Dell PowerEdge 2650

SCSI/RAID

The PowerEdge 2650 system has two Ultra3 (U160) internal SCSI channels on the system board, through the Adaptec 7899 SCSI controller. Ultra3 SCSI provides 160MB/Sec throughput on each channel.

Embedded RAID (PERC 3/Di)

PowerEdge 2650 offers a high performance Ultra3 RAID on-board PERC 3/Di. The PERC 3/Di is the same as the version offered on the PowerEdge 2550. The PowerEdge 2650 situates the controller on a higher bandwidth bus (64-bit/66MHz) than the one used in the PowerEdge 2550.

PERC 3/Di includes battery back-up, which improves the system performance and availability. The battery back-up supports write-back and read-ahead caching for overall improved write and read performance.

The battery back-up also provides additional availability by supplying power for up to 24 hours to preserve cache contents in the event of a power outage.

This is a picture of the PERC3/Di's battery backup

The PowerEdge 2650 system board includes an Intel i960 processor, a single DIMM slot for cache memory, and a 16Mbit Flash memory module. The Intel i960 processor is "I20 ready", meaning that the operating system, BIOS, and hardware drivers support the I20 protocol. The on-board RAID may be preconfigured when the system is built by Dell, or it may be added to a system at a later date through the use of a RAID activation kit. The kit includes a 128MB DIMM, RAID software, and an activation key. Once enabled, the embedded hardware converts the onboard Ultra3 SCSI controllers into a RAID controller.

IMPORTANT - More Information NOTE: The PERC3/Di does not support external SCSI storage arrays or clustering.

Hard Disk Drive Carriers

The PowerEdge 2650 uses the same drive carriers being offered on the PowerVault 2xxx and PowerEdge 66xx series. This is a departure from the Dell carrier used with previous PowerEdge systems. The change in carriers provides enhanced EMI capabilities necessary for Fibre Channel drives and U-320 SCSI speeds.

This is a picture of the 2650 hard drive carrier

The disk carrier supports 1.0-inch, SCA-2 direct-attach disk drives. The carrier provides a cam, used to insert the disk drive into (and extract it from) the enclosure. The cam limits the insertion rate of the SCA-2 connector, preventing damage.

The carrier supports hot-plug and "blind mating", and it incorporates an EMI spring finger to ground to the adjacent carrier or enclosure.

For the slots that are not occupied by drives, a blank carrier with a false front is provided to maintain proper cooling, maintain a uniform appearance to the unit, and provide EMI shielding.