The Dell EMC Storage Compatibility Matrix details configurations that have been tested by Dell EMC storage test labs. While Dell EMC tests on a wide variety of configurations, it is impossible to test against every device or version for all vendors with which the various Dell EMC storage products can interoperate. Therefore, the information presented in this document do not constitute a complete list of what is supportable, but simply a list of what has been specifically tested. Regardless of support level, Dell EMC storage customers will always be provided full contractual support of their storage solution.

Each row in a table defines a SAN component and the hardware, software, or firmware that was tested with that component. Each of these entries constitutes a supportable “configuration”.

Based on this matrix, a customer configuration will be classified into one of the three levels of supportability, as described below. Each level of supportability also references the requirement for designing the storage subsystem using documented recommended best practices suitable for the each Dell Storage product family. These recommended best practices are documented in a variety of technical whitepapers as well as a consolidated in the Dell PS Series Configuration Guide (published on the Dell TechCenter community) and SC Series Customer Knowledge Center.

Please contact your Dell sales representative with questions about how to classify your proposed configuration.

For the purposes of the support statement, the following definitions apply:

• “storage solution” – the end-to-end set of components (operating system, network controller, switch and switch firmware, and array FW that permits a host to target communication.
• “component” – the individual parts of a storage solution in the form of host network interface adapters, iSCSI initiators, iSCSI host bus adapters, switches, and arrays.

Level 1: Full Contractual Support

For tested devices listed in this Compatibility Matrix, (and for the specific version listed), Dell will provide solution support, under an active ProSupport or CoPilot support contract assuming that all other components in the storage solution are also under contracted support with their respective manufacturers and that documented recommended design best practices are followed.

Level 2: Conditional Support

In addition to the product versions tested by Dell and listed in this Compatibility Matrix, the compatibility of comparable hardware models and newer firmware versions can be projected based upon the results for the systems actually tested and will be designated as “conditionally supported”.

Dell will provide full contractual support for the storage solution under an active ProSupport or CoPilot support contract, assuming that all components in the storage solution are also under contracted support with their respective manufacturers and that documented recommended design best practices are followed.

Resolution of functional and/or performance issues may be out of Dell’s control. In such cases, these issues will need to be addressed by the applicable device or software/firmware vendor. Dell may require, in its sole discretion, as a condition of continuing support, that the customer replace the component with one that was tested and/or upgrade/downgrade to a supported software version.

Examples of Conditional Support situations include, but are not limited to:

• If a switch or server adapter shares the same underlying ASIC or chipset and is from the same vendor as a tested configuration, then it may produce similar results.
• If a component is an identical model of a component listed, but differs in FW version, then it may produce similar results for any firmware and/or drivers that are newer than those listed. For example, if version X of firmware has been tested and is listed as compatible, then versions newer than version X are expected to continue to work.

Failure of a “conditionally supported” component to provide the same service level as the similar device listed, unless Dell has communicated end of support or a specific incompatibility for a particular product, firmware or software version, would be treated as a bug that needs to be fixed by the device or software/firmware vendor.

Level 3: Commercially Reasonable Effort

For components not listed within this Compatibility Matrix, OR where customers have not, or is not willing to apply accepted Dell recommended best practices for the specific storage family’s SAN design and implementation, as long as the customer has an active support contract with the appropriate vendor(s), and an active ProSupport or CoPilot support contract, Dell will provide storage solution support for any untested component of the configuration, until such time as it is determined, in Dell’s sole discretion, that a problem lies within the untested component(s) or the way they interoperate with Dell.

Once an untested component has been determined to be the source of the issue, Dell will only provide support for the storage solution on a Commercially Reasonable Effort (CRE) basis. CRE support may be limited to certain days of the week and during normal business hours only.

Dell does not guarantee that issues undertaken on a CRE basis will be resolved in a timely fashion, or at all. There is a possibility that the customer would need to replace an untested component or take the affected system out of production to resolve the issues.

FS Series Additional Support Statement

The FS Series of products are NAS appliances that work with the various Dell Storage PS and SC series products. All FS series products are tested for interoperability with their respective “back-end” storage array products, and Dell will support any and all issues arising in or between these products while the products are under warranty and/or an active ProSupport or CoPilot support contract for both products.

The sections below describe general support policies for the FS Series, particularly as they relate to the results published in this document. There are additional environmental and cabling considerations that should be taken into account when building a storage solution that includes FS Series NAS appliances. Please consult other FS Series documentation or contact your Dell account representative to ensure that all the relevant factors have been taken into consideration.

Switch Support Policy

Dell tests switches for two of the three networks associated with an FS Series NAS cluster, namely the “back-end” iSCSI or Fibre Channel network situated between the NAS controllers and the PS or SC storage arrays. The FS 7000 Series NAS appliances connect to the PS Series SAN arrays using the industry standard iSCSI protocol, while the FS 8000 Series NAS appliances connect to the SC Series SAN arrays using either iSCSI or Fibre Channel. For proper configuration, at least one switch is required (a minimum of two switches is recommended) to interconnect these products. Direct connection of any FS Series NAS appliances and the respective arrays is not supported.

The three levels of support described above are applicable to the FS Series switches listed in this Matrix for back-end network configuration.

There are two other networks associated with an FS7xxx cluster, namely the “front-end” connection to the customer’s existing client network, and the cluster or “private” interconnect network for communication between FS7xxx controllers. Both of these networks are Ethernet based.

Any Ethernet switch listed for use as a “back-end” switch is also valid for use as a “private” interconnect network switch and can be used for both “back-end” and “private” simultaneously.

Client OS Environment Support Policy

Although Dell tests the FS Series NAS solution in a variety of client operating system environments, this document does not provide resulting compatibility data. The statements made with respect to compatibility for the FS Series in this document are not to be construed as a guarantee of interoperability or supportability of client operating systems.

Other Statements

Operating System, Switch and Server Adapter Settings

This document does not cover recommended practices, though optimized SAN or NAS solutions consists of a combination of supported hardware and software as defined in this document, along with recommended practices as documented in various whitepapers published by Dell. Dell does maintain documents with recommended best practices and recommended settings for various operating systems, switches and server adapters, which are available to download from The Dell Tech Center community website (http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/default.aspx).

Server Interoperability

This Compatibility Matrix details interoperability from the storage array to various server hosts via a switch and one or more network adapters or host bus adapters (HBAs). Testing of, and support for, a specific server platform (such as Dell PowerEdge servers) was not performed as part of this program and customers should visit the server vendor’s website to determine which operating systems and adapters are supported by the server vendor.

Host Connectivity Adapters and Server Vendor Support

This matrix lists many host network adapters and HBAs that have been tested for use within the indicated Dell Storage array family SAN environment. It is not implied that all of these adapters and their driver/firmware stacks are supported by any or all server vendors. The reader must ensure that the host network adapter and its associated drivers are on that vendors Hardware Compatibility List indicating their support for that adapter and driver. This includes Dell’s own PowerEdge server products. Inclusion in the adapter compatibility tables should not be interpreted as that adapter and driver/firmware combination as being supported by Dell’s PowerEdge server products.

Limits of Supportability

If any recommendations made by Dell to resolve a customer’s issues – whether they are functional or performance related – is not followed, Dell cannot guarantee that the issue can be resolved to the satisfaction of the customer. Dell’s ability to provide customers with any level of supportability are dependent on the customer’s willingness to implement any solution recommendation.