Developers Guide
6 Dell EMC Storage Manager Scalability Solutions | 3395-BP-SC
Graph showing approximate transaction times with various configurations
While the development teams work to improve scalability with each software release, the current data
indicates that with a high quantity of volumes per array, the more likely that transaction times exceed the
transaction time testing goal of <10 seconds. The darkest blue areas of the graph are where admins can
expect the most responsiveness from the client. In contrast, it is best to avoid configurations outside of the
blue < 10 seconds area, as the extended response times can become unpredictable and operations could
potentially time-out.
Effectively, what this means is that while a single Data Collector under ideal conditions may be able to
actually manage dozens of arrays with low volume counts, a higher volume count translates to each data
collector managing fewer arrays.
1.3 Management domains
When approaching the scalability limits of a single Data Collector, the load can be spread out by installing
additional primary Data Collectors to separate the storage arrays into functional management domains. For
example, one Data Collector to manage arrays in building A, while a second Data Collector to manage arrays
in building B. In larger data centers, the management domains can be broken down to racks, rows, floors,
replication groups, or any other logical grouping.
Note: During periods of slower than normal client performance, remember that if the array is running SCOS
7.0 or later, the DSM client can connect directly to the array to perform the array specific management
operations. In addition, if the array is running SCOS 6.7 or earlier, it has a built in web interface for
management.