IBM Spectrum Virtualize Software V7.8

IBM Spectrum Virtualize Software V7.8 delivers new software functionality for the Spectrum Virtualize family of offerings

IBM Spectrum Virtualize V7.8 delivers support for the latest platforms in the IBM Storwize product family, and adds new software functionality and improvements:

• More flexible data protection with transparent cloud tiering to leverage the cloud as snapshot targets and restore snapshots from the cloud on select platforms
• Improved data economics through advanced functionalities for lower endurance flash drives
• Improved security with support for encryption key management software
• Scalability with support for high-density expansion enclosures
• More flexibility through Storwize model conversions

Spectrum Virtualize software delivers a solution for storage virtualization, offering advanced storage capabilities such as HA, real-time compression, easy tier data tiering, encryption, distributed RAID, clustering for performance and capacity scalability, and enterprise local and remote copy services.

V7.8 adds the following new benefits:

• Increased flexibility to protect data with transparent cloud tiering technology to leverage the cloud as snapshot targets and restore snapshots from the cloud
• Improved data economics through advanced functionalities for lower endurance flash drives, better balancing performance gains, and lower cost per terabyte with lower endurance
• Improved security with support to encryption key management software that complies with Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP) standards, such as IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager (SKLM) to help centralize, simplify, and automate the encryption key management process to help minimize risk and reduce operational costs of encryption key management
• Increased scalability with support for high-density expansion enclosures that can hold up to 92 drives in a 5U form factor
• Increased flexibility through Storwize model conversions enables existing customers to convert existing Storwize models to more powerful models

Software requirements

• IBM SAN Volume Controller V7.8 (5641-VC7, 5641-CP7, 5725-M19, and 5725-H04) has the same software prerequisites as IBM SAN Volume Controller V7.7.
• Spectrum Virtualize software only V7.8 (5725-Z61) has the same software prerequisites as IBM SAN Volume Controller V7.8 enterprise Support for IBM SAN Volume Controller (5773-ECS) is required on SAN Volume Controller with a three-year warranty (2147-SV1). 5773-ECS requires feature #1792.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for SAN Volume Controller Encryption Software V7.8 (5641-B01 and 5725-Y35) requires PID 5641-VC7.
• Storwize V7000 V7.8 (5639-CB7, 5639-XB7, 5639-EB7, 5639-VM7, 5639-EV7, 5639-RM7, and 5639-CP7) has the same software prerequisites as Storwize V7000 V7.7.
• Storwize V5000 V7.8 (5639-CT7, 5639-XT7, and 5639-ET7) has the same software prerequisites as Storwize V5000 V7.7.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5010 V7.8 (5639-SV1) requires the base software feature. All other features are optional.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5020 V7.8 (5639-SV2) requires the base software feature. All other features are optional.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5030 V7.8 (5639-SV3) requires the base software feature. All other features are optional.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V50x0 Expansion V7.8 (5639-SV4) requires the base software feature. There are no optional software features on the expansions.

Hardware requirements

• Spectrum Virtualize software only requires at least one pair of supported Intel Servers. The hardware requirements for this announcement are:
  • Lenovo x3650 M5 – single or dual CPU Xeon E5-2667 v3 8c 3.2GHz
  • 2 CPUs are required if running the Real-time Compression software feature
  • Emulex G5 16GB FC HBA(s)
  • Mellanox Intel 10GbE iSCSI HBA(s)
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for SAN Volume Controller requires at least one pair of IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller (2145-SV1, 2145-DH8, 2145-CF8, 2145-CG8, or 2147-SV1) storage engines for installation.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for SAN Volume Controller Encryption Software V7.8 (5641-B01 and 5725-Y35) requires the Encryption Enablement Feature ACE2.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V7000 Controller Software (5639-CB7) requires at least one Storwize V7000 control enclosure (2076-AF6, 2076-624, 2076-524) for installation.
  Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V7000 Expansion Software (5639-XB7) requires at least one Storwize V7000 expansion enclosure (2076-92F, 2076-AFF, 2076-12F, or 2076-24F) for installation. The high density enclosure (2076-92F) requires four of the base software charge codes to support the number of disk slots in the system.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V7000 External Data Virtualization Software (5639-EB7) requires at least one Storwize V7000 enclosure (2076-AF6, 2076-624, 2076-524, 2076-112, 2076-124, 2076-212, 2076-224, 2076-312, or 2076-324) for installation.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5000 (5639-CT7) requires at least one IBM Storwize V5000 control enclosure (2077-12C, 2077-24C, 2078-12C, or 2078-24C) for installation.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5000 Expansion Software (5639-XT7) requires at least one IBM Storwize V5000 expansion enclosure (2077-12E, 2077-24E, 2078-12E, 2078-24E) for installation. Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5000 External Data Virtualization Software (5639-ET7) requires at least one Storwize V5000 control enclosure (2077-112, 2077-124, 2077-212, 2077-224, 2077-312, 2077-324, 2078-112, 2078-124, 2078-212, 2078-224, 2078-312, or 2078-324) for installation.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5010 V7.8 (5639-SV1) requires at least one Storwize V5010 control enclosure (2077-112 or 124, 2078-112 or 124) for installation.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5020 V7.8 (5639-SV2) requires at least one Storwize V5020 control enclosure (2077-212 or 224, 2078-212 or 224) for installation.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5030 V7.8 (5639-SV3) requires at least one Storwize V5030 control enclosure (2077-AF3, 2077-312 or 324, 2078-AF3, 2078-312 or 324) for installation. The compression feature for V5030 requires the 64GB cache feature (#ACHD) on models 312 and 324 for machine types 2077 and 2078.
• Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V50x0 Expansion V7.8 (5639-SV4) requires at least one Storwize V50x0 expansion enclosure (2077-92F, 2077-12F, 2077-24F, 2077-AFF, 2078-92F, 2078-12F, 2078-24F, or 2078-AFF) for installation. The high density enclosure (2077-92F or 2078-92F) requires four of the base software charge codes to support the number of disk slots in the system.
• IBM FlashSystem V840 Software V7.8 (5639-FS7) requires a FlashSystem V840 Storage System (9846-AC1 and 9846-AE1, or 9848-AC1 and 9848-AE1) for installation.
• FlashSystem V9000 Software V7.8 (5639-RB7) requires at least two FlashSystem V9000 Control Enclosures (9846-AC2 or 9848-AC2) and at least one FlashSystem V9000 Storage Enclosure (9846-AE2 or 9848-AE2).

  Resources:
  SAN Volume Controller
  Storwize V7000
  Storwize V5000
  Storwize V3700
  Storwize V3500

  Planned availability dates:
  December 9, 2016: Spectrum Virtualize software V7.8 new order shipments begin except as noted below
  December 14, 2016: Spectrum Virtualize Software Only V7.8