Deployment Guide

Introduction
This guide provides information about deploying Dell PowerVault MD3460 storage arrays. The deployment process includes:
• Hardware installation
• Modular Disk Storage Manager (MD Storage Manager) installation
• Initial system configuration
Other information provided include system requirements, storage array organization, and utilities.
NOTE: For more information on product documentation, see Related Documentation.
MD Storage Manager enables an administrator to configure and monitor storage arrays for optimum usability. The version of MD Storage
Manager included on the PowerVault MD Series resource media can be used to manage both the PowerVault MD3460 Series and other
PowerVault MD Series storage arrays. MD Storage Manager is compatible with both Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems.
Topics:
• System Requirements
• Introduction To Storage Arrays
• Related Documentation
System Requirements
Before installing and configuring the PowerVault MD3460 Series hardware and software, ensure that the supported operating system is
installed and minimum system requirements are met. For more information, see the Support Matrix at dell.com/powervaultmanuals.
Management Station Requirements
A management station uses MDSM to configure and manage storage arrays across the network. For management station requirements,
see Dell PowerVault MD34xx/38xx Series Support Matrix at dell.com/powervaultmanuals.
Introduction To Storage Arrays
An enclosure containing physical disks accessed through RAID controller modules is called a storage array. A storage array includes various
hardware components, such as physical disks, RAID controller modules, fans, and power supplies.
One or more host servers attached to the storage array can access the data on the storage array. You can also establish multiple physical
paths between the host(s) and the storage array so that loss of any single path (for example, through failure of a host server port) does
not result in loss of access to data on the storage array.
The storage array is managed by MD Storage Manager running on a:
• Host server — On a host server system, MD Storage Manager and the storage array communicate management requests and event
information using in-band or out-of-band connections.
• Management station — On a management station, MD Storage Manager communicates with the storage array either through an
Ethernet connection to the storage array management port or through an Ethernet connection to a host server. The Ethernet
connection passes management information between the management station and the storage array using array connectivity.
Using MD Storage Manager, you can configure the physical disks in the storage array into logical components called disk groups and
Dynamic Disk Pool (DDP), then divide the disk groups into virtual disks. Disk groups are created in the unconfigured capacity of a storage
array. Virtual disks are created in the free capacity of a disk group.
Unconfigured capacity comprises physical disks not already assigned to a disk group or DDP. When a virtual disk is created using
unconfigured capacity, a disk group is automatically created. If the only virtual disk in a disk group is deleted, the disk group is also deleted.
Free capacity is space in a disk group that is not assigned to any virtual disk.
Data is written to the physical disks in the storage array using RAID technology. RAID levels define the way in which data is written to
physical disks. Different RAID levels offer different levels of accessibility, consistency, and capacity. You can set a specified RAID level for
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