UK’s trusted IT infrastructure partner since 2003
sales@servnetuk.com
0800 987 4111
Servnet
FinanceToolsConfiguratorGet in Touch
Dell · Dell Storage SC Series (Compellent Storage Center), SC4020 all-in-one array

Dell Compellent SC4020 end of life

The Dell Compellent SC4020 is past end of life: Dell's own hardware list gives it an End of Standard Support (EOSS) date of 31 August 2023, after which Basic, ProSupport, ProSupport MC and ProSupport Plus are no longer available. Dell stopped selling the SC4020 on 3 August 2018 and closed expansion on 29 January 2021. That hardware list has no End of Service Life date for this 2U all-in-one array, so the 2023 EOSS is the last support date it gives the model.

Dell Compellent SC4020 support dates

Every row names its basis. A third-party tracker date is not the vendor’s own, and “not published” means exactly that.
MilestoneDateBasisSource
RTS Date (release to shipping)29 August 2014Vendor-publishedDell KB 000185734 attachment: Dell Technologies Hardware Release and Service Dates for All Hardware Products (dated 2026-10-02)
EOL Date (end of sales)3 August 2018Vendor-publishedRow 'StorageCenter (compellent) / SC4020'. Dell defines EOL as 'the date upon which Dell Technologies ceases selling product'.Dell KB 000185734 attachment: Dell Technologies Hardware Release and Service Dates for All Hardware Products (dated 2026-10-02)
End of Expansion (EOexp) and End of Mechanical Replacements29 January 2021Vendor-publishedDell defines End of Expansion as 'the last date upon which a customer can add items (e.g. drives, shelves, controllers) to their existing system'. After End of Mechanical Replacement Dell 'will no longer be able to manufacture a replacement system as a full replacement', with 'No change to HW break-fix activity'.Dell KB 000185734 attachment: Dell Technologies Hardware Release and Service Dates for All Hardware Products (dated 2026-10-02)
EOSS Date (End of Standard Support)31 August 2023Vendor-publishedDell's definition: 'EOSS or end of standard support is when customer contracts are cancelled. The date after which Standard support (Basic, ProSupport, ProSupport MC, ProSupport Plus) is no longer available.'Dell KB 000185734 attachment: Dell Technologies Hardware Release and Service Dates for All Hardware Products (dated 2026-10-02)
EOSL (End of Service Life)—Not published by the vendorThe sheet defines EOSL as the date after which Dell 'discontinues general support for a product offering, but may continue to offer limited support and/or maintenance only on a time and materials basis, subject to resource availability'. The sheet has no EOSL date column at all (its date columns are RTS, EOL, End of Expansion and EOSS), so Dell publishes no EOSL date for the SC4020 here.Dell KB 000185734 attachment: Dell Technologies Hardware Release and Service Dates for All Hardware Products (dated 2026-10-02)
End of Security Support (EoSecS): SC4020—Not published by the vendorDell's storage security-support policy has one SC array row, 'Storage Center Dell Compellent (SC)', which gives EOL 2021-08-15 and EoSecS 2028-08-31. The row names no models. Its EOL date matches the SC5020/SC7020/SCv3000/SCv3020 end of sale, not the SC4020's (3 Aug 2018), and its EoSecS date equals the SCv3000/SCv3020 EOSS in Dell's hardware list. Whether the row covers the SC4020 is therefore not stated.Dell KB 000208328: End of Life Security Support Policy for Converged Infrastructure, Midrange and Enterprise Storage, and Storage Networking Products (modified 9 Sep 2026)

Where the Dell Compellent SC4020 stands today

Dell lists these dates on the 'StorageCenter (compellent) / SC4020' row of the hardware spreadsheet attached to KB 000185734 (edition of 2 October 2026). Released to shipping on 29 August 2014, the array had nine years of standard support. In Dell's words, EOSS 'is when customer contracts are cancelled'. End of Expansion and End of Mechanical Replacements fell on 29 January 2021; from then Dell 'will no longer be able to manufacture a replacement system as a full replacement', with 'No change to HW break-fix activity'. The sheet has no EOSL column at all.

Security support is less clear-cut. Dell's storage security policy (KB 000208328) has one SC row, 'Storage Center Dell Compellent (SC)', ending on 31 August 2028, but it names no models and its 15 August 2021 end-of-sale date is three years after the SC4020's, so the policy gives no End of Security Support date that is tied to this array. For your own unit, enter the service tag on Dell Support: KB 000185734 says the support services and their expiry date appear in the banner beside a figure of the tagged device, and the KB also gives a 'Check Support Status' link.

Dell Compellent SC4020: lifecycle on one axis
Dell Compellent SC4020 lifecycle timeline20142016201820202022202420262028Checked 8 Oct 202629 Aug 2014Released; RTS Date(release to shipping)3 Aug 2018EOL Date (end of sales)29 Jan 2021End of Expansion (EOexp)and End of MechanicalReplacements31 Aug 2023EOSS Date (End of StandardSupport)Not dated by the vendorEOSL (End of Service Life) — Not published by the vendor. The sheet defines EOSL as the dateafter which Dell 'discontinues general support for a product offering, but may continue tooffer limited support and/or maintenance only on a time and materials basis, subject toresource availability'. The sheet has no EOSL date column at all (its date columns are RTS,EOL, End of Expansion and EOSS), so Dell publishes no EOSL date for the SC4020 here.End of Security Support (EoSecS): SC4020 — Not published by the vendor. Dell's storagesecurity-support policy has one SC array row, 'Storage Center Dell Compellent (SC)', whichgives EOL 2021-08-15 and EoSecS 2028-08-31. The row names no models. Its EOL date matchesthe SC5020/SC7020/SCv3000/SCv3020 end of sale, not the SC4020's (3 Aug 2018), and its EoSecSdate equals the SCv3000/SCv3020 EOSS in Dell's hardware list. Whether the row covers theSC4020 is therefore not stated.
Dated milestones are placed only where a source gives the date; milestones the vendor has not dated are listed beneath the axis rather than guessed. Blue = vendor-published, amber = third-party tracker, violet = derived from a vendor policy. Checked 8 October 2026.
Finding the date for your own unit

Dell's model-wide dates are in the Hardware spreadsheet attached to KB 000185734 (https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000185734). Contract coverage for your own array is set per service tag. Enter the array's service tag on Dell Support (https://www.dell.com/support/home/). The KB says the support services and their expiry date appear in the banner next to a figure of the tagged device, and it also gives a 'Check Support Status' link.

What still works after Dell support ends

What Dell still publishes for Storage Center is family-level. Its code-version KB (modified 6 October 2026) has a single 'Dell Compellent Storage Center (SC)' row: latest 07.5.22 (17 March 2026), recommended 07.5.21 (27 June 2024), minimum 07.4.21.004 (12 February 2024). It does not say which of those run on an SC4020 or whether downloading them needs an active contract. Viewed signed out, the SC4020 Drivers & Downloads page listed 46 downloads, the newest being Dell Storage Manager 2020 R1.23 (Full Release), dated 30 April 2026; no Storage Center OS release appeared, and the page warns that 'Some resources are permission-based and can only be accessed with a corporate account', without saying in words that SCOS downloads need a contract.

If the SC security row applies to your array, it runs High and Critical fixes until 31 August 2027, then Critical-only fixes for one more year to 31 August 2028, then nothing. Dell says it 'strives to provide security updates beyond EOL until the EoSecS date', and also that 'Sometimes, mitigation of a security issue might require a move to a newer product.' None of the Dell sources listed here describes a post-EOSS support contract for the SC4020.

  • Dell's code-version KB (modified 6 Oct 2026) has a single family row, 'Dell Compellent Storage Center (SC)', with no per-model rows. It lists Storage Center latest 07.5.22 (17 Mar 2026), recommended 07.5.21 (27 Jun 2024) and minimum 07.4.21.004 (12 Feb 2024). The KB does not say which of these releases run on an SC4020, or whether downloading them needs an active contract. (dell.com)
  • Dell's SC4020 Drivers & Downloads page, viewed signed out, lists 46 downloads. The newest is 'Dell Storage Manager - 2020 R1.23 Release (Full Release)', marked Recommended and dated 30 Apr 2026. No Storage Center OS (SCOS) release appeared in the signed-out list, and the page says 'Some resources are permission-based and can only be accessed with a corporate account.' The page does not say in words that SCOS downloads need an active contract. (dell.com)
  • Under Dell's security-support policy, the 'Storage Center Dell Compellent (SC)' row gets High and Critical fixes until 2027-08-31, then Critical only until EoSecS on 2028-08-31, and none after. The policy says Dell 'strives to provide security updates beyond EOL until the EoSecS date' and that 'Sometimes, mitigation of a security issue might require a move to a newer product.' The row does not name models, and its dates do not match the SC4020 (see the EoSecS lifecycle note). (dell.com)

What a maintenance contract needs to cover on the Dell Compellent SC4020

An SC4020 contract has to describe a 2U chassis holding between seven and 24 internal 2.5-inch, 6 Gbps SAS drives, two active/active controllers and two redundant power supply/cooling fan modules, each rated at 580 W (584 W maximum). Each controller has two 4-core 2.5 GHz Xeon processors and 16 GB of memory, plus one front-end option: two 16 Gb FC, four 8 Gb FC, two 10 Gb iSCSI or four 12 Gb SAS ports, alongside an embedded MGMT port and a REPL port. Dell's spec sheet names an integrated iDRAC as the diagnostics engine, and file access needs the optional FS8600 appliance, which should be listed in its own right.

Expansion enclosures add a second layer to the asset list. The back end is 6 Gb SAS, and a system tops out at 192 drives (24 internal plus 168 external, up to 1 PB raw) across SC200 (12 x 3.5-inch), SC220 (24 x 2.5-inch) or SC280 (84 x 3.5-inch) enclosures, in a single chain of either SC200/SC220 or up to two SC280s, never both. Drives need explicit terms too: Dell's spec sheet made lifetime wear-out replacement of SC4020 SSDs and HDDs conditional on a 'valid service agreement', and standard agreements for this model ended at EOSS. See storage and SAN maintenance for how cover is arranged for arrays built this way.

Dell Compellent SC4020: what to tell a maintenance provider
Dell Compellent SC4020 hardware factsDELL · DELL STORAGE SC SERIES (COMPELLENTSTORAGE CENTER), SC4020 ALL-IN-ONE ARRAYDell Compellent SC4020Past the vendor’s last date ofsupportFORM FACTOR AND DRIVES2U storage system taking a minimum of 7 anda maximum of 24 internal 2.5-inchhot-swappable SAS drives (6 Gbps). It hastwo redundant storage controllers and tworedundant power supply/cooling fan modules.CONTROLLERS, CPU AND MEMORY2 controllers per chassis (active/active).Processors are 2.5 GHz 4-core Intel Xeon, 2per controller (4 per chassis). Memory is16 GB per controller, 32 GB per chassis.MAX DRIVES AND CAPACITY192 drives: 24 internal plus 168 external,up to 1 PB raw per array. The back end is 6Gb SAS, with SC200 (12 x 3.5-inch), SC220(24 x 2.5-inch) and SC280 (84 x 3.5-inch)expansion enclosures.EXPANSION LIMITSA total of 192 disks per system. Supportedlayouts are up to 14 SC200, up to 7 SC220,any SC200/SC220 mix within 192 disks, or upto two SC280. The SC4020 supports a singlechain of either SC200/SC220 or SC280enclosures, never both at once.FRONT-END I/O PER CONTROLLEROne of: two 16 Gb FC, four 8 Gb FC, two 10Gb iSCSI, or four 12 Gb SAS ports. Eachcontroller also has an embedded MGMT portand a REPL port (1 or 10 GbpsEthernet/iSCSI).PROTOCOLSFC, iSCSI and front-end SAS, withsimultaneous multiprotocol support. File(NAS) access needs the optional FS8600appliance.POWERTwo redundant power supply/cooling fanmodules, each rated 580 W (584 W maximum)at 100–240 VAC.SOFTWARE AND MANAGEMENTDell Storage Center OS (SCOS) 6.5 or later,managed with Dell Storage Manager (formerlyEnterprise Manager). The spec sheet listsan integrated Dell Remote Access Controller(iDRAC) as the diagnostics engine.8 sourced specification facts · checked 8 October 2026
The hardware facts a maintenance quote is priced on, printed in the vendor's own wording from its specification documents (cited in Sources). Nothing on this plate is estimated; facts the vendor does not state are left off rather than filled in.
Dell Compellent SC4020 hardware, from Dell’s own specification documents
SpecificationDetailSource
Form factor and drives2U storage system taking a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 24 internal 2.5-inch hot-swappable SAS drives (6 Gbps). It has two redundant storage controllers and two redundant power supply/cooling fan modules.dl.dell.com
Controllers, CPU and memory2 controllers per chassis (active/active). Processors are 2.5 GHz 4-core Intel Xeon, 2 per controller (4 per chassis). Memory is 16 GB per controller, 32 GB per chassis.i.dell.com
Max drives and capacity192 drives: 24 internal plus 168 external, up to 1 PB raw per array. The back end is 6 Gb SAS, with SC200 (12 x 3.5-inch), SC220 (24 x 2.5-inch) and SC280 (84 x 3.5-inch) expansion enclosures.i.dell.com
Expansion limitsA total of 192 disks per system. Supported layouts are up to 14 SC200, up to 7 SC220, any SC200/SC220 mix within 192 disks, or up to two SC280. The SC4020 supports a single chain of either SC200/SC220 or SC280 enclosures, never both at once.dl.dell.com
Front-end I/O per controllerOne of: two 16 Gb FC, four 8 Gb FC, two 10 Gb iSCSI, or four 12 Gb SAS ports. Each controller also has an embedded MGMT port and a REPL port (1 or 10 Gbps Ethernet/iSCSI).dl.dell.com
ProtocolsFC, iSCSI and front-end SAS, with simultaneous multiprotocol support. File (NAS) access needs the optional FS8600 appliance.i.dell.com
PowerTwo redundant power supply/cooling fan modules, each rated 580 W (584 W maximum) at 100–240 VAC.dl.dell.com
Software and managementDell Storage Center OS (SCOS) 6.5 or later, managed with Dell Storage Manager (formerly Enterprise Manager). The spec sheet lists an integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) as the diagnostics engine.i.dell.com

Extend or refresh the Dell Compellent SC4020?

Keeping an SC4020 on Dell third-party maintenance is a reasonable course where the array runs a stable block workload that fits its installed drives and shelves, since nothing more could be added through Dell after January 2021. Third-party maintenance generally provides fault diagnosis, replacement parts and engineer attendance after the vendor's standard support has ended, and the maintenance coverage builder takes a quote request for the controllers, enclosures and drives.

The case for refresh rests on software. Dell's security policy ties no date to the SC4020 by name, its code-version KB does not say which SCOS builds the array runs, and its download page does not say whether downloads stay open without a contract, while Dell warns that mitigating a security issue might sometimes require a move to a newer product. For a move, the spec sheet says SC9000, SC8000, SC7020 and SC4020 arrays can be federated, with Live Migrate (from firmware 7.1) moving volumes between them without disrupting hosts. The next model in the same SC line, the SC5020, has itself been past Dell standard support since 31 August 2026.

  • Dell standard support (Basic, ProSupport, ProSupport MC, ProSupport Plus) for the SC4020 ended on 31 Aug 2023 (EOSS). End of Expansion, the last date to add drives, shelves or controllers through Dell, was 29 Jan 2021. (supportkb.dell.com)
  • Dell's spec sheet says SC4020 SSDs and HDDs are 'warrantied for full lifetime wear-out replacement with valid service agreement'. That cover depends on a service agreement, and standard agreements for this model ended at EOSS. (i.dell.com)
  • For a refresh within the SC line, the spec sheet says SC9000, SC8000, SC7020 and SC4020 arrays can be federated. From firmware 7.1, Live Migrate moves volumes between them without disrupting hosts. (i.dell.com)
  • The SC4020 also passed its End of Mechanical Replacement on 29 Jan 2021. Dell's definition: after this date Dell 'will no longer be able to manufacture a replacement system as a full replacement', with 'No change to HW break-fix activity'. (supportkb.dell.com)
Dell Compellent SC4020: what came before and what replaces it
Dell Compellent SC4020 product lineageDell Compellent SC4020Released 29 Aug 2014Past the last date of supportDell EMC SC5020 (next SCSeries midrange model,RTS 13 Jun 2017; itselfpast Dell EOSS on 31 Aug2026)Next model in the same lineDell · Dell Storage SC Series (Compellent Storage Center), SC4020 all-in-one array
The successor shown is the next model in the same product line; the vendor notice does not name a direct replacement. No predecessor is shown because none could be sourced.

Keep your Dell Compellent SC4020 covered

Tell us how many you run and when your current cover ends, and we will come back with a like-for-like maintenance quote for that estate. Your model and its support status are attached to the enquiry automatically, so there is nothing to re-type.

Dell maintenance in detail →

In Dell's SC line the next model after the SC4020 is the SC5020, released to shipping on 13 June 2017; the SC5020 / SC7020 end-of-life page covers that pair. The security-policy row discussed above lines up with that later generation rather than with the SC4020: Dell's hardware list gives the SC5020, SC7020, SCv3000 and SCv3020 the same 15 August 2021 end of sale as the row, and the row's 31 August 2028 end matches the SCv3000/SCv3020 EOSS. Sites that also run EqualLogic arrays can compare the EqualLogic PS Series end-of-life dates.

Where the Dell Compellent SC4020 sits against related models
Dell Compellent SC4020: end of support passed 3.1 years ago (31 August 2023, the vendor’s date).201420162018202020222024202620282030Dell Compellent SC4020Dell EMC Unity 300 / 400/ 500 / 600Dell EMC SC Series SC5020/ SC7020Dell EMC Unity XTPowerVault ME4 Seriesrelease not sourcedPowerVault MD3 Seriesrelease not sourcedDell EqualLogic PS Seriesrelease not sourcedTodayDell Compellent SC4020: end of support passed 3.1 years ago (31 August 2023, the vendor’s date).
Each bar runs from release to the milestone that marks end of support for the model as a whole. Amber bars end on a third-party tracker's date, not the vendor's. A dashed open end means no end date is published — not that support is indefinite. Component and accessory dates (a management controller, a power module) are not treated as the model's.

Look up another model in the storage end-of-life checker, or read what third-party maintenance covers.

Questions people ask about the Dell Compellent SC4020

Is the Dell Compellent SC4020 end of life?

Yes. Dell stopped selling it on 3 August 2018 and ended standard support on 31 August 2023, its published End of Standard Support (EOSS) date. Dell's hardware list has no End of Service Life column, so it gives the SC4020 no EOSL date.

When did Dell stop supporting the SC4020?

Dell's hardware list gives 31 August 2023 as the SC4020's End of Standard Support, which Dell describes as the point when customer contracts are cancelled. To confirm what applied to your own array, enter its service tag on Dell Support, where the support services and their expiry date are shown.

Can I still download SCOS firmware for an SC4020?

Dell's code-version KB lists Storage Center 07.5.22 (17 March 2026) as the latest family release, but does not say which releases run on an SC4020 or whether a contract is needed. Signed out, the SC4020 download page showed no SCOS release, only items such as Dell Storage Manager 2020 R1.23, and it notes that some resources need a corporate account.

What came after the Compellent SC4020?

The next model in the same SC Series line is the SC5020, released to shipping on 13 June 2017. It passed Dell End of Standard Support on 31 August 2026, so it is not a route back onto Dell standard support.

Can I get third-party maintenance for an SC4020?

Third-party maintenance is an option for arrays past vendor standard support, and it generally covers fault diagnosis, replacement parts and engineer visits. A quote request should list both controllers' front-end ports, every SC200, SC220 or SC280 enclosure and the drive mix.

Sources

Every date, rule and specification above was checked against these on 8 October 2026 by an independent verification pass. Vendors revise lifecycle notices; this page is re-checked by 8 January 2027.

  1. Dell KB 000185734 attachment: Dell Technologies Hardware Release and Service Dates for All Hardware Products (dated 2026-10-02) — supportkb.dell.com
  2. Dell KB 000208328: End of Life Security Support Policy for Converged Infrastructure, Midrange and Enterprise Storage, and Storage Networking Products (modified 9 Sep 2026) — dell.com
  3. dell.com — dell.com
  4. dell.com — dell.com
  5. dl.dell.com — dl.dell.com
  6. i.dell.com — i.dell.com

Last reviewed 7 October 2026. Lifecycle dates for the Dell Compellent SC4020 are re-verified against Dell's own notices at each review; a date a vendor has not published is never filled in.