Dell PowerEdge Quick Manual page 6

By taking advantage of the support for
daisy-chaining in unified mode, adminis-
trators can configure a specific combina-
tion of storage resources initially, and then
add storage volumes quickly and easily as
data requirements increase.
flexIble raId confIguratIon
and management toolS
In keeping with the Dell focus on simplify-
ing IT, PERC 6 controllers share a common
firmware code base, host drivers, and
management software. The storage man-
agement software enables administrators
to configure and manage multiple PERC 6
RAID systems, create and manage multi-
ple disk groups, and perform online
maintenance. By supporting multiple con-
figuration and management options
designed for flexibility and simplicity,
PERC 6 controllers can help meet wide-
ranging application and deployment
requirements.
Administrators can choose from two
primary management applications
depending on their needs: OMSA
Storage Management or the Dell BIOS
Configuration Utility. OMSA Storage
Management (see Figure 5), a storage
management application
PowerEdge servers, provides enhanced
features for configuring locally attached
RAID and non-RAID disk storage. It
enables administrators to perform con-
troller and enclosure functions—such as
creating data redundancy, assigning hot
spares, and rebuilding failed physical
disks—for supported RAID and non-RAID
controllers and enclosures from a
single graphical user interface (GUI) or
command-line interface (CLI) without
requiring use of the controller BIOS utili-
ties. The wizard-based GUI includes fea-
tures for both novice and advanced
administrators as well as detailed online
help files, while the CLI is designed for
comprehensive functionality and sup-
ports scripting.
The Dell BIOS Configuration Utility
(see Figure 6) is embedded in PERC 6
controllers and enables administrators to
Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, May 2008. Copyright © 2008 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Figure 5. Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Storage Management
for Dell
Figure 6. Dell BIOS Configuration Utility
configure and maintain RAID disk groups
and virtual disks and manage RAID sys-
tems. It operates independently of the
system OS. Administrators would typi-
cally use this utility for initial setup, and
then configure advanced features through
OMSA Storage Management.
SImplIfIed raId confIguratIon
and management
The Dell PERC 6 family of SAS RAID con-
trollers is designed to provide enhanced
performance, increased reliability and
fault tolerance, and simplified manage-
ment for supported Dell platforms.
Integrating PERC 6 controllers into envi-
ronments using Dell PowerEdge servers,
Dell PowerVault storage, and Dell
Precision workstations can help adminis-
trators create a robust and highly avail-
able environment designed to maximize
server uptime.
Bhanu Prakash Dixit is a senior analyst in
the Dell Enterprise Storage Group.
Sanjay Tiwari is an engineer adviser in the
Dell Enterprise Storage Group.
Kedar Vaze is an engineering manager in
the Dell Enterprise Storage Group.
Joe H. Trickey III is a storage product market-
ing consultant in the Dell Product Group.
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