Enterprise Storage and SAN - HPE MSA, Dell EMC and Lenovo

Enterprise Storage and SAN - HPE MSA, Dell EMC and Lenovo

I.T. Computers is a full-service strategic partner for enterprise storage and SAN infrastructure projects. We offer end-to-end solutions with HPE MSA, Dell EMC and Lenovo, from technical sizing to ongoing support with proactive monitoring.

Why Choose I.T. Computers for Enterprise Storage?

Unlike traditional distributors that only handle transactional sales, I.T. Computers acts as your single partner with full accountability for your storage projects:

  • Consulting and Sizing: Analysis of capacity, IOPS, throughput and growth to ensure the correct storage specification
  • Integrated Supply: Storage, drives, controllers, SAN switches and complete infrastructure in a single project
  • Installation and Configuration: Physical installation, RAID configuration, LUNs, zoning and performance testing
  • Backup Integration: Configuration of snapshots, replication and integration with backup solutions
  • Ongoing Technical Support: 24x7 monitoring, preventive maintenance and on-site support with SLA

Available Enterprise Storage Lines

HPE MSA - Simplicity and Reliability

  • HPE MSA 2050: Entry-level SAN storage with up to 192TB, dual controller, SAS/iSCSI/FC
  • HPE MSA 2060: Mid-range SAN storage with up to 1.8PB, 16Gb FC, 12Gb SAS, 10GbE iSCSI
  • HPE MSA 2062: All-flash storage with up to 460TB SSD, sub-millisecond latency
  • Connectivity: Fibre Channel 16Gb/32Gb, iSCSI 10GbE/25GbE, SAS 12Gb
  • Management: HPE MSA Storage Management Utility (SMU) web-based
  • Features: Snapshots, synchronous/asynchronous replication, thin provisioning, auto-tiering

Dell EMC - Performance and Scalability

  • Dell EMC PowerVault ME4: Entry-level SAN storage with up to 1.8PB, dual controller, iSCSI/FC/SAS
  • Dell EMC PowerVault ME5: Mid-range SAN storage with NVMe-oF, up to 4PB, AI-driven optimization
  • Dell EMC Unity XT: Unified storage (block + file) with up to 16PB, NVMe, multi-cloud
  • Dell EMC PowerStore: Next-generation all-flash storage with end-to-end NVMe
  • Connectivity: Fibre Channel 32Gb, iSCSI 25GbE, NVMe-oF, SAS 12Gb
  • Management: Dell EMC CloudIQ with predictive analytics and AI

Lenovo ThinkSystem - Innovation and Cost-Effectiveness

  • Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series: Entry-level SAN storage with up to 1.8PB, dual controller
  • Lenovo ThinkSystem DM Series: Mid-range SAN storage with NVMe, up to 4PB
  • Lenovo ThinkAgile VX: Hyperconverged storage with Nutanix
  • Connectivity: Fibre Channel 16Gb/32Gb, iSCSI 10GbE/25GbE, SAS 12Gb
  • Management: Lenovo XClarity for unified management

Applications and Use Cases

Server Virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V)

HPE MSA 2060 or Dell EMC ME5 storage with SSD/SAS drives in RAID 10, 16Gb FC connectivity, thin provisioning and snapshots for VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V environments with 50-200 VMs.

Critical Databases (SQL Server, Oracle)

HPE MSA 2062 or Dell EMC PowerStore all-flash storage with NVMe, sub-millisecond latency, RAID 6 and synchronous replication for high-performance transactional databases.

Backup and Archiving

HPE MSA 2050 or Dell EMC ME4 storage with high-capacity SATA drives (8TB-20TB), RAID 6, deduplication and compression for Veeam, Acronis or Veritas backup repositories.

File Server and Enterprise NAS

Dell EMC Unity XT storage with NFS/SMB protocol, automatic snapshots, user quotas and Active Directory integration for Windows/Linux file servers.

Video and Media Editing

All-flash storage with 32Gb FC or NVMe-oF connectivity, 10GB/s+ throughput and low latency for 4K/8K editing workflows in Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve or Avid.

Our Implementation Process

1. Consulting and Sizing (Week 1)

  • Requirements gathering: current capacity, expected growth, critical applications
  • Performance analysis: IOPS, throughput, latency, I/O patterns
  • Architecture definition: DAS, SAN FC, SAN iSCSI, NAS, hyperconverged
  • RAID calculation: RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 with overhead and hot-spare
  • Drive specification: NVMe SSD, SATA SSD, 10K/15K SAS, 7.2K SATA
  • Commercial proposal with 3-5 year TCO

2. Integrated Supply (Weeks 2-4)

  • Acquisition of storage, drives, controllers and SAN switches
  • Compatibility validation with servers and HBAs
  • Firmware and RAID pre-configuration
  • Technical documentation preparation (topology, zoning, LUNs)
  • Coordinated logistics and delivery

3. Installation and Configuration (Weeks 5-6)

  • Physical rack installation with SAN cabling (FC or Ethernet)
  • Configuration of controllers, RAID groups and storage pools
  • Creation of LUNs, volumes and file systems
  • Configuration of zoning on FC switches (if applicable)
  • Installation of HBAs and drivers on servers
  • LUN mapping to servers (LUN masking)
  • Multipath configuration (MPIO) for high availability
  • Performance testing (IOPS, throughput, latency)
  • Configuration of snapshots, replication and thin provisioning
  • Complete technical documentation (as-built)

4. Backup Integration (Week 7)

  • Configuration of automatic snapshots (hourly, daily, weekly)
  • Integration with Veeam, Acronis, Veritas or Commvault
  • Configuration of replication to secondary site (DR)
  • Restore and RTO/RPO testing

5. Ongoing Technical Support

  • 24x7 proactive monitoring with capacity, performance and failure alerts
  • Quarterly preventive maintenance (firmware, cleaning, drive verification)
  • Remote and on-site technical support with 4-8 hour SLA
  • Warranty and drive RMA management with manufacturers
  • Capacity planning and expansion roadmap
  • Monthly performance and utilization reports

I.T. Computers vs. Traditional Distributors

Criterion I.T. Computers Distributors (Ingram, Tech Data)
Sizing ✅ Analysis of IOPS, throughput and growth ❌ Hardware quote only
Installation ✅ Physical installation, RAID, LUNs, zoning ❌ Equipment delivery only
SAN Configuration ✅ FC switches, zoning, multipath, HBAs ❌ Customer configures alone
Integration ✅ Storage + servers + backup in a single project ❌ Sale of isolated items
Performance Testing ✅ IOPS, throughput and latency testing ❌ No testing
Post-Sales Support ✅ 24x7 monitoring with SLA ❌ Manufacturer warranty only
TCO ✅ 35-40% lower with proactive support ❌ Hidden costs with external consulting

Related Projects

Success Stories

Regional Hospital - 300 Beds

Challenge: Legacy DAS storage without redundancy for the electronic health record system.
Solution: HPE MSA 2060 with 48TB SSD in RAID 6, dual controller FC 16Gb, replication to DR site.
Result: 99.99% high availability, 5x superior performance, automated backup and LGPD compliance.

Architecture Office - 80 Users

Challenge: Windows file server with slow local drives for AutoCAD and Revit projects.
Solution: Dell EMC Unity XT with 20TB NVMe SSD, SMB 3.0 protocol, automatic snapshots.
Result: 80% reduction in project opening time, automatic versioning and ransomware protection.

Contact Us

Request a free technical consultation for enterprise storage sizing for your company:

Email: cotacoes@itcomputers.com.br
Phone: 0800 590 0343

Our technical team is ready to analyze your needs and propose the ideal HPE MSA, Dell EMC or Lenovo storage solution.