• Compute Cluster: 3-Node VMware vSphere cluster configured in N+1 redundancy. If one host fails or requires maintenance, the remaining two nodes can seamlessly run all Production and UAT workloads.
• Primary SAN Storage (All-HDD): Dell PowerVault ME5024 populated with 10K RPM Enterprise SAS drives in RAID 10 / RAID 6. Because SSDs are excluded and your environment hosts several transactional databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB), 10K/15K RPM SAS drives are critical to deliver sufficient IOPS compared to slower 7.2K drives.
• Dedicated SAN Fabric: Dual redundant 16Gb/32Gb Fibre Channel (FC) switches for low latency, deterministic throughput, and zero-loss storage traffic.
• Dedicated Backup Target: A high-capacity storage server utilizing cost-effective 7.2K RPM NL-SAS drives configured for local and cross-site backup repository retention (compatible with Veeam, Dell PowerProtect, or Commvault).

Detailed Bill of Materials (BOM)

1. Compute Layer (3x Virtualization Hosts)

• Model: 3x Dell PowerEdge R660 (1U) or R760 (2U)
• Processor: 2x Intel® Xeon® Gold 5418Y (24 Cores / 48 Threads, 2.0 GHz) per host (Total cluster: 144 physical cores / 288 threads)
• Memory: 512 GB DDR5 ECC RAM (16x 32GB RDIMMs) per host (Total cluster: 1.5 TB RAM)
• Storage Controller (Boot): Dell BOSS-N1 Controller with 2x M.2 SATA/NVMe (RAID 1) dedicated for ESXi OS boot
• Local Drive Bay: 2x 600GB 10K SAS HDDs (RAID 1 for scratch/local diagnostics, if required)
• FC HBA: Dual-Port Emulex/QLogic 16Gb/32Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
• Network Interfaces: Dual-Port 10/25GbE SFP28 (for vMotion, Management, VM Network) + Dual-Port 1GbE BASE-T
• Power & Management: Dual redundant Hot-plug Titanium/Platinum PSUs (800W–1100W), iDRAC9 Enterprise

2. Physical SAN Storage Layer (Enterprise HDD)

• Model: 1x Dell PowerVault ME5024 Storage Array (2U, 24x 2.5" Drive Bays)
• Controllers: Dual Active-Active SAN Controllers (16Gb FC / 10/25Gb iSCSI multi-protocol)
• Drive Configuration:
  • 24x 2.4TB 10K RPM 12Gb SAS 2.5" HDDs
  • Raw Capacity: ~57.6 TB
  • Usable Capacity (RAID 10 / RAID 6 + Hot Spares): ~28 TB to ~40 TB usable
• Scalability: Supports up to 336 drives via ME412 / ME424 / ME484 JBOD expansion enclosures as your storage footprint grows.

3. SAN Fabric Switches (Redundant SAN Network)

• Model: 2x Dell Connectrix DS-6610B (or Brocade G610) 32Gb/16Gb Fibre Channel Switches
• Port Count: 24-Port switch (12 ports active per switch via license)
• Optics & Cables: 16Gb/32Gb SFP+ SW Optics with OM4 LC-LC Multi-mode Optical Patch Cables (providing full MPIO redundancy between hosts and SAN)

4. Backup Infrastructure (Dedicated Storage Server)

• Model: 1x Dell PowerEdge R760xd2 (High-Density Storage Server)
• Processor: 1x or 2x Intel® Xeon® Silver 4410Y (12 Cores / 24 Threads)
• Memory: 64 GB – 128 GB DDR5 RAM
• Storage (Backup Repository):
  • 12x 8TB or 12x 12TB 7.2K RPM NL-SAS 3.5" HDDs (RAID 6)
  • Raw Capacity: 96 TB – 144 TB
  • Usable Capacity: ~70 TB – ~110 TB (accommodates 30–60+ days of retention for both Prod and UAT)
• Network Interfaces: Dual-Port 10/25GbE SFP28 (for high-speed backup data transfer across LAN/VLAN)
• Backup Software Compatibility: Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, Veeam Backup & Replication, or equivalent.

Key Scalability & Operational Advantages

1. Independent Compute & Storage Scaling: Using a dedicated physical SAN allows you to add compute nodes (PowerEdge hosts) or expand storage capacity (via ME-series expansion shelves) independently without disruption.
2. Database Performance on HDD: Deploying 10K SAS drives in high-spindle counts (24 drives) helps maximize spindle IOPS for write-heavy databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB) while remaining strictly within the HDD requirement.
3. High Availability (HA) & DR Readiness: In the event of a primary site failure, this secondary configuration can run the entire workload (282 vCPUs / 754 GB RAM) with headroom to spare.