IBM Spectrum Connect and IBM Storage Enabler for Containers: Practical Example with IBM FlashSystem A9000


Book Description

This IBM® RedpaperTM publication provides an overview of containers and their framework. Container technology enables prepackaged and pre-configured software with the elements that are needed to run in any environment. Because they are meant to be portable, containers normally restrict applications from storing data on external storage. To overcome this limitation, IBM has developed a solution to provide persistent storage for containers on IBM storage systems, known as the IBM Storage Enabler for Containers. The Enabler tightly integrates with IBM SpectrumTM Connect (formerly IBM Spectrum ControlTM Base Edition). IBM Storage Enabler for Containers v1.0 extends IBM Spectrum Connect to Kubernetes orchestrated container environments. The paper focuses on containers implementation, management, and control by using IBM Spectrum Connect and IBM Storage Enabler for Containers plug-in, with IBM FlashSystem® A9000 or A9000R.







IBM FlashSystem A9000R Product Guide (Version 12.3.2)


Book Description

This IBM® Redbooks® Product Guide is an overview of the main characteristics, features, and technology that are used in IBM FlashSystem® A9000R Model 415 and Model 425, with IBM FlashSystem A9000R Software V12.3.2. Software version 12.3.2, with Hyper-Scale Manager version 5.6 or later, introduces support for VLAN tagging and port trunking.. IBM FlashSystem A9000R is a grid-scale, all-flash storage platform designed for industry leaders with rapidly growing cloud storage and mixed workload environments to help drive your business into the cognitive era. FlashSystem A9000R provides consistent, extreme performance for dynamic data at scale, integrating the microsecond latency and high availability of IBM FlashCore® technology. The rack-based offering comes integrated with the world class software features that are built with IBM SpectrumTM Accelerate. For example, comprehensive data reduction, including inline pattern removal, data deduplication, and compression, helps lower total cost of ownership (TCO) while the grid architecture and IBM Hyper-Scale framework simplify and automate storage administration. The A9000R features always on data reduction and now offers intelligent capacity management for deduplication. Ready for the cloud and well-suited for large deployments, FlashSystem A9000R delivers predictable high performance and ultra-low latency, even under heavy workloads with full data reduction enabled. As a result, the grid-scale architecture maintains this performance by automatically self-optimizing workloads across all storage resources without manual intervention.




Deploying a Database Instance in an IBM Cloud Private Cluster on IBM Z


Book Description

This IBM® RedpaperTM publication shows you how to deploy a database instance within a container using an IBM CloudTM Private cluster on IBM Z®. A preinstalled IBM SpectrumTM Scale 5.0.3 cluster file system provides back-end storage for the persistent volumes bound to the database. A container is a standard unit of software that packages code and all its dependencies, so the application runs quickly and reliably from one computing environment to another. By default, containers are ephemeral. However, stateful applications, such as databases, require some type of persistent storage that can survive service restarts or container crashes. IBM provides several products helping organizations build an environment on an IBM Z infrastructure to develop and manage containerized applications, including dynamic provisioning of persistent volumes. As an example for a stateful application, this paper describes how to deploy the relational database MariaDB using a Helm chart. The IBM Spectrum Scale V5.0.3 cluster file system is providing back-end storage for the persistent volumes. This document provides step-by-step guidance regarding how to install and configure the following components: IBM Cloud Private 3.1.2 (including Kubernetes) Docker 18.03.1-ce IBM Storage Enabler for Containers 2.0.0 and 2.1.0 This Redpaper demonstrates how we set up the example for a stateful application in our lab. The paper gives you insights about planning for your implementation. IBM Z server hardware, the IBM Z hypervisor z/VM®, and the IBM Spectrum Scale cluster file system are prerequisites to set up the example environment. The Redpaper is written with the assumption that you have familiarity with and basic knowledge of the software products used in setting up the environment. The intended audience includes the following roles: Storage administrators IT/Cloud administrators Technologists IT specialists




Using the IBM Spectrum Accelerate Family in VMware Environments: IBM XIV, IBM FlashSystem A9000 and IBM FlashSystem A9000R, and IBM Spectrum Accelerate


Book Description

This IBM® RedpaperTM publication is a brief overview of synergistic aspects between various VMware offerings and the IBM SpectrumTM Accelerate family, including IBM XIV® and IBM FlashSystem® A9000 and IBM FlashSystem A9000R servers. After reviewing different integration concepts and explaining general implementation aspects for attaching the IBM Spectrum AccelerateTM family to VMware ESXi deployments, the paper focuses on components that are enabled by IBM Spectrum Connect v3.4. This paper is intended for planning to use or implementing the IBM Spectrum Accelerate family of storage systems in a VMware environment.




IBM Software-Defined Storage Guide


Book Description

Today, new business models in the marketplace coexist with traditional ones and their well-established IT architectures. They generate new business needs and new IT requirements that can only be satisfied by new service models and new technological approaches. These changes are reshaping traditional IT concepts. Cloud in its three main variants (Public, Hybrid, and Private) represents the major and most viable answer to those IT requirements, and software-defined infrastructure (SDI) is its major technological enabler. IBM® technology, with its rich and complete set of storage hardware and software products, supports SDI both in an open standard framework and in other vendors' environments. IBM services are able to deliver solutions to the customers with their extensive knowledge of the topic and the experiences gained in partnership with clients. This IBM RedpaperTM publication focuses on software-defined storage (SDS) and IBM Storage Systems product offerings for software-defined environments (SDEs). It also provides use case examples across various industries that cover different client needs, proposed solutions, and results. This paper can help you to understand current organizational capabilities and challenges, and to identify specific business objectives to be achieved by implementing an SDS solution in your enterprise.




IBM FlashSystem 9100 Architecture, Performance, and Implementation


Book Description

IBM® FlashSystem 9100 combines the performance of flash and Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) with the reliability and innovation of IBM FlashCore® technology and the rich features of IBM SpectrumTM Virtualize — all in a powerful 2U storage system. Providing intensive data driven multi-cloud storage capacity, FlashSystem 9100 is deeply integrated with the software-defined capabilities of IBM Spectrum StorageTM, which allows you to easily add the multi-cloud solutions that best support your business. In this IBM Redbooks® publication, we discuss the product's features and planning steps, architecture, installation, configuration, and hints and tips.




IBM Spectrum Accelerate Deployment, Usage, and Maintenance


Book Description

This edition applies to IBM® Spectrum Accelerate V11.5.4. IBM Spectrum AccelerateTM, a member of IBM Spectrum StorageTM, is an agile, software-defined storage solution for enterprise and cloud that builds on the customer-proven and mature IBM XIV® storage software. The key characteristic of Spectrum Accelerate is that it can be easily deployed and run on purpose-built or existing hardware that is chosen by the customer. IBM Spectrum Accelerate enables rapid deployment of high-performance and scalable block data storage infrastructure over commodity hardware on-premises or off-premises. This IBM Redbooks® publication provides a broad understanding of IBM Spectrum Accelerate. The book introduces Spectrum Accelerate and describes planning and preparation that are essential for a successful deployment of the solution. The deployment is described through a step-by-step approach, by using a graphical user interface (GUI) based method or a simple command-line interface (CLI) based procedure. Chapters in this book describe the logical configuration of the system, host support and business continuity functions, and migration. Although it makes many references to the XIV storage software, the book also emphasizes where IBM Spectrum Accelerate differs from XIV. Finally, a substantial portion of the book is dedicated to maintenance and troubleshooting to provide detailed guidance for the customer support personnel.




Block Storage Migration in Open Environments


Book Description

Companies need to migrate data not only when technology needs to be replaced, but also for consolidation, load balancing, and disaster recovery (DR). Data migration is a critical operation, and this book explains the phases and steps to ensure a smooth migration. Topics range from planning and preparation to execution and validation. The book explains, from a generic standpoint, the appliance-based, storage-based, and host-based techniques that can be used to accomplish the migration. Each method is explained through practical migration scenarios and for various operating systems. This publication addresses the aspects of data migration efforts while focusing on fixed block storage systems in open environment with the IBM® FlashSystem 9100 as the target system. Therefore, the book also emphasizes various migration techniques using the Spectrum Virtualize built-in functions. This document targets storage administrators, storage network administrators, system designers, architects, and IT professionals who design, administer or plan data migrations in large data Centers. The aim is to ensure that you are aware of the current thinking, methods, and products that IBM can make available to you. These items are provided to ensure a data migration process that is as efficient and problem-free as possible. The material presented in this book was developed with versions of the referenced products as of February, 2020.




Implementing the IBM Storwize V3500


Book Description

Businesses of all sizes are faced with the challenge of managing huge volumes of data that are becoming increasingly valuable. But storing this data can be costly, and extracting value from the data is becoming more and more difficult. IT organizations have limited resources and cannot afford to make investment mistakes. The IBM® Storwize® V3500 system provides a smarter solution that is affordable, simple, and efficient, which enables businesses to overcome their storage challenges. IBM Storwize V3500 is the most recent addition to the IBM Storwize family of disk systems. It delivers easy-to-use, entry-level configurations that are specifically designed to meet the modest budgets of small and medium-sized businesses. IBM Storwize V3500 features the following highlights: - Consolidate and share data with low cost iSCSI storage networking. - Deploy storage in minutes and perform storage management tasks quickly and easily through a breakthrough graphical user interface. - Experience peace of mind with proven IBM Storwize family high-availability data protection with snapshot technology and IBM warranty support. - Optimize efficiency by allocating only the amount of disk space needed at the time it is required with high performance, thin-provisioning capabilities.