Automatic SAN Operation

In contrast to traditional storage management environments that require you to perform error-prone, manual tasks, a PS Series group handles complex tasks intelligently and without user intervention:

• Automatic RAID configuration and data provisioning. There is no need for administrators to manually create RAID sets or map data onto disks or individual control modules. Whether you are expanding a group or creating, expanding, or deleting volumes, the group handles storage allocation and load balancing within and across the arrays in the group. Host iSCSI access to volumes continues without interruption.
• Automatic spare disk configuration and use. A PS Series array can include spare disks, which are automatically configured and used in the event of a disk failure, enabling "hands-off" storage management.
• Dynamic load balancing. A PS Series group delivers three types of load balancing within the arrays in a storage pool. This allows the group to quickly detect and eliminate "hot spots" as the workload changes, with no user intervention or host disruption:
• Capacity load balancing ensures that data is optimally distributed across spindles, caches, and controllers.
• Network connections are load-balanced within and across members, minimizing network "hops" and maximizing bandwidth.
• Performance load balancing enables volume data to be located where the RAID configuration is optimal for the volume, based on internal group performance metrics. For example, if a volume would perform best in a RAID 10 configuration, the group will attempt to place volume data on arrays that are configured with RAID 10.
• Automatic event notification. A PS Series group uses standard event logging mechanisms and can automatically notify users of significant events through e-mail, remote syslog files, or SNMP traps.