Dell OpenManage™ Array Manager software provides a comprehensive storage management solution in an integrated graphical view. From a single location, Array Manager enables you to configure and manage local and remote storage attached to a server while the server is online and continuing to process requests.
Array Manager obtains information about storage devices and the logical volumes contained on those devices. Array Manager displays storage configuration information in both physical and logical views. The physical view shows the physical connections among the storage devices. The logical view shows a logical representation of your storage as logical volumes.
From the Array Manager console, you can do the following:
Create and manage software and hardware RAID solutions
Display your storage information
Customize the Array Manager interface to suit your individual needs
Array Manager presents a consistent way to interact with storage subsystems. This is accomplished by providing a common interface through which all RAID controllers are accessed. In addition, you can view and manage these devices from a central console that can access local or remote devices.
The console, which runs on a Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0 or Windows® 2000 Server or Workstation and enables you to configure and manage storage attached to both local and remote hosts.
The server, which runs on a managed node and is a common repository for storage objects. The Array Manager storage model represents the different components in a storage subsystem as either physical or logical storage objects. The console and server implement a distributed database that contains these storage objects.
The providers, which run on a managed node along with the server. Providers are similar to drivers. Each provider manages a specific hardware controller or a software component.
The Array Manager console provides a common look-and-feel to manage and configure storage attached to local and remote servers. It communicates with the server framework to provide storage management functions.
The console provides:
A display of physical and logical objects in the hardware array using the Array Manager Storage Model
Context-sensitive menus to perform different operations related to each object
Wizards and dialog boxes for ease of use
A property page to display information related to each object
A property page to display alert notifications and system events
The server is implemented as a system service. At load time, the server finds all the registered providers and loads them.
The server framework defines the Array Manager storage model of storage objects. The model consists of the objects most commonly supported by storage devices. The Array Manager storage model is an extensible model that makes it easy to modify the set of objects and object hierarchy.
A provider is a component of Array Manager that provides storage management functions for a hardware device or software component. The provider discovers the existing physical and logical storage entities and stores that information in the framework database. It updates the database whenever there is a change in the physical or logical entities present in the hardware or software. Any changes to the database trigger automatic notification to the console.
Array Manager is designed to meet the needs of system administrators who manage storage subsystems and understand corporate storage environments.
It provides simplified access to storage information and configuration. For example, in the enterprise data center, Array Manager can be integrated into the existing management framework.
Array Manager furnishes you with a single console for array and volume configuration, from which you can do the following:
Create and configure virtual disks (RAID arrays)
Manage RAID and non-RAID devices
Create partitions and volumes (Microsoft Windows NT/2000)
Format disks and create file systems (Microsoft Windows NT/2000)
Assign drive letters (Microsoft Windows NT/2000)
Array Manager's secured local and remote storage management uses the native security model of the host operating system.
Under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, you can use Array Manager's Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in instead of running the program from the Array Manager console. Array Manager is also accessible under the Computer Management console in Windows 2000.
For Windows NT 4.0, Array Manager augments Microsoft's Disk Administrator by providing a more comprehensive set of features. For Windows 2000, Array Manager replaces Disk Management, the disk and volume manager that comes with Windows 2000. Disk Management does not have the capability of managing hardware RAID storage. For Windows 2000, Array Manager has the advantage of providing management of both hardware and software RAID storage in a single, easy-to-use interface.
Disk Management is the built-in disk and volume manager that comes with Windows 2000. It is the improved Windows 2000 equivalent of the Windows NT Disk Administrator. Disk Management is also known as Logical Disk Manager, or LDM.
Disk Management and Array Manager are related products that come from the same development group. The Array Manager software that runs on Windows 2000 is an upgrade to Disk Management. When you install Array Manager on a Windows 2000 system, it replaces Disk Management and enhances its functionality.
Note Disk Management and Array Manager cannot run together on the same computer.
During installation, the Array Manager program turns off the service for Disk
Management on a Windows 2000 system. However, if you uninstall Array Manager
on a Windows 2000 system, the service for Disk Management is turned back on, and
the Disk Management program will function normally. The service for Disk
Management is not turned off on a Windows 2000 system that has a console-only
installation of Array Manager.
Because Array Manager and Disk Management are related products, Array Manager has the same disk and volume functions as Disk Management plus the added capability of managing RAID hardware controllers. If you created disks and volumes with Disk Management before installing Array Manager, those same disks and volumes can be managed by Array Manager without any adjustments. Both programs allow you to:
Create primary and extended partitions, as well as logical drives for extended partitions, on basic disks.
Perform general disk and volume management functions (such as formatting disks and volumes, changing drive letters, and mounting a volume at an empty folder).
Manage CD-ROM and other removable disk drives.
Create five dynamic volume types: simple, spanned, striped, mirrored, and RAID-5.
Add a mirror to a dynamic simple or spanned volume.
Extend a dynamic simple or spanned volume.
In addition, with Array Manager you can maintain (but not change) basic volumes originally created in Windows NT Disk Administrator.
In both Disk Management and Array Manager, commands are available by right-clicking the name of the storage object in one of the console views and bringing up a context menu. Array Manager has a larger number of commands accessible from its menus, which are organized differently from those in Disk Management.
In the Array Manager for Windows 2000 console, there is a tab for the DM view. This is a view from the Disk Management program. This tab is inactive (dimmed) for a computer that is running Array Manager. However, from a Windows 2000 Array Manager client machine, you can connect to a remote server that is running Disk Management in order to view and manage its storage. When you are viewing a remote server that is running Disk Management, the DM View tab will be active.
Both Array Manager and Disk Management have a Disk View that is similar to the Disk View in Windows NT Disk Administrator. Array Manager has the added feature of a tree view that makes it easier to see the whole scope of your storage from a single computer.
The major advantage of Array Manager over Disk Management is its added capability of managing hardware RAID controllers in a single, easy-to-use interface.
