Overview

Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Storage Management provides enhanced features for configuring a system's locally-attached RAID and non-RAID disk storage. Storage Management enables you to perform controller and enclosure functions for all supported RAID and non-RAID controllers and enclosures from a single graphical or command-line interface without requiring use of the controller BIOS utilities. The graphical interface is wizard-driven with features for novice and advanced users. The command-line interface is fully-featured and scriptable. Using Storage Management, you can protect your data by configuring data-redundancy, assigning hot spares, or rebuilding failed physical disks. You can also perform data-destructive tasks. All users of Storage Management should be familiar with their storage environment and Storage Management.

Storage Management supports SCSI, SATA, ATA, and SAS but not fibre channel.

For more information, see the following:

Getting Started
Understanding RAID Concepts
Quick Access to Storage Status and Tasks

For information on Storage Management alerts, see the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Messages Reference Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

What's New in this Release?

This release of Storage Management provides the following new features:

The GUI in storage enclosures displays the Dell System Express Service Code along with the Dell System Service Tag.
With Solid State Disks (SSDs), you can configure a CacheCade for your virtual disks. For more information, see CacheCade Using Solid State Drives.
With the latest firmware, SATA drives with capacity of more than 2 TB are supported. For the minimum required firmware and driver versions, go to the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator and click StorageStorage ControllerFirmware/Driver Version.
The new Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H200 driver and firmware supports 3 TB NL SAS hard drives, 3 TB NL SATA hard drives, and SAS SSDs.
Added support for the following operating systems:
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 SP1
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2011
VMware ESX 4.1 Update 1
VMware ESXi 4.1 Update 1
VMware ESX 4.0 Update 3
Vmware ESXi 4.0 Update 3
Citrix Xen Server 5.6 FP1

For information on Alert Messages, see the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Messages Reference Guide and for information on Command Line Interface, see Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Command Line Interface User's Guide, at support.dell.com/manuals.

Before Installing Storage Management

The following sections describe considerations for installing Storage Management.

PERC Console and FAST Compatibility Issues When Installing Storage Management

To maintain the integrity of storage device configuration, installing Storage Management on a system that has File and Storage Technologies (FAST) or the PERC Console installed is an unsupported configuration. It is recommended that you uninstall FAST and the PERC Console before installing Storage Management. In particular, you may find that Storage Management or the FAST features are disabled at run time when using Storage Management on a system that also has FAST installed.

Storage Management replaces all Storage Management features provided by FAST and the PERC Console. In addition, Storage Management has features not provided by FAST and the PERC Console.

NOTE: It is recommended that you uninstall FAST before installing Storage Management. Uninstalling FAST on a system that has both FAST and Storage Management installed also uninstalls the Adaptec filter driver. In this situation, you must reinstall Storage Management to restore the Adaptec filter driver. To prevent this, verify that FAST is uninstalled before installing Storage Management.

Compatibility With Linux Utilities

Installing Storage Management on system running a Linux operating system that has RAID Storage Management utilities provided by Dell or other vendors is an unsupported configuration. It is recommended that you uninstall these utilities before installing Storage Management. Storage Management replaces the Storage Management features provided by these utilities. Examples of the Dell or vendor-supplied Linux utilities include:

LinFlash
DellMgr
DellMON
LINLib
MegaMgr
MegaMON

Prerequisite Drivers and Firmware on Linux Operating Systems

On Linux operating systems, Storage Management installation is unable to detect whether the drivers and firmware on the system are at the required level for installing and using Storage Management. When installing on system running Linux operating systems, you can complete the installation regardless of whether the driver and firmware version meets the required level. If the driver and firmware version do not meet the required level, however, you may not have access to all functions provided by Storage Management. At Storage Management runtime, check your application log files for notifications on outdated firmware versions. For a complete list of supported controller firmware and driver versions, see the Dell OpenManage Storage Management Readme.

Version Requirements for Controller Firmware and Drivers

In order for Storage Management to function properly, the controllers must have the minimum required version of the firmware and drivers installed. The firmware and drivers listed in the readme.txt file refer to the minimum supported version for these controllers. Later versions of the firmware and drivers are also supported. For the most recent driver and firmware requirements, see support.dell.com.

NOTE: To download the latest storport driver, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article KB 943545 at support.microsoft.com.

If you install Storage Management without the minimum required firmware and drivers, Storage Management may not be able to display any of the controllers or perform other functions. Storage Management generates alerts 2131 and 2132 when it detects unsupported firmware or drivers on a controller.

For information on Alert Messages, see the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Messages Reference Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

Supported Controllers

This release of Storage Management supports the following controllers.

The firmware and drivers listed in the Readme file refer to the minimum supported version for these controllers. Later versions of the firmware and drivers are also supported. See support.dell.com for the most recent driver and firmware requirements.

Supported RAID Controllers

Storage Management supports the following RAID controllers. For information on the technology used by the supported RAID controllers, see RAID Controller Technology: SCSI, SATA, ATA, and SAS.

PERC 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4/IM, 4e/Si, and 4e/Di
CERC SATA1.5/6ch, and CERC SATA1.5/2s
PERC 5/E
PERC 5/i Integrated and PERC 5/i Adapter
SAS 5/iR Integrated and SAS 5/iR Adapter
PERC 6/E
PERC 6/I Integrated and PERC 6/I Adapter
PERC 6/I Modular
CERC 6/I controller
SAS 6/iR controller
PERC S100 and S300
PERC H200 Adapter, PERC H200 Integrated, and PERC H200 Modular
PERC H800 Adapter, PERC H700 Adapter, PERC H700 Integrated, and PERC H700 Modular
NOTE: Integrated mirroring on the PERC 4/IM controller enables you to mirror a physical disk that resides internally in the server. You can implement the integrated mirror using the PERC 4/IM BIOS. When implemented, Storage Management recognizes the integrated mirror as a virtual disk. You cannot, however, use Storage Management to create a virtual disk on the PERC 4/IM controller. Storage Management supports other functions provided by the PERC 4/IM controller. For more information, see Integrated Mirroring and the PERC 4/IM Controller.
NOTE: The new PERC H200 Controller driver and firmware supports 3 TB NL SAS hard drives, 3 TB NL SATA hard drives, and SAS SSDs.

Supported Non-RAID Controllers

Storage Management supports the following non-RAID controllers.

LSI PCI-e U320
SAS 5/i Integrated
SAS 5/E
SAS 6Gbps Adapter

Supported Enclosures

This release of Storage Management supports the following enclosures:

Dell PowerVault 20xS and 21xS storage systems
PowerVault 220S and 221S storage systems
PowerVault MD1000 and MD1120 storage system
PowerVault MD1200 and MD1220 storage system

Support for Disk and Volume Management

Storage Management does not provide disk and volume management. To implement disk and volume management, you need to use the native disk and volume management utilities provided by your operating system.

Support for Encryption Key Management

Storage Management enables creating, changing, and deleting the Encryption Key on a encryption-capable controller. PERC H700 and H800 family of controllers are encryption-capable. You can enable encryption on these encryption-capable controllers through the Storage Management graphical user interface (GUI) or the Command Line Interface (CLI). Setting an Encryption Key allows you to create encrypted virtual disks using Self Encryption Disks (SED). The data stored in the encrypted virtual disk is encrypted.

For information on Command Line Interface, see Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Command Line Interface User's Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.