Beefed up, sped up, and stripped down, the newly announced DS8880F All Flash models provide superior performance, while still offering the complete suite of disaster recovery and data protection features, and supplying world-class levels of reliability and availability.
The DS8880 Analytic Class, Enterprise Class and Business Class are now offered in All-Flash only versions, featuring second generation High Performance Flash Enclosure (HPFE-Gen2) storage. All Hard Disk Drives and their supporting hardware infrastructure have been removed, resulting in lower costs when compared to hybrid versions of the same DS8880 models. The new DS8880F All-Flash models cannot be upgraded with the ‘old’ HDD technology hardware.
With the increasing affordability of Flash Storage options, All-Flash matches the combined overall capacity, but with far greater performance characteristics.
IBM’s complete set of disaster recovery and data protection features, such as Metro Mirror, Flash Copy, Global Mirror, etc, remain fully available on the All-Flash Models. And even with all data being stored on the fastest tier, IBM Easy Tier continues to provide its auto re-balancing and data migration capabilities, to ensure the demands of varying workloads are met.
The DS8880 All-Flash models are identified by a new unique ‘machine type’. Other than this one small update, they still report in to attached host servers as always, and when configured to do so, call home to IBM in the same manner.
There is a myriad of available configuration options. The initial configurations and capacities are limited in size, but will be expandable (and orderable) to larger configurations later in 2017. The following set of descriptions and tables are intended to help understand what features and configurations can be combined together.
The DS8884F business class model is the entry version of the All-Flash Family. Inside you’ll find:
- Two S822 POWER8 servers, with 6-core processors
- Selections of 64, 128 or 256GB of total system DRAM
- A minimum of 8 Host adapter ports, available in either 8 or 16 Gb/s fibre channel connections, expandable up to 32 ports. Later in 2017, the number of fibre channel ports can be upgradeable (or orderable) to double that amount, for a maximum of 64 ports.
- One pair of second generation High Performance Flash Enclosures (HPFE-Gen2) . Orderable in pairs, up to 3 more pairs HPFE-Gen2s can be added with the updates available later this year, for a total of 4 pairs (8 total).
- A maximum of 48 Flash Cards, available in individual capacities of 3.2TB, 1.6TB, 800GB or 400GB, for max raw system capacities of 154TB, 77TB, 38TB or 19TB, respectively.
- With the future updates, the maximum number of Flash Cards will increase to 192, increasing the maximum raw system capacity to 614TB. Flash Card capacities are all the same within each pair of HPFE-Gen2 drawers, but drawer-pairs are orderable in different capacities.
- The minimum number of Flash Cards is set at 16. With the Flash Card capacities listed above, the smallest raw system capacities are 51TB, 26TB, 13TB and 6TB.
- Single Phase power connections
- All within a single 40U high rack.
- Available with 1 to 4 year warranty.
- DS8884F = Machine Type 533n (n is the number of warranty years), Model 984
The DS8886F is the enterprise class workhorse of the All-Flash family, and comes with the largest number of available options.
- Two S824 POWER8 servers, with 3 selections of processors
- 8-core, with either 128GB or 256GB of system DRAM
- 16-core, with either 256GB or 512GB of system DRAM
- 24-core, with either 1TB or 2TB of system DRAM
The number of Host Adapters, HPFE Gen-2 enclosures, flash cards, and overall system capacity depends on how much the processors can drive.
For 8-core Processor configurations:
- Up to 64 Host adapter ports, available in either 8 or 16 Gb/s fibre channel connections, with a minimum of 8 ports.
- A total of 2 HPFE-Gen2 pairs, with a minimum of one pair. This will increase to 4 HFPE-Gen2 pairs (8 total) with the firmware updates scheduled for later in 2017.
- A maximum of 96 Flash Cards, available in individual capacities of 3.2TB, 1.6TB, 800GB or 400GB, for max raw system capacities of 307TB, 154TB, 77TB or 38TB, respectively.
- With the future updates, the maximum number of Flash Cards will increase to 192, increasing the maximum raw system capacity to 614TB. Flash Card capacities are all the same within each pair of HPFE-Gen2 drawers, but drawer-pairs are orderable in different capacities.
- Available in both Single Phase and Three Phase power connections.
- All within a single 46U high rack.
With more computing might, the 16 and 24-core processors can handle a larger number of attached flash and host attachments:
- A maximum of 128 Host adapter ports, available in either 8 or 16 Gb/s fibre channel connections. A minimum of 8 are provided.
- Double the number of HPFE-Gen2s enclosure pairs, up to 4. The maximum configuration doubles again to 8 pairs (16 total) later in the year.
- A maximum of 192 Flash Cards, available in the capacities mentioned above, allow for max raw system capacities of 614TB, 307TB, 154TB or 77TB, respectively.
- With the doubling of installable Flash Enclosures allowed by upcoming updates, the number of Flash Cards will go all the way to 384. That will make the largest Enterprise Class raw system 1.2PB.
- Available in both Single Phase and Three Phase power connections.
- Two 46U high racks provide the necessary holding space for the largest configurations.
- For all Processor configurations, the minimum number of Flash Cards remains 16. With the Flash Card capacities listed above, the smallest raw system capacities are 51TB, 26TB, 13TB and 6TB.
- All the above configurations are available with 1 to 4 year warranties.
- DS8886F = Machine Type 533n (n is the number of warranty years), Model 985 for single phase power, Model 986 for 3 phase power.
The DS8888F is the analytic class powerhouse of the DS8k All-Flash products, and is available in 2 large scale configurations:
- Two E850 POWER8 servers, with 2 available configurations of Processors and memory;
- 24-core, with 1TB of system DRAM
- 48-core, with 2TB of system DRAM
- When driven by the 24-core/1TB engine, the following options are available:
- A maximum of 64 Host adapter ports, available in either 8 or 16 Gb/s fibre channel connections. A minimum of 8 are provided.
- A maximum of 4 HPFE-Gen2 enclosure pairs.
- A maximum of 192 Flash Cards, available in capacities of 3.2TB, 1.6TB, 800GB or 400GB, allow for max raw system capacities of 614TB, 307TB, 154TB or 77TB, respectively.
- Available in three phase power connections.
- All within a single 46U high rack.
- When powered by 48-core processors and 2TB of DRAM, more options and configurations are available:
- A maximum of 128 Host adapter ports, available in either 8 or 16 Gb/s fibre channel connections.
- A maximum of 8 HPFE-Gen2 enclosure pairs (16 total). With the scheduled product enhancements coming later in 2017, this doubles again to 16 HPFE-Gen2 pairs (32 total).
- A maximum of 384 Flash Cards, providing max system capacities of 1.2PB, 614TB, 307TB, or 154TB, for each of the respective flash card capacities covered above.
- With the upcoming product upgrades, the number of flash cards and system capacities doubles again, to 768 Flash Cards max, with corresponding max system capacities of 2.5PB, 1.2PB, 614TB, or 307TB.
- Two 46U high racks are required to house the maximum configuration in the initial versions, upgradeable to 3 racks later in the year.
- Available with three phase power connections.
The following tables summarize the configuration features by DS8880 All-Flash model.
Table of Features by Model of DS880 All-Flash, Initial Release
|
DS8880
All-Flash Model
|
Orderable
Features
|
DS8884F
|
DS8886F
|
DS8888F
|
Processor Cores
|
6-core
|
8-core
|
16-core
|
24-core
|
24-core
|
48-core
|
System DRAM
|
64GB,
128GB,
256GB
|
128GB,
256GB
|
256GB
512GB
|
1TB,
2TB
|
1TB
|
2TB
|
Max Host Adapter Ports
8 or 16Gb/s
|
32
|
64
|
128
|
64
|
128
|
Max HPFE-Gen2 pairs
|
1 pair
(2 total)
|
2 pairs
(4 total)
|
4 pairs
(8 total)
|
4 pairs
(8 total)
|
8 pairs
(16 total)
|
Max Flash Cards
|
48
|
96
|
192
|
192
|
384
|
Max raw
capacity
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2 TB/Flash Card
|
154TB
|
307TB
|
614TB
|
614TB
|
1.2PB
|
1.6 TB/Flash Card
|
77TB
|
154TB
|
307TB
|
307TB
|
614TB
|
800 GB/Flash Card
|
38TB
|
77TB
|
154TB
|
154TB
|
307TB
|
400 GB/Flash Card
|
19TB
|
38TB
|
77TB
|
77TB
|
154TB
|
Racks
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
Height
|
40U
|
46U
|
46U
|
46U
|
46U
|
Machine
Type
(N = warranty period,
1-4 years)
|
533N
|
533N
|
533N
|
533N
|
533N
|
Model Number
|
984
|
985
Single
Phase
986
Three Phase
|
988
|
Power
|
Single Phase
|
Three Phase
|
Table of Features by Model of DS880 All-Flash, Upgrade Release (2H 2017)
|
DS8880 All-Flash Model
|
Orderable Features
|
DS8884F
|
DS8886F
|
DS8888F
|
Processor Cores
|
6-core
|
8-core
|
16-core
|
24-core
|
24-core
|
48-core
|
System DRAM
|
64GB,
128GB,
256GB
|
128GB,
256GB
|
256GB
512GB
|
1TB,
2TB
|
1TB
|
2TB
|
Max Host Adapter Ports
8 or 16Gb/s
|
64
|
64
|
128
|
64
|
128
|
Max
HPFE-Gen2 pairs
|
4 pairs
(8 total)
|
4 pairs
(8 total)
|
8 pairs
(16 total)
|
8
(4 pairs)
|
16 pairs
(32 total)
|
Max Flash Cards
|
192
|
192
|
384
|
192
|
768
|
Max raw
capacity
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2 TB/Flash Card
|
614TB
|
614TB
|
1.2PB
|
614TB
|
2.5PB
|
1.6 TB/Flash Card
|
307TB
|
307TB
|
614TB
|
307TB
|
1.2PB
|
800 GB/Flash Card
|
154TB
|
154TB
|
307TB
|
154TB
|
614TB
|
400 GB/Flash Card
|
77TB
|
77TB
|
154TB
|
77TB
|
307TB
|
Racks
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
Height
|
40U
|
46U
|
46U
|
46U
|
46U
|
Machine
Type
(N = warranty period,
1-4 years)
|
533N
|
533N
|
533N
|
533N
|
533N
|
Model Number
|
984
|
985
Single
Phase
986
Three Phase
|
988
|
Power
|
Single Phase
|
Three Phase
|
Table of Storage Upgrades sizes
Flash Card
Capacity
|
Storage Increment Size
|
3.2 TB/Flash Card
|
51TB
|
1.6 TB/Flash Card
|
26TB
|
800 GB/Flash Card
|
13TB
|
400 GB/Flash Card
|
6TB
|
Flash cards are orderable in groups of 16. Every DS8880F requires a minimum of one pair of HPFE-Gen2 drawers, and a minimum of one set of 16 flash
cards. The table at left lists the size of raw storage increments based on flash card capacity.
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