Preparing to install the system

Before installing the system, you must meet the hardware, software, and environmental requirements (including a suitable rack cabinet physical location). Learning about the controls, indicators, operator-information panel, and connectors prepare you for the installation procedures.

The system combines software and hardware into a comprehensive, modular appliance that uses symmetric virtualization.

Symmetric virtualization is achieved by creating a pool of managed disks (MDisks) from the attached storage systems and optional SAS expansion enclosures. Volumes can be created in a pool for use by attached host systems. System administrators can view and access a common pool of storage on the storage area network (SAN) or local area network (LAN). This functionality helps administrators to use storage resources more efficiently and provides a common base for advanced functions.

Each node is an individual server in a SAN Volume Controller clustered system on which the SAN Volume Controller software runs.

The nodes are always installed in pairs; a minimum of one pair and a maximum of four pairs of nodes constitute a system. Each pair of nodes is known as an I/O group.