Dell DS 3950 vs. Dell SC4020

Attribute	Dell DS 3950	Dell SC4020
Storage Capacity	Up to 1.9PB	Up to 2PB
Maximum Drives	Up to 240	Up to 120
RAID Levels	RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10	RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
Host Ports	16Gb FC, 10Gb iSCSI	16Gb FC, 10Gb iSCSI
Controller Type	FC, iSCSI	FC, iSCSI

Introduction

When it comes to choosing a storage solution for your business, Dell offers a range of options to meet your needs. Two popular choices are the Dell DS 3950 and Dell SC4020. Both of these storage arrays offer high performance and scalability, but there are some key differences between the two that may influence your decision. In this article, we will compare the attributes of the Dell DS 3950 and Dell SC4020 to help you make an informed choice.

Performance

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a storage array is performance. The Dell DS 3950 is designed for high performance, with support for up to 1.5 million IOPS and 12GB/s of throughput. This makes it ideal for demanding workloads that require fast access to data. On the other hand, the Dell SC4020 offers slightly lower performance, with support for up to 500,000 IOPS and 6GB/s of throughput. While still impressive, the Dell SC4020 may not be the best choice for extremely high-performance applications.

Scalability

Scalability is another important consideration when choosing a storage array. The Dell DS 3950 offers impressive scalability, with support for up to 960 drives and 1PB of raw capacity. This makes it a great choice for businesses that need to store large amounts of data. In comparison, the Dell SC4020 offers slightly lower scalability, with support for up to 180 drives and 400TB of raw capacity. While still suitable for many businesses, the Dell SC4020 may not be the best choice for organizations with extremely large storage requirements.

Reliability

Reliability is crucial when it comes to storage arrays, as downtime can be costly for businesses. Both the Dell DS 3950 and Dell SC4020 are designed with reliability in mind, offering features such as redundant power supplies and hot-swappable components. However, the Dell DS 3950 has a slight edge in terms of reliability, with a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 2.5 million hours compared to the Dell SC4020's MTBF of 1.5 million hours. This means that the Dell DS 3950 may be a better choice for businesses that require maximum uptime.

Management

Another important factor to consider when choosing a storage array is ease of management. The Dell DS 3950 and Dell SC4020 both offer intuitive management interfaces that make it easy to configure and monitor your storage environment. However, the Dell SC4020 has a slight advantage in terms of management capabilities, with features such as automated tiering and data deduplication that can help optimize performance and efficiency. This makes the Dell SC4020 a great choice for businesses that prioritize ease of management.

Price

Price is always a consideration when choosing a storage array, and the Dell DS 3950 and Dell SC4020 are no exception. The Dell DS 3950 tends to be slightly more expensive than the Dell SC4020, due to its higher performance and scalability capabilities. However, the Dell SC4020 offers a good balance of performance and affordability, making it a great choice for businesses with budget constraints. Ultimately, the decision between the Dell DS 3950 and Dell SC4020 may come down to your specific budget and storage requirements.