IBM Storwize V5000 Disk System

IBM Storwize V5000 is an addition to the Storwize family of disk systems.

Leveraging demonstrated Storwize V7000 and SVC functions, management tools, and interoperability, Storwize V5000 delivers simplicity, efficiency, and flexibility for midsize organizations.

It features dual node canisters and 16GB cache in a compact, 2U, 19-inch rack mount enclosure. 6GB SAS and 1GB iSCSI host attachment support is standard on all machines, along with either 8Gb FC or 10Gb iSCSI/FCoE host attachment.

A Storwize V5000 system scales up to 168 drives with the attachment of six Storwize V5000 expansion enclosures, and up to 336 drives in a two-way system cluster configuration.

Storwize V5000 is available in the following models:

Control enclosures: Storwize V5000 large form factor (LFF) Control Enclosure, Storwize V5000 small form factor (SFF) Control Enclosure
Expansion enclosures: Storwize V5000 LFF Expansion Enclosure, Storwize V5000 SFF Expansion Enclosure

The LFF enclosure models support up to twelve 3.5-inch drives, while the SFF enclosure models support up to twenty-four 2.5-inch drives. High-performance , high-capacity nearline HDDs, and SSDs are supported. Drives of the same form factor can be intermixed within an enclosure, providing the flexibility to address performance and capacity needs within a single enclosure. I’s also possible to intermix LFF and SFF expansion enclosures behind either a LFF or SFF control enclosure.

All Storwize V5000 models are available with either a one year or three year warranty.

Warranty period is specified during the order process:

Models ordered using machine type 2077 have a one year warranty
Models ordered using machine type 2078 have a three year warranty

All Storwize V5000 functional capabilities are provided through Storwize Family Software for Storwize V5000 and include:

RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 for data protection
Virtualization of internal storage to enable rapid, flexible provisioning and simple configuration changes
Thin provisioning for improved storage utilization
One-way data migration to easily move data onto the Storwize V5000 system
Two-way system clustering for greater capacity and performance growth potential
Easy-to-use management capabilities with an embedded GUI
Interoperability with support for most major server platforms and OSs

Storwize V5000 software also offers optional features:

FlashCopy for creating instant copies of data for backup or application testing
System Storage Easy Tier for automatic migration of frequently accessed data from disk drives to high performing SSDs
Remote mirroring for data replication between systems at different locations through Metro Mirror and Global Mirror functions
Virtualization of external storage for improvements in administrator productivity and storage utilization of an existing storage asset

Key prerequisites

Storwize V5000 requires Storwize Family Software for Storwize V5000 version 7.1, or later, for operation.
Storwize V5000 software version 7.1.0.5, or later, is required for 10Gb iSCSI/FCoE host attachment support.
Use of the software is entitled through the acquisition of Storwize V5000 software licenses.

Storwize V5000 is supported for attachment to select: