IBM Spectrum Virtualize Software V8.1.2

IBM Spectrum Virtualize Software V8.1.2 delivers powerful storage virtualization

IBM Spectrum Virtualize software delivers a solution for storage virtualization, offering advanced storage capabilities.

Spectrum Virtualize V8.1.2 adds following benefits:

Data reduction pools increase existing infrastructure capacity utilization by leveraging new efficiency functions. The pools enable you to automatically de-allocate and reclaim capacity of thin-provisioned volumes containing deleted data and, enable this reclaimed capacity to be reused by other volumes. With a new log-structured pool implementation, data reduction pools help deliver more consistent performance from compressed volumes. Data reduction pools also support compressing all volumes in a system, potentially extending the benefits of compression to all data in a system.
Thin Provisioned MDisk utilizes UNMAP to alert when extents are freed or a host writes zeroes, providing more efficient use of physical space. (Available in Spectrum Virtualize V8.1.1)
iSCSI port scalability and grouping will enable new host grouping of ports of similar speeds together and deliver future increases in ports per node and speed. The host can attach to port groups with the right speeds for optimized performance. (Available in Spectrum Virtualize V8.1.1)

Software requirements

SAN Volume Controller V8 (5641-VC8, 5641-CP8, 5725-M19, and 5725-H04) has the same software prerequisites as IBM SAN Volume Controller V7.8.
Spectrum Virtualize software only V8 (5725-Z61) has the same software prerequisites as SAN Volume Controller V7.8.
Enterprise Support for SAN Volume Controller (5773-ECS) is required on SAN Volume Controller with a three-year warranty (2147-SV1). 5773-ECS requires feature number 1792.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for SAN Volume Controller Encryption Software V8 (5641-B08 and 5725-Y35) requires PID 5641-VC8.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V7000 V8 (5639-CB8, 5639-XB8, and 5639-EB8) has the same software prerequisites as Storwize V7000 V7.8.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5010 V8 (5639-SV5) requires the base software feature. All other features are optional.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5020 V8 (5639-SV6) requires the base software feature. All other features are optional.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5030 V8 (5639-SV7) requires the base softwre feature. All other features are optonal.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V50x0 Expansion V8 (5639-SV8) requires the base software feature. There are no optional software features on the expansions.
FlashSystem V840 Software V8 (5639-FS8) requires the base software feature. All other features are optional.
FlashSystem V9000 Software V8 (5639-RB8) requires the base software feature. Externally virtualized storage is subject to the same capacity based licenses as SAN Volume Controller and is optional.

Hardware requirements

Spectrum Virtualize Software Only requires at least one pair of supported Intel Servers. Supported configurations of Lenovo and Supermicro servers can be found at Spectrum Virtualize software support website.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for SAN Volume Controller V8 requires at least one pair of IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller (2145-SV1, 2145-DH8, or 2147-SV1) storage engines for installation.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for SAN Volume Controller Encryption Software V8 (5641-B08 and 5725-Y35) requires the Encryption Enablement Feature ACE2.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V7000 Controller Software (5639-CB8) requires at least one Storwize V7000 control enclosure (2076-AF6, 2076-624, or 2076-524) for installation.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V7000 Expansion Software (5639-XB8) requires at least one IBM Storwize V7000 expansion enclosure (2076-A9F, 2076-92F, 2076-AFF, 2076-12F, or 2076-24F) for installation. The high-density enclosure (2076-A9F or 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-EB8) requires at least one Storwize V7000 enclosure (2076-AF6, 2076-624, or 2076-524) for installation.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5000 External Data Virtualization Software (5639-ET8) requires at least one Storwize V5000 control enclosure (2077-AF3, 2077-312, 2077-324, 2078-AF3, 2078-312, or 2078-324) for installation.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5010 V8 (5639-SV5) requires at least one Storwize V5010 control enclosure (2077-112 or 2077-124, 2078-112 or 2078-124) for installation.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5020 V8 (5639-SV6) requires at least one Storwize V5020 control enclosure (2077-212 or 2077-224, 2078-212 or 2078-224) for installation.
Spectrum Virtualize Software for Storwize V5030 V8 (5639-SV7) requires at least one Storwize V5030 control enclosure (2077-AF3, 2077-312, 2077-324, 2078-AF3, 2078-312, or 2078-324) 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 V8 (5639-SV8) requires at least one Storwize V50x0 expansion enclosure (2077-92F, 2077-12F, 2077-24F, 2077-AFF, 2077-A9F, 2078-92F, 2078-12F, 2078-24F, 2078-AFF, or 2078-A9F) 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.
FlashSystem V840 Software V8 (5639-FS8) requires at least two FlashSystem V840 Control Enclosures (9846-AC1 or 9848-AC1) and at least one FlashSystem V840 Storage Enclosure (9846-AE1 or 9848-AE1).
FlashSystem V9000 Software V8 (5639-RB8) requires at least two FlashSystem V9000 Control Enclosures (9846-AC2, 9848-AC2, 9846-AC3, or 9848-AC3) and at least one FlashSystem V9000 Storage Enclosure (9846-AE2, 9846-AE3, 9848-AE2, or 9848-AE3).