IBM Cloud Object Storage Gen2 Disk Enclosures Offer 18TB SMR HDD

IBM Cloud Object Storage Gen2 disk enclosures offer 18 TB shingled magnetic recording HDD features for improved capacity

An 18TB SMR HDD option is available for disk enclosures.

The Cloud Object Storage Gen2 hardware platform takes the best of its previous architecture and modifies and extends it to allow for newer technologies, components, and approaches. These modifications and extensions enable this gen of hardware to incorporate new features, functionalities, and capabilities in an easily manageable manner.

This gen of hardware will continue to support the Cloud Object Storage System functions of Manager, Accesser, and Slicestor in the same manner as the first gen of hardware with some differences:

• The Storage Layer (Slicestor) is provided through 2 physical components, a Controller Node server and a disk enclosure
• The Manager, Accesser, and Controller Node are all provided using the same physical 1U server that can be configured differently depending on purpose
• The function performed by the server is determined by the specific components selected for the server
• Capacity can be added independently or in conjunction with performance

Gen2 hardware enables Cloud Object Storage solution clients to have optimized access to the data. Cloud Object Storage Gen2 can also grow quickly and easily, with a future-ready platform that includes investment protection with a lower cost solution.

All of the capabilities, features, functions, and benefits of Cloud Object Storage that clients are used to are maintained in this gen of hardware:

• The ability to scale-out to multipetabyte or exabyte capacity with faster performance
• Single-site, mirrored 2-site, and geo-dispersed deployment options
• Configuration retention that provides up to 8 nines of availability and up to 15 nines of reliability

Clients will also receive following benefits:

• Lower cost
• Higher performance
• More options to tailor configurations for workload optimization
• Greater consolidation of data in a single rack unit or a rack configuration
• The ability to more easily and cost effectively grow their systems as needed
• The ability to intermix Gen2 hardware with previous gen hardware

Key requirements
Cloud Object Storage System hardware servers must be loaded with the appropriate Cloud Object Storage System software that is designed for that server type. These certified hardware servers can be deployed in a single site or across multiple, geographically dispersed locations, connected by public or private networks.

Planned availability date: September 4, 2020