Dell EqualLogic PS6610 84-Bay 3.5″ Storage Array 

Introduction

The Dell EqualLogic PS6610 84-Bay 3.5″ Storage Array is part of the Dell EqualLogic PS Series, a family of iSCSI SAN storage arrays designed for enterprise-class performance, reliability, and simplified management. It delivers massive storage density in a space-efficient 5U chassis while offering intelligent features that support demanding workloads in data-intensive environments such as data centers, cloud services, and enterprise applications.

Built for organizations that need both capacity and performance at scale, the PS6610 combines high-density storage with intelligent software to simplify administration while ensuring long-term data protection.

High-Density Architecture and Design

Dell EqualLogic PS6610 is engineered to maximize storage density without compromising performance:

• Form factor: 5U rackmount enclosure.

• Drive support: Up to 84 large-form-factor (3.5”) drives.

• Drive types: Supports NL-SAS drives with capacities ranging from 2TB to 6TB.

• Maximum capacity per array: Up to 504TB raw capacity in a single chassis.

• Scalability: Multiple PS6610 arrays can be grouped together, enabling up to 8.06PB of capacity in a single storage pool.

This design allows IT departments to consolidate storage workloads onto fewer arrays, reducing rack space, cooling requirements, and power consumption.

Performance and Efficiency

Compared to previous generations, the PS6610 delivers up to 7x the performance thanks to improvements in processing, cache memory, and networking bandwidth.

Key performance features include:

• Controllers: Dual hot-swappable controllers, each with 32GB non-volatile cache for optimal I/O handling.

• High throughput: 10GbE connectivity with support for both copper (10GBASE-T RJ-45) and optical (10GbE SFP+) interfaces.

• Intelligent load balancing: Automatically distributes workloads across drives and controllers to prevent bottlenecks.

• Virtualized scale-out architecture: Each new array added to the group increases performance and capacity seamlessly.

The combination of dense storage and high throughput makes Dell EqualLogic PS6610 suitable for video surveillance, archiving, virtualization, and large-scale databases.

Enterprise Reliability and Data Protection

The Dell EqualLogic PS6610 emphasizes data protection and business continuity through:

• Advanced RAID support: RAID 6, RAID 10, and other configurations protect against disk failures.

• Hot-swappable components: Drives, controllers, fans, and power supplies can be replaced without downtime.

• Automatic self-healing: Built-in diagnostics detect and repair bad blocks and proactively replace failing drives.

• Redundant design: Dual controllers and redundant power supplies ensure high availability.

• Data replication: Built-in support for asynchronous and synchronous replication across multiple PS arrays for disaster recovery.

Simplified Management

One of the strongest value propositions of the EqualLogic family is ease of use. Dell provides robust management software included at no extra licensing cost:

Group Manager

• A unified interface for configuring and monitoring arrays.

• Web-based GUI and command-line options.

• Automates RAID setup, provisioning, and snapshots.

EqualLogic SAN Headquarters (SAN HQ)

• A centralized monitoring and reporting tool.

• Provides real-time and historical analysis of performance, capacity, and system health.

• Includes Dell SupportAssist for proactive troubleshooting.

Dell Storage Update Manager

• Simplifies firmware and software upgrades across multiple arrays.

Software Features and Virtualization Integration

The Dell EqualLogic PS6610 runs on a unified EqualLogic firmware that provides enterprise-class features without additional software licenses.

Notable software capabilities:

• Thin provisioning: Allocates storage dynamically to maximize utilization.

• Automated tiering: Moves data intelligently between performance and capacity drives.

• Snapshots & cloning: Fast, space-efficient data protection.

• Replication: For disaster recovery and business continuity.

Virtualization Integrations

• VMware: Support for vSphere Virtual Volumes (VVols), multipathing, and EqualLogic Virtual Storage Manager.

• Microsoft: Auto-Snapshot Manager for Hyper-V, Exchange, SQL Server, and SharePoint.

• Linux support: Host integration tools for seamless SAN connectivity.

This level of integration ensures smooth operation in heterogeneous enterprise environments.

Connectivity Options

The Dell EqualLogic PS6610 supports flexible networking with 10GbE technology:

• Two 10GBASE-T ports (RJ-45) for copper Ethernet.

• Two 10GbE SFP+ ports for optical fiber or DAC cables.

• One 100BASE-TX management port per controller.

This ensures compatibility with modern data center infrastructures, while supporting future scalability.

Security and Compliance

Enterprise customers require strict adherence to security and compliance standards. The PS6610 offers:

• Role-based administration: Secure login credentials and access levels.

• CHAP authentication for iSCSI connections.

• Data at rest protection with self-encrypting drives (depending on model).

• Secure firmware upgrades verified by Dell.

Use Cases for the PS6610

The Dell EqualLogic PS6610 is a versatile storage solution tailored for:

1. Large enterprises and data centers – Consolidating petabytes of structured and unstructured data.

2. Archiving and secondary storage – Ideal for long-term data retention with cost-efficient density.

3. Video surveillance – Supports hundreds of high-definition video streams simultaneously.

4. Virtualized environments – Optimized for VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and mixed workloads.

5. Business continuity planning – Through replication and disaster recovery features.

Cost Efficiency and TCO

The Dell EqualLogic PS6610 offers one of the lowest total costs of ownership (TCO) among enterprise storage solutions in its class.

• Licensing model: All software features are included, eliminating hidden fees.

• Scalability: Organizations can start small and expand storage on demand.

• Energy efficiency: High-density 5U form factor reduces rack space and power usage compared to multiple smaller arrays.

Over a five-year period, studies have shown that EqualLogic PS Series arrays deliver a lower TCO compared to many competing SAN solutions.