Dell PowerVault MD3800i - Manual (Page 12)

Cabling The Storage Array
The iSCSI interface enables different host-to-controller configurations. The figures in this chapter are
grouped according to the following categories:
• Direct-attached configurations (no Ethernet switches are used)
• Network-attached (SAN) configurations (Ethernet switches are used)
• Mixed configurations that uses all protocols
Redundant And Nonredundant Configurations
Nonredundant configurations are configurations that provide only a single data path from a host to the
storage array. This type of configuration is only recommended for noncritical data storage. Path failure
from a failed or removed cable, or a failed or removed RAID controller module results in loss of host
access to storage on the storage array.
Redundancy is established by installing separate data paths between the host and the storage array. Each
data path is connected to one of the two RAID controller modules installed in the storage array.
Redundancy protects the host from losing access to data in the event of path failure, because both RAID
controller modules can access all the disks in the storage array.
Direct-Attached Configurations
You can connect the Ethernet ports of the host servers directly to the storage array RAID controller
module iSCSI ports.
Single Path Data Configurations
With a single path configuration, a group of heterogeneous hosts can be connected to the storage array
through a single physical Ethernet port. Since there is only one port, there is no redundancy, although
each iSCSI portal supports multiple connections. This configuration is supported for both single
controller and dual controller modes.
The figure below shows a non-redundant cabling configuration to a RAID controller module using a
single path data configuration
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