Dell PowerVault NX3500 Quick start guide

DELL POWERVAULT NX3500
A Dell Technical Guide
Version 1.0

DELL PowerVault NX3500, A Dell Technical Guide
THIS TRANSITION GUIDE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND
MAY CONTAIN TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND TECHNICAL INACCURACIES.
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Apr. 2011

DELL PowerVault NX3500, A Dell Technical Guide
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Contents
1. Product Overview ..........................................................................................2
2. PowerVault NX3500 Clustered Solution........................................................3
3. PowerVault NX3500 Solution Architecture....................................................4
4. PowerVault NX3500 NAS Volumes...............................................................4
5. PowerVault NX3500 Physical Configuration .................................................5
6. Controllers......................................................................................................6
7. Cache.............................................................................................................6
8. Backup Power Supply....................................................................................6
9. PowerVault NX3500 Software Tools .............................................................6
10. NAS Replication.............................................................................................8
11. PowerVault NX3500 hardware, environmental, and technical specifications9
12. Networking.....................................................................................................11
13. Configuration Overview .................................................................................12
14. PowerVault NX3500 system glossary ...........................................................13

DELL PowerVault NX3500, A Dell Technical Guide
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1. Product Overview
The PowerVault NX3500 adds scale-up NAS capability to PowerVault
MD32x0iand MD36x0i storage to create a scale-up Unified Storage
solution. It is an easy-to-use solution for smaller-scale deployments
with increasing iSCSI, NFS and CIFS-based data storage needs. With the
PowerVault MD backend, you can scale storage of CIFS, NFS and iSCSI-
based data up to 192 TB of capacity. As your storage needs increase,
you can add or modify block and file capacity dynamically as needed
without disrupting your existing applications and storage systems.
The PowerVault NX3500 incorporates Dell Scalable File System, a high
performance, high availability file system based on proven technology.
The PowerVault NX3500 also offers affordable data protection features,
including user-restorable snapshots, asynchronous replication, and
NDMP backup capabilities.
The PowerVault NX3500 Difference
Today, a majority of organizations store and manage block and file
data on separate, non-integrated storage systems. Both SAN (Storage
Area Network, primarily Fibre Channel, and iSCSI) and NAS (Network
Attached Storage, primarily CIFS and NFS) can be used to store
unstructured data, but traditionally IT environments have selected NAS
for unstructured data. NAS storage provides a consistent file system
that allows the same storage space to be accessed by multiple
heterogeneous clients.
Unified Storage combines SAN and NAS protocols in the same physical
hardware chassis and typically has a single management interface. As
unstructured (file) data continues to grow, several challenges with this
approach have emerged. Spikes in NAS storage demand can cause SAN
performance bottlenecks. Unified Storage typically is priced like SAN,
which costs much more in $/GB than traditional NAS. Also, traditional
Unified Storage typically has rigid architectural boundaries that limit
file size, number of files, and size of the file system. Forklift upgrades
to the next generation of Unified Storage require tedious data
migration and often weeks of application and storage network
downtime.
A file system is a software layer running on the controller that manages
how the data is stored and accessed. Because the file system manages
data access, and functions like an operating system for the controller,
its architecture and design directly impact storage system scalability
and performance.
Dell Scalable File System (DSFS), incorporated in PowerVault NX3500, is
uniquely scalable. Based on a scale-out architecture with full
redundancy and no single point of failure, it is designed to present a
storage pool as a single file system with a single IP address to the
client(s) in a flat network topology, or with multiple IP addresses to
clients in a routed network.

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Dell Scalable File System is essentially a distributed file system, with
volume management, cluster management for transparent failover, and
non-disruptive scalability. Its interconnect technology delivers virtually
unlimited scalability for both performance and capacity, independent
of each other. DSFS uses cache efficiently to provide fast, highly
reliable reads and writes. Overall, DSFS is designed to optimize file
access performance and hardware utilization while eliminating the
capacity constraints of Windows-based file systems.
Because it can store block, CIFS, and NFS protocol data on the same
hardware without the constraints of traditional Unified Storage, the
PowerVault NX3500 is a flexible and practical alternative to Windows
file servers. And, it features a comprehensive and intuitive file
management system that can help you reduce the time it takes to
create and manage multiple volumes and shares.
2. PowerVault NX3500 Clustered Solution
The PowerVault NX3500 is deployed as a clustered NAS solution that
aggregates multiple storage controllers and presents a NAS storage pool
to UNIX, Linux and Windows clients as one virtual file server. This is an
enterprise-class storage solution, optimal for a wide range of
applications and deployment environments.
PowerVault Unified Storage Solution –High Level Logical Diagram

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3. PowerVault NX3500 Solution Architecture
The PowerVault NX3500 system is based on a NAS gateway architecture
with the hardware residing on three physically separate components:
•PowerVault NX3500 controller0
•PowerVault NX3500 controller1
•Backup power supply
oA unified storage system based on the PowerVault NX3500 and
MD3xx0i hardware would include:
•Two PowerVault NX3500 controllers with 12 GB cache per controller
•Backup power supply
•iSCSI-based storage, the NX3500 system currently supports 1 MD3xx0i array
and multiple MD120x0 expansion shelves
•iSCSI connections
•Two internal networks
•Client network
4. PowerVault NX3500 NAS Volumes
A NAS volume is a subset of the file system and comprises a virtual unit
of storage capacity that is less than or equal to the total available
space. The minimum size of a NAS volume is 20 MB and the maximum
size is the total amount of available space on the backend storage
system. You can increase the capacity of a NAS volume without
impacting data access or bringing down your SAN.
You may choose to create one large NAS volume or, alternatively, you
can use multiple NAS volumes (creating, growing, and deleting them as
required). The PowerVault NX3500 supports up to 512 NAS volumes per
solution. The size of a file system can be increased at any time but may
not be decreased in the initial release of the product. However, NAS
volume size may be increased or decreased anytime. To make NAS
volumes available to users, each volume must be shared (CIFS) or
exported (NFS) separately. Users need to specifically map or mount
each share.

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NAS System Diagram
NAS Shares
NAS file shares are the final export of the NAS storage to the user. One
NAS volume can have multiple file shares and shares can be either CIFS,
NFS or mixed-protocol (CIFS and NFS). File share access can be fully
managed to enable default or controlled access based on user name or
by defining trusted users and client machines that can access NFS
export directories.
5. PowerVault NX3500 Physical Configuration
The NX3500 is available in a 3U rack mount configuration:
•1U PowerVault NX3500 controller0
•1U PowerVault NX3500 controller1
•1U Backup power supply shelf (with two backup power supplies)
PowerVault NX3500

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6. Controllers
In the clustered solution, each PowerVault NX3500 controller has two
connections to the client network: two connections to the storage area
network and two controller back-to-back connections for the cluster's
internal network. Each controller is protected by a backup power
supply (BPS), which protects data during power failure.
PowerVault NX3500 software, installed on each of the controllers,
consists of an operating system, volume management, Dell Scalable
File System, and Dell’s advanced clustering technology. A virtual IP
address provides access to the PowerVault NX3500 system.
The PowerVault NX3500 is equipped with a built-in traffic load
balancing mechanism. Read/write operations are handled through
mirrored Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM). Cache data is mirrored between
the paired NAS controllers. This assures a quick response to clients'
requests while maintaining data integrity. Data from the cache to
permanent storage is transferred asynchronously according to a variety
of optimized data-placement schemes.
7. Cache
Each controller is equipped with 12 GB of RAM, most of which is used
for caching to boost performance. Writing or modifying files occurs first
in the cache. Data is then mirrored to the peer controller’s cache. This
feature ensures that all transactions are duplicated and secured.
8. Backup Power Supply
Each controller receives its power from a dedicated BPS and from the
power grid. The BPS has sufficient battery power to allow the
controller to execute orderly shutdown, thus enabling the cache to be
used as NVRAM. Each controller regularly monitors the BPS battery
status and requires the BPS to maintain a minimum level of charge for
normal operation.
9. PowerVault NX3500 Software Tools
The PowerVault NX3500 solution includes configuration and
management tools, as well as snapshot and replication software.
Configuration and management of the PowerVault NX3500 solution uses
the following three tools:
PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) handles block
storage configuration and management, including the provisioning of
MD3xx0i storage for NAS.
PowerVault NAS Configuration Utility (NASCU) guides you through
network configuration and pairing the PowerVault NX3500 NAS
controllers together. It will also start the process of pairing the system

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to the PowerVault MD3xx0i storage appliance. It is recommended that
administrators determine their network configuration and IP allocation
for their NAS controllers before executing NASCU.
PowerVault NX3500 NAS Manager lets you configure NAS network IP
addresses and create and manage volumes and shares. You also use the
NAS Manager to set up snapshots and replication, engage NDMP backup,
and monitor NAS file system performance.
PowerVault NX3500 NAS Manager
Dell Scalable File System (DSFS) Snapshots
You can use snapshots to restore files or volumes back to a previous
state. Snapshots are also used with data protection features such as
backup and replication to provide consistent copies of a production file
system without stopping access to the production file system. Snapshot
policies are applied at the NAS volume level. When the first snapshot of
a NAS volume is created, all snapshots created after the baseline
snapshot will be a delta from the previous snapshot. DSFS uses a
Redirect-on-Write Snapshot design: Each snapshot creates a thin copy
by saving only the differences rather that a full copy of the file system.

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DSFS Snapshots
10.NAS Replication
Block-based NAS replication is a feature that uses snapshot technology
in the PowerVault NX3500 file system. Replication is volume-level and
can be used to replicate volumes on the same or another PowerVault
NX3500 system. After the initial replication, changes to the stored data
are recorded to the target volume.
When replicating a volume to another PowerVault NX3500 system, you
must set up the other system as a replication partner. Once a partner
relationship is established, replication is bi-directional: one system can
hold target volumes for the other system as well as source volumes that
are replicated to the other system. You can set up replication policies
to run on various schedules as well as on demand.

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11.PowerVault NX3500 hardware, environmental, and
technical specifications
Features
Dell™ PowerVault™ NX3500
Protocol support
CIFS (SMB 1), NFSv3, NDMP, SNMP, NTP, iSCSI
Storage arrays supported (1 max)
Dell PowerVault MD3200i series (MD3200i,MD3220i)
Dell PowerVault MD3600i series (MD3600i,MD3620i)
Expansion capability
Refer to PowerVault MD storage array specifications for
expansion support
Storage controllers
Dual controllers operate in an active-active environment
mirroring each other’s cache. Each controller contains 12
GB cache protected by the PowerVault NX3500 backup
power supply
Management
Dell PowerVault NAS Manager graphical user interface,
CLI interface
Front-end NAS connectivity
Two 1Gb IP ports per controller for front-end CIFS/NFS
connectivity
Backend storage array connectivity
Two 1Gb IP ports per controller for back-end iSCSI
connectivity
Snapshot capability
Redirect-on-write snapshots
Replication capability
Asynchronous 1-to-1, 1-to-many replication for disaster
recovery
Power
AC power supply (per power supply)
Wattage: 400 W
Voltage: 100–240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Heat dissipation 1666 BTU/hr maximum
Maximum inrush current under typical line conditions and
over the entire system ambient operating range, the inrush
current may reach 25 A per power supply for 10 ms or less.
Physical (each controller)
Height: 4.29 cm (1.69 in), Width: 43.4 cm (17.09 in), Depth:
61.26 cm (24.12 in)
Environmental
Temperature
Operating 10° to 35°C (50° to 95°F) with a maximum
temperature gradation of 10°C per hour
NOTE: For altitudes above 2950 feet, the maximum
operating temperature is derated 1°F/550 ft.
Storage –40° to 65°C (–40° to 149°F) with a maximum
temperature gradation of 20°C per hour
Relative humidity
Operating 8% to 85% (noncondensing) with a maximum
humidity gradation of 10% per hour
Storage 5% to 95% (noncondensing)
Maximum vibration
Operating 0.25 G at 3–200 Hz for 15 min
Storage 0.5 G at 3–200 Hz for 15 min

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PowerVault NX3500 and Dell Scalable File System Technical Specifications:
Attribute
Max Value (2-node)
Max system
size
192 TB
Max file size
4 TB
Max files
~32 Billion files
Number of
directories
~34 Billion directories
Max NAS
volumes
512
Max snapshots
per volume
512
Max snapshots
per NX3500
system
10,000
Cache size per
cluster with 2
quad-core CPUs
24 GB / 12 GB per
controller
Max LUNs
16
File name
length
255 bytes
Max NFS
mounts
1024
Max CIFS shares
1024
Max CIFS client concurrent
connections
200
Max local users per NX3500
300
Max Quota rules per NX3500 (user
quotas)
65,536
Max quota rules per volume
256
Max block level replication policies
256
Max directory depth
1,024

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12.Networking
iSCSI Connections
iSCSI connections provide the NX3500 controllers access to the storage
subsystem through Ethernet switches.
Internal Network
The PowerVault NX3500's internal network comprises two independent
1 GbE ports. The internal network is the infrastructure for PowerVault
NX3500 clustering, including the heartbeat monitor, transferring data,
mirroring information between the controllers' caches and distributing
data evenly across all LUNs in the system.
In a clustered solution, PowerVault NX3500 controllers are connected
peer-to-peer and employ dual links for redundancy and load balancing.
To achieve complete data distribution and to maintain high availability,
each of the controllers in the PowerVault NX3500 cluster system must
have access to the other controller in the system. The internal network
achieves this goal.
The PowerVault NX3500 internal management network (also known as
internal network B) connects both controllers. All internal
administrative related functions are performed on this network. In case
of a suspected “split brain” situation, in which the controllers in a
cluster lose communication with each other but continue to function
independently, the management network is used to automatically reset
the suspected controllers. This prevents a split brain situation while
ensuring data integrity.
Client Network
The connection between the PowerVault NX3500 solution and the NAS
client network is based on virtual IP addresses (VIP) that serve every
controller in the cluster. This enables clients to access the PowerVault
NX3500 as a single unit through the virtual IP network and enables the
system to load balance the network traffic between controllers, as well
as continue service if one controller fails. The client network comprises
two GbE NICs from each controller, which connect to client network
switches.
The PowerVault NX3500 supports multiple switch topologies. Working
with the Dell Services and support teams, you can select the ideal
topology for your environment. (Note: Best practices suggest that you
separate SAN and LAN traffic.)

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PowerVault NX3500 Network Cabling
13.Configuration Overview
The PowerVault NAS Configuration Utility (NASCU) walks you through
the steps necessary to set up the network configuration and pair your
PowerVault NX3500 controllers. The configuration process involves the
following steps:
Storage Array Identification –NASCU performs iSCSI discovery of your
storage array. The NASCU wizard asks you to enter the last IP from the
range of iSCSI host port IPs you have configured on your MD storage
array.
NAS Controller Discovery –You enter the MAC address of the
embedded NIC 1 for each PowerVault NX3500 controller. Embedded NIC
1 MAC address can be found on the system identification panel
underneath the front bezel of your PowerVault NX3500s or in the front
panel LCD menu.
NAS Cluster Identification - You specify the name that will be used to
identify your PowerVault NX3500 cluster within the PowerVault NAS
Manager web interface.
Primary Network Configuration –You specify the following: NAS
Management virtual IP, Client Access virtual IP, and controller IPs
(private maintenance IPs for each individual PowerVault NX3500
controller in your cluster; these should not be used by clients directly).
Internal Network Configuration –You specify the IPs to be used for
internal communication between your paired PowerVault NX3500
controllers. These IPs should be from a private IP space not reachable
from any other system in your network.

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SAN Network Configuration - You define unique SAN IPs based on the
subnets you configured on your storage array iSCSI host ports. These
SAN IP addresses will provide communication between your MD storage
array and your PowerVault NX3500 cluster. The IPs for each subnet
group must have access to the iSCSI port IPs.
Configuration Summary - The NASCU wizard presents a configuration
summary. You may modify or confirm it. When you confirm the
configuration, NASCU configures your PowerVault NX3500 cluster and
provides the Host Port Identifiers (IQNs) for each controller.
14.PowerVault NX3500 system glossary
Understanding the terminology related to a Dell Scalable File System
based PowerVault NAS system will help you successfully deploy,
manage, and maintain your unified storage environment.
Backup Power Supply (BPS) –Provides back up battery power in the event of a power loss.
Client access VIP –Virtual IP addresses that clients use to access CIFS shares and NFS
exports hosted by a PowerVault NAS system. The PowerVault NAS system supports multiple
client access VIPs.
Controller (NAS controller or nodes) –Server appliance installed with the PowerVault
NX3500 Dell Scalable File System software.
Controller pair –Two NAS controllers that are configured as pair in a PowerVault NAS
clustered system. Cache data is mirrored between the paired NAS controllers.
Dell Management Application (DMA) –Data Management Application is also known as a
Backup Application Server.
Dell PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) –The management software that
ships with the PowerVault MD32x0i/MD36x0i array.
Dell Scalable File System (DSFS) –High-performance, scalable file system software installed
on NAS controllers.
Host Port Identifier –Unique ID used to identify hosts in a network.
Internal network A (peer connection) –The PowerVault NX3500's internal network consists
of two independent Gigabit Ethernet ports. The internal network is the infrastructure for
PowerVault NX3500 clustering, including the heartbeat monitor, data transfer, and
mirroring information between the controllers.
Internal network B (internal management/IPMI) –The PowerVault NX3500 internal
management network (also known as internal network b) connects both controllers. All
administrative related functions and controller reboots are performed on this network.
LAN/client network (primary network) –The network through which clients access NAS
shares/exports. The PowerVault NAS system is connected to customer IT environment and

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its NAS clients using this network. NAS storage pool Virtual disks created on the PowerVault
MD32x0i/MD36x0i storage arrays dedicated to the PowerVault NX3500 system.
NAS volume (NAS container or virtual volume) –A virtualized volume that consumes
storage space in the NAS storage pool. Administrators can create CIFS shares and NFS
exports on a NAS volume and share them with authorized users. A PowerVault NAS system
supports multiple NAS volumes.
NAS replication –Replication between two PowerVault NAS systems or between two NAS
volumes.
NAS replication partners –PowerVault NAS systems participating in a replication activity.
PowerVault NX3500 Architecture –The PowerVault NX3500 clustered NAS solution consists
of a pair of controllers and the PowerVault Modular Disk (MD) iSCSI storage array. In
addition, both controllers are protected by a backup power supply (BPS), which helps
protect data during power failure.
Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) –Network Data Management Protocol is
used for backup and restore.
Peer controller –The peer NAS controller with which a specific NAS controller is paired in a
PowerVault NAS system.
Power module (battery unit) –One of the battery units in a Backup Power Supply.
PowerVault MD3xx0i –Refers to the PowerVault MD3200i, MD3220i, MD3600i, MD3620i
iSCSI storage solutions.
PowerVault NAS Configuration Utility –The setup wizard used to initially discover and
configure a PowerVault NAS system. This utility is only used for initial setup.
PowerVault NAS Manager –The web-based user interface, which is part of the PowerVault
NX3500 software, used to manage the PowerVault NAS system.
PowerVault NAS system –A fully configured, highly-available and scalable NAS appliance,
providing NAS (CIFS and/or NFS) services, which is comprised of a pair of NAS controllers, a
BPS, a PowerVault storage subsystem and the NAS Manager.
Standby controller –A server appliance that is not installed with the PowerVault NX3500
DSFS software. For example, a new or replacement controller from the Dell factory is
considered as a standby controller.
SAN network (iSCSI network) –The network that carries the block level
(iSCSI) traffic and to which the storage subsystem is connected. NOTE: It
is recommended that this network be isolated from the LAN/client
network.

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PowerVault NAS system –A highly-available and scalable NAS system,
comprised of pairs of NAS controllers, a BPS, a PowerVault storage
subsystem and the DSFS software, providing NAS (CIFS and/or NFS)
services.
Standby controller –“Raw” server appliance, not installed with the
DSFS.
SAN Network / iSCSI Network –The network that carries the block
level (iSCSI) traffic and to which the storage subsystem is connected. It
is recommended that this network be separated from the client
network.