Dell EqualLogic iSCSI SAN Storage Pricing Performance Virtualisation VMware

The Dell EqualLogic PS4100 series builds upon the firm foundation established by the Dell PS4000 series since its introduction in 2009. Originally cast as an entry-level iSCSI SAN solution it was quickly apparent that the PS4000 appliances made enterprise features available to all for an entry-level price. The Dell EqualLogic PS4100 arrays are sure to enhance this reputation with increased performance, increased capacity and sleek new chassis designs accommodating 2.5" 10K and 15K SAS plus 3.5" SATA and 15K SAS drives. The comprehensive Dell EqualLogic feature set remains including application consistent snapshots, thin provisioning, replication, VMware vSphere and Hyper-V integration, detailed monitoring/reporting with SANHQ and more.

So what are the key differences between the PS4000 series and the PS4100 series?

PS4100E - 12-Drive Chassis. Choice of 500GB 1TB 2TB or 3TB 3.5" 7.2K NL SAS disks delivering up to 36TB 

PS4100X - 24-Drive Chassis. Choice of 300GB 600GB or 900GB 2.5" 10K SAS disks delivering up to 21.6TB 

PS4100XV - 24-Drive Chassis. Choice of 146GB 300GB or 600GB 2.5" 15K SAS disks delivering up to 14.4TB 

PS4100XV 3.5" - New 12-Drive Chassis. Choice of 300GB or 600GB 3.5" 15K SAS disks delivering up to 7.2TB 

Dell has announced the next stage in the evolution of the EqualLogic storage platform - the Dell EqualLogic FS7500.

The FS7500 is effectively a 'NAS Header' which can be combined with a new or existing EqualLogic storage stack to deliver both block and file capabilities in a single, flexible storage pool.

Protocol support includes CIFs, NFS, NDMP SNMP, iSCSI, Active Directory, LDAP and more. Each dual-controller FS7500 system can support up to eight EqualLogic PS Series arrays with a max system size of 510TB.

The system is managed through the familiar EqualLogic Group Manager and is one of the first to be powered by the Dell Scalable File System (DSFS)- which we will see extending further into their portfolio as part of their new 'Fluid Data' strategy.

The Dell EqualLogic PS6500 'SUMO' appliance has always represented excellent value. The latest price list confirms a reduction of up to £10K per unit. This means that the 48-drive appliance has become a real alternative to multiple 16-drive arrays, particularly if massive scale is what you need in the longer term. 

So is all this space provided at the cost of performance? The answer is no. The sheer spindle count, coupled with EqualLogic's approach to storage virtualisation means that even SATA disk will deliver very respectable IOPs figures. The 10K SAS SUMO delivers some of the best performance figures in EqualLogic's portfolio so the PS6500 is unlikely to be left behind in that department.

With spending cuts throughout the Public and Private sector many organisations are investigating ways to reduce storage costs when the time comes to replace, upgrade or renew support on legacy fibre channel solutions.

A spending review often acts as a catalyst to prompt enterprise storage users to investigate more 'cost effective' technologies such as iSCSI which may have been disregarded the last time a review was carried out - perhaps due to internal policy or simply through limited visibility of what was available in the marketplace.

The reality is that an iSCSI storage platform such as EqualLogic not only offers an extremely valid alternative to Fibre Channel, it will often bring with it powerful tools and features which were outside even those six and seven figure budgets the last time around. EqualLogic's fully inclusive licensing model means that all features are included in the purchase price of the array. Even features on the roadmap are included as long as a support agreement is maintained. Support usually costs less than £1500 per year. Surprised?