Maven Services
XtremIO Support from Engineers Who Understand X-Brick Architecture Inside and Out
InfiniBand fabric. In-memory metadata. Inline deduplication. Your XtremIO is unique, your support should be too.
Dell EMC XtremIO was a game-changer: the first purpose-built all-flash array designed from the ground up for flash media, not adapted from a spinning-disk architecture. Its X-Brick scale-out design, InfiniBand interconnect, in-memory metadata engine, and always-on inline deduplication made it the go-to platform for VDI, database consolidation, and performance-hungry applications. But Dell’s all-flash strategy has shifted. Dell is now directing customers toward PowerStore as the consolidated midrange platform. XtremIO X1 arrays have reached end of service life, and X2 models are at or approaching EOSL. Dell has signaled no successor to XtremIO, the product line is effectively discontinued. For organizations running XtremIO in production, Maven IT Solutions provides the expert third-party maintenance that keeps these unique all-flash arrays running reliably. Our W2 Level 3 and Level 4 engineers understand XIOS internals, X-Brick cluster operations, and the InfiniBand fabric, with response times under 15 minutes and savings of up to 70%.
Dell Has Moved On from XtremIO. Your Support Partner Shouldn’t.
XtremIO occupies a unique position in the Dell EMC portfolio, a platform that Dell has effectively abandoned:
- XtremIO X1 is past EOSL. First-generation XtremIO arrays (Starter X-Brick, 10TB, 20TB, 40TB X-Bricks running XIOS 3.x/4.x) have all reached end of service life. Dell provides no support.
- XtremIO X2 is at or approaching EOSL. Both X2 variants (X2-S, X2-R, X2-T2) are listed in Dell’s end-of-life security support policy. Dell’s support window is closing, and renewals carry significant price increases.
- There is no XtremIO successor. Unlike VNX (which became Unity) or VMAX (which became PowerMax), Dell has not released an XtremIO replacement. Dell is directing XtremIO customers to PowerStore, which is a fundamentally different architecture. There’s no natural upgrade path.
- Migration to PowerStore is a full rip-and-replace. PowerStore doesn’t run XIOS, doesn’t use InfiniBand, doesn’t use X-Bricks, and doesn’t offer the same snapshot architecture. Moving from XtremIO to PowerStore requires migrating every workload, reconfiguring host connectivity, and retraining your team. It’s a 6–12 month project.
- Your VDI and database workloads can’t wait. Many XtremIO deployments anchor large VDI environments or high-performance databases that are extremely sensitive to latency and IOPS consistency, the exact workloads where you can’t afford a support gap.
Why Maven: X-Brick Specialists, Not Generic All-Flash Support
XtremIO is architecturally unlike any other storage array in the Dell portfolio. Its X-Brick building blocks, InfiniBand full-mesh fabric, in-memory metadata engine, and XIOS operating system create a platform that requires specialized knowledge, not generic storage support. When an InfiniBand switch fails and cluster connectivity is degraded, when an X-Brick controller goes down and the cluster needs rebalancing, or when inline deduplication metadata issues affect performance, you need an engineer who lives and breathes XtremIO.
| Capability | Typical TPM Provider | Maven IT Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| First Contact | Level 1 call center | Level 3/4 XtremIO engineer |
| Response Time | 1–4 hour SLA | Under 15 minutes |
| XIOS Expertise | Hardware only | Full XIOS troubleshooting: dedup, compression, XDP, snapshots |
| InfiniBand Fabric | Not covered | IB switch replacement, fabric diagnostics, cluster connectivity |
| X-Brick Operations | Single-node break/fix | Multi-brick cluster operations: expansion, rebalancing, recovery |
| XMS Management | Not covered | XtremIO Management Server troubleshooting and recovery |
| Engineers | 1099 contractors | Full-time W2 employees |
| Cost vs. OEM | 30–40% savings | Up to 70% savings |
XtremIO Platforms We Support
Maven supports every XtremIO generation and X-Brick variant, from first-generation X1 arrays to the latest X2 configurations.
XtremIO X1 (First Generation), All Past EOSL
| X-Brick Type | Raw Capacity | Max Cluster | EOSL Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter X-Brick | 5 TB | 1 X-Brick | EOSL reached |
| 10 TB X-Brick | 10 TB | 4 X-Brick | EOSL reached |
| 20 TB X-Brick | 20 TB | 8 X-Brick | EOSL reached |
| 40 TB X-Brick | 40 TB | 8 X-Brick | EOSL reached |
XtremIO X2 (Current Generation), EOSL Reached / Approaching
| X-Brick Type | Raw Capacity Range | Max Cluster | Interconnect | EOSL Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X2-S | 7.2–28.8 TB per brick | 8 X-Bricks | 40 Gbps InfiniBand | EOSL reached / approaching |
| X2-R | 34.5–138.2 TB per brick | 8 X-Bricks | 40 Gbps InfiniBand | EOSL reached / approaching |
| X2-T2 | Varies | 8 X-Bricks | 40 Gbps InfiniBand | EOSL approaching |
Additional XtremIO Components
XtremIO Management Server (XMS)
Physical or virtual; can manage up to 8 clusters
X-Brick storage controllers
Active-active dual controllers per X-Brick
X-Brick DAE (Drive Array Enclosure)
SSD drive shelves within each X-Brick
InfiniBand switches
Dual switches for multi-brick cluster interconnect
Battery Backup Units (BBUs)
One per X-Brick (multi-brick) or two per X-Brick (single-brick)
What’s Included in Maven XtremIO Support
Hardware Maintenance
- 24x7x365 break/fix support with under 15-minute initial response
- On-site field service with XtremIO-specific parts inventory
- Parts stocking: X-Brick controllers, SSDs, InfiniBand switches, InfiniBand cables, BBUs, power supplies, and DAE components
- X-Brick controller replacement and cluster reintegration, including data rebalancing across the cluster
- InfiniBand switch replacement with fabric validation and connectivity testing
- SSD replacement with XDP (XtremIO Data Protection) rebuild monitoring
XIOS Software & Operations Support
- Full XIOS operating system troubleshooting across supported versions
- Inline deduplication and compression performance troubleshooting, metadata table management, hash collision analysis, and data reduction optimization
- XtremIO Virtual Copies (XVC) snapshot management, including read/write, read-only, management protected, and secure (immutable) snapshots
- XDP (XtremIO Data Protection) monitoring and rebuild operations after SSD failures
- Synchronous and asynchronous replication configuration, monitoring, and failover/recovery
- XMS (XtremIO Management Server) troubleshooting, connectivity, multi-cluster management, and monitoring restoration
- VMware VAAI integration: XCOPY offload, ATS (Atomic Test & Set), and block zeroing for VDI environments
- Data at Rest Encryption (D@RE) management with self-encrypting drives (SEDs)
- Host connectivity: FC and iSCSI initiator management, volume mapping, and initiator group configuration
- Cluster operations: X-Brick addition, removal, and capacity rebalancing in multi-brick configurations
Service Delivery
- Direct access to Level 3 and Level 4 engineers on first contact
- All engineers are full-time W2 employees with XtremIO and EMC all-flash 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 XtremIO alongside other Dell EMC platforms in your environment
Running VDI or Databases on XtremIO? That’s Exactly What It Was Built For.
XtremIO was specifically designed for workloads that benefit from inline deduplication, consistent sub-millisecond latency, and space-efficient snapshots. Two use cases dominate XtremIO deployments:
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
XtremIO became the gold standard for VDI because of its inline deduplication, thousands of nearly identical desktop images deduplicate to a fraction of their raw size, and its consistent latency characteristics, which ensure that “boot storms” and “login storms” don’t degrade the user experience. XVC snapshots enable instant provisioning of new desktops from golden images without copying data. VMware VAAI XCOPY operations that would take hours on traditional arrays complete in seconds. When your VDI environment serves thousands of users, support responsiveness isn’t optional, it’s a business continuity requirement.
Database Consolidation
XtremIO’s consistent sub-millisecond latency makes it ideal for consolidating multiple database workloads (Oracle, SQL Server, SAP HANA) onto a single platform. The inline compression and deduplication significantly reduce the storage footprint for database copies used in development, testing, and reporting. XVC snapshots enable instant creation of space-efficient database clones for DevOps workflows. Maven’s support ensures these performance-critical workloads remain operational with no compromises on response time.
XtremIO Problems Maven Engineers Solve Every Day
- X-Brick controller failures and cluster reintegration: maintaining data availability while the failed controller is replaced and data rebalances across the cluster
- InfiniBand fabric issues: switch failures, cable degradation, RDMA communication errors between X-Bricks
- XDP rebuild operations after SSD failures: monitoring rebuild progress and ensuring protection levels are restored
- Inline deduplication performance degradation: metadata table growth, hash table optimization, and data reduction ratio analysis
- XVC snapshot management issues: orphaned snapshots consuming capacity, snapshot consistency group failures, and replication from snapshot sources
- Replication failures between XtremIO clusters: synchronous and asynchronous session recovery, RPO maintenance, and DR failover testing
- XMS connectivity loss: restoring management visibility and multi-cluster monitoring
- VDI performance issues: boot storm latency, VAAI XCOPY failures, and CBT integration with backup products
- Host connectivity problems: FC zoning changes, iSCSI session drops, and initiator group conflicts
- Capacity planning: data reduction trending, thin provisioning monitoring, and X-Brick expansion guidance
- BBU (Battery Backup Unit) failures affecting data protection for in-flight writes
Frequently Asked Questions: XtremIO Maintenance
What makes XtremIO different from other all-flash arrays?
XtremIO was purpose-built for flash from the ground up, it wasn’t adapted from a spinning-disk architecture. Its unique X-Brick building blocks interconnected via InfiniBand RDMA, in-memory metadata engine, and always-on inline deduplication deliver consistent sub-millisecond latency regardless of data set size, capacity utilization, or workload pattern. This architecture requires specialized support expertise.
My XtremIO X1 is past EOSL. Can Maven still support it?
Yes. All XtremIO X1 arrays are past Dell’s EOSL, but Maven maintains parts inventory (controllers, SSDs, InfiniBand switches, BBUs) and engineering expertise for both X1 and X2 generations.
Dell says I should move to PowerStore. Should I?
PowerStore is a solid midrange platform, but it’s a fundamentally different architecture than XtremIO. There’s no in-place upgrade path, it’s a full migration of every workload, with new host connectivity, new management tools, and different data services. Maven can keep your XtremIO running reliably at 50–70% savings while you plan and execute a migration on your schedule.
Does Maven support the InfiniBand fabric between X-Bricks?
Yes. The InfiniBand full-mesh interconnect is critical to XtremIO’s scale-out performance. Maven supports InfiniBand switch replacement, cable replacement, and fabric diagnostics as part of standard XtremIO maintenance.
Can Maven support XtremIO replication?
Yes. Maven supports both synchronous and asynchronous replication between XtremIO clusters, including configuration, monitoring, session recovery, and DR failover testing.
We run a large VDI environment on XtremIO. How fast will Maven respond?
VDI outages affect hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously, so response time matters. Maven’s standard response time is under 15 minutes, not a premium tier you pay extra for. Your VDI environment gets the same urgency as any mission-critical workload.
Dell Retired XtremIO. Your Workloads Didn’t.
Get a free, no-obligation quote for your XtremIO environment. We’ll review your X-Brick cluster configuration and show you what Maven support looks like compared to your current Dell contract, or compared to no support at all.
Call: (877) 245-4087
Email: sales@mavenitsolutions.com
