5486ExtStor.fm Draft Document for Review October 18, 2004
430 IBM Eserver i5 and iSeries System Handbook
IBM TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server Model 800
The IBM TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server Model 800, the third generation
of IBM intelligent storage, sets yet another milestone in ESS functionality,
flexibility, performance, and overall value available to meet today's storage
requirements. The Model 800 is designed to provide performance, scalability,
and flexibility. Meanwhile, it supports 24 x 7 operations to help provide the access
and protection demanded by today's business environment and delivers the
flexibility and centralized management needed to lower long-term costs.
The Model 800 integrates a new generation of hardware, including faster
symmetrical multiprocessors (SMP) with an optional Turbo feature, 64 GB cache,
double internal bandwidth, and 2 Gb Fibre Channel/FICON Host Adapters. This
hardware, in addition to RAID-10 support and 15,000 rpm drives, enables the
Model 800 to deliver excellent levels of performance throughput.
With i5/OS V5R3 release Multipath function provides an alternative path support
for host attachment. With Multipath should there be a FC adapter failure. IOs are
routed through another FC IOA in the same multipath group. This is a low cost
availability option that would typically cost an FC adapter for any currently
installed. This does not alter the requirement for a load source disk that must be
mounted in the iSeries. Multipath support for ESS is provided in i5/OS V5R3
For additional information about ESS, see the following Web site:
http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/storage/disk/ess/
Storage area network components
SAN can be defined as a combination of technologies (including hardware,
software, and networking components) that provide any-to-any interconnection of
server and storage elements.
SANs connect SAN storage (usually tape, disk) together with servers into a
network called a
fabric. Today’s industry standard for interconnecting
components of a SAN is Fibre Channel. The IBM Eserver i5 and iSeries
support connection of disk and tape using Fibre Channel. The advantage of SAN
are greater distances to devices and the ability to share resources on a SAN.
Both 1Gbps and 2Gbps fibre channel are common each supporting different
connectivity distances depending on the cables and “light” used. There are three
basic fiber cable types primarily in use in Fibre Channel today. They are typically:
50 micron fiber - A multimode cable which is thinner and thus can go longer
distances (1Gb 500m, 2Gb 300m)
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