04-23-2020, 01:01 AM
You need to consider several factors when evaluating the Lenovo ThinkSystem DE6600H for your storage needs. This hybrid SAN operates on a mix of flash and traditional hard drives, which means you can achieve good performance while sticking to a reasonable budget. The architecture leverages NVMe and SATA, allowing you to strike a balance between speed and capacity. When you pick a setup like this, think about your read and write patterns. If your workloads generally involve lots of small I/O requests, the DE6600H can efficiently handle those thanks to its flash storage capabilities. But if you have large data sets, HDDs can offer the capacity you need at a lower cost.
You might find the scalability of the DE6600H appealing. It can handle multiple expansion controllers, and you can scale both performance and capacity independently by adding more shelves or additional drives. I'm not saying all SANs offer this kind of flexibility. You will need to look at how many drives you can add without affecting the overall performance. Unlike some competitors that might limit you to a fixed number of drives, the DE6600H can expand significantly, and that's something to keep in mind as your storage needs grow over time.
Another aspect is the management interface. In my experience, the user interface for initial setup and daily administration matters a lot. Lenovo offers a relatively user-friendly management console; that's something you'll want to give a test run. While some other brands use complicated CLI commands, here you can manage storage pools and snapshots with relative ease. I can't stress enough how much time a good interface saves. However, I would still recommend pairing it with monitoring software, especially for larger environments, to catch performance issues before they bite.
In terms of connectivity, DE6600H allows for diverse protocols like iSCSI and Fibre Channel, giving you the flexibility to integrate it with existing infrastructure. However, make sure to evaluate your environment and check whether you're using the right modules. If your network grows and your needs evolve, having multiple connectivity options gives you room to maneuver. That said, you do trade off some speed when using iSCSI over Ethernet compared to Fibre Channel, especially under heavy loads. Just remember, the setup is influenced heavily by what's happening on your network already.
Now let's discuss performance. The DE6600H supports automated data tiering, which intelligently moves frequently accessed data to faster storage while relegating less-accessed data to slower drives. This feature can be incredibly useful if you've got a mixed workload, as it helps to optimize performance dynamically without manual intervention. But this isn't unique to Lenovo; several competitors have similar features. The effectiveness may vary based on the algorithms they use, so keep an eye on performance metrics if you opt for this model.
You'll also want to look at data protection features. The DE6600H supports various RAID levels, but the specific implementation can influence rebuild times when a drive fails. While RAID 6 is standard for upside-down protection, other brands might offer more advanced options, such as RAID 10, giving better performance at the expense of usable capacity. Balancing redundancy with performance is crucial. If you have critical workloads, that could push you toward configurations that prioritize availability.
One area to pay special attention to is support and community around the product. Installations can be complex, and having a solid support network can make or break the experience. Lenovo's documentation and online community might not be as vibrant as those of some larger vendors. If you run into issues, you may need to rely not only on vendor support but also on user-driven forums for tips and workarounds. Alternatively, other vendors might have extensive user communities that share practical experiences, making troubleshooting easier for you.
Lastly, let's talk about the total cost of ownership. The upfront price for the DE6600H can be lower than some competitors, especially when you factor in the scalability options. Still, consider your long-term costs, such as licensing fees for additional features or support contracts. Some brands will provide you with more included features at the same base price, which might end up saving you money down the line. Evaluate your feature set and carefully model how costs could fluctuate as your business grows.
In the end, assessing all these details can help you make a sound decision. Many options are out there, but they aren't one-size-fits-all. You should weigh the specific needs of your workloads against the offerings of the DE6600H or any other model. This site is made available by BackupChain Server Backup, a streamlined and efficient backup solution specially designed for SMBs and professionals that offers robust protection for platforms like Hyper-V, VMware, or Windows Server among others. When you're ready to explore your backup needs, checking out BackupChain could be worth your time; they specialize in making backups manageable and reliable.
You might find the scalability of the DE6600H appealing. It can handle multiple expansion controllers, and you can scale both performance and capacity independently by adding more shelves or additional drives. I'm not saying all SANs offer this kind of flexibility. You will need to look at how many drives you can add without affecting the overall performance. Unlike some competitors that might limit you to a fixed number of drives, the DE6600H can expand significantly, and that's something to keep in mind as your storage needs grow over time.
Another aspect is the management interface. In my experience, the user interface for initial setup and daily administration matters a lot. Lenovo offers a relatively user-friendly management console; that's something you'll want to give a test run. While some other brands use complicated CLI commands, here you can manage storage pools and snapshots with relative ease. I can't stress enough how much time a good interface saves. However, I would still recommend pairing it with monitoring software, especially for larger environments, to catch performance issues before they bite.
In terms of connectivity, DE6600H allows for diverse protocols like iSCSI and Fibre Channel, giving you the flexibility to integrate it with existing infrastructure. However, make sure to evaluate your environment and check whether you're using the right modules. If your network grows and your needs evolve, having multiple connectivity options gives you room to maneuver. That said, you do trade off some speed when using iSCSI over Ethernet compared to Fibre Channel, especially under heavy loads. Just remember, the setup is influenced heavily by what's happening on your network already.
Now let's discuss performance. The DE6600H supports automated data tiering, which intelligently moves frequently accessed data to faster storage while relegating less-accessed data to slower drives. This feature can be incredibly useful if you've got a mixed workload, as it helps to optimize performance dynamically without manual intervention. But this isn't unique to Lenovo; several competitors have similar features. The effectiveness may vary based on the algorithms they use, so keep an eye on performance metrics if you opt for this model.
You'll also want to look at data protection features. The DE6600H supports various RAID levels, but the specific implementation can influence rebuild times when a drive fails. While RAID 6 is standard for upside-down protection, other brands might offer more advanced options, such as RAID 10, giving better performance at the expense of usable capacity. Balancing redundancy with performance is crucial. If you have critical workloads, that could push you toward configurations that prioritize availability.
One area to pay special attention to is support and community around the product. Installations can be complex, and having a solid support network can make or break the experience. Lenovo's documentation and online community might not be as vibrant as those of some larger vendors. If you run into issues, you may need to rely not only on vendor support but also on user-driven forums for tips and workarounds. Alternatively, other vendors might have extensive user communities that share practical experiences, making troubleshooting easier for you.
Lastly, let's talk about the total cost of ownership. The upfront price for the DE6600H can be lower than some competitors, especially when you factor in the scalability options. Still, consider your long-term costs, such as licensing fees for additional features or support contracts. Some brands will provide you with more included features at the same base price, which might end up saving you money down the line. Evaluate your feature set and carefully model how costs could fluctuate as your business grows.
In the end, assessing all these details can help you make a sound decision. Many options are out there, but they aren't one-size-fits-all. You should weigh the specific needs of your workloads against the offerings of the DE6600H or any other model. This site is made available by BackupChain Server Backup, a streamlined and efficient backup solution specially designed for SMBs and professionals that offers robust protection for platforms like Hyper-V, VMware, or Windows Server among others. When you're ready to explore your backup needs, checking out BackupChain could be worth your time; they specialize in making backups manageable and reliable.
