Deployment Guide
Table Of Contents
- Dell EMC PowerVault MD3860f Series Storage Arrays Deployment Guide
- Introduction
- Hardware installation
- Planning the storage configuration
- Connecting the storage array
- Configuring Fibre Channel with Dell EMC MD Series storage arrays
- Configuring Fibre Channel on SAN attached storage arrays
- Other information you may need
- Installing supported Fibre Channel HBAs
- Using Fibre Channel switch zoning
- Cabling storage array
- SAN-attached cabling
- Cabling PowerVault MD3060e expansion enclosures
- Installing MD Storage Manager
- Post installation tasks
- Uninstalling MD Storage Manager
- Load balancing
- Appendix — Working with SFP modules and fiber optic cables
- Appendix — Hardware cabling best practices
- Getting help
CAUTION: Connecting the storage array to a nonsupported host server HBA or installing nonqualified HBA
drivers or firmware can cause instability or loss of access to your data.
Installing Fibre Channel HBA on your host server
For instructions about physically installing an HBA in your host server and loading supported drivers and firmware, see the
documentation supplied with your HBA hardware.
NOTE: During installation you must enter the manufacturer-specific timeout and/or node time values. See the Dell EMC
PowerVault MD Series Support Matrix at Dell.com/powervaultmanuals for information related to your specific HBA.
Using Fibre Channel switch zoning
A Fibre Channel switch allows you to connect multiple devices to the SAN without compromising bandwidth or data throughput.
Switch zoning implemented on each Fibre Channel switch hardware component using the manufacturer’s embedded utility,
allows you to divide port traffic between the host server and storage array to maintain the highest level of redundancy.
The following figure shows each connection to one or more host servers routed to an individual logical zone on the SAN. Two
physical switches provide an alternate (redundant) data path to the storage array. If a single HBA, switch or RAID controller
fails, one or more host servers can still access data on the storage array through one of the alternate paths provided by the
switches.
NOTE: For a list of supported Fibre Channel switches, see the Dell EMC PowerVault MD Series Support Matrix at
Dell.com/powervaultmanuals.
Hardware installation 9