Dell VMAX 100K

Name: Dell VMAX 100K
Brand: Dell

End of supportStoragesystem bay rack

The EMC VMAX 100K is an enterprise tier-1 hybrid storage array marking the entry point of the VMAX3 generation. Powered by dual-director VMAX3 Engines and the Dynamic Virtual Matrix architecture, the 100K provided automated FAST service level tiering across flash, SAS, and NL-SAS drives, making enterprise director-class storage accessible to mid-sized IT environments.

Also written as: VMAX 100K, EMC VMAX 100K, VMAX3 100K Hybrid

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Specifications

Brand	Dell
Family	VMAX
Form factor	system bay rack
Released	Sep 2014
End of sale	Jan 2018
End of support	Jan 2023
Cpu platform	1 or 2 VMAX3 Engines (2 to 4 directors), Intel Xeon Ivy Bridge multi-core processors
Memory max (GB)	2,048
Drive bays	Up to 1440x 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SAS/NL-SAS/SSD drives across high-density DAEs
Raw capacity	Up to 1.5 PB raw storage capacity
Network onboard	Front-end I/O supporting 16Gb/8Gb Fibre Channel, 10GbE iSCSI, and 8Gb FICON
Power supply	Redundant 2000W AC power supplies with dual external SPS battery units

Generations

Next generation: Dell VMAX 250F

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 VMAX 100K connects to servers, storage and the network: 2 ways, with the parts and products on each path.

Fibre Channel SAN iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet

Fibre Channel SAN

Serverwith an FC HBAFC switchtwo fabrics, A and BStorage arrayFC host ports

Match the speed: 16Gb and 32Gb FC HBAs, switches and array ports work together, and each generation also runs one or two speeds below its own (a 32Gb port runs at 16Gb and 8Gb).

Servers

Adapters for the server

540-BBUU Dell Emulex LPe31002 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
540-BBUV Dell QLogic 2692 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
540-BCMS Dell QLogic 2770 Single Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
540-BCMT Dell QLogic 2772 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter

Switches

Dell Connectrix MDS-9148S 1U switch
Dell Connectrix MDS-9710 14U director chassis
Dell Connectrix MP-7840B 2U switch
Dell Connectrix MDS-9396S 2U switch

Optics

407-BBOG Dell 16Gb Short Wave SFP+ Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
407-BCBI Dell 32Gb Short Wave SFP28 Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
407-BBOH Dell 8Gb Short Wave SFP+ Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver

Fibre Channel SAN: how it fits together

iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet

Server10/25/100GbE NICEthernet switchstorage VLAN, two switchesStorage arrayiSCSI or NVMe/TCP ports

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

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

Optics

407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
SFP-10G-LR-AR Arista 10GBASE-LR SFP+ Optical Transceiver Module

iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet: how it fits together

Plan and size it

Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
Virtualization storage Ledger: scored storage platforms mrplanb.com
SAN transport and NVMe over FC for backup 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 VMAX 100K.

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 VMAX 100K: what to check

Verify battery status on Standby Power Supplies (SPS), test InfiniBand dual-matrix connections between engines, confirm drive caddy compatibility, and inspect engine power feeds.

FAQ

What is the maximum drive count on the VMAX 100K?

The 100K can scale up to 1440 total drives across dense 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drive array enclosures.

How does VMAX3 manage data performance tiers?

VMAX3 uses FAST (Fully Automated Storage Tiering) with predefined service level objectives (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze).

Buying or selling VMAX 100K?

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.

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Sources

EMC VMAX 100K Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27