Dell Compellent
Dell Compellent SC Series — EOL Storage Arrays for Production Environments
Enterasource stocks refurbished Dell Compellent SC-series storage arrays for organizations running Compellent in production. Dell Compellent (rebranded Dell EMC Storage Center after Dell’s 2016 acquisition of EMC) reached end-of-life for new sales, but thousands of SC-series arrays remain active in data centers globally — managing VMware datastores, Oracle databases, and Fibre Channel SAN environments that were built around Compellent’s automated tiering architecture.
The SC-series includes the SC4020, SC5020, and SC8000 controller platforms, with SAS and SSD expansion enclosures (SC200, SC220, SC400, SC420, SC460) providing additional capacity. Compellent’s Data Progression automated tiering moves data between SSD, SAS, and NL-SAS tiers based on access frequency — reducing storage costs while maintaining performance for frequently accessed data.
If your organization is maintaining, expanding, or sparing a Compellent deployment, Enterasource is a reliable source for tested controllers, expansion enclosures, and compatible drives. Return to Dell EMC Storage to compare with current-generation alternatives.
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Dell Compellent SC4020 24-Bay 2.5" 6G 2U SAN ArrayAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$5,580.00 - Dell Compellent SC100 12-Bay 3.5" 6G SAS 2U Expansion EnclosureAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$650.00
- Dell Compellent SC120 24-Bay 2.5" 6G SAS 2U Expansion EnclosureAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$650.00
- Dell Compellent SC180 84-Bay 3.5" 6G SAS 5U Expansion EnclosureAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyRequest Pricing
- Dell Compellent SC200 12-Bay 3.5" 6G SAS 2U Expansion EnclosureAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$100.00
- Dell Compellent SC220 24-Bay 2.5" 6G SAS 2U Expansion EnclosureAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$100.00
- Dell Compellent SC280 84-Bay 3.5" 6G SAS 5U Expansion EnclosureAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$3,980.00
- Dell Compellent SC400 12-Bay 3.5" 12G SAS 2U Expansion EnclosureAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$1,000.00
- Dell Compellent SC420 24-Bay 2.5" 12G SAS 2U Expansion EnclosureAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$500.00
- Dell Compellent SC460 60-Bay 3.5" 12G SAS 4U Expansion EnclosureAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$6,380.00
- Dell Compellent SC5020 30-Bay 2.5" 12G 3U SAN ArrayAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$6,380.00
- Dell Compellent SC7020 30-Bay 2.5" 12G 3U SAN ArrayAvailability: Ships in 3-5 Business DaysManufacturer: Dell Condition: R660 2 Year WarrantyStarting at$10,000.00
Dell Compellent SC Series Models and Architecture
Compellent’s SC-series spans a wide range of capacity and performance configurations. All models share a common operating system (Dell Storage Center OS) and management interface (Dell Storage Manager or Dell Enterprise Manager), which means organizations with multiple SC-series arrays manage them from a single interface.
SC Series Controller Models
| Model | Controller Type | Max Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC4020 | 2U dual-controller | Up to 192 drives across expansion enclosures | SSD-capable; most common mid-range model |
| SC5020 | 2U dual-controller | Up to 256 drives with expansion | Higher performance than SC4020; SSD and SAS tiers |
| SC8000 | 4U dual-controller | Petabyte-scale with expansion | Enterprise flagship; 8-port FC, highest IOPS |
| SC200 / SC220 | Expansion enclosure | 12 (SC200) or 24 (SC220) x 2.5" drives | SAS enclosures for SC4020, SC5020, SC8000 |
| SC400 / SC420 / SC460 | Expansion enclosure | 12 (SC400) or 24 (SC420) x 3.5" drives | NL-SAS high-capacity enclosures |
Dell Compellent Data Progression: Automated Tiering
Compellent’s core differentiator is Data Progression — automated tiering that monitors data access patterns over time and migrates data at the page level (2MB blocks) between storage tiers. Frequently accessed data moves up to SSD; data that hasn’t been accessed in a configured time period migrates to NL-SAS for cost-effective long-term retention. This tiering happens automatically without administrator intervention, maintaining performance while optimizing cost across the array’s full capacity.
Why Organizations Still Run Dell Compellent
Compellent reached end-of-sale but not immediately end-of-support, and Dell provided extended support windows for active customers. More importantly, Compellent represents a proven, stable storage platform that many organizations built significant infrastructure around: specific SAN zone configurations, replication relationships, disaster recovery runbooks, and application integration with Dell Live Volume and Sync replication. Replacing a working Compellent SAN is a significant project with real risk — which is why many IT teams choose to maintain and spare the existing Compellent deployment rather than migrate.
Enterasource provides tested Compellent controllers, expansion enclosures, and compatible SAS/SSD drives. If a controller fails or you need additional capacity, sourcing from Enterasource is significantly faster and more cost-effective than enterprise-level data migration.
- Is Dell Compellent still supported?
- Dell Compellent (SC series) reached end-of-sale but Dell provided extended support windows for active maintenance customers. Support availability varies by model and contract. Organizations running Compellent should evaluate their current Dell support contract status. For hardware sparing and parts replacement, Enterasource provides tested SC-series controllers and expansion enclosures regardless of Dell support status.
- What Dell Compellent models does Enterasource stock?
- Enterasource stocks SC4020, SC5020, and SC8000 controllers along with SC200, SC220, SC400, SC420, and SC460 expansion enclosures. Drive inventory varies. Contact us for current availability on specific models and capacities.
- Can I expand an existing Dell Compellent array?
- Yes. SC-series expansion enclosures connect to existing SC4020, SC5020, and SC8000 controllers to add capacity. SC200/SC220 (SFF SAS/SSD) and SC400/SC420/SC460 (LFF NL-SAS) enclosures are available. Expansion enclosures are connected via SAS cables to the array controller and recognized automatically by Storage Center OS.
- What is the warranty on refurbished Dell Compellent arrays?
- All Dell Compellent systems sold by Enterasource include a 2-year warranty covering controller hardware failures. Extended options up to 5 years are available on qualifying configurations.
