Dell EMC PowerStore X with AppsON

The current era of IT is being fuelled by exploding data volumes and technology innovation. The ground-breaking new Dell EMC PowerStore family provides a data-centric, intelligent, and adaptable infrastructure to transform and mobilise both conventional and modern workloads. It’s designed specifically for the data era.

PowerStore combines cutting-edge storage hardware with the flexibility and simplicity of modern software in a uniquely adaptable infrastructure platform that complements and extends existing investments, especially VMware. It utilises a container-based software architecture, that provides unique capabilities for delivering and integrating advanced system services. The modularity of containers enables feature portability, standardisation and rapid time-to-market for new capabilities, as well as maximum deployment flexibility.

One appliance with two ranges

The flexibility of the architecture allows customers to use PowerStore in one of two deployment models: As a traditional external storage array (Known as the PowerStore T model), or as hypervisor-enabled appliance where the PowerStoreOS runs as a Virtual Machine (Known as the PowerStore X model). In the latter, the ESXi hypervisor, that many companies have standardised their IT infrastructure on, gets loaded onto each of the two active-active nodes, with PowerStoreOS running as virtual machine (VM) on each node.

No matter which model PowerStore a customer chooses, the exact same capabilities, data services, and fully redundant all NVMe container based architecture runs on the same 2U hardware and is fully interoperable (for example, you can replicate between a PowerStore T and X models). Not only does the onboard hypervisor provide additional isolation and abstraction of the operating system, but it enables future deployment models where the storage software can be deployed independently from the purpose-built hardware.

What is AppsON?

The flexibility and mobility provided by AppsON is possible because PowerStore is the only purpose-built array that is ready to be integrated into a vSphere environment. This leads to simplified, streamlined management where storage resources plug directly into the virtualisation layer. Storage administration is also simpler, since supporting data management applications can run directly on the array, streamlining operations and consolidating targeted external VMs. Effectively, this simplifies the infrastructure while reducing the overall storage footprint.

Features and Benefits

PowerStore T:

• PowerStore OE pre-installed
• Supports Block, File or vVol storage protocols
• Max Drive Count: 96 x 4 appliances/Cluster = 385

• Includes PowerStore OE and VMware ESXi pre-installed
• Supports Block and vVol storage protocols as well as AppsON for on-array applications
• Max drive count: 96 (single appliance cluster)
• Requires vSphere Enterprise Plus Licence

Other Features and Benefits:

• 2 node appliances - Models (increasing in performance the higher you go): 1000/3000/5000/7000/9000
• NVMe SCM, NVMe Flash, SAS Flash only appliances
• 32 to 112 Cores and 384 to 2,560GB RAM per appliance
  • 11.52TB to 3.59PB Raw (28.57TB to 11.36PB effective) in a cluster
• Seamless integration with VMware
• AppsON for workloads close to the data (X appliances only)
• Scale-out (active nodes for performance) and scale-up hardware architecture (expansion enclosures for capacity)
• Always-on inline data reduction (intelligent dedupe and compression) with 4:1 data reduction guaranteed
• Container based software architecture
• Data in place upgrades (never migrate again!) – within generation, next generation or scale out
• 32/16/6 GB FC (direct attach available with multipath software), 25/10 GbE SFP+, 10/1 GbE Base-T
• Seamless migration from XTREMEIO, UNITY, SC SERIES, VNX SERIES and PS SERIES - native tools included, cross-platform solutions – migrate without disrupting your business
• Designed for 99.9999% reliability

Ideal workloads for AppsON

AppsON enables new use cases by consolidating compute and storage in a small form factor built around enterprise data services, availability, and interoperability. Customers can run virtualised applications directly on the same appliance as storage, and allow applications to span from the edge, to the core, to the cloud.

AppsON is ideal for data intensive, demanding, high capacity, storage-intensive workloads where simplicity and density are desirable or critical, including edge computing, robotics/automation/AI solutions, mobile and tactical deployments. Some applications include:

• Edge applications (business edge): PowerStore with AppsON offers a smaller footprint at the edge with easy deployment. It’s optimised for data retention and flexibility; and data can be replicated to the core data centre. A perfect solution if you need to run analytics locally.
• Core applications (data centre modernisation): Consistent VMware management between PowerStore, VxRail and ESXi Servers 0 Move VMs with vMotion. It utilises existing infrastructure, complements other platforms including HCI, and enables migration of external apps to PowerStore in minutes. External storage for VCF (VMware Cloud Foundation) workload domains makes it ideal for data-intensive applications.
• Cloud: Seamless application mobility with VCF. It also provides agile multi-cloud workload migration, analytics, and test/dev so IT can seamlessly switch clouds and reassign workloads to the most effective environment based on current requirements and available resources.

Why Dicker Data and Dell Technologies 

Awarded Dell Technologies 2019 APJ Distributor of the Year, Dicker Data’s technical presales and solution architects are the most highly certified in the Australian distribution landscape. Working closely with Dell Technologies and pioneering many new channel-first programs, Dicker Data’s core focus is to become a true extension of our partners’ business and that of their end users/customers.

Because of innovations like AppsON, Dell EMC PowerStore can revolutionise data centres, and we’re excited for you to see that firsthand. There are so many more features and benefits of PowerStore.

Call Dicker Data to chat to our experienced presales staff to learn more. Dicker Data can help your end customers understand why it’s the perfect choice while helping your business grow. We also guide partners to maximise vendor incentives/offers, improve pricing and profitability, and manage Dell Technologies’ deal registration process to reduce administration, protect deals from competitors, and in some cases gain preferential treatment from Dell Technologies.

Click here to view the details on a current PowerStore promotion we are running. Or email sales@dickerdata.com.au to request a call back from one of our PowerStore experts.