EMC Symmetrix, 23 Years in the making
So next year will mark a history of Symmetrix Products within EMC, still classified as one of the most robust systems out there after 23 years of its inception. In this section, we will talk about some facts on Symmetrix products as it relates to its features, characteristics, Enginuity microcode versions, model numbers, year released, etc.So the journey of Symmetrix systems started with Moshe Yanai (along with his team) joining EMC in late 80’s. A floating story says, the idea of a cache based disk array was initially pitched to both IBM and HP and was shot down. EMC was predominately a mainframe memory selling company back in the late 1980’s. The Symmetrix products completely changed the direction of EMC in a decade.
Joe Tucci comes in at the end of 90’s from Unisys with a big vision. Wanted to radically change EMC. Through new acquisitions, new technologies, vision and foremost the integration of all the technologies created today’s EMC.
Symmetrix has always been the jewel of EMC. Back in the Moshe days, the engineers were treated so royally (Have heard stories about helicopter rides and lavish parties with a satellite bus waiting outside for a support call). Then comes the Data General acquisition in late 90’s that completely changed the game.
Some people within EMC were against the DG acquisition and didn’t see much value in it. While the Clariion DG backplane is what changed the Symmetrix to a Symmetrix DMX – Fiber Based Drives. Over this past decade, EMC radically changes its position and focuses on acquisitions, support, products, quality, efficiency, usability and foremost changing itself from a hardware company to an Information Solutions company focusing on software as its integral growth factor. New acquisitions like Legato, Documentum, RSA, kept on changing the culture and the growth focus within EMC.
Then came VMware and it changed the rules of the game, EMC’s strategic move to invest into VMware paid off big time. Then happens the 3-way partnership between VMware – EMC – Cisco, to integrate next generation products, V-Max (Symmetrix), V-Sphere and UCS are born.
Here we are in 2009, almost at the end of 20 years since the inception of the Symmetrix, the name, the product, the Enginuity code, the robust characteristics, the investment from EMC all stays committed with changing market demands.
Jumping back into the Symmetrix, here are a few articles you might find interesting, overall talking about various models, serial numbers of the machines and importantly a post on Enginuity Operating Environment.
Symmetrix Family 1.0
ICDA – Integrated Cache Disk Array
Released 1990 and sold through 1993
A 24GB total disk space introduced
Wow, I was in elementary school or may be middle school when this first generation Symmetrix was released….
Symmetrix 4200
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix Family 2.0
ICDA – Integrated Cache Disk Array
Released 1991 and sold through 1994
A 36GB total disk space
Mirroring introduced
Symmetrix 4400
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix Family 2.5
ICDA – Integrated Cache Disk Array
Released 1992 and sold through 1995
RSF capabilities added
(I actually met a guy about 2 years ago, he was one of the engineers that had worked on developing the first RSF capabilities at EMC and was very instrumental in developing the Hopkinton PSE lab)
Symmetrix 4800:
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix Family 3.0 also called Symmetrix 3000 and 5000 Series
Released 1994 and sold through 1997
ICDA: Integrated Cache Disk Array
Includes Mainframe Support (Bus & Tag)
Global Cache introduced
1GB total Cache
NDU – Microcode
SRDF introduced
Supports Mainframe and open systems both
Enginuity microcode 50xx, 51xx
Symmetrix 3100: Open systems support, half height cabinet, 5.25 inch drives
Symmetrix 5100: Mainframe support, half height cabinet, 5.25 inch drives
Symmetrix 3200: Open Systems support, single cabinet, 5.25 inch drives
Symmetrix 5200: Mainframe support, single cabinet, 5.25 inch drives
Symmetrix 3500: Open Systems support, triple cabinet, 5.25 inch drives
Symmetrix 5500: Mainframe support, triple cabinet, 5.25 inch drives
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix Family 4.0 also called Symmetrix 3000 and 5000 Series
Released 1997 and sold through 2000
RAID XP introduced
3.5 Inch drive size introduced
On triple cabinet systems 5.25 inch drives used
Supports Mainframe and Open Systems both
Timefinder, Powerpath, Ultra SCSI support
Enginuity microcode 5265.xx.xx, 5266.xx.xx
Symmetrix 3330: Open Systems Support, half height cabinet, 32 drives, 3.5 inch drives
Symmetrix 5330: Mainframe Support, half height cabinet, 32 drives, 3.5 inch drives
Symmetrix 3430: Open Systems Support, single frame, 96 drives, 3.5 inch drives
Symmetrix 5430: Mainframe Support, single frame, 96 drives, 3.5 inch drives
Symmetrix 3700: Open Systems Support, triple cabinet, 128 drives, 5.25 inch drives
Symmetrix 5700: Mainframe Support, triple cabinet, 128 drives, 5.25 inch drives
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix Family 4.8 also called Symmetrix 3000 and 5000 Series
Released 1998 and sold through 2001
Symmetrix Optimizer Introduced
Best hardware so far: least outages, least problems and least failures (not sure if EMC will agree to it, most customers do)
3.5 inch drives used with all models
Enginuity microcode 5265.xx.xx, 5266.xx.xx, 5267.xx.xx
Symmetrix 3630: Open Systems support, half height cabinet, 32 drives
Symmetrix 5630: Mainframe support, half height cabinet, 32 drives
Symmetrix 3830: Open Systems support, single cabinet, 96 drives
Symmetrix 5830: Mainframe support, single cabinet, 96 drives
Symmetrix 3930: Open Systems support, triple cabinet, 256 drives
Symmetrix 5930: Mainframe support, triple cabinet, 256 drives
Models sold as 3630-18, 3630-36, 3630-50, 5630-18, 5630-36, 5630-50,3830-36, 3830-50, 3830-73, 5830-36, 5830-50, 5830-73, 3930-36, 3930-50, 3930-73, 5930-36, 5930-50, 5930-73 (the last two digits indicate the drives installed in the frame)
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix Family 5.0 also called Symmetrix 8000 Series
[ 3000 (open sytems) + 5000 (mainframe) = 8000 (support for both) ]
Supports Open Systems and Mainframe without BUS and TAG through ESCON
Released 2000 and sold through 2003
181GB Disk introduced
Enginuity microcode 5567.xx.xx, 5568.xx.xx
Symmetrix 8130: Slim cabinet, 48 drives
Symmetrix 8430: Single cabinet, 96 drives
Symmetrix 8730: Triple cabinet, 384 drives
Some models sold as 8430-36, 8430-73, 8430-181 or 8730-36, 8730-73, 8730-181 (the last two digits indicate the drives installed in the frame)
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix Family 5.5 LVD also called Symmetrix 8000 Series
Released 2001 and sold through 2004
LVD: Low Voltage Disk Introduced
146GB LVD drive introduced
Ultra SCSI drives cannot be used with the LVD frame
Mainframe optimized machines introduced
4 Slice directors introduced with ESCON and FICON
FICON introduced
Enginuity microcode 5567.xx.xx, 5568.xx.xx
Symmetrix 8230: Slim cabinet, 48 drives, (rebranded 8130, non lvd frame)
Symmetrix 8530: Single cabinet, 96 drives, (rebranded 8430, non lvd frame)
Symmetrix 8830: Triple cabinet, 384 drives, (rebranded 8730, non lvd frame)
Symmetrix 8230 LVD: LVD frame, slim cabinet, 48 LVD drives
Symmetrix 8530 LVD: LVD frame, single cabinet, 96 LVD drives
Symmetrix 8830 LVD: LVD frame, triple cabinet, 384 LVD drives
Symmetrix z-8530: LVD frame, Single cabinet, 96 drives, optimized for mainframes
Symmetrix z-8830: LVD frame, Triple cabinet, 384 drives, optimized for mainframe
Some models sold as 8530-36, 8530-73, 8530-146, 8530-181 or 8830-36, 8830-73, 8830-146, 8830-181 (the last two digits indicate the drives installed in the frame)
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix DMX or also called Symmetrix Family 6.0
Released Feb 2003 and sold through 2006
Direct Matrix Architecture (Data General Backplane) introduced
DMX800 was the first DMX system introduced
4 Slice directors introduced
RAID 5 introduced after being introduced on DMX-3
First generation with common DA / FA hardware
Introduction of modular power
Enginuity Microcode 5669.xx.xx, 5670.xx.xx, 5671.xx.xx
Symmetrix DMX800: Single cabinet, DAE based concept for drives, 96 drives (I swear, a customer told me, they have ghost like issues with their DMX800)
Symmetrix DMX1000: Single cabinet, 18 drives per loop, 144 drives total
Symmetrix DMX1000-P: Single cabinet, 9 drives per loop, 144 drives total, P= Performance System
Symmetrix DMX2000: Dual cabinet, modular power, 18 drives per loop, 288 drives
Symmetrix DMX2000-P: Dual cabinet, modular power, 9 drives per loop, 288 drives, P=Performance System
Symmetrix DMX3000-3: Triple cabinet, modular power, 18 drives per loop, 3 phase power, 576 drives
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix DMX2 or also called Symmetrix Family 6.5
Released Feb 2004 and sold through 2007
Double the processing using DMX2
DMX and DMX2 frames are same, only directors from DMX must be changed to upgrade to DMX2, reboot of entire systems required with this upgrade
RAID 5 introduced after being introduced on DMX-3
64GB memory introduced
4 Slice Directors
Enginuity Microcode 5669.xx.xx, 5670.xx.xx, 5671.xx.xx
Symmetrix DMX801: 2nd generation DMX, Single cabinet, DAE based concept for drives, 96 drives, FC SPE 2 (I swear, a customer told me, they have ghost like issues with their DMX800)
Symmetrix DMX1000-M2: 2nd generation DMX, Single cabinet, 18 drives per loop, 144 drives
Symmetrix DMX1000-P2: 2nd generation DMX, Single cabinet, 9 drives per loop, 144 drives, P=Performance System
Symmetrix DMX2000-M2: 2nd generation DMX, Dual cabinet, 18 drives per loop, 288 drives
Symmetrix DMX2000-P2: 2nd generation DMX, Dual cabinet, 9 drives per loop, 288 drives, P=Performance System
Symmetrix DMX2000-M2-3: 2nd generation DMX, Dual cabinet, 18 drives per loop, 288 drives, 3 Phase power
Symmetrix DMX2000-P2-3: 2nd generation DMX, Dual cabinet, 9 drives per loop, 288 drives, P=Performance System, 3 Phase power
Symmetrix DMX3000-M2-3: 2nd generation DMX, Triple cabinet, 18 drives per loop, 576 drives, 3 Phase power
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix DMX-3 or also called Symmetrix 7.0
Released July 2005 and still being sold
8 Slice directors
1920 disk (RPQ ‘ed to 2400 drives)
DAE based concept introduced
Symmetrix Priority Controls
RAID 5 introduced and then implemented on older DMX, DMX-2
Virtual LUN technology
SRDF enhancements
Concept of vaulting introduced
Enginuity microcode 5771.xx.xx, 5772.xx.xx
Symmetrix DMX-3 950: System Cabinet, Storage Bay x 2, 360 drives max, Modular Power, 3 Phase power
Symmetrix DMX-3: System Cabinet, Storage Bay x 8 (Expandable), 1920 drives max, RPQ’ed to 2400 drives, 3 Phase power
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix DMX-4 or also called Symmetrix 7.0
Released July 2007 and still being sold
Virtual provisioning
Flash Drives
FC / SATA drives
RAID 6 introduced
SRDF enhancements
Total Cache: 512 GB
Total Storage: 1 PB
Largest drive supported 1TB SATA drive
Flash drives 73GB, 146GB later now support for 200GB and 400GB released
1920 drives max (RPQ’ed to 2400 drives)
Enginuity microcode 5772.xx.xx, 5773.xx.xx
Symmetrix DMX-4 950: System Cabinet, Storage Bay x 2, 360 drives max, Modular Power, 3 Phase power
Symmetrix DMX-4: System Cabinet, Storage Bay x 8 (Expandable), 1920 drives max, RPQ’ed to 2400 drives, Modular power, 3 Phase Power
Some models sold as DMX-4 1500, DMX-4 2500, DMX-4 3500 and DMX-4 4500
———————————————————————————————————————
Symmetrix V-Max
(Released April 2009)
Enginuity Microcode 5874.xxx.xxx
Total number of drives supported: 2400
Total Cache: 1 TB mirrored (512GB usable)
Total Storage: 2 PB
All features on the V-Max have been discussed earlier on the blog post linked below
Symmetrix V-Max SE: Single System Bay, SE=Single Engine, Storage Bay x 2, 360 drives max, cannot be expanded to a full blown 8 engine system if purchased as a SE, 3 Phase power, Modular Power
Symmetrix V-Max: System Cabinet, Storage Bay x 10, 2400 drives max, modular power, 3 phase power
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.