IBM FlashSystem 9200R Rack
Simplify your infrastructure with an ultra-high performing all-flash storage system
IBM FlashSystem 9200R Rack
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- Preassembled, installed, and configured by IBM, these racks contain:
- Two, three, or four clustered FlashSystem 9200 control enclosure models AG8, which can be specified by ordering a FlashSystem 9202R, 9203R, and 9204R respectively.
- A pair of either Brocade or Cisco 32 Gb FC switches for a dedicated FC clustered network (Cisco 32 Gb FC switch option not available in EAC countries at this time)
- Option for up to four FlashSystem 9000 SFF expansion enclosures (Model AFF) or up to two FlashSystem 9000 LFF expansion enclosures (Model A9F)
- Final configuration will occur on site following delivery
- Additional components can be added to the rack after delivery to meet the growing needs of the business
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Overview:
Based on IBM FlashSystem™ 9200, IBM FlashSystem 9200R is an IBM tested and validated rack solution, designed for the most demanding environments. With the extreme performance of end-to-end Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe), the innovation of IBM FlashCore technology, the ultra-low latency of Storage Class Memory (SCM), the rich features of IBM Spectrum Virtualize™ and AI predictive storage management and proactive support by Storage Insights™. FlashSystem 9200R is delivered assembled, with installation and configuration completed by IBM, allowing you to easily add new technologies with confidence to your multicloud solutions.
- Deploy complete, rackbased, IBM built and tested storage solutions
- Leverage IBM Spectrum Virtualize to run highperformance storage solutions
- Construct highperformance hybrid multicloud environments
- Manage the most demanding workload requirements
- Transform data economics using data reduction with no performance impact
- Simplify management by extending data services across Storage ecosystems
- Leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize storage management
Complete, rack-based, IBM validated and implemented storage solutions with ultra-high throughput and NVMeoptimized flash performance
Modern technologies and tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) generate unprecedented amounts of data. To move enormous data streams at the speeds needed to maximize their value in today’s business world requires substantial system bandwidth and extremely low storage latency. Public cloud-based solutions offer the levels of data storage needed – but not the performance. Building large, low latency, ultra-high throughput storage systems on-premises can involve substantial risk and complexity. These are the requirements that the new IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions were designed to address.
IBM FlashSystem 9200R is a rack-based storage solution engineered to reduce deployment time while providing petabytes of high-performance, cost-efficient storage capacity, extraordinary system bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and exceptional configuration flexibility. The solutions combine the performance of Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) protocol with the reliability and innovation of IBM FlashCore technology and the rich feature set and high availability of IBM Spectrum Virtualize. For enterprises that need the additional confidence of a validated system with expert implementation support, IBM FlashSystem 9200R offers an excellent choice.
The new, ultra-high throughput storage solutions include:
- A complete, IBM validated, IBM tested storage system with simplified ordering, delivered assembled, with installation and configuration provided by IBM.
- Flexible, high-performance solutions based on two, three, or four IBM FlashSystem 9200 storage arrays with dedicated Fibre Channel network. Thanks to the FlashCore technology with inline hardware compression and data reduction without impact on performance, 16-core Intel Cascade Lake controller processors, and NVMe-optimized IBM FlashSystem architecture, IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions can offer up to 32 petabytes of usable capacity, 18 million IOPS, and 180 GB/s throughput.
- Software-defined storage functionality provided by IBM Spectrum Virtualize, with a full range of industry-leading data services such as dynamic tiering, IBM FlashCopy management, data mobility, and high-performance data encryption, among many others.
- Innovative data reduction pool (DRP) technology that includes deduplication and hardwareaccelerated compression technology, plus SCSI UNMAP support and all the thin provisioning, copy management, and efficiency you’d expect from IBM Spectrum Virtualize-based storage
- Dedicated Broadcom Fibre Channel storage system network backbone
- Up to four 2U24 or up to two 5U92 expansion enclosures that support a range of drive options.
Performance and flexibility at the core
Rack-based IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions are based on clustered IBM FlashSystem 9200 storage arrays. The IBM FlashSystem 9200 arrays utilize IBM FlashCore technology packaged into a 2.5-inch solid-state drive (SSD) form factor and using an NVMe interface. These FlashCore Modules (FCMs) deliver powerful inline, hardware-accelerated compression technology without performance impact, consistent microsecond latency and extreme reliability.
The IBM FlashCore technology has enabled very high flash density and storage capacity which has been further increased with a new 38.4TB module. In addition, the FCMs have full hot-swap capabilities and support FIPS 140-2 Level 1 encryption with IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager centralized key management.
The IBM FlashCore Modules can be complemented with Storage Class Memory (SCM) NVMe drive technology. SCM technology offers even lower latency and when combined with FCM drives, can be used for the most demanding workloads.
IBM FlashSystem expands its support of the NVMe fast-access protocol with NVMe-over Fabrics to compatible hosts for complete end-to-end NVMe support. Combined with the existing NVMe capabilities of the systems, they can achieve latency as low as 70 microseconds to accelerate application performance and business productivity.
Flexibility is built into the IBM FlashSystem architecture. You can choose FCMs in multiple capacities, industry-standard NVMe drives or SCM drives to deliver the capacity you need with the performance you require. The IBM FlashSystem 9200R has the capability to support all these drive types simultaneously within the array. This means that using the always-on inline high-performance data compression in the FCMs or DRP technology with the industry-standard drives, effective capacities of the rack-based IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions can range up to 32 petabytes and deliver performance of 180 GB/s throughput and 18 million IOPS.
Features:
Powerful multicloud and container capabilities
IBM Spectrum Virtualize provides the data services foundation for every IBM FlashSystem 9200R solution. It includes industry-leading capabilities such as strong encryption; highavailability configurations; storage tiering; data reduction technologies; automated data movement; and synchronous and asynchronous copy services (either on-premises or to the public cloud); among many other services.
IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions can function as IT infrastructure modernization and transformation engines, thanks to the IBM Spectrum Virtualize capabilities that allow you to extend a wide range of data services and functionality to more than 500 IBM and non-IBM heterogeneous storage systems under management, reducing both capital and operational costs while increasing the return on investments in legacy infrastructure.
The IBM Spectrum Virtualize offers powerful data-reduction pool capabilities that include block deduplication that works to minimize the number of data copies stored, and hardwareaccelerated data compression technology that provides consistent, high-performance results across application workload patterns. DRP supports the SCSI UNMAP command, which allows software to tell the storage system when it’s no longer using portions of storage. This capacity is then returned to the pool to be used to satisfy other requirements. Previously, storage would stay assigned even if it was no longer being used, which wastes capacity.
To further drive your IT transformation, IBM Spectrum Virtualize for Public Cloud offers multiple ways to create hybrid cloud solutions between on-premises private clouds and the public cloud. It enables real-time storage-based data replication and disaster recovery, as well as data migration between local storage and IBM Cloud. And thanks to its software-defined storage nature, IBM Spectrum Virtualize allows storage administration at a cloud service provider’s site in the same way as on-premises, regardless of the type of storage.
Cyber resiliency
As systems became linked with external networks, organizations adopted a “defense-in-depth” security mode so that if the perimeter was breached, there were additional layers of security to protect critical information.
IBM FlashSystem 9200R provides advanced capabilities that can help maximize data protection, security and high availability to significantly reduce the risk of disruption and financial losses due to user errors, malicious destruction or ransomware attacks.
In addition, physical isolation layers can be created by storing sensitive copies in immutable storage, cloud environments or off-line write-once read many (WORM) tape devices to provide true “air-gap” protection.
IBM FlashSystem provides modern data protection to efficiently prevent, detect and respond to cyberattacks.
Cost-efficiency
Automated storage tiering with Easy Tier can help improve performance and lower costs by enabling the more efficient use of flash storage or multiple tiers of drives. Easy Tier automatically identifies more active data and moves that data to faster storage such as Storage Class Memory and FlashCore Modules. This helps organizations leverage flash storage for the data that can benefit the most. Easy Tier can use any supported flash storage to accelerate any other storage, including the new SCM drives. This approach delivers greater benefits from flash storage than tiering systems that are limited to just a single disk system.
Advanced replication
The IBM Spectrum Virtualize functionality in IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions is designed to enable administrators to apply across all systems under management a single set of advanced network-based replication services that operate in a consistent manner, regardless of the type of storage being used.
When used with other IBM FlashSystem 9200 products, volumes can be replicated across 3 sites, offering both high availability and data recovery using synchronous and asynchronous data communication.
IBM FlashCopy functionality is designed to create an almost-instant copy (or “snapshot”) of active data that can be used for backup purposes or for parallel processing activities. Up to 256 copies of data may be created.
IBM Spectrum Protect Snapshot is designed to perform near-instant application-aware snapshot backups using FlashCopy local replication, but with minimal impact to IBM DB2, Oracle, SAP, VMware, Microsoft SQL Server, or Microsoft Exchange databases.
IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions also support remote mirroring, enabling organizations to create copies of data at remote locations for disaster recovery. Replication can occur between any systems built with IBM Spectrum Virtualize and can involve any supported storage, including cloud. Support for VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager helps speed disaster recovery.
For IP replication, IBM Spectrum Virtualize uses innovative Bridgeworks WANrockIT technology to optimize the use of network bandwidth and can compress data being transmitted to help reduce networking costs and improve remote replica currency.
High availability
Moving data is one of the most common causes of planned downtime. The IBM Spectrum Virtualize technology within IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions enables data movement from one storage system to another, or between systems, while maintaining access to the data. This function can be used when replacing older storage with newer storage, as part of load-balancing work, or when moving data in a tiered storage infrastructure from disk drives to flash.
The IBM HyperSwap function supports storage and servers in three data centers. In this configuration, IBM FlashSystem solutions enable servers at each data center to access data concurrently, with automated switch-over in case of failure. When combined with server data mobility functions such as VMware vMotion or IBM PowerVM Live Partition Mobility, HyperSwap technology enables non-disruptive storage and virtual machine mobility between data centers that can be up to 300 km (186 miles) apart.
Simplified management
IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions with IBM Spectrum Virtualize are designed to simplify hybrid multicloud storage environments from the very start. The solutions utilize a modern user interface for centralized management. With this single interface, administrators can perform configuration, management, and service tasks in a consistent manner over multiple storage systems – even from different vendors – vastly simplifying management and helping reduce the risk of errors. Plug-ins to support Microsoft System Center Operations Manager and VMware vCenter help enable more efficient, consolidated management in these environments. The interface is consistent with other members of the IBM Spectrum Storage family, to simplify tasks for administrators and help reduce the risk of error.
Virtualization and container support
The IBM Spectrum Virtualize functionality in IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions complements server virtualization technologies such as PowerVM, Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware vSphere, Kubernetes, and Docker. Similar to provisioning virtualized servers, provisioning capacity with IBM FlashSystem 9200R is designed to become an almost entirely automated function.
Containers are an open-source technology that wrap applications with everything needed to run in any environment. Containerization is a key enabling technology for flexibly delivering workloads to private and public cloud and DevOps. IBM FlashSystem 9200R supports Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes container environments, accelerating the deployment of persistent volumes with the IBM block storage CSI driver, certified by Red Hat and IBM.
AI-powered storage visibility, insight, and control
IBM Storage Insights and Storage Insights Pro provide critical system analysis and optimization capabilities that enhance your IBM FlashSystem experience, such as:
- A single dashboard so you can see the status of all your block storage at a glance
- System information gathered from approximately 23 million data points so you can make better, more informed decisions
- AI-enhanced analytics that leverage knowledge from over two exabytes of storage currently under management to better predict and help prevent problems before they impact your business
- When support is needed, the ability to easily open a ticket, upload log information, and view open tickets
- Detailed configuration data available to IBM specialists to help close tickets quickly.
Delivered as a service from IBM Cloud at no charge, Storage Insights is quick and easy to set up and requires no ongoing software maintenance. IBM Storage Insights Pro is an upgrade that provides more detailed information and additional capabilities.
Deploy with confidence
To enhance the IBM FlashSystem 9200R acquisition, deployment, and operational experience, IBM offers a suite of programs collectively called IBM FlashWatch. This suite of programs includes high availability, data reduction, and flash endurance guarantees; all-inclusive licensing; comprehensive care and cloud-based analytics; cloud-like utility pricing; storage upgrade options; and free data migration for the first 90 days. IBM FlashWatch is driven by the concept – Storage Made Simple – and helps increase confidence in purchasing, owning, and upgrading IBM Storage solutions.
Storage made simple for hybrid multicloud
IBM FlashSystem 9200R solutions provide a single enterprise class platform to address the full spectrum of 21st-century data storage requirements. From NVMe-powered all-flash performance and IBM FlashCore reliability, through easy integration and almost unlimited scalability, to data services that can transform and modernize existing systems, IBM FlashSystem 9200R is designed to simplify storage and accelerate business productivity.
Benefits:
Accelerate business execution
Unlock the value of your data and accelerate business execution with end-to-end NVMe-powered IBM FlashCore technology and SCM support for even lower latency.
Increase ROI
Transform IT infrastructure while increasing ROI by leveraging the power of IBM Spectrum Virtualize to extend a rich set of data services across all your storage systems.
Optimize storage efficiency
AI-powered IBM Storage Insights uses predictive analytics to optimize storage use and delivers proactive capabilities to streamline support.
Hybrid multicloud enabled
Enable enterprises across public, private, and traditional environments. Grow your hybrid multicloud with the flexibility to start small and scale up as business demands or client adoption grows.
Easily integrate
Provide storage services including snapshots and replication. Integrates with existing infrastructure, including IBM Cloud Private, Kubernetes, Docker containers, VMware, Vsphere and more.
Centralize administration
Streamlines management of more than 500 storage systems from a single pane of glass, enabling centralized, consolidated administration.
Specifications:
| IBM FlashSystem 9200R Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Models | 9848 Model AG8 |
| Clustering |
|
| Software |
|
| Host interface | GUI, CLI, REST API |
| Maximum drives supported | Up to 96 NVMe and 2,944 SAS drives per 4-way clustered system |
| Supported NVMe drives |
|
| Supported SAS drives | 2.5-Inch SAS SSD 1.6 TB, 1.92 TB, 3,84 TB, 7.68 TB, 15.36 TB and 30.72 TB |
| RAID levels | DRAID 5 and 6 with dynamic DRAID expansion and TRAID 1 and 10 |
| Maximum IOPS (4K read hit) | 18 million |
| Minimum latency (4K read hit) | <70 μs |
| Maximum IOPS (4K read miss) | 4.8 million |
| Maximum bandwidth (256Kb read miss) | 180 GB/s |
| Cores per cluster | Sixteen 16-core processors in a 4-way clustered system |
| Cache per cluster | Up to 6,144 GB in a 4-way clustered system |
| Fans and power supplies | Fully redundant, hot swappable |
| Rack support | Standard 19-Inch |
| Advanced features |
|
| Replication features |
|
| Additional available advanced features |
|
| Warranty | 9848 Hardware Warranty:
IBM Installation:
Enterprise-Class Support:
Software Warranty:
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| Dimensions | External dimensions of Rack
|
| Weight | Fully configured 9204R (One of S42 rack, four of 9200 control enclosures, two switches, and two of A9F enclosures): 658 kg (1444 lb) |
| Supported systems | For a list of currently supported servers, operating systems, host bus adapters, clustering applications and SAN switches and directors, refer to the IBM System Storage Interoperation Center: https://www.ibm.com/systems/support/storage/ssic/interoperability.wss |
| Independent software vendor (ISV) solutions | For a list of high-quality solutions with our partner ISVs, including access to solution briefs and white papers, refer to the ISV Solutions Resource Library: https://www.ibm.com/partnerworld/wps/pub/systems/whyibm/programs |
Documentation:
Download the IBM Flash System 9200R Datasheet (.PDF)
Pricing Notes:
- Pricing and product availability subject to change without notice.