Dell PowerVault MD3260i - Manual (Page 37)

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Configuring A Storage Array
This chapter explains how to run script commands from the command line to create a virtual disk from a group of
physical disks and how to configure a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage array. This chapter assumes
that you understand basic RAID concepts and terminology. Before configuring the storage array, become familiar with
the concepts of physical disks, disk groups, virtual disks, host groups, hosts, and RAID controller modules. Additional
information about configuring a storage array and related definitions is in the online help, the
Deployment Guide , the MD
Storage Manager online help , and the Owner’s Manual .
Configuring a RAID storage array requires caution and planning to ensure that you define the correct RAID level and
configuration for your storage array. The main purpose in configuring a storage array is to create virtual disks
addressable by the hosts from a collection of physical disks. The commands described in this chapter enable you to set
up and run a RAID storage array. Additional commands are also available to provide more control and flexibility. Many of
these commands, however, require a deeper understanding of the firmware as well as various structures that need to
be mapped. Use all of the command line interface (CLI) commands and script commands with caution.
The following sections in this chapter show some, but not all, of the CLI and script commands. The purpose of showing
these commands is to explain how you can use the commands to configure a storage array. The presentation in this
chapter does not explain all possible usage and syntax for the commands. (For complete definitions of the commands,
including syntax, parameters, and usage notes, see Script Commands.)
This chapter contains examples of CLI and script command usage. The command syntax used in the examples is for a
host running a Microsoft Windows operating system. As part of the examples, the complete C:\ prompt and DOS path
for the commands are shown. Depending on your operating system, the prompt and path construct varies.
For most commands, the syntax is the same for all Windows and Linux operating systems, as well as for a script file.
Windows operating systems, however, have an additional requirement when entering names in a command. On
Windows, you must enclose the name between two backslashes (\) in addition to other delimiters. For example, the
following name is used in a command that runs under Windows:
[\"Engineering\"]
For a Linux system when used in a script file, the name appears as:
["Engineering"]
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.
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