IBM SmartCloud Virtual Storage Center V5.1

New product numbers and feature numbers for AAS ordering are available for IBM SmartCloud Virtual Storage Center (VSC) V5.1.

This change is being made to improve IBM order processing.

VSC V5.1 provides virtualization management and data protection of heterogeneous storage environments.

VSC V5.1 helps to:

Turn existing storage into cloud storage. VSC enables automated storage provisioning via OpenStack and optional IBM SmartCloud Storage Access self-service portal, VSC simplifies mapping service level requirements to storage resources, and can interface with optional IBM SmartCloud Cost Management for invoicing.
Reduce the unit cost of storage up to 50%. VSC implements analytics-based right tiering, which uses sophisticated performance reporting and online data migration to help you store data in the right place over time. Most data centers IBM has assessed can reduce their reliance on expensive top tier storage.
Standardize advanced data protection. VSC enables snapshots, remote mirroring, and stretch clusters at the storage hypervisor level, so all managed storage systems have consistent data protection capabilities. Applications can get the data protection they need and IT can simplify processes.

VSC V5.1 helps to optimize provisioning, capacity, availability, data protection, reporting, and management for virtualized storage.

It offers both a storage virtualization platform and capabilities for storage virtualization management. It delivers under one licensed software product, the set of functions available in the Tivoli Storage Productivity Center, all the set of functions available with the virtualization, remote-mirroring and FlashCopy capabilities of IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller (SVC), and all the capabilities of IBM Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager.

As such, SmartCloud VSC V5.1 offers
the following capabilities:

Support for FCoE protocol that allows use of converged data center infrastructures.
Nondisruptive volume migration among SVC nodes that helps maximize configuration flexibility.
A next-generation, web-based management interface that is designed to offer ease of use. The new user interface provides quick access to key storage asset, status, and performance information, and is based on the interface in the current IBM XIV Storage System and other IBM storage systems.
IBM Cognos-based reporting that helps create and integrate custom reports on capacity, performance, and utilization.
Enhanced tiered storage capacity optimization capabilities that support varying optimization goals and automated relocation of storage and tier usage goals, and provide policy-based relocation recommendations and reports.
The ability to perform automated discovery and provisioning of file systems with IBM Scale Out Network Attached Storage (SONAS) and Storwize V7000 Unified.
An InstallAnywhere wizard to help simplify installation and post-installation configuration to help accelerate your time-to-value.
Optional separate licensing available for the integrated IBM real-time compression capability that enables use of compression for production data.

Planned availability date
February 15, 2013: Electronic general availability
February 15, 2013: Physical general availability