Chapter 2. Introduction to IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node 43
Table 2-3 Version 7.1.x enhancements
For a complete and updated list of IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node configuration limits
and restrictions, see the following website:
http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ssg1S1004369
2.3.3 IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node functions
The following functions are available with IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node:
Thin provisioning (included with the base IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node license):
Traditional fully allocated volumes allocate real physical disk capacity for an entire volume
even if that capacity is never used. Thin-provisioned volumes allocate real physical disk
capacity only when data is written to the logical volume.
Volume mirroring (included with the base IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node license):
Provides a single volume image to the attached host systems while maintaining pointers to
two copies of data in separate storage pools. Copies can be on separate disk storage
systems that are being virtualized. If one copy is failing, IBM Flex System V7000 Storage
Node provides continuous data access by redirecting I/O to the remaining copy. When the
copy becomes available, automatic re-synchronization occurs.
FlashCopy (included with the base IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node license):
Provides a volume level point-in-time copy function for any storage being virtualized by
IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node. This function is designed to create copies for
backup, parallel processing, testing, and development, and have the copies available
almost immediately.
IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node includes the following FlashCopy functions:
– Full / Incremental copy:
This function copies only the changes from either the source or target data since the
last FlashCopy operation and is designed to enable completion of point-in-time online
backups much more quickly than using traditional FlashCopy.
New enhancements Details
Increased hosts Increased number of host objects per I/O group from 256 to 512, and per
cluster limit from 1024 to 2048.
Note: The increased host objects can be used for FC and FCoE attached
hosts only. Any host type is subject to limit restrictions for that host type.
such as iSCSI names/IQNs (iSCSI Qualified Names).
Increased LUNs Increased LUNs per host from 512 to 2048 and is available to any FC and
FCoE host attachment types (subject to host limitations), not for iSCSI.
Note: There is no change in the overall host-vdisk mapping limit per
cluster (currently 20,000).
Increased host
WWPNs
Increased number of host WWPNs per I/O group/cluster to 2048/8192.
Note: Current limits are 512/2048 per iogrp/cluster (generally available)
and 2048/8192 per cluster (RPQ required).
This increase would apply equally to native FC and FCoE WWPNs