IBM today launches a number of market-leading hardware products based on its new, third generation, FlashCore Module. Not content just to keep technically ahead of its competitors, it continues to work hard to integrate these offerings into its wider approach to hybrid multi-cloud computing, its cyber resiliency services and new (previously non-IBM) customers.
As usual I was able to catch up on the news through a pre-briefing with Scott Baker (VP of IBM Storage Product Marketing) and his team.
The New (Third Generation) FlashCore Module
IBM acquired Texas Memory Systems in 2012, giving it the technology to build ‘enterprise-ready’ flash storage arrays, which it named ‘FlashCore Modules’ in 2015. These proprietary cards include processor, NAND solid state chips, PCIe Express ports and NVMe command sets. They allow all data throughout the array to be automatically encrypted and compressed.
Today it launches its third generation FlashCore Module, which is incorporated into each of the new arrays. The Module is based on ARM processors and QLC NAND chips, giving four capacity options from 4.8TB to 38.4TB. The density of the data is increased through its inline hardware compression of up to 3:1. Its extremely high throughput is achieved through adding new 4th generation (7nm process based) PCIe ports.
New FlashSystem 7300, 9500, and SAN Volume Controller
Today IBM launches 2 new FlashSystems based on this new card, delivering a greater performance and capacity envelope in smaller and more energy-efficient form factors. In particular:
- FlashSystem 7300 – a mid-range array including four 10-core Intel Cascade Lake processors per node; it is contained within a 2U form factor with 24 NVMe drive slots; maximum capacities are 2.2PB (effective) and 1.5TB DRAM cache. Its delivers 580k IOPS (with a database-like workload) at a throughput of 45GB/s. It has Easy Tier software for up to twelve Storage Class Memory (SCM) drives. Supported SANs include 32GB Fibre Channel, iSCSI (both 25GbE and 100GbE) and NVMe RDMA.
- FlashSystem 9500 – its highest-end array based on four 24-core Intel Ice Lake processors per node. It is contained in a 4U form factor with 48 NVMe drive slots. Its maximum storage capacities are 4.5PB (effective) and 3TB DRAM cache. It delivers a performance of 1.6M IOPS (with a database-like workload) at a throughput of 100GB/s. It also has Easy Tier support for up to twelve SCM drives and can attach to a larger number of the same SANs as the 7300.
It has also used the new engines in the FlashSystem 9500 to deliver a refresh of its SAN Volume Controller which can virtualize over 500 arrays from IBM and its competitors. Used with Spectrum Virtualize software, customers can run consistent data and operational services across a variety of arrays installed at different times – avoiding the need to ‘rip and replace’. The new SAN Volume Controller has two 24-core Intel Ice Lake processors per node and a 2U form factor; it has a maximum of 1.5TB DRAM cache per node and can connect via its network ports to the same SAN environments as the other arrays launched today.
Cyber Vault for FlashSystem
New today is its Cyber Vault for FlashSystem, which joins its pre-existing Z Cyber Vault offering. This will help large enterprise customers improve their resiliency against cyber attacks. Cyber Vault is a blueprint-based offering created and delivered by IBM Lab Services. It is designed to reduce the recover time from Ransomware attacks (for some, from months to hours) by creating a secure and operationally air-gapped relationship with the source through the use of validated and verified restore points. Additionally, application-specific analysis, scanning, and testing tools can be used to ensure the restore point is application-consistent. If and when this process detects a data integrity problem, users can move the restore point to a secure and isolated workbench for forensic analysis.
Cyber Vault is an important part of IBM’s Cyber Resiliency framework which includes pre-, peri- and post-attack components from Cyber Resiliency Assessments to Safeguarded Copies. If need be, it can be integrated into QRadar and Guardium Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) offerings, allowing data recovery from either/or Cyber Vault and Safeguarded Copy.
A beta test version of the new offering has already helped one of IBM’s large automotive customers to protect 80 critical systems and a total of 1,382TB data with SafeGuarded Copy. It has cut its total downtime by 22 days in the process.
Better performance for key Enterprise applications
IBM’s internal tests of the new IBM FlashSystem 9500 show significant improvements for running major enterprise software, including:
- SAP HANA – up to twice the throughput for AI and in-memory workloads;
- Oracle Database – up to 50% greater transactions per second and 45% lower latency and
- VMware Horizon – four times better performance and 90% greater density improvements.
All of these are comparisons measured against IBM’s FlashSystem 9200 introduced two years ago.
Storage capacity growth creates massive management and security challenges
My Figure above shows the seemingly inexorable rise in the capacity of raw storage components by type and my forecast for 2022, in which I expect over 4Zetabytes will be shipped. This massive growth brings serious challenges for those responsible for running Enterprise companies and their associated computer systems, not least as the largest run networks with which many users, channel partners and sub-suppliers interact. IBM’s continues to deliver the most advanced storage products and integrate them into wider changes in computer usage from on premise computing to private and public clouds, addressing its customer base which includes many of the largest Enterprises in the world. Its Storage division consistently addresses the changes in application development from physical, to virtual, to container-based code. It focuses on the needs of technical developers and operators and general management concerned with data protection from an evolving and growing number of cyber threats and compliance with an increasing list of government data privacy legislation.