1. Benchmarking Storage Systems
Insight Competition
Benchmarking Storage Systems

2. Benchmarking – Overview
DELL™ AX4-5 (EMC) Storage Array
Dual Controller (1GB Cache/Controller)
6x 750GB SATA 7,2k U/Min
6x 146GB SAS 15k U/Min
HP – MSA 20xx Family
3x 500GB SATA 7,2k U/Min
3x 750GB SATA 7,2k U/Min
IBM System Storage DS3400
Dual Controller (512MB Cache/Controller)
3x 500GB SATA 7,2k U/Min
3x 750GB SATA 7,2k U/Min
6x 73GB SAS 15k U/Min
FSC FibreCAT SX8x Family
Dual Controller (1GB Cache/Controller)
6x 500GB SATA 7,2k U/Min
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

3. Benchmarking – Scenario
First Impression
Packaging/content
Completeness
Documentation
Finish
Materials
Predetermined breaking points?
Use
Hardware
Discfitting
Accessability (tool less?)
Software
Installation process (intuitional menu navigation ,…)
Initiation and GUI (ergonomics, menu navigation,…)
Pre installed software
Equipping
Current consumption
Software (features)
Guarantee / support
Type(s) of hard discs
Upgrading possibilities
Number of discs
Capacity of discs
Configuration
Controller configuration (active/active, active/passive)
available RAID level
HotSpare configuration
Online extension / migration
LUN size
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

4. Benchmarking – Performance
Measurement of throughput and I/O power
At various RAID levels
(min. RAID1 and RAID5)
Comparison of SAS/SATA arrays
Measures done:
with different operating systems
Windows / Linux
at parallel access on multiple hosts
while rebuilding the HotSpare disc
Measuring with IOMeter
Endurance of the HotSpare rebuild
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

5. Benchmarking – Surrounding
FSC FibreCAT SX8x Family
HP MSA20xx Family
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

6. DELL™ AX4-5 (EMC) Storage Array – First Impression
Packaging is effective and easy to open
Essentials are fully enclosed
Discs
Controllers
Power supplies
Installation kit
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

7. DELL™ AX4-5 (EMC) Storage Array – Installationguide, Documentation
Assembling poster
yes
General documentation
digital with documentation-CD
Reference book
System manual, installation manual, security guide
Other
EMV pack included
Download driver and reference books no
Rating
everything you need is included but unfortunately no downloadlink for driver updates
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

8. DELL™ AX4-5 (EMC) Storage Array – Use
Intuitional fitting of components
Power supplies and controllers can be mounted without tools
Altogether the system requires 3U in the rack
Reverse AX4-5
Standby-Power supply is
seperately installed inside the rack
Traction relief
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

9. DELL™ AX4-5 (EMC) Storage Array – Controller Insight
Cooling element
for CPU and chip set
Memory
Adjustment
without tooling
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

10. DELL™ AX4-5 (EMC) Storage Array – Pro and Contra (Extract)
Support of five diskshelfs with all in all 45 TB storage capacity
Integrated snapshot function
Contra:
No RAID 6 available
No RAID 10 available
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

11. DELL™ AX4-5 (EMC) Storage Array – Summary
Consequence
No RAID 6 and RAID 10 possible
Lower system stability at huge hard drive configurations.
No 1 TB SATA hard drive support
Lower total capacity and scalability
Additional standby power supply
Protection of the controller incl. cache by the standby power supply with battery package requires one additional rack unit.
The usage oft he first four hard disks is restricted
Reduction of useability, lost xx TB of storage capacity +
Support of 5 diskshelfs with all in all 45 TB storage capacity.
The system is expandable and scalable flexibly. Additionaly the administration processes are simplified as only one administerial interface has to be used.
Possibility to combine SAS und SATA hard drives
The combination of variable interfaces displays the base for the illustration of an ILM (Information Lifecycle Management) -Process with different storage categories.
Integrated snapshot function
Faster backup times by creating and using snap shots
Redundant power supplies, fans, controllers, etc.
Avoidance of Single Point of Failure
Support of many operating systems
Because of an expanded operating system support the storage system is flexible and able to adopt different conditions.
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

12. Synecon Hardware Benchmarking
MSA 20xx Family
HP Storage Works MSA 2012i
iSCSI SAN Array
Standard iSCSI Controller
HP Storage Works MSA 2012fc
FC SAN Array
Standard FC Controller
Announced: HP MSA 2012sa
Host Connection via SAS
HP Storage Works MSA 2212fc
Enhanced FC Controller
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

13. HP MSA 20xx Family – First Impression
Packaging is effective and easy to open
Essentials are fully enclosed
Discs
Controllers
Power supplies
Installation kit
Missing installation documentation of the Rack
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

14. HP MSA 20xx – Installationguide, Documentation
Assembling poster
only digital / PDF-Download
General Documentation
digital with installation-CD
Reference book no
Other
Positioning device for rack assembly
Download driver and reference books
Rating
Requires a lot of one’s own initiative (downloads);
the quick installation guide is not that self-explanatory as you might have expected
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

15. Synecon Hardware Benchmarking
HP MSA 20xx – Use
Intuitional fitting of components
Elaborate installation of the Rack
Fit-up aid requested
Installation rails must be screwed to the device and to the second reverse
Fit-up aid
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

16. HP MSA 20xx – Controller Insight
Condenser pack and flashcard
Cooling element for CPU and chip set
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

17. HP MSA 20xx – Pro and Contra (Extract)
Cache is protected with flash storage
Contra:
Snapshot function only optional, further investments are requested
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

18. HP MSA 20xx Family – Summary-
Consequence
Snapshot function only optional
If snapshots are used, e.g. for backup processes, further investments are requested.
Rack installationkit requires „fit-up aids“
Complex and time consuming rack installation
For installation or removing components a screwdriver is required
Heightended effort of installion an removal +
Possisbility to combine SAS and SATA hard drives
The basis for the illustration of an ILM (Informations Lifecycle Management ) with different storage categories is the combination of variable interfaces.
Cache is protected with flash storage
In case of power breakdown only short „loading times“ (1 min.), low maintenance level
Redundant power supplies, fans, controllers, etc.
Avoidance of single point of failure
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

19. IBM System Storage DS3400 – First Impression
Packaging is effective and easy to open
Essentials are fully enclosed
Discs
Controllers
Power supplies
Installationkit
A lot of waste
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

20. IBM System Storage DS3400 – Installationguide, Documentation
Assembling poster
yes
General Documentation
digital with documentation-CD and support-CD
Reference book
System manual, security guide
Download driver and reference books
Rating
Too much dokumentation – lost of clarity (because of the much packaging)
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

21. IBM System Storage DS3400 – Use
Smart installation, no tools requested
Attention whilst installing! Mechanism adjusts wrong way around!!
Smart installation
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

22. IBM System Storage DS3400 – Controller Insight
Battery pack
Single controller in the test without a protective cover!
Risk of damage to the electronic during setup!
Cooling
element for CPU and chip set
Memory module
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

23. IBM System Storage DS3400 – Pro and Contra (Extract)
Components can be installed and removed quickly without tools
Contra:
Cache per controller by default only 512 MB (1 GB optional)
Controller can be set wrong, which might cause a difficult failure detection
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

24. IBM System Storage DS3400 – Summary-
Consequence
No RAID 6 possible
Lower system stability at large hard drive configurations.
Snapshot function only optional
If snapshots are used, e.g. for backup processes additional investments are necessary.
Cache per controller by default only 512 MB (1 GB optional)
Less Data throughput at various synchronous writing and reading operations. Therefore slower system.
Controller can be set wrong
Controller doesn‘t work, difficult analysis of mistakes as interlock still catches.
Limited administrability
No software independent configuration (via web GUI or command line interface) possible. +
Support of 4 diskshelfs with all in all 48 TB storage capacity.
Possibility to expand the system. Therefore a long term investment.
Possiblity to combine SAS and SATA hard discs
The combination of variable interfaces displays the base for the illustration of an ILM (Information Lifecycle Management) -process with different storage categories.
Components can be installed and removed quickly without tools
Less effort e.g. while installing the Rack or in case of a service circumstance.
Redundant power supplies, fans, controllers, etc.
Avoidance of single point of failure
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

25. FSC FibreCAT SX8x Family
FSC FibreCAT SX80 iSCSI
iSCSI RAID Storage System
Standard iSCSI Controller
FSC FibreCAT SX80
FC RAID Storage System
Standard FC Controller
FSC FibreCAT SX88
Enhanced FC Controller
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

26. FSC FibreCAT SX8x Family – First Impression
Packagng is effective and easy to open
Essentials are fully enclosed
Discs
Controllers
Power supplies
Installationkit
Ancle for installing the FSC-Racks
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

27. FSC FibreCAT SX8x Family – Installationguide, Documentation
Assembling poster
yes
General Documentation
digital with documentation-CD
Reference book
Installation manual, security guide, quick installation guide in 6 languages
Other
Positioning device for rack assembly
Download driver and reference books
Rating
Detailed and well aranged
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

28. FSC FibreCAT SX8x Family – Use
Intuitional fitting of components
Frontview
Reverse
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

29. FSC FibreCAT SX8x Family – Controller Insight
Condenser pack and flashcard
Is in charge for a backup in case
of a power breakdown
Does not matter how long the
power breakdown takes
Cooling element for CPU and chip set
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

30. FSC FibreCAT SX8x Family – Pro and Contra (Extract)
Support of five diskshelfs with all in all 56 TB storage capacity
Cache is protected with flash storage
Integrated snapshot function (four pieces)
Contra:
Four unused hard disk slots at maximum scale
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

31. FSC FibreCAT SX8x Family – Summary-
Consequence
For installation or removing components a screwdriver is required
Heightended effort of installion an removal
4 unused hard disk slots at maximum scale
Not all available Diskslots can be used +
Support of 5 diskshelfs with all in all 56 TB storage capacity.
Possibility to expand the system. Therefore a long term investment.
Integrated snapshot function (four pieces)
The creation and usage of four snapshots is integrated. Hence faster backup times.
Ancle for installing the rack into FSC-racks is included by default
No additional effort while ordering and installing the rack.
Redundant power supplies, fans, controllers, etc.
Avoidance of Single Point of Failure
Possibility to combine SAS and SATA hard drives
The combination of variable interfaces displays the base for the illustration of an ILM (Information Lifecycle Management) -process with different storage categories.
Support of all RAID levels
Cache is protected with flash storage and condenser pack
The battery does not have to be charged after a power breakdown, low maintenanceintensely.
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

32. Comparable or Identical?
MSA20xx-Family from HP is a similar construction as the SX8x-Family from FSC
Most important differences
Introduction on the market 2008
Snapshot function optional (additional costs)
4 discshelfs till max. 48TB
Rack installation kit requested „Fit-up aid“
Introduction on the market 2006
Integrated snapshot function (4 Pieces – without extra costs)
5 discshelfs till max. 56TB
Smart rack installation with „click“ kit
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

33. Synecon Hardware Benchmarking
maxTP
Fileserver
'size
% of size
% reads
% random
65.536
100
512 10 80
smaxTP
1.024 5
2.048
4.096 60
maxIO
8.192 2
16.384 4
32.768
Database 67
Exchange
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

34. SAS Disks RAID5 – Measuring with Fileserver Profile
IBM DS3400
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

35. SAS Disks RAID5 – Measuring of Data Throughput
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

36. SAS Disks RAID5 – Measuring with Data Base Profile
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

37. SAS Disks RAID5 – Measuring with Exchange Profile
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

38. SAS Disks RAID5 – IO Measuring
FSC FibreCAT SX8x
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

39. Qualification - useability for diffrent profiles
Database 67% reads , 33% writes with Byte Blocksize and only random disk access
Particular applicable: FSC SX8x, HP MSA 20xx
applicable: IBM DS 3400
Limited applicable: DELL AX4
Exchange 60% reads, 40% writes with Byte Blocksize and about 80% random disk access
Particular applicable : FSC SX8x, HP MSA 20xx, IBM DS3400
Limited applicable : DELL AX4
Fileserve 80% reads, 20% writes with diffrent Blocksize and only random disk access
Particular applicable : FSC SX8x, HP MSA 20xx, IBM DS3400, DELL AX4
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

40. Useability (under the terms of the benchmarking)
Database
Exchange
Fileserve
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

41. Qualification - result
FSC FibreCAT SX8x
Consistently good perfomance data
Applicable for all tested implementation
HP MSA 20xx
IBM DS3400
Average performance data for databases and Exchange servers
Good performance data for Fileserver implementation
DELL AX4
Worst performance data at all testet profiles, although all Systems are nearly the same assembling
Especial limited applicable for database implementation
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking

42. Thank you for your attention
Synecon Hardware Benchmarking