Dell Isilon H500
The Dell EMC Isilon H500 is a versatile mid-tier hybrid scale-out NAS system delivering high throughput and solid enterprise capacity for rich media, healthcare PACS, and high-concurrency file environments. Driven by quad 10-core Intel Xeon processors and 40GbE networking, the H500 provides up to 5 GB/s bandwidth per chassis with automated SmartPools SSD caching.
Also written as: Isilon H500, Dell EMC Isilon H500, Versatile Hybrid Scale-Out NAS
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | Isilon |
| Form factor | 4U 4-node chassis |
| Released | May 2017 |
| End of sale | Jun 2021 |
| End of support | Jun 2026 |
| Cpu platform | 4x Intel Xeon E5-2630 v4 (10 cores per node, 40 cores per chassis) |
| Memory max (GB) | 512 |
| Drive bays | 60x 3.5-inch SATA hard drives (up to 12TB drives) + 4x to 8x cache SSDs |
| Raw capacity | 120TB to 720TB raw capacity per 4U chassis |
| Network onboard | Front-end: Dual 40GbE QSFP+ or Dual 10GbE SFP+ per node; Back-end: Dual 40GbE QSFP+ |
| Power supply | Quad redundant hot-plug 1450W power supplies |
Generations
- Next generation: Dell PowerScale H700
Compatible parts
HBAs
540-BCMT Dell QLogic 2772 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
540-BCMU Dell Emulex LPe35002 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
Transceivers
407-BCBI Dell 32Gb Short Wave SFP28 Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
Rail kits
770-BCKW Dell ReadyRails II Sliding Rails for 2U PowerEdge Servers (B6)
Drive caddies
DXD9H Dell 2.5-inch Gen14/Gen15/Gen16 Hot-Plug Drive Caddy Tray (SFF)
SSDs
400-AZPZ Dell 1.92TB SAS Read Intensive 12Gb/s 2.5-inch Hot-Plug SSD
400-BDSD Dell 3.84TB SAS Read Intensive 12Gb/s 2.5-inch Hot-Plug SSD
Works together
How the Dell Isilon H500 connects to servers, storage and the network: 2 ways, with the parts and products on each path.
iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet
Keep the speed the same at all three points: a 25GbE server, a 25GbE switch port and a 25GbE array port. Mixed speeds work but the slowest link sets the pace.
Servers
Dell PowerEdge C4140 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R440 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R540 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R640 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R740 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R740xd 2U rack
Adapters for the server
540-BBGN Dell Broadcom 57412 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Adapter
540-BBGO Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
540-BBGP Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
540-BBGY Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 PCIe Low Profile Network Adapter
Switches
Dell PowerSwitch S4128F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S4128T-ON 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch S4148F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S4148FE-ON 1U switch
Optics
407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
QSFP-40G-LR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
File storage (NFS and SMB)
Front-end ports face the clients; back-end ports (on scale-out systems) connect the nodes to each other and need their own switch pair.
Servers
- Dell PowerEdge C4140 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R440 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R540 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R640 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R740 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R740xd 2U rack
Adapters for the server
- 540-BBGN Dell Broadcom 57412 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Adapter
- 540-BBGO Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
- 540-BBGP Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
- 540-BBGY Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 PCIe Low Profile Network Adapter
Switches
- Dell PowerSwitch S4128F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S4128T-ON 1U switch
- Dell PowerSwitch S4148F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S4148FE-ON 1U switch
Optics
- 407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
- QSFP-40G-LR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- iSCSI explained mrplanb.com
- Virtualization storage Ledger: scored storage platforms mrplanb.com
- Network monitoring tools compared mrplanb.com
- Dell E-Lab Navigator (Dell interoperability) dell.com
Check compatibility with Dell
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that Dell has tested with the Dell Isilon H500.
- Compatibility Dell E-Lab Navigator (storage and SAN interoperability) (free vendor sign-in)
- Support Dell Support: drivers, manuals and service tag lookup
Equivalent models from other brands
Buying a used Isilon H500: what to check
Verify RAM configuration on all four node sleds, test front-end 40GbE and 10GbE interfaces, ensure cache SSDs have remaining write life, and check chassis rail kit integrity.
FAQ
What is the primary difference between Isilon H400 and H500?
The H500 features significantly more powerful Xeon E5 CPUs, double the system memory, and 40GbE front-end networking for higher concurrency.
Does the H500 support mixed drive sizes in the same chassis?
All 60 spinning drive bays within an individual H500 chassis must contain identical drive capacities.
Buying or selling Isilon H500?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- Dell EMC Isilon H500 Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27