Storage Partitioning - Dell PowerVault MD3200i Owner's Manual

Storage Partitioning

A storage partition is a logical entity consisting of one or more virtual disks
that can be accessed by a single host or shared among hosts that are part of a
host group. The first time you map a virtual disk to a specific host or host
group, a storage partition is created. Subsequent virtual disk mappings to that
host or host group do not create another storage partition.
One storage partition is sufficient if:
• Only one attached host accesses all of the virtual disks in the storage array.
• All attached hosts share access to all of the virtual disks in the storage array.
When you choose this type of configuration, all of the hosts must have the
same operating system and special software (such as clustering software) to
manage virtual disk sharing and accessibility.
More than one storage partition is required if:
• Specific hosts must access specific virtual disks in the storage array.
• Hosts with different operating systems are attached to the same storage
array. In this case, a storage partition is created for each host type.
You can use the Storage Partitioning Wizard to define a single storage
partition. The Storage Partitioning wizard guides you through the major steps
required to specify which host groups, hosts, virtual disks, and associated
logical unit numbers (LUNs) are to be included in the storage partition.
Storage partitioning fails when:
• All mappings are defined.
• You create a mapping for a host group that conflicts with an established
mapping for a host in the host group.
• You create a mapping for a host in a host group that conflicts with an
established mapping for the host group.
Storage partitioning is unavailable when:
• No valid host groups or hosts exist in the Topology pane on the Mappings
tab.
• No host ports are defined for the host being included in the storage
partition.
• All mappings are defined.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks