EqualLogic
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer data storage |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Peter Hayden, Paul Koning, Paula Long |
| Defunct | 2008 |
| Fate | Acquired by Dell Inc. |
| Headquarters | Nashua , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | iSCSI-driven storage area network (SAN) solutions (PS Series, PS-M4110, PS6500, PS6510, FS7500, FS7600) |
| Parent | Dell Inc. |
EqualLogic, Inc. was a U.S.-based company specializing in computer data storage, headquartered in Nashua, New Hampshire, and active from 2001 until its 2008 acquisition by Dell Inc. The company focused on iSCSI-driven storage area network (SAN) solutions. Following the purchase, Dell incorporated EqualLogic into its SAN offerings alongside Compellent and Dell PowerVault.
History
Established in 2001 by Peter Hayden, Paul Koning, and Paula Long, EqualLogic raised $52 million in venture capital between 2001 and 2004 from investors such as Charles River Ventures, TD Capital Ventures, Focus Ventures, and Sigma Partners. While the company was preparing for a public listing on the Nasdaq, it received a $1.4 billion all-cash acquisition bid from Dell in late 2007—setting a record for the highest valuation of a venture-backed enterprise at that point. The deal was completed in January 2008, marking a pivotal moment in EqualLogic’s expansion and market presence.
Architecture
EqualLogic’s SAN products operate over iSCSI utilizing either Gigabit Ethernet or 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections. Earlier models with 1 Gbit/s ports include the PS4100, PS6100, and PS6200 series, whereas more recent models with 10 Gbit/s interfaces consist of the PS4110, PS6110, and PS6210. Their systems support mixed configurations of hard disk drives and solid-state drives within a single chassis, leveraging automated data migration to enhance efficiency by assigning frequently accessed data to SSDs.
The arrays are designed for rack mounting within standard 19-inch enclosures available in either 2 or 4 rack unit (RU) sizes depending on the model. Up to sixteen arrays can be combined to form extensive storage pools exceeding 1.5 PB. These groups allow mixing different hardware generations and RAID configurations to provide scalable flexibility. Storage resources are divided into pools and volumes provisioned over SAN networks to accommodate virtual machine hosts and other enterprise applications.
Controllers
Each array is equipped with dual controllers to ensure redundancy and distribute workload evenly. Controllers feature one or more data Ethernet ports dedicated to iSCSI traffic along with a separate management interface. Typical configurations include two or more iSCSI Ethernet connections plus one management port.
Models designated PS XX00 come with Gigabit Ethernet ports; meanwhile, PS XX10 series offer 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for iSCSI alongside a 10/100 Mbit/s management interface. Interface types differ per model and may include copper Gigabit Ethernet, 10GBASE-T, or fiber-optic connections via Small Form-factor Pluggable transceivers.
Controllers are distinguished by their faceplate design and color coding.
| Controller Type | Profile | Color | Disk Interface / Speed | Network Interface | Management | Associated Models | Manufacturers P/N | Dell P/N | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 SATA | wide | black | SATA I / 1.5 Gbit/s | 3 x 1Gbase-T / 1Gbit/s SFP (combo) | 1 (shared) | PS50E, PS100E, PS200E, PS300E, PS400E, PS100X | 70-0001 | ||
| Type 2 SATA | wide | blue | SATA II at 3 Gbit/s | 3 x 1Gbase-T / 1Gbit/s SFP (combo) | 1 (shared) | PS50E, PS100E, PS200E, PS300E, PS400E, PS100X | 70-0011 | T946J / 0T946J | |
| Type 3 SAS | narrow | blue | SAS or SATA II at 3 Gbit/s | 3 x 1 Gbit/s | 1 (shared) | PS3000 – PS5000 | 70-0101 | ||
| Type 4 SAS | narrow | grey | SAS at 3 Gbit/s | 3 x 1 Gbit/s | 0 | PS3000 – PS5000 | 70-0111c | ||
| Type 5 SATA | narrow | olive | SATA II at 3 Gbit/s | 3 x 1 Gbit/s | 0 | PS3000 – PS5000 | 70-0115 | ||
| Type 6 SATA | narrow | grey with brown stripe | 3 x 1 Gbit/s | 1 (shared) | PS5500 only | 70-0111a | |||
| Type 7 SAS | narrow | light green | 4 x 1 Gbit/s | 0 | PS6000 – PS6500 | 70-0202 | 5PM3C, RNPR1 | ||
| Type 8 SAS | narrow | magenta | 2 x 1 Gbit/s | 1 | PS4000 only | 70-0120 | |||
| Type 9 SAS | narrow | yellow | 2 x 1 Gbit/s | 1 x 10/100 Mbit/s | 2nd generation PS4000 | 70-0210 | |||
| Type 10 | narrow | orange | 2 x 10 Gbit/s SFP+ | 1 x 10/100 Mbit/s | PS6010 – PS6510 | 70-0300 | 0G9J5 | ||
| Type 11 | Wide | light green | 4 x 1 Gbit/s | 1 | PS6100 Only | 70-0400 | 7V250, HRT01 | ||
| Type 12 | Wide | magenta | 2 x 1Gbase-T | 1 | PS4100 Only | NMJ7P | |||
| Type 13 | M-Blade | silver | 1x10Gbit KR / KR Pass-Thru | PS-M4110 | 1KWXY, 01KWXY | ||||
| Type14 | Wide | orange | 1x10Gbase-T /1x SFP+ | 1 | PS6110 Only | 61NCV | |||
| Type15 | Wide | dark grey | 2x10GbE SFP+ /2x10GbaseT |1 x10/100 Mbit/s |PS6210 | |DCY2N, K7TXY | | ||||||
| Type17 | Wide | yellow | 1x10Gbase-T /1x SFP+ |1 |PS4110 Only | |X3J14, P0GJH YN3KR | | ||||||
| Type18 | Wide | Marine Blue | 2x10GBASE-T /2x10GbE SFP+ |1 x10/100 Mbit/s |PS6610 | |T43HT | | ||||||
| \Type19 | Wide | Red | 2x10GBASE-T /2x10GbE SFP+ |1 x10/100 Mbit/s |PS4210 | |3KKYP | |
Models
The EqualLogic portfolio's leading offering is the PS Series (previously known as PeerStorage). The main current models include the PS4100, PS6100, and PS6500, each available with 1 Gb and 10 Gb Ethernet connectivity. Within each series, various sub-models present distinct disk arrangements. The previous generation systems, specifically the PS4100 and PS6100 series, are still on the market.
PS41x0
The PS4100 lineup consists of four rack-mounted models along with the PS-M4110 designed for Dell M1000e blade server enclosures.
| PS4000 rack models | ||||
| Model | PS4100E | PS4100KV3,5 | PS4110E | PS4110KV3,5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height (RU) | 2 RU | 2 RU | 2 RU | 2 RU |
| Number of HDDs | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| HDD type | 7200 NL-SAS | 15K SAS | 7200 NL-SAS | 15K SAS |
| Minimum capacity using |
12 TB 12 x 1 TB |
3.6 TB 6 x 600 GB |
6 TB 12 x 500 GB |
3.6 TB 6 x 600 GB |
| Maximum capacity using |
36 TB 12 x 3 TB |
7.2 TB 12 x 600 GB |
36 TB 12 x 3 TB |
7.2 TB 12 x 600 GB |
| Controllers count | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Memory per controller (Gb) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| iSCSI ports per controller |
2 GbE | 2 GbE | 1 x 10GBaseT 1 x 10Gbit SFP+ |
1 x 10GBaseT 1 x 10Gbit SFP+ |
| Management ports per controller |
1 x 10/100Mbit | 1 x 10/100Mbit | 1 x 100 Mbit | 1 x 100 Mbit |
| Maximum volumes supported | 256 | 256 | 256 | 256 |
| Snapshots per volume | 128 | 128 | 128 | 128 |
| Snapshots per group | 2048 | 2048 | 2048 | 2048 |
| Supported RAID levels | 5,6,10,50 | 5,6,10,50 | 5,6,10,50 | 5,6,10,50 |
| Maximum arrays per group | up to two PS4xxx arrays/group |
PS61x0
The PS61x0 series comprises two core models: the PS6100 and PS6110, both equipped with either 1G or 10G iSCSI Ethernet interfaces. These arrays support RAID levels including 6, 10, and 50.
Six sub-model variants are available within the series, distinguished primarily by their disk types:
| Model | PS61x0-E | PS61x0-X | PS61x0-XV | PS61x0-S | PS61x0-XS | PS61x0-XV3,5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intended use/type | High capacity | Balanced | High performance | Low latency | Automated SSD tiering | High performance & high capacity |
| Height (RU) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Weight (kg) | 45.36 | 25.4 | 25.4 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 44.45 |
| Maximum disks/size | 24x3.5" | 24x2.5" | 24x2.5" | 24x2.5" | 7x2.5" SSD + 17x10K SAS |
24x3.5" |
| Disk type | 7200 RPM NL-SAS | 10K SAS | 15K SAS | SSD | SSD/10K SAS | 15K SAS |
| Minimum capacity using | 12 TB 500 GB HDD |
7.2 TB 300 GB HDD |
3.5 TB 146 GB HDD |
9.6 TB 400 GB SSD |
13 TB 7x400 GB SSD + 17x600 GB HDD |
7.2 TB 12x600 GB |
| Maximum capacity using | 72 TB 3 TB HDD |
21.6 TB 900 GB HDD |
7.2 TB 300 GB HDD |
19.2 TB 800 GB SSD |
Fixed at: 13 TB | 14.4 TB 600 GB |
| Power consumption (W) | 1080 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 1080 |
PS-M4110
The PS-M4110 is a SAN storage solution crafted specifically for integration within the Dell M1000e blade enclosure, combining servers, storage systems, and networking hardware into a streamlined data center package.
Connectivity to blade or external servers is facilitated via Force10 MXL switches, PowerConnect M8024-K, Brocade PC-M8428-K switches, or through external switch and passthrough modules.
| Model | PS-M4110-E | PS-M4110-X | PS-M4110-XV | PS-M4110-XS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use case | High capacity | Balanced performance/capacity | High performance | Low latency |
| Number of controllers | One or two | (One or two) | (One or two) | Two only |
| Typical power consumption (W) | 248.9 | 261 | 293.3 | 230.4 |
| Weight (kg) | 12.49 | 12.87 | 12.62 | 12.38 |
| Disk count | 14 HDD | 14 HDD | 14 HDD | 9 x10K SAS + 5 SSD |
| Drive capacities | 500 GB or 1 TB | 600 GB or 900 GB | 146 GB or 300 GB | 600 GB HDD +400 GB SSD |
| Drive type | 7200 RPM NL-SAS | 10K SAS | 15K SAS | 10K SAS + SSD |
| System capacity range (TB) | 7–14 | 8.4–12.5 | 2.5–4.2 | 7.4 |
PS6500 and PS6510
The PS65x0 lineup consists of six adaptable SAN configurations. The PS6500 is equipped with Gigabit Ethernet network cards, whereas the PS6510 is designed with 10 Gbit/s SFP+ connectivity.
| PS 65x0 SAN | |||
| Model | PS6500-E/PS6510-E | PS6500-ES/PS6510-ES | PS6500-X/PS6510-X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target Application | High density storage | High performance workloads | Hybrid use cases |
| Rack Height (Units) | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Weight (lbs/kg) | up to 165 (74.8) | up to 165 (74.8) | up to 165 (74.8) |
| Power Usage | 1000-1030 VA 1400 VA peak |
1000-1030 VA 1400 VA peak |
1000-1030 VA 1400 VA peak |
| Maximum Heat Output | 3400 BTU | 3400 BTU | 3400 BTU |
| Number of Drive Bays | 48 | 7 SSD + 41 HDD | 48 |
| Supported Drives | 1TB SATA 2TB SATA 3TB NL-SAS |
7 x 400GB SSD 41 x 2TB NL-SAS |
600GB SAS 900GB SAS |
| Drive Rotation Speed | 7200 RPM | SSD & 7200 RPM SAS | 10K RPM |
| Maximum Raw Storage Capacity | Up to 144 TB (with 3TB drives) | 84.8 TB total | Up to 43.2 TB (with 900GB drives) |
FS7500 / FS7600
Dell’s Fluid File System (FluidFS) combines seamlessly with EQLX arrays and other Dell SAN solutions such as Compellent and PowerVault. The FS7500 and FS7600 NAS units, both utilizing EQLX SAN technology, provide a maximum capacity of up to 509 TB. The FS7600, representing the second generation, supports enhanced throughput with its 10G iSCSI connection between the NAS controller and storage fabric, delivering improved performance suited for enterprise-level storage infrastructures.