Huawei OceanStor Dorado 3000 – Product Brief

Overview

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.

Usage

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.

• Characteristics
  • Block access support.
  • Performance – Performance features added include multi-core processors, internal PCIe 3.0 busses, and use of caching and solid state technology.
  • Availability – Dual controllers provide non-disruptive HA.
  • Replication for BC/DR – Both asynchronous and synchronous remote replication is available as is the ability to make local and remote LUN copies.
• Applications
  • OceanStor Dorado entry-level systems are targeted at applications that use block.
  • The OceanStor systems include thin provisioning, snapshots and replication at no additional cost.
  • Additional cost software licenses are available and support the entire suite of software.
• System environments
  • The Huawei OceanStor Dorado systems provide block storage accessed using Fibre Channel (FCP) or iSCSI with standard drivers on host systems.
• Deployment and Administration
  • The installation of OceanStor is designed for IT users familiar with storage systems. For customers without the required knowledge, reseller or Huawei service specialists can be used.
  • Management is provided through a management console for multiple nodes, a Replication Director to manage disaster recovery software, and multi-pathing software called UltraPath.
  • Remote Management and Call Home support is also available and is enabled through a Cloud Service.

Evaluator Group EvaluScale™: Huawei OceanStor Dorado 3000 – SAN Storage

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.

Evaluator Group Opinion: Differentiating elements for Huawei OceanStor Dorado 3000

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.