Explaining Dell Technologies' Product Lineup: Servers vs Data Storage
During consultations with our clients, we often get asked about the differences between the various types of equipment, such as PowerEdge, PowerStore, PowerFlex, PowerScale, PowerMax, PowerVault, Unity, etc., from Dell's product line and what their use cases are. To clarify, let us take a brief look at the various products offered by Dell.
PowerEdge:
The PowerEdge lineup is Dell's enterprise-grade servers designed for computing tasks. These servers are suited for hosting applications such as web, database, and email servers, as well as running virtual machines using a hypervisor.
Similar to regular desktop computers, a server consists of the following components:
- Mainboard
- Central Processing Unit (CPU)
- Random Access Memory (RAM)
- Data Storage Drives like Hard Disk Drives (HDD) or Solid State Drives (SSD)
- Network Interface Cards (NIC)
- Cooling Fans
- Power Supply Units (PSU)
With the components in place and the server booted up, we can install our preferred Operating Systems (OS) and run our own applications on it, just like our personal computers.
Despite the similarities, we should note that these servers are built for continuous operations and use datacentre-specific hardware which differs from the components in our personal computers. For example, PowerEdge servers utilise RAM modules with Error Correcting Code (ECC) to correct for memory errors during runtime. In addition, PowerEdge servers also come with datacentre-specific functionality not found on personal computers. For example, PowerEdge servers include the iDRAC remote management platform which allows administrators to interact with the server over the network without needing to connect a monitor and keyboard physically.
PowerStore, PowerFlex, PowerScale, PowerMax, PowerVault, Unity:
The PowerStore, PowerFlex, PowerScale, PowerMax, PowerVault, and Unity lineups are Dell's lines of data storage devices. These devices are suited for storing data in enterprise environments requiring higher levels of performance and availability. Briefly speaking, the
- PowerStore is ideal for databases and virtualisation environments requiring low latency and high throughput
- PowerFlex provides flexibility to run a uniform storage platform across various workloads, including Oracle databases
- PowerScale is optimised for storing and managing large volumes of unstructured data
- PowerMax is designed for applications requiring extreme performance and low latency
- PowerVault is tailored for small to medium-sized businesses needing reliable and affordable storage solutions
- Unity is suitable for a variety of general-purpose workloads, including file and block storage needs
Although the physical hardware will differ between lineups, they typically follow similar design philosophies. As a start, these data storage devices would usually have 2 storage controllers rather than a single mainboard. In the unlikely event of a board failure, they can continue to operate without impacting functionality. In addition, they run on custom software developed by Dell instead of the usual suite of OSes.
Summary
In conclusion, the PowerEdge lineup consists of servers built for computation tasks, while the other lineups consist of devices tailored for data storage tasks. As a business, it is essential to deploy the right solutions for the job. If you would like assistance with your IT projects, fill in the "Contact Us" form on our main site, and our team of professionals will get back to you soon!