Dell VMAX 400K
The EMC VMAX 400K was the flagship enterprise director system of the VMAX3 generation, architected to scale up to 8 dual-director engines, 16TB of mirrored cache, and 5760 drives. Purpose-built for multinational enterprises and major telecommunications service providers, the 400K provided massive bandwidth, mainframe integration, and disaster-proof multi-site replication.
Also written as: VMAX 400K, EMC VMAX 400K, Flagship VMAX3 Enterprise
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | VMAX |
| Form factor | system bay multi-cabinet |
| Released | Sep 2014 |
| End of sale | Jan 2018 |
| End of support | Jan 2023 |
| Cpu platform | Up to 8 VMAX3 Engines (16 directors), Intel Xeon Ivy Bridge multi-core processors (up to 192 cores) |
| Memory max (GB) | 16,384 |
| Drive bays | Up to 5760x 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SAS/NL-SAS/SSD drives across high-density DAEs |
| Raw capacity | Up to 6.0 PB raw hybrid storage capacity |
| Network onboard | Front-end I/O supporting 16Gb/8Gb Fibre Channel, 10GbE iSCSI, and 16Gb/8Gb FICON |
| Power supply | Redundant multi-cabinet high-amperage power distribution assemblies with SPS batteries |
Generations
- Next generation: Dell VMAX 850F
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 400K connects to servers, storage and the network: 2 ways, with the parts and products on each path.
Fibre Channel SAN
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
Dell PowerEdge R220 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R430 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R530 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R630 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R730 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R730xd 2U rack
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
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 R220 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R430 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R530 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R630 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R730 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R730xd 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 N2024 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N2024P 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N2048 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N2048P 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)
SFP-10G-LR-AR Arista 10GBASE-LR SFP+ 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
- 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 400K.
- 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 400K: what to check
Examine condition of all 8 engine chassis and InfiniBand switch modules, verify battery backup runtime across all SPS shelves, check multi-phase power inputs, and test drive controller loops.
FAQ
What was the maximum bandwidth of the VMAX 400K?
The 400K delivered up to 55 GB/s of sustained hybrid throughput across its 16 directors.
Can the 400K be configured entirely with solid state drives?
Yes, it could be deployed as an all-flash configuration or a tiered hybrid array with FAST software.
Buying or selling VMAX 400K?
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
- EMC VMAX 400K Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27