Primary Storage

Simply stated, an enterprise's #storage systems must have the sheer space or capacity to accommodate the amount of #data generated by its users and applications. One question you want to avoid in your business environment is:

Where am I running out of storage?

IBM Spectrum Control Version 5.3.1 can help you get the answers quickly moreover, get the right information to the right person to stop any confusion.

Reporting enhancements

In this release, enhanced filtering criteria gives you the ability to keep your colleagues informed about capacity usage and to help them plan capacity purchases as well as prevent capacity shortages.

In previous versions, you could create a report on the pools in your storage environment but now you can dig deeper and create a report that just shows the pools that are greater than 80% full. FYI: You can add up to four filters to show a predefined capacity report that your recipients need.

To verify that you recipients are getting the correct information, use the report preview feature. Each time you apply a filter, or make a configuration change to the report, such as add or remove a column or filter, the table view of the report is refreshed.

You can also create predefined inventory reports.

You can generate capacity information about all of the resources of a specific type, such as an inventory report for block storage systems, or IBM Spectrum Virtualize™ nodes, or IBM Spectrum Scale™ nodes.

For example, if you want to check whether your IBM® Storwize® family of block storage systems have the correct firmware version, you would create two filters. One for the value of the Storwize system and then you can add filters to list the storage systems with firmware versions that don't match the value that you enter.

Don't forget to click Apply Filter when you add each filter, and check the report preview to ensure that the report's recipients will get the right information they need.

Custom reports also have the extended filtering capability. Open any page that shows information about your storage resources, such as the Block Storage Systems page, click Create Report, and create a custom report or switch to the Performance page and click Create Report, to create a performance report. You can refine any information. For example, if you want to notify resource administrators or owners about capacity shortfalls, you can set threshold values for capacity information or, if you want to exclude information that is not of interest to the report's recipients, you can add a filter.

In general, to sum it all up, here is what you can do with reporting:

• Track inventory


• Validate firmware


• Monitor where you’re running out of space


• Track who is consuming space


• Chargeback


• Identify waste

This feature is also supported in #IBMCloud based IBM Storage Insights Pro.

Support for monitoring IBM Storwize V7000 Gen3 storage systems

The new IBM Storwize V7000 Gen3, officially model 724, supports NVMe and FC-NVMe (NVMe/FC) on 16Gbps adapters, and iSER on 25GbE adapters.

You can view information about the capacity, space usage, and performance of these storage systems in IBM Spectrum Control. You can also view the savings that are achieved when data is reduced, compressed, and deduplicated.

You can also view capacity information for the flash drives and check whether the drives use inline data compression. For the RAID arrays, you can view the physical and logical capacity, alert on the available physical space, and view the amount of capacity that is saved when inline drive compression is used.

And of course, other features, such as alerting, health monitoring, advanced analytics, and reporting are also supported.

This feature is also supported in #IBMCloud based IBM Storage Insights and IBM Storage Insights Pro.

For more information on the new features of IBM Spectrum Control, Version 5.3.1 and all the other capabilities you have to manage your storage environment, see IBM Knowledge Center.

Downloading IBM Spectrum Control

You can download IBM Spectrum Control Version 5.3.1 here.

IBM Spectrum Control Version 5.3.1 can be applied as a new installation or as an upgrade to IBM Spectrum Control 5.2.x or Tivoli Storage Productivity Center 5.2.x. If you are applying this as an upgrade, your existing license will be transferred. If you are doing a new installation, a license is required and is included on Passport Advantage® Online.

Review the Instillation instructions and Download package sections.

You can then install the product by following the installation instructions in the IBM Knowledge Center.

Joining the IBM Storage Sponsor User Program

The #IBMStorage portfolio of products is looking for active participants to work with #IBMDesign and developers to create world class products with great user experiences.

As an engaged member of the IBM Storage Sponsor User Program your point of view will be heard! The IBM Design team will integrate your insights and perspectives into the decision making process as the project moves forward. In addition, you even get a peek into upcoming storage releases and gain beta access to new products.

For more information and to join, see IBM Storage Sponsor User Program.

Joining the conversation

 Be social! Do social!

Join the conversation at #IBMStorage, #ibmsystems, and #softwaredefinedstorage.

Social media insights

Watch videos, read blogs, and explore social media to learn more about how to use IBM Spectrum Control. See Social media for IBM Spectrum Control.

For continuing information on IBM Spectrum Control, IBM Storage Insights and entire IBM Spectrum Storage Suite,  or Twitter, @bobby_gratz