dell emc powerstore q1fy22 launch faq

PowerStore Q1FY22 Launch Sales FAQ, April 2021 Dell - Internal Use – Confidential

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PowerStore Sales FAQ: Q1FY22 launch update

Contents Launch messaging summary ............................................................................................................. 2

Announcement and availability timeline ........................................................................................... 4

Social promotion (how to help) .......................................................................................................... 4

New/updated sales resources ............................................................................................................ 4

Introducing PowerStoreOS 2.0 (software enhancements) ............................................................ 5

General questions ............................................................................................................................... 5

Performance boost ............................................................................................................................. 5

NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe-FC) ................................................................................................ 6

Clustering/scale-out for PowerStore X models .................................................................................. 7

Intelligent Data Reduction enhancements ......................................................................................... 8

DRE dual parity .................................................................................................................................. 10

SCM metadata tiering ....................................................................................................................... 11

Introducing PowerStore 500 ............................................................................................................. 12

Other enhancements ......................................................................................................................... 16

New SCM 1.5TB drives ...................................................................................................................... 16

AppsON VMFS support ..................................................................................................................... 16

Enhanced installation and serviceability .......................................................................................... 16

Anytime Upgrade .............................................................................................................................. 17

Services ............................................................................................................................................... 18

Competitive impact............................................................................................................................. 18

Objection handling ............................................................................................................................. 19

Launch-specific claims ...................................................................................................................... 23

To locate specific topics, use the Table of Contents links below or CTRL+F to search.

NOTE: This document is provided separately for convenience during the immediate launch period, but will also be added as an appendix to the overall PowerStore Sales FAQ.


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Launch messaging summary

Last year, PowerStore changed the storage industry forever with a revolutionary new platform that made IT solutions around the world more data-centric, intelligent and adaptable. PowerStore has since become the fastest-ramping new storage platform in Dell Technologies history, with customer deployments in over 60 countries – and numerous industry accolades, including two Product of the Year awards. Get ready for what’s next! The award-winning PowerStore family of storage appliances now evolves to the next level, demonstrating Dell’s ongoing hyper-investment in our most disruptive platform of the past decade. This momentum release accelerates PowerStore adoption with a high-value software update that delivers more enterprise innovation and intelligence for the entire lineup, plus a new cost-effective entry model that makes the platform more accessible to a wider range of customers and solution categories. More enterprise innovation

• Portfolio-wide performance boost – The latest PowerStoreOS update (v2.0) increases IOPS for every currently-shipping PowerStore model – up to 25% for mixed workloads1 and up to 65% for writes!2 Existing customers can receive this benefit via a no-cost, non-disruptive software update.

• NVMe over Fibre Channel support – Users can now extend the benefits of NVMe all the way to the host, leveraging and transforming their existing FC infrastructure.

• AppsON scale-out – With new clustering support on PowerStore X models, customers gain flexibility to add performance and capacity as requirements change. They can now consolidate more workloads on PowerStore while experiencing the unprecedented workload mobility AppsON provides from core to edge to cloud.

Increased intelligence

PowerStoreOS 2.0 also evolves the platform’s already-significant AI/ML capabilities.

• Intelligent Deduplication now dynamically optimizes capacity and performance, increasing IOPS up to 20% during peak bursts3, while continuing to deliver guaranteed 4:1 data reduction in a fully-automated system.

• Dynamic Resiliency Engine (DRE) gets a new dual parity option, making PowerStore’s software-based redundancy and sparing architecture an even smarter, hands-free choice for ensuring availability within the appliance – with up to 98% less management effort! 4

• Enhanced SCM intelligence gives customers more ways to incorporate modern technology. SCM metadata tiering capability provides up to 15% lower workload latency,5 enabling users to add SCM performance with as small an investment as a single drive.


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Cost-effective entry

And finally, the release introduces PowerStore 500, an affordable new hardware model starting as low as

• $28K street price6 or • $460/month flexible finance charge.7

Whether deployed on its own or in scale-out clusters with other PowerStore models, 500 makes the overall platform more accessible for businesses of all sizes, and provides the catalyst for exciting new edge/ROBO solutions within larger ecosystems. -------------

1 Based on Dell internal test of PowerStore 5000 running typical 70/30 random read/write mix, 8K block size on PowerStoreOS 2.0 vs. 1.0, March 2021. Actual performance will vary.

2 Based on Dell internal test of PowerStore 5000 running 100% writes, 8K block size on PowerStoreOS 2.0 vs. 1.0, March 2021. Actual

performance will vary. 3 Based on March, 2021 Dell test results comparing PowerStore 7000 performance with and without intelligent data reduction enhancements in

PowerStoreOS 2.0. Actual performance may vary by configuration and workload. 4 Based on Dell analysis of staff time required to deploy and maintain a high availability array with Dell’s Dynamic Resiliency Engine (DRE) vs.

traditional RAID, March 2021. 5 Based on March 2021 internal Dell tests comparing PowerStore 500T latency with and without SCM metadata tiering, running with 70/30

read/write mix, 8k block size. Actual performance may vary. 6 Based on April 2021 Dell Technologies pricing in US dollars for PowerStore 500 when configured with six (6) 1.92TB NVMe drives, 96GB

DIMMs, 1440W PSU and 1-year ProSupport NBD. Actual price may vary based on a variety of factors. 7 Estimate based on a Dell Financial Services promotion for a 60-month fair market value lease running through July 30, 2021 in US

only. Conditions apply. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/PaymentSolutions. Pricing in US dollars for PowerStore 500 when configured with six (6) 1.92TB NVMe drives, 96GB DIMMs, 1440W PSU and 1-year ProSupport NBD. Price excludes taxes, fees, shipping and other charges. Available to qualified business end users in the U.S. Actual price may vary based on a variety of factors.

Launch goals

1. Promote recognition of PowerStore success/momentum

• Highlight industry/customer acceptance • Demonstrate that PowerStore is a vital/evolving platform

2. Get more customers to perceive PowerStore “fit” for their organization • Broaden appeal: medium business, enterprise • Overcome specific objections/FUD

3. Turn tables on competitors • Double down on AppsON, highlight unique use cases (ROBO/edge) • Take shine off Pure – expose them as non-competitive


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Announcement and availability timeline

What are the important dates to keep in mind for this launch?

• External announcement …………………………April 20, 2021

• PowerSizer: Product and performance updates ……….…May 4

• PowerStore 500 o Quotable in Dell order systems ……………………..May 4 o Orderable in order systems………...……………...May 25 o General Availability…..…..………………………...June 10

• PowerStoreOS 2.0: Available for download/shipment…June 10

Social promotion (how to help)

Where can I find and promote social media content for the launch?

Help us socialize and spread the word on PowerStoreOS & the new PowerStore 500 on social media. If you are SMAC certified, you can find launch content to promote within EveryoneSocial. Be sure to check the @DellEMCStorage Twitter handle for the official launch announcement and please like/comment/re-tweet. If you’re on LinkedIn, you can find the launch announcement on the Dell EMC LinkedIn page.

New/updated sales resources

Where can I find additional information about the launch and new PowerStore capabilities?

The Q1FY22 PowerStore Launch Inside Dell Page is the best one-stop-shop for launch-specific videos, PPTs and other documentation. For general PowerStore and sales info, see these additional links:

• PowerStore Inside Dell page • PowerStore Knowledge Center • PowerStore Web Page (external) • PowerStore Data Sheet • PowerStore Spec Sheet

For updated training content, see these links:

• PowerStore Learning Resources • GSTB5713: PowerStore Product Overview • ESGB5358: PowerStore Technical Overview

https://inside.dell.com/docs/DOC-495747

https://inside.dell.com/community/active/dell-emc-powerstore/pages/home

https://www.dellemc.com/resources/en-us/auth/products/storage/entry-level-midrange/powerstore.htm#sort=relevancy&numberOfResults=25

https://www.delltechnologies.com/powerstore

http://www.delltechnologies.com/powerstoredatasheet

http://www.delltechnologies.com/powerstorespecs

https://inside.dell.com/docs/DOC-440090

https://dell.sabacloud.com/Saba/Web_spf/PRODTNT091/app/shared;spf-url=common%2Fledetail%2Fcours000000000451713%3Freturnurl%3Dcommon%2Fsearchresults%2FGSTB5713%2FLEARNINGEVENT,OFFERINGTEMPLATE,CERTIFICATION,CURRICULUM,OFFERING,PACKAGE,LXPCONTENT,LEARNINGPATHWAY%3FembeddedInTorque%3Dtrue

https://dell.sabacloud.com/Saba/Web_spf/PRODTNT091/app/shared;spf-url=common%2Fledetail%2Fcours000000000451714


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Introducing PowerStoreOS 2.0 (software enhancements)

General questions

Does the release apply to every PowerStore model?

Yes. The release applies to existing PowerStore models 1000 – 9000 (both X and T models), as well as the new PowerStore 500. It will also become the default for new products shipping from the factory.

How can customers obtain the release?

PowerStoreOS 2.0 may be downloaded from the Dell Digital Locker. Once downloaded, customers may use PowerStore Manager to execute the upgrade or use CLI/RestAPI.

Is this release non-disruptive to apply?

Yes, the upgrade is non-disruptive. See later sections for details.

Is there any cost to upgrade?

No, PowerStoreOS 2.0 is available at no cost for any PowerStore customer. None of the included features require licensing.

Performance boost

What are the general performance impacts of the OS 2.0 upgrade?

OS 2.0 enables significant performance increase for every PowerStore model. Our two lead marketing claims are as follows:

• Up to 25% faster mixed workload performance Based on Dell internal test of PowerStore 5000 running typical 70/30 random read/write mix, 8K block size on PowerStoreOS 2.0 vs. 1.0, March 2021. Actual performance will vary. Legal AD#: G21000090

• Up to 65% faster writes

Based on Dell internal test of PowerStore 5000 running 100% writes, 8K block size on PowerStoreOS 2.0 vs. 1.0, March 2021. Actual performance will vary. Legal AD#: G21000090

The amount of improvement varies by model and workload, but again, PowerStoreOS 2.0 improves performance for every model. See Claims section for additional claims related to this announcement, including PowerStore 500 workload-specific impacts.


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Also see the Storage and Data Protection technical white papers and videos page for more information on workloads and solutions. Note some of these resources have already been updated to incorporate OS 2.0 test results, while others will be updated over the coming quarter as tests continue.

How did we achieve the OS 2.0 performance boost?

The PowerStore Engineering team continually works to enhance all aspects of PowerStore, including performance. This latest speed increase was the result of a number of optimizations within the data path and overall architectural improvements. It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to advancing the PowerStore platform for our customers. Specific areas of improvement included:

• Improved write path design • Streamlined performance during “overwrites” • More efficient garbage collection • More efficient host IO prioritization • More efficient background processes

NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe-FC)

How can customers take advantage of PowerStore’s new NVMe-FC capability?

• NVMe-FC support requires a 32GB FC network. Many customers will have compatible infrastructure in place already, but may need to confirm that they have the latest switch and HBA firmware that supports the standard. For instance, NVMe/FC is supported on 32G/16G FC switches running Brocade FOS 8.1.0 or later and Cisco NX-OS 8.1(1) or later. On PowerStore, 32GB FC SFPs are required. If a customer is currently using lower-speed FC SFPs, all that is required is to order a new set of SFPs -- the PowerStore IO module they already have supports 32GB. Customers who do not have FC IO modules in their PowerStore appliance may add them to empty slots. (See Enhanced installation and serviceability section for details.)

Does activating the NVMe-FC capability cause disruption or outages?

The NVMe-FC upgrade is non-disruptive from the PowerStore side. However there will most likely be a disruption on the host side when moving from an existing SCSI-FC config to NVMe-FC as you would need to unmount and remount volumes.

What about NVMe over IP? Does PowerStoreOS 2.0 enable that?

With the 2.0 release, PowerStore enabled host-based NVMe connectivity via NVMe-FC. An upcoming PowerStore release will introduce support of NVMe over IP.

Can I continue to run standard SCSI block traffic once I activate NVMe-FC?

https://dell.sharepoint.com/sites/PowerStore2.0collaboration/Shared%20Documents/General/Storage%20and%20data%20protection%20technical%20white%20papers%20and%20videos


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Yes you can continue to run standard SCSI-FC once NVMe-FC is activated. The only limitation is that a specific volume can only be mapped to a host via SCSI-FC or NVMe-FC, not both simultaneously. However you can have some volumes mapped to a host via SCSI-FC and other volumes mapped to the same host via NVMe-FC. This will in fact be a common occurrence as customers transition their volumes from SCSI-FC to NVMe-FC.

Is NVMe-FC supported when host is direct attached?

NVMe-FC is not supported when the host is directly attached to PowerStore.

Clustering/scale-out for PowerStore X models

What are the main advantages of clustering PowerStore X models?

PowerStore X models now have the same clustering support as PowerStore T models. This gives PowerStore X customers new flexibility to add performance and capacity as requirements change. They can now consolidate more workloads on PowerStore while continuing to experience the unprecedented workload mobility AppsON provides from core to edge to cloud.

How are compute and capacity resources balanced within a PowerStore X model cluster?

PowerStore X model clusters balance compute and capacity automatically, with PowerStore’s Resource Balancer working together with VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) to balance a cluster both from a compute and storage perspective. With PowerStore’s simple vVol implementation, a single vVol datastore stretches across all available appliances, presenting a single entity to the user. During initial VM creation, a user can either specify the exact ESXi AppsON node to run a workload on or assign it to the cluster as a whole and let PowerStore’s built-in AI decide where to place it. If a user selects a specific ESXi AppsON node, the vVols for that VM will reside on the appliance that runs the compute for that VM. If a user instead lets the cluster decide, PowerStore’s Resource Balancer will work with DRS to first determine where to create the vVols based on available storage capacity, and then place the compute for that VM on the ESXi AppsON nodes that are part of that appliance. The data vVols for an AppsON VM are kept together on the same appliance in either case. Based on available compute, DRS may later move the compute portion of a VM from one appliance to another, in which case a VM’s compute and storage may become non-colocated. If colocation is required at all times, the PowerStore AppsON cluster comes with preconfigured empty Host/VM affinity rules, which a user can apply to a VM to from vCenter. See more details in the Virtualization Guide.

How do I move AppsON workloads within a PowerStore cluster?

From a storage perspective, AppsON workloads are monitored by the PowerStore Resource Balancer, just like in a PowerStore T model cluster, where vVols, VMFS, and raw block volumes

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/powerstore/pwrstr-v12n


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can be moved on demand or upon accepting a recommendation made by the Resource Balancer. From a compute perspective, vMotion can be used to move workloads on demand, although VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) is actively monitoring compute to balance it evenly. vMotion can also be used to move storage from one appliance to another.

How much total compute is now available in a PowerStore X cluster?

Each Powerstore X appliance has two embedded ESXi hosts with each appliance ranging from 32 cores and 384 GB of memory, to physical 112 cores and 2560 GB of memory. This means a fullly scaled out PowerStore X cluster, which supports up to 4 appliances, can have up to 448 physical CPU cores and 10,240 GB of memory.

Can an existing single-appliance PowerStore X deployment now be scaled out?

Yes. Once the existing appliance is upgraded to PowerStoreOS 2.0, additional PowerStore X appliances may be added to the cluster non-disruptively.

Does this mean I can now mix X and T models in a cluster?

No, each cluster must be composed of either all X models or all T models.

Are all PowerStore models available as X models with AppsON?

PowerStore 1000-9000 models are available as either X model or T model. PowerStore 500 is available as a T model only.

Does PowerStoreOS 2.0 contain any additional AppsON enhancements besides clustering?

Yes. PowerStore X model appliances now support the use of VMFS datastores for the internal nodes of PowerStore X appliance. Use of VMFS datastores for external ESX servers was already supported before this software release. See “Other Enhancements” section.

Intelligent Data Reduction enhancements

What does “always on” mean?

PowerStore’s intelligent data reduction is a system of technologies, comprised of both software and hardware capabilities. With PowerStoreOS 2.0, the system now improves both capacity utilization and performance, making choices in the background to optimize each, even under changing conditions. There is no user management requirement and no need to decide whether or not to deploy the technology on specific workloads, volumes, etc. All aspects are active as soon as the array is configured and apply to all data through its entire lifecycle.


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What deduplication enhancements have we made in PowerStoreOS 2.0?

PowerStoreOS 2.0 enhances our Intelligent Deduplication capabilities in several key areas: Performance optimization – PowerStore’s intelligent data reduction now optimizes capacity and performance automatically, resulting in additional performance when needed, with no impact on data reduction ratios. Under periods of extreme IO demand, PowerStore’s default inline dedupe is temporarily deferred to reduce CPU utilization, dynamically prioritizing workload IO. This “turbo mode” gives the system up to a 20% IOPS boost, keeping performance consistently high. The system tracks any “skipped blocks” and will always return to recover the space savings with post-process DR, so there’s absolutely zero impact on overall reduction ratios or the 4:1 guarantee. As always, the entire system is automatic, requiring no user intervention to achieve the best results. Appliance-wide deduplication – Deduplication is now performed at the appliance level, rather than at the individual node level. This allows customers to potentially achieve higher overall data reduction ratios, and also means there is no change in reduction ratios if a node fails. (Note PowerStore deduplication also occurs across volumes, unlike some other storage architectures, including Unity.) Larger dedupe cache – PowerStoreOS 2.0 allocates more space from user capacity for deduplication processes. Because we can now keep more “dedupe fingerprints” in memory, this will result in higher deduplication ratios for many customers. (Note this benefit varies by workload, and our guaranteed rate remains 4:1.)

When does peformance optimization kick in?

PowerStoreOS will determine the need to temporarily postpone deduplication if the appliance is under stress. There is no single metric that will trigger this event, rather a combination of various factors that would cause CPU to saturate. Again, the optimal dedupe methods will be determined on the fly by the OS, but user intervention is never required to pause and resume dedupe or to track and later reduce blocks that have been temporarily deferred.

Does PowerStore ever defer compression?

No. Compression is handled in hardware by the onboard Intel QuickAssist Technology (Lewisburg chip). Deferring compression would produce no savings in CPU, so it remains inline and active at all times.

Will we now guarantee higher data reduction rates?

No. Although many customers will experience significantly improved data reduction as a result of the OS 2.0 update, the impact is highly workload dependent. Our guarantee will remain 4:1. Launch messaging for this release focuses primarily on the new performance benefit (see above) – but the potential for improved dedupe ratios may also be discussed for individual workloads.


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DRE dual parity

What changes with DRE in PowerStoreOS 2.0?

OS 2.0 introduces a new dual-parity option within PowerStore’s innovative Dynamic Resiliency Engine (DRE) framework, allowing PowerStore to tolerate two simultaneous drive failures within a single resiliency set without impacting availability. PowerStore DRE is a 100% software-based redundancy architecture that is more distributed, automated and efficient than traditional RAID. When the platform first launched in May, 2020, only a single parity option was included. However, even at that time, DRE’s extreme efficiency protected customers against multiple drive failures by increasing rebuild speed to minimize risk exposure, automating all aspects of sparing (including spare replenishing), and eliminating the need to create RAID groups based on physical drives. Like Intelligent Data Reduction (see above), PowerStore DRE dynamically prioritizes performance, varying rebuild speeds to accommodate changing workload requirements. With OS 2.0, PowerStore customers can experience all the existing availability and cost-saving benefits of DRE plus they may now select dual parity for even stronger protection against multiple drive failures. This capability offers more choice and flexibility, and satisfies customers with strict RAID 6 requirements. Whether they choose dual or single parity, DRE offers superior resiliency at a lower cost.

Are customers required to choose DRE dual parity?

No. The default setting for the appliance remains single drive failure tolerance (single parity), but customers can easily select the new double drive failure tolerance level (dual parity) as an option when the PowerStore appliance is initially configured.

Can parity be changed after the initial deployment?

No. Once a PowerStore appliance is deployed, customers can not change parity without reinitializing the array.

Can an existing PowerStore appliance be upgraded to use dual parity DRE?

Not without reinitializing the array. In a clustered PowerStore configuration, a customer can do a native volume migration from one appliance to another, and then re-initialize the appliance and re-create it as dual parity

Can parity be set differently for different volumes?

No. Parity is set on a per-appliance basis.

Can different PowerStore appliances in a cluster have different parity settings?


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Yes, each PowerStore appliance within a cluster can have its own parity setting. Users can migrate volumes from one appliance to another that has a different parity setting with no disruption.

Does selecting DRE dual parity consume more space than single parity

It depends on the size of the configuration.

• For PowerStore configs under 19 drives, single parity allows for more usable capacity. • For configs with 19 – 25 drives, usable capacity will be the same for single or dual parity. • For configs with more than 25 drives, dual parity provides more usable capacity.

This variability occurs because PowerStore supports a larger stripe with dual parity (16+2) than it does for single parity (8+1) and because the spare ratio for dual parity is 50:1 as opposed to 25:1 for single parity.

SCM metadata tiering

How does the OS 2.0 update enhance PowerStore’s SCM support?

Dell is driving the practical adoption of Storage Class Memory (SCM). With this release, we’re adding new SCM intelligence and deployment flexibility to PowerStore. Unlike many competitors, PowerStore has always supported SCM as persistent storage. However, until OS 2.0, no tiering capabilities were included – which meant the base chassis had to be populated exclusively with either NVMe or SCM drives, not a mixture. Metadata was previously stored in memory – or written out to NVMe drives if memory became full. With PowerStoreOS 2.0, the platform can now differentiate between drive types, allowing us to combine Optane SCM and NVMe drives in the base chassis. Metadata writes are directed exclusively to the higher-performance SCM “layer,” while incoming user data writes continues to go to NVMe drives. The speed of metadata reads can play an important role in overall performance. Once data moves out of primary cache, faster metadata reads can give workloads quicker access to the data they need. Internal tests have shown as much as a 15% improvement in workload latency with SCM metadta tiering.

Which customers will benefit most from SCM metadata tiering?

This capability is particularly ideal for active data sets where data moves out of cache quickly – i.e., where there are frequent “cache misses.” The lower PowerStore models (which have less system memory) may particularly benefit.

What is the minimum number of SCM drives that can be deployed in PowerStore?


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With the new metadata tiering capability, customers can now experience a performance benefit from SCM with as small an investment as one SCM drive.

How is SCM metadata configured?

When an appliance has a mix of SCM and SSD drives, PowerStore OS will automatically utilize the SCM to store a copy of the metadata. Additional copies of metadata will be stored on the SSDs. Having just a single copy of the metadata on SCM minimizes the need for a large SCM investment to improve the performance of latency-sensitive applications. The entire process is handled in the background by the OS and there is no user involvement required to enable this capability.

Can SCM metadata tiering be added to an existing array?

Customers can add SCM to an existing appliance with NVMe SSDs / SAS SSDs when they upgrade to OS 2.0. The OS will automatically place metadata on any available SCM drives if there is a mix of SCM and SSDs. However, if the appliance running PowerStore OS1.0 already has all SCM drives, OS 2.0 will not allow addition of SSDs to begin metadata tiering. In this scenario, user can migrate the data from the all-SCM appliance to another appliance within the cluster, re-init the appliance and add SSDs along along with SCM to utilize the MD tiering functionality.

Introducing PowerStore 500

Why are we announcing PowerStore 500 now?

Following a very successful launch and spectacular first year of sales, this release builds PowerStore momentum by expanding the platform’s industry reach to target more customers and more solutions categories. This 500 helps Sales:

• Drive increased PowerStore adoption at low end o Win cost-sensitive deals o Win at smaller/mid-size customers o Win with cost-effective edge / ROBO)

• Transition SC customers o Offer superior technology (NVMe, 4:1 DRR, adaptable/scalable next-gen

architecture, etc.) while hitting similar price points (all the way down to SCv30x0)

• Take share from competitors o Overcome pricing FUD o Position affordable entry to highly-differentiated product line


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What are the main simillarities and differences between PowerStore 500 and other PowerStore models?

This new model makes the overall platform more accessible by lowering the entry price point. More customers than ever before can now experience the PowerStore advantage. As a full member of the PowerStore family, PowerStore 500 inherits all the great technology we included with last year’s original release. Same intelligent clustering capability, NVMe and SCM support, IO options, container-based architecture and ecosystem integrations -- as well as programmatic advantages like our 4:1 data reduction guarantee and Anytime Upgrade program. There are a few differences:

• PowerStore 500 has dual single-socket nodes vs. dual-socket nodes for the other models.

• PowerStore 500 does not support SAS expansion enclosures (although future support for NVMe expansion is planned)

• Unlike other models, PowerStore 500 does not require use of four drive slots for NVRAM modules for cache (internal DRAM is used instead). Therefore all 25 drive slots are available for user data capacity.

• PowerStore 500 is available in T model configuration only (unified or block deployment). Therefore, it does not support the hypervisor deployment with AppsON.


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Is the PowerStore 500 a “T model” appliance?

Yes. The full model name of the new entry appliance is “Dell EMC PowerStore 500T.” Since there is currently no X model version, most high-level product messaging will refer to the release as simply, “PowerStore 500.” Detailed technical content may occasionally use the “T” if required for clarity, but in general, the higher-level designation should be used.

Is the 500 single-core design still a true active/active controller architecture?

Yes. Although each PowerStore 500 node has a single-socket (12-core) processor, the appliance is still a dual-node active/active configuration (24-cores total), providing both excellent performance and availability.

Does the 500 support expansion enclosures for scale-up?

PowerStore 500 supports scale-up within the 2U base enclosure to 1.2 PBe capacity, but it does not currently support the use of SAS expansion enclosures. (Future support for NVMe expansion enclosures is planned.)

Does the 500 support clustering for scale-out?

Like the other PowerStore models, 500 supports intelligent clusters of up to four appliances. These can be additional 500 models or any heterogeneous combination of PowerStore T model appliances (1000T, 3000T, 5000T, 7000T or 9000T).

Why is there no “X model” version of the 500?

AppsON is a value added feature available on the 1000X model and higher. The 500 series is targeted at capacity-based price-sensitive purchases.

Does 500 support the same drives as other PowerStore models?

Yes, PowerStore 500 supports the same media types as well as the same specific drive models.

Does PowerStore 500 support the new SCM metadata tiering capability?

Yes. Like other PowerStore models, the 500 supports SCM for either persistent storage (all drives in chassis) or metadata tiering (as few as one drive in chassis).

Does PowerStore 500 support metro node?

Yes. PowerStore 500 supports metro node, for synchronous replication and seamless data mobility over metro distances. Metro node’s true active/active configuration eliminates downtime with ZERO RPOs/RTOs.

Are direct-attach hosts supported with 500?

Yes – PowerStore 500 follows the same rules for direct attached hosts as the other models of PowerStore portfolio.


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Does 500 have the same hardware-assisted data reduction as other models?

Yes. Like the other models, PowerStore 500 uses the built-in Intel Lewisburg chip for compression, has the same overall intelligent data reduction capabilities, and is covered by the same 4:1 data reduction guarantee.

Why does the 500 have a higher single-chassis capacity than other models?

Because the 500 uses internal DRAM cache, it does not require the NVRAM modules, and all 25 drive slots are available for user data capacity.

Is the DRAM cache used in PowerStore 500 as effective as using NVRAM modules?

Mirrored DRAM caching is a time-tested caching methodology (used in other Dell products) that allows us to provide the most economical solution in the portfolio.

Does 500 support the same network IO options as other PowerStore models?

Yes. However, the embedded module is not mandatory in PowerStore 500, unlike other models.

Is PowerStore 500 included in the Anytime Upgrade Program?

Yes, PowerStore 500 can be purchased with Anytime Upgrade coverage, and is eligible for both the Standard and Select program options. See Anytime Upgrade section for details.

Are there any ordering/sizing differences for 500 compared to the other PowerStore models?

No. PowerStore 500 is sized and ordered using the same methods as other PowerStore models. The PowerSizer tool will incorporate the 500 model immediately once the product becomes quotable on May 4, 2021

When should I position PowerStore 500 vs. 1000T?

PowerStore 500 and 1000T models are adjacent members in the PowerStore portfolio lineup and will therefore overlap to some degree in terms of applicability to specific use case and customer types. PowerSizer recommendations should be used to determine which model will best meet customers’ present and future requirements. However, the following general guidelines may apply: Choose 500

• When customer budget or competitive pricing is the primary motivator • When maximum density/capacity within the 2U base enclosure is desired (PowerStore

500 allows all 25 drive slots to be used for user data) Choose 1000T

• When performance is the primary motivator • When single-appliance capacity over 1.2PBe is desired


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Other enhancements

New SCM 1.5TB drives

What new drives are supported with this release?

PowerStoreOS 2.0 adds support for Intel Optane 1.5TB NVMe SCM 1.5TB drives, twice the capacityof the previous largest-supported SCM drive (750GB). This doubles the potential SCM capacity for persistent storage, and also reduces the number of drives required to achieve benefits from the new metadata tiering capability.

Can SCM drive sizes be mixed in the chassis?

PowerStore supports a mix of SCM drive sizes in the base enclosure if needed, although it is recommended to use the same drive sizes as an SCM best practice.

AppsON VMFS support

Does PowerStore support VMFS for virtual machines?

Yes, starting with OS 2.0. By default, AppsON virtual machines leverage PowerStore’s efficient vVol implementation. Although it is still recommended to use vVols due to its simple nature, optimizations, and integration within the PowerStore UI, starting with PowerStoreOS 2.0, PowerStore X model appliances also support VMFS Datastores for the storage of Virtual Machines within AppsON by allowing the mapping of block volumes to PowerStore’s internal ESXi hosts via PowerStore’s REST API and/or CLI.

Enhanced installation and serviceability

Can customers now update their IO modules in the field?

Yes, this launch introduces field-installable IO modules (SLICs). Previously, customers could not add network interface cards once the PowerStore appliance left the factory. With the OS 2.0 update, customers can install new modules in empty IO slots, either on their own or with Services assistance, allowing them to benefit from faster speeds and different network types, evolving their IO as needs change. It also allows customers who did not previously have FC interfaces add them to take advantage of new NVMe-FC capabilities. Note this capability is not available for mezzanine card slots.

What is “on-demand” storage network creation?


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Previously, PowerStore required customers who wanted to connect to an external iSCSI storage network to use the same “system bond” ports used for connections between appliances in a cluster. This limited bandwidth available for either process. With PowerStoreOS 2.0, external iSCSI storage networks can be attached to any available Ethernet/iSCSI ports. This supports a common best practice of maintaining separate storage and intra-cluster management networks, enabling a more consistent and higher performance for both processes.

Does PowerStoreOS 2.0 contain any enhancements to replication?

Yes. PowerStore continues to invest in and improve replication capabilities. With OS 2.0, PowerStore now supports workflows for testing DR setup, plus GUI enhancements to monitor replication. This makes it easier to create and test disaster recovery strategies.

Anytime Upgrade

Are there any changes to Anytime Upgrade associated with this launch?

The program structure remains essentially the same, with the following coverage additions:

• Coverage has been added for PowerStore 500 (both Standard and Select options) • PowerStore X models are now eligible for Scale-out upgrades (Select program only)

Is Anytime Upgrade coverage for PowerStore 500 the same as other PowerStore models?

Like the other PowerStore models, PowerStore 500 can be purchased with either Anytime Upgrade Standard or Select program options. Upgrade eligibility is identical for all models – the only difference is the duration of the contract options for PowerStore 500.

• PowerStore 1000 – 9000 models: Anytime Upgrade may be purchased with 3-, 4- or 5-year contract

• PowerStore 500 model:

Anytime Upgrade may be purchased with 4- or 5-year contract To qualify for Anytime Upgrades, customers must also purchase a ProSupport or ProSupport Plus contract of matching duration.

Why is the PowerStore 500 limited to 4- or 5-year contract durations?

As the new entry-level product for the PowerStore platform, the 500 is offered at a significantly lower price than the other models. The value of the Anytime Upgrade program (including ProDeploy services) is therefore higher in relation to the PowerStore 500 product price, and we have constructed the program to account for this. The slightly longer investment period is also mitigated by the fact that many cost-sensitive customers may not upgrade as frequently, so for them, 4- or 5-year contracts may be the more attractive options.


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Is Scale-out upgrade eligibility the same for PowerStore X models as for PowerStore T?

Yes, now that PowerStore X models support clustering, they are eligible for the Scale-out upgrade benefit (Select only) and will receive the same ProDeploy services to expand their cluster.

Services

Are there any additional Services implications to this launch?

No. The new software and hardware enhancements do not affect our Service offerings – other than the addition of PowerStore 500 to the Anytime Upgrade Standard and Select programs, and the addition of all PowerStore X models to the Anytime Upgrade Select Scale-out redemption. The new PowerStore 500 model is covered by the same service offerings as other PowerStore models. Learn more about the available services here:

Competitive impact

Does this release change the competitive position for PowerStore?

PowerStore is highly differentiated from any other competitive solution. It continues to be the only purpose-built storage appliance in the industry that provides:

• Unified scale up/out architecture, optimized for performance, with support for NVMe / SCM in the persistent storage layer AND superior “always on” DRR

• Consolidation of infrastructure by co-locating 3rd-party apps (any app that can be hosted by VMware) within the appliance, bringing workloads closer to the data they need.

• Anytime Upgrades to continuously modernize the infrastructure without limits and on the customer’s terms.

Our NVMe-FC implementation closes a gap against key competitors and provides further evidence that Dell is driving the adoption of next-gen technology. SCM metadata tiering further enhances our lead with SCM. Competitive arrays fall short either failing to offer SCM at all (like NetApp and HPE Nimble) or offering it only as a read cache for high-end models (like HPE Primera and Pure FlashArray //X.). DRE dual parity nullifies a competitor talking point around resiliency. Remember that a key advantage DRE holds over the competition is controlling cost through the ability to add drives one-at-a-time. Pure, HPE, Huawei and Hitachi all must expand in larger and more costly increments.

https://www.delltechnologies.com/resources/en-us/auth/asset/training/services/sales-training-services-powerstore.pptx.external

https://app.klue.com/profile/994/battlecard/view/11840

https://app.klue.com/profile/769/battlecard/view




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AppsON scale-out extends the established advantage PowerStore already has in scale-out across the entire PowerStore portfolio. PowerStore X and AppsON offer a unique and differentiated approach to deploying applications in edge and remote office environments that no competitive array can match. PowerStore 500 offers a cost effective entry model that can be used against lower-end competitive arrays. Important to remember the 500 includes the same scale-out, NVMe, and data reduction capabilities that make PowerStore a differentiated product in the market. For more competitive information refer to Klue for battlecards and deep dives. Direct customers to our Competitive Advantage website for side-by-sides, third party studies and blogs to enhance your messaging.

Objection handling

Also see objection handling section in main PowerStore Sales FAQ. These “if asked” responses may help with specific objections as they come up in customer conversations, but should not be presented proactively if the topic has not been raised.

No native cloud backup/tiering integration

PowerStore integrates a robust multi-cloud storage strategy by leveraging the Dell Technologies Cloud Storage for Multi-Cloud offering. This deployment option gives PowerStore users a true multi-cloud experience without having to pay for software licensing, compute, and storage to run a virtual array in the native cloud provider. The capability is offered 100% as-a-service, enabling a full opex model while simultaneously providing consistency with on-prem infrastructure. PowerStore and Cloud Storage for Multi-Cloud enables streamlined and simple-to-use cloud connectivity without the overhead and isolation of virtual array instances in cloud providers. In addition, by using Dell backup products integrated with PowerStore, customers can extend their backup data to the cloud, tiering it for long term retention.

Metro capability is still missing.

While we work on native metro, PowerStore metro node leverages industry-leading technology to seamlessly create TRUE active-active metro capabilities with zero performance impact, autonomous decision making, and enterprise infrastructure automation with Ansible. The result is maximum application uptime and availability without having to worry about the integrity of your data or the overall impact to your storage infrastructure. Following PowerStore’s “no compromise” focus for data services, PowerStore delivers metro Active-Active capabilities with zero performance impact on the storage controllers or data path, offloading replication from the array.

https://app.klue.com/

https://www.delltechnologies.com/en-us/what-we-do/competitive-advantage.htm#scroll=off

https://www.delltechnologies.com/resources/en-us/auth/asset/faqs/products/storage/h18247-dell-emc-powerstore-sales-faq.pdf


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For more details on Metro node see: https://volumes.blog/2020/10/16/introducing-dell-emc-powerstore-metro-node/

Roadmap is too slow – sync replication, file replication

In no way is the roadmap slow for PowerStore! PowerStore brought to market in version one capabilities that surpassed competitors who have been shipping products for 10 to 30 years. For example, our simplified clustering and autonomous data placement capabilities surpasses NetApp’s complex clustering methods. Also, PowerStore’s container-based architecture allows for the option to deploy or not deploy NAS functionality. NetApp had to create a completely separate All SAN Array (ASA) physical system to do this. Whether it is clustering, SCM utilization, Intel QAT integration to drive the highest levels of data reduction without compromise, single drive flexibility, or AppsON – PowerStore is delivering and will continue to deliver, surpassing every major competitor’s features within 24 months of product life. This pace of delivery far outpaces any perceived competitive innovation. It took Pure Storage 7 years to deliver metro/sync capbilties, PowerStore will accomplish this in less than 24 months!

Incomplete NVMe story; no NVMe expansion

PowerStore delivered day one on array-based end-to-end NVME. With this new release, PowerStore now provides host to array end-to-end NVMe via 32Gb Fibre Channel. NVMe innovation:

• NVMe SSD flash modules on day one • Integrated NVMe SCM modules on day one • Host-connected NVMe via FC

And we’re not done yet… more NVMe innovation is coming later in 2021 and beyond

Regarding NVMe expansion shelf - we’re very happy with our architecture as PowerStore can accommodate more than 300TB of NVMe raw capacity in 2U and scale out performance and capacity to four appliances if customers need more NVMe capacity. We’re seeing our decision to go this way was the right one as less than 5% of sales have an expansion shelves. For those that do, the performance impact is minimal and we will have an NVMe expansion shelf in the near future.

Lagging in front end connectivity options (no 100GbE)

PowerStore delivered industry standard 25GbE day 1 which can be directly integrated into 100GbE backbones. The PowerStore 2.0 release introduces NVMe-oF front end connectivity support via NVMe-FC, and PowerStore also has a robust roadmap set to deliver industry leading NVMe-TCP capabilities as well assupport for additional front end speeds

Does SCM even provide any additional performance?

https://volumes.blog/2020/10/16/introducing-dell-emc-powerstore-metro-node/

https://volumes.blog/2020/10/16/introducing-dell-emc-powerstore-metro-node/


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We have made optimizations in PowerStoreOS 2.0 that better take advantage of the capabilities of SCM. Powerstore intelligently leverages SCM for metadata tiering, directing all metadata writes to SCM, giving workloads quicker overall access to the data they need, resulting in up to 15% lower workload latency. Best of all, customers can now take advantage of SCM performance with as few as one drive and without the need for manual pool or tier configurations. This is the advantage of PowerStore’s utilization of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to simplify administration and accelerate performance

No QLC, Hybrid, and Fed certs

We continuously evaluate emerging media technologies, and will support these new media types when they meet the enterprise storage requirements. Being a portfolio company, our hybrid configuration options provide a much lower TCO than QLC technologies that are available today. In addition, QLC technologies that are available today have marginal cost benefit (<10% vs. TLC) with significantly degraded performance (notably latency) and endurance. This means QLC is not a good fit/value for Primary Storage, with the main adoption of QLC today being for secondary use-cases.Current market conditions show that the cost point we have for TLC is very attractive, and as the costs come down with QLC you can expect to see us there. We understand the importance of Fed certs, and this is targeted for an upcoming future release.

Key enterprise features are missing

PowerStore is enterprise-ready! We heard your feedback and we adjusted. We accelerated support for Active Directory and LDAP by bringing it in to 1.0.3, and the 2.0 release introduces PowerStore DRE DP, allowing two simultaneous drive failures within a resiliency set. For enterprises that require metro active-active, PowerStore delivers metro Active-Active capabilities with zero performance impact on the storage controllers or data path, offloading replication from the array.

PowerStore X with AppsON doesn’t scale out

Yes, it does. Starting with PowerStore 2.0 users can non-disruptively add appliances to an existing PowerStore X cluster, or purchase a brand new multi-appliance cluster.

PowerStore has no AIOps

On the array, PowerStore leverages built in AI for capacity and performance optimizations, automating typical manual storage administration tasks needed for workload balancing and capacity planning. In addition, our free CloudIQ offering provides intelligent infrastructure insights by leveraging Machine Learning to help users Reduce Risk, Plan Ahead and Improve Productivity by helping you answer questions about your data center to enable the optimal health of your environment. This combines machine intelligence and human intelligence, enabling algorithms to be continuously updated leveraging Dell EMC product and subject matter expertise, combined with industry best practices to address the most potentially impactful issues.


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CloudIQ helps our customers:

• Reduce Risk: Leveraging a suite of advanced analytics CloudIQ helps answer key questions Storage Admins deal with regularly, pinpointing deviations and performance impacts in an environment so users can focus on expediting trouble-shooting.

o Health Score, Performance Impact Analysis & Anomaly Detection, Workload Contention Analysis

• Plan Ahead: Anticipate business needs and avoid outages with capacity full projections and anomaly detection

o Capacity Full Prediction and Forecasting, Capacity Anomaly Detection

• Improve Productivity: Improve staffing and infrastructure productivity with a single pane of

o With CloudIQ’s proactive monitoring and predictive analytics Customers benefit from 10x faster time to insights.

SSDs and SCM media cannot be deployed in the same enclosure, limiting SCM’s value. PowerStore 2.0 introduces support for mixing SSDs and SCM media, in addition to now allowing customers to take advantage of SCM performance with as few as one drive.

PowerStore claims “always on” data reduction. Is it really? Absolutely. PowerStore’s intlligent data reduction now optmizes capacity and performance automatically, resulting in additional performance when needed, with no impact on data reduction ratios. Under periods of extreme IO demand, PowerStore’s default inline dedupe will be temporarily deferred to reduce CPU utilization, dynamically prioritizing workload IO. This “turbo mode” gives the system up to a 20% IOPS boost, keeping performance consistently high. The system tracks any “skipped blocks” and will return to recover the space savings with post-process DR, so there’s no impact on overall reduction ratios or the 4:1 guarantee. And as always, the entire system is automatic, requiring no user intervention to achieve the best results.

PowerStore has no QoS PowerStore has priority-based QoS which prioritizies IO based on user-defined parameters when the array is under heavy load.

Why no 500X model? AppsON is a value add feature suitable for the 1000x and up. The 500 series is targeted at capacity-based price-sensitive purchases.


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Launch-specific claims The following claims will appear in PowerStore marketing materials. Note the indicated disclaimers must be included as a footnote. Geographical restrictions for use may also apply.

# External Claims / Disclaimer Legal Notes

1 Solutions starting as low as $28K Based on April 2021 Dell Technologies pricing in US dollars for PowerStore 500T when configured with six (6) 1.92TB NVMe drives, 96GB DIMMs, 1440W PSU and 1-year ProSupport NBD. Actual price may vary based on a variety of factors.

AD#: G21000090 Claim based on US pricing – may only be used in North America

2 Solutions starting as low as $460/month Estimate based on a Dell Financial Services promotion for a 60-month fair market value lease running through July 30, 2021. Conditions apply. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/PaymentSolutions. Pricing in US dollars for PowerStore 500T when configured with six (6) 1.92TB NVMe drives, 96GB DIMMs, 1440W PSU and 1-year ProSupport NBD. Price excludes taxes, fees, shipping and other charges. Available to qualified business end users in the U.S. Actual price may vary based on a variety of factors.

AD#: G21000090 Claim based on US pricing – may only be used in North America. Time-sensitive, expires July 30, 2021.

3 Up to 98% less management effort than traditional RAID Based on Dell analysis of staff time required to deploy and maintain a high availability array with Dell’s Dynamic Resiliency Engine (DRE) vs. traditional RAID, March 2021.

AD#: G21000090 Dell vs. Dell comparative claim; the following geo restrictions apply: The claim CANNOT be used in Costa Rica, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, and Venezuela.

4 Up to 15% lower workload latency Based on March 2021 internal Dell tests comparing PowerStore 500T latency with and without SCM metadata tiering, running with 70/30 read/write mix, 8k block size. Actual performance may vary.


5 Up to 25% faster mixed workload performance Based on Dell internal test of PowerStore 5000 running typical 70/30 random read/write mix, 8K block size on PowerStoreOS 2.0 vs. 1.0, March 2021. Actual performance will vary.


6 Up to 65% faster writes Based on Dell internal test of PowerStore 5000 running 100% writes, 8K block size on PowerStoreOS 2.0 vs. 1.0, March 2021. Actual performance will vary.



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# External Claims / Disclaimer Legal Notes

7 Up to 2.4 million transactions per minute Based on Dell tests of PowerStore 500T, running SQL Server OLTP (TPC-C-like) workloads. Actual performance may vary by configuration and workload

AD#: G21000090 Non-comparative claim

8 Up to 1500 low latency VDI desktops per 2U appliance Based on Dell analysis of PowerStore 500T test results, March 2021. Calculations reflect typical knowledge worker profile demands. Actual performance may vary by configuration and workload.


9 Up to 20% performance improvement during peak bursts Based on March, 2021 Dell test results comparing PowerStore 7000 performance with and without intelligent data reduction enhancements in PowerStoreOS 2.0. Actual performance may vary by configuration and workload.


10 Up to 1500 low latency VDI desktops per 2U appliance Based on Dell analysis of PowerStore 500T test results, March 2021. Calculations reflect typical knowledge worker profile demands. Actual performance may vary by configuration and workload.
