Dell PowerVault ME5: entry SAN from 2U to 5U
PowerVault ME5 is Dell’s entry-level SAN array, built around a dual active controller pair and a 12Gb SAS back end. Three chassis carry the whole family: ME5012 with twelve 3.5-inch bays, ME5024 with twenty-four 2.5-inch bays, and the dense ME5084 with eighty-four 3.5-inch bays in 5U. The choice between them is a drive-count decision before it is a performance one.
Technical specification
| Model | Type | Maximum capacity | Controller | Protocols | Drive type | Rack U |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ME5012 | Entry-level hybrid SAN | Up to 5.80 PB raw with expansion | Single or dual controller | 16Gb FC, 10GbE iSCSI, 10GBase-T, 12Gb SAS | SSD, 10K SAS, NL-SAS (FIPS SED available) | 2U (12 × 3.5″) |
| ME5024 | Entry-level hybrid SAN | Up to 5.72 PB raw with expansion | Single or dual controller | 16Gb FC, 10GbE iSCSI, 10GBase-T, 12Gb SAS | SSD, 10K SAS, NL-SAS (FIPS SED available) | 2U (24 × 2.5″) |
| ME5084 | Entry-level hybrid SAN | Up to 7.39 PB raw with expansion | Dual active controllers | 16Gb FC, 10GbE iSCSI, 10GBase-T, 12Gb SAS | SSD, 10K SAS, NL-SAS (FIPS SED available) | 5U (84 × 3.5″) |
Source of the values: Dell PowerVault ME5 specification sheet. The base array scales to 336 drives with ME412, ME424 or ME484 expansion enclosures. An en dash means the manufacturer does not publish that value; we do not fill it in with an estimate. Confirm every figure against the current manufacturer document before it is written into a contract.
The references we quote in this family are ME5012, ME5024 and ME5084. Send us the reference if you already have one, or the usable capacity and the protocol you need if you do not, and we will confirm availability and lead time.
Which one should you choose?
Bay size decides the array, not the badge
The three base models differ mainly in how many drives they hold and in what form factor. If the workload wants many small fast drives, the 2.5-inch ME5024 is the frame. If it wants fewer, larger, cheaper drives, the 3.5-inch ME5012 or the dense ME5084 is the frame. Deciding this first removes most of the ambiguity from the rest of the configuration.
Expansion is where the capacity actually comes from
A base array on its own is modest. The published maximums, up to 7.39 PB raw on the ME5084, assume expansion enclosures: ME412, ME424 or ME484 depending on the base model. The array scales to 336 drives in total. Plan the expansion path at the time of the first order, because the enclosure family is tied to the base model you pick.
Two controllers or one
The 2U models can be ordered with a single controller or with two. The 5U ME5084 is dual controller only. A single controller costs less and is genuinely fine for a copy target or a lab, but it is a single point of failure for anything a business depends on. If the array will serve production, order it dual and do not revisit the decision later.
Host connectivity is chosen once
ME5 controllers are offered as 16Gb Fibre Channel, 10GbE iSCSI, 10GBase-T or 12Gb SAS. The protocol is a property of the controller you buy, not a setting. Tell us what the hosts already speak, because retrofitting the wrong protocol means replacing controllers rather than adding a card.
Mixed media is the normal case
The family takes SSDs, 10K SAS and NL-SAS drives, including FIPS self-encrypting variants, and the automated tiering engine moves the busiest data onto the fastest media without an administrator deciding each time. That is what makes an entry array workable for a mixed workload. Tell us the split between hot and cold data and we will size the flash tier against it.
Where it fits, and where it does not
Fits a server room, a branch site or a departmental workload that needs shared block storage with real redundancy but does not need an enterprise array. Does not fit a site that needs file services from the same box, where PowerStore is the answer, and does not fit a workload measured in millions of IOPS.
What we need in order to quote it
- Usable capacity today and expected growth over three years
- Drive mix: how much must be flash
- Host protocol already in use: FC, iSCSI or SAS
- Single or dual controller
- Rack space available: 2U or 5U
Request a Quote
Tell us the usable capacity, the protocol and the delivery country. A priced quote comes back within 48 hours, usually with a second option so the trade-off is visible.
