IBM DS8870 With Power7+ Processor Scalable to 1,056 Drives

IBM DS8870 systems (machine types 2421, 2422, 2423, and 2424) are designed to offer better performance with new processors, microcode, drive options, and advanced functions to enhance data protection.

POWER7+ processor technology
The DS8870 Model 961 features POWER7+ server technology to help support higher performance. It can help deliver up to 15% performance improvement in maximum IO/s in transaction processing workload environments over the prior POWER processor for Model 961.

Flash optimization
With the introduction of the 7.2 microcode, the system with the POWER7+ processor and all-flash drive configuration helps the DS8870 to deliver up to 20% improvement in maximum IO/s in random I/O workload environments.

Enhanced business class configuration
The entry system, IBM DS8870 business class, is now scalable to 1,056 drives and up to 16-core processors.

It offers new disk drives that help improve capacity and price-performance options for transaction processing workloads.

New drives are:

1.2TB 10,000 rpm SAS encryption drive
4TB 7,200 rpm nearline SAS encryption drive

Security
In this release, IBM DS8870 supports the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-131A, a US standard that provides guidance for protecting sensitive data by using cryptographic algorithms that have key strengths of 112 bits.

NIST SP 800-131A requires the use of cryptographic algorithms that have security strengths of 112 bits to provide data security and data integrity for secure data created in the cryptoperiod starting in 2014. This release provides enablement for NIST SP 800-131A on DS8870. Conformance with NIST SP 800-131A is dependent on use of appropriate prerequisite management software versions and appropriate configuration of the DS8870 and other network related entities. IBM remote service connections are not compliant with NIST 800-131A at this time.

All announced features and functions are supported on the System Storage DS8000 series and require DS8000 Licensed Machine Code (LMC) 7.7.20.xx.xx (bundle version 87.20.xxx.xx), or later.

Planned availability date

December 6, 2013: availability
March 6, 2014: Field (MES) availability date for 1.2 TB 10K rpm FDE and 4 TB 7.2K rpm nearline SAS encryption drives (feature numbers #5768, #5868, #5769, and #5869)
June 6, 2014: Field (MES) availability date for P7+ processor (feature numbers #4411, #4412, #4413, and #4414)