Maven Services
Unity & Unity XT Support from Engineers Who Know Unified Storage Inside Out
Block and file storage expertise. Direct engineer access. No call centers, no escalation chains, no runaround.
Dell EMC Unity has been one of the most widely deployed midrange unified storage platforms in the enterprise since its introduction in 2016. But the landscape around Unity is shifting fast. The original Unity models (300 through 600) are hitting end of service life, Dell stopped selling Unity XT all-flash models in August 2025, and Dell is steering customers toward PowerStore as the replacement platform. For organizations that aren’t ready to rip and replace their storage infrastructure, and don’t want to pay escalating Dell ProSupport renewals for a product Dell is sunsetting, Maven IT Solutions provides expert third-party maintenance across the entire Unity family. Our W2 Level 3 and Level 4 engineers deliver full Unisphere and OE support with response times under 15 minutes and savings of up to 70%.
Dell Is Moving Past Unity. Your Support Strategy Needs to Catch Up.
Unity has been a workhorse midrange platform for nearly a decade, but Dell’s roadmap has moved on:
- Unity XT all-flash models reached end of sale in August 2025. Dell stopped selling the Unity XT 380F, 480F, 680F, and 880F, signaling that the platform is in its sunset phase. Dell is actively migrating customers to PowerStore as the replacement.
- ProSupport renewals are climbing on aging hardware. Dell’s annual renewal pricing for Unity arrays escalates significantly each year, with some customers seeing 25–40% increases. You’re paying more for support from a vendor that’s investing less in the platform.
- Original Unity models are at or past EOSL. The Unity 300/300F reached end of service life in July 2025. The Unity 400/400F is scheduled for EOSL in July 2026. The Unity 350F, 450F, 500/500F, 550F, 600/600F, and 650F are on a similar trajectory. After EOSL, Dell provides no support whatsoever.
- PowerStore migration isn’t instant. Even organizations planning to move to PowerStore need time, 12 to 24 months is typical for a storage platform migration. During that transition, you still need reliable, expert support for the Unity infrastructure that’s running your production workloads.
Why Maven IT for Unity: Unified Storage Specialists, Not Generalists
Unity isn’t a simple disk shelf, it’s a unified storage platform that serves both block (iSCSI, FC) and file (NFS, CIFS/SMB) workloads from the same array, managed through Unisphere. When a storage pool runs into performance issues, when a NAS server failover doesn’t complete cleanly, or when a FAST VP tiering policy isn’t behaving as expected, you need an engineer who understands the full Unity operating environment, not just someone who can swap a failed disk.
| Capability | Typical TPM Provider | Maven IT Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| First Contact | Level 1 call center | Level 3/4 Unity storage engineer |
| Response Time | 1–4 hour SLA | Under 15 minutes |
| Unisphere / OE Support | Hardware only | Full OE, Unisphere, FAST VP, NAS support |
| Block + File Expertise | Basic disk replacement | iSCSI, FC, NFS, CIFS/SMB troubleshooting |
| Pool & RAID Support | Not covered | Pool management, FAST Cache, RAID group optimization |
| Engineers | 1099 contractors | Full-time W2 employees |
| Cost vs. OEM | 30–40% savings | Up to 70% savings |
Unity & Unity XT Models We Support
Maven supports every Unity and Unity XT model Dell has shipped, from original-generation arrays that are past end of service life to current Unity XT systems where you want to reduce support costs. Both hybrid and all-flash configurations are fully covered.
Original Unity (EOSL or Approaching EOSL)
| Model | Type | EOSL Status | Dell Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unity 300 / 300F | Hybrid / All-Flash | EOSL July 2025 | Ended |
| Unity 350F | All-Flash | EOSL announced | Ending |
| Unity 400 / 400F | Hybrid / All-Flash | EOSL July 2026 | Active (expiring) |
| Unity 450F | All-Flash | EOSL announced | Ending |
| Unity 500 / 500F | Hybrid / All-Flash | EOSL announced | Ending |
| Unity 550F | All-Flash | EOSL announced | Ending |
| Unity 600 / 600F | Hybrid / All-Flash | EOSL announced | Ending |
| Unity 650F | All-Flash | EOSL announced | Ending |
Unity XT (End of Sale Announced: Save vs. ProSupport Now)
| Model | Type | Sale Status | Dell Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unity XT 380 / 380F | Hybrid / All-Flash | AFA end of sale Aug 2025 | Active |
| Unity XT 480 / 480F | Hybrid / All-Flash | AFA end of sale Aug 2025 | Active |
| Unity XT 680 / 680F | Hybrid / All-Flash | AFA end of sale Aug 2025 | Active |
| Unity XT 880 / 880F | Hybrid / All-Flash | AFA end of sale Aug 2025 | Active |
What’s Included in Maven Unity Support
Hardware Maintenance
- 24x7x365 break/fix support with under 15-minute initial response
- On-site field service engineers with Unity-specific parts inventory
- Forward-stocking locations for storage processors (SPs), disk processor enclosures (DPEs), disk array enclosures (DAEs), power supplies, and drives
- Proactive monitoring to catch failing disks, SP faults, and environmental alerts before they impact availability
- Support for all Unity and Unity XT form factors, including 12-slot and 25-slot DPEs and all DAE expansion shelves
Operating Environment & Software Support
- Full Unisphere management console support, configuration, monitoring, alerting, and reporting
- Unity Operating Environment (OE) troubleshooting and upgrade guidance
- Storage pool management, RAID group configuration, and capacity planning assistance
- FAST VP automated tiering policy configuration and optimization
- FAST Cache configuration and troubleshooting for read-heavy workloads
- Block protocol support: iSCSI, Fibre Channel, including host registration, LUN masking, and zoning guidance
- File protocol support: NFS, CIFS/SMB, including NAS server configuration, LDAP/AD integration, and NDMP backup
- Replication and data protection: native snapshots, asynchronous replication, and RecoverPoint integration assistance
Service Delivery
- Direct access to Level 3 and Level 4 engineers on first contact
- All engineers are full-time W2 employees with Unity and legacy EMC storage specialization
- Customized SLAs: 24x7x4hr, 9x5xNBD, or tailored to your environment
- US-based TAC, 24x7x365
- Customer portal for ticket tracking and asset management
- Single contract covering Unity alongside other Dell EMC platforms (VxRail, Data Domain, VNX, Isilon, etc.)
Save Up to 70% on Unity Support, or Fund Your PowerStore Migration
Dell’s ProSupport renewals for Unity arrays follow the same pattern as their other storage platforms: costs escalate each year while the level of service stays the same or declines. For original Unity models approaching EOSL, Dell is actively trying to push customers into PowerStore purchases rather than offering competitive renewal pricing.
Maven’s Unity maintenance contracts typically deliver savings of 50–70% versus Dell ProSupport. Many of our customers use these savings strategically: they switch their Unity support to Maven at a fraction of the OEM cost, then redirect the budget savings toward planning and funding their eventual migration to next-generation infrastructure, whether that’s PowerStore, Pure Storage, NetApp, or a different platform entirely.
This “bridge strategy” gives you the best of both worlds: reliable, expert support for the Unity infrastructure running your production workloads today, plus budget headroom to make your next-generation storage decision on your own timeline, not Dell’s.
Unity Problems Maven Engineers Solve Every Day
Unity arrays serve both block and file workloads from the same platform, which means the troubleshooting surface is broader than a pure SAN or pure NAS. Maven’s engineers have the depth to handle the full range of Unity issues that organizations actually encounter:
- Storage processor (SP) failover and recovery, including scenarios where automatic failback doesn’t complete cleanly
- Pool performance degradation diagnosis across mixed SSD and HDD tiers
- FAST VP tiering policy tuning when automated data placement isn’t optimizing I/O patterns as expected
- NAS server issues including CIFS/SMB authentication failures, LDAP/Active Directory join problems, and NFS export configuration
- Block-side issues including iSCSI session management, FC zoning conflicts, and LUN alignment problems
- Unisphere management console connectivity, certificate, and service issues
- OE upgrade planning and pre-flight compatibility checks across mixed Unity environments
- Snapshot and replication failures, including async replication session recovery and RPO troubleshooting
- Disk and DAE expansion shelf failures, RAID group rebuilds, and data recovery scenarios
- Migration assistance: guidance on data-in-place transitions and coexistence configurations during platform migrations
Running VNX Alongside Unity? Maven Covers Both.
Many Unity customers also have VNX or VNX2 arrays still in production, often serving secondary workloads, development environments, or DR targets. All VNX models are well past end of service life, which means Dell provides zero support. Maven supports the complete VNX/VNX2 family alongside Unity under a single contract, so you don’t need separate maintenance vendors for your midrange storage estate. Our engineers have deep expertise across the entire VNX-to-Unity lineage, including the original Celerra NAS architecture that Unity evolved from.
Frequently Asked Questions: Unity & Unity XT Maintenance
What’s the difference between Unity and Unity XT?
Unity XT is the second generation of the Unity platform, released in 2019. It offers improved performance, higher capacity ceilings, and enhanced data reduction features. The Unisphere management interface and the underlying OE architecture are fundamentally the same. Maven supports both generations under a single contract.
Does Maven support both block and file workloads on Unity?
Yes. Unity is a unified platform that serves both block (iSCSI, Fibre Channel) and file (NFS, CIFS/SMB) workloads. Maven’s engineers support the full stack, both ” protocol sides, plus the shared pool and RAID infrastructure underneath.
My Unity 300F just hit EOSL. What are my options?
You have two good options: switch to Maven for continued maintenance at 50–70% savings versus what your last Dell contract cost, or begin a managed migration to newer storage. Most customers choose option one as a bridge strategy, using the savings from Maven’s support to fund their migration on a comfortable timeline.
Can Maven support my Unity OE upgrades?
Maven’s engineers can provide OE upgrade guidance, pre-flight compatibility assessments, and troubleshooting if an upgrade encounters issues. For EOSL systems, Dell no longer provides new OE releases, but Maven can help you optimize and stabilize your current OE version.
Dell is pushing me toward PowerStore. Should I migrate now?
That depends on your workload requirements, budget, and timeline. PowerStore is a capable platform, but a forced, rushed migration carries risk. Maven can help you extend your Unity investment affordably while you evaluate options and plan a migration on your own timeline, whether that’s to PowerStore, a competitor, or a cloud-based strategy.
Can I put Unity and my other Dell EMC storage under one Maven contract?
Yes. Most of our customers run multiple Dell EMC platforms, Unity alongside VNX, Data Domain, VxRail, Isilon, or others. Maven offers a single contract, single phone number, and single invoice for your entire Dell EMC environment.
Stop Overpaying for a Platform Dell Is Sunsetting
Get a free, no-obligation quote for your Unity or Unity XT environment. We’ll show you exactly what Maven support looks like compared to your current Dell contract, and how much you can save to fund your next infrastructure move.
Call: (877) 245-4087
Email: sales@mavenitsolutions.com
