)zOSCommserver
Back in 2017, we introduced you to a new capability called z/OS Encryption Readiness Technology (zERT). zERT provides z/OS network security administrators the data they need to understand and assess the quality of the cryptographic protection being applied to their z/OS network traffic. This session will cover new zERT features that have been added, including the zERT Network Analyzer (a z/OSMF plugin), a healthy list of IBM and ISV products that consume zERT SMF data, some new configuration options, and a few hints and tips.
Domino Server Health - Monitoring and ManagingGabriella Davis
If you're a Domino administrator how do you decide what to monitor on your servers and how to manage them ? What are the key things to monitor? How do good practice management tools such as statistics reporting, DDM, cluster symmetry, database repair and policy settings make your work lighter and faster. Finally we’ll talk about some of the “must dos” in the day, week and month of a Domino admin.
Presented at Engage.ug in Brussels May 2019
TechBook: Using EMC VNX Storage with VMware vSphereEMC
This EMC Engineering TechBook describes how VMware vSphere works with the EMC VNX series. The content in this TechBook is intended for storage administrators, system administrators, and VMware vSphere administrators.
Storage Configuration Best Practices for SAP HANA TDI and EMC ScaleIO Converg...EMC
This white paper presents a new way to overcome the limitations of traditional SAP HANA appliance-based deployments by configuring a Tailored Data Center Integration (TDI) solution for HANA based on EMC ScaleIO converged storage.
This white paper describes EMC VNX Snapshots. The paper reviews and explains operations and best practices for the feature, as well as limits and functions.
White Paper: EMC Backup and Recovery for Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint 20...EMC
This white paper explains the testing and validation of the backup and recovery capabilities and benefits of EMC Avamar in a virtualized Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 environment on EMC VNX.
EMC for Network Attached Storage (NAS) Backup and Recovery Using NDMPEMC
This white paper provides an overview of EMC's industry-leading backup and recovery solutions for NAS systems. It also explains how EMC's backup solutions complement snapshots for optimized data protection across the enterprise.
This white paper introduces EMC Fully Automated Storage Tiering for Virtual Pools (FAST VP) technology and describes its features and implementation. Details on how to use the product in Unisphere are discussed, and usage guidance and major customer benefits are also included.
Catalog MCCB LS metasol tổng hợp - beeteco.comBeeteco
Catalog MCCB LS metasol tổng hợp, ABN803c, ABN104c, ABN204c, ABN54c, ABS203c, ABS104c
Beeteco.com là trang mua sắm trực tuyến thiết bị điện - Tự động hóa uy tín tại Việt Nam.
Chuyên cung cấp các thiết bị: Đèn báo nút nhấn, Relay, Timer, Contactor, MCCB ELCB, Biến tần, Van, Thiết bị cảm biến, phụ kiện tủ điện, .... Từ các thương hiệu hàng đầu trên thế giới.
www.beeteco.com @ Công ty TNHH TM KT ASTER
Địa chỉ : Số 7/31 KDC Thương Mại Sóng Thần, KP. Nhị Đồng 1, P. Dĩ An, Tx. Dĩ An, Tỉnh Bình Dương
FB: www.facebook.com/beeteco
Email: contact@beeteco.com
Tel: 0650 3617 012
Hotline: 0909.41.61.43
A brief study on Storage Area Network (SAN), SAN architecture & its importance. It focuses on the techniques and the technologies that have evolved around SAN & its Security.
TechBook: EMC VPLEX Metro Witness Technology and High Availability EMC
This TechBook describes how implementation of EMC VPLEX leads to a higher level of availability. It also introduces VPLEX High Availability and the VPLEX Witness.
White Paper: Using VPLEX Metro with VMware High Availability and Fault Tolera...EMC
This white paper discusses using best of breed technologies from VMware and EMC to create federated continuous availability solutions. The following topics are reviewed: choosing between federated FT or federated HA, design considerations and constraints, and operational best practice.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery for Oracle11g Enabled by EMC Symmet...EMC
This white paper describes a data protection and disaster recovery solution for Virtualized Oracle Database 11gOLTP environments, enabled by EMC Symmetrix VMAXe with Enginuity for VMAXe, EMC RecoverPoint, and VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager. It covers both local data protection and automated failover and failback between remote sites.
This White Paper outlines how EMC Compute-as-a-Service enables service providers to create a scalable foundation that allows them to deliver value-added services and create additional revenue streams.
White Paper: Storage Tiering for VMware Environments Deployed on EMC Symmetri...EMC
This white paper demonstrates how EMC Fully Automated Storage Tiering with Virtual Pools (FAST VP) technology can be used effectively in an environment virtualized using VMware technologies.
This document describes the reference architecture of the EMC infrastructure for VMware View 5.1, EMC VNX Series (FC), VMware vSphere 5.0, VMware View Persona Management, VMware View Storage Accelerator, and VMware View Composer 3.0 solution, which was tested and validated by the EMC Solutions group.
Learn about IBM PowerVM Virtualization Introduction and Configuration. PowerVM is a combination of hardware, firmware, and software that provides CPU, network, and disk virtualization.This publication is also designed to be an introduction guide for system administrators, providing instructions for tasks like Configuration and creation of partitions and resources on the HMC,Installation and configuration of the Virtual I/O Server, creation and installation of virtualized partitions. For more information on Power Systems, visit http://ibm.co/Lx6hfc.
Visit http://on.fb.me/LT4gdu to 'Like' the official Facebook page of IBM India Smarter Computing.
Networking for Storage Virtualization and EMC RecoverPoint TechBook EMC
This EMC Engineering TechBook provides a high-level overview of using block storage virtualization solutions, such as EMC VPLEX and Invista, as well as RecoverPoint replication protection. Basic information on interswitch link hops, along with examples showing hop counts in four different fabric configurations, are included.
Cloud Foundry Platform as a Service on Vblock SystemEMC
This white paper describes how to build a PaaS service with Cloud Foundry enabled by Pivotal CF on Vblock systems while ensuring scalability and elasticity of underlying cloud structure including storage, compute, and networking layers.
The IT industry has gained significant efficiency and flexibility as a direct result of virtualization. Organizations are moving toward a virtual datacenter (VDC) model, and flexibility, speed, scale and automation are central to their success. Although compute and memory resources are pooled and automated, networks and network services, such as security, have not kept pace. Traditional network and security operations not only reduce efficiency but also limit the ability of businesses to rapidly deploy, scale and protect applications. VMware vCloud® Networking and Security™ offers a network virtualization solution to overcome these challenges. This paper describes various components of the network virtualization solution and explains one of the key technology - VXLAN. It also provides design considerations that will help virtualization and network architects deploy this solution successfully in their environment.
TechBook: DB2 for z/OS Using EMC Symmetrix Storage Systems EMC
This EMC Engineering TechBook provides a general description of EMC products that can be used for DB2 administration on z/OS. Using EMC products to manage DB2 environments can reduce database and storage management administration, reduce CPU resource consumption, and reduce the time required to clone, back up, or recover DB2 systems
INDUSTRY-LEADING TECHNOLOGY FOR LONG TERM RETENTION OF BACKUPS IN THE CLOUDEMC
CloudBoost is a cloud-enabling solution from EMC
Facilitates secure, automatic, efficient data transfer to private and public clouds for Long-Term Retention (LTR) of backups. Seamlessly extends existing data protection solutions to elastic, resilient, scale-out cloud storage
Transforming Desktop Virtualization with Citrix XenDesktop and EMC XtremIOEMC
With EMC XtremIO all-flash array, improve
1) your competitive agility with real-time analytics & development
2) your infrastructure agility with elastic provisioning for performance & capacity
3) your TCO with 50% lower capex and opex and double the storage lifecycle.
• Citrix & EMC XtremIO: Better Together
• XtremIO Design Fundamentals for VDI
• Citrix XenDesktop & XtremIO
-- Image Management & Storage
-- Demonstrations
-- XtremIO XenDesktop Integration
EMC FORUM RESEARCH GLOBAL RESULTS - 10,451 RESPONSES ACROSS 33 COUNTRIES EMC
Explore findings from the EMC Forum IT Study and learn how cloud computing, social, mobile, and big data megatrends are shaping IT as a business driver globally.
Reference architecture with MIRANTIS OPENSTACK PLATFORM.The changes that are going on in IT with disruptions from technology, business and culture and so IT to solve the issues has to change from moving from traditional models to broker provider model.
Force Cyber Criminals to Shop Elsewhere
Learn the value of having an Identity Management and Governance solution and how retailers today are benefiting by strengthening their defenses and bolstering their Identity Management capabilities.
Container-based technology has experienced a recent revival and is becoming adopted at an explosive rate. For those that are new to the conversation, containers offer a way to virtualize an operating system. This virtualization isolates processes, providing limited visibility and resource utilization to each, such that the processes appear to be running on separate machines. In short, allowing more applications to run on a single machine. Here is a brief timeline of key moments in container history.
This white paper provides an overview of EMC's data protection solutions for the data lake - an active repository to manage varied and complex Big Data workloads
This infographic highlights key stats and messages from the analyst report from J.Gold Associates that addresses the growing economic impact of mobile cybercrime and fraud.
This white paper describes how an intelligence-driven governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) model can create an efficient, collaborative enterprise GRC strategy across IT, Finance, Operations, and Legal areas.
The Trust Paradox: Access Management and Trust in an Insecure AgeEMC
This white paper discusses the results of a CIO UK survey on a“Trust Paradox,” defined as employees and business partners being both the weakest link in an organization’s security as well as trusted agents in achieving the company’s goals.
2014 Cybercrime Roundup: The Year of the POS BreachEMC
This RSA fraud report summarizes cybercrime in 2014 and includes the number of phishing attacks globally, top hosting countries for phishing attacks, the financial impact of global fraud losses, and a monthly highlight.
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Generating a custom Ruby SDK for your web service or Rails API using Smithyg2nightmarescribd
Have you ever wanted a Ruby client API to communicate with your web service? Smithy is a protocol-agnostic language for defining services and SDKs. Smithy Ruby is an implementation of Smithy that generates a Ruby SDK using a Smithy model. In this talk, we will explore Smithy and Smithy Ruby to learn how to generate custom feature-rich SDKs that can communicate with any web service, such as a Rails JSON API.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Slack (or Teams) Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Soluti...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on the notifications, alerts, and approval requests using Slack for Bonterra Impact Management. The solutions covered in this webinar can also be deployed for Microsoft Teams.
Interested in deploying notification automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and Grafana
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series VNX5100, VNX5300, VNX5500, VNX5700, and VNX7500
1. White Paper
INTRODUCTION TO THE EMC VNX SERIES
VNX5100, VNX5300, VNX5500, VNX5700, & VNX7500
A Detailed Review
Abstract
This white paper introduces the EMC® VNX™ series unified
platform. It discusses the different models, new and improved
features, and key benefits.
December 2013
3. Table of Contents
Executive summary .................................................................................................. 5
Audience ........................................................................................................................... 5
Terminology ....................................................................................................................... 5
VNX family overview ................................................................................................ 7
VNX hardware components ................................................................................................ 7
Block, file, and unified configurations ................................................................................ 9
Gateway configurations ................................................................................................... 11
VNX VG2 ................................................................................................................ 11
VNX VG8 ................................................................................................................ 11
Components and features in the VNX ..................................................................... 12
Xeon 5600 processor makes VNX faster and greener ....................................................... 12
Lead-free Generation 3 power supplies are 7 to 10 % more efficient ................................ 12
High-capacity and small form factor drives ...................................................................... 13
VNX VG2 and VG8 gateway support for VMAXe and FCoE.................................................. 13
DAEs, DPEs, and drives provide increased density ........................................................... 13
6 Gb/s x 4 lanes SAS back end improves performance and availability ............................ 26
Expanded UltraFlex I/O using PCI-E Gen 2 increases bandwidth ....................................... 27
VNX models ........................................................................................................... 28
VNX5100 ......................................................................................................................... 30
VNX5300 ......................................................................................................................... 33
VNX5500 ......................................................................................................................... 34
VNX5700 ......................................................................................................................... 35
VNX7500 ......................................................................................................................... 38
I/O modules .......................................................................................................... 39
I/O modules for the storage processor ............................................................................. 39
I/O modules for the Data Mover ....................................................................................... 44
Control Station ...................................................................................................... 48
Standby power supply ........................................................................................... 49
Software on the VNX series .................................................................................... 50
Reserved area on VNX series storage systems .................................................................. 50
Unified management ....................................................................................................... 50
Software for efficiency ........................................................................................... 51
Fully Automated Storage Tiering for Virtual Pools (FAST VP) .............................................. 51
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
3
4. FAST Cache ...................................................................................................................... 52
Data deduplication .......................................................................................................... 53
Thin Provisioning ............................................................................................................. 55
Software for protection .......................................................................................... 56
Replicator ........................................................................................................................ 56
RecoverPoint integration .................................................................................................. 57
MirrorView/A ................................................................................................................... 57
MirrorView/S ................................................................................................................... 58
SAN Copy ......................................................................................................................... 58
Business continuance............................................................................................ 58
SnapView Snapshots ....................................................................................................... 58
Checkpoints..................................................................................................................... 60
Clones ............................................................................................................................. 60
Security ................................................................................................................. 60
Anti-virus software ........................................................................................................... 60
Quota management and auditing..................................................................................... 60
File-Level Retention.......................................................................................................... 61
Advanced Data Services Support for file ................................................................. 62
Serviceability, availability, and performance .......................................................... 63
File-side control LUN protection ....................................................................................... 63
Unified software upgrade ................................................................................................. 63
Unified Remote Support ................................................................................................... 64
Block to Unified Plug and Play ......................................................................................... 64
In-Family Data in place Conversion .................................................................................. 65
VNX scalability and performance ............................................................................ 67
Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 67
Appendix A: System level, block, and file components............................................ 68
Appendix B: Storage processor UltraFlex I/O slot availability................................... 73
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
4
5. Executive summary
Scalability, efficiency, and simplicity are three challenges that are a constant in the
storage industry. Storage systems need to provide scalability, extreme efficiency, and
a simple, intuitive user interface.
The VNX series is designed for a wide range of environments that include midtier
through enterprise. VNX provides offerings that include file only, block only, and
unified (block and file) implementations. The VNX series is managed through a simple
and intuitive user interface called Unisphere®; this single pane of glass completes the
unified experience.
This white paper discusses the VNX series and its hardware and software, limitations,
I/O Modules, etc. This paper also describes the serviceability and availability features
that have been added to the VNX, such as LUN protection, Advanced Data Services
Support for file, Unified Remote Support, and the Unisphere Service Manager.
Audience
This white paper is intended for IT architects, administrators, and others who are
interested in VNX series arrays. You should be familiar with storage array concepts,
general hardware, and the software services provided by the arrays.
Terminology
•
Automatic Volume Management (AVM)—Feature of VNX for File that creates and
manages volumes automatically without manual volume management by an
administrator. AVM organizes volumes into storage pools that can be allocated to
file systems.
•
Converged Network Adapter (CNA)—A host adapter that allows a host to process
Fibre Channel and Ethernet traffic through a single type of card and connection,
decreasing infrastructure costs over time.
•
Disk array enclosure (DAE)—Shelf in VNX that includes an enclosure, either 15 or
25 disk modules, two Fibre Channel link control cards (LCCs), and two power
supplies, but does not contain storage processors (SPs).
•
Disk-processor enclosure (DPE)—Shelf in VNX that includes an enclosure, disk
modules, storage processors (SPs), two Fibre Channel link control cards (LCCs),
two power supplies, and four fan packs. A DPE supports DAEs in addition to its own
disk modules. This 3U form factor is used in the lower-end VNX models
(VNX5100™, VNX5300™, and VNX5500™) and supports a maximum of 75, 125,
and 250 drives, respectively.
•
Fibre Channel (FC)—Nominally 1 Gb/s data transfer interface technology, although
the specification allows data transfer rates from 133 Mb/s up to 4.25 Gb/s. Data
can be transmitted and received simultaneously. Common transport protocols,
such as Internet Protocol (IP) and Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), run
over Fibre Channel. Consequently, a single connectivity technology can support
high-speed I/O and networking.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
5
6. •
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)—Allows Fibre Channel frames to be
encapsulated via Ethernet. With Converged Network Adapter cards, a host may use
one type of adapter and cable for Ethernet and Fibre Channel traffic.
•
Flash drive – Flash drives provide extremely high performance and consume very
little power. These drives enable a VNX to provide an Extreme Performance level of
storage for critical workloads. Flash drives can also be used to extend the array’s
cache using FAST Cache technology.
•
Logical unit number (LUN)—Identifying number of a SCSI or iSCSI object that
processes SCSI commands. The LUN is the last part of the SCSI address for a SCSI
object. The LUN is an ID for the logical unit, but the term is often used to refer to
the logical unit itself.
•
Near-Line Serial Attached SCSI (NL-SAS) drives—Enterprise SATA drives with a SAS
interface head, media, and rotational speed of Enterprise SATA drives with a fully
capable SAS interface. These drives provide similar performance and capacity to
SATA drives, utilizing a SAS interface for I/O.
•
Serial-attached SCSI (SAS)—A communication protocol used to move data to and
from computer storage devices. SAS is a point-to-point serial protocol that replaces
parallel SCSI bus technology. Expanders facilitate the connection of multiple SAS
end devices to a single initiator port.
•
I/O Module – A hardware component that provides frontend and backend
connectivity between the storage processors disk-array enclosures, and hosts.
•
Storage-processor enclosure (SPE)— –Shelf in VNX for block that includes an
enclosure, storage processors (SPs), Fibre Channel link control cards (LCCs), two
power supplies, and fan packs. This 2U form factor is used for the higher-end VNX
VNX5700™ and VNX7500™ models, and supports a maximum of 500 and 1,000
drives, respectively.
•
Storage pool—A single repository of homogeneous or heterogeneous physical
disks from which LUNs may be created. This concept enables ease of use and
technologies such as FAST VP.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
6
7. VNX family overview
The VNX family includes the VNXe® and VNX series arrays. The VNXe series is
designed for small-to-midsize environments, while the VNX series is designed for
midtier-to-enterprise storage environments.
The VNXe series provides high-availability, scalability, and application-aware, wizarddriven disk provisioning in a small, dense, and energy-efficient form factor. For more
information about the VNXe series, see the white paper, EMC VNXe Series Storage
Systems located on powerlink.
The VNX series is EMC’s next generation of midrange-to-enterprise products. The VNX
series unifies EMC’s file-based and block-based offerings into a single product that
you can manage with one easy to use GUI. This new VNX software environment offers
significant advancements in efficiency, simplicity, and performance.
Benefits of the VNX series include:
•
State-of-the-art hardware:
PCI-E Gen 2 I/O modules
6 Gb/s x 4 lanes SAS back-end infrastructure
More memory
Intel’s latest Xeon 5600 multi-core processors
Expanded UltraFlex I/O, delivered with denser packaging
•
Block functionality that supports the FC, iSCSI, and FCoE protocols
•
File functionality that supports the NFS, CIFS, and pNFS protocols
•
Support for up to 1,000 drives
•
Automated tiering with Fully Automated Storage Tiering for Virtual Pools (FAST VP)
for block and file data
•
Unified replication using EMC RecoverPoint for block and file data
•
Updated unified management with Unisphere delivers a cohesive, unified user
experience
VNX hardware components
VNX storage systems include the following components:
•
Storage processors (SPs) support block data with UltraFlex I/O technology that
supports Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and FCoE protocols. The SPs provide access for all
external hosts and the file side of the VNX array.
•
The storage-processor enclosure (SPE) is 2U in size and houses each storage
processor. This form factor is used for the higher-end VNX VNX5700™ and
VNX7500™ models, and supports a maximum of 500 and 1,000 drives,
respectively.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
7
8. •
The disk-processor enclosure (DPE) is 3U in size and houses each storage
processor and the first tray of disks. This form factor is used in the lower-end VNX
models (VNX5100™, VNX5300™, and VNX5500™) and supports a maximum of
75, 125, and 250 drives, respectively.
•
Blade (or Data Mover) access data from the back end and provide host access
using the same UltraFlex I/O technology that supports the NFS, CIFS, and pNFS
protocols. The Blades in each array are scalable and provide redundancy.
•
The Data Mover enclosure (DME) is 2U in size and houses the Data Movers
(Blades). The DME is similar in form to the SPE and is used on all VNX models that
support file.
•
Standby power supplies (SPSs) are 1U in size and provide enough power to each
storage processor to ensure that any data in flight is de-staged to the vault area in
the event of a power failure. This ensures that no writes are lost. When the array is
restarted, the pending writes are reconciled and persisted.
•
Control Stations are 1U in size and provide management functions to the file-side
components referred to as Blades. The Control Station is responsible for Blade
failover. The Control Station may optionally be configured with a matching
secondary Control Station to ensure redundancy on the VNX array.
•
Disk-array enclosures (DAE) house the drives used in the array. They enable the
expansion of each array’s drive count to provide the storage needed for the
expanding needs over time of each implementation. The 15-drive DAE is 3U in size,
the 25-drive is 2U in size, and the 60-drive DAE is 4U in size.
•
The SPE/DPE and DME use dual power supplies that are integrated into the
chassis, and provide back-up electricity if a single power supply fails.
•
For NAS services (i.e., Data Mover Blade I/O options):
2-port 1 GBaseT Ethernet copper plus 2-port 1 Gb Ethernet optical module
2-port 10 Gb Ethernet optical/twin-ax module
•
4-port 1 GbaseT Ethernet copper module
2-port 10 GBaseT Ethernet copper module
For Block Services to host (i.e., Storage Processor I/O options):
4-port 8 Gb optical Fibre Channel UltraFlex I/O module
4-port 1 GBaseT Ethernet iSCSI/TOE module
2-port 10 Gb Ethernet optical/twin-ax iSCSI/TOE module
2-port 10 GBaseT Ethernet copper iSCSI/TOE module
2-port FCoE optical/twin-ax module
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
8
9. Block, file, and unified configurations
The hardware components in a VNX depend on the overall configuration and options
ordered. The three basic configurations are:
•
Block—Supports block data
•
File—Supports file data
•
Unified—Supports block and file data
Block configuration – supports block data (shown in Figure 1)
This configuration supports the FC, iSCSi, and FCoE protocols and consists of:
•
3U DPE (disk-processor enclosure) for VNX5100,VNX5300,and VNX5500 or 2U SPE
(storage-processor enclosure) for VNX5700, and VNX7500 + at least one DAE for
Vault Drives.
•
[optional] 2U 25-drive DAE, or 3U 15-drive DAE, or 4U 60-drive DAE (in deep rack)
up to the system maximum
•
1U SPS
Figure 1: Block configurations for VNX5500 (left) and VNX5700 (right)
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
9
10. File configuration – supports file data (shown in Figure 2)
This configuration supports the NFS, CIFS, and pNFS protocols and consists of:
•
3U DPE (disk-processor enclosure) for VNX5100,VNX5300,and VNX5500 or 2U SPE
(storage-processor enclosure) for VNX5700, and VNX7500 + at least one DAE for
Vault Drives
•
[optional] 2U 25-drive DAE (disk-array enclosure) or 3U 15-drive DAE or 4U 60drive DAE (in deep rack) up to the system maximum
•
At least one 2U Blade (or Data Mover) enclosure
•
One or two 1U Control Stations
•
1U (SPS)
Figure 2. File configurations for VNX5300 (left) and VNX5700 (right)
Unified configuration – supports file and block data (shown in Figure 3)
The unified configuration supports the FC, iSCSi, and FCoE protocols for block data and
the NFS, CIFS, and pNFS protocols for file data. A unified configuration has the same
components as a file configuration.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
10
11. Figure 3. Unified configurations for VNX5300 (left) and VNX5700 (right)
Gateway configurations
Each VNX Series Gateway product—the VG2 or VG8—is a dedicated network server optimized
for file access and advanced functionality in a scalable, easy-to-use package. The gateway
systems can connect to, boot from, and work with Symmetrix, the VNX series, and CLARiiON
back-end array technologies, as well as multiple systems.
VNX VG2
• One or two 2U Blade (or Data Movers)
•
Four core 2.40 Ghz Intel Xeon 5600 processors with 6 GB memory
•
256 TB usable capacity per Blade (256 TB per system)
VNX VG8
• Two to eight 2U Blades (or Data Movers)
•
Six core 2.83 Ghz Intel Xeon 5600 processors with 24 GB memory
•
256 TB usable capacity per Blade (1,792 TB per system)
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
11
12. Components and features in the VNX
VNX series arrays are comprised of advanced components that have the following
features:
•
Xeon 5600 processor makes VNX faster and greener
•
Lead-free Generation 3 power supplies are from 7 to 10% more efficient
•
High- capacity and small form factor drives
•
VNX VG2 and VG8 gateway support for VMAXe and FCoE
•
Increased density from new DAEs, DPEs, and drives
•
6 Gb/s x 4 lanes SAS backend improves performance and availability
•
Expanded UltraFlex I/O using PCI-E Gen 2 increases bandwidth
These components and the features each provides are discussed in more detail below.
Xeon 5600 processor makes VNX faster and greener
The VNX series uses Intel’s Xeon 5600 processor. This new 32 nm processor
architecture provides multi-core capability that translates into significant scalability
for each VNX model. The processor speeds range from 2.13 GHz to 2.8 GHz and have
four to six cores per socket. As a result, these processors help you accomplish more in
a smaller footprint, consume less power, and keep systems cooler.
Lead-free Generation 3 power supplies are 7 to 10 % more efficient
The VNX series is more power-efficient than previous storage systems. The power
supply provides the information necessary for Unisphere to monitor and display the
ambient temperature and power consumption of the power supply. The Generation 3
power supplies:
•
Are 7 % to 10 % more efficient than Gen 2 power supplies used on CX4/NS arrays
•
Use a lead-free construction
•
Meet the EPA Gold Standard for efficiency targets (90%)
•
Provide adaptive cooling, in which an array adjusts the power supply fan speeds to
spin only as fast as needed to ensure sufficient cooling. This optimizes blower
speeds and energy consumption. The power supplies have an onboard sensor that
provides energy information reporting. The reports include input power and air inlet
temperature for each enclosure on the array, as well as input power reporting at an
overall array level. The values are based on a rolling average for each hour that is
reported on in the Unisphere GUI, as shown in Figure 4.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
12
13. Figure 4. Energy information provided in the Unisphere Environment tab
High-capacity and small form factor drives
The VNX series supports high-capacity 3 TB drives, along with small form factor 2.5"
flash drives. These drives are supported with VNX arrays running VNX OE for File
v7.0.3X and VNX OE for Block v5.31.000.5.XXX.
VNX VG2 and VG8 gateway support for VMAXe and FCoE
The VNX series gateway models (VG2 and VG8) now support FCoE I/O modules on the
storage processors, along with VMAXe backend connectivity. VMAXe is the Symmetrix
business class that complements the higher-end line VMAX.
DAEs, DPEs, and drives provide increased density
The VNX series uses updated components that make it significantly denser than earlier
models:
•
25-drive DAEs and DPEs paired with 2.5” SAS drives—Increased performance and
spindle density are provided by 25-drive DAEs and DPEs paired with 2.5” SAS
drives.
•
15-drive DAEs paired with 3.5” 2 TB 7,200 rpm NL-SAS drives—In terms of drive
capacity, maximum density is achieved by using 15-drive DAEs paired with 3.5” 2
TB 7,200 rpm NL-SAS drives. This combination allows more spindles and storage
capacity per square foot than in any other previous array using the 15-drive
enclosures.
•
60-drive high-capacity DAE paired with 3.5” 7.2 K rpm NL-SAS drives and 2.5" 10 K
rpm drives using a 3.5"-carrier—In terms of drive capacity, maximum density is
achieved by using 3.5” 3TB 7.2K rpm NL-SAS drives. This combination allows more
spindles and storage capacity per square foot than in any other VNX-compatible
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
13
14. DAE. Increased performance may be achieved by using 2.5" and 3.5" flash and 10
K rpm drives with the use of a 3.5"-carrier. This DAE is only available on arrays
running VNX-OE for Block R 31.5 and/or VNX-OE for File 7.0.3. 2.5" 300 GB 10 K
drives are not supported in this enclosure. This DAE requires a deep rack to house
it.
•
Figure 5: Block dense configuration example
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
14
15. •
Figure 6: Unified dense configuration example
•
3U DPE for lower-end models—Improved rack space utilization in the VNX5100,
VNX5300, and VNX5500 is achieved with an updated DPE. This 3U DPE houses
storage processors and the first shelf of disks in a 3U unit. This is a dramatic
improvement in rack-space utilization compared to previous generations.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
15
16. The 25-drive 2.5” SAS-drive DAE
Figure 5 and Figure 6 show the front and back of the 25-drive DAE that is housing 2.5”
SAS drives.
Figure 5. Front of the 25-drive DAE housing 2.5” SAS drives
Figure 6. Back of the 25-drive DAE housing 2.5” SAS drives
Figure 7 shows the back of the 25-drive DAE. In this figure, you can see the
primary/extension SAS ports; SPS ports; and the LEDs for power, fault, SAS lane
status, bus number, and enclosure number.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
16
17. Figure 7. A close-up of the back of the 25-drive DAE
The 15-drive DAE and DPE supports 2.5” SAS, 3.5” NL-SAS, and 3.5” flash drives
The 15-drive DAE, shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9, may be populated with 2.5” drives
in 3.5” carriers. The 15-drive DAE may also be populated with any combination of 3.5”
EFD, SAS, and NL-SAS drives.
These options enable you to configure your system for optimal efficiency and
performance. The flash drives provide extreme performance, the mid-tier SAS drives
provide a good balance of price and performance (reaching speeds of up to 15k rpm),
and the cost-effective NL-SAS drives have a capacity of up to 2 TB.
These 15-drive DAEs, while similar in appearance to previous-generation CX™ and NS
models, are not backward-compatible with CX and NS arrays 1. Also, because the DAEs
use SAS as the backend bus architecture, the VNX series arrays do not accept
previous-generation DAEs.
1
To learn how to move data from a NS or CX model to a VNX model, please refer to the white papers Migrating Data from an
EMC Celerra Array to a VNX Platform using Celerra Replicator and Migrating Data from an EMC CLARiiON Array to a VNX Platform
using SAN Copy.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
17
18. Figure 8. Front of the 15-drive DAE
Figure 9. Back of the 15-drive DAE
As you can see in Figure 9, there is no bus-reset button on the back of the DAE; this is
not needed, because VNX uses SAS technology for the backend.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
18
19. Figure 10 shows the back of the 15-drive DAE. In this figure, you can see the
primary/expansion SAS ports; and the LEDs for power, fault, SAS lane status, bus
number, and enclosure number.
Figure 10. A close-up of the back of a 15-drive DAE
The 60-drive high-capacity DAE supports 2.5” SAS, 3.5” NL-SAS, and 3.5” flash drives
The 60-drive DAE can be populated with 2.5” SAS drives using a 3.5"-carrier. The 60drive will hold up to 60 rotating or SSD-type drives in 3.5” (EFD, 7200 rpm and 10 K
rpm) and 2.5” (EFD, 7200 rpm, 10 K rpm) form factors. For the 3.5” drive types, 15 K
rpm drives are not supported in this enclosure.
These options allow you to configure your system for optimal efficiency and
performance. The flash drives provide extreme performance in SFF (small form factor),
2.5" and LFF (large form factor), 3.5" sizes. The mid-tier SAS drives provide a good
balance of price and performance (reaching speeds of up to 10 K rpm), and the costeffective NL-SAS drives have a capacity of up to 3 TB.
The enclosure employs a slide-out drawer with access to the drives from the top. The
drive matrix consists of 5 rows (banks A-E) of 12 disks (slots 0-11). These disks are
addressed and notated using a combination of letters and numbers, such as A1 and
B4, to uniquely identify a single drive in the enclosure. The enclosure itself is labeled
clearly to ensure proper drive identification.
The dimensions of the 60-drive high-capacity enclosure are 7" (height) (4U) x 35"
(depth, chassis only) with a maximum weight of 260 lbs. Because the design of this
industry-leading enclosure provides far more density per square foot of rack space
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
19
20. than any other enclosure available, a special dimensionally enhanced rack (44" deep)
is required for this enclosure. The deep rack provides three power zones (A, B, and C),
each with their own power drops to power each zone. Each 60-drive high-capacity DAE
requires four power connections for proper operation. Each generation of three power
supplies are FRUs. These power supplies may be removed without detaching the bus
cable by using the cable management arm (CMA) quick disconnects labeled in orange.
The 60-drive high-capacity enclosure may be the first DAE and contain the vault drives
(row A, positions 0-3) for the VNX5700 and VNX7500 models. If there is a partially
filled row in the DAE, the remaining empty slots will be populated with fillers.
The 60-drive DAE contains four hot swappable LCCs:
•
•
Two ICM LCCs are located at the rear of the enclosure. They house the SAS ports
and provide connectivity to the storage processors.
Two internal LCCs are centrally located and provide connectivity to all of the disks
in the enclosure.
All LCCs on this enclosure are FRUs. There are also three cooling modules located on
the front of the enclosure that are FRUs.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
20
21. Figure 11shows the front of the 60-drive DAE.
Figure 11. Front of the 60-drive DAE
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
21
22. Figure 12 shows the top of the 60-drive DAE extended with the top panel open, which
reveals the drives and cooling modules.
Figure 12. Top of the 60-drive DAE
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
22
23. Figure 13 shows the internal LCC cards that insert in the middle of the 60-drive DAE
from the top of the DAE.
Figure 13. The internal LCC cards
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
23
24. Figure 14 shows one of the three cooling modules removed from the 60-drive DAE.
Figure 14. Cooling module in the 60-drive DAE
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
24
25. Figure 15 shows the cable management arms at the rear of the 60-drive DAE.
Figure 15. Cable management arms in the rear of the 60-drive DAE
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
25
26. Figure 16 shows a power supply at the rear of the 60-drive DAE, the ICM LCC (which
contains the bus and enclosure LEDs), and SAS expander ports.
Figure 16. Power supply, ICM LCC, and SAS expander ports
6 Gb/s x 4 lanes SAS back end improves performance and availability
The backend of the VNX series uses an architecture that dramatically improves
performance and availability.
The 6 Gb/s x 4 lanes SAS backend provides speeds of up to 3 GB/s. SAS is a
significant improvement over previous-generation FC backends that provide speeds of
0.25 GB/s (4Gbps). This point-to-point architecture, in which all drives connect
directly to an expanding switching matrix, allows direct communication from the
controller to the drive. The data frames do not have to travel throughout the entire bus
accessing each of the drives, as was the case in previous models that used a Fibre
Channel arbitrated loop as the back-end architecture. This provides much higher
bandwidth across the VNX line than previous models. In addition, because SAS uses
acknowledgements (ACK/NAK), in case there is a failure, an immediate response is
received, unlike Fibre Channel where the need to wait for a time-out is necessary.
The SAS backend increases availability by offering improved backend fault isolation,
and VNX series systems benefit from this dramatic improvement. Because data frames
no longer traverse the entire bus and do not pass through every drive, a corrupt frame
is much easier to isolate to a specific drive or SAS cable, especially when compared to
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
26
27. Fibre Channel, where locating the exact drive or cable that corrupted a frame requires
significant time and resources.
The white papers, Migrating Data from an EMC Celerra Array to a VNX Platform using
Celerra Replicator and Migrating Data from an EMC CLARiiON Array to a VNX Platform
using SAN Copy, discuss data migration options.
Expanded UltraFlex I/O using PCI-E Gen 2 increases bandwidth
The VNX series expands the UltraFlex I/O technology of previous-generation midrange
storage arrays. The UltraFlex I/O uses PCI-E Gen 2, which offers up to two times the
bandwidth of the UltraFlex cards used in previous-generation models. This increase in
bandwidth is an important factor in the enhanced performance of VNX arrays over
previous generations.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
27
28. VNX models
VNX series models are comprised of 5000 and 7000 class systems. The available
models are VNX5100, VNX5300, VNX5500, VNX5700, and VNX7500. The hardware
and connectivity options scale with each model, providing more power and options
throughout the model range.
Figure 17. VNX series storage systems
All VNX models support 2.5” and 3.5” SAS drives using either the 15-drive DAE or the
25-drive DAE, and utilize the 6 Gb/s SAS backend. FC drives are no longer supported.
SAS drives, NL-SAS rotational drives, and lash drives will be used moving forward.
The following table shows the types of models available in the VNX series. The
sections after the table give more detailed information about each model.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
28
29. Table 1. Model comparison chart
Unified
platform model
VNX5100
VNX5300
VNX5500
VNX5700
VNX7500
Industry
position
Entry
Midrange/
Entry
Midrange/
Midtier
High-end/
Mid-capacity
High-end/
large-capacity
EMC
predecessor
AX4-5
NS-120 and
CX4-120
CX4-240
NS-480 and
CX4-480
NS-960 and
CX4-960
Management
software
Unisphere
Unisphere
Unisphere
Unisphere
Unisphere
75
125
250
500
1000
Flash, SAS,
NL-SAS
Flash, SAS,
NL-SAS
Flash, SAS,
NL-SAS
Flash, SAS,
NL-SAS
Flash, SAS,
NL-SAS
Block:
Protocols
FC
FC, iSCSi,
FCoE
FC, iSCSi,
FCoE
FC, iSCSi,
FCoE
FC, iSCSi,
FCoE
Standby power
supplies
1/2
1/2
2
2
2
File: Protocols
n/a
NFS, CIFS,
pNFS
NFS, CIFS,
pNFS
NFS, CIFS,
pNFS
NFS, CIFS,
pNFS
File: number of
Blades
none
1-2
1-3
2-4
2-8
DPE/2 SP
DPE/2 SP
DPE/2 SP
SPE/2 SP
SPE/2 SP
NA
1-2
1-2
1-2
1-2
Drive count
Drive types
Array
enclosure/
SP count
CS count
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
29
30. VNX5100
The VNX5100 is designed for the entry-to-mid-tier space. This model provides block-only
services, supports the Fibre Channel protocol for host connectivity, and utilizes a DPE
form factor.
This model uses a 1.6 GHz, two-core Xeon 5600 processor with 4 GB of RAM and a
maximum of 75 drives with the following host connectivity option: FC. This model does
not accept any UltraFlex I/O modules and, as such, only supports four Fibre Channel
onboard ports for host connectivity. Note the systems ship with only 2 SFPs per SP in
mezzanine ports 2-3. Seen here are optionally added SFPs.
This model uses a DPE that is available in 15 x 3.5” drive or 25 x 2.5” drive form factors.
It includes four onboard 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel ports and two 6 Gb/s SAS ports for
backend connectivity on each storage processor. A micro-DB9 port and service LAN port
are available. EMC service personnel use these ports to connect to the VNX.
A LAN connection is provided on each SP for array management. Each SP in the enclosure
also has a power supply module and two UltraFlex I/O module slots that are not available
for expansion on the VNX5100. These I/O module slots will be populated with blanks (to
ensure proper airflow).
Figure 18. Back view of the DPE with SP A (on the right) and SP B (on the left)
As you can see in Figure 18, the System Information tag is located on the back of the SP A
side of the DPE (on the right side above). This tag contains serial number and part
number information and should be handled carefully when racking the system.
Figure 19, Figure 20, and Figure 21 show the backs of the DPE-based storage processor.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
30
31. Figure 19. A close-up of the back of the DPE-based storage processor
Figure 20. Power, fault, activity, link, and status LEDs
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
31
32. Figure 21. Storage processor onboard ports
The front of the DPE houses the first tray of drives. This may range from 15 to 25 disks,
depending on which DPE has been selected for the model. At the top of the enclosure,
from left to right, there is the enclosure fault LED (amber if there is a fault), and the
enclosure power LED (blue). The drive LED’s are shown at the bottom which will also
switch to amber if there is an issue. This is shown in Figure 22.
Figure 22. Front of a 25-drive DPE with 2.5” drives
Because the VNX5100 is block-only, this system does not use Blades.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
32
33. VNX5300
The VNX5300, the introductory model for the VNX unified platform, is designed for the
mid-range entry space. This model provides either block and file services, file only
services, or block only services, and uses a DPE.
The VNX5300 uses a 1.6 GHz, four-core Xeon 5600 processor with 8 GB RAM and a
maximum of 125 drives with the following block-based host connectivity options: FC,
iSCSI, and FCoE.
This model uses a DPE and is available in 15 x 3.5” drive or 25 x 2.5” drive form factors.
It includes four onboard 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel ports and two 6 Gb/s SAS ports for
backend connectivity on each storage processor. There is a micro-DB9 port and service
LAN port available, which are used as a backup method of connectivity for system
maintenance.
A LAN connection is provided on each SP for array management. Each SP in the enclosure
also has a power supply module and two UltraFlex I/O module slots. Both I/O module
slots may be populated on this model. Any slots without I/O modules will be populated
with blanks (to ensure proper airflow).
The front of the DPE houses the first tray of drives. The number can range from 15 to 25
disks, depending on which DPE has been selected for the model.
The File/Unified model uses a 2.13 GHz, four-core Xeon 5600 processor with 6 GB RAM
per blade, with a maximum storage capacity of 200 TB per blade. The model can have
one or two blades, and each blade has redundant power supplies located in the front of
the blade. The File/Unified model supports the following NAS protocol options: NFS, CIFS,
and pNFS. The CPU module is also accessible via the front of each blade after removing
the power supplies. The rear of each blade houses the slots used for internal/external
network connectivity, backend fibre connectivity, and frontend connectivity options.
The File/Unified model uses a DME (Data Mover Enclosure) that appears similar in
appearance to the SPE of the VNX5700 and VNX7500. The DME can house two blades per
2U enclosure, and each blade can accept a maximum of two I/O modules for frontend
connectivity. Pictures of the DME are provided in Figure 23, Figure 24, and Figure 25.
Figure 23. Front of a DME
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
33
34. Figure 24. Back of a DME
Figure 25. Close-up of the back of a DME
VNX5500
The VNX5500 is designed for the mid-tier space. This model provides either block and file
services, file only, or block only (without blades and Control Stations).
The block only model uses a 2.13 GHz, four-core Xeon 5600 processor with 12 GB RAM
and a maximum of 250 drives with the following block-based host connectivity options:
FC, iSCSI, and FCoE.
The VNX5500 uses a DPE that is available in 15 x 3.5” drive or 25 x 2.5” drive form
factors. The DPE includes four onboard 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel ports and two 6 Gb/s SAS
ports for backend connectivity on each storage processor. A micro-DB9 port and service
LAN port are available. EMC service personnel use these ports to connect to the VNX.
A LAN connection is provided on each SP for array management. Each SP in the enclosure
also has a power supply module and two UltraFlex I/O module slots. Both I/O module
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
34
35. slots may be populated on this model. Any slots without I/O modules will be populated
with blanks (to ensure proper airflow).
The front of the DPE houses the first tray of drives. The number can range from 15 to 25
disks, depending on which DPE has been selected for the model.
The blades have a 2.13 GHz, four-core Xeon 5600 processor with 12 GB RAM per blade,
with a maximum storage capacity of 256 TB per blade. The VNX5500 can have up to three
blades and provides the following NAS protocol options: NFS, CIFS, and pNFS. Each
blade has redundant power supplies located in the front of each blade. The CPU module
is also accessible via the front of each blade after removing the power supplies. The rear
of each blade houses the slots used for internal/external network connectivity, backend
fibre connectivity, and frontend connectivity options.
The File/Unified model uses a DME that appears similar in appearance to the SPE. The
DME can house two blades per 2U enclosure, and each blade on this model may accept a
maximum of three I/O modules for frontend connectivity.
VNX5700
The VNX5700 is designed for the high-end, mid-capacity space. This model provides
either block and file services, file only, or block only), and uses a SPE form factor.
Each SP in the SPE uses a 2.4 GHz, four-core Xeon 5600 processor with 18 GB RAM and a
maximum of 500 drives with the following host connectivity options: FC, iSCSI, and FCoE.
The VNX5700 has a SPE that uses UltraFlex I/O slots for all connectivity. The first slot
houses the internal network management switch, which includes a mini-serial port and
service LAN port. EMC service personnel use these ports to connect to the VNX.
A LAN connection is provided on each SP for array management. Each SP in the enclosure
also has two power supply modules. Each SP has five I/O module slots. Any slots without
I/O modules will be populated with blanks (to ensure proper airflow).
The fault/status light of the SPE form factor is located on the front of the unit. This form
factor requires an additional DAE to provide a minimum of four drives for the VNX Array
Operating Environment. This model’s form factor favors scalability, rather than density,
requiring slightly more rack space for a minimal configuration.
The back of the SPE is shown in Figure 26. In this figure, you can see the various
components including I/O modules. Figure 27 provides a close-up view of the back of
the SPE.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
35
36. Figure 26. Back of the SPE
Figure 27. A close-up of the SPE
The front of the SPE, shown in Figure 28, houses the power supplies, cooling fans, and
CPU modules, along with the fault/status LED.
Figure 28. Front of the SPE
The blades in this model use a 2.4 GHz, four-core Xeon 5600 processor with 12 GB RAM
per blade with a maximum storage capacity of 256 TB per blade with a maximum of four
blades. They support the following NAS protocol options: NFS, CIFS, and pNFS. Each
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
36
37. blade has redundant power supplies located in the front of each blade. The CPU module
is also accessible via the front of each blade after removing the power supplies. The rear
of each blade houses the slots used for internal/external network connectivity, backend
fibre connectivity, and frontend connectivity options.
This model uses a DME that is similar in appearance to the SPE. The DME can house two
blades per 2U enclosure, and each blade on this model may accept a maximum of three
I/O modules for frontend connectivity.
Figure 29, Figure 30, and Figure 31 show the front and back of the DME.
Figure 29. Front of a DME
Figure 30. Back of a DME
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
37
38. Figure 31. Close-up of the back of a DME
VNX7500
The VNX7500 is designed for the enterprise space. This model provides either block and
file services, file only, or block only and uses a SPE form factor.
This model uses a 2.8 GHz, six-core Xeon 5600 processor with 24 or 48 GB RAM per
blade and a maximum of 1,000 drives with the following host connectivity options: FC,
iSCSI, and FCoE. There is also an optional upgrade to 48 GB of RAM if you have
purchased a VNX or have an existing system with 24 GB of RAM per SP.
The VNX7500 has a SPE that uses UltraFlex I/O slots for all connectivity. The first slot
houses the internal network management switch, which includes a mini-serial port and
service LAN port. EMC service personnel use these ports to connect to the VNX.
A LAN connection is provided on each SP for array management. Each SP in the enclosure
also has two power supply modules. Each SP has a maximum of five I/O module slots.
Any slots without I/O modules will be populated with blanks (to ensure proper airflow).
The fault/status light of the SPE form factor is located on the front of the unit. This form
factor requires an additional DAE to provide a minimum of four drives for the VNX Array
Operating Environment. This model’s form factor favors scalability, rather than density,
requiring slightly more rack space for a minimal configuration.
The front of the SPE houses the power supplies, cooling fans, and CPU modules, along
with the fault/status LED.
The blades in this model use a 2.8 GHz, six-core Xeon 5600 processor with 24 GB RAM
per blade, with a maximum storage capacity of 256 TB per blade with a maximum of eight
blades, and supports the following NAS protocol options: NFS, CIFS, and pNFS.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
38
39. Each blade has redundant power supplies located in the front of each blade. The CPU
module is also accessible via the front of each blade after removing the power supplies.
The rear of each blade houses the slots used for internal/external network connectivity,
backend fibre connectivity, and frontend connectivity options.
This model uses a DME that appears similar in appearance to the SPE of the VNX5700
and VNX7500. The DME can house two blades per 2U enclosure, and each blade on this
model may accept a maximum of four I/O modules for frontend connectivity.
I/O modules
I/O modules for the storage processor
VNX series arrays support a variety of UltraFlex I/O modules on the storage processors,
which are discussed in this section.
Figure 32. The quad-port 8 Gb/s FC optical I/O module
The quad-port 8 Gb/s FC optical I/O module:
•
Auto-negotiates 2 Gb/s, 4 Gb/s, or 8 Gb/s
•
Is supported on storage processors, except in the VNX5100
•
Is used for frontend connectivity from storage processors to hosts
•
Is used for backend connectivity from blades to storage processors on the VNX
array
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
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40. Figure 33. The quad-port 1 Gbase-T iSCSI/TOE module
The quad-port 1 Gbase-T iSCSI/TOE module:
•
Is supported on storage processors, except in the VNX5100
•
Is used for frontend connectivity to hosts
•
Operates at 1 Gb/s
•
Provides four copper ports
Figure 34. The dual-port 10 Gb/s Ethernet/FCoE module
The dual-port 10 Gb/s Ethernet/FCoE module:
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
40
41. •
Is supported on storage processors
•
Is used for frontend connectivity to hosts
•
Operates at 10 Gb/s
•
Supports SFP+ and Active TwinAx cables only (Passive TwinAx cables not
supported)
Figure 35. The dual-port 10 GbE iSCSI (optical/TwinAx) I/O module
The dual-port 10 GbE iSCSI (optical/TwinAx) I/O module:
•
Is supported on storage processors, except in the VNX5100
•
Is used for frontend connectivity to hosts
•
Operates at 10 Gb/s
•
Provides two optical ports
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
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42. Figure 36. The quad-port 6 Gb x 4 lane SAS I/O module
The quad-port 6 Gb x 4 lane SAS I/O module:
•
Is supported on VNX5500, VNX5700 and VNX7500 storage processors for backend
connections to DAEs
•
Provides four lanes of 6 Gb/s SAS per port
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
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43. Figure 377. The dual-port 10G Base -T copper I/O module
The dual-port 10G Base-T iSCSI copper I/O module:
•
Is supported on VNX5300, VNX5500, VNX5700 and VNX7500 storage processors
for backend connection to DAEs
•
Operates at 1G/10G auto
•
Provides two copper ports
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
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44. I/O modules for the Data Mover
VNX series arrays support a variety of UltraFlex I/O modules on the blades, which are
discussed in this section.
Figure 38. The quad-port 1 Gbase-T IP module
The quad-port 1 Gbase-T IP module:
•
Enables connectivity to NAS clients
•
Operates at 10/100/1 Gb/s
•
Provides four copper ports
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
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45. Figure 39. The dual-port 1 Gbase-T plus dual-port 1 GbE optical IP module
The dual-port 1 Gbase-T plus dual-port 1 GbE optical IP module:
•
Enables connectivity to NAS clients
•
Operates at 10/100/1 Gb/s copper and 10 Gb/s optical
•
Provides two copper and two optical connectors
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
45
46. Figure 40. The dual-port 10G Base-T copper I/O module Gen 2
The dual-port 10G Base-T copper I/O module:
• Is supported on blades
•
Enables connectivity to NAS clients
•
Operates at 10 Mb/100 Mb/1G/10G auto
•
Provides two copper ports
Figure 41. The dual-port 10G optical I/O module
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
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47. The dual-port 10G optical I/O module:
•
Is supported on blades
•
Enabled optical connectivity to NAS clients
•
Operates at 10G only
•
Provides two optical ports
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
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48. Table 2. Ultra-Flex I/O module compatibility chart
UltraFlex I/O module
Supported on Blades Supported on storage processors
Quad-port 8 Gb FC optical
Yes
Yes
Quad-port 1G Base-T IP
Yes
No
Dual-port 1G Base-T plus dual-port 1GbE optical IP Yes
No
Quad-port 1G Base-T iSCSI/TOE
No
Yes
Dual-port 10 Gb Ethernet/FCoE
No
Yes
Dual-port 10 GbE iSCSI (optical/TwinAx) 1
No
Yes
Quad-port 6 Gb x 4 lane SAS 3
No
Yes
Dual-port 10G Base-T (copper)
Yes
No
Dual-port 10G Base-T ISCSI
No
Yes
Dual-port 10Gb Ethernet (optical/twin-ax)
Yes
No
1
Model numbers: VSPMXGI2A (SFP)/VSPMXGI2TWA (Active TwinAx)
Model numbers: VDMMXG2OPA (SFP)/VDMMXG2TWA (Active TwinAx)
3
Used for backend connectivity only; not supported for host connectivity. VNX5300 does not
support additional SAS modules
2
Control Station
The Control Station is a 1U self-contained server, and is used in unified and file
configurations. The Control Station provides administrative access to the blades; it
also monitors the blades and facilitates failover in the event of an blade runtime issue.
The Control Station provides network communication to each storage processor. It
uses Proxy ARP to enable communication over the Control Station management
Ethernet port to each storage processor’s own IP address.
An optional secondary Control Station is available that acts as a standby unit to
provide redundancy for the primary Control Station.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
48
49. Figure 40. Control Station
The RJ-45 Ethernet NIC port (number 5 in Figure 40) uses an Intelligent Platform
Management Interface (IPMI) cable to connect to an optional secondary Control
Station. This IPMI port is labeled CS on the Control Station.
Standby power supply
The standby power supply is a 1U unit that provides battery power to the DPE in the
VNX5100, VNX5300, and VNX5500. It provides battery power to the DAE (bus 0,
enclosure 0) and SPE and in a VNX5700 and VNX7500. This battery power allows the
storage processors to de-stage data in-flight to the vault area of the reserved space in
the event of a power failure. Once power is restored to the array, any writes that were
de-staged are reconciled and persisted to the target backend disks to ensure that no
data is lost. When using the 60-Drive DAE to hold the vault drives, the SPS is 2U
2.2KW.
Figure 41. Back of an SPS
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
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50. Software on the VNX series
Reserved area on VNX series storage systems
The first four drives in enclosure 0 bus 0 (disks 0 through 3 in either the DPE for
VNX5100/5300/5500 or the first DAE in VNX5700/7500, also known as The Vault)
house the array’s operating environment, boot image, and file control LUNs. This
reserved area consumes 192 GB per disk and provides the landing area for data inflight that is de-staged from the cache in the event of a power failure. NL-SAS drives
can be used for vault drives for the VNX5100/5300/5500 only.
Unified management
EMC Unisphere provides a flexible, integrated experience for managing existing VNX
storage systems.
Unisphere provides simplicity, flexibility, and automation—all key requirements for
optimal storage management. Unisphere’s ease of use is reflected in its intuitive taskbased controls, customizable dashboards, and single-click access to real-time support
tools and online customer communities. Unisphere’s wizards help you provision and
manage your storage while automatically implementing best practices for your
configuration.
Unisphere is completely web-enabled for remote management of your storage
environment. Unisphere Management Server runs on the SPs and the Control Station;
it can be launched by pointing the browser to the IP address of either SP or the Control
Station.
Unisphere has all the existing features and functionality of the previous interfaces,
such as VMware awareness, LDAP integration, Analyzer, and Quality of Service
Manager. Unisphere also adds many new features like dashboards, systems
dashboard, task-based navigation and online support tools. For more information on
Unisphere, refer to the white paper, EMC Unisphere: Unified Storage Management
Solution.
Figure 42 displays the new system dashboard. You can customize the view-blocks
(also referred to as panels) in the dashboard.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
50
51. Figure 42. Unisphere dashboard has customizable panels (view-blocks)
Software for efficiency
Fully Automated Storage Tiering for Virtual Pools (FAST VP)
EMC leverages FAST VP to migrate data to high-performance drives or high-capacity
drives, depending on end-user access. Customers require fewer drives and receive the
best ROI from those that are configured.
Figure 43. The FAST VP process
FAST VP functionality has been enhanced for the VNX series. FAST VP, previously
available for block data and also known as sub-LUN tiering, is now available for file
data, too. FAST VP optimizes storage utilization by automatically moving data between
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
51
52. storage tiers (for example, EFD, SAS, and NL-SAS). With the 7.1 release, data also
moves within tiers.
The data is moved in 1 GB chunks based on the access patterns of the I/O. The storage
pools on the left in Figure 43 show the initial storage configuration. After implementing
FAST VP(shown on the right), the system proactively optimizes the storage pool by
moving the 1 GB chunks of sub-LUN data to the most effective drive. This ensures that
the appropriate data is housed on the right tier at the right time, which significantly
increases efficiency and performance.
You can set polices and schedules to help determine how and when the data is
moved. The EMC FAST VP for Unified Storage Systems white paper provides more
information.
FAST Cache
Figure 44. FAST Cache process
FAST Cache remains an industry-leading feature for EMC storage arrays. The VNX series
uses this feature to extend the array’s read-write cache and ensure that unpredictable
I/O spikes are serviced at flash speeds, which benefits all applications. FAST Cache
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
52
53. perfectly complements FAST VP, as it works at a more granular level by copying 64 KB
chunks onto flash drives reserved for FAST Cache, depending upon the I/O
characteristics.
Repeated access of the same 64 KB chunk of data causes the policy engine to promote
that data to FAST Cache. FAST Cache also works in quicker cycles than FAST VP; it has
a response time in the order of milliseconds to microseconds. FAST Cache reacts to I/O
spikes and maintains access levels by acting as an extension to onboard memory.
FAST Cache is most appropriate for workloads with a high locality of reference, for
example, applications that access a small area of storage with very high frequency,
such as database indices and reference tables. FAST Cache is not beneficial for very
large I/O streams that are sequential, such as backups, because each 64 KB chunk is
accessed only once. SP Cache, however, uses various algorithms to optimize
sequential I/O. FAST Cache is most useful for handling spikes in I/O, and it benefits
applications that may have unpredictable I/O profiles. For more information, refer to
the EMC CLARiiON, Celerra Unified, and VNX FAST Cache – A Detailed Review white
paper.
The VNX5100 cannot use Thin Provisioning™ if FAST Cache is enabled, and vice versa.
However, Thin Provisioning and FAST Cache usage at the same time is available in all
of the other VNX models.
Data deduplication
Figure 45. Data deduplication
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
53
54. Data deduplication is a file-side feature that includes file-level compression and filelevel single instancing. This asynchronous feature works in the background, scanning
for inactive files that may contain duplicate data. If there is more than one instance of
a file, it will be single-instanced, along with being compressed.
This feature helps increase the storage efficiency of file storage by eliminating
redundant data within file systems, thereby reducing storage costs. It has userconfigurable settings to filter certain files from being processed. It may be turned on or
off per file system basis at any time. For more information, refer to the EMC Data
Compression—A Detailed Review white paper.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
54
55. Thin Provisioning
Figure 46. Thin Provisioning
EMC’s Thin Provisioning feature is easy to set up and monitor. It allows storage
administrators to allocate storage on demand. It presents a host with the total amount
of storage that has been requested; however, it only allocates storage on the array that
is actually being used. For example, on the file side, a 100 GB file system that has
been thin provisioned will be seen by hosts and users as 100 GB. If only 50 percent of
the file system is actually in use (contains data), only 50 GB will be used on the array.
This feature prevents overprovisioning storage that is not used.
Thin provisioning increases storage utilization, bringing down the costs associated
with maintaining the storage (such as power and cooling), and lowering acquisition
costs of new storage hardware. When using this on the block side, an administrator
creates thin LUNs as opposed to thick LUNs. Thin LUNs will allocate 3 GB at LUN
creation; however, this will not reserve the space necessary for the entire size of the
newly created LUN. Additional space is assigned 1 GB at a time; however, only 8 KB
chunks are reserved as needed.
Administrators should understand the growth rate of their pools and file systems to
know what percentage is practical and allow enough time to react and address
potential oversubscription issues. For more information on Thin Provisioning, refer to
the EMC CLARiiON Thin Provisioning – Applied Technology white paper.
The VNX5100 cannot use Thin Provisioning™ if FAST Cache is enabled, and vice versa.
However, Thin Provisioning and FAST Cache usage at the same time is available in all
of the other VNX models.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
55
56. Software for protection
Replicator
EMC VNX Replicator is an asynchronous file-based replication solution. This feature is
used for file-system-level replication, and provides point-in-time views of the source
file systems on the replica file systems. VNX Replicator uses an adaptive scheduling
technology that responds to changing network conditions by monitoring two key
pieces of information:
•
•
The amount of change (delta) that has built up in the production object since the
last transfer
The average transfer rate that was observed during the last transfer
This adaptive-scheduling technology dynamically allocates resources to ensure that
objects are replicated in compliance with their customer-configurable recovery point
objectives (RPOs). An RPO is a measurement of how much data may be lost before it
negatively impacts the business. Each file system may have a different RPO as the
importance of each file system’s contents may differ.
VNX Replicator also allows bandwidth throttling based on a schedule, e.g., change the
throughput during specific times throughout the week. This is very useful in
environments where VNX Replicator shares network resources with other applications.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
56
57. RecoverPoint integration
Figure 47. How RecoverPoint works
Unisphere has been designed to accept plug-ins that extend its management
capabilities. VNX series arrays are managed with the latest version of Unisphere that
includes RecoverPoint integration for replication of block and file data. RecoverPoint
provides a synchronous/asynchronous replication solution to allow file and block
cabinet-level business continuation on a remote VNX series array in the event of a
disaster.
This support includes active/passive, as well as active/active, using continuous
remote replication (CRR). Because RecoverPoint uses a single consistency group to
provide array-level replication for files and does not provide point-in-time views, it is
most appropriate for control LUNs and critical file systems. It is, therefore, still
recommended that you use EMC VNX Replicator for file system-level replication.
MirrorView/A
Figure 48. How MirrorView/A works
EMC VNX MirrorView™/A is a block feature for remote mirroring that works
asynchronously to periodically copy information on a LUN from one storage system to
another. As an asynchronous process, it provides replication over long distances in
the order of hundreds to thousands of miles and has an RPO from 30 minutes to
hours. MirrorView/A is optimized for low network bandwidth.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
57
58. MirrorView/S
Figure 49. How MirrorView/S works
EMC VNX MirrorView/S is a block feature for remote mirroring that works
synchronously to copy information on a LUN from one storage system to another. The
synchronous nature of this feature means that for every write to a LUN on the primary
storage system, the same write is copied to the secondary storage system before the
write acknowledgement is sent to the host.
With Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM), MirrorView/S provides
replication over distances of up to 200 km. Without DWDM, MirrorView/S provides
replication over distances of up to 60 km. In each case, the RPO is zero seconds,
because both copies of data are identical.
SAN Copy
EMC VNX SAN Copy™ is a block feature that copies data between EMC and qualified
third-party storage systems. SAN Copy copies data directly from a source LUN on one
storage system to destination LUNs on other systems without using any host
resources. SAN Copy may be used to create full and incremental copies of a source
LUN.
Business continuance
VNX Snapshots
VNX Snapshots is a new feature created to improve snapshot capability for VNX
Block. VNX Snapshots are point-in-time views of a LUN, which can be made
accessible to another host, or be held as a copy for possible restoration. VNX
Snapshots use a redirect-on-write algorithm, and are limited to pool based
provisioned LUNs (i.e. not RAID Group LUNs). VNX Snapshots support 256 writable
snaps per pool LUN. Branching, or snap of a snap, is also supported. There are no
restrictions to the number of branches, as long as the entire Snapshot Family is
within 256 members. Consistency Groups are also introduced, meaning that several
pool LUNs can be combined into a Consistency Group and snapped at the same
time. For more information see the White paper on VNX Snapshots on powerlink.
SnapView Snapshots
EMC VNX SnapView snapshots are point-in-time views of a LUN, which can be made
accessible to another host, or be held as a copy for possible restoration. SnapView
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
58
59. snapshots use a pointer-and-copy-based algorithm. A memory map keeps track of
chunks (blocks) of data.
Before chucks of data are written to the source LUN, they are copied to a reserved area
in private space, and the memory map is updated with the new location of these
chunks. This process is referred to as Copy on First Write. The source LUN, reserved
LUN, and memory map work together to create the snapshot.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
59
60. Checkpoints
EMC VNX checkpoints are point-in-time snapshots for file systems. This feature allows
creation of multiple non-disaster recoverable copies of production data. Checkpoints
enable end users to restore their files by integrating with Microsoft Shadow Copy
Services. UNIX and Windows clients may also access checkpoints to restore individual
files through a hidden directory.
The Unisphere GUI gives the storage administrator a quick and easy way to restore
entire file systems from checkpoints. SnapSure™ is the underlying technology that
supports checkpoints. SnapSure uses a very storage-efficient Copy-on-First-Write
algorithm to maintain checkpoint views.
Clones
SnapView clones are fully populated point-in-time copies of LUNs that allow
incremental synchronization between source and destination LUNs. Unlike snapshots
that provide point-in-time views of data, clones provide fully populated point-in-time
copies that maximize the flexibility of the storage environment. These point-in-time
copies allow you to perform additional storage management tasks with minimal
impact to production data. These tasks include backup/recovery, application testing,
warehousing, and data movement.
Security
Anti-virus software
The VNX Event Enabler (VEE) allows VNX to integrate with industry-leading anti-virus
applications, such as Symantec, McAfee, Computer Associates, Sophos, Kaspersky,
and Trend Micro.
The Anti-Virus feature works with an external system that houses one of the supported
anti-virus applications. Once configured, files on a file system are scanned before they
are delivered to the requesting client. The file is either validated and sent to the client
or denied if any issues are identified during the scan. A scan is also made after a file is
modified and closed. If no modifications are performed on the file, it is not rescanned
when closed. This can be configured to either scan files on write (default) or scan files
on read. There is the capability to scan all files in the file system with a separate
command as well. This feature helps protect files from viruses and malware while still
allowing you to benefit from the advanced features of the VNX array, such as high
availability and performance.
Quota management and auditing
The VEE allows the VNX to integrate seamlessly with industry-leading content/quota
management software applications (CQM applications). This enhanced functionality
extends the built-in management capability to help improve content and quota
management along with auditing on file systems. This feature is comprised of a host
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
60
61. framework and an agent that have been validated to support several of the leading
CQM application vendors.
File-Level Retention
The File-Level Retention feature protects files from deletion or modification until a
user-specified retention date elapses. This feature prevents users from deleting or
modifying files that are locked and protected. There are two levels of FLR protection
that are enabled at the file system level upon creation:
•
FLR-C File-Level Retention (Compliance level)—Protects data from changes made
by users through CIFS, NFS, and FTP, including administrator actions. This level of
FLR also meets the requirements of SEC Rule 17a-4(f). A file system that contains
files that are locked with FLR-C cannot be deleted.
•
FLR-E File-Level Retention (Enterprise level)—Protects data from changes made by
users through CIFS, NFS, and FTP, but not including administrator actions. This
means that only a VNX administrator with the appropriate authorization can delete
an FLR-E file system that contains FLR-E protected files. However, administrators
still cannot target individually locked files for deletion or modification.
Figure 50 illustrates the workflow for File-Level Retention.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
61
62. Figure 50. Workflow for FLR
Advanced Data Services Support for file
This feature allows file to use pool-based LUNs, create file objects, and use FAST VP.
When a file object (such as a file system) is created upon a block object (such as a
LUN), configuring and changing the LUN could adversely affect the file system it
supports. To prevent this from happening, Unisphere has the Advanced Data Service
Support for file feature.
This feature allows the VNX system to take into account the relationship between
these two sides (file and block) when certain functions are performed. The system
warns the user, and even prevents some actions when these actions could cause
undesired results. For example, VNX displays an error and prevents the action when
the end user tries to change the mirror status of a storage-pool LUN (from mirrored to
non-mirrored or vice versa), and this change would result in a pool having mirrored
and non-mirrored LUNs.
VNX displays a warning (but still allows the action) when:
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
62
63. •
LUNs underneath the same file system are spanning across multiple AVM pools.
•
A new storage pool is discovered that contains mirrored and non-mirrored LUNs.
Only one type of LUN will be mapped over to file; the rest will be skipped.
•
A LUN is added to the “~filestorage” storage group from a pool with “mixed” data
services. Data services include:
Tiering Policy (Start High then Auto-Tier/Auto-Tier/Highest/Lowest/No
Movement)
Thick/thin LUN
Compression
A warning is displayed, because the system cannot guarantee file system
performance when supported by LUNs with different data services. Although not
guaranteed, the system uses a “best effort” algorithm to find LUNs in the pool that
have matching data services during file system creation and extension. The ability
for the system to find LUNs with matching data services is dependent on LUN
availability.
Serviceability, availability, and performance
File-side control LUN protection
To ensure the safety and stability of the unified system, the control LUNs for file have
been moved to the VNX Private Space. Control LUNs are added automatically to a
special system storage group named “~filestorage.” This storage group is visible in
the Unisphere GUI. The system protects these LUNs by disallowing them from being
deleted or removed from the “~filestorage” group in the GUI. As further protection,
navisecscli commands cannot be used to manipulate these Control LUNs.
Unified software upgrade
The VNX series provides software upgrades as a single process utilizing Unisphere
Service Manager. The Celerra Upgrade Tool and CLARiiON Software Assistant have
been merged in to one utility that allows you to download updates, perform health
checks, and install the new updates for both block and file. This is shown in Figure 51.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
63
64. Figure 51. The System tab in Unisphere Service Manger for handling updates
Unified Remote Support
The VNX series fully supports Unified Remote Support by leveraging EMC Secure
Remote Services (EMC Secure Remote Support Gateway). This secure IP-based system
allows dial home, as well as remote access, to the block and file components. ESRS
allows organizations complete control over policies that dictate who may access their
VNX and when that access may occur. ESRS is a separate offering from EMC that is
supported by the VNX series.
Block to Unified Plug and Play
Block to Unified adds files services to a block-only deployment. The upgrade will include
installing the necessary hardware to enable file services, install the necessary operating
systems (DART/FLARE), and configure file services within your environment.
Assumptions
•
•
•
•
DART/FLARE compatible revisions are loaded on the private LUNs as a precondition to the
B2U.
The upgrade will provide uninterruptable block data I/O during the file services upgrade
and uninterruptable management access.
Block data services, MirrorView, SnapView and replication via Recover Point will not be
interrupted.
Dual control station configurations are supported as part of the block to file upgrade.
User Experience
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
64
65. The Block to Unified(B2U) upgrade is divided into four phases:
1. Readiness Check - the customer would use a tool to verify and prepare the Block
system for the Unified upgrade.
2. Rack & Cable—The customer would rack and cable the newly acquired file
hardware according to the provided instructions and then power-on the hardware.
3. Plug-n-Play—The customer would monitor the automated File software installation
and set up the Unified system to be ready for configuration.
4. Configure—The customer would configure the system for production.
In addition, the installation and recovery for File/Unified systems is enhanced to improve TCE by
reusing the technology developed for the Block to Unified upgrade.
In-Family Data in place Conversion
The In-Family Upgrade/Conversion features allow the customer to preserve system
identity while moving to a higher model or upgrading memory of an existing model.
The Upgrade Readiness Checker is used before an in-family upgrade can be
performed.
Source Platform
(Model/Memory) VNX5100/ VNX5300/ VNX5500/ VNX5700/ VNX7500/ VNX7500/
18GB
24GB[1]
4GB
8GB
12GB
VNX5100/4GB
N/A
Yes
Yes
Yes
VNX5300/8GB
N/A
N/A
Yes
Yes
VNX5500/12GB
N/A
N/A
N/A
Yes
VNX5700/18GB
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
VNX7500/24GB
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
VNX7500/48 GB
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
48GB
[2]
N/A
Yes
[2]
[2]
N/A
Yes
[2]
N/A
Yes
[2]
[2]
Yes
[3]
Yes
N/A
Figure 52: In-Family Data in place Conversion options
1
2
3
The VNX7500/24GB is an invalid target. The VNX7500/48GB will be the standard target
Several conversion paths are chassis swap conversions which involve more hardware and
process steps
This path is considered a memory upgrade, though it uses the in-family conversion
mechanism.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
65
66. Figure 53: Block In-Family Conversions
Figure 54: Unified or File In-Family Conversions
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
66
67. VNX scalability and performance
Improved overall performance
The EMC VNX series array is highly scalable and provides significantly more
performance than previous array models, such as the CX4 and NS. The VNX systems
are optimized to take advantage of the multi-core Intel Xeon 5600 processors. In
addition, other hardware improvements, such as the 6 Gb/s x 4 lanes SAS back end,
PCIe Gen 2 I/O modules, and increased memory, make the VNX series two to three
times faster than previous-generation CLARiiON and Celerra systems.
Increased degraded system performance
The VNX series systems show significantly improved performance when running on a
single SP (also known as degraded mode). All VNX models perform better compared to
its predecessors (CX4 or NS systems).
For example, a CX4-960 populated with 240 active drives running IOPS-intensive
workloads would suffer a significant performance hit in the event of a single SP failure.
However, a VNX7500 (with a similar configuration of 250 drives, that is, running IOPSintensive workloads) does not suffer anywhere near the performance hit during a
single-SP failure; in fact, it provides more performance than the CX4 running with both
storage processors. This increase in robustness is directly attributable to the hardware
advances within the array.
Optimized for flash
VNX series systems also take much better advantage of flash drives than previousgeneration systems. This is because of the efficient use of the multi-core processors
and the more powerful storage processors in the VNX series. VNX series arrays have
two to three times more IOPS using flash drives with Exchange and file-serving
workloads than previous-generation models.
Conclusion
The VNX series offers increased scalability, efficiency, and performance in a unified
form factor that you can manage using a single pane of glass, offering an unparalleled
unified experience. The advances in hardware, from the Intel Xeon 5600 processors, to
the 6 Gb/s x 4 lanes SAS backend, to the optimizations made using Flash drives, place
the VNX series in the forefront of EMC’s midrange offerings.
The unification of file and block is another step in the continued evolution of our
product lines. By unifying the hardware and creating a new unified management
experience (through the conceptual merger of file and block inside Unisphere), EMC
has provided a holistic way to view and manage an entire storage domain with the
utmost simplicity.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
67
69. Components
Configuration
VNX5100
VNX5300
VNX5500
VNX5700
VNX7500
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
drives
2.5”–900 GB 10k
drives
BLOCK COMPONENTS
Processor clock
speed/number of
1.6 GHz, 2-core
cores/architectur
Xeon 5600
e
(per SP)
1.6 GHz, 4-core 2.13 GHz, 4-core 2.4 GHz, 4-core
Xeon 5600
Xeon 5600
Xeon 5600
2.8 GHz, 6-core
Xeon 5600
Physical memory
per SP (GB)
4
8
12
18
24 or 48
Max FC ports
per SP (FE
ports)—onboard
only
4
4
4
0
0
Max FC ports
per SP (FE
ports)—I/O
module add-On
0
4
4
12
16
Max 1 Gb/s
iSCSI ports per
SP (FE only)
0
4
8
8
8
Max 10 Gb/s s
iSCSI ports per
SP (FE only)
0
4
4
6
6
Max FCoE ports
per SP (FE only)
0
4
4
6
8
Max initiators per
FC port
256
512
512
512
1024
Max initiators per
1 Gb/s iSCSI
port
0
512
512
512
512
Max initiators per
10 Gb/s iSCSI
port
0
512
1024
2048
2048
Max initiators per
FCoE port
0
512
512
512
1024
Max VLANs per
1 Gb/s iSCSI
port
0
8
8
8
8
Max VLANs per
10 Gb/s iSCSI
port
0
8
8
8
8
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
69
70. Components
Configuration
VNX5100
VNX5300
VNX5500
VNX5700
VNX7500
Max initiators per
SP
256
1024
2048
2048
4096
Max FE ports
per SP (all
types)
4
12
12
16
16
Max initiators per
array
512
2048
4096
4096
8192
Max UltraFlex
I/O module slots
(per SP)
0
2
2
5
5
Max usable
UltraFlex I/O
module slots
(front-end)
(per SP)
Embedded I/O
ports per
(per SP)
Please see Table 5. Block configuration on page 73
4 FC
4 FC
4 FC
2 back-end SAS 2 back-end SAS 2 back-end SAS
0
0
Available 6 Gb
SAS ports for
DAE connectivity
2
2
2 or 6
4
4 or 8
Max LUNs per
storage system
512
2048
4096
4096
8192
Max user-visible
5
LUNs
896
2816
4864
5376
10496
LUN ID range
0-1023
0-4095
0-8191
0-8191
0-24575
Max LUNs per
RAID group
256
256
256
256
256
Max LUNs per
storage group
256
512
512
1024
1024
RAID options
0,1,1/0,3,5,6
0,1,1/0,3,5,6
0,1,1/0,3,5,6
0,1,1/0,3,5,6
0,1,1/0,3,5,6
Max RAID
groups per
storage system
75
125
250
500
1000
Max drives per
RAID group
16
16
16
16
16
DPE/SPE rack
space
3U (DPE)
3U (DPE)
3U (DPE)
2U (SPE)
2U (SPE)
Max SnapView
sessions(LUNs)
per source LUN
8
8
8
8
8
Max SnapView
snapshot source
128
256
256
512
512
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
70
71. Components
Configuration
VNX5100
VNX5300
VNX5500
VNX5700
VNX7500
Max SnapView
snapshot
sessions per
array
256
512
512
1024
2048
Max SnapView
snapshot source
LUNs in a
Consistent Start
32
32
32
64
64
Max clones
128
256
512
1024
2048
Max clone
source LUNs
64
128
256
512
1024
Max clones in a
Consistent
Facture
32
32
32
64
64
MirrorView/S
objects
128
128
256
512
1024
MirrorView/A
objects
128
256
256
256
256
SAN Copy
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Max VNX
Snapshots per
source
256
256
256
256
256
Max VNX
Snapshots per
array
2048
4096
8192
16384
32768
Max VNX
Snapshot
consistency
groups
128
128
128
256
256
Max source
LUNs in
consistency
group
64
64
64
64
64
Max VNX
Snapshot LUNs
(Host Visible)
128
512
1024
2048
2048
4096 w/ 48G
memory
LUNs
FILE COMPONENTS
Processor clock
speed / number of
cores /
architecture
(per blade)
N/A
2.13 GHz, 4-core 2.13 GHz, 4-core 2.4 GHz, 4-core
Xeon 5600
Xeon 5600
Xeon 5600
2.8 GHz, 6-core
Xeon 5600
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
71
72. Components
Configuration
VNX5100
VNX5300
VNX5500
VNX5700
VNX7500
Physical memory
per blade (GB)
N/A
6
12
12
24
Data Movers (minmax)
N/A
1 -2
1 -3
2 -4
2-8
Capacity per
blade (TB)
N/A
200
256
256
256
Max # of file
6
systems per DM
N/A
2048
2048
2048
2048
Max # of file
systems per array
N/A
4096
4096
4096
4096
Max file system
size (TB)
N/A
16
16
16
16
Number of snaps
per file system
(SnapSure)
N/A
96
96
96
96
Number of
replication file
systems
(Replicator)
N/A
1024
1024
1024
1024
Host connectivity
N/A
NFS, CIFS,
pNFS
NFS, CIFS,
pNFS
NFS, CIFS,
pNFS
NFS, CIFS,
pNFS
Control Stations
N/A
1- 2
1- 2
1- 2
1- 2
Max usable
UltraFlex I/O
module slots
(front-end)
N/A
2
3
3
4
1,1/0,5,6
1,1/0,5,6
1,1/0,5,6
1,1/0,5,6
(per blade)
7
4
RAID options
N/A
1
Attainable using 100 GB Flash drives
Single Control Station configuration
3
Using 2.5” 25-drive DAE
4
Each blade requires one I/O module slot for backend (fibre) connectivity. This has been deducted from the numbers shown in
the chart.
5
These numbers include FLUs + pool LUNs + snapshot LUNs (SV and Adv) + MV/A LUNs
6
These numbers are without any snaps or replications
7
Limited by the number of total drives per array multiplied by the per drive capacity
2
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
72
73. Appendix B: Storage processor UltraFlex I/O slot availability
The following table shows the number of various components in a Unified
configuration.
Table 4. Unified configuration
VNX5300
VNX5500
VNX5700
VNX7500
SAS back-end buses
1‒2
1‒2
3‒6
1‒4
Number of blades
1‒2
1‒3
1‒3
2‒4
2‒4
5‒8
2‒4
5‒8
2
2
1
3
3
2
2
1
Total number of
configurable host I/O
connectivity slots
1‒4
5‒8
Table 5 and Table 6 pertain to components delivered in an EMC rack. I/O module slots are only reserved
for upgrade from block-only to unified if the array is delivered in an EMC rack. The VNX5100 does not
support the use of UltraFlex I/O modules, so it has been omitted in these tables.
Table 5. Block configuration
VNX5300
SAS backend buses
Space
reserved for
upgrade to
*
unified?
Total
number of
configurable
host I/O
connectivity
slots
1‒2
N
1‒2
Y
2
VNX5500
N
3‒6
Y
2
VNX5700
N
Y
1
VNX7500
1‒4
1‒4
5‒8
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
4
3
4
3
3
2
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
73
74. Table 6. File configuration
VNX5300
VNX5500
VNX5700
VNX7500
SAS back-end
buses
1‒2
1‒2
3‒6
1‒4
Number of blades
1‒2
1‒3
1‒3
2‒4
2‒4
5‒8
2‒4
5‒8
Total number of
configurable host
I/O connectivity
*
slots
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1‒4
5‒8
There is only one configurable slot available to account for the RecoverPoint Fibre
Channel option. As a file-only configuration, no other host connectivity is allowed from
the storage processors.
Introduction to the EMC VNX Series
74