Release Notes

21 Dell PS Series Snapshots and Clones: Best Practices and Sizing Guidelines | BP1027
5 Snapshot and clone testing
Several tests were performed to evaluate the behavior of snapshots and clones. In particular, the utilization of
snapshot reserve space was monitored under varying load conditions and data access patterns, such as
sequential versus random access. The impact on the source volume when using snapshots for back-up was
also tested.
The following sections explain the architecture, topology, and test scenarios in addition to how the tests were
actually performed. See A for a list of software and firmware revisions used in the tests.
5.1 Test topology and architecture
For the test scenarios, two Dell EMC PowerEdge™ Servers running Windows 2008 R2 were used for hosts.
Both servers were attached via 10 Gb Ethernet to a pair of Dell PowerConnect™ 8024F switches for the SAN
and to a PowerConnect 6248 for LAN or client connectivity. Three PS6010XV and one PS6010E storage
arrays were also connected to the SAN switches and their out-of-band management ports were connected to
the PowerConnect 6248.
For management and monitoring, a PowerEdge R710 running Windows 2008 R2 was also connected to the
LAN switch. This system was used to manage the storage systems via Dell EqualLogic Group Manager and
SAN Headquarters (SAN HQ).
Test architecture