Setup Guide

Table Of Contents

Getting Started With Your System

Before You Begin

NOTE:

Throughout the document, Dell PowerVault MD3600f series storage

array refers to both Dell PowerVault MD3600f and Dell PowerVault MD3620f.

Dell PowerVault MD1200 series expansion enclosure refers to both

Dell PowerVault MD1200 and Dell PowerVault MD1220.

Before setting up your PowerVault MD3600f series storage array, you must

consider certain best practices to ensure that your storage array operates at

maximum efficiency and offers full redundancy (if required).

• To enable redundancy, two Fibre Channel (FC) host bus adapters (HBA)

must be connected from the host system to the storage array. If

redundancy is not required, only one FC HBA is connected to the storage

array. See the

Support Matrix

for a list of supported HBAs and

Configuring

Fibre Channel With the Dell MD3600f Series Storage Array

for information

about installing HBA drivers. You can download both documents from

support.dell.com/manuals

• Before connecting any cables between the host server and storage array,

physically label each port and connector.

• Always follow proper power-up and power-down procedures when cycling

power across the network. You must also ensure that critical network

components are on separate power circuits.

Working With SFP Modules and Fiber Optic Cables

NOTE:

SFP+ modules are supported for 8 GB Fibre Channel connections.

This document refers to SFP generically.

Each storage controller can have up to four FC host ports. A small-form-factor

pluggable (SFP) module is used to connect a host port to a host or switch.

The SFP module is inserted into the port, and then a fiber optic cable is

inserted into the SFP module. The other end of the fiber optic cable is

connected to an optical interface connector either in a FC HBA on a host or

a switch. SFP modules are laser products.

WARNING:

Data processing environments can contain equipment transmitting

on system links with laser modules that operate at greater than Class 1 power

levels. Never look into the end of an optical fiber cable or open receptacle.