Today, IBM launches a whole set of updated offerings based on the IBM Spectrum Virtualize software code base.
- IBM Spectrum Virtualize v7.7.1 software-only offering
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Like the rest of the IBM Spectrum Storage family of products, IBM Spectrum Virtualize can now be purchased as software only, allowing you to install it on your own x86 servers, rather than purchasing pre-built systems from IBM.
The software license comes in two flavors. The traditional "perpetual license" allows you to move the software from one x86 server to another. Say after 4 years, you have depreciated the server, or the hardware components fail, and you want to get a newer server. This is the same perpetual license that clients with IBM SAN Volume Controller and Storwize family have enjoyed since 2003.
The other is a "monthly license", which allows you to stand up your own "SVC" using your own x86 servers, for a period of months needed for a development/test project, disaster recovery, or some other purpose. After the project is over, you can discontinue the license, and re-purpose the x86 servers for something else. This is especially handy for Managed Service Providers (MSP) and Cloud Service Providers (CSP), but certainly can prove useful in traditional datacenters as well. The "monthly licensing" option is also available for IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC) as well.
The software license is based on Tebibyte [TiB]. For those not familiar with international standards, here is a comparison table:
| Terminology |
Abbreviation |
Notation |
Quantity |
| Terabyte |
TB |
Always decimal, 10 to the 12th power |
1,000,000,000,000 bytes |
| Tebibyte |
TiB |
Always binary, 2 to the 40th power |
1,099,511,627,776 bytes |
For more information, read the [IBM Spectrum Virtualize Software-only Announcement Letter].
- IBM SAN Volume Controller Model SV1
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The new SV1 model is based on two 8-core [Intel Broadwell] processors, which IBM has clocked at up to 30 percent performance improvement over the DH8 model. It also offers up to 256GB of cache memory per node, which sadly only the first 64GB are usable at the current software level. Someday, a future release of software will address all 256GB of memory.
The IBM SAN Volume Controller now offers "Enterprise Class Support" as an option. In the past, the SVC was a "customer setup" box, similar to midrange and entry-level products. Now, you can upgrade your support to match that of IBM DS8000 and XIV enterprise class offerings. This means that IBM experts will maintain your microcode levels for you.
For more information, read the [IBM SAN Volume Controller SV1 Announcement Letter], and the [Enterprise Class Service Announcement Letter]..
- New software features
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The v7.7.1 also provides new features for existing SVC, Storwize and FlashSystem V9000 products. Here are a few:
- Manageability with CLI support for host groups
- Scalability with support for up to 10,000 virtual disks, depending on the model; and up to 20 Expansion Enclosures on SVC 2145 DH8 and SV1 models, and the FlashSystem V9000
- RAS and performance enhancements for distributed RAID (DRAID)
- Flexibility with iSCSI virtualization support for XIV Gen3, IBM Spectrum Accelerate, FlashSystem A9000 and FlashSystem A9000R arrays
For more information, read the [IBM Spectrum Virtualize v7.7.1 Features Announcement Letter].
- IBM Storwize V7000 Gen2+ Model 624
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The new 624 model is based on a single 10-core Intel Broadwell processor, which IBM has clocked at up to 45 percent performance improvement over the previous model. It also offers up to 128GB of cache memory per system, 64GB per node, double what came standard on the 524 model!
Why "Gen2+"? Moving from an 8-core Haswell to a 10-core Broadwell CPU, and doubling the cache memory didn't seem to be enough "architectural change" to justify calling it a "Gen3", so marketing decided on Gen2+ instead.
For more information, read the [Storwize V7000 Announcement Letter].
- IBM FlashSystem V9000
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I refer to the IBM FlashSystem V9000 as my "Superman" product. When Superman dons on his glasses he becomes "Clark Kent", mild-mannered newspaper reporter. But behind the glasses, he is always Superman! Likewise, the FlashSystem V9000 is an all-flash array with an impressive set of features, but take off the fancy bezel, and you find that it is a pair of fully-loaded SAN Volume Controllers (which we call "Control Enclosures AC3") and a FlashSystem 900 drawer of the world's fastest flash storage.
The new FlashSystem V9000 is based on the new SV1 models of SVC. Each V9000 can attach up to 20 expansion enclosures over 12Gb SAS connections. The expansion enclosure can hold either 24 of the smaller 2.5-inch drives, or 12 of the larger 3.5-inch drives. Of course, the FlashSystem V9000 can also virtualize any of almost 400 different kinds of storage arrays, from all the major vendors, similar to SAN Volume Controller. This provides tiering options that match well with the FlashSystem 900 inside.
For more information, read the [FlashSystem V9000 Announcement Letter].
- IBM Storwize V7000F and V5030F all-flash array models
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The FlashSystem V9000 was originally going to be called the Storwize V9000, but the FlashSystem folks wanted to keep all of the "FlashCore" technology under one name. In perhaps a bit retaliation, or maybe sibling rivalry, the Storwize team added the letter "F" to refer to the All-flash models of the Storwize V7000F and V5030F.
The "flash" in the V7000F and V5030F are just Solid-state drives, not nearly as fast as the cards in the FlashSystem models. The drives come in 1.92TB and 3.84TB capacities. You might see these rounded up to 2TB and 4TB on some presentations, but IBM officially never likes to exaggerate.
For more information, read the [Storwize All-Flash Announcement Letter], and the [New Flash Drive Options Announcement Letter].