Storage Design For Sc Series Arrays For Sap Hana - Dell EMC SC Series Validation Manual

Storage design for SC Series arrays for SAP HANA

Storage design for SC Series arrays for SAP HANA
Overview
SAN connectivity
overview
12 Dell EMC SC Series Storage Configuration Best Practices for SAP HANA TDI
SC9000, SC7020, SC5020, and SCv3020 Storage Arrays
Validation Guide
SAP HANA production systems in TDI environments must meet the SAP key performance
indicators (KPIs). The following topics in this section provide configuration recommendations
for SAP HANA production systems that are deployed on SC Series all-flash and hybrid
storage arrays:

SAN connectivity overview

SC Series built-in virtualization

SC Series scalability

Capacity requirements
This section describes general considerations that apply when you connect SAP HANA to
SC Series arrays.
Host connectivity
The SAP HANA nodes connect to the SC Series arrays through an FC SAN. SAN
components require, at a minimum, 8 Gb/s link speed, and the SAN topology must follow
best practices for redundant components and links.
SAN considerations
The SAN connectivity, which includes host bus adapters (HBAs), SAN ports, switches,
and array front-end ports, requires careful planning. The SC Series technology provides
multiple options for front-end connectivity through on-board ports directly on SC Series
controllers and also on optional I/O modules whose configuration must match between
storage processors (SPs). FC I/O module ports use 16 Gb small form-factor pluggables
(SFPs). We recommend 16 Gb FC for the best performance. All FC ports can negotiate to
lower speeds.
The SAP HANA KPIs for TDI deployments require a maximum bandwidth of 400 MB/s per
SAP HANA node. If, for example, ten nodes are connected in a SAN to an SC Series
array, a total bandwidth of 4,000 MB/s is required. Assuming a 16 Gb/s front-end port
provides approximately 1,500 MB/s bandwidth, we recommend at least six dedicated 16
Gb/s front-end ports to support ten SAP HANA nodes—three on each storage controller
(3 x 1,500 MB/s = 4,500 MB/s) to facilitate HA, load balancing, and continued connectivity
in the event of SP failure.
While this bandwidth requirement applies only in the unlikely event that all nodes
simultaneously demand all available bandwidth, SAP HANA certification criteria require
that the storage arrays sustain this peak workload.
This requirement does not only affect the storage front-end configuration. In the example
of ten nodes, the complete path through the SAN network must also be configured to
support the required bandwidth.
HBA ports
Each HBA port (initiator) creates a path for I/Os between the host and the SAN switch,
which then continues to the SC Series storage. If a host uses only a single HBA port, it
has a single I/O path that serves all I/Os. Such a design is not advisable. A single path