New Capabilities for IBM System Storage DS8700

The IBM System Storage DS8000 series from IBM Corp. passes the flagship disk enterprise storage products in the IBM System Storage portfolio.

The DS8700 represents the latest in this series designed for high-performance, high-capacity, and resilient series of disk storage systems. This announcement continues the practice of an ‘enterprise choice’ length of warranty option by allowing the high-performance flagship models (DS8700 Model 941 and associated DS8700 Expansion Unit Model 94E) to be ordered with a one- , two- , three- , or four-year warranty period. This flexibility enables you to select the option that best addresses your business and financial needs.

Additionally, the IBM System Storage DS8700 provides new functional capabilities, allowing you to choose the combination of price and efficiency that is right for your application needs.

New capabilities include:

• IBM POWER6 processor technology: The DS8700 features IBM’s POWER6 server technology to help support high performance. Compared to the POWER5+ processor in previous models, the POWER6 processor can enable over a 50% performance improvement in I/O operations per second in transaction processing workload environments. Additionally, sequential workloads can receive as much as 150% bandwidth improvement. The DS8700 offers either a dual 2-way processor complex or a dual 4-way processor complex.
• PCI-e IO Enclosures: To improve IOPS (IO Operations Per Second) and sequential read/write throughput, the new IO Enclosures are directly connected to the servers via point-to-point PCI-e cables. IO Enclosures no longer share common ‘loops’, they connect directly to each internal server via separate cables and link cards.
• Four-port device adapters: Device adapter processor hardware upgrade to processor resources for more IOPS performance to enable better utilization of SSD drives.
• Non-disruptive upgrade path for the DS8700 Model 941 and additional Model 94E expansion frames: Allows processor, cache, and storage enhancement to be performed concurrently without disrupting applications.
• Enhancements to disk Encryption key management that can help address PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) requirements: Encryption deadlock recovery key supports the ability for IBM to restore access to a DS8700 when the Encryption key for the storage is unavailable due to an Encryption deadlock scenario; dual platform key server support as DS8000 requires an isolated key server in Encryption configurations. The isolated key server currently defined is an IBM System x server. Dual platform key server support allows two different server platforms to host the key manager with either platform operating in either ‘clear key’ or ‘secure key’ mode.
• Value-based pricing/licensing: Operating Environment License is usually priced based on the performance, capacity, speed, and other characteristics that provide value in customer environments.

Key prerequisites
All features and functions in this announcement are supported on the IBM System Storage DS8000 series. They require DS8000 Licensed Machine Code (LMC) 5.5.0.xx (bundle version 65.0.xx.xx), or later.

Planned availability date
October 23, 2009.