IBM Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified Disk Systems

The most powerful and easy-to-use innovative disk systems in the storage marketplace

Tab navigation

Overview- selected tab,
Features and benefits
Specifications

Learn more

Highlights

Deliver sophisticated, enterprise-class storage functionality for businesses
Support your growing business requirements while controlling costs
Provide up to 200 percent performance improvement with automatic migration to high performing solid state drives (SSDs)¹
Enable storing up to five times more active primary data in the same physical disk space using IBM® Real-time Compression²
Consolidate block and file storage for simplicity, greater efficiency and ease of management
Enable near-continuous availability of applications through dynamic migration.
Easy to use data management designed with a graphical user interface (GUI) and point-and-click system management capabilities
Metro Mirror and Global Mirror for replicating data synchronously or asynchronously between systems for backup efficiency
SSD for applications that demand high speed and quick access to data
Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10.

In storage management today, breaking the cycle of increased complexity and explosive data growth can be a big challenge. The old ways of buying and managing storage have become less effective. Due to resource constraints – both physical storage resources and human resources – IT organisations must act quickly to optimise and simplify their infrastructure. Unchecked complexity and growth will only become bigger problems over time.

IT organisations may also suffer from a range of challenges:

Disruptive migrations
Difficulty deploying tiered storage
Concern about growth in storage and storage management costs
Inability to share storage among servers
Reduced productivity and increased cost caused by isolated server and storage management tools
Inability to use virtualised storage in the way they use virtual servers, as a tool for optimising expenditures, resources and capabilities.

To stand up to these challenges and allow businesses to respond to a rapidly changing marketplace, IBM Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified are virtualised storage systems to complement virtualised server environments that provide impressive performance, availability, advanced functions and highly-scalable capacity never seen before in midrange disk systems. As members of the IBM Storwize family, Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified are powerful midrange disk systems that have been designed to be easy to use and to enable rapid deployment without additional resources. Storwize V7000 supports block workloads, whereas Storwize V7000 Unified consolidates block and file workloads into a single storage system for simplicity of management and reduced cost. Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified are virtual storage systems that offer greater efficiency and flexibility through built-in SSD optimisation and thin-provisioning technologies. Integrated IBM Real-time Compression enhances efficiency even further by enabling storing up to five times as much active primary data in the same physical disk space.² Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified advanced functions also enable non-disruptive migration of data from existing storage, simplifying implementation and minimising disruption to users. Finally, these systems also enable you to virtualise and reuse existing disk systems, supporting a greater potential return on investment (ROI).

Product features	Hardware summary
Automatic migration of frequently accessed data to high performing SSDs Provisioning support for business applications that need to grow dynamically, but only consume the storage space they are actually using Migration capabilities that provide efficiency and business value in a non-disruptive migration IBM Real-time Compression for extraordinary efficiency, enabling storage of up to five times as much active data in the same physical disk space* Unified storage capability for greater simplicity and efficiency Policy-based file management Support for near instant data copies for backup or application testing Integrated instant copy capabilities for critical business needs Integrated tools and capabilities for server and storage management Clustered systems to support growing business needs while controlling costs	2U rack-mountable chassis 24 2.5 in. drive bays (model x24) or 12 3.5 in. drive bays (model x12) Up to 36 TB of physical storage per enclosure using 3 TB nearline serial attached SCSI (SAS-NL) disk drives, or up to 24 TB physical storage per enclosure using 1 TB SAS-NL disk drives SAS disk drives, SAS-NL disk drives and SSDs Redundant dual-active intelligent controllers 16 GB cache memory per control enclosure (8 GB per internal controller) as a base feature For each control enclosure: Eight 8 Gbps FC ports (four 8 Gbps FC ports per controller), four 1 Gbps iSCSI and optionally four 10 Gbps iSCSI/FCoE host ports (two 1 Gbps iSCSI and optionally two 10 Gbps iSCSI/FCoE ports per controller) File module provides attachment to 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps NAS environments Control enclosure supports attachment of up to nine expansion enclosures with configurations up to 360 TB physical storage capacities (up to 1.44 PB in clustered systems) Dual power supplies and cooling components

¹IBM lab measurements – August 2010
²IBM lab measurements – April 2012
^*IBM lab measurements – April 2012

Feature	Benefits
IBM Systems Director	Provides integrated management for physical and virtual server infrastructures, including monitoring and repairing for higher availability and operational efficiency
IBM Flex System Manager	With IBM PureFlex Systems, provides management integration of physical and virtual compute, storage and networking resources from a single vantage point
Dynamic migration	Provides efficiency and business value in a non-disruptive migration function
IBM System Storage Easy Tier	Provides automatic migration of frequently accessed data elements to high performing SSDs
Clustered systems	Enable growth from the smallest configurations up to systems with 960 drives (up to 1.44 PB capacity)
Thin provisioning	Supports business applications that need to grow dynamically, while consuming only the space actually used
Unified storage	Combines block and file storage requirements into a single system for simplicity and efficiency Single user interface for managing both block and file storage streamlines administration
IBM FlashCopy	Creates a near-instant copy of active data that can be used for backup or for parallel processing activities; supports backup for recovering corrupted data
SSD	For applications that demand high disk speed, quick access to data and support for tiered storage environments
IBM Active Cloud Engine	Reduces costs through policy-based management of files through use of tiered storage and improves data governance Automates movement of less-frequently used files to lower cost tiers of storage, including tape in an IBM Tivoli Storage Manager system Automates deletion of unwanted or expired files
IBM Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager	Helps minimise the impact of backups, provides near instant restore, shortens backup and recovery times, simplifies management and automates routine tasks
Metro Mirror and Global Mirror	Allows synchronous or asynchronous data replication between systems for backup efficiency; used as failover in disaster recovery and for remote copy over distances
IBM Real-time Compression	IBM Real-time Compression is designed to improve efficiency by storing up to five times as much active primary data in the same physical disk space.* By significantly reducing storage requirements, you can keep up to five times more information online, use the improved efficiency to reduce storage costs, or achieve a combination of greater capacity and reduced cost

^*IBM lab measurements – April 2012

Host interface	SAN-attached 8 Gbps FC, 1 Gbps iSCSI and optional 10 Gbps iSCSI/FCoE NAS-attached 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps Ethernet
User interface	GUI
Supported drives	3.5 in. disk drives: 2 TB, 3 TB 7.2k SAS-NL disk 2.5 in. disk drives: 146 GB, 300 GB 15k SAS disk 300 GB, 600 GB, 900 GB 10k SAS disk 200 GB, 400 GB E-MLC SSD 1 TB 7.2k SAS-NL disk
RAID levels	Redundant array of independent disk (RAID) 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10
Maximum drives supported	240 per control enclosure; 960 per clustered system
Fans and power supplies	Fully redundant, hot-swappable
Rack support	Standard 19 in.
Management software	Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified software
Cache per controller/control enclosure/clustered system	8 GB/16 GB/64 GB
Advanced features included with each system	System Storage Easy Tier, FlashCopy, thin provisioning, Active Cloud Engine (Storwize V7000 Unified only)
Additional available advanced features	Remote mirroring, external virtualisation unified storage, FlashCopy Manager, IBM Tivoli Storage Productivity Centre Select, Tivoli Storage Manager, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack, IBM Systems Director, Flex System Manager, IBM Real-time Compression
Warranty	Hardware: Three years limited warranty Customer replaceable units (CRUs) On-site service Next business day 09:00 to 17:00 Service upgrades available Software: Software maintenance agreement available
Replication services	FlashCopy, FlashCopy Manager, Metro Mirror (synchronous), Global Mirror (asynchronous), local and asynchronous remote file-based replication
Dimensions	Control and expansion enclosures Width: 483 mm (19.0 in.) Depth: 630 mm (24.8 in.) Height: 87.9 mm (3.46 in.) File Modules Width: 443 mm (17.5 in.) Depth: 698 mm (27.5 in.) Height: 85 mm (3.36 in.)
Weight	12-bay enclosures: Drive-ready (without drive modules installed): 17.7 kg (37.6 lb) Fully configured (12 drive modules installed): 27.2 kg (59.8 lb) 24-bay enclosures: Drive-ready (without drive modules installed): 17.7 kg (37.6 lb) Fully configured (24 drive modules installed): 25.2 kg (55.4 lb) File modules Maximum configuration: 29.6 kg (65 lb)
Supported systems	For a list of currently supported servers, operating systems, host bus adapters (HBAs), clustering applications and SAN switches and directors, refer to the System Storage Interoperation Centre.
ISV solutions	For a list of high quality solutions with our partner ISVs, including access to solution briefs and white papers, refer to the ISV Solutions Resource Library.

Close [x]

Matthew Fordham

Mid-Range Disk Leader for UK and Ireland

Matt advises businesses how to use IBM technology to gain an advantage.

Matt Fordham is 14 year IBM veteran of using IBM solutions to enable businesses to respond to the changing trends and pressures, in particular server and storage virtualisation technology. This includes helping Customers to do more with less, but also educating Business Partners on how to help their customers and take these solutions to market.