Dell EMC PowerStore 9000X
Flexibility to run applications directly on PowerStore with AppsON

Dell EMC PowerStore 9000X

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Overview:

PowerStore 1000X through 9000X models take storage platforms in a bold new direction, combining the fundamental benefits of enterprise shared storage with the capabilities of an on-board hypervisor. Integrating the PowerStore’s container-based software architecture with VMware ESXi provides unmatched operational and management integration between storage and the virtualized compute environment. Designed for the modern data center, PowerStore’s data-centric design with NVMe and hardware-enabled Advanced Data Reduction and 4:1 DRR deliver critical performance and storage efficiency for both traditional and modern applications.

Modern data center challenges require a new approach to storage infrastructure

In the new data era, the combination of massive amounts of data and unparalleled technology innovation has given businesses of all sizes the opportunity to become disruptive, digital powerhouses. But despite this potential, many learn that digital transformation can be complex and challenging. Data has become more diverse than ever before – and it is now being created, processed and stored everywhere, from edge to cloud. Most organizations have found that no single infrastructure can address all their data requirements, so they utilize different architectures, creating siloes of IT resources that are managed and consumed independently.

At the same time, IT is under increasing pressure to deliver greater levels of simplicity and agility on the business side. Enterprise-grade, on-premises storage must now provide the same operational flexibility as cloud, becoming ever more adaptable, automated and easier to integrate with existing management frameworks.

To meet these conflicting demands, a new architecture and approach to storage is required. Dell Technologies introduces PowerStore – a modern storage appliance designed for the data era. This game-changing new platform unlocks the power of data, regardless of its structure or location, helping you adapt and transform your IT without disrupting current operations.

Essentials

New data-centric, intelligent, and adaptable infrastructure supports diverse requirements while simplifying IT operations
Innovative AppsON capability lets you run virtualized workloads directly on the array, making them portable, agile and fast
The only purpose-built array with a built-in VMware ESXi hypervisor. Complements and extends your current VMware investments.

Data-centric

Any workload – single architecture for physical, virtual, and container-based apps and databases. Designed for “6 9s” availability
Performance optimized – end-to-end NVMe design is up to 7X faster3 than previous arrays with up to 3X better response time.
Scale up and scale out – independently add capacity or processing power.
Efficiency without compromise – always-on inline data reduction with guaranteed 4:1 average DRR

Intelligent

Programmable infrastructure – end-to-end automation streamlines IT and DevOps
Autonomous appliance – built-in machine learning optimizes resources
Proactive healthy analytics – smart monitoring reduces risk and predicts needs

Adaptable

Flexible architecture – container-based software stack enables application mobility
Flexible deployment – modernize the core, edge and cloud without disruption
Flexible consumption – choice, predictability and investment protection with pay-per-use solutions and data-in-place upgrades

The future of storage is here

From both a technology and an operational perspective, PowerStore complements and advances your current infrastructure. Built from the ground up to provide unprecedented capabilities leveraging next-gen technology, the adaptable new platfor m simultaneously offers a familiar context and mature, comprehensive ecosystem support.

Whether your current environment includes traditional 3-tier solutions (servers, networks, arrays), hyperconverged infrastructure, hybrid or public cloud, or a mixture of everything, PowerStore helps you simplify and modernize without adding another management silo, allowing your IT staff leverage current skillsets while investing confidently in the future.

Features:

Start with best-in-class

Purpose-built storage arrays have evolved over the years to fill an essential role in the datacenter, providing ever-expanding levels of performance, capacity, and resiliency for mission-critical workloads. PowerStore begins with the very best of modern storage technology, delivering a new kind of storage appliance with advanced services to complement and extend existing onpremises environments.

Any workload

PowerStore’s single architecture for block, file, and VMware vVols leverages the latest technologies to support an enterprise-class variety of traditional and modern workloads – from relational databases, to ERP and EMR apps, cloud native applications, and file-based workloads such as content repositories and home directories. DC, low-line power and NEBS-ready solutions are available. The ability to accommodate application, multi-protocol network and multi-format storage diversity (physical and virtual volumes, containers, traditional files) within a single 2U appliance provides business-enabling flexibility and helps IT simplify and consolidate their infrastructure.

Performance optimized

Designed to leverage next-gen innovations such as end-to-end NVMe (both FC and Ethernet) and dual-port Intel Optane solid state drives (SSDs) as Storage Class Memory (SCM), PowerStore delivers up to 7x more IOPs3 and 3x lower latency4 for real-world workloads compared to our previous storage generation, giving you all the headroom you need to ensure long-term value through multiple solution lifecycles.

Scale up and scale out

Expanding the capabilities of your initial PowerStore configuration is simple and extremely efficient, as capacity and performance may be scaled independently. Each active-active PowerStore appliance can grow to over 2.8 PB effective capacity, and multiple appliances can be clustered for greater performance.

Efficiency without compromise

Regardless of how you grow, PowerStore costs remain consistently low. Deduplication and compression are “always on,” and thanks to Intel QuickAssist hardware acceleration, PowerStore systems provide a guaranteed average 4:1 data reduction6 without compromising performance.

Make it simpler, and more intelligent

But it’s not just performance and scale. PowerStore also delivers unprecedented levels of intelligence and automation, eliminating complexity, while enabling faster delivery of new applications and services with up to 99% less management interaction.

Programmable infrastructure

PowerStore streamlines application development and automates storage workflows through integration with VMware and a broad ecosystem of leading management and orchestration frameworks. You can provision PowerStore services directly from the application toolsets you use most. For example, IT and DevOps users can take advantage of plug-ins for VMware (vRO Plugin), Kubernetes (CSI Driver) and Ansible (Ansible Module), reducing deployment timeframes from days to seconds.

Autonomous appliance

PowerStore includes built-in intelligence to eliminate dozens of time-consuming tasks and decision points. Labor-intensive processes like initial volume placement, migrations, load balancing and issue resolution are automated by PowerStore’s onboard machine learning (ML) engine, which fine-tunes both individual and clustered appliances, optimizing performance and cost as the solution evolves to meet new challenges. SmartFabric Storage Software support even automates network tasks in an end-to-end NVMe environment.

Proactive health and cybersecurity analytics

CloudIQ, included with PowerStore, gives administrators faster time to insight, with all the intel they need to take quick action and more efficiently manage their storage environment. By combining machine learning, advanced analytics and human intelligence, the cloud-based app reduces risk, spots anomalies before trouble occurs, and helps even IT generalists plan for future storage needs with powerful forecasting. CloudIQ makes storage management tasks easier, so you can get back to focusing on your business goals.

Ready to adapt when you are

If the advantages stopped here, PowerStore would already offer incredible storage value with a powerful lineup of enterprise-class features. However, the PowerStore difference goes much deeper with revolutionary new capabilities that not only support current needs, transforming the way you run your data center today, but also empower you to evolve your infrastructure as your business evolves – as unpredictable as that may be.

Flexible architecture

PowerStore’s container-based software architecture, known as PowerStoreOS, improves performance, fault tolerance and security by isolating individual OS components as microservices. It also enables feature portability and rapid delivery of new or enhanced services over time. Administrators can choose to deploy PowerStoreOS in a bare metal configuration directly on the PowerStore hardware, or within a virtual machine (VM) running on PowerStore’s optional built-in VMware hypervisor, providing yet another layer of isolation, intelligence and abstraction. When PowerStoreOS runs on a VM, administrators can also access the hypervisor to deploy their own applications directly on the appliance, using the same VMware tools and methods they use with external hosts. This gamechanging capability, known as AppsON, is ideal for data-intensive workloads in core or edge locations where infrastructure simplicity and density is required, as well as for “infrastructure applications” such as anti-virus or monitoring software.

Best of all, since VMware ESXi is the underlying foundation, administrators can move seamlessly between these services. PowerStore cluster management, combined with VMware tools including vMotion and storage vMotion, enables easy application mobility in and out of PowerStore to other VMware targets.

Using a single storage instance, applications can be deployed on networked servers, hyperconverged infrastructure, or directly on the PowerStore appliance, and migrated transparently among any of them, allowing IT and application owners to quickly deploy and reassign workloads to the most effective environment based on current requirements and available resources.

Flexible deployment

PowerStore’s compact footprint and adaptable design is ideal for:

Edge-based IoT data analytics and remote office applications where ease of deployment and advanced replication is required
Core data center modernization, when flexibility, application mobility, and VMware integration is critical for consistent operations
Multi-cloud access, including hybrid solutions that allow customers to integrate on-premises infrastructure with public cloud while maintaining management and operational consistency.

Leveraging Dell Technologies Cloud Validated Designs, PowerStore can provide an ideal landing zone for data intensive workloads on VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF). PowerStore is also supported with Dell EMC Cloud Storage Services, which directly connects PowerStore to the users’ cloud(s) of choice, as a managed service. Cloud Storage Services can provide DRaaS to VMware Cloud on Amazon Web Services (AWS) with full operational consistency using VMware.

PowerStore may be deployed as a standalone appliance complementing existing infrastructure, or as a storage option within Dell Technologies VxBlock for CI, our all-in-one autonomous infrastructure cloud platform.

Flexible consumption

PowerStore simplifies storage acquisition and ownership with a range of flexible purchase options that match the needs of your organization. From traditional CAPEX to APEX Custom Solutions pay-per-use offerings that align spending with usage, PowerStore optimizes both technological and financial outcomes. Whether you’re adding storage only, or launching an end-to-end solution involving multiple product categories, we’ll make sure you get the best possible return on your IT spend – both at the start and as you expand your environment.

Continuously modern platform

Within any deployment scenario, PowerStore is designed to eliminate costly and disruptive forklift migrations by seamlessly evolving both the software and hardware capabilities of the platform as new technologies become available.

All array software is included with the hardware purchase. There are no feature licenses to buy and maintain, and future software enhancements are provided at no cost. Anytime Upgrade, the industry’s most flexible controller upgrade program, 10 gives you immediate access to the latest hardware developments, allowing you to add state-of-the-art performance while preserving your original enclosure and drive investments. Unlike other programs, Anytime Upgrade provides multiple ways to evolve your PowerStore system.

Data-in-place node upgrades: Replace the nodes (controllers) in your existing appliance with Next Gen + Higher Model versions.
Scale-out upgrade: Apply a discount credit to expand your PowerStore cluster with a second system equal to your current model.

Each upgrade category is completely non-disruptive, and may be executed at any time during your maintenance contract. You are not required to renew your contract to receive the upgrade.

Technical Specifications:

	500	1000	3000	5000	7000	9000
Base System Enclosures	25x2.5” drives, four IO modules	21x2.5” drives, 2xNVRAM modules four IO modules	21x2.5” drives, 2xNVRAM modules four IO modules	21x2.5” drives, 4xNVRAM modules four IO modules	21x2.5” drives, 4xNVRAM modules four IO modules	21x2.5” drives, 4xNVRAM modules four IO modules
Physical Specifications
Max Drives	25	96	96	96	96	96
CPU per Appliance	2 x Intel CPUs	4 x Intel CPUs	4 x Intel CPUs	4 x Intel CPUs	4 x Intel CPUs	4 x Intel CPUs
NVRAM per Appliance	N/A	2	2	4	4	4
Base Enclosure	A 2U, 2 node enclosure with twenty-five 2.5” NVMe drive slots
Expansion Enclosure	N/A	A 2U enclosure attached to a PowerStore base enclosure with twenty-five 2.5” SAS drives slots (3 max per appliance)
Power Supplies	PowerStore appliances are powered by 2 redundant power supplies (PS) per enclosure.
Data Resiliency	Dynamic Resiliency Engine (DRE)
Max Mezzanine cards per Appliance¹	2	2	2	2	2	2
Max IO Modules per Appliance²	4⁴	4	4	4	4	4
Embedded SAS IO Ports per Appliance	N/A	4 x 4 lane 12Gb/s SAS ports for back end connection
Max front end Ports per Appliance (all types)	24	24	24	24	24	24
Max 16/32Gb FC Ports per Appliance	16	16	16	16	16	16
Max 10 Gbase-T/iSCSI Ports per Appliance	24	24	24	24	24	24
Max 10/25 GbE/iSCSI Ports per Appliance	28	24	24	24	24	24
Max Raw Capacity³	384 TB 349.25 TiB	898.56 TB 817.36 TiB	898.56 TB 817.36 TiB	898.56 TB 817.36 TiB	898.56 TB 817.36 TiB	898.56 TB 817.36 TiB
Protocols	iSCSI, NVMe-FC, FC, vVols, SMB, NFS
Appliance System Limits
Max Initiators	1,000	2,000	2,000	2,000	2,000	2,000
Max Block Volumes/Clones	1,000	2,000	2,000	2,000	2,000	2,000
Max Volumes per Volume Group	75	75	75	75	75	75
Max Volume Groups	125	125	125	125	125	125
Max Volume Size	256 TB	256 TB	256 TB	256 TB	256 TB	256 TB
Max Snapshots (Block)	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000
Max vVol Storage Containers	50	50	50	50	50	50
Max vVols	14,200	19,000	19,000	19,000	19,000	19,000
OS Support	See the Dell EMC Simple Support Matrix on delltechnologies.com
Cluster System Limits
Max. Appliances	4	4	4	4	4	4
Max. Front End Ports	96	96	96	96	96	96
Max. iSCSI sessions	2,048	2,048	2,048	2,048	2,048	2,048
Max Initiators	2,000	2,000	2,000	2,000	2,000	2,000
Max Initiators in an Initiator Group	1,024	1,024	1,024	1,024	1,024	1,024
Power Specifications	500	1000	3000	5000	7000	9000
AC Line Voltage	10.6 A max at 100V 5.3 A max at 200V	8.1 A max at 200V	8.1 A max at 200V	9.0 A max at 200V	9.3 A max at 200V	10.4 A max at 200V
AC Line Current (operating maximum)	1061 VA (1040 W) max at 200V-240V	1629.6 VA (1597 W) max at 200V240V (+/- 10%)	1629.6 VA (1597 W) max at 200V240V (+/- 10%)	1792.9. VA (1757.96 W) max at 200V-240V (+/- 10%)	1868.4 VA (1831 W) max at 200V240V (+/- 10%)	2088.8 VA (2047 W) max at 200V240V (+/- 10%)
Power Factor	0.95 minimum at full load, @ 200 VAC
Heat Dissipation (operating maximum)	3.74 x 10 J/hr (3,549 Btu/hr) max 200VAC	5.74 x 10 J/hr, (5,449 Btu/hr) max 200VAC	5.74 x 10 J/hr, (5,449 Btu/hr) max 200VAC	6.32 x 10 J/hr, (5,995 Btu/hr) max 200VAC	6.59 x 10 J/hr, (6,248 Btu/hr) max 200VAC	7.37 x 10 J/hr, (6,985 Btu/hr) max 200VAC
In-rush Current	45 Apk “cold” per line cord, at any line voltage
Startup Surge Current	120 Apk “hot” per line cord, at any line voltage
AC Protection	20 A fuse on each power supply, single line
AC Inlet Type	IEC320-C20 (100VAC) (500T Low line) EC320-C14 or IEC320-C20	IEC320-C14 or IEC320-C20	IEC320-C14 or IEC320-C20	PowerStore 5000T IEC320-C14 or IEC320-C20 PowerStore 5000X IEC320-C20	IEC320-C20	IEC320-C20
Ride-through Time	10 ms min	10 ms min	10 ms min	10 ms min	10 ms min	10 ms min
Current Sharing	± 5 percent of full load, between power supplies
Weight and Dimensions	500	1000	3000	5000	7000	9000
Weight	Empty 30.38 kg/66.97 lbs Full 37.4 kg/82.4 lbs	Empty 35.80 kg/79 lbs Full 41.7 kg/92 lbs	Empty 35.80 kg/79 lbs Full 41.7 kg/92 lbs	Empty 35.80 kg/79 lbs Full 41.7 kg/92 lbs	Empty 35.80 kg/79 lbs Full 41.7 kg/92 lbs	Empty 35.80 kg/79 lbs Full 41.7 kg/92 lbs
Vertical size	2 NEMA units	2 NEMA units	2 NEMA units	2 NEMA units	2 NEMA units	2 NEMA units
Height	8.72 cm / 3.43 inches	8.72 cm / 3.43 inches	8.72 cm / 3.43 inches	8.72 cm / 3.43 inches	8.72 cm / 3.43 inches	8.72 cm / 3.43 inches
Width	44.72 cm / 17.61 inches	44.72 cm / 17.61 inches	44.72 cm / 17.61 inches	44.72 cm / 17.61 inches	44.72 cm / 17.61 inches	44.72 cm / 17.61 inches
Depth	79.55 cm / 31.32 inches	79.55 cm / 31.32 inches	79.55 cm / 31.32 inches	79.55 cm / 31.32 inches	79.55 cm / 31.32 inches	79.55 cm / 31.32 inches
Service and Support
Deployment Services	Dell EMC ProDeploy Enterprise Suite Dell EMC Migration Services Dell EMC Residency Services
Support Services	Dell EMC ProSupport Enterprise Suite Anytime Upgrades Dell EMC Optimize for Storage
Services & Support Technologies	MyService360 SupportAssist Enterprise
Operating Environment
Recommended Range Operation	18°C to 27°C (64.4°F to 80.6°F) and 15°C (59°F) dew point
Continuous Allowable Range Operation	5°C to 35°C (50°F to 95°F) at 20% to 80% relative humidity with 21°C (69.8°F) maximum dew point (maximum wet bulb temperature). De-rate maximum allowable dry bulb temperature at 1°C per 300m above 950m (1°F per 547 ft above 3117 ft).
Improbable Operation (Excursion Limited)	35°C to 40°C (with no direct sunlight on the equipment) at -12°C minimum dew point and 8% to 85% relative humidity with 24°C maximum dew point (wet bulb temperature). Outside the continuously allowable range (10°C to 35°C), the system can operate down to 5°C or up to 40°C for a maximum of 10% of its annual operating hours. For temperatures between 35°C and 40°C (95°F to 104°F), de-rate maximum allowable dry bulb temperature by 1°C per 175m above 950m (1°F per 319 ft above 3117 ft).
Temperature Gradient	20°C / hour (36°F / hour)
Altitude	Max Operating: 3050m (10,000ft)

OE Protocols and Software Facilities

Support is provided for a wide variety of protocols and advanced features available via various software suites, plug-ins, drivers and packs.

Protocols and Facilities Supported

Access-based Enumeration (ABE) for SMB protocol
Lock Manager (NLM) v1, v2, v3, and v4
REST API: Open API that uses HTTP requests to provide management
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
Management & Data Ports IPv4 or IPv6
RSVD v1 for Microsoft Hyper-V (SMB3)
Block Protocols: iSCSI, Fibre Channel (FCP SCSI-3), NVMe/FC, NVMe/TCP
NAS Servers Multi-protocol for UNIX and SMB clients (Microsoft, Apple, Samba)
Simple Home Directory access for SMB protocol
DFS Distributed File System (Microsoft) as Standalone Root Server
Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) v1-v4, 3-way
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
Direct Host Attach for Fibre Channel
Network Information Service (NIS) Client
Simple Network Management Protocol v2c & v3 (SNMP) Trap support
Dynamic Access Control (DAC) with claims support
Network Status Monitor (NSM)
Virtual LAN (IEEE 802.1q)
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
Network Time Protocol (NTP) Client
VMware Virtual Volumes (vVols) 2.0
Kerberos Authentication
NFS v3/v4 Secure Support
vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI)
LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
NT LAN Manager (NTLM)
vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA)

Security & Compliance

Common Criteria (in process)
Data at Rest Encryption (D@RE) in PowerStore utilizes FIPS 140-2 validated Self-Encrypting Drives (SEDs) by respective drive vendors for primary storage (NVMe SSD, NVMe SCM and SAS SSD).
The NVRAM caching device is encrypted but not FIPS 140-2 validated at this time.
IPv6 certification
Native SHA2 certificate
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliance
TLS 1.2 support by default, TLS 1.1 and older are disabled by default. TLS 1.1 can be optionally enabled.

Software

All Inclusive Base Software

Management Software:
- PowerStore Manager
- CloudIQ: Cloud-based storage analytics
- Thin Provisioning
- Dynamic Resiliency Engine (DRE) – Single & Dual parity
- Data Reduction: Zero Detect/Deduplication/Compression
- Proactive Assist: Configure remote support, online chat, open a service request, etc.
- Quality of Service (Block and vVols)
Protocols: PowerStore T Models
- Block
- vVols
- File
Protocols: PowerStore X Models
- Block
- vVols
Local Protection:
- SED Based Encryption with self-managed key management
- Local Point-In-Time Copies (Snapshots and Thin Clones)
- AppSync Basic
- Dell EMC Common Event Enabler; AntiVirus Agent
Remote Protection:
- Native Asynchronous Block
Migration:
- Native Block migration from Dell EMC Unity, VNX, SC Series, PS Series

Interface Protocols

Block: FC, NVMe-FC, iSCSI, NVMe/TCP and VMware Virtual Volumes (vVols) 2.0
File: NFSv3, NFSv4, NFSv4.1; CIFS (SMB 1), SMB 2, SMB 3.0, SMB 3.02, and SMB 3.1.1; FTP and SFTP

Optional Solutions

AppSync Advanced
Connectrix SAN
Data Protection Suite: Backup, Archive and Collaboration Software
Dell EMC RP4VM
PowerPath Migration Enabler
PowerPath Multipathing
PowerStore metro node (block synchronous metro Active/Active, zero RPO/RTO)
VPLEX

Virtualization and Container Solutions

PowerStore offers support for a wide variety of protocol and advanced features available via various software suites and packs including but not limited to:

Dell EMC Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI) for VMware vSphere: For provisioning, management, and cloning
OpenStack Cinder Driver: For provisioning and managing block volumes within an OpenStack environment
VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Integration: Managing failover and failback making disaster recovery rapid and reliable
Virtualization API Integration: VMware: VAAI and VASA.
vRO Plugin for PowerStore
Container Storage Interface (CSI) Plugin for PowerStore
Ansible Module for PowerStore

¹ One Mezzanine card per node, mirrored.
² Two IO Modules per node, mirrored.
³ Value shown is vendor raw base capacity. TB is base-10 decimal (1000x1000x1000x1000). TiB is base-2 binary (1024x1024x1024x1024). For true appliance useable capacity data refer to Power Sizer.
Maximum raw capacity may vary based on drive sizes available at time of purchase.
Maximum logical capacity supported per appliance is 8 exabytes (EB).
⁴ 4 Onboard ports by default

Solutions & Services:

Dell EMC offers complete end-to-end services

Optimizing the IT lifecycle is vital. Dell EMC has expert services* for all lifecycle phases that save you time and resources, reduce effort, and improve your IT experience.

ProSupport Enterprise Suite

Gain the freedom to focus on your business transformation with the support expertise and insights Dell EMC is known for across the globe. Choose the right support based on the criticality of specific systems with available automated predictive analysis, collaborative third-party assistance and service account management.

ProDeploy

ProDeploy Enterprise Suite helps you get more out of technology starting on day one. Trust Dell EMC experts to lead deployments from basic hardware installations through planning, configuration and complex integrations. Our complete suite of deployment services and professional certifications helps you achieve business outcomes today and tomorrow.

Training

Education Services offers an expansive suite of training services with multiple delivery methods, including instructor-led, self-paced online and virtual instructor-led training. With comprehensive and flexible training programs, we make it easy to ensure your staff has the skills they need to successfully manage and utilize your new technology to its full potential.

Consulting

Consulting services give expert guidance to help you grow, optimize and transform your IT environment at your own pace and budget. We employ a broad range of certified consultants and engineers, backed by program management teams, who can deliver deep technical expertise. We give you the confidence that your project will be done right and on time.

Documentation:

Dell EMC PowerStore Datasheet (.PDF)

Dell EMC PowerStore Spec Sheet (.PDF)

Pricing Notes:

Pricing and product availability subject to change without notice.

Dell EMC PowerStore 9000X Flexibility to run applications directly on PowerStore with AppsON