Family concepts, PowerMaxOS 10 hardware, PowerMaxOS 10 installation, and PowerMax 2000/8000 installation and upgrade — complete PowerMax installation expertise.
Module 01
PowerMax Family Concepts and Features
›PowerMax product family — PowerMax 2000 and 8000 models: target workloads, capacity ranges, performance characteristics; positioning vs. PowerStore, Unity XT, and VMAX 950F; PowerMax as the successor to VMAX all-flash
›PowerMaxOS 10 features overview — NVMe-native architecture; Storage Class Memory (SCM) as a persistent tier; inline data reduction (deduplication and compression); SRDF replication enhancements in OS10
›NVMe architecture — NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe-oF FC); NVMe over TCP; NVMe namespace vs. LUN provisioning; host NVMe HBA configuration; NVMe performance advantages over FC SCSI
›SRDF (Symmetrix Remote Data Facility) — SRDF/S synchronous (RPO=0), SRDF/A asynchronous, SRDF/Metro (active/active); SRDF in PowerMaxOS 10: delta set extension (DSE) improvements; SRDF consistency groups
›TimeFinder — TimeFinder/Snap V2: space-efficient snapshots; TimeFinder/Clone: full volume clone; TimeFinder/VP Snap: virtual provisioning snaps; use cases for backup, test/dev, reporting
›CloudIQ and Unisphere — CloudIQ predictive analytics: health scoring, performance anomaly detection, capacity planning; Unisphere for PowerMax: GUI, REST API; eNAS (embedded NAS) integration in PowerMax 2000/8000
Module 02
PowerMaxOS 10 Hardware Concepts
›PowerMax engine architecture — PowerMax Engine as the storage processor: Front-End Directors (FE), Back-End Directors (BE), Remote Access Directors (RA), Host Interface Directors; Director redundancy and failover behavior
›Direct Matrix interconnect — Direct Matrix architecture: full any-to-any director connectivity without a crossbar switch; bandwidth and latency advantages; Director-to-Director communication paths; NUMA considerations in engine design
›NVMe flash bay hardware — NVMe flash bay component: NVMe SSD types (eMLC, 3D NAND), bay dimensions, maximum drives per bay, hot-plug capability; drive slot numbering and bay mapping in Unisphere
›Storage Class Memory (SCM) hardware — SCM technology: Optane/SCM as an NVMe-protocol persistent memory tier; SCM performance characteristics (sub-100µs latency); SCM bay hardware; SCM integration with FAST.VP automated tiering
›Data at Rest Encryption (D@RE) — D@RE in PowerMax: self-encrypting drives (SEDs); external key management (EKM) with Dell Key Manager or Gemalto SafeNet; key management procedures; D@RE compliance implications
›Power, cooling, and cabling — PowerMax cabinet power requirements (kVA); cooling specifications (BTU/hr); floor load weight; data center site survey checklist; front-end (SAN) and back-end (internal) cabling overview
Module 03
PowerMaxOS 10 Install
›Pre-install preparation — PowerMax configuration worksheet: system name, IP addresses, DNS, NTP, licensing; SE toolkit (Solutions Enabler) version compatibility; Unisphere version requirements; customer site prerequisites checklist
›SE Toolkit installation — Solutions Enabler deployment: installing SE on a management host; SE CLI (symcli) basic commands; SE database initialization; Solutions Enabler API gateway for REST access; SYMAPI license verification
›PowerMaxOS 10 install procedure — factory pre-loaded OS vs. field install scenarios; connecting to PowerMax Console Port; initial configuration wizard: system name, management IP, NTP, DNS, VLAN; verify engine-to-engine communication
›Initial Unisphere configuration — Unisphere GUI first login: change default credentials; enable ESRS (Embedded Service Reporting) for remote support; register with CloudIQ; configure alert notifications (email/SNMP); user and role management
›Post-installation validation — running system health check via Unisphere: verify all directors green; check back-end connectivity; verify NVMe flash bay recognition; FAST.VP policy default; create test TDEV and map to host for connectivity validation
Module 04
PowerMax Installation and Upgrade (2000/8000)
›PowerMax 2000 installation — PowerMax 2000 physical install: 2U engine in rack; cabinet kit or customer rack; front-end director port cabling (FC/iSCSI/NVMe-oF); back-end cabling to NVMe bays; management LAN connection; power-on sequence
›PowerMax 8000 installation — PowerMax 8000 multi-engine system: V-Brick (cabinet) containing engines + bays; rack and stack procedure; inter-engine Direct Matrix cabling (internal V-Brick cables); SAN cabling for FE directors; mechanical layout
›Cabinet and cabling procedures — using PowerMax Rack Configuration Tool for cable planning; SolVe Online procedures for specific models; labeling conventions; torque specifications for rack fasteners; anti-tip precautions for heavy cabinets
›Online expansion (non-disruptive) — adding NVMe flash bays online: bay insertion sequence; SolVe procedure for bay add; Unisphere bay discovery and acceptance; non-disruptive data rebalancing across new bays; FAST.VP policy update after expansion
›PowerMaxOS upgrade procedure — non-disruptive Codeload upgrade (NDU): pre-upgrade health check; upgrade planning using Unisphere upgrade wizard; staged codeload activation per director; rollback procedure; post-upgrade validation checklist
›PowerMax hardware upgrade — adding engines to PowerMax 8000: Direct Matrix cable expansion; Unisphere cluster expansion workflow; performance verification after engine add; adding Front-End Directors to existing engine: director slot, cabling, zoning; Unisphere director enable procedure
Earn the PM-IN-2023 Dell Proven Professional certification and validate your hands-on expertise in installing, configuring, and upgrading Dell PowerMax 2000 and 8000 enterprise storage systems.