User's Manual

Dell Fluid Cache For DAS Overview

Dell Fluid Cache software for direct-attached storage (DAS) is a host caching software that allows you to create a

virtual cache pool for supported Dell PowerEdge systems.

Fluid Cache for DAS uses Dell PowerEdge Express Flash PCIe SSDs installed on supported Dell systems to provide a

read and write cache pool. You can install up to four PCIe SSDs in a Dell system. The supported PCIe SSD capacities are

175 GB and 350 GB. These PCIe SSDs can be combined to create a cache pool capacity ranging from a minimum of 175

GB to a maximum of 1400 GB. The cache pool is used to accelerate response times with significant improvements in I/O

operations per second (IOPS).

Some of the features of the Fluid Cache for DAS software are:

• Faster cache reads, writes, read-after-writes, and re-reads.

• Data protection as writes are replicated across multiple PCIe SSDs.

• Orderly hot swap and hot plug capability that allows adding or removing a device without halting or rebooting

the system.

• Cache pool capacity of up to 1400 GB.

NOTE: All PCIe SSDs used for creating the cache pool must be of the same capacity.

• Support for 2.5 inch PCIe SSD form factor.

Best Practices For Using Fluid Cache For DAS

Some best practices that you can follow when using Fluid Cache for DAS include:

• For best performance, accelerate random writes by enabling write-back caching. Write-back mode is enabled

with a minimum of two PCIe SSDs added to the cache pool.

• It is recommended that you do not implement a file system on the Fluid Cache devices.

• To obtain the maximum benefit from caching, the working data set must not be larger than the cache.