Dell PowerVault ME5 SAN
The PowerVault ME5 is Dell's current entry block-storage array, the successor to the ME4. It is the box most small and mid-size businesses end up with behind a VMware or Hyper-V cluster because it is simple, dual-controller and priced well under the PowerStore line.
We deploy ME5 with either 25 GbE iSCSI or 16/32 Gb Fibre Channel, size the tiers for the workload, and set up snapshots and replication where the business needs them.
At a glance
| Models | ME5012 (12x 3.5-inch), ME5024 (24x 2.5-inch), ME5084 (84 drives, 5U) |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | 12 Gb SAS, 10/25 GbE iSCSI, 16/32 Gb FC |
| Expansion | ME412/ME424/ME484 shelves, up to 336 drives |
| Features | ADAPT distributed RAID, snapshots, async replication, thin provisioning |
| Successor to | PowerVault ME4 |
What RackLedge does
- Design and install for VMware, Hyper-V and Proxmox clusters
- Multipathing (MPIO / iSCSI), VLAN and jumbo frame configuration
- Firmware updates and controller failover testing
- Capacity expansion and drive replacement
How we work
Storage projects begin with an honest capacity and performance baseline: how much data, how fast it grows, what IOPS and latency the applications actually need. That baseline decides between an entry SAN, a unified array, a NAS or a hyper-converged design, and it keeps vendors from selling you the biggest box.
We build the network under the storage as carefully as the storage itself: isolated iSCSI paths or dual FC fabrics, multipathing on every host and a failover test before anything goes live. Backups get an immutable copy and a restore test on a schedule.
Migrations are run as projects with a written cutover plan, a rollback path and a validation checklist. Old arrays are decommissioned with certified data destruction and the documentation is handed over.
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Frequently asked questions
ME5 or PowerStore?
ME5 when you need a straightforward dual-controller array for a few hosts. PowerStore when you need inline dedupe and compression, NVMe performance, file services or scale-out.
Can I mix SSD and HDD in an ME5?
Yes. Linear or virtual pools can tier SSD and HDD, and the ADAPT RAID layout speeds rebuilds on large HDD sets.
Need a hand with this?
Tell us what you are running and what is slowing you down. You get a straight assessment and a plan, with no obligation. Support desk is staffed 24/7.