Dell PowerVault MD 32/36 Series Storage Controller Firmware and NVSRAM firmware version 07.84.44.60

This update is recommended for all PowerVault MD 32/36 storage arrays.

This release contains the following features:

- Consolidated support for both 60-disk 4U (dense) and 12/24-disk 2U MD Series storage arrays.
- Resolves a potential I/O path error between Fibre Channel chip and RAID Controller memory
- Resolves a potential I/O Path error when using VMware vSphere 5.X when VAAI hardware accelerated VMFS data movement is enabled for VM migration, VMware snapshots, and VM cloning.
- Resolves Incorrect Drawer number when assigning Hot spare


- New features for 60-disk 4U (dense) MD Series storage arrays are:
- Enhanced snapshot functionality based on point-in-time (PiT) images
- Asynchronous remote replication (iSCSI and FC-based)
- Thin provisioned virtual disks
- SSD cache configuration and SSD performance modeling
- Windows Server 2012 (Standard and Datacenter)
- Windows 8

- New features for 12/24-based 2U MD Series storage arrays are:
- Adaptive disk pooling
- Redesigned MD Storage Manager interface
- Automatic support daya collection across multiple arrays
- VMware vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI)
- Enhanced snapshot functionality based on point-in-time (PiT) images
- Asynchronous remote replication (iSCSI and FC-based)
- Thin provisioned virtual disks
- SSD cache configuration and SSD performance modeling
- Windows Server 2012 (Standard and Datacenter)
- Windows 8

*** ATTENTION ***

If your PowerVault MD3200/MD3220-series storage array is currently running a firmware version lower than 07.75.28.60, you cannot directly install the RAID controller firmware version 07.84.44.60 included in this release.

Instead, you must first install the bridge firmware version 07.75.28.60. After the bridge firmware is successfully installed, you can then install RAID controller firmware 07.84.44.60.


Specifically, follow these steps:

1. *** IMPORTANT *** Install Dell PowerVault MD Storage Manager (MDSM) software from the Resource DVD version 4.1.0.88 or higher.

2. Extract the following files from the MD3200_MD3220_Firmware_and_NVSRAM_Files.zip archive:
* Bridge_Firmware_07_75_28_60.dlp
* MD3200_MD3220_Firmware_07_84_44_60.dlp
* MD3200_MD3220_NVSRAM_N26X0-784890-004.dlp

3. Download and activate RAID controller bridge firmware version 07.75.28.60 (contained in the Bridge_Firmware_07_75_28_60.dlp file)

4. Once the bridge firmware installation is successfully completed, wait at least 30 minutes to allow the attached hosts to re-discover the storage array.

5. Download and activate the RAID controller firmware version 07.84.44.60 (contained in the MD3200_MD3220_Firmware_07_84_44_60.dlp file) together with the NVSRAM configuration file version N26X0-784890-004 (contained in the MD3200_MD3220_NVSRAM_N26X0-784890-004.dlp file).

*** WARNING ***
If you have a single controller PowerVault MD3200/MD3220-series storage array you must stop all I/O operations before starting the RAID controller firmware upgrade.