IBM System Storage DS3500 Express

Affordable performance and flexibility with greater scalability, efficiency and ease of use

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Highlights

Deliver mid-range performance and scalability at entry-level prices with 6 Gbps SAS systems
Leverage built-in management expertise in intuitive and powerful storage management software
Deliver simplified data protection management and automated recovery with Dynamic Disk Pooling
Support Enhanced Global Mirroring over IP and/or Fibre Channel
Deliver continuous data security with full disk encryption and support high-performing solid-state drives (SSDs)
Comply with Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) and European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) and support 48 V DC power supplies

IBM® System Storage® DS3500 Express® combines best-of-breed development with leading 6 Gbps host interface and drive technology. With its simple, efficient and flexible approach to storage, the DS3500 Express is a cost-effective, fully integrated complement to IBM System x® servers, IBM BladeCenter® and IBM Power Systems™. By offering substantial improvements at a price that fits most budgets, the DS3500 Express delivers superior price/performance ratios, functionality, scalability and ease of use for the entry-level storage user.

The DS3500 Express offers:

Scalability to mid-range performance and features starting at entry-level prices
Efficiency to help reduce annual energy expenditures and environmental footprints
Simplicity that does not sacrifice control with the perfect combination of robustness and ease of use

Common features

Next-generation 6 Gbps SAS systems to deliver mid-range performance and scalability at entry-level prices
Data consolidation to ensure data availability and efficiencies across the organization
Energy-saving implementations for cost savings today and tomorrow
The DS3500 Express meets the Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) telecommunications specification requiring robust abilities and support for 48 V DC power supplies
Management expertise built into an intuitive and powerful storage management software
Investment protection and cost-effective backup and recovery with 16 Remote mirror capability across IP or Fibre Channel host ports
Mixed host interfaces support enables IBM DB2® Administration Server and SAN tiering, reducing overall operation and acquisition costs
Relentless data security with local key management of full drive encryption drives
Drive and expansion enclosure intermix cost-effectively meets all application, rack and energy-efficiency requirements
Support for solid-state drives (SSDs), high-performance SAS drives, nearline SAS drives and self-encrypting disk (SED) drives
IBM System Storage DS Storage Manager software
- 128 storage partitions standard
- 32 IBM Enhanced FlashCopy® standard
- Volume Copy standard
Optional premium features deliver enhanced capabilities for the DS3500 system

Hardware summary

Dual active, hot-swappable controllers
Four interface options—SAS, iSCSI/SAS, Fibre Channel/SAS
- Four or eight 6 Gbps SAS ports
- Eight 8 Gbps Fibre Channel ports and four 6 Gbps SAS ports
- Eight 1 Gbps iSCSI ports and four 6 Gbps SAS ports
- Four 10 Gbps iSCSI ports and four 6 Gbps SAS ports
Two 6 Gbps SAS drive expansion ports
Up to 192 drives—high-performance and nearline (native language) SAS, SSD and SED SAS drives
EXP3512 (2U 12 3.5-inch drives) and EXP3524 (2U 24 2.5-inch drives) enclosures
- Enclosures can be intermixed behind a controller
1 GB cache per controller with 2 GB upgrade
- Mirrored, battery-backed, de-staged to flash
Power and cooling module houses power supplies, redundant cooling fans
All primary components are hot-swappable customer replaceable units and can be easily accessed and removed or replaced
DC-powered models available in enclosures for 24 2.5-inch drives (DS3524 and EXP2524)