The Huawei OceanStor Dorado 3000 storage system is an entry-level system with advanced features and capabilities supporting block access. Huawei has a wide range of storage products and the 3000 system has the same functionality for block storage as other OceanStor models although most other models support file access as well. The 3000 is a scale-out configuration with 2 to 16 controllers in a paired arrangement. Storage devices in enclosures are connected with 12 Gb/s SAS and Dorado named systems only support SSDs.
Connectivity for block access is through Fibre Channel and iSCSI. The system uses a traditional RAID group architecture that has been adapted with storage pooling for thin provisioning. As an entry-level system, the maximum capacity is limited by the number of device enclosures supported with 1,200 in a maximum configuration.
The Huawei OceanStor Dorado 3000 system is a general purpose storage system designed for use in environments with multiple workloads running on the same storage system. The capacity and features set supported target the systems for entry-level environments. The availability and resiliency designed into the system meet the expected storage capability for that market.
Evaluator Group product review methodology “EvaluScale” assesses each product within a specific technology area. The definitions of the criteria and explanations of how products are reviewed can be found in the Evaluation Guides.
The Huawei OceanStor Dorado 3000 system is targeted to be the primary block storage system in entry-level environments. The non-disruptive HA and resilience capabilities are significant features that enable the OceanStor system to meet increasing expectations from entry-level customers.
The software and architectural compatibility with other OceanStor systems allows customers to replicate data to and from other OceanStor systems. This also allows customers to have a seamless management and procedure environment across different platforms and locations.
The system does not support tiering of LUNs to clouds/object storage and does not support file access as other OceanStor systems do.
The Huawei system suffers from lack of distribution in North America, which would expand opportunities and help with maturity from competitive demands. Currently, there is no encryption, which has become a checkbox item. Evaluator Group would like to see more customer use cases and experience with the system for a better understanding of maturity of the system and its features.