EMC AX150 Product Guide - Page 5

Storage processor (SP) ― an integral component of the storage system that controls the transfer of data from the server to the disk drives. Storage system ― an array of disk drives external to application servers used to store and retrieve large amounts of data. These drives are often accessible over the network or fabric. Virtual disk ― devices that are bound to a particular disk pool, which are then presented to the server for data access. Each virtual disk is given a unique identifier. Also known as a logical unit (LUN). Introduction The CLARiiON AX150 is a new hardware design from EMC, targeted to small and mid-sized businesses. The AX150SC is identical to the AX150, except that it has a single controller instead of two controllers. The functionality of the AX150 and the AX150SC is the same, except in a few cases. Hereinafter, the term AX150 describes both the AX150 and the AX150SC, except where noted. The AX150 introduces the SATA II drive, which allows native command queuing (NCQ). NCQ allows multiple commands to be outstanding on a drive at the same time. In other words, a host can issue new I/O commands while the drive is still implementing previous IO commands. The drive stores these commands and performs them in the order in which they were received. The AX150 system houses up to 12 serial ATAII (SATAII) drives in a 2U (3.5-inch) rack-mountable enclosure. An AX150 storage system housing twelve 500 GB drives provides 6 TB (terabytes) of storage. The functionality required to install, configure, and manage the CLARiiON AX150 and server environments is preinstalled and is included with the storage system at no additional cost. The AX150 includes a wizard-driven management interface for user-friendly storage-system setup and monitoring, and snapshot capabilities to enable point-in-time images that can be used for backup and automated path management across server and network connections. The AX150 storage system is available in two models: Š CLARiiON AX150SC - The single controller AX150SC provides a low-cost RAID solution that includes key data integrity features, such as RAID data protection and battery-backed cache. This storage system is ideally suited for customers beginning to implement network storage. Š CLARiiON AX150 - The dual-controller AX150 addresses true high-availability needs to protect business-critical applications, with mirrored write cache and redundant power supplies, and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to prevent against loss of data in the event of a power failure. Additional features of the AX Series include the following: Š Supports both direct-attach and shared-storage (SAN) environments via two 2 Gb/s front-end ports per controller. Š RAID 5 and RAID 1/0 support with global hot sparing to protect data in the case of a drive failure. Š Software upgrade capabilities on the AX150. Š The AX150SC allows a configuration of three to twelve 500 GB or 250 GB drives. Š The AX150 allows a configuration of four to twelve 500 GB or 250 GB drives. Š Support for hot-swappable 160 GB or 250 GB, 7200 rpm, serial ATA drives. Š 512 MB of system memory per storage controller. Š Customer-replaceable hardware components. Š Support for Windows, NetWare, Solaris, Linux, and VMware operating system attaches. Š Email notification of events logged to the storage system. The AX150 comes fully loaded with the following EMC software packages: Š Base (FLARE™) code Š Navisphere Express Management Suite (includes Access Logix™ technology) Š SnapView™ snapshots for point-in-time copies of data Š PowerPath® for load-balancing and path-failover capabilities across configured paths from the servers to the storage system Introduction to the AX150 Storage System A Detailed Review 5