Introduction 21
PowerVault NX3500 Architecture
The PowerVault NX3500 combined with MD3xxxi provides you with a unified
storage solution (see Figure 1-1). This solution provides you with access to
both block and file storage (see Figure 1-2).
The PowerVault NX3500 clustered NAS solution consists of a pair of
controllers and the PowerVault Modular Disk (MD) iSCSI storage array. In
addition, both controllers are protected by BPS, which helps protect data
during power failure.
Each controller has:
• Two connections (four for the solution) to the customer's LAN or
client network.
• Two connections (four for the solution) to the customer's SAN network.
• Two controller peer to peer connections for the cluster's internal network.
Standby controller A NAS appliance that is installed with the FluidFS software
but not part of a cluster. For example, a new or replacement
controller from the Dell factory is considered as a standby
controller.
SAN network (iSCSI
network)
The network that carries the block level (iSCSI) traffic and to
which the storage subsystem is connected.
NOTE: It is recommended that this network be isolated from the
LAN or client network.
Table 1-1. PowerVault NAS System Terms
(continued)
Term Description