Dell 34XX, 38XX, 32XX, 36XX Configuring a Storage Array, Determining What Is On Your Storage Array

Configuring A Storage Array

When you configure a storage array, you can maximize data availability by ensuring that data is quickly accessible while maintaining the highest level of data protection possible. The speed at which a host can access data is affected by the disk group RAID level and the segment size settings. Data protection is determined by the RAID level, hardware redundancy (such as global hot spares), and software redundancy (such as the Snapshot feature).

In general, you configure a storage array by defining the following entities:

•A disk group and associated RAID level

•The virtual disks

•Which hosts have access to the virtual disks

This section explains how to use the script commands to create a configuration from an array of physical disks.

Determining What Is On Your Storage Array

Even when you create a configuration on a previously unconfigured storage array, you still need to determine the hardware and software features that must be included with the storage array. When you configure a storage array with an existing configuration, you must ensure that your new configuration does not inadvertently alter the existing configuration, unless you are reconfiguring the entire storage array. For example, to create a new disk group on unassigned physical disks, you must determine which physical disks are available. The commands described in this section enable you to determine the components and features in your storage array.

The show storageArray command returns the following general information about the components and properties of the storage array:

•A detailed profile of the components and features in the storage array

•The battery age

•The default host type (which is the current host type)

•Other available host types

•The hot spare locations

•The identifiers for enabled features

•The logical and physical component profiles

•The time to which both RAID controller modules are set

•The RAID controller module that currently owns each virtual disk in the storage array

To return the most information about the storage array, run the show storageArray command with the profile parameter. The following is an example of the complete CLI and script command running on Windows:

client>smcli 123.45.67.89 -c "show storageArray profile;"

This example identifies the storage array by the dummy IP address 123.45.67.89. You can also identify the storage array by name.

The show storageArray profile command returns detailed information about the storage array. The information is presented in several screens on a display. You might need to increase the size of your

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