Dell Storage Compatibility Matrix Support Policy Statement

The Dell Storage Compatibility Matrix on E-Lab Navigator details configurations that Dell has tested. While Dell tests on a wide variety of configurations, it is impossible to test against every device or version for all vendors with which the various Dell Storage products can interoperate. Therefore, the information in this document does not constitute a complete list of what is supportable but simply lists what has been tested. Regardless of support level, Dell Storage customers are always provided full contractual support of their storage solutions.

Each row in a table defines a SAN component and the hardware, software, or firmware that was tested with that component. Each of these entries constitutes a supportable "configuration".

Based on this matrix, a customer configuration is classified into one of the three levels of supportability, as described below. Each supportability level also references the requirement for designing the storage subsystem using documented recommended best practices for each Dell Storage product family. These recommended best practices are documented in various technical whitepapers on Dell.com.

Contact your Dell sales representative with questions about how to classify your proposed configuration.

For the purposes of the support statement, the following definitions apply:

• "storage solution" – the end-to-end set of components (operating system, network controller, switch and switch firmware, and array firmware that permits a host to target communication.
• "component" – the individual parts of a storage solution in the form of host network interface adapters, iSCSI initiators, iSCSI host bus adapters, switches, and arrays.

Level 1: Full Contractual Support

For tested devices listed in this Compatibility Matrix (and for the specific version listed), Dell provides solution support, under an active ProSupport or CoPilot support contract assuming that all other components in the storage solution are also under contracted support with their respective manufacturers and that documented recommended design best practices are followed.

Level 2: Conditional Support

In addition to the product versions tested by Dell and listed in this Compatibility Matrix, the compatibility of comparable hardware models, software, and firmware versions can be projected based on the results for the tested systems to be designated as "conditionally supported".

Dell provides full contractual support for the storage solution under an active ProSupport or CoPilot support contract, assuming that all components in the storage solution are also under contracted support with their respective manufacturers and that documented recommended design best practices are followed.

Resolution of functional and/or performance issues may be out of Dell’s control. In such cases, the applicable device or software/firmware vendor must address these issues. Dell may require, in its sole discretion, as a condition of continuing support, that the customer replaces the component with one that was tested and/or upgrade/downgrade to a supported software version.

Examples of Conditional Support situations include, but are not limited to:

• If a switch or server adapter shares the same underlying ASIC or chipset and is from the same vendor as a tested configuration, then it may produce similar results.
• If a component is an identical model of a component listed, but differs in FW version, then it may produce similar results for any firmware and/or drivers that are newer than those listed. For example, if version X of firmware has been tested and is listed as compatible, then versions newer than version X are expected to continue to work.
• If the switch or server host bus adapter including vendor-approved optics are upgraded to a minor release version of the software supported by the vendor, then similar results are expected.
• If an OS software version is upgraded to a minor release version, then it is expected to work as the major release of the OS.
• If a Storage software version is updated to a minor release, this version is expected to work as the major release of the Storage software within the existing solution if all subsequent software in the solution remains the same.
• If hardware devices are updated to newer versions but are within the same hardware family, such as upgrading from a Dell R650 to a R850 would be expected to work as the lower end device.

Failure of a "conditionally supported" component to provide the same service level as the similar device listed, unless Dell has communicated end of support or a specific incompatibility for a particular product, firmware or software version, would be treated as an issue that must be fixed by the device or software/firmware vendor.

Level 3: Commercially Reasonable Effort

For components where Conditional Support is not applicable, OR where customers have not, or are not willing to apply accepted Dell recommended best practices for the specific storage family’s SAN design and implementation, as long as the customer has an active support contract with the appropriate vendor(s), and an active ProSupport or CoPilot support contract, Dell provides storage solution support for any untested component of the configuration, until such time as it is determined, in Dell’s sole discretion, that a problem lies within the untested component(s) or the way they interoperate with Dell.

Once an untested component has been determined to be the source of the issue, Dell will only provide support for interoperability of the storage solution on a Commercially Reasonable Effort (CRE) basis. CRE support may be limited to normal business hours only.

Dell does not guarantee that issues undertaken on a CRE basis will be resolved in a timely fashion, or at all. There is a possibility that the customer must replace an untested component or take the affected system out of production to resolve the issues.

Other Statements

Operating System, Switch and Server Adapter Settings

This document does not cover recommended practices, though optimized SAN or NAS solutions consist of a combination of supported hardware and software as defined in this document, along with recommended practices as documented in various Dell whitepapers. 

Server Interoperability

This Compatibility Matrix details interoperability from the storage array to various server hosts by a switch and one or more network adapters or host bus adapters (HBAs). Testing of, and support for, a specific server platform (such as Dell PowerEdge servers) was not performed as part of this program. Customers should go to the server vendor’s website to determine which operating systems and adapters the server vendor supports.

Host Connectivity Adapters and Server Vendor Support

This matrix lists many host network adapters and HBAs that have been tested for use within the indicated Dell Storage array family SAN environment. It is not implied that all these adapters and their driver/firmware stacks are supported by any or all server vendors. Readers must ensure that the host network adapter and associated drivers are on that vendors Hardware Compatibility List indicating their support for those adapters and drivers. This includes Dell’s own PowerEdge server products. Inclusion in the adapter compatibility tables should not be interpreted as that adapter and driver/firmware combination as being supported by Dell’s PowerEdge server products.

Limits of Supportability

If any recommendations made by Dell to resolve a customer’s issues – whether they are functional or performance related – is not followed, Dell cannot guarantee that the issue can be resolved to the satisfaction of the customer. Dell’s ability to provide customers with any level of supportability depend the customer’s willingness to implement any solution recommendation.