IBM XIV Storage System Gen3

In July, 2011 IBM submitted the new version of the successful XIV Storage System system - IBM XIV Storage System Gen3.

XIV is the universal storage system of "high-end" of a class constructed based on the innovation grid-architecture which provides to clients exclusively high performance and scalability and, at the same time, helps to reduce costs and to reduce complexity of infrastructure. The functionality of automated management of placement of data is built in XIV that allows it to samonastraivatsya at change of applied workloads. Virtualization and advanced functionality of thin management of space of storage are the integral basic properties of architecture XIV. It promotes increase in efficiency of use of a system without decrease in its performance.

XIV also assumes less high (on value to 69%) total cost of ownership in comparison with the comparable offer from EMC [1] company.

IBM defined that the XIV Storage System Gen3 system works almost four times quicker, than the previous models, and uses more effective managing software that makes it easier in application, allowing to support even more workloads for more wide range of the enterprises [2].

XIV Gen3 can optimize performance of storage functions of the applications given for a various range, including databases, electronic mail services, applications for online transaction processing and Enterprise resource planning. XIV, thanks to completely virtualized grid-architecture, is the ideal solution for data storage in the virtualized server environments. So, XIV are well supported by VMware – the general virtualization platform of servers and cloud computing. For more than 70% of systems XIV workloads of VMware are placed [3]. Besides, XIV Gen3 systems well cope with processing of the growing arrays of information known as Big Data.

IBM purchased technology of storage systems XIV in 2008. Since then IBM delivered over 4500 systems of IBM to the XIV clients around the world, and more than 1100 new customers of storage systems of IBM selected family XIV products.

The system of IBM XIV Gen3 provides higher performance in comparison with the predecessor, and it is simpler in use thanks to such improvements as:

• New modern components, including the interface of internal interconnections InfiniBand and ports 8Gbps Fibre Channels and also support of bigger amount of memory
• The expanded centralized administration of several systems XIV
• The connected software module of XIV Plugin v2.5 for VMware vCenter ™ Server which can be loaded without additional payment; can help with deployment and provides information on work of XIV and also a disk storage system of IBM Storwize V7000 and the IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC) controller
• Additional function which IBM is going to provide at the beginning of the next year; will allow clients to add without stopping a system in XIV Gen3 the additional level of caching based on solid-state disks (SSD) that will provide 7.5 TB add-in memories for the most exacting to performance of corporate applications.

IBM XIV is closely integrated into a product portfolio of IBM. In particular, supports XIV:

• Such products of IBM as IBM of SVC, IBM Tivoli Storage Productivity Center and FlashCopy Manager and also technology of deduplication ProtecTIER and network system of storage of IBM Scale-out Network Attached Storage (SONAS);
• Platform of cloud computing IBM SmartCloud; and
• The services of strategic outsourcing (Strategic Outsourcing) provided by service IBM Global Technology Services within which it was unrolled from above the 27th petabyte of formatted capacity of memory of XIV for clients and also is going to offer XIV Gen3 systems when their deliveries in September of this year begin.

[1] Cost/Benefit Case for IBM XIV Systems agrees to the report of ITG White Paper developed by request of IBM under the name ": Comparing Cost Structures for IBM XIV and EMC VMAX Systems" ("the Ratio "costs/a profit" for IBM XIV storage systems: comparison of a cost structure for the IBM XIV and EMC VMAX systems"), published in July, 2011, the indicator of total cost of ownership XIV Gen3 can be on average 69% less, than at the latest EMC Symmetrix VMAX systems.]

[2] It is based on internal measurements of IBM.]

[3] According to clients of IBM.]