DELL POWEREDGE

SERVER CONCEPTS -
INTRODUCTION TO
SERVERS

PARTICIPANT GUIDE

PARTICIPANT GUIDE
 Dell PowerEdge Server Concepts - Introduction to Servers-SSP

© Copyright 2024 Dell Inc Page 2

Table of Contents

Dell PowerEdge Server Concepts - Introduction to Servers 5

PowerEdge Server Introduction 6

Server Overview 6
Server Form Factor 7
16G PowerEdge Server Portfolio 9
Dell PowerEdge Naming Convention 10
Technology Evolution 12
3D View of a PowerEdge T560 Tower Server 12
3D View of a PowerEdge R760 Rack Server 12
3D View of a PowerEdge MX760c Modular Server 13
3D View of a PowerEdge XE9680 Extreme Server 13
3D View of a PowerEdge XR8000 Rugged Server 13
Modular Server Characteristics 14
PowerEdge Ready Node Servers 20
Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) Overview 22
LAB: iDRAC User Interface Login and Exploration 23

Server Storage 24
Introduction to Storage Solutions 24
Extended Storage Solutions 25
Components of Storage 29
Internal Dual SD Module 42
Linear Tape Open (LTO) 44
Storage Capacity Planning 46
LAB: The Storage Menu 47

RAID Concepts 49
Introduction to RAID 49
Important Definitions 54
RAID 0 57
RAID 1 59

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 RAID 5 61
RAID 6 63
RAID 10 65
RAID 50 67
RAID 60 69
RAID Implementation and Levels 70
Hardware and Software RAID 72
Manage RAID with Different Applications 77
LAB: Configure Storage 82

Server System Setup 83

Server Setup Overview 83
Access System Setup 84
Introduction to BIOS, CMOS, and UEFI 86
System Setup BIOS Setting 89
Difference Between BIOS and UEFI 94
UEFI Boot Mode Configuration Settings 95
LAB: System Setup Utility Exploration 102

Server Operating System 103

Supported Operating Systems 103
Operating System Installation Requirements 104
Windows 2022 Operating System Installation Procedure 108
Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) 109
Virtual Memory 109
Attaching Virtual Media 111
LAB: Attaching Virtual Media 113

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 PowerEdge Server Introduction

Dell PowerEdge Server Concepts - Introduction to Servers

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 PowerEdge Server Introduction

PowerEdge Server Introduction

Server Overview

Typical client/server architecture.

A server is a physical or virtual system that processes and stores information.

Servers are bare metal or virtual devices.

Servers are part of the host or server architecture. A client-server architecture is

an architecture of servers which allows remote servers to request and receive
services from a centralized server.

Server Functionality

The server receives a request from a client for data processing. The server then
sends the requested information back to the client that made the request.

Server Offer

Servers offer network systems with the following features:

• Scalability to serve an increasing number of devices, users, and workloads.

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• High processing power with central processing unit (CPU) and random
access memory (RAM) specifications to handle network and data transfer
workloads.
• Reliability to ensure that critical systems remain online and available.
• Servers offer remote management capabilities.
• Enhanced security and cyber resiliency.
• High-Availability helps to reduce downtime and maintain the uptime in
instances of multiple storage and power supplies redundancy.
• Serviceability maintains the continuous functionality of the servers without
compromising the server performance, for example, extensive hot-swappable
front-access storage in PowerEdge servers.

Server Form Factor

The term server form factor describes the size, shape, and packaging of a
hardware device. The form factors of the Dell PowerEdge server portfolio range
from standard performance to high performance.

Server systems typically come in three form factors.

Go to: Dell PowerEdge servers by generation to learn more about

different Dell PowerEdge servers form factors by generation.

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1: Rack servers: A rack server is also called a rack-mounted server. Rack-mount

servers are designed to save space when there are several servers in a confined
space of a data center. Rack servers are more expensive than the tower form
factor. Rack-mount servers are better suited for medium-size to large-size
businesses or even in microbusinesses.

For example: Dell PowerEdge R760 is a 2U chassis rack server.

2: Modular servers: Modular servers (sleds) have a dedicated chassis, including

network and storage components. They are slim and compact, and slide vertically
into a specially designed chassis slots. Modular servers reduce the amount of rack
space consumed in a data center.

Examples of modular computing servers are the MX750c, MX840c, and MX760c.
Each can be inserted into the MX7000 chassis platform.

3: Tower servers: Tower servers contain multiple disk drives bays and expansion
card slots. The advantages of a tower server lie in its compact shape. Tower
servers are installed in a standard office space instead of a data center. The
simplicity and robustness of tower server make the server an ideal choice for a
small company.

For example: Dell PowerEdge T560.

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16G PowerEdge Server Portfolio

The 16G PowerEdge server portfolio offers flexible, purpose-built solutions that
provide performance across Edge, Data Center, and Cloud environments.

The 16G PowerEdge server portfolio.

Tip: The 16G PowerEdge server portfolio has a similar market

position to previous generations. For example, the PowerEdge
R740, R750, and R760 are targeted for similar use cases.
However, every new generation of server offers enhanced
computing power and cutting-edge technology with more updated
features and improved performance.

Tip: The PowerEdge XE family of servers such as the XE9680 is

purpose-built for complex, emerging workloads that require high-
performance and large storage. The PowerEdge XR family of
server such as the XR7620 are ruggedized, industrial-grade
servers intended for extreme environments.

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Dell PowerEdge Naming Convention

The server model nomenclature identifies the PowerEdge server. The naming
convention provides insight into the form factor, class of system, generation, and
the CPU socket count.

Three Number Naming Convention

The graphic shows a PowerEdge R760. The R760 is a rack-mounted, dual CPU,
16G, Intel powered server.

Three number naming convention.

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Four Number Naming Convention

The graphic shows a PowerEdge C6600 with three C6620 blades. Each C6620
blade is a 16G server with dual CPU and powered by Intel processors.

Four number naming convention.

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Technology Evolution

Each PowerEdge generation introduces new technologies such as DDR5, or

enhances existing technologies such as RAID controllers. Not all PowerEdge
platforms support legacy technologies. Support for other technologies such as
power supplies, fans, and accelerators varies between platforms.

The graphic is a representation of broad technology support across the

PowerEdge generations.

Horizontal bar chart showing technology support.

3D View of a PowerEdge T560 Tower Server

The simulation contains a 3D view of the Dell PowerEdge T560 server.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

3D View of a PowerEdge R760 Rack Server

The simulation contains a 3D view of the Dell PowerEdge R760 server.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

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3D View of a PowerEdge MX760c Modular Server

The simulation contains a 3D view of the Dell PowerEdge MX760c server.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

3D View of a PowerEdge XE9680 Extreme Server

The simulation contains a 3D view of the Dell PowerEdge XE9680 server.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

3D View of a PowerEdge XR8000 Rugged Server

The simulation contains a 3D view of the Dell PowerEdge XR8000 server.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

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 PowerEdge Server Introduction

Modular Server Characteristics

Dell PowerEdge Modular systems are all-in-one chassis platforms that provide
compute servers, network I/O modules, and storage devices. A modular system
relies on a unique environmental capacity to function as an all-encompassing
platform. IT administrators are aware of the modular system unique specifications
for rack mounting plus cooling and heating needs.

PowerEdge FX
Series (Legacy)

PowerEdge FX2 server.

The PowerEdge FX2 is a 2U hybrid rack-based computing platform that can be

configured to hold quarter-width, half-width, and full-width servers and a half-width
storage block.

The FX2 includes a network switch, eight PCI Express (PCIe) expansion slots for
a cost-optimized, entry-level option.

FX2 FX2s

Entry option Flex I/O option.

No PCIe slots Eight PCIe 3.0 low-profile expansion

slots

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PowerEdge VRTX
(Legacy)

PowerEdge VRTX server.

Dual SD cards for redundant hypervisors. Hot-plug and swappable HDDs, plus
many RAID options tailored to specific needs, including optional PERC for RAID
controller failover inside the chassis. Optional hot-plug and swappable power
supply units and fans.

VRTX systems management is integrated with major third-party management

tools, protecting installed investments and allowing users to work with familiar
tools. These improvements allow users to avoid the additional time and cost of
training that is related to new management solutions.

• Designed to address the needs of remote and branch offices of large

organizations, and small to medium-businesses with limited IT resources.

• No compromise on performance
• Versatile shared storage

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• Integrated networking and flexible I/O

• Seamless management integration

PowerEdge M1000e
(Legacy)

PowerEdge M1000e server.

The PowerEdge M1000e is efficient with power, thermal efficiency, performance,

flexibility, and system-wide availability. The chassis integrates the latest in
management, I/O, and power and cooling technologies.

The M1000e uses highly efficient power supplies with large variable-speed fans to
cool the entire chassis while using less power.

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PowerEdge MX7000

PowerEdge MX7000 server.

The PowerEdge MX7000 chassis hosts disaggregated blocks of server and

storage to create on-demand resources. Shared power, cooling, networking, I/O,
and in-chassis management provide outstanding efficiencies.

The PowerEdge MX creates shared pools of disaggregated compute and storage

resources. Users can create workloads using pooled resources. When the
workload is no longer needed, resources are returned to the pool. On-demand
capacity can be managed at a data center level instead of a per-server level.

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Modular Servers Comparison

The table lists the comparison between different modular server characteristics:

Characteristi PowerEd PowerEd PowerEd PowerEd PowerEdge

cs ge FX ge VRTX ge ge C6620
Chassis (Legacy) M1000e MX7000
(Legacy) (Legacy)

Form factor: 2U Tower or 10U 7U 2U C6600

modular 5U modular modular chassis
enclosure modular enclosure enclosure
enclosure

Server Four half Four half- Eight full- Eight Two half width
options: width height height standard
Eight Two full 16 half- size
quarter- height height 4 double
width 32 wide
quarter-
height

Server FC430, M520, M600, MX740c, C4140, C6400,

Models: FC830 M620, M506, MX750c, C6420
FC640 M820 M805, MX840c C6500, C6520,
FM120X4 M630, M905 MX760c C6525
M830 M610, C6600
M640 M610x,
M710,
M710HD,
M910,
M915
M420,
M520,
M620,
M820
M630,
M640,
M830

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Storage FD332 up Integrated PSM410 MX5016s Up to 16 x 2.5-

Options: to 3 to x4 up to 7 inches
SAS/SATA/NV
Me (HDD or
SSD) drives
max 61 TB.

PCIe Slots: 8 PCIe Three full- not not 2 x PCIe

low-profile height applicable applicable Gen5 , Low-
slots 5 low- profile, Half-
profile length

I/O module 3 full- One full- Six full- 4 full- not applicable
(IOM) width height height width
Quantity: Two half
width

I/O module FN2210S, R1-2401, M8024-K, MX9116n, not applicable

(IOM) FN410S, R1-2210, MXL, MX7116n,
Module: FN410T, Pass- M6348, MX5108
Pass- Through M6220, n,
Through M6505, MXG640x
M5242, ,
M4001F, MX5000s,
M4000T, MX8116
Pass- n, Pass-
Through Through

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PowerEdge Ready Node Servers

Azure Stack HCI architecture.

Dell PowerEdge Ready Nodes, which are built on Dell PowerEdge servers, enable
deployment with factory installed, preconfigured, and pretested configurations. It
adds up to a solution that scales quickly to meet growing needs.

Examples of ready node servers are:

• The Dell Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct Ready Nodes (PowerEdge AX 1

servers) are used for the Dell Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI
(hyperconverged infrastructure) solution. Dell Integrated System for Microsoft

1
AX nodes are building blocks for customers who want to build Azure Stack HCI
solutions.

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Azure Stack HCI 2 encompasses a wide range of Hyper-Converged

Infrastructure configurations that are built on Dell Microsoft Storage Spaces
Direct3 (S2D).
• The Dell vSAN Ready Nodes 4 that are used in VxRail or PowerFlex HCI
solutions. Dell vSAN Ready Nodes are built on Dell PowerEdge servers that
have been preconfigured, tested, and certified to run VMware vSAN. Similar to
the Azure Stack HCI S2D solution, VMware vSAN is Software Defined Storage
(SDS) that leverages a distributed control plane abstraction to create a pool of
storage from disparate server-based disk hardware. That abstraction is also
comparable to the way the vSphere ESXi hypervisor converts a cluster of
server hardware into a pool of compute resources (VMs).

Go to: Dell solution to learn about the complete list of PowerEdge

Ready Node Servers.

Go to: Dell site to learn more about the AX node.

2
The virtualized storage pool that is abstracted from the PowerEdge servers
becomes the software-defined server storage pool that is used by the Azure Stack
HCI solution.
3
Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) enables building highly available and
scalable storage using servers with local storage.
4
Each Ready Node includes the right amount of CPU, memory, network I/O
controllers, hard drive, and SSDs for VMware vSAN.

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Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) Overview

The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) is the main management
tool. The iDRAC is designed for secure local and remote server management and
helps IT administrators deploy, update, and monitor PowerEdge servers
anywhere, anytime. The iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller is embedded within the
PowerEdge server and functions regardless of the operating system.

iDRAC UI dashboard showing an R660 running iDRAC9 version 7.

The iDRAC UI dashboard presents the key elements to manage the server.
1. The information area on the dashboard includes a search feature, lockdown
mode indicator, user, help, and group manager options.
2. The Dashboard shows the system and storage health status and the system
information.
3. The System page monitors the server components such as processors,
memory, power, cooling, and more.
4. The Storage page covers monitoring and configuration of controllers, physical
and virtual disks, and enclosures.
5. The Configuration page handles virtual console and virtual media settings,
licenses, BIOS settings, and the server configuration profile.

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6. The Maintenance page covers areas such as logs, jobs, troubleshooting, and
diagnostics.
7. The iDRAC Settings page includes connectivity options, services, user
control, and settings.

LAB: iDRAC User Interface Login and Exploration

This course uses an iDRAC simulator to enable the learners to perform lab
activities. Learners can download the Lab Guide from the Menu button and
Resources tab. The Lab Guide provides interface instructions.

Lab Exercise: The PowerEdge R660 server is powered on the

system and connected to the network. The data center
administrator has installed a Windows operating system. Before
leaving the customer site, you want to ensure that you can log in to
the iDRAC UI and view some of the key areas such as system
health, logs, firmware versions, and main menu options..
Complete the lab activities:
- Introduction to the On-Demand Lab Environment
- The iDRAC UI Login and Exploration
Use the enlarge button to expand the simulator to full screen
mode.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

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 Server Storage

Server Storage

Introduction to Storage Solutions

Types of extended storage solutions.

A storage solution is a high-capacity system with the specific purpose to store,

access, manage, and secure digital media 5. A storage solution, including the
native server storage, manages small to large amounts of data.

Storage solutions can be the native server storage capacity through the server
subsystem components such as hard drive, SSDs, and other components.
Storage solutions can also be extended storage in the form of Direct Attached
Storage (DAS), Network Attached Storage (NAS), Storage Area Networks (SAN),
and Cloud storage (Storage as a Service).

5
Digital media includes files, data, and services.

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Storage servers that are used in large-scale storage solutions are different than
other servers in terms of cost, performance, size, and storage space that are
based on the requirements of an organization. The large-capacity storage for
storage servers ranges from hundreds of terabytes to petabytes of data.

Both the native server storage and extended storage solutions are explored in
more detail in this topic.

Extended Storage Solutions

Extended storage solutions are required to store, protect, and save large amounts
of raw data and information.

Direct Attached Storage (DAS)

Direct Attached Storage (DAS) is a storage solution where the server or system
unit is directly attached to the storage. DAS attaches to a server host bus adapter
(HBA) that has a direct connection to a storage device. The storage device uses a
storage controller to connect to the HBA. The HBA connection to the storage or
storage enclosure uses a block-level protocol. SAS is the common protocol that is
used for DAS connection.

Direct Attached Storage - Server hosts.

Advantages
• Minimum hardware cost.

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 Server Storage

• Setup is made easy.

• Management is easy for small environments.

Disadvantages
• Limited scalability
• Potential single points of failure at each server
• Difficult to manage for larger environments

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers attach directly to a LAN. NAS are also
called appliances, as data sharing among network clients are enabled. A NAS
device is file level storage.

NAS servers scale the storage capacity of individual systems or consolidate

existing storage. Users can manage NAS from anywhere on the network with a
standard web browser or other management tools. NAS appliance interfaces are
simple, without a must learn complex operating system.

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

Advantages
• Efficient file storage and management
• Added to existing LANs and can co-exist with SANs.
• Simplified management

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Disadvantages
• Not well suited to applications that require block-level storage
• Limited scalability
• Relies on TCP/IP networks

Storage Area Networks (SAN)

A SAN is a networked storage infrastructure (SAN fabric). SANs connect servers

to storage devices by using either a Fibre Channel switch fabric or Internet Small
Computer System Interface (iSCSI) over an Ethernet LAN architecture.

Storage Area Network (SAN)

Advantages
• Exceptional performance
• Extremely fault tolerant and highly reliable
• Highly scalable
• Centralized management
• Uses separate network for storage - can reduce load on LAN.
• Shared access to storage pools, backup, restore, and Disaster Recovery (DR)
services.

Disadvantages
• Higher initial cost

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• More complex to deploy

• Leverage few vendor-specific technology

Cloud Storage

The image illustrates the simplified cloud storage solution environment.

Cloud storage (Storage as a Service) requires a remote storage server that

provides a cloud-based storage service to client workstations. If the client
workstation has Internet access rights to the remote storage server then the
storage service is provided to the client workstation in any geo-location within an
organization.

Client workstations can store, share, and retrieve media files (data) through the
cloud. They can use an on-site cloud solution or a public cloud service like
Microsoft OneDrive.

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Go to: [Link] to learn more about Object Storage.

Go to: Guide to Storage Area Network (SAN) to learn more about

the storage solutions.

Components of Storage

Go to: Dell support site to learn more about BOSS-S1,BOSS-S2,

and BOSS-N1.

Important: Intel Optane memory is discontinued for 16G onward

Dell servers. It is only supported for 15G servers. NVDIMM is
offered only with 14G servers.

Components in high-end storage devices vary depending on the use case of the
device.

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SATA

Types of SATA cables and interfaces.

Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment SATA 6) interface is a

standard for connecting and transferring data from a hard disk to other systems.

Features of SATA:
• SATA 3 has a top speed of 6Gbs transfer rate.
• Cable management helps support for extra cable length.
• SATA has one drive per cable connector.

6
SATA is designed based on serial signaling technology.

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SAS

SAS cable

Serial attached SCSI (SAS) is a protocol that is used for accessing the system
storage device. SAS 7 allows digital transfer by the cables, employing 1 bit at a
time for the transfer.

SAS is an ideal solution for a business enterprise requiring substantial use of

storage and backup.

Features and benefits:

• Typically used for storage backplane or hard drive carrier applications.
• SAS is compatible with Serial ATA Interface (SATA) technology.

Interface versions and speed:

• SAS-1 supports up to 3 Gbps.
• SAS-2 supports up to 6 Gbps.

7
SAS 4.0 enables double the data transfer rates for SAS devices, up to 22.5 gb/s.

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• SAS-3 supports up to 12 Gbps.

• SAS-4 is the current version that is used in the 16G server family and supports
up to 22.5 Gbps.

SSD

SSDs and flash controllers.

A solid state drive 8 (SSD) is a nonvolatile storage device, which stores the data
into solid-state flash memory. SSDs are not traditional hard drives 9, as there are
no moving parts 10.

A system can continue operating when a failure or faults occur in some system
components. This system property is fault tolerance. SSDs are known for their
fault-tolerant architecture.

8
An SSD is also known as a solid-state disk as it does not use any magnetic or
optical storage media.
9
Hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) are the two main types of
storage devices. A hard disk drive (HDD) is a traditional storage device that uses
mechanical platters and a moving read/write head to access data.
10
SSDs have an array of semiconductor memory which is organized as a disk
drive using an integrated circuit.

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Benefit:
• SSD performance is faster than an electromechanical disk drive.

NVMe

Example of a storage server with NVMe SSD storage.

Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) is a high-performance, optimized, and

highly scalable storage that connects the host to the memory. The NVMe PCIe 11
SSD design is based on NAND flash technology. NVMe is feature-rich specially
designed for NAND and persistent memory.

Feature and benefits:

• NVMe leverages solid-state storage, the PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC)
H755 n, H965i, and multicore CPUs.

11
A PCIe (peripheral component interconnect express) is the bus that connects
supported peripheral components. The slot size determines the maximum number
of PCIe lanes.

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• NVMe storage also takes advantage of streamline sets to efficiently parse and
manipulate data.
• NVMe offers performance across multiple cores for quick access to critical
data.
• NVMe has multiple form factors such as 2.5" drive, M.2, and PCIe. The
PowerEdge R660 uses a 2.5" NVMe.

NVMe offers higher performance in comparison to legacy SAS and SATA. NVMe
not only accelerates existing applications but also enables new applications and
capabilities for real-time workload processing in the data center.

E3

E3 short single thickness (E3.S) drives.

The Enterprise and Data Center Small Form Factor (EDSFF) is an SSD design for
NAND Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) storage drives. EDSFF
optimizes storage in enterprise, private, and public data centers.

The following are the purposes and benefits of using EDSFF E3 12 drives.

12
PERC H965i is the PERC for E3 drives.

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Purpose

• Higher interface speed with PCIe Gen5.

• E3.x 13 replaces the 2.5" and U.2 form factor.
• Serve as a common form factor for accelerator and computational storage.

Benefits

• Optimized for high-speed signal.

• Better air impedance and thermal resistance.
• Optimized to fit more front-end accessible devices and more future proof.

BOSS

BOSS-N1 NVMe card with integrated hardware RAID controller.

Users can use Boot Optimized Storage Solution (BOSS) for virtualization and HCI
solutions. BOSS-N114 uses one or two read-intensive (Boot Class) 80 mm M.2

13
E3.x can be E3.S, E3.S 2T, E3.L or E3.L 2T which are the four different types of
E3 Drives.

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NVMe drives. BOSS can be used in “pass-through” or two devices in hardware

RAID 1 (mirroring) or RAID 0 (striping). The M.2 devices are Read-Intensive.

Features and benefits:

• Fast initialization
• Import
• Auto rebuild
• Non-RAID migration
• SMART info
• TRIM (Non-RAID PD)
• HotPlug is supported for NVMe M.2 and SATA M.2 for Boss S1 & S2.
• Supports management and Firmware update using the iDRAC.
• Leverages Inbox NVMe Driver
• Monolithic and Modular form factor

14
The newest generation of PowerEdge systems, BOSS-N1 provides a robust,
redundant, low-cost solution for boot optimization.

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 Server Storage

NVDIMM

NVDIMM DDR4 (Image not to scale)

Non-Volatile Dual In-Line Memory Module (NVDIMM) integrates NAND non-

volatile storage and retains the information during service outages. NVDIMM uses
dynamic random access memory (DRAM) to store data in a memory cell.
NVDIMM also uses dedicated backup power on one memory subsystem.

An NVDIMM can either operate as a high-speed memory device or memory but

cannot do both simultaneously. NVDIMM is not only used for increasing the
performance of information storage but also used for data protection 15.

Features and benefits:

• Runs high-speed DRAM.
• NVDIMM offers application resilience and reliability with the addition of the
nonvolatile feature to DRAM.

15
When a server powers off, the information within the NVDIMM is automatically
secured to the flash chip.

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• NVDIMM multiplexers (MUX) isolate the host controller from the DRAM
memory during 'save' and 'restore' operations.
• The operating system uses NVDIMMs as a data storage device for speed.
• NVDIMM supports non-RAID migration.

Intel Optane DC

15G PowerEdge servers use Intel® Optane™ Persistent Memory (Barlow Pass)
technology. The Intel® Optane™ DC Persistent Memory (Barlow Pass)
technology allows assigned applications to retain data during a power loss, system
shutdown, or system errors. Barlow Pass (BPS) uses persistent memory as
storage, rather than traditional memory. Also, Barlow Pass has a massive memory
capacity that allows more data to pass through the memory bus. Ultimately, Dell
PowerEdge integrates the Intel® Optane™ Datacenter (DC) Persistent Memory
Module (DCPMM) to bridge functionality between the traditional memory and
storage.

The performance pyramid showing where DCPMM sits between NVMe and DRAM.

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DCPMM16 is a system acceleration solution for the 7th generation and eighth
generation Intel® Core™ Processor platforms. The DCPMM solution comes in a
module (hardware) format. The new memory media is placed between the
processor and a slower SATA-based storage device (hard drive, SSH, or SATA
SSD). The administrators can store commonly used data and programs closer to
the processor. The new memory media allows the system to access the commonly
used data and programs information more quickly and improves overall systems
performance.

The DCPMM leverages various technical concepts in its design to implement

performance advancements:

• Application resilience capabilities 17

• Memory capacity 18
• Interface speed 19

Backplane

A backplane is a high-speed communication circuit board 20 that connects multiple

hard drives to a single controller.

16
DCPMM positions itself as a unique intermediate layer between DRAM and
NVMe on the performance pyramid.
17
Persistence capabilities that are redesigned without the required additional
chips and batteries that drive higher price points.
18
Memory capacities approaching larger volumes like SSDs.
19
Interface speeds are as swift as DRAM with only a slight performance reduction.
20
14G and 15G SAS backplanes meet 12 Gbps SAS and 6 Gbps SATA
requirements. 15G NVMe backplanes meet 16 GTs PCIe Gen4 requirements with
2 lanes per drive. 14G NVMe backplanes meet 8 GTs PCIe Gen3 requirements
with 4 lanes per drive.

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PowerEdge backplane.

Some of the features of the server backplane are:

• Connect multiple hard drives.

• Provide power, I2C, and SATA/SAS/NVMe data connections.
• Cables connect from the control panel to the backplane.
• A backplane failure may disconnect one or all hard drives.

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• If the connection between the universal backplane 21 and storage controller is

interrupted then the hard drives fails.
• Based on the configuration, PowerEdge servers provide various backplane
options.
• Dell Boot Optimized Storage Solution-N1 (BOSS-N1) is introduced with 16G
servers and is designed for booting an operating system of a server.

Deep Dive: Optane Memory Module - Frequently Asked Questions

to learn more about the Optane memory.

21
Universal backplane allows mixed combination of storage interfaces such as
SAS, SATA, or NVMe. To use SAS or SATA drives, choose a backplane that
supports their use.

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Internal Dual SD Module

Internal Dual SD Module with dual SD cards.

The Internal Dual SD Module (IDSDM) provides a redundant SD-card module for
embedded hypervisors. Users can configure the IDSDM for storage or as the
operating system boot partition.

Features of the IDSDM card are:

• Maintains mirror mode configuration by using SD cards in both slots to provide

redundancy.
• Provides high performance and data protection 22.
• Provides active mode and standby mode options for dual SD cards.

22
The data is written on both cards, but the data is read from the first card. If the
first card fails or is removed, the second card automatically becomes active.

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• Supports single card operation without redundancy.

• IDSDM provides operating system redundancy.

Important:
When the redundancy option is set to Mirror Mode, the information
is replicated from one SD card to another.
ESXi 7.0 must be at 7.0 U2c to avoid potential issues with writing to
the SD cards.

Dell servers can boot to the hypervisor out-of-the-box, and are ready for
integration into a customer virtualization environment. The embedded hypervisor
is stored on a single SD Card flash media.

The drawback to a single SD card is that it creates a single point of failure.

However, with 13G and above, the IDSDM now provides a redundant SD card
module. The embedded hypervisor boot image is now mirrored across dual SD
cards using an integrated hardware controller. If one SD card fails, the server can
continue to operate with no issues. Administrators are notified of the failure
remotely through Dell server management console, allowing them to schedule a
maintenance service.

Deep Dive: To learn more about IDSDM, see Participant guide in

the Resources tab.

Go to: VMware knowledge base article to learn more about

partition intermittent breaks.

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Linear Tape Open (LTO)

Latest PowerVault LTO-9 with selection of Ultrium Data Cartridges.

Linear Tape Open (LTO) is an optional storage solution for long-term and archival
data storage. Dell PowerVault LTO is a magnetic tape drive, which provides
business continuity and disaster recovery. Dell PowerVault Tape drives can be
internal (tape drive) or external (tape library or media library) to a PowerEdge
server.

LTO-9 is the latest format specification for LTO Ultrium tape drives and media. It
provides more capacity and higher performance that the previous generations.

Features:

With up to 18 TB of native, or 45 TB of compressed capacity on a single cartridge,

LTO drives provide decades of shelf life for industries and tasks that need reliable,
long-term, large-capacity data retention, such as:

• Healthcare imaging
• Media and entertainment
• Video surveillance

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• Geophysical (oil and gas) data

• Computational analysis, such as genome mapping and event simulations

LTO- LTO- LTO- LTO- LTO- LTO- LTO- LTO- LTO-

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Year of Release 2000 2003 2005 2007 2010 2012 2015 2017 2021

Raw Data 100 200 400 800 1.5 2.5 6.0 12 18

Capacity GB GB GB GB TB TB TB TB TB

Max Speed 20 40 80 120 140 160 180 360 400

(uncompressed) MB/s MB/s MB/s MB/s MB/s MB/s MB/s MB/s MB/s

Compression 2:1 2:1 2:1 2:1 2:1 2.5:1 2.5:1 2.5:1 2.5:1

WORM Capable No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Encryption No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

An LTO-8 cartridge offers 30 TBs of compressed storage capacity and 12 TB of uncompressed

capacity. Sustained data transfer rates are 750 MB/s for compressed data and 360 MBps for
uncompressed data.
For LTO generation 9, the LTO Program has balanced the cost and benefits of new technology by
offering offers 45 TB (TB) of compressed storage capacity and 18 TB for native, which address
the current market demand for storage space. It represents a 50% capacity boost over LTO–8, and
a 1400% increase over LTO-5 technology launched a decade ago.
LTO-9 -- as with LTO-5, LTO-6, LTO-7, and LTO-8 formats - offers partitioning, encryption, and the
write once, read many (WORM) features. LTO-9 tape drives are backward-compatible to one
generation, so they can read and write to LTO-8 tapes.
LTO drives provide decades of shelf life for industries and tasks that need reliable, long-term, and
large-capacity data retention. LTO tape drives ensure that the data is securely stored in a
regulatory compliance against problems like hardware failure, natural disasters, theft, or cyber
threats.

Deep Dive: To learn more about LTO generation comparison table

with capacity and transfer speeds, see the Participant Guide in the
Resources tab.

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Storage Capacity Planning

Simplified example of storage capacity planning.

Storage capacity planning allows server administrators to evaluate current data

storage needs and forecast future storage requirements. Server administrators
must ensure that service, component, and resource capacities meet the identified
server storage needs in a cost-effective manner.

Storage capacity planning helps manage and optimize the performance of

infrastructure, applications, and business services. For example, lower storage
tiers might have unique archiving practices or regulations that need long retention
periods. These lower tier storage practices produce faster growth rates that
administrators must monitor and plan for future capacity needs.

Storage Resource Manager (SRM) is a tool that is used for capacity planning,
which can be used on a license basis.

Important factors to consider in storage capacity planning:

• Get the correct planning tools.

− Depending on the size of the organization, the correct tools help analyze
the data growth within the environment.

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− Smaller-sized businesses may be able to use an Excel spreadsheet and a

performance monitoring tool to monitor disk space and recently used
space.
− Larger-sized businesses must consider proper Dell Storage Resource
Management Suite (SRM) software or capacity planning tools to analyze
the environment.
• Determine current and future storage requirements.
− Verify the total amount of storage needed, which is sufficient to provide
backup and disaster recovery capacity.
− Evaluate the data growth-rate and account for changes in infrastructure.
− Get an appliance that allows for addition and tracking of storage.
• Account for storage tiers.

− As many organizations keep storage on different performance tiers, it is

important to calculate and project growth for each storage class separately.
Lower storage tiers may experience faster growth rates due to archiving
practices or regulations that require longer retention periods.

Go to: SRM User Guide to learn more about SRM tools.

LAB: The Storage Menu

This course uses an iDRAC simulator to enable the learners to perform lab
activities. Learners can download the Lab Guide from the Menu button and
Resources tab. The Lab Guide provides interface instructions.

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Lab Exercise: You have unpacked, racked, powered, and

connected a PowerEdge R660 server. The customer plans to
install the operating system. The primary management tool that the
customer plans to use is the iDRAC UI. You need to show the
customer where they can gather storage information to better help
them plan the host operating system implementation.
Complete The Storage Menu lab activity.
Use the enlarge button to expand the simulator to full screen
mode.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

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RAID Concepts

Introduction to RAID

Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) is a technology that combines

multiple physical disks into one single logical unit. RAID increases the efficiency of
the data accessibility. RAID also enhances the authenticity of the data storage and
to provide a server with data redundancy, performance improvement, or both.

RAID Functionality

RAID virtualization storage of server physical disks.

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The RAID uses multiple physical disks 23 to distribute and store data across the
drive in one of several ways, called RAID levels. The RAID level depends on the
level of redundancy and performance. The technique used by RAID 24 to distribute
and store data is called as disk mirroring, 25 striping26 and striping with parity.

RAID Controller

A RAID controller 27 is an integrated device or an expansion card that provides the

RAID services for the virtualized disk drives. The controller presents storage
devices to the operating system as a single drive.

23
RAID has the capacity to store the same data in different places (multiple
physical disks) to avoid data loss in the event of a drive failure.
24
The RAID has more than two drives working in parallel for storing and
distributing data.
25
The disk mirroring is the duplication of data onto separate drives to protect a
system from data loss due to failures.
26
The disk striping divides physical disk data into data blocks and places the new
data blocks across multiple virtualized storage disks.
27
The RAID controller organizes and communicates the data to the server and the
storage media to provide protection and redundancy of data.

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Example of an H965i PERC card as either integrated or as an expansion card.

A Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller 28 (Dell PERC) is a series of RAID, disk array
controllers made by Dell for PowerEdge server systems. A fPERC 29 controller can
be integrated directly to the backplanes of the PowerEdge server. A PERC can
connect to the system board through the PCIe expansion riser slot.

28
The controllers support SAS and SATA physical hard disk drives (HDDs), solid
state drives (SSDs), and nonvolatile memory express (NVMe) SSD drives.
29
fPERC is front PERC (H965i is fPERC), which has its own processor and
memory, which allows it to manage RAID functions without relying on the server's
primary CPU.

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RAID levels

RAID levels in basic and advanced categories.

A RAID level sees different data configurations and different numbering schemes.
The word RAID followed by a number that indicates a different RAID level. For
example, RAID 0 or RAID 1. This numbering scheme helps IT professionals
distinguish between RAID levels.

Each scheme, or RAID level, provides a different balance to the key goals of
reliability, availability, performance, and capacity. RAID levels greater than RAID 0
provide protection against unrecoverable sector read errors and against failures of
whole physical drives.

Video Description

The table below lists the introductory videos of RAID concepts. The videos below
have the audio and the closed captions.

Videos Link Videos Description

Types of RAID The video provides information about

the different types of Redundant Array
of Independent Disks (RAID).

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Types of Backup The video provides information about

foundational definition of backup.

Deduplication of Data The video provides information about

the benefits of duplication of data.

Important: RAID is not a data backup solution.

The mini PERC is offered for 12G to 14G servers. However, Mini-
PERC got replaced with the front PERC (fPERC) and offered with
15G and 16G servers.

Deep Dive: See the Participant Guide attached in the Resources

section of the training to learn more about mini PERC and fPERC.

Mini PERC: The mini-PERC had its own dedicated slot on the motherboard, for
example PERC 10 is min PERC (H710, H310, H730, H330, H740).

Mini PERC.

Front PERC (fPERC): PERC 10.6, PERC 11, and PERC 12 (H965i) are the front
PERC. Examples of PERC 10.6 and PERC 11 are H745 and H755.

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Front PERC.

Important Definitions

RAID levels perform different functions that based on how they are used. It is
necessary to understand how each function works.

Disk Striping

Example of data striping across three RAID disks.

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Disk Striping divides physical disk data into data blocks and places the new data
blocks across multiple virtualized storage disks. A striped unit is the data block
slices that came from one physical disk drive.

Striping improves Input-Output (I/O) performance by allowing multiple I/O

operations per second to be serviced in parallel.

RAID 0 applies disk striping with no redundancy.

Redundancy

RAID redundancy of server data to mitigate disk failure.

Redundancy means duplication. Data redundancy is a method of storing identical

data or duplicating the identical data on multiple physical drives. Data Redundancy
creates a backup file of all the existing data and avoid loss of the data if the disk
fails to store data. The primary use case for RAID is to provide server data
redundancy capabilities to mitigate server data failures internally. Redundancy is
implemented through two different techniques: Mirroring and Parity.

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Disk Mirroring

Example of RAID data mirrored on two drives.

In data storage terms, disk mirroring is the replication of data onto separate drives
to protect a system from data loss due to failures. In RAID, the same concept is
used to mirror virtualized data into different drives.

Disk Mirroring is also known as RAID 1.

Parity

RAID 5 example - parity data blocks striped across four disks from 11 data block sources.

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Parity provides fault tolerance by calculating the data error from at least two disks.
That data is then stored on an additional disk. Should any of the disks fail, the lost
data from that disk is calculated by the data that remains on the other two disks.

When a system continues operating even when system components fail, the
system is known as fault tolerant. RAID participates in system data fault tolerance
through implemented parity storage.

RAID levels that use parity and have redundancy that is built in are RAID 5 (single
distributed parity), RAID 6 (dual distributed parity), RAID 50 (striped and single
parity), and RAID 60 (striped and dual parity).

RAID 0

RAID 0 uses a data striping functionality.

1: 1: Definition

RAID 0 uses data striping, which allows data to be written in equal-sized segments
across the array disks *. RAID 0 provides the highest performance, as it is
simultaneously transferring data to or from every disk in the array. RAID 0 is the
only RAID level that provides no data redundancy or fault tolerance protection.

2: 2: Pros and Cons

Pros:

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• RAID 0 provides improved performance.

• Depending on the controller, RAID 0 is able of add drives as needed.
• RAID 0 has no overhead, and all the drives are used.

Cons:

• RAID 0 has zero redundancy.

• If one drive fails, all data in the array is lost.

3: 3: Usable space

RAID 0 has no fault tolerance or redundancy so all the drive space can be used.
RAID 0 is the only RAID level with zero overhead. Overhead is a term that
represents the cost of implementing RAID measured in usable space. RAID 0
does not dedicate any space to redundancy so its overhead is zero.

Formula to calculate usable space for RAID 0:

RAID 0 can have a minimum of two drives for usable storage space. The
calculation is ( n + n = capacity) with “n” being drive size. A simple example: (400
GB + 400 GB ) = 800 GB of usable space

4: 4: Use case

Striping is used for applications that require high-speed data access and
maximum storage capacity but do not require data redundancy.

Examples include: audio, video streaming and editing, web servers, gaming, and
graphic design. The user of the system views the combination of drives as only
one drive. The amount of usable drive space is the equivalent of the combined
space of all the drives in the array.

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RAID 1

RAID 1 uses a data mirroring functionality.

1: 1: Definition

RAID 1 is also known as disk mirroring. It provides data redundancy by replicating

the data into two disks. If one disk drive fails, data requests are directed to the
counterpart of disk, allowing normal access to data without interruption. After the
defective disk is replaced, data from the surviving member of the mirror is rebuilt
onto the new disk. Hence, RAID 1 provides a fault tolerance for single disk failure.

2: 2: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• RAID 1 has 100% data redundancy.

• The rate of read transaction is twice that of a single disk.
• The rate of write transaction is the same as a single disk.

Cons:

• RAID 1 has the highest overhead of all RAID types.

• RAID 1 has a loss of 50% of the storage space.
• RAID 1 cannot be expanded.

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3: 3: Usable Space

The drawback for the RAID 1 is the overhead. Only 50% of the disk space is
usable as the other half is used for mirroring.

Example: A single logical drive with a total usable capacity of 500 GB is a

combination of two 500 GB drives, which as a result is the highest disk overhead
of all RAID types.

Formula to calculate usable space for RAID 1:

RAID 1 has a minimum and maximum of two drives. The calculation is ( n - 1 =

capacity) with “n” being two drives. A simple example: (2 x 400 GB drive – one
drive ) = 400 GB of usable space.

4: 4: Use Case

Mirroring is used with applications that require redundancy and faster read rates or
with entry-level systems that require redundancy but only have two drives
available.

Example: If RAID 1 is used for financial applications or for a system running a

small database often. RAID 1 is implemented when data and uptime are critical
and cannot afford to be lost.

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RAID 5

RAID 5 uses the data striping and parity functionality.

1: 1: Definition

RAID 5 provides data redundancy by using data striping with parity information.
Rather than dedicating a drive to parity, the parity information is instead striped
across all disks in the array. RAID 5 requires a minimum of three drives to
implement. This RAID level delivers a high read rate when data is accessed in
large chunks.

2: 2: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Simultaneously reads multiple drives in the RAID 5.

• RAID 5 is highly efficient for the use of drive space.
• Even if a drive is lost, yet the array is operational.

Cons:

• Failure of one drive degrades the overall performance for RAID 5.

• During the rebuild process, RAID 5 drive performance is slower.

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3: 3: Usable space

Example: Using the minimum three disk drives configuration in RAID 5, if each
drive is a 400 GB disk drive, then the single logical RAID disk has a total usable
storage capacity of 800 GB storage. Adding more physical drives does not provide
more allowance for drive failures. Addition of more drives results in higher capacity
but does not add additional redundancy.

A RAID 5 with 20 drives can only sustain the loss of one drive the same as RAID 5
with three drives. However, adding more drives reduces overhead cost.

Formula to calculate usable space for RAID 5:

RAID 5 has a minimum of three drives. The calculation is (n -1 = capacity) with “n”
being the total number of drives. A simple example: (3 x 400 GB drive – one drive
) = 800 GB of usable space.

4: 4: Use case

RAID 5 is the most common RAID configuration in use. Its versatility makes it
useful for general-purpose multiuser systems. RAID 5 provides solid efficiency,
versatility, and cost balance.

Important: RAID 5 is not suitable for large drives (ideally more

than 1 TB) due to the risk of a second drive failure.

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RAID 6

RAID 6 uses the data striping and double parity functionality.

1: 1: Definition

RAID 6 provides data redundancy by using data striping with parity information.
RAID 6 requires two dedicated drives worth of space. In addition, RAID 6
introduces a new state: partially degraded. When a single drive fails within the
virtual disk, there is still redundancy, so it is considered partially degraded.

RAID 6 provides a more instantaneous level of fault tolerance compared to RAID

5, with an additional disk to spare.

2: 2: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• RAID 6 can lose up to two drives before failing.

• RAID 6 has highly efficient use of drive space.

Cons:

• Loss of two drives requires two rebuilds, one for each drive lost and replaced.

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• The lost drives cannot be rebuilt together simultaneously.

• RAID 6 requires a minimum of four drives to create.

3: 3: Usable Space

The capacity of two drives is lost for parity information.

Example: Combining four 400 GB drives creates a single logical drive with a total
usable capacity of 800 GB. Adding more drives does not provide more allowance
for drive failures but does improve overhead costs. Addition of more drives results
in higher capacity but does not add additional redundancy.

Formula to calculate usable space for RAID 6:

RAID 6 has a minimum of four drives. The calculation is ( n - 2 = capacity) with “n”
being the total number of drives. A simple example: (4 x 400 GB drives – two
drives ) = 800 GB of usable space.

4: 4: Use Case

The use of RAID 6 is recommended when using large capacity drives, due to the
risk of a second drive failure in RAID 5. RAID 6 is similar to RAID 5 and comes
with additional drive redundancy (dual distribution) compared to a RAID 5 single
distributed setup. However, the second parity calculation results in a decrease in
write performance.

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RAID 10

Some RAID levels are combined to produce a two-digit RAID level. RAID 10 is a
combination of levels 1 (mirroring) and 0 (striping). RAID 10 is also identified as
RAID 1 + 0.

Important: Addition of more drives must be added in pairs. Each

pair creates one additional RAID 1 element.

1: 1: Definition

RAID 10 is a dual-level RAID that combines multiple mirrored drives (RAID 1) with
data striping (RAID 0) into a single array. RAID 10 provides the highest
performance with data redundancy. RAID 10 provides better fault tolerance than
RAID 5.

Data is first striped across multiple drives, then the complete arrays of drives are
mirrored onto the other set of drives. RAID 10 can be considered striped mirrors.

2: 2: Pros and Cons

Pros:

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• RAID 10 has the same level of fault tolerance as RAID 1 in each mirror set.
• RAID 10 can stay operational - even with multiple failures, provided there is
only one failure mirror set.

Cons:

• RAID 10 is expensive to implement.

• Similar to RAID 1, RAID 10 carries a 50% overhead.
• If two drives in the same mirror set fail, all data in the RAID 10 array is lost.

3: 3: Usable Space

RAID 10 configuration requires a minimum of four hard drives - two drives per
mirrored set, for any number of mirrored sets. The overhead for RAID 10 is equal
to that of RAID 1. This RAID level can sustain multiple failed drives, provided both
drives of a mirrored set do not fail simultaneously. While RAID 10 can recover
from a single failure in each set - if both drives in one set fail, the array cannot be
recovered.

Usable space formula for RAID 10:

RAID 10 has a minimum of four drives. The calculation is multiple RAID 1

elements that are combined into a stripe. A simple example: (4 x 400 GB
drives/two drives ) = 800 GB of usable space

4: 4: Use Case

RAID 10 is often used when the importance of having additional copies of critical
data outweighs the cost of additional drives. RAID 10 is also allowed for more than
one disk failure simultaneously - provided each disk failure occurs in a different
mirrored set.

Example: If a RAID 10 array was configured using four 200 GB hard drives, the
total available space would be the total drive space (800 GB) minus the capacity
of two complete drives (400 GB) for 400 GB available space.

RAID 10 is often chosen for high-load databases, as it produces a faster write

speed due to the lack of parity to calculate.

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RAID 50

RAID 50 is a combination of levels 5 (parity) and 0 (striping). RAID 50 is also

identified as RAID 5 + 0.

1: 1: Definition

RAID 50 combines multiple RAID 5 sets with data striping (RAID 0). This
increases reliability and performance over standard RAID 5 that can
accommodate a multiple drive failure.

RAID 50 requires at least three drives per RAID 5 set. One drive failure per RAID
5 set can be tolerated.

However, if two drives fail in the same RAID 5 subset, the array cannot be
recovered.

2: 2: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• A single drive can fail in each set of RAID 5.

• RAID 50 increases the read performance.
• RAID 50 has a high redundancy level.

Cons:

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• RAID 50 is expensive due to a larger number of drives.

• A minimum of two RAID 5 sets are required to implement RAID 50.

3: 3: Usable space

RAID 50 requires the capacity of one drive per RAID 5 subset for parity
information. Theoretically, RAID 50 can be expanded. However, it must be done in
increments of RAID 5.

Example: In a RAID 50 array of six 400 GB hard drives, the total available space
would be 1600 GB (800G B in each RAID 5 set).

Usable space formula for RAID 50:

RAID 50 has a minimum of six drives. RAID 50 consists of two RAID 5 elements
that are combined into a stripe. A simple example: (3 x 400 GB drive – one drive )
+ (3 x 400 GB drives – one drive ) = 1600 GB of usable space.

4: 4: Use Case

With RAID 50, the RAID levels are nested within one another to provide the
benefits of both. RAID 50 is typically used to provide a balance between
performance, reliability, and cost. It is faster than a typical RAID 5, but expands
fault tolerance.

Added to this balance is the additional storage space. With RAID 10, the
configuration gives up half of all available space for the mirror.

RAID 50 helps to balance out efficient use of the available space. Like RAID 5,
space efficiency increases as more drives, beyond the minimum, are added.

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RAID 60

RAID 60 is a combination of levels 6 (double parity) and 0 (striping). RAID 60 is

also identified as RAID 6 + 0.

1: 1: Definition

RAID 60 is the combination of a RAID 6 and a RAID 0. A RAID 0 is striped across

two or more RAID 6 arrays. RAID 60 requires a minimum of eight disks.

The array can sustain the loss of two drives per RAID 6 set. RAID 60 provided a
higher degree of fault tolerance compared to RAID 50, since two disks per subset
may fail without a data loss.

2: 2: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Two drives can fail in each RAID 6 set of RAID 60.

• RAID 60 has increased read performance.
• RAID 60 has the highest redundancy level.

Cons:

• RAID 60 is expensive to implement.

• A minimum of two RAID 6 sets are required to implement RAID 60.

3: 3: Usable space

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RAID 60 requires the capacity of two drives per RAID 6 subset for parity
information. Theoretically RAID 60 can be expanded. However, it must be done in
increments of RAID 6.

Example:

In a RAID 60 array of eight 400 GB hard drives, the total available space would be
1600 GB. As with RAID 50, the more drives added to each RAID 6 set, the better
the overhead cost ratio.

Usable space formula for RAID 60:

RAID 60 has a minimum of eight drives. RAID 60 consists of two RAID 6 elements
that are combined into a stripe. A simple example: (4 x 400 GB drives – two drives
) + (4 x 400 GB drives – two drives ) = 1600 GB of usable space.

4: 4: Use case

RAID 60 takes the same nested approach as RAID 50. Like RAID 50, RAID 60 is
used for a balanced approach to performance, fault tolerance, and storage space.

However, RAID 60 gives up a little storage space in lieu of additional fault

tolerance. RAID 60 can sustain the loss of two drives per RAID 6 set and remain
in production.

RAID Implementation and Levels

RAID levels provide a server administrator option to implement server redundancy

and performance. The implementation criteria for RAID match the IT requirement
to use a server solution. For example, a server solution is scoped as a system that
provides a large amount of data storage, with the appropriate data protection, but
does not require speed. RAID 6 would map to the solution as the best option.
Reliability and data protection are more important than speed is what RAID 6
provides best.

Identifying what RAID level configuration is best includes considering the main
purpose of the server and deciding what factors are essential.

• Performance
• Reliability

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• Speed
• Capacity

More examples of a RAID level that is mapped to a server purpose:

Server Purpose Essential Factors RAID Level

Provide video creation and Speed RAID 0

editing capabilities to a group
of media experts at a
multimedia company.

Host a server operating system Reliability RAID 1

or database.

Implement a transactional Performance and Reliability RAID 10

database requiring high
performance and maximum
protection.

Caution: RAID is not a backup solution for servers. RAID

technology is made for data redundancy and data management at
a high performance. RAID does not replace a good data backup
solution for data retention, security, and disaster recovery.

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Hardware and Software RAID

Software RAID

Software RAID uses the integrated functionality of an operating system and does
not require any additional equipment to connect to different devices. The software
RAID depends on system resources (processor and memory), operating system,
and the RAID application.

Examples of software RAID are the Dell PERC S150.

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Examples of software RAID are the Dell PERC S150 and S160 30 controllers.

The advantages of using software RAID are:

• The setup is easier and can accomplish different configuration tasks.
• Installation is cheaper as compared to the installation of hardware RAID.
• For non-RAID, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10, 31 which does not affect
the additional system load.
• Reconfiguration of RAID levels is feasible due to the flexibility.

Hardware RAID

Hardware RAID uses a dedicated RAID controller (PowerEdge RAID Controller -

PERC) to maintain the RAID configuration and manage all RAID tasks, which is
independent of the operating system. PERC controllers are integrated with the
backplane to help in setting up the real and virtual disks and preparing them for
use.

30
The S150 and S160 controllers support up to 30 nonvolatile memory express
(NVMe) PCIe SSDs, SATA SSDs, and SATA HDDs depending on the system
backplane configuration.
31
These RAID levels are only accessible when selecting the Windows operating
system.A Linux operating system can only help in accessing RAID 1.

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Dell PERC H965i front configuration utility with Virtual Disk 1 RAID 1 configured.

The advantages of hardware RAID are:

• Increases computing power
• Compatible with different operating systems

Software compares with Hardware RAID

PowerEdge servers can use a hardware or software RAID controller. A

PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) is either integrated into the server system

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board (software PERC 32) or added as an extension card adapter (hardware

PERC 33). The table shows the differences between hardware and software RAID.

Hardware RAID Software RAID

A hardware RAID solution has its own Software RAID runs the RAID task on
processor and memory, improving the server CPU.
overall I/O performance.

Hardware RAID can be implemented in Software RAID can be implemented in

various ways: various ways:
• As a discrete RAID controller card • As a controller-based driver
software RAID 34. For example,
• As integrated hardware-based RAID-
on-Chip technology S150.
• As an ideal Operating System
software RAID solution. Operating
system create RAID. For example,
Microsoft storage spaces.

32
A software PERC uses the built-in functionality of an operating system and does
not require any additional hardware to connect to different devices. The software
RAID depends on system processor, memory, operating system, and the RAID
application. An example of a software PERC is the S160 introduced in 16G.
33
A hardware PERC is built into a system board, a different server, or a separate
RAID card. The Hardware RAID is independent of system resources and
operating system. An example of a hardware PERC is the H965 card that is
introduced in 16G.
34
A software RAID solution includes some hardware that is designed to increase
performance and reduce system CPU overhead. Although it is software RAID,
hardware is still required to help overcome some of its shortcomings. Such a

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It is easier to configure and operate. It is Software RAID preserves platform

supported by Dell. investment while radically changing
RAID operations.

The hardware RAID component does Software RAID can recover the data
not have any data integrity issues. lost due to system crashes.

Hardware RAID is more expensive than Software RAID is low cost - without
Software RAID. RAID processor, cache, and battery,
which makes it cost-effective. The only
cost is for the additional disk drives.

Hardware RAID accelerates access Software RAID runs only in write-

times by usage of cache memory, through35 mode, but hardware RAID
including the ability to use write-back can run in write-back36 mode if it has a
caching when a battery protects the battery, adding another level of data
memory. protection.

solution frequency includes extra hardware. For example, a motherboard with an

integrated RAID BIOS.
35
The controller sends a data transfer completion signal to the host system when
the disk subsystem has received all the data in a transaction.
36
The controller sends a data transfer completion signal to the host when the
controller cache has received all the data in a transaction. The controller then
writes the cached data to the storage device in the background.

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Go to: Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller S150 and the S160 User's
Guide to learn more about the PowerEdge RAID Controller S150
and S160 supported operating system and management
applications.

Manage RAID with Different Applications

To manage RAID in a server, administrators configure the RAID levels and virtual
disks for the storage controllers. A PERC provides the RAID services for the
virtualized disk drives and presents them to the operating system as a single drive.

Manage RAID through PERC with iDRAC9 UI

Create a virtual disk in the iDRAC9 storage configuration section.

iDRAC expanded its agent-free management to include direct configuration of the

PERC controllers. Administrators can completely configure RAID before installing
the operating system. Also, administrators can remotely configure the storage
components that are attached to a PowerEdge server at run-time. The storage
components iDRAC can manage to include RAID and non-RAID controllers and
the channels, ports, enclosures, and disks attached to them.

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With iDRAC, Administrators can:

• Configure and manage PERC functions without accessing the BIOS.

• Initiate other controller functions such as rebuild and troubleshooting.
• Protect the server data by configuring data-redundancy or assigning hot
spares.

Manage RAID through the Lifecycle Controller

Lifecycle Controller (LCC) launch from iDRAC or from the LCC login screen.

The Lifecycle Controller (LCC) technology enables remote server management

using the integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC). Using the LCC, an
administrator updates the firmware using a local or Dell-based firmware repository.
The operating system Deployment wizard available in the LCC enables you to
deploy an operating system.

The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) and the Lifecycle
Controller (LCC) work together to provide Out-of-Band server management. To
configure RAID with the LCC, an administrator either logs in the LCC
independently or launches the LCC from the iDRAC Virtual Console. The LCC
Home screen menu provides the Configure RAID option.

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Manage RAID during a server operating system installation

The image illustrates the Lifecycle Controller operating system deployment screen with the
message to configure RAID first.

The Lifecycle Controller provides Operating System (operating system)

deployment for a server. However, the third step in the five-step process is used to
deploy an operating system to the configured RAID. If the RAID is already
configured, the first step can be skipped.

Manage RAID through the System Setup Utility

The server administrator boots the server hardware and then presses F2 to
access the System Setup Utility. The Setup interface provides a System Setup
Main Menu. Now the administrator is ready to configure RAID for the server.

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Example of a R660 server with a PERC H965i adapter ready for configuration. The screen displays
the selected RAID level.

The steps to configure RAID using the System Setup Utility:

1. Select the PERC controller from the Device Settings screen. In the screen
capture, the RAID controller in slot 3 of the PERC H965i front configuration
utility is selected.
2. Select Configuration Management in the RAID Controller Main Menu.
3. Select Create Virtual Disk from the main menu.
4. Select the RAID level, in the screen capture, the administrator selects RAID 0.
5. Select the Select Physical Disks feature for the controller.
6. Create the Virtual Disks.

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Manage RAID with OMSA

OMSA home page having storage features noted for the PowerEdge R640.

OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) is an In-Band server management

application. With OMSA, administrators manage the different PERC controllers in
the server. For each controller, the Virtual Disks are created and the RAID levels
are set. Administrators use the left panel navigation structure to get to the specific
Virtual Disk section for the selected PERC controller. Administrators can select
either the Express or Advanced Wizard to configure RAID.

Go to: Dell PowerEdge: How to create a Virtual Disk using

iDRAC9 knowledge-based article to learn how to create a virtual
disk using iDRAC9.

Important: OMSA is at its sunset stage and would be End of Life

(EOL) eventually.

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LAB: Configure Storage

This course uses an iDRAC simulator to enable the learners to perform lab
activities. Learners can download the Lab Guide from the Menu button and
Resources tab. The Lab Guide provides interface instructions.

Lab Exercise: The operating system is installed on the

PowerEdge R660 server. One of the solutions for the server
requires a RAID 0 virtual disk. Use the iDRAC UI to create the
virtual disk and verify the creation.
Complete the Managing Storage lab activity.
Use the enlarge button to expand the simulator to full screen
mode.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

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Server System Setup

Server Setup Overview

Using System Setup to configure the settings on a PowerEdge R760xa.

IT administrators use the System Setup utility screen as an option to configure the
PowerEdge server. PowerEdge server preoperating systems have various
management applications such as:

• System Setup37
• Dell Lifecycle Controller 38

37
It helps to configure the basic settings of a server. To access the system setup
utility screen, launch the virtual console then boot the server and press F2 while
being on the system warm boot screen.

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• Boot Manager 39
• Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) 40

System Setup configuration options

The System Setup configuration options are:

• System BIOS 41
• iDRAC Settings 42
• Device Settings 43

Access System Setup

There are different ways to access the System Setup for a PowerEdge server.

38
Provides advanced embedded systems management capabilities including
system deployment, configuration, update, maintenance, and diagnosis. To
access the Lifecycle Controller screen, launch the virtual console then boot the
server and press F10 while being on the system warm boot screen.
39
Enables administrators to select boot options and diagnostic utilities. To access
the Boot Manager screen, launch the virtual console then boot the server and
press F11 while being on the system warm boot screen.
40
Boot and configure the network servers remotely. To access the Preboot
Execution Environment (PXE) screen, launch the virtual console then boot the
server and press F12 while being on the system warm boot screen.
41
Enables the administrator to configure the BIOS settings.
42
Enables the administrator to configure the iDRAC Out-of-Band settings. The
iDRAC settings are set up and configured using the United Extensible Firmware
Interface (UEFI).
43
Enables administrators to configure devices settings such as an integrated
PERC controller and integrated Network Daughter Card (NDC).

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Go to: Lifecycle Controller User Guide to learn how to launch the

Lifecycle Controller.

1: For the iDRAC remote users, System Setup is initiated by selecting Boot ->
BIOS Setup. Select from the Power tab. Select warm boot. The reboot launches
the System Setup Main Menu.

2: Press <F11> to launch the Boot Manager. On the Boot Manager screen, select
Boot Manager -> Launch System Setup.

3: Press <F2> to directly access the System Setup Main Menu.

4: Launch the System Setup by selecting the System Setup feature on the
Lifecycle Controller screen.

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Introduction to BIOS, CMOS, and UEFI

BIOS

The BIOS of a PowerEdge Server.

The basic Input Output System (BIOS) is the system instructions that resides on a
Read-Only Memory (ROM) chip on the system board.

Advantages of the BIOS:

• Performs the Power-On Self-Test (POST).
• Manages interactions between the operating system and the hardware.
• Give control of the system to the operating system once POST is complete.

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CMOS

The CMOS battery on the system board of a PowerEdge server.

Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) stores system variables. The

CMOS is a small area of low-power RAM on the system board.

The BIOS code starts and reads all the contents of CMOS to understand the
system configuration.

As the CMOS is a RAM chip, the CMOS settings are erased from the memory
when the system is shut down. However, a CMOS battery (typically a CR2032
coin-cell battery) is used to provide constant power to the chip.

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UEFI

UEFI boot mode of the PowerEdge R660 server.

The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is the evolution of BIOS and
meets modern computing needs.

The features of the UEFI are:

• Provides faster boot time than a traditional BIOS
• Consists of a 32 or 64-bit processor mode (compared to 16 bit in the BIOS)
• Provides advanced security features
• Enables navigation with a mouse (user interface)
• Enables users to handle drives that are larger than 2 TB
• Verifies validity of the operating system using the Secure Boot option to ensure
that no malware tampers with the startup process

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System Setup BIOS Setting

The user can launch the System BIOS window to view and configure the BIOS
settings. Also, users can edit specific functions such as boot order, system and
setup passwords, RAID mode, and enabling or disabling USB ports.

The graphic shows the System BIOS Settings window that is launched from the
System Setup utility.

1: Launches the System BIOS window.

2: The iDRAC Settings include viewing and configuring areas such as System
Event logs, network, alerts, thermal, and more.

3: The Device Settings enables users to configure devices such as the RAID
controller and NICs.

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4: The System Information screen provides views of the system properties such
as system model name, service tag, system management, engine version, and
BIOS version.

5: The Memory Settings displays system memory information such as size, type,
speed, and voltage.

6: The Processor Settings allows users to enable or disable settings such as

Logical Processor, Virtualization Technology, Hardware Prefetcher, and Software
Prefetcher.

7: The SATA Settings allows users to configure settings such as Embedded

SATA, Security Freeze Lock and Write Cache.

8: The NVMe Settings allows users to configure RAID arrays when the system
contains NVMe drives, this setting.

9: The Boot Settings allows users to enable or disable settings such as Boot
Mode, Boot Sequence Retry, Generic USB Boot, and Hard-Disk Failure.

10: The Network Settings allows users to enable or disable settings such as UEFI
PXE Settings, UEFI HTTP Settings, and UEFI iSCSI Settings.

11: The Integrated Devices enables or disables settings, such as User Accessible
USB Ports, Internal USB Ports, iDRAC Direct USB Port, and Integrated RAID
Controller.

12: The Serial Communication allows users to configure settings such as Serial
Communication, Serial Port Address, and External Serial Connector.

13: The System Profile Settings allows users to enable or disable settings such as
System Profile, CPU Power Management, Turbo Boost, and Memory Frequency.

14: The System Security allows users to configure settings such as the system
password, power button behavior, secure boot.

15: The Redundant operating system Control allows users to specify a backup
device for operating system redundancy.

16: Miscellaneous Settings include configuration for system date, time, and asset
tag.

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Processor Settings

The Processor Settings option is used to view and configure various processor
settings.

Boot Settings

The Boot Settings option displays options to specify the boot mode (BIOS or
UEFI). It also enables you to modify UEFI and BIOS boot settings.

The Boot Mode should be set accordingly to the operating system intended to
install. For example, if loading a 64-bit operating system this mode should be set
to UEFI as it is not restricted by the Master Boot Record (MBR).

The Boot Mode cannot be changed once the operating system has been installed
otherwise the operating system is unable to load.

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Integrated Device Settings

This screen allows you to view and configure the settings of all integrated devices
including the video controller, integrated RAID controller, and the USB ports.

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PowerEdge System Profile

System Profiles are compared for performance and power across multiple
workloads and govern the values set for multiple options.
There are four available profiles plus a custom option.
• Performance per watt (DAPC): The Performance-per-watt (DAPC) profile is the
default, and represents an excellent mix of performance that is balanced with
power consumption reduction. DAPC mode allows the BIOS to manage the
processor power states. This mode enables achieving the performance/watt
maximization at all usage levels and workload types while still meeting
performance requirements.
• Performance per watt (operating system): Performance-per-watt (operating
system), otherwise known as “operating system control,” is similar to the DAPC
profile for all suboptions except for the CPU power management. The power
management scheme that is used for this profile is called “operating system
DBPM.” The profile allows the Operating System to manipulate processor
frequencies for higher power efficiency.
• Performance: The Performance profile provides potentially increased
performance by maximizing processor frequency and the disabling certain
features such as C states. This profile is not optimal for all environments. This
profile provides an excellent starting point for performance optimization
baseline comparisons.
• Dense configuration: The Dense Configuration profile enhances reliability
features and reduces power consumption at the cost of considerable
performance. This profile is targeted for operating environments where
enhanced reliability is wanted and temperatures may exceed thresholds.
• Custom: The custom option allows user to change individual settings.

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Difference Between BIOS and UEFI

Users set up the boot mode in a typical server by selecting the BIOS or the UEFI
boot mode.

The UEFI boot mode offers:

• Improved partitioning scheme for boot media
• Flexible handoff from BIOS to the operating system
• Consolidated firmware user interface
• Enhanced resource allocation for boot device firmware

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The table below shows the differences between BIOS and UEFI boot modes.

BIOS UEFI

The traditional BIOS implementation uses UEFI defines an improved

the Master Boot Record (MBR) scheme for partitioning scheme that is known
partitioning boot media. as a GUID Partition Table (GPT).

BIOS offers 32-bit addressing and 512-byte The GPT scheme uses 64-bit
blocks. addressing.

The MBR scheme limits the addressable The boot media can be larger than
storage in the boot media to 2 TB. 2 TB. UEFI does not use the MBR
scheme.

UEFI Boot Mode Configuration Settings

The Boot Mode setting enables the system to boot in the traditional BIOS mode or
in UEFI mode.

Step 1

Launch System Setup. Click System BIOS -> Boot Settings and set Boot Mode
to UEFI. Click the back button and then select Finish to reboot the server.
Navigate back to the System Setup.

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The Boot Settings menu.

Step 2

When the system Boot Mode is set to UEFI, the BIOS provides a list of available
UEFI boot options. Click UEFI Boot Settings, then select UEFI boot Sequence
to edit the boot order.

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The UEFI Boot Settings menu.

Step 3

In UEFI boot mode, PXE settings are configured by going to System Setup ->
System BIOS -> Network Settings -> PXE Device 1 Settings. The Network
Settings option in the System BIOS menu is available only in UEFI boot mode.

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The PXE Device 1 Settings menu.

Step 4

Configure the UEFI HTTP Device settings by going to System Setup -> System
BIOS -> Network Settings -> HTTP Device 1 Settings. The settings are similar
to PXE settings with the addition of the URI setting, which specifies the location of
the bootstrap program.

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The HTTP Device 1 Settings menu.

Step 5

Go to System Setup -> System BIOS -> Network Settings-> iSCSI Device 1
Settings to access the Connection settings.

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The iSCSI Device 1 Settings menu.

Step 6

Set up the UEFI iSCSI boot configuration under System Setup -> System BIOS -
> Network Settings -> iSCSI Device 1 Settings -> Connection 1 Settings to
complete the UEFI configuration.

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The Connection Settings menu.

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LAB: System Setup Utility Exploration

This course uses an iDRAC simulator to enable the learners to perform lab
activities. Learners can download the Lab Guide from the Menu button and
Resources tab. The Lab Guide provides interface instructions.

Lab Exercise: You have implemented a PowerEdge R660 in the

data center. Before completing the installation process, you need
to check the BIOS settings in the System Setup tool. Launch
System Setup from the virtual console and review the BIOS
settings.
Complete the System Setup Utility Exploration lab activity.
Use the enlarge button to expand the simulator to full screen
mode.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

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Server Operating System

Supported Operating Systems

An operating system is software that manages the hardware resources that are
associated with the desktop or laptop. The operating system manages the
communication between the system software and the system hardware. The
graphic shows the supported operating systems and their versions.

1: VMware:

• VMware ESXi 8.0

2: Ubuntu: Ubuntu 22.04.x

3: SUSE:

• SLES 15 SP4
• Novell SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4 x86_64
• Novell SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4 x86_64- real time

4: Windows:

• Windows Server 2019

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• Windows Server 2019 Datacenter

• Windows Server 2019 Standard
• Windows Server 2019 Essential
• Windows Server 2022,
• Windows Server 2022 Standard
• Windows Server 2022 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2022 Essentials

5: RHEL:

• RHEL 8.6
• RHEL 9.0
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Server x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Server x86_64 - real time
• RedHat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Server x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Server x86_64 - real time

Go to: Dell support site to learn more about the supported

operating systems and operating system library.

Operating System Installation Requirements

A server is typically a more powerful system than an average desktop. Servers are
built to handle heavier workloads and more applications taking advantage of the
specific hardware to increase productivity and reduce downtime. A well-planned
operating system installation can provide an ideal deployment and result in strong
customer satisfaction.

Uses

Determine the intended role for the server.

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Example server roles.

• Will the server host web pages?

• Does the user need email services? Examples include Exchange or Postfix.
• Will the server file and print services?
• Does the user need domain services such as Active Directory or LDAP for
Linux?

Sizing

The key to sizing is workload. Metrics such as CPU utilization, RAM usage,
estimated disk space growth, backup methods, and backup media. Without these
elements, the user cannot adequately size the server. When building servers
users should consider the following:

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Server sizing and preinstallation considerations.

• Does the user have the need of multithreaded applications requiring multiple
Central Processing Unit (CPUs)?
• Does the user require database services that require large amounts of
Random Access Memory (RAM)?
• Does the user require a Storage Controller (RAID) for redundancy?
• Does the user require SSD devices for improved performance?
• Does the user require operating system installation media?
• Does the user require additional backup media?
• Does the user require backup software?

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Information

Example installation information.

The user requires the following information:

• Monitor, mouse, and keyboard

• Storage topology, such as RAID configuration
• Operating system installation media
• Required Drivers
• Server name
• IP address, Subnet mask, and gateway
• Domain information
• Internet connection details
• Usernames

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 Server Operating System

• Roles and features

• Application installation media

Windows 2022 Operating System Installation Procedure

Best Practice: Download the latest Dell drivers package from the
Dell support site.

The video that is shared below demonstrates the steps that are involved in
installing the Windows 2022 operating system.

Click the play button to watch the video.

Movie:

The web version of this content contains a movie.

Windows 2022 Server installation with the Lifecycle Controller video.

Go to: Dell support site and see How to Mount and Unmount the
driver packs using iDRAC9 to learn more about mounting and
unmounting drivers using iDRAC.

Go to: [Link]
to-install-the-operating-system-on-a-dell-poweredge-server-os-
deployment to learn more about how to install the operating
system on a PowerEdge server.

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 Server Operating System

Hardware Compatibility List (HCL)

A Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) is a list of system hardware, which typically

includes different types of system-peripheral devices. HCL also validates those
products that have been tested to pass Microsoft standards of compatibility,
reliability, security, and work with all servers running on Windows platforms. In the
manufacturer list with several models, HCL only considers supported systems.
Incompatibility issues might occur for models not on the HCL.

The comprehensive HCL provided by the operating system vendors are:

• Windows Server
• VMware ESXi
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• SuSE
• Ubuntu/Canonical

Virtual Memory

Virtual memory is a hardware or software scheme that uses server storage drives
to extend the primary system memory space. Virtual memory copies files from the
server random access memory (RAM) that are not in use and moves the files to
the hard drive disks to increase processing performance. The operating system
manages the virtual memory while the disk drives provide the hardware memory.

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 Server Operating System

Simplified view of virtual memory in a PowerEdge server.

Virtual Memory Functionality

The use of virtual memory provides a storage allocation of unused files for the
server.

However, the entire storage memory is not available for use as virtual memory.
The size of virtual storage is limited by the amount of secondary memory 44
available, which could be in Gigabytes of memory.

Virtual memory also maps the virtual address into the physical address and plays
a role in the servers operating system installation and deployment.

44
Secondary memory is defined as any available system storage space memory,
such as a hard disk or solid state drive, that in turn acts as part of the system
primary memory or RAM.

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 Server Operating System

Virtual memory provides:

• Intrinsic memory protection 45

• Code reuse through shared libraries 46
• Reduced program load time 47
• Zero-copy operating system operations. 48

Attaching Virtual Media

Virtual Media Features

The iDRAC virtual media features enable the PowerEdge server to access media
devices on the management station. Users can map devices and attach virtual
media such as IMG files and ISO CD and DVD images on a network share.

45
Memory protection is when a system process needs to access memory, the
operating system controls the access rights to the memory that is not allocated for
process use.
46
Code reuse is when the use of reliable existing code is implemented for new
system functions or software needs.
47
Load time is when the operating system takes hard disk executable programs
and moves the program into the system memory for processing.
48
Zero-copy is when the CPU does not copy data from one memory area to
another or ignores unused data.

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 Server Operating System

Two R660 servers. One server is configured with an iso repository that is shared with the
environment.

Virtual Media and remote file share are mutually exclusive. If the remote file share
connection is active and an attempt is made to launch the virtual media client, the
following error message is displayed:

Virtual media is currently unavailable. A virtual media or

remote file share session is in use.

If the remote file share connection is not active and an attempt is made to launch
the virtual media client, the client launches successfully.

The graphic shows that attaching virtual media to the iDRAC management system
may not be an efficient way to transfer data to the target server.

Attaching Virtual Media

The How To video demonstrates attaching virtual media. Click the video
navigation play icon to start the video. Also, the navigation panel can show the
video in full screen. Closed captioning is provided in the video navigation bar
settings.

Movie:
The web version of this content contains a movie.

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 Server Operating System

LAB: Attaching Virtual Media

This course uses an iDRAC simulator to enable the learners to perform lab
activities. Learners can download the Lab Guide from the Menu button and
Resources tab. The Lab Guide provides interface instructions.

Lab Exercise: The PowerEdge R660 is powered on. You need to

install a Windows operating system. You will use the iDRAC UI to
attach the iso image to the server to enable the installation.
Complete the Attaching Virtual Media lab activity.
Use the enlarge button to expand the simulator to full screen
mode.

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

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10 Gigabit Media Independent Interface (XGMII)
XGMII connects full duplex 10 GbE ports to each other and to other devices on a
printed circuit board. XGMII is typically used for on-chip connections.

15G
Generation 15 modifier to distinguish different features available for generation 15
servers.

2S
Two socket form factor. Used to identify the family of servers. PowerEdge servers
can have 1S, 2S, or 4S. See the PowerEdge rack server portfolio page for details.

AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the designing and building of intelligent agents that
receive precepts from the environment and act to affect that environment.

AI Inferencing
Machine learning inferencing is the ability of a system to make predictions from
novel data. ML Inferencing teaches an AI to sort different fruits by color. The user
shows the AI a tomato, apple, and cherry to learn the fruits are red. Later, when
showing the AI a strawberry, it can infer the strawberry is also red.

APOS
After Point Of Sale (APOS) are additional products purchased for a system after
the system has been owned for a period of time. For example hardware upgrades
or service contract extension are considered APOS transaction.

Boot Optimized Server Storage (BOSS)

Dell Technologies boots optimized storage solution. RAID solution card that is
designed for booting a server's operating system.

Boot Optimized Server Storage (BOSS)

Dell Technologies boots optimized storage solution. RAID solution card that is
designed for booting a server's operating system.

Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD)

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A CPLD is a programmable device such as an FPGA, which enables specialized
operations.

DIMM
Direct-Access Inline Memory Module. DIMMs are available in varying capacities.
All DIMMs in a cache must have the same capacity.

DL
Deep Learning (DL) is a form of Machine Learning which uses Artificial Neural
Networks.

DRAM
x4, x8, and x16 DIMMs refers to the width of the DRAM components on a memory
module. x4 DIMMs use DRAM components that have a 4-bit data width. x8 DIMMs
use components with an 8-bit data width. x16 DIMMs use components with a 16-
bit data width.

E3 Drives
The Enterprise and Data Center Small Form Factor (EDSFF) is an SSD design for
NAND and Storage Class Memory (SCM). EDSFF optimizes storage in enterprise,
private, and public data centers.

EE
Enhanced Edge (EE) Intel CPU's are used to acceleration network traffic in Edge
deployments. Edge computing is a distributed information technology (IT)
architecture in which client data is processed at the periphery of the network, as
close to the originating source as possible.

GFC
Gigabit Fibre Channel

HCI
Hyper-Converged infrastructure (HCI) combines compute, virtualization, storage,
and networking in a single cluster.

HCI

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Hyper Converged infrastructure (HCI) combines compute, virtualization, storage,
and networking in a single cluster.

HII
The Human Interface Infrastructure (HII) configuration utility is a storage
management application integrated into the System BIOS <F2> It is used to
configure and manage RAID disk groups, virtual disks, and physical disks. This
utility is independent of the operating system.

HPC
High performance computing (HPC) is the ability to process data and perform
complex calculations at high speeds.

HW RAID
Form of RAID. The motherboard or a separate RAID card handles the processing.

iDRAC
The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) is designed for secure
local and remote server management and helps IT administrators deploy, update,
and monitor PowerEdge servers.

IDSDM
Redundant SD-card module for embedded hypervisors. PowerEdge servers can
boot to the hypervisor out-of-the-box. The embedded hypervisor is mirrored across
dual SD cards using an integrated hardware controller.

IEEE 802.3
The Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 is a collection of IEEE
standards. The working group defining the physical layer and Media Access
Control (MAC) of Data Link Layer in the Ethernet set the standards.

Intel Ice Lake

Codename for the 3rd generation Xeon Scalable server processors.

Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C)

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I2C is a serial communication bus that is used for attaching lower-speed
peripheral ICs to processors and microcontrollers in short-distance, intraboard
communication.

IoT
The Internet of things (IoT) describes the network of physical objects such as
sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and
exchanging data with other devices and systems over the Internet. (Wikipedia)

iSM
The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller(iDRAC) Service Module (iSM) is a
lightweight optional software application that can be installed on PowerEdge
servers. The iDRAC Service Module complements iDRAC interfaces: Graphical
User Interface (GUI), RACADM CLI, Redfish and Web Service Management
(WSMan) with additional monitoring data. The iDRAC Service Module architecture
uses IP socket communication and provides additional systems management data
(OS/device driver) to iDRAC and presents one-to-many consoles with access to
systems management data through OS standard interfaces.

LAN On Motherboard (LOM)

Short for LAN on motherboard. The term sees a chip or chipset capable of
network connections that has been embedded directly on the motherboard of a
desktop, workstation, or server. Instead of requiring a separate network interface
card to access a local-area network, such as Ethernet, the circuits are attached to
the motherboard. An advantage of a LOM system is an extra available PCIslot that
is not being used by the network interface controller.

Latency
Latency is the response time or the period of time that a component waits for an
answer from another component. Latency is the time it takes for the storage to
respond to a request.

Linear Tapen Open (LTO)

The LTO Ultrium technology was introduced in 2000 and has gone through seven
generations since inception. Any given LTO drive can read and write its own
generation of tape as well the previous two generations of tape (N, N-1, & N-2).

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LRDIMM
Load-Reduced DIMM. Has higher densities than RDIMMs. Uses a memory buffer
chip to reduce the load on the server memory bus.

Media Access Control (MAC) address

The server is connected to the network through a switch. A Media Access Control
(MAC) address identifies the switch. A MAC address is a unique identifier for an
Ethernet or NIC over a network

micro Secure Digital card (uSD)

Type of removable flash storage commonly used in servers and other computing
devices. It is used to store data and software, and can be easily removed or
replaced as needed.

ML
Machine Learning (ML) is an application of AI where systems use data to learn
how to respond, rather than being explicitly programmed.

MT/s
Mega-Transfers per Second (MT/s). Measurement of bus and channel speed in
millions of cycles per second.

Multicasting
Multicasting involves sending the same message to many endpoints such as in a
video conferencing facility.

NAND
NAND is a nonvolatile memory that is designed to retain stored data even when
powered off.

NVDIMM
Non-Volatile DIMM

NVMe
Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe). Communications interface for PCIe-based
SSDs. Used to increase efficiency and performance.

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OCP
Open Compute Project (OCP) is an organization that shares designs of data
center products and best practices among companies. OCP designs and projects
include server designs, data storage, rack designs, and open networking switches.
Read more information about the organization by going to [Link].

OMSA
OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) is a software agent that provides a
comprehensive, one-to-one systems management solution in integrated web
browser-based graphical user interface (GUI) or command line interface(CLI)
throught the operating system.

OpenManage Entreprise - Modular Edition (OME-M)

The Dell OpenManage Enterprise Modular Edition enables comprehensive
management for PowerEdge MX from a single web or API interface console
managing compute, storage and networks simply, with no extra software to install.

OSM
Dell Open Server Manager (OSM) is a Dell implementation of open-source
Baseboard Management Controller (OpenBMC) on PowerEdge servers. OSM
combines OpenBMC software with Dell servers. OpenBMC is a Linux foundation
open-source project to produce an implementation of the Baseboard Management
Controller's (BMC) Firmware Stack. The OpenBMC stack allows users to remotely
monitor, manage, and control servers across different infrastructure.

PCH
Platform controller hub (PCH) controls certain data paths and support functions
used in conjunction with Intel CPUs.

PCIe
Peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) is an interface standard for
connecting high-speed components.

PERC
PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC). Family of controllers that enhance
performance, increase reliability, add fault tolerance, and simplifies management.

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PERC
PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC). Family of controllers that enhance
performance, increase reliability, add fault tolerance, and simplifies management.

RAID
Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks (RAID). RAID controllers combine
multiple server physical hard drives together into a virtual drive or multiple drives
to improve data efficiency and protection.

RDIMM
Registered DIMM. Dual in-line memory module (DIMM) with improved reliability.

RSA SecurID
RSA SecurID is multi-factor authentication (MFA) technology used to protect
network resources, such as applications and websites. MFA mitigates risk and
maintains compliance without disrupting employee productivity. MFA can confirm
user identities to ensure they are only granted access to the resources they need
to do their jobs. RSA SecurID can quickly and securely provide appropriate access
to resources both on-premises and in the cloud.

SAS
SAS (serial-attached SCSI) is a type of SCSI that uses serial signals to transfer
data, instructions, and information. SAS drives are dual ported.

SATA
SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) uses serial signals to transfer
data, instructions, and information. SATA drives have only a single port.

SCSI
A set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between
computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands,
protocols, electrical, optical and logical interfaces.

SDS

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Storage data services such as APEX Data Storage Services. APEX is an as-a-
Service portfolio of scalable and elastic storage resources. The storage as-a-
Service model simplifies the storage process.

Secure Enterprise Key Manager (SEKM)

SEKM is a licensed feature that allows users to apply iDRAC9 to authenticate with
Gemalto/SafeNet AT KeySecure Management Server through the Key
Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP). To protect the data against server
theft, the SEKM enables the KEY to be held on either the iDRAC iLKM or a remote
KMS server as opposed to getting stored locally on the PERC.

SED
Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) is a type of hard drive that provides full-disk
encryption through onboard drive hardware. Extra hardware external to the drive is
not required to encrypt the data on the drive. As data is written to the drive, it is
automatically encrypted, and data read from the drive is decrypted. A chipset in
the drive controls the encryption and decryption processes. An onboard chipset
allows for a transparent encryption process. System performance is not affected,
providing enhanced security and eliminating dependencies on system software.

Self-Describing I/O (SDIO)

Self-describing data is data and metadata that describes the format and meaning
of a message. SDIO usually contains data needed to understand the message,
and the information necessary to complete a task.

SMART
Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) is a monitoring
system included in hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs). Its
primary function is to detect and report various indicators of drive reliability with
the intent of anticipating imminent hardware failures.

SNAP I/O
Balances I/O performance. CPUs share one adapter, which prevents data from
traversing the inter-processor link when accessing remote memory.

SP

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A service provider (SP) is a company that provides its subscribers access to the
internet.

STP cable
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Ethernet cable that is commonly used for high-speed
networks. A metallic substance shields STP. An additional metal foil wraps each
set of twisted wire pairs together.

UDIMM
Unregistered or unbuffered DIMM. UDIMMs do not have an onboard register as
seen with an RDIMM. UDIMMs are typically used in desktops and laptops.

UEFI boot
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). UEFI secure boot prevents systems
from booting from unsigned or unauthorized preboot device firmware, applications,
and operating system boot loaders. Without secure boot enabled, systems are
vulnerable to malware corrupting the startup process. UEFI is a firmware interface
that connects the firmware to the operating system. UEFI initializes the hardware
components and starts the operating system.

Unique Identifier (UID)

A UID is a numeric or alphanumeric string for an element within a system. UIDs
address an element for access, interaction, management, and monitoring.

UTP cable
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Ethernet cable that is commonly used between a
system and wall. It is also used for desktop communication applications.

VLTi
Virtual Link Trunking interconnect (VLTi). Switch stacking is not supported in
OS10. VLTi aggregates two identical physical switches to form a single logical
extended switch. This single logical entity ensures high availability and high
resilience for all its connected access, core switches, and clients.

VM

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A Virtual Machine (VM) is a software-defined system that emulates an actual
system, including operating system and applications.

vRAN
Virtualized radio access networks (vRANs) are a way for telecommunications
operators to run their baseband functions as software. One of the primary benefits
of virtualizing radio access networks (RANs) is that RAN functions no longer
require special proprietary hardware to run, and can instead be run on standard
servers. This is achieved by applying the principles of virtualization to RAN, and is
usually one part of a larger network function virtualization (NFV) effort.

vSAN
A Virtual SAN (vSAN) is an object-based storage system that is designed to
provide virtual machine–centric storage services and capabilities through an
SPBM (Storage Policy-Based Management) platform.

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