... Updates for DCS3700 Storage Controllers ...

IBM Corp. announces technology updates for DCS3700 storage controllers.



They provide technologies that include Dynamic Disk Pooling, Enhanced FlashCopy, and thin provisioning functionality. Additional they improve host connectivity with new Asymmetric Logical Unit Access (ALUA) host connection types and increase VMWare host efficiency with vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI).

With Dynamic Disk Pooling, customers will see simplified provisioning, performance of their storage device through new disk virtualization functions, and a recovery advantage in improved rebuild times.

Thin provisioning allows storage administrators to drive up storage capacity utilization with little administrative overhead, maximizing the utilization of their infrastructure, reducing initial acquisition costs, and growing capacity as needed.

Enhanced FlashCopy can help reduce backup times with an increased number of images per storage system and allows multiple consistency groups. It also includes new feature codes such as FlashCopy rollback that helps to restore the snapshots nearly instantaneously through mapping a FlashCopy volume back to the base volume. The new features can be tested first with the new Try and Buy feature, allowing a test of the functionality for 90 days before purchasing the premium feature. They increase the number of FlashCopies available, allow consistency groups, and provide instantaneous volume mapping in the new FlashCopy Rollback.

ALUA allows access to a LUN without triggering an ownership transfer, simplifying path failover and increasing its speed. ALUA takes advantage of native failover in most network operating systems.

VMWare VAAI incorporates functionality from VMWare to the DCS3700, allowing it to complete storage tasks, such as copying virtual machines, without the direct interaction of the VMWare host, making the VMWare host more efficient.

Key prerequisites
Model 80C for machine type 1818.

Planned availability date
June 15, 2012