Sometimes customers ask me to define the performance of the storage array. In my case these are mainly HP EVA and MSA boxes. Each time I explain them that measuring performance is one of the most difficult tasks for us as storage engineers.
Everything depends on the configuration, the use and allocation of the storage box.
- What type of disks are added in the storage array? What’s the size, RPM and amount of disks?
- What is the maximum responstime for a vdisk?
- What’s the type of IO and IO sizes that are committed on the storage array?
- What is the combination of read- and writes on the box?
- In what (v)Raid level are the disks defined?
- And so on..
I will try to share a bit of my knowledge and experience allowing you to get a brief idea of the performance of an Enterprise Virtual Array.
The information below can be used as a guideline for configuring an HP EVA Performance Advisor. Once again, please note that the performance numbers indicated here can differ for your environment. If you really want to get a clear look into the performance of your system, please consult your HP representative and/or partner to schedule an EVA Performance Assessment.
Below is a description of my personal understanding and configuration for the storage box.
Each time a HP P6000 Performance Data Collector output is added to ease the understanding.
The performance numbers were collected during backup window.