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Dell PowerVault ME5200 Arrays & MD24 JBOD Storage
Dual-controller SAN/DAS block storage and high-density SAS4 JBOD expansion for PowerEdge — quoted, cabled and delivered as a complete solution.
Why teams choose PowerVault
PowerVault gives growing organizations two complementary ways to store block data: an intelligent, multi-protocol array for shared SAN or DAS, and a simple JBOD shelf for expanding a single PowerEdge server. Both are designed around Dell PowerEdge and are supplied with the software, rails and cabling included.
Two product families, one quote
ME5200 intelligent block arrays for SAN/DAS and MD24 SAS4 JBOD expansion for PowerEdge — sized, cabled and shipped together.
Dual-active controllers
Every ME5200 array runs two hot-swappable Intel Xeon controllers with 24GB of memory each (48GB in a dual-controller system) and automatic failover; there is no single point of controller failure.
Multi-protocol front end
Choose 32Gb FC, 25Gb or 10Gb iSCSI, or 12Gb SAS host connections on the same platform to match your existing fabric.
Scale as data grows
Start in 2U and scale a base array with up to nine 2U or three 5U expansion enclosures, or attach up to 2.4PB of JBOD capacity behind one PowerEdge server.
PowerVault ME5200 — intelligent block arrays
The current PowerVault block platform runs dual-active Intel Xeon controllers with 24GB of memory each (48GB total), a multi-protocol FC/iSCSI/SAS front end, and a complete data-services stack. Configure it as all-flash, hybrid or HDD-only for native block-level SAN or DAS.
ME5212
Capacity-first 2U array with twelve 3.5-inch bays (2.5-inch carriers also supported). Best when terabytes per rack-unit matters more than the lowest latency.
- 12 × 3.5″ bays, 2.5″ carriers supported
- Up to 264 drives / 5.80PB with expansion
- Dual-active controllers, 24GB each
ME5224
Performance-tuned 2U array with twenty-four 2.5-inch bays for 10K SAS and SSD media. The default pick for databases, virtualization and mixed workloads.
- 24 × 2.5″ bays for SSD / 10K
- Up to 276 drives / 5.72PB with expansion
- All-flash, hybrid or HDD-only
ME5284
High-density 5U array with eighty-four 3.5-inch bays in a single chassis. Built for bulk, archive and surveillance storage that needs the lowest cost per terabyte.
- 84 × 3.5″ bays in 5U
- Up to 336 drives / 7.39PB with expansion
- Dual controllers, 24GB each
PowerVault MD24 — SAS4 JBOD for PowerEdge
MD24 shelves have no controllers of their own; RAID is handled by the PowerEdge HBA or PERC card. With 12Gb/24Gb SAS host connectivity and management through iDRAC, they are the most direct way to add capacity to a current PowerEdge server.
MD2412
Low-cost dense DAS for PowerEdge. Twelve 7.2K 3.5-inch drives per enclosure, up to eight enclosures (96 drives) behind an HBA355e.
- 12 × 3.5″ 7.2K SAS
- Up to 1.92PB (20TB drives)
- Up to 8 enclosures per server
MD2424
Performance-optimized DAS with a 24Gb SAS4 internal bus and support for RI/MU SSDs and 10K drives. Built for VDI and database storage.
- 24 × 2.5″ SSD or 10K SAS
- Up to 737.28TB SSD per chain
- Up to 4 enclosures per server
MD2460
High-density 4U shelf with sixty 3.5-inch bays. Ideal for archive, backup, media and surveillance pools that need raw capacity in minimal floor space.
- 60 × 3.5″ 7.2K SAS
- Up to 2.40PB per server
- Up to 2 enclosures (120 drives)
PowerVault ME5 — prior-generation block arrays
The earlier ME5 series (ME5012, ME5024, ME5084) uses the same chassis concept and firmware feature set as the current ME5200 line with the previous controller generation. We supply and expand ME5 systems for sites that want prior-generation pricing or already standardize on ME5/ME4 enclosures.
ME5012
Prior-generation 2U array with twelve 3.5-inch bays. Runs the full ME5 firmware and data services, ideal for budget projects and existing ME5/ME4 estates.
- 12 × 3.5″ bays, 2.5″ carriers supported
- Up to 264 drives / 5.80PB with expansion
- Dual-active controllers
ME5024
Prior-generation 2U performance array with twenty-four 2.5-inch bays for SSD and 10K media. The value option for databases and virtualization.
- 24 × 2.5″ bays for SSD / 10K
- Up to 276 drives / 5.72PB with expansion
- All-flash, hybrid or HDD-only
ME5084
Prior-generation dense 5U array with eighty-four 3.5-inch bays. Built for bulk archive and backup that needs maximum capacity in minimal rack space.
- 84 × 3.5″ bays in 5U
- Up to 336 drives / 7.39PB with expansion
- Dual controllers
Choose PowerVault by workload
Shared block storage / SAN consolidation
ME5224 (or ME5212 for capacity-heavy sites) — FC or 25Gb iSCSI front end, dual-active controllers, snapshots and replication included.
Capacity behind one PowerEdge server
MD2412 or MD2460 direct-attached over 24Gb SAS — no storage network to manage; managed inside iDRAC.
VDI and performance databases on DAS
MD2424 with 24Gb SAS4 SSDs, or an all-flash ME5224 if the storage must be shared across hosts.
Archive, backup target, media / surveillance
MD2460 (60 bays per 4U) for direct-attached bulk, or ME5212 expanded with 5U shelves for shared bulk.
ME5200 architecture & data protection
Dual-active controller pair
Both controllers in an ME5200 are active and present the same volumes, so a controller, port or cache failure fails over without dropping host I/O. Cache is mirrored between the two controllers and backed by flash to protect in-flight writes.
Scale-up back end
A base array attaches up to nine 2U or three 5U expansion enclosures over 12Gb SAS wide ports, taking a single system to as many as 336 drives and 7.39PB of raw capacity while keeping one management domain.
End-to-end data protection
Write-path cache mirroring, background media scrub, ADAPT and RAID rebuilds, read-after-write checks and snapshot or replication copies guard data from a single drive failure through to a site-level disaster.
PowerEdge integration
ME5200 and MD24 are designed, cabled and validated with current PowerEdge servers; MD24 shelves are managed inside iDRAC, and ME5200 exposes a vCenter plug-in plus Redfish/Swordfish APIs for automated infrastructure.
Software included with every ME5200
The ME5200 ships with a single all-inclusive software bundle. There are no per-feature licenses to buy for the core data services below.
Provisioning
Thin and thick volumes, LUN mapping/masking, storage pools and multiple coexisting RAID levels.
Tiering
Up to three-tier automated sub-LUN tiering across read-intensive SSD, write-intensive SSD and SAS HDD.
Snapshots
Up to 1024 point-in-time snapshots with scheduling for fast rollback and local recovery.
Replication
Asynchronous remote replication over FC or iSCSI for disaster recovery between sites.
Security
AES-256 FIPS 140-3 Level 2 SEDs with local or KMIP external key management.
Management
HTML5 PowerVault Manager, CLI, REST (Redfish/Swordfish) and a vCenter plug-in.
Typical configurations
- 4 × 25Gb iSCSI or 32Gb FC host ports
- Thin provisioning, 1024 snapshots, async replication
- Single 2U, redundant power and controllers
- Up to 2.4PB raw direct-attached
- Redundant 24Gb SAS paths
- Managed through iDRAC / SHMCLI
- Up to 737.28TB SSD behind one server
- 24Gb internal and host bus
- All-flash or flash + 10K hybrid
How we deliver PowerVault
Rack-and-stack ready
Arrays and JBODs ship with rails, cables and the controllers or EMM modules fitted. We pre-cable multi-shelf chains and label every SAS path before dispatch.
PowerEdge integration
MD24 shelves are validated with current PowerEdge servers and the HBA355e / PERC stack; ME5200 arrays are validated for shared-storage use with PowerEdge hosts.
Software included
ME5200 arrives with the full data-services stack — ADAPT RAID, auto-tiering, thin provisioning, snapshots, replication and the HTML5 PowerVault Manager — no per-feature licenses.
ME5200 technical specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product family | Dell PowerVault ME5200 (ME5212, ME5224, ME5284) |
| Chassis format | All-in-one: dual controllers, internal drive bays, networking, expansion options |
| Rack size | 2U (ME5212 / ME5224) or 5U (ME5284) |
| Controllers | 2 hot-swappable dual-active; single/dual on 2U, dual-only on 5U |
| Processor | Intel Xeon processor per controller |
| System memory | 24GB per controller (48GB in a dual-controller system) |
| Internal drive bays | ME5212: 12 × 3.5″; ME5224: 24 × 2.5″; ME5284: 84 × 3.5″ |
| Max drives | ME5212: 264 · ME5224: 276 · ME5284: 336 |
| Max raw capacity | ME5212: 5.80PB · ME5224: 5.72PB · ME5284: 7.39PB |
| Throughput | Up to 12GB/s read, 10GB/s write |
| Host interface | FC, iSCSI (optical or Base-T), SAS |
| Host ports (max) | 8 × 32Gb FC · 8 × 25Gb iSCSI · 8 × 10Gb Base-T · 8 × 12Gb SAS |
| Backend / expansion | 12Gb SAS; 2 wide ports (1 per controller) |
| Expansion scale | Up to 9 × 2U or 3 × 5U expansion enclosures |
| RAID | RAID 1, 5, 6, 10 or ADAPT (distributed erasure coding) |
| Data services | Thin provisioning, auto-tiering, up to 1024 snapshots, async replication, volume copy |
| Security | AES-256 SEDs, FIPS 140-3 Level 2, internal key manager or KMIP |
| Array types | All-flash, hybrid flash or HDD-only; native block-level SAN or DAS |
| Management | PowerVault Manager HTML5 GUI, CLI, REST (Redfish/Swordfish), vCenter plug-in |
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product family | Dell PowerVault MD24 Series (MD2412, MD2424, MD2460) |
| Type | Direct-attached JBOD for PowerEdge servers |
| Rack size / bays | MD2412: 2U/12 × 3.5″ · MD2424: 2U/24 × 2.5″ · MD2460: 4U/60 × 3.5″ |
| Host interface | 12Gb / 24Gb SAS (auto-detect) |
| Enclosure modules | 2 HA enclosure management modules (EMM) per shelf |
| Max enclosures / server | MD2412: 8 · MD2424: 4 · MD2460: 2 (with HBA355e) |
| Max capacity | MD2412: 1.92PB · MD2424: 737.28TB SSD · MD2460: 2.40PB |
| Supported media | 7.2K/10K SAS, RI/MU SAS SSD, FIPS SEDs (SAS only; MD2412/2460 HDD-only) |
| Management | Through iDRAC / SHMCLI on the host server |
| Power | MD2412/2424: 800W · MD2460: 1500W |
PowerVault storage questions
What is the difference between PowerVault ME5200 and the MD24 series?
ME5200 is an intelligent dual-controller block array that connects to a SAN (FC/iSCSI) or directly to a host (SAS) and runs RAID, snapshots, tiering and replication itself. The MD24 series is a JBOD shelf with no controllers of its own — RAID is handled by a PowerEdge server’s HBA/PERC, making it a simple, high-capacity DAS expansion.
Is the current model ME5200 or ME5?
ME5200 (ME5212, ME5224, ME5284) is the current PowerVault block platform and a refresh of the earlier ME5 / ME500 series (ME5012, ME5024, ME5084). We quote the current ME5200 for new projects and can supply or expand ME500 systems for sites standardizing on the prior generation.
Can PowerVault storage be shared by multiple servers?
Yes — an ME5200 array presented over FC or iSCSI is shared block storage for many hosts with LUN mapping and multipathing. An MD24 JBOD is direct-attached and intended for a single PowerEdge server (redundant paths from the same host), so use ME5200 when multiple hosts must share the same volumes.
Which host protocols does ME5200 support?
ME5200 supports 32Gb FC (auto-negotiating to 16Gb), 25Gb iSCSI (SFP+/SFP28), 10Gb iSCSI Base-T and 12Gb SAS, with up to eight host ports per array. You select the controller type at order time; the backend expansion protocol is 12Gb SAS.
What is ADAPT RAID and when should I use it?
ADAPT is Dell’s distributed erasure-coding RAID that spreads data and spare capacity across many drives. Compared with traditional parity RAID it shortens rebuild times after a drive failure and simplifies large-disk deployments. Conventional RAID 1, 5, 6 and 10 remain available; multiple RAID levels can coexist in one array.
How many MD24 shelves can attach to one PowerEdge server?
With an HBA355e adapter a server supports up to eight MD2412 (96 drives), four MD2424 (96 drives) or two MD2460 (120 drives) over redundant SAS paths. Exact limits depend on the PowerEdge generation and controller; we confirm the support matrix for your server before quoting.
Are snapshots, replication and tiering licensed separately?
No. ME5200 is delivered with the all-inclusive software bundle — thin provisioning, up to three-tier auto-tiering, up to 1024 snapshots, asynchronous replication over FC or iSCSI, volume copy and the HTML5 management interface — with no per-feature add-on licenses.
Does PowerVault support encryption and FIPS drives?
Yes. ME5200 supports self-encrypting drives (AES-256 full-disk encryption) certified to FIPS 140-3 Level 2, with internal controller key management or an external KMIP key manager. The MD24 series supports FIPS-certified SAS SEDs where the drive type is supported by the shelf.
How do you deliver and support these systems?
We supply ME5200 arrays and MD24 shelves configured to your specification, with rails, cables, controllers/EMMs fitted and multi-shelf SAS chains pre-cabled and labelled. Arrays can be integrated with current PowerEdge servers, and manufacturer support and deployment services are available. Tell us your capacity, host and protocol requirements and we will size a complete solution.
How much memory does an ME5200 controller have?
Each ME5200 controller is configured with 24GB of memory, so a standard dual-controller array provides 48GB in total with cache mirrored between the pair. This is the specification used in current Dell documentation and the basis of our configured quotes.
What throughput can I expect from an ME5200?
Dell’s published specification for the current ME5200 platform is up to 12GB/s of sequential read and 10GB/s of sequential write bandwidth per system. Real results depend on the drive mix, RAID layout, host protocol and workload, which we can size against your target profile.
Can I start small and expand the same array later?
Yes. Order an ME5212 or ME5224 with the drives you need now and add expansion enclosures as data grows, up to 264/276 drives in the 2U platforms. Volumes and pools are expanded online, so there is no forklift replacement. We recommend confirming the expansion enclosure type and cabling at the initial order.
Need help sizing PowerVault storage?
Tell us your capacity, host server and protocol requirements. We will configure an ME5200 array or MD24 JBOD solution, confirm the PowerEdge support matrix, and send a quote with lead time.
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