Hardware Installation 9
Hardware Installation
This chapter provides guidelines for planning the physical configuration of your Dell™ PowerVault™
MD3000i storage array and for connecting one or more hosts to the array. For complete information
on hardware configuration, see the Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3000i Hardware Owner’s Manual.

Storage Configuration Planning

Consider the following items before installing your storage array:
• Evaluate data storage needs and administrative requirements.
• Calculate availability requirements.
• Decide the frequency and level of backups, such as weekly full backups with daily partial backups.
• Consider storage array options, such as password protection and e-mail alert notifications for error
conditions.
• Design the configuration of virtual disks and disk groups according to a data organization plan.
Forexample, use one virtual disk for inventory, a second for financial and tax information, and a
third for customer information.
• Decide whether to allow space for hot spares, which automatically replace failed physical disks.
• If you will use premium features, consider how to configure virtual disk copies and snapshot
virtual disks.

About the Enclosure Connections

The RAID array enclosure is connected to an iSCSI-enabled host server via one or two RAID
controller modules. The RAID controller modules are identified as RAID controller module 0 and
RAID controller module 1 (see the PowerVault MD3000i Hardware Owner’s Manual for more
information).
Each RAID controller module contains two iSCSI In port connectors that provide direct connections
to the host server or switches. iSCSI In port connectors are labeled In-0 and In-1(see the PowerVault
MD3000i Hardware Owner’s Manual for more information).
Each MD3000i RAID controller module also contains an Ethernet management port and a SAS Out
port connector. The Ethernet management port allows you to install a dedicated management
station (server or standalone system). The SAS Out port allows you to connect the RAID enclosure
to an optional expansion enclosure (MD1000) for additional storage capacity.