Dell PowerVault MD3000i iSCSI SAN Storage Array, 15-Bay 3.5" with Dual Controllers and 15x 450GB SAS Drives: This is a complete 3U 15-bay iSCSI SAN storage array based on the Dell PowerVault MD3000i platform. The system ships with two AMP01-RSIM iSCSI controllers (active/active) and 15x 450GB 15K SAS drives (Hitachi HUS156045VLS600 / 0B24495). This is a turnkey storage array, not a bare chassis or controller-only spare. This is a refurbished unit.
Engineering Context
The MD3000i is a 3U entry-level iSCSI SAN that consolidates up to 16 attached hosts and supports daisy-chaining of MD1000 expansion shelves up to a 45 TB raw capacity ceiling. Each controller carries 512 MB of mirrored battery-backed write cache and a 6.0 Gb/s SAS-2 drive-side connection. The included 15x 450GB drives provide ~6.75 TB raw before RAID overhead. Redundant active/active controllers, hot-swap drives, and dual power/cooling deliver no single point of failure at the hardware level.
Deployment & Use Cases
Entry-level iSCSI SAN for SMB virtualization (VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, XenServer) where iSCSI multipathing is required. Consolidated storage for clustered file servers, Exchange mailbox roles, and SQL Server database/log volumes. Lab and staging environment for MPIO and clustered shared volume testing. Backup target for B2D appliances and Veeam repositories where lower-cost SAS capacity is acceptable.
Technical Specifications
OEM: Dell
Model: PowerVault MD3000i
Form Factor: 3U rack-mount, 15x 3.5" LFF bays
Host Interface: iSCSI over 1 GbE (4 ports per array, 2 per controller)
Drive-Side Interface: SAS-2 (6.0 Gb/s)
Controllers Included: 2x AMP01-RSIM (active/active)
Cache: 512 MB per controller, battery-backed
Drives Included: 15x Dell 450GB 15K SAS 3.5" (HUS156045VLS600 / 0B24495)
Maximum Hosts: 16 fully redundant
Maximum Capacity: 45 TB raw with MD1000 expansion shelves
Raw Capacity (As Configured): ~6.75 TB
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Compatible with VMware ESXi, Microsoft Windows Server, Linux, and Solaris hosts via standard iSCSI initiators with Dell MPIO multipath drivers. Expansion is supported via Dell PowerVault MD1000 SAS shelves only — not MD1200 or MD3060e. Not interchangeable with the SAS-attached PowerVault MD3000 or the Fibre-Channel MD3000FC; controllers and host transport are different. End-of-Life from Dell; no new firmware releases. Drives are firmware-locked to PowerVault MD-series and are not interoperable with EqualLogic, Compellent, or EMC arrays.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS bench-tests every MD3000i array end-to-end: controller cache battery health, iSCSI port link, SAS backplane continuity, and SMART scan on every drive before shipment. Visit tes-itsolutions.com for our full Dell PowerVault inventory. Handling time 1–3 business days with global shipping and warranty.