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Dell PowerVault ME5284
5U dual-controller dense array with 84 x 3.5″ drive bays
The PowerVault ME5284 is the high-density flagship of the ME5200 family. Eighty-four large-form-factor drives sit in two pull-out drawers inside a single 5U chassis, served by redundant dual-active controllers. Add up to three ME584 dense expansion enclosures to reach 336 drives and roughly 7.39PB of raw block storage – roughly eight petabytes at the family’s largest supported drive sizes.
Why the ME5284 is the dense flagship
When the requirement is measured in petabytes rather than tens of terabytes, rack space becomes its own constraint. The ME5284 answers that by placing eighty-four large-form-factor drives in two drawers inside a single 5U chassis, all served by the same dual-active architecture as its 2U siblings. Expansion stays equally dense: adding ME584 shelves keeps the ratio of drives to rack units high instead of filling a cabinet with many small heads.
This density brings planning responsibilities that smaller models do not. A fully loaded ME5284 is a heavy, deep chassis with substantial power and heat load, so rack loading, floor load and circuit capacity should be confirmed up front. In return it delivers the largest single block-storage footprint in the family – multiple petabytes managed as one array rather than a collection of independent systems.
Platform architecture
Dual-active controllers
Two Intel Xeon controllers sit active/active and present the same LUNs on both modules. If one module is removed or faults, its partner takes over paths without taking the volume offline.
12Gb SAS backend
Drives and expansion enclosures connect on a 12Gb SAS back end using wide ports, one per controller, keeping the path to added shelves simple and deterministic.
Pooled virtual storage
Capacity is organized into virtual storage pools with pages that can be auto-tiered across SSD, performance and capacity media as access patterns change.
Included data protection
Redirect-on-write snapshots, thin provisioning, volume copy and asynchronous FC/iSCSI replication are built into the firmware rather than bolt-on licenses.
- Dual-active Intel Xeon controllers with automatic, transparent failover
- Native block-level SAN or DAS in a single array
- RAID 1, 5, 6, 10 and distributed ADAPT erasure coding
- Thin provisioning, up to 3 auto-tiers, snapshots and async replication included
- 32Gb FC, 25Gb iSCSI, 10Gb Base-T and 12Gb SAS host options
- AES-256 SED encryption, FIPS 140-3 drives and KMIP external key management
- PowerVault Manager HTML5 GUI, CLI and Redfish/Swordfish REST API
Where this model fits
High-density backup target
Land backup and deduplicated-copy data on dozens of large disks in minimal rack space with SAN or SAS connectivity.
Media and surveillance repository
Store large file, video and surveillance archives that prioritize capacity and stream throughput over flash latency.
Petabyte private capacity
Build an 8PB-class internal block store for retention, archives and cold tiers without a sprawling rack of small arrays.
Technical specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product type | ME5200 dense dual-controller storage array |
| Rack size | 5U |
| Drive bays | 84 x 3.5″ in two drawers (2.5″ carriers supported) |
| Controllers | Dual-active Intel Xeon only – both modules must be populated |
| Controller memory | 24GB per controller (48GB dual-controller) |
| Throughput | Up to 12GB/s read, 10GB/s write |
| Host interfaces | FC, iSCSI (optical or Base-T), SAS |
| Max host ports | 8 x 32Gb FC / 8 x 25Gb iSCSI / 8 x 10Gb Base-T / 8 x 12Gb SAS |
| Management ports | 2 x 1Gb Base-T per array |
| Backend protocol | 12Gb SAS; 1 wide expansion port per controller |
| RAID levels | 1, 5, 6, 10 and ADAPT |
| Data services | Thin provisioning, auto-tiering (3 tiers), snapshots (1024), async replication, volume copy |
| Security | AES-256 SED, FIPS 140-3 Level 2 drives, internal keys or KMIP |
| Expansion | Up to 3 x ME584 enclosures; 28-336 drives |
| Max raw capacity | Up to 7.39PB (3 x ME584); ~8PB class at largest drives |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 22.23 x 48.30 x 98.1 cm (8.75 x 19.01 x 38.62 in) |
| Weight | 135 kg / 298 lb max; 64 kg / 141 lb empty |
| Power | 2200W; 7507 BTU |
| Operating temp. | 5-35C, derated 1C per 300m above 900m |
Compare the ME5200 models
| Specification | ME5212 | ME5224 | ME5284 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form factor | 2U | 2U | 5U |
| Drive bays | 12 x 3.5″ | 24 x 2.5″ | 84 x 3.5″ |
| Best at | Low-cost bulk SAN | Flash / performance | Maximum density |
| Max drives (stacked) | 264 | 276 | 336 |
| Max raw capacity | 5.80PB | 5.72PB | 7.39PB |
Typical configurations
How this unit is supplied
Configured to your host
We match the shelf or array to your server model, host bus adapter and cabling so the unit arrives ready to rack and connect, not as a pile of separate parts.
Tested before shipment
Drives, controllers or EMMs, power supplies and firmware revisions are checked so the configuration powers up and presents storage on first install.
Service and warranty
New systems are supplied with the appropriate Dell ProSupport and ProDeploy coverage, with options for proactive and multi-year support.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ME5284 available with a single controller?
No. The 5U ME5284 supports dual-controller configuration only; both modules must be installed to maintain airflow and redundancy. The 2U models offer a single-controller option.
How are the 84 drives arranged and serviced?
They are split between two front-loading drawers (42 drives each). A drawer can be serviced while the array stays online, following the documented procedure.
How much capacity can one ME5284 stack reach?
Up to 336 drives and about 7.39PB raw with three ME584 expansion enclosures – Dell describes the family as an up-to-8PB platform at the largest supported drives.
What is the ME5284 best used for?
Capacity-dense workloads such as backup targets, media and surveillance archives, and large internal repositories where cost per terabyte and rack density matter most.
How much does a fully loaded ME5284 weigh?
Up to 135 kg (298 lb) fully configured, and 64 kg (141 lb) empty. Rack loading and floor load should be planned before installation.
Does the ME5284 support flash and encryption?
Yes. SSDs can provide a fast auto-tier, and AES-256 self-encrypting drives certified to FIPS 140-3 Level 2 are available with internal or KMIP key management.
What power does the ME5284 require?
Dual 2200W power supplies drawing from 200-240 VAC, dissipating up to 7507 BTU per hour at full load.
Can it replicate to the smaller ME5212 or ME5224?
Yes. All ME52XX arrays replicate to each other – and to older ME50XX systems – asynchronously over FC or iSCSI.
How do I order a configured ME5284?
Tell us your capacity target, host protocol and rack constraints and we will configure a new ME5284 with expansion shelves and Dell service coverage, then quote the complete solution.
How does drawer servicing work without taking the array offline?
The two drawers each hold part of the drive set and are accessed from the front. Following the documented service procedure, a drawer can be opened to service drives while the array and the other drawer remain active.
What should be planned for an ME5284 installation?
Beyond rack space, plan for the loaded weight, the near-981mm depth, 200-240 VAC circuits feeding the 2200W supplies, and the heat load of roughly 7507 BTU per hour at full configuration.
Can the ME5284 combine flash and high-capacity drives?
Yes. SSDs and large NLSAS drives can coexist in a tiered pool, with frequently accessed pages moved to flash while the bulk of the 84-bay chassis remains economical capacity.
Related PowerVault models
Configure this PowerVault for your environment
Send us your server model, drive mix and host protocol. We will quote a new, fully tested unit with the right Dell service coverage.
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