Tag Archives: Dpack

Dell DPACK 2.0

For those not familiar with the “Dell Performance Analysis Collection Kit” (DPACK), it is a pretty incredible tool that allows you to visualize the current storage and server workloads from the perspective of the host. It is a great tool for planning Capacity and I/O requirements, and can even be used to troubleshoot problems with your storage and storage network. DPACK measures the following:
– Disk I/0
– Throughput (Which is more important than I/O when we’re talking FLASH)
– Capacity
– Memory Consumption on your Servers
– CPU Utilization on your Servers
– Network Traffic
-Queue Depths

Version 2.0 allows real-time analysis statistics that you can view, instead of having to wait the 24 hrs you were required to wait and let it run previously. Version 2.0 gives you better views into your data for additional insight, and presents this data in a form that Executives can appreciate when you go to them with a PO Request.

Some other things to know about DPACK 2.0 are:
– Uses HTML 5 for viewing real-time data in a browser
– Generate PDFs of data collected to present to management
– DPACK compresses analyzed data and transmits to server every 5 mins
– Uses secure SSL on port 443
– DPACK will continue to run and collect data in the event it loses ability to upload
– DPACK isn’t performance impacting and can be (and should be) run during business hrs

So how do you get started with DPACK 2.0? Its best to call up your local Dell Storage Team and discuss DPACK. Netwize, is a great resource for any Dell Data Center needs, helps customers run DPACK all the time and are a great resource for you to reach out to. I work for Netwize so please feel free to reach out to us and we will get you set up.

Running Dell DPACK longer than 24hrs

If you have ever used the DELL DPACK utility to analyze your storage, you’ll find that the application only gives you the ability to scan for 24hrs. Dell does this because they claim “statistically” the DPACK results don’t vary much from any particular day to day. Having run hundreds and hundreds of DPACK scans for many customers, I find that more often than not, the results from various days of running are different enough to warrant longer monitoring times. My advice is to run your DPACK for 3-4 days. And here is how you do it

First download the DPACK tool from http://dell.com/dpack
Extract the Software
Open a Command Prompt and change directory to the extracted DPACK folder
Run the following command: dellpack.exe /extended
CMD_Prompt__BLUR2_.png

Now you should be able to change the monitoring duration:
Time_Duration.png

Understanding Dell DPACK

The Dell DPACK Tool is a unique agentless tool that collect performance statistics of servers (Physical and Virtual) and displays them in an easy to read report. Key metrics in this report include Throughput, Average IO Size, IOPS, Latency, Read/Write Ratio, Peak Queue Depth, Total Capacity, CPU and Memory Usage and much more. Running this tool against your servers adds NO overhead to your servers and provides a wealth of information.

See this sample report:

Dell DPACK Report

Dell DPACK Report

Data collected through this tool is crucial in sizing SAN storage for your organization.
If you would like a free report on what your environment looks like, along with recommendations, please contact Netwize here and request this free service: http://www.netwize.net/contact-us/

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