Dell Storage Manager 2020 R1 Administrator's Guide

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Storage Profiles for Flash-Optimized Storage

The table below summarizes storage profiles available for flash-optimized storage types. Each profile is described in more detail following the table.

storage profiles for flash-optimized storage
Name	Initial Write Tier	Tier (T) and RAID Levels	Progression
Low Priority (Tier 3)	3	Writes: T3 RAID 10 snapshots: T3 RAID 5/6	No
Flash Optimized with Progression (Tier 1 to All Tiers)	1	Writes: T1 RAID 10 snapshots: T2/T3 RAID 5/6	Yes to all tiers
Write Intensive (Tier 1)	1	Writes: T1 RAID 10 snapshots: T1 RAID 10	No
Flash Only with Progression (Tier 1 to Tier 2)	1	Writes: T1 RAID 10 snapshots: T2 RAID 5	Yes to Tier 2 only
Low Priority with Progression (Tier 3 to Tier 2)	3	Writes: T3 RAID 10 snapshots: T3 RAID 5/6 or T2 RAID 5	Yes to Tier 2 only

Low Priority (Tier 3)

The Low Priority profile provides the most cost efficient storage. Creating a volume using the Low Priority profile stores written data on Tier 3 RAID 10. Snapshot data is stored on Tier 3 RAID 5/6. Storage Center does not migrate data to higher tiers of storage unless Tier 3 storage becomes full.

Flash-Optimized with Progression (Tier 1 to All Tiers)

The Flash Optimized with Progression storage profile provides the most efficient storage for an enclosure containing both read-intensive and write-intensive SSDs. When a storage type uses this profile, all new data is written to write-intensive Tier 1 drives. Snapshot data is moved to Tier 2, and less-active data progresses to Tier 3.

If Tier 1 fills to within 95% of capacity, Storage Center creates a space-management snapshot and moves it immediately to Tier 2 to free up space on Tier 1. The space-management snapshot is moved immediately and does not wait for a scheduled data progression. Space-management snapshots are marked as Created On Demand and cannot be modified manually or used to create View volumes. Space-management snapshots coalesce into the next scheduled or manual snapshot. Storage Center creates only one on demand snapshot per volume at a time.

Write-Intensive (Tier 1)

The Write-Intensive storage profile directs all initial writes to write-intensive SSDs on Tier 1 (RAID 10). The data does not progress to any other tier. This profile is useful for storing transaction logs and temporary database files.

Flash Only with Progression (Tier 1 to Tier 2)

The Flash Only with Progression storage profile performs initial writes on high-performance Tier 1 drives. Less active data progresses to Tier 2, but remains on SSDs. This profile is useful for storing volumes with data that requires optimal read performance, such as golden images, linked clones, and some databases.

Low Priority with Progression (Tier 3 to Tier 2)

The Low Priority with Progression storage profile directs initial writes to less expensive Tier 3 (RAID 10) drives, and then allows frequently accessed data to progress to Tier 2. This profile is useful for migrating large amounts of data to Storage Center without overloading Tier 1 SSDs.