Introduction
📘 This blog describes the officially supported integration between IBM Storage Insights and IBM Storage Ceph. It covers the capabilities such as centralized visibility, system monitoring, and IBM Support workflows.
The Challenge
📌 IBM Storage Ceph is often administered on a per-cluster basis. In environments with multiple IBM Storage Ceph clusters and heterogeneous storage system types, monitoring and troubleshooting are fragmented across separate interfaces, limiting centralized visibility and slowing incident response and support engagement. IBM Storage Insights addresses this challenge by providing a single, centralized monitoring interface.
How the Integration Works
🔗 IBM Storage Insights integrates with IBM Storage Ceph using Call Home with cloud services.
✔️ Secure outbound communication from Ceph to IBM Storage Insights
✔️ No separate Storage Insights data collector required
✔️ System and inventory metadata sent automatically
Adding IBM Storage Ceph to IBM Storage Insights
➕ After Call Home with cloud services and Storage Insights support are enabled on the Ceph system:
1️⃣ Inventory data is sent to IBM Storage Insights
2️⃣ A notification appears in the UI
3️⃣ An administrator approves the system
4️⃣ The system appears under Unified Storage Systems
Monitoring and Visibility
👁 IBM Storage Insights provides visibility into IBM Storage Ceph systems, including:
📊 Capacity usage (total, used, available)
🧩 System and inventory metadata
⚙ Configuration and identification details
Integrated IBM Support Experience
🛠️ IBM Storage Insights integrates with IBM Support workflows for IBM Storage Ceph systems.
🎫 Create support tickets directly from the Storage Insights UI (IBM Storage Ceph release 8.1, version 19.2.1 or later), and upload new diagnostic log packages as part of the support workflow.
📦 Upload new diagnostic log packages to existing support tickets (IBM Storage Ceph release 7.1, version 18.2.1 or later)
📍 Track log upload tasks from the Running and Completed tasks view
Key Benefits
⭐ Centralized visibility for IBM Storage Ceph systems
➕ Simplified onboarding using Call Home with cloud services
📈 Clear visibility into system configuration and capacity usage
🤝 Streamlined IBM Support engagement
Conclusion
✅ IBM Storage Insights provides a centralized, cloud-based monitoring and support solution for IBM Storage Ceph systems. By leveraging Call Home with cloud services, organizations can monitor Ceph systems and engage IBM Support using documented and supported workflows.
Resources
- 🔖 Storage Guru channel (IBM Spectrum Control playlist) 🔗
- 🔖 IBM Storage Insights overview 🔗
- 🔖 Adding IBM Storage Ceph systems to IBM Storage Insights 🔗
- 🔖 Opening, updating, and tracking IBM Support tickets 🔗
- 📽 IBM Storage Insights : Integration with IBM Storage Ceph 🔗