IBM FlashSystems &

SAN Volume Controller

FAQ

February 2022
 Content
• IBM Spectrum Virtualize • Data Reduction Pools
• Product Summary • Data Reduction Tooling
• FlashSystem 5000 • Data Reduction FAQ
• FlashSystem 5200
• High Availability & Disaster Recovery
• FlashSystem 7300
• Safeguarded Copy
• FlashSystem 9500
• FlashSystem 9500R • Encryption
• SAS Expansions • FlashSystem Family Capabilities
• SAN Volume Controller (SVC)
• What Is IBM Storage Insights?
• Hardware FAQ
• IBM Storage Insights FAQ
• End-to-end NVMe FAQ
• FlashCore Modules • Choosing A FlashSystem Product
• How is my data stored? • IBM FlashWatch
• Storage Class Memory • IBM Storage Expert Care
• NVMe Storage FAQ
• Financing with IBM Storage Expert Care
• Other Resources
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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 It’s all powered by
IBM Spectrum Virtualize

The common, intelligent software platform that delivers

advanced data services across the IBM FlashSystem family
and SVC.

The industry-leading capabilities of IBM Spectrum Virtualize

include automated data movement, synchronous and
asynchronous copy services (either on-premises or to the
public cloud), isolated and immutable copies with Safeguarded
Copy and encryption, high-availability configurations, storage
tiering, and data reduction technologies, among many others.

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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 Product Summary
FlashSystem FlashSystem FlashSystem FlashSystem FlashSystem SAN Volume
5015* 5035* 5200* 7300* 9500/R Controller
Machine Type 2072 2072 4662 4657 4666 2145 2147
2N2 (12 drives) 3N2 (12 drives) 6H2 924 AH8 SA2 (Low)
Models 2N4 (24 drives) 3N4 (24 drives) UH6** U7D** UH8** SV3 (High)

Technology SAS SAS NVMe NVMe NVMe NVMe

1 year hardware Separately licensed software
1 year 90 days software
Warranty 3 years
9x5 Next Business Day 1yr hardware 3yr hardware
Upgrade with IBM Storage Expert Care 24x7 24x7 ECS

Advanced Advanced
License *** features optional features optional
All-inclusive All-inclusive All-inclusive Capacity based

Install Customer Customer Customer, IBM install optional IBM IBM

Optional
Service Optional services Optional services IBM Storage Expert Care
Services
ECS

12G 12G 12G 12G

SAS AFF (24 drive)
24G 24G 24G 24G n/a
Expansions A9F (92 drive)
92G 92G 92G 92G

* Offered as both AFA and Hybrid variants

** UH6, U7D and UH8 are Storage Utility models with cloud-like pricing 4
IBM Storage/ July 20, 2021 / © 2021 IBM Corporation
*** Excludes encryption and capacity based external virtualization, see product Sales Manuals for full license details
 IBM FlashSystem 5015 and 5035
All-flash and hybrid flash arrays for entry enterprise
800GB, 1.92, 3.84, 7.68, 15.36, 30.72TB
12Gb SAS SSD,
Tech Port and I/O SAS 2.5” or 3.5”
Dual canisters
port (1x2, 1GbE) drives (x24) 1.2, 1.8, 2.4TB 10k HDD & 6, 8, 10, 12, 14,
5015 16, 18TB 7.2k HDD drives

32 or 64GB cache

1GBe (5015) or 10GbE (5035) iSCSI ports

Interface Card Slot
12Gb SAS Expansion 800W PSU (2) 16Gb 4 port Fibre Channel (with NVMeoF),
(1x2 adapter cards) 10GbE 4 port, 10/25GbE iSCSI adapter
5035 cards

Up to 2-way clustering (5035 only)

Tech Port Management and I/O

573TB in 2U before data reduction
ports (2x2, 10GbE)
32PB with SAS expansions or virtualization
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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation 5
 IBM FlashSystem 5200 4.8, 9.6, 19.2, 38.4TB FlashCore Modules
All-flash and hybrid flash arrays for entry enterprise
375, 750, 800, 1600GB Storage Class Memory
drives
Flash Core Modules (FCM)
Dual-ported 2.5” NVMe
in 2.5” industry standard form factor 800GB, 1.92, 3.84, 7.68, 15.36, 30.72TB
Flash bays (12)
(Includes hardware compression & encryption) Industry-Standard NVMe drives

800GB, 1.92, 3.84, 7.68, 15.36, 30.72TB 12Gb

SAS SSD & 1.2, 1.8, 2.4TB 10k HDD & 6, 8,
10, 12, 14, 16, 18TB 7.2k HDD drives in
expansion enclosure(s)

Two 8-core processors Up to 512GB Cache per 64 to 512GB cache

Dual canisters per controller enclosure controller enclosure
10GbE iSCSI ports

4 port 16Gb, 2 port 32Gb Fibre Channel (with

NVMeoF), 10GbE iSCSI, 10/25GbE iSER
(RoCE & iWARP) adapter cards

Up to 4-way clustering

10GbE Interface Card Slots

Tech Port
Ports (2x2) (2x2 adapter cards) 1.2KW PSU (2) 1TBe in 1U with FCM data reduction
(2) (up to 16 ports per 1U)
32PB with SAS expansions or virtualization
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 IBM FlashSystem 7300
All-flash and hybrid flash arrays for midrange enterprise 4.8, 9.6, 19.2, 38.4TB FlashCore Modules

1600GB Storage Class Memory drive

Flash Core Modules (FCM)
Dual-ported 2.5” NVMe
in 2.5” industry standard form factor 1.92, 3.84, 7.68, 15.36, 30.72TB Industry-
Flash bays (24) Standard NVMe drives
(Includes hardware compression & encryption)

800GB, 1.92, 3.84, 7.68, 15.36, 30.72TB 12Gb

SAS SSD & 1.2, 1.8, 2.4TB 10k HDD & 6, 8,
10, 12, 14, 16, 18TB 7.2k HDD drives in
expansion enclosure(s)

256GB, 768GB or 1.5TB cache

Four 10-core processors Up to 1.5TB Cache per
Dual canisters per controller enclosure controller enclosure
10GbE iSCSI ports

32Gb 4 port Fibre Channel (with NVMeoF),

10/25GbE & 100GbE iSCSI and NVMe adapter
cards

Up to 4-way clustering

Interface Card Slot

Tech Port 10GbE
(3x2 adapter cards) 2KW PSU (2) 2.3PBe in 2U with FCM data reduction
(2) Ports (4x2)
(up to 24 ports per 2U) 32PB with SAS expansions or virtualization
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 IBM FlashSystem 9500 4.8, 9.6, 19.2, 38.4TB FlashCore Modules
All-flash array for high-end enterprise
Flash Core Modules (FCM) 1600GB Storage Class Memory drives
Dual-ported 2.5” NVMe in 2.5” industry standard form factor
Flash bays (48) (Includes hardware compression & encryption) 1.92, 3.84, 7.68, 15.36, 30.72TB Industry-
Standard NVMe drives

1.92, 3.84, 7.68, 15.36, 30.72TB 12Gb SAS

SSD drives in expansion enclosure(s)

1TB, 2TB or 3TB cache

Four 24-core processors Up to 3.5TB Cache per
Dual canisters 32Gb 4 port Fibre Channel (with NVMeoF),
per controller enclosure controller enclosure 10/25GbE and 100GbE iSCSI and NVMe
RDMA adapter cards

Up to 2-way clustering

2KW
PSU (4) 2.3PBe in 4U with FCM data reduction
Interface Card Slot Tech Port (4.5PBe in future, Statement of Direction)
(6x2 adapter cards) (4)
(up to 24 ports per 2U) 32PB with SAS expansions or virtualization 8
IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation 8
 IBM FlashSystem 9500R
All-flash array for high-end enterprise
The FlashSystem 9500R is a bundle of products
that will be assembled, delivered and
configured for the customer

2 4666-AH8 FlashSystem 9500s, clustered

together with a single point of control and
packaged in a 7965-S42 rack and sold as a 9502R,
• Twice the performance, capacity and connectivity of a
single FlashSystem 9500

Dedicated fibre channel backbone

• Isolated from host traffic
• Broadcom 8960-F24 switches

Can be expanded with expansion enclosures

following installation

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 SAS Expansions
2U 3.5” x 12 SAS enclosure
HDD, not FlashSystem 9500

2U 2.5” x 24 SAS enclosure

SSD & HDD

5U 2.5” & 3.5” x 92 SAS enclosure

SSD & HDD

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 IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC)
Storage Virtualization Appliance SA2 provides solid performance at a lower
price than SV3. Ideal for Enhanced High
Availability configurations and small to
Single node, 2U design Up to 1.5TB Cache per node medium virtualized environments
to be operated in node pairs (3TB per pair)
SV3 (shown on the left) represents the high
end SVC for larger virtualized
environments, and those seeking the
highest performance possible. It comes
with a greater potential port count over
previous SVC nodes.

SA2: Two 8-core SV3: Two 24-core 512, 1TB or 1.5TB cache per node (up to
processors per node processors per node 3TB per node pair)

32Gb 4 port Fibre Channel (with NVMeoF),

10/25GbE and 100GbE iSCSI and NVMe
RDMA adapter cards

2KW Up to 4-way clustering

PSU (2)
Interface Card Slots Tech Port
(SV3 - 6 adapter cards) (2)
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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 Hardware FAQ
Which product do I want? Is the FlashSystem hardware fully redundant?
If you need native storage, see IBM FlashSystem Family.FAQ. If you don’t need Yes, the canisters are active-active with both of them able to access all of the
storage, then use the StorM tool to determine which SVC model meets your NVMe and SAS attached storage down redundant paths. If one canister fails,
requirements NPIV will move the port names to the working canister which will continue until
the failing canister is fixed or replaced. Remaining power supply(s) can provide
Why do you offer both hybrid and AFA variants of some products? power for the entire system in the event of a power domain failure.
To ensure we can meet a range of different customer requirements.
Is the SAN Volume Controller hardware fully redundant?
What’s the point of clustering? Yes, like with FlashSystem hardware, SVC runs as a pair of active-active nodes
To linearly scale performance, capacity (for FlashSystem products) and with redundant paths to the storage. It also supports dual power supplies.
connectivity whilst maintaining a single point of control. Additionally it can be
used to build high availability configurations using HyperSwap. What if power fails?
Batteries allow some tolerance of brown outs and supports a controlled shutdown
Why add expansion enclosures? to preserve the integrity of the data if required.
You’ll be able to get more capacity at a lower price point than clustering. You
won’t scale the performance capability of the box with the capacity, but this Can you mix and match host adapter cards?
maybe fine for some workloads which are generally not pushing the product to Yes, but there are different rules for the products. Generally, you can mix and
the maximum. match different HBA types providing they’re mirrored across canisters or node
pairs. With FlashSystem products, if you’re using expansion enclosures, then
How do I get expansion enclosures? you’ll need a SAS card in each canister, taking up one host adapter slot.
They’re offered under different model numbers for each product. See the
Product Details page for more details on which models are available. Can I upgrade cache and host adapter cards?
Yes, you can order additional components to upgrade your hardware.
Does SAN Volume Controller support SAS or NVMe attached
storage?
No, SVC SA2 and SV3 no longer supports drives in the nodes, or drives in an
external SAS enclosure. SVC only supports externally virtualized storage.

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End-to-end NVMe
What is NVMe?
NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is a protocol designed for high-speed storage media. It’s
designed to remove some of the bottlenecks present in existing protocols as well as increase the
number of data queues to increase the ability to process data in parallel. ✓ NVMe storage
What is NVMe storage?
NVMe storage is engineered to work over PCIe lanes, directly connecting the storage devices to the
CPUs. This allows lower latencies and increased transfer rates. NVMe storage is supported in the
FlashSystem 9500, 7300 and 5200.

What is SCM-accelerated?
Storage Class Memory (SCM) is a substantial step forward in memory technology, offering non-volatile,
ultra low latency memory for a fraction of the cost of traditional memory chips. IBM FlashSystem ✓ SCM-accelerated
products support SCM drives over NVMe to improve overall storage performance, or offer a higher
performance storage pool.

What is NVMeOF?
NVMeOF is NVMe Over Fabric. This extends the advantages of the NVMe protocol to the host layer
allowing lower latencies, increased transfer rates and reduced server IO workload demand.
NVMe RDMA is supported on Ethernet cards, with some limited support of NVMe FC on the Fibre
Channel cards. Host drivers and workloads will also need to be ready for NVMeoF to take advantage of
this function. ✓ NVMeOF
Do I have to use NVMeOF to take advantage of the NVMe storage?
No, you can still use the other host interfaces (Fibre Channel and iSCSI) to take advantage of the NMVe
storage.

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IBM NVMe FlashCore Modules

IBM FlashCore Modules (FCMs) are 2.5” form factor NVMe

drives with built-in hardware compression and encryption

As data is written the drive, it’s compressed and encrypted

at line speed

The drive attempts to compress data so that it uses less

physical space. The potential capacity, if supported by the
workload compressibility, is known as effective capacity

However, FCMs have a maximum effective capacity,

beyond which they cannot be filled, even if the data can be
compressed further. This is shown on the right, by drive
capacity Physical TB Effective TB
4.8 21.99
FCMs deliver maximum performance with compression 9.6 28.8
19.2 57.6
14
38.4 115.2
IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 How is my data stored?

Each individual FCM has : FlashSystem Products have :

Outstanding data reliability Distributed RAID 1 and 6 (DRAID)

Bit errors caused by electrical interference are continually Multiple FCMs (or other drive types) are used in a DRAID
scanned for and if any are found will be corrected by an configuration. The data, parity and spare space is striped
enhanced ECC (Error Correcting Code) algorithm across all available devices, eliminating hot spots and reducing
array rebuild times
If an error cannot be corrected, then the FlashSystem DRAID
layer will be used to rebuild the data With FCM drives, a tight coupling allows data to be rebuilt in the
event of an unrecoverable error
Increased endurance, reduced maintenance DRAID5 is also supported on the FlashSystem 5000 products,
Data is stripped across more granular, sub-chip levels. This trading off redundancy for capacity.
allows for failing areas of a chip to be identified and isolated
without failing the entire chip Volume Mirroring
Asymmetric wear levelling understands the health of blocks Also available with SVC, you can optionally mirror a volume to
within the chips and tries to place “hot” data within the most create further redundancy
healthy blocks to prevent the weaker blocks from wearing out
Combining any drive type with DRAID and mirroring will
prematurely
increase data resiliency
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 Storage Class Memory
Storage Class Memory (SCM) is a memory
technology positioned somewhere between DRAM
and other flash storage. It offers non-volatile, ultra low
latency memory for a fraction of the cost of traditional
memory chips

This technology is used in IBM FlashSystem products

in the form of NVMe SCM drives

Up to 12 drives are supported per controller enclosure

in a DRAID configuration

This means SCMs can be used for small workloads

that need exceptional levels of performance at the
lowest latencies, or they can be combined with other
NVMe drives using Easy Tier to accelerate much
larger workloads

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NVMe Storage FAQ
Can I mix different NVMe drives in a controller enclosure? Which SCM drives should I use?
Yes, you can mix SCM, FCM and industry-standard NVMe drives, but all drives in Choose the capacity that suits your use case or workload. Where you’re using
a RAID array must be the same type and capacity. Easy Tier, you should think about maximising the capacity to get most benefit
(unless your working set is very small)
Why buy an FCM rather than an industry-standard NVMe drive?
Because you get inline hardware compression with no performance impact! The Should I use SCM with Easy Tier or as a separate pool?
smaller industry-standard drives allow you to create smaller capacity systems. SCM with Easy Tier has been measured to improve latency and in some cases,
improve IOPS. If you want to get benefit of SCM across all of your capacity, then
With FCM drives, what exactly is the effective capacity? Easy Tier will continually automatically move the hottest data onto the SCM tier
The effective capacity is the maximum amount of data that can be written to the and leave the rest of the data on the lower tiers. This can also benefit Data
drive, regardless of how much that data can be compressed. Even to achieve Reduction Pools where the metadata is moved to the SCM drives.
any additional capacity beyond the physical capacity, you still need to write data
that can be compressed. The less the data can be compressed, the less of a If you have a particular workload that requires the best performance and lowest
saving you’ll see. latency, and it fits in the limited SCM capacity available then use SCM as a
separate pool and pick which workloads use that pool.
What happens if I write an uncompressible workload to an FCM?
It’ll write the data and neither compress it further, or expand it. This will happen What effect does the cache have on SCM performance?
at line speed and not impact performance. SCM drives when used in an Easy Tier relationship work a little like a secondary
cache. If your working set fits in cache, then the effect of Easy Tier will be
Should I run the system close to full? reduced. If you have a large working set that exceeds the cache size then the
If you’re using data reduction, then regardless of the technology you choose, it’s advantages of the acceleration will be much greater as more of that data will be
good practise to keep the system below ~85% to allow it to respond to sudden either in cache or a high performance, low latency SCM tier.
changes in the rate of data reduction (such as host encryption being enabled).
Also as you run the system close to full, the garbage collection function will be How should I configure my drives?
working increasingly hard at the same time as new writes are being processed. The GUI will suggest the correct geometry for your drives.
This may start to slow the system down and increase latency to the host.
Can I add more drives later?
How can I tell how full my system is? Yes, you can create a new pool, or you can add more drives to an existing pool
The GUI will tell you the amount of physical capacity remaining, as well as the using DRAID expansion.
amount of data written. You should be aware of both the data reduction ratios
17
you’re getting as well as the physical capacity in order to plan capacity upgrades.
IBM Storage © 2022 IBM Corporation
 Data Reduction Pools
What are Data Reduction Pools (DRP)?
DRP is an alternative data reduction technology to the hardware compression built into FlashCore Modules. It offers deduplication (storing fewer copies of duplicated data)
as well as compression to achieve greater data savings.

What data reduction savings can I achieve with DRP?

Unlike FlashCore modules there’s no maximum effective TB limit. Higher levels of compression can be achieved if the workload supports it. Additionally, if there is a lot of
duplicate data across the volumes in a data reduction pool, then this will further increase the data reduction ratio.

Which should I use, FCM or DRP?

FCM offers compression with the highest performance and can be used for the most demanding workloads. DRP trades some of the maximum performance potential for a
higher data reduction ratio. If you have a mixture of performance and capacity requirements, FCM and DRP can be combined in the same pool and used on a volume by
volume basis.

Where can I use DRP?

On all Spectrum Virtualize products except the FlashSystem 5015. It will take advantage of compression hardware assistance where available (SVC, FlashSystem 5200,
7300, 9500)

How can I make the most of DRP?

DRP uses a log structured array to keep track of the data, generating both data and metadata IO. By maximizing the cache and considering the use of SCM drives in an
Easy Tier configuration, you’ll get the best performance by reducing the latency when accessing the metadata.

Are there any DRP best practices?

Yes, see the FlashSystem Best Practices Redbook

DRP maximises data reduction to make the most of available capacity

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 Data Reduction
Tooling
Use the host based
Comprestimator
FCM compression Use “FCM” option
Or “Estimate Compression Saving” option
in the GUI but consider the maximum
effective compression with FCMs
(IBM | BP)
Choose your Data
Reduction Use the host based
approach and use Comprestimator
Use “DRP” option
the tooling to DRP compression Or “Estimate Compression Saving” option
in the GUI if your workload is already on a
estimate the amount Spectrum Virtualize product
(IBM | BP)
of effective storage
required
Use the host based

DRP compression and Data Reduction

Estimation Tool (DRET)
deduplication This will show you the savings for thin
provisioning, compression and deduplication
(IBM | BP) 19
IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 Data Reduction FAQ
Can I turn off FCM compression? Will I receive warnings before running out of space?
No, FCM data compression is hardware-based and always on. It is designed to Warnings will be generated by the system as the physical space is getting close
not impact performance even with data that is not compressible. to being used up. If an out-of-space condition does occur, the system will allow
you to recover the volumes by allowing data to be deleted or migrated to free
Are there any disadvantages to using Data Reduction volumes with space.
compressing FCMs?
No! The data will be compressed within the Data Reduction Pool and then Can I really use Fully Allocated volumes and Data Reduction
written to the FCM which will either compress the data further, or write the data volumes in the same Data Reduction Pool without limiting the
as-is. In either case, because the FCM compression is done in hardware there performance?
will be no performance impact. Yes, the high-performance workloads on the Fully Allocated volumes will not be
affected by the workloads on the Data Reduction volumes.
Can I use just deduplication with FCM compression?
The GUI will force the selection of compression with deduplication. Further Should I ever use a traditional storage pool (rather than a DRP)?
compression with FCM will yield minimal additional savings but will not impact If you’re really-really focused on performance, and want to ensure that any copy
performance. services are using just thin provisioning then this is a slightly better performing
solution than DRP. However, it lacks the functionality and flexibility of DRP.
How does deduplication work?
As blocks of data are written they are compared to data that has been written
What if I just want to use thin provisioning?
previously (using an in-memory dictionary) and any matches are turned into
Traditional storage pools still offer the ability to use thin provisioning. If the pool is
references to the existing data. Common patterns are also detected and
backed by FCM, then you’ll still get FCM compression (see first question)
replaced with a simple reference.

How do I understand how much data has been written?

The GUI shows the amount of data written by the hosts, the amount of physical
space used and an overview of where any data reduction is occurring.

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 High Availability (HA) & Disaster Recovery (DR)
What is HyperSwap?
HyperSwap is an HA solution where a pair of SVC nodes, or a FlashSystem
controller are located at different sites and run as a cluster. Each volume is Host Cluster
accessable from both sites, with IO being mirrored across synchronously.
A
If the physical storage at site A fails, the controller at site A can forward requests to Site A Site B
site B, with no interruption to the host. If site A fails completely, then the host can
fail over to site B. When site A recovers, HyperSwap will take a consistent copy
and resynchronize across the two sites so that full HA is restored. With host FlashSystem 9200 FlashSystem 9200
clustering, this gives full HA capability.
A1 A2
What is enhanced stretch cluster? Spectrum Virtualize Cluster with HyperSwap
Similar to HyperSwap is enhanced stretch cluster, where a pair of SVC nodes are
split across sites. Following a failed site being restored data is resynchronized.

This has the potential to be a lower cost solution over HyperSwap.

How do you do Disaster Recovery (and 3-site)? Host Cluster

IBM Spectrum Virtualize can do both synchronous and asynchronous copy of a
volume between different FlashSystem controllers, or SVC clusters. This gives the A
user the ability to maintain two (or three copies) of a volume across different sites Site A Site B
and tune the RPO to meet their cost and business goals.

SVC SA2 node SVC SA2 node

Alternatively, Enhanced Stretch Cluster can be used with a third site, giving the
choice of sync or async to the third site.
A1 A2
Where can I get more information? FlashSystem 5035 FlashSystem 5035
There are pretty big topics and much more information on these and other Copy
Services topics can be found in the FlashSystem and Spectrum Virtualize
SVC Enhanced Stretch Cluster
Redbooks
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 Safeguarded Copy
What is Safeguarded Copy?
Safeguarded Copy prevents point in time copies of data from being modified or
deleted due to user errors, malicious destruction or ransomware attacks

How does it work?

An administrator role can create immutable point in time copies of data. The
administrator cannot remove or delete these Safeguarded copies, and they
cannot remove or compromise the pools the copies are stored in.

A separate security administrator role can manage security and users, as well
as the Safeguarded copies and location of the copies.

How is data restored from the copies in the event of an attack?

The Safeguarded copies are not directly mountable to a host. In order to restore
from a copy, a copy is made to a new volume which can then be mapped to a
host for access. It’s good practice to test these copies occasionally to establish
known good points-in-time.

Is FlashCopy required for Safeguarded Copy?

Yes, Safeguarded Copy makes use of FlashCopy technology.

Does Safeguarded Copy require other software?

Yes, Safeguarded Copy requires IBM Copy Services Manager software for the
copy scheduling and recovery capabilities. If you’re already using Copy Service
Manager, then you can use it with Safeguarded Copy. Alternatively, an IBM
Copy Manager for IBM Spectrum Virtualize software bundle is available.

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 Encryption
Is encryption supported?
Yes! NVMe and SAS drives in FlashSystem products support hardware encryption. For virtualized
controllers without encryption, Spectrum Virtualize offers software encryption. Encryption can be
enabled per storage pool or per storage array.

What is FIPS 140-3?

The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) issued by the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) is a U.S. government computer security standard used to approve
cryptographic modules. This means it is a standard to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of
information with four increasing, qualitative levels of security which cover a wide range of applications
and environments. Federal agencies and other regulated industries often require FIPS compliance.

Do you have FIPS 140-3 compliance?

We have apply for FIPS 140-3 certification for the FCM drives we’re using in the 5200, 7300 and
9500 with a view to gaining the certification post GA.

Will all drives be FIPS 140-3 compliant?

No, just FCMs. Industry standard NVMe drives and SAS drives are not FIPS 140-3 compliant.

What happens when I order the encryption feature code?

You will be provided with an activation key to permit you to use encryption. This feature is not
available in all countries.

How are encryption keys managed?

Keys can be managed either using USB sticks or by using a key manager such as IBM Security
Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager. If you want to use USB sticks, you can order these with the
product.

Is secure erase supported?

Yes, please see this Redpaper on Cryptographic Erase 23
IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 Storage Insights (AI Predictive Analytics and Proactive Monitoring)
FlashSystem
Family FlashSystem FlashSystem FlashSystem FlashSystem FlashSystem
5015 5035 5200 7300 9500/R
Capabilities VMware & Container Integration
Multi-tenancy
3-Site Data Copies
Metro/Global Mirror (remote copy)
Powered by IBM
FlashCopy (local and cloud copy snapshots)
Spectrum Virtualize
Easy Tier (Automated Hot/Cold Extent Movement)
Data Migration (from >500 Supported Arrays)
Distributed RAID 1 & 6 (and 5 on 5000 products)
DRP (Software Only) Data Reduction Pools (Hardware Assist Compression)
Clustering (Multiple I/O Groups)
HyperSwap (Active / Active Access)
Encryption (Local and Server Based Keys)
Safeguarded Copy
NVMe Flash and NVMeOF Host Connections
FCMs (Highest performance NVMe with compression & encryption)
External Storage Virtualization (>500 Supported Arrays)
Storage Class Memory (ultra low latency drives)
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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 Spectrum Virtualize FAQ
Is Spectrum Virtualize built into FlashSystem and SAN Volume Does Spectrum Virtualize function extend to virtualized controllers ?
Controller products or do I need additional hardware? Yes, all of the Spectrum Virtualize function can be applied to all storage in the
It’s built in. Spectrum Virtualize runs on each canister in a FlashSystem product, storage pool, whether it’s local storage (in the case of FlashSystem products), or
and on each node in a SVC node pair. virtualized. This includes using Easy Tier to accelerate older storage with newer
Flash technology.
What hosts are supported?
The host interoperability is similar across all Spectrum Virtualize If I’m virtualizing storage controllers, where should I do data
products. Check SSIC for details.. reduction?
Best practise is to do data reduction in the controller, and to manage and track
Can I virtualize FlashSystem products behind SAN Volume the physical storage there. A more detailed answer can be found in the
Controller? FlashSystem Best Practices Redbook
Sure. See the interoperability matrix on SSIC for details.
What user interfaces does Spectrum Virtualize offer?
Can I virtualize other storage controllers? A easy-to-use GUI, a command line over SSH, and REST API for integration into
Yes, whilst this is core function for SAN Volume Controller, FlashSystem other workflows.
products can also do this either for migration purposes or to extend the capacity
of your system more permanently. How can I find out more about Spectrum Virtualize functionality?
There are multiple IBM Redbooks that both provide an overview and go into
What controllers are supports with external virtualization? detail on specific functions.
Over 500 different controllers are supported. Check SSIC for details..

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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 What is Storage Insights?

Storage Insights (SI) provides a single pane of glass for you to monitor your storage estate
It’s available with IBM FlashSystem and SAN Volume Controller products with a valid support contract

Storage Admin
Health, performance &
capacity monitoring
Problem and risk notification
Simplified ticketing
Performance troubleshooting
IBM Support
Faster time-to-resolution Planning
Remote diagnostics Capacity planning
Configuration best practices Performance planning
Environment analytics Consumption planning
Predictive analytics IBM Cloud
Data placement optimization
Customized alerting

Storwize FlashSystem FlashSystem SAN Volume

DS8000 FlashSystem XIV Gen3 FlashSystem FlashSystem 840, 900
V5000, V7000 5000, 7000, 9000 A9000 Controller VersaStack
V840, V9000 A9000R, 9200R

Storage Insights Pro paid-for-features shown in italics, also

26
included with Spectrum Control license and Expert Care Premium
IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 Storage Insights FAQ
How much does Storage Insights cost? How do I install Storage Insights?
Storage Insights available for no charge on all FlashSystem and SAN Volume Each customer will have their own instance of Storage Insights running in the
Controller products with IBM Storage Expert Care. IBM cloud – you just register with IBM here. Your welcome letter will include
instructions for installing a lightweight data collector that runs in the data center to
What can I see on the Storage Insights Dashboard? stream performance, capacity, asset and configuration data to your cloud
You can see the performance, capacity and health for all of your supported instance.
systems on a single pane of glass. Systems that require immediate attention are
highlighted so that you can take action to avoid interruptions in service. The What data is collected?
expanded view for each system allows you to see a more detailed system health Metadata about the configuration and operations of storage resources. At no
report, along with events and open service tickets for that system. time is any customer data stored on any of the storage collected as this cannot
be accessed by the data collector.
How does Storage Insights improve the support experience?
Your IBM support representatives, including your Technical Advocate will have How is data collected?
the same view of your infrastructure. IBM support representatives also have Metadata flows in one direction, from the data collector in your data center to the
access to historical data to aid them in any problem determination needed. ISO 27001 certified IBM cloud over a secure https connection.
Storage Insights also gives IBM the ability to remotely gather diagnostic data if
required (with the customer’s permission of course).
Who can access my instance of Storage Insights?
Access is restricted to the customer who owns the Storage Insights dashboard;
What insights does Storage Insights actually provide? administrators who are authorized to access the dashboard; the IBM Cloud team
Storage Insights proactively works to identify best practice violations. These who are responsible for maintaining cloud instances; and IBM support personnel
capabilities will be continually expanded as we gain more insights into our user for the investigating and closing of service tickets.
base.
Where can I find out more information about Storage Insights,
What’s the difference between Storage Insights and Storage
including more detail on many of the questions covered here?
Insights Pro?
Share a high level solution overview
The Pro version is licensed based on the amount of storage that’s being
Watch a product demo
monitored. It enables a longer history, better granularity, additional functionality
Learn how secure data collection works
as well consumption reporting.
More info can be found here
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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 Choosing A FlashSystem
for Business Partners and Sellers Performance & Capacity IBM
BP

Choosing a FlashSystem should start with understanding the

workload characteristics for the workloads the customer
Storage Modeller (StorM)
plans to run on the system. For example, what are the likely
read and write IOPs? What is the typical block size? And StorM allows you to determine the right product
how much capacity do you need? and configuration, understand the capacity and
then model the performance
Consider both the port bandwidth and port count when
thinking about I/O cards. The bandwidth should be enough
to cope with any workloads, but if the customer is planning
on clustering or using HA/DR configurations, plan on having
dedicated ports to keep that traffic separate from host traffic.

As the working set (ie most accessed workloads) and total

Cost
IBM

TCOnow!
capacity increases, consider increasing the cache. If BP
consolidating from multiple controllers, consider at least
matching the amount of cache across those controllers
To determine the Total Cost of Ownership,
Finally, consider the future needs and whether the chosen including power, cooling, warranty, etc use
product can expand to meet those needs.
TCOnow! You can also compare your
The pre-sales tools on the left may help you. configuration with other solutions
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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
What is IBM FlashWatch?
A comprehensive suite of flash storage guarantee programs that gives you the
confidence to purchase, own, and upgrade your IBM Storage

Acquisition Operation Migration

High Availability Guarantee IBM Storage Expert Care IBM Flash Momentum
Proven 99.9999% availability Choose the duration and level of support Storage Upgrade Program
Optional 100% commitment when needed, independently of the FlashSystem Replace your controller and storage every 3
using HyperSwap product purchased years with full flexibility

Data Reduction Guarantee * Cloud Analytics Cloud-like Pricing

2:1 self-certified Storage Insights to proactively manage your Optionally available consumption pricing
Up to 5:1 with workload profiling environment models: IBM Storage as a Service or
Storage Utility

All-inclusive Licensing Flash Endurance Guarantee

All storage function included in licensing Flash media is covered for all workloads No Cost Migration
cost for internal storage whilst under warranty or maintenance 90 days no-cost data migration from over
500 storage controllers, IBM and non-IBM

IBM Storage/ 17030517USEN / July 20, 2021 / © 2021 IBM Corporation 29

Replaces all previous “Controller Upgrade”, “Peace of Mind” and “FlashWatch” Programs commencing with purchases made on or after February 11th 2020
Program applicability varies by product. Check “FlashWatch Product Matrix”. * Requires signed contract.
 * Next business day, parts only for FS5200, FS7200

IBM Storage Expert Care ** Same day, IBM on-site for FS9200
*** On-site available as additional paid service

Advanced
Basic Premium
Warranty 5200,7300,9
5200, 7300 7300, 9500
500
What’s different about Expert Care from other IBM
Storage service offerings? IBM Spectrum Virtualize fixes,
updates and new releases
1 year Yes Yes Yes
It allows you to independently choose your product, support level
and duration to align with your business needs. Guidance on installation, usage and
configuration
Yes Yes Yes
What products is IBM Storage Expert Care available
with? Automated ticket management and
alerting
Yes Yes Yes
FlashSystem 5200 (MT 4662), 7300 (MT 4657), 9500 (MT 4666)
Use of Storage Insights for
Do I have to purchase Expert Care? collaborative problem resolution
Yes Yes Yes
No, but base warranty is limited to just one. By separating out Expert
Care from the base warranty we’re allowing you to define the level of Predictive issue alerting Yes Yes
support you’ll receive as a fixed percentage of the hardware price for
the duration you choose. Storage Insights Pro entitlement Yes

Are there alternative warranty upgrades or maintenance Additional

Standard Additional paid Additional
services? IBM Installation paid service
with 9500 service paid service
No, services either as a standalone TSS offering or as ServicePacs for 7300
are not available. The only way to extend and improve your
warranty is through an Expert Care offering. Remote code upgrades (2x year) *** Yes
Dedicated Technical Account
Are other service upgrades available with Expert Care? Yes
Manager (TAM)
Yes, complementary services to the Expert Care offerings such as
media retention, machine setup support (IBM Installation) and others
are available separately. 30 minutes Severity 1/2 response Yes

Can I renew Expert Care at the end of the initial duration? 24x7 Same 24x7 Same
Hardware service / parts 9x5 NBD* or 9x5 NBD,
Yes, you can renew your existing coverage at the end of the contract day, IBM on- day,
replacement 24x7 Same day** IBM on-site
or choose to renew or upgrade to a higher offering at any point. site IBM on-site

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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation 30
 Financing with IBM
Storage Expert Care Generic Financing Example
Component FlashSystem IBM Storage
Hardware Expert Care
How does IBM Storage Expert Care change the way a product is
financed?
Previously a fixed level of maintenance was included with 3-year
Cost $66,000 $34,000
warranty products, and the pricing of that product was adjusted to
accommodate this. In order to allow customers to choose the level Financing type Fair Market Value Loan Financing
of Expert Care that’s right for them, Hardware and Maintenance are Lease Financing
now being sold separately.
Client Financing Rate $24.8974 per $1000 $29.9610 per $1000
What are the implications of selling these two components per Thousand Financed
separately?
If you’re financing a product, then both hardware and maintenance Customer monthly $1,643.23 $1,018.67
can still be financed. However, in some countries Hardware and payment
Maintenance are subject to different financing and tax rules and will
be treated separately. An example of a common transaction is Total paid over 36 month $59,156.22 $36,672.26
shown on the right.

What does this mean for Business Partners and Sellers?

End of lease options Buy out, return or None
Nothing, you should continue to prepare your configuration business
as usual, and pass it to your IBM Financing sellers who will manage renew (customer owns)
the transaction correctly.
Client Accounting Fixed asset Loan

Client VAT Paid over time Paid upfront

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IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 Other Resources

IBM FlashSystem & SAN Volume Controller FAQ

Details on the IBM Spectrum Virtualize products, covering IBM FlashSystem family and SAN Volume Controller

IBM FlashWatch FAQ

Guidance on the IBM FlashWatch programs

IBM Redbooks
Detailed information on both IBM FlashSystem products and IBM Spectrum Virtualize function

FlashSystem Product Tour

Interactive product tour showing GUI usage and performance

32
IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 Thank you

Matt Smith
IBM FlashSystem Product Manager
—
[email protected]
ibm.com

33
IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
 34
IBM Storage / Feb 2022 © IBM Corporation
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