Cloud Storage Solutions

A new version of Spectrum Control Base Edition software (3.1.1) has been released. It replaces version 3.1.0 and brings support for the IBM FlashSystem A9000 and A9000R (12.0.3) storage capacity feature. In addition, it introduces a full compatibility with the current VMware vSphere Web Client Server requirements. For details about this new version, see the Spectrum Control Base Edition release notes on IBM Knowledge Center at  https://ibm.biz/BdswcP.

We are glad to announce the release of  Spectrum Control Base Edition (SCBE) 3.1.

This new version introduces the following improvements:

• Improved handling of VMware virtual volumes (VVols), allowing for multiple VVol-enabled services to reside on a single storage space. Also, a new resource attachment method is used to attach several storage resources from different storage systems to one service.
• Added the availability capability for a storage service, enabling the use of stretched clusters on IBM Virtualize Family systems.
• Added the Quality of Service (QoS) capability for the Spectrum Accelerate Family storage services, enabling the use of volumes or storage resources according to predefined service levels.
• VMware currency for vCenter, vWC, vRO, vROps
• Bug fixes

Spectrum Control Base Edition 3.1 can be downloaded from Fix Central:

https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/selectFixes?parent=Software%20defined%20storage&product=ibm/StorageSoftware/IBM+Spectrum+Control&release=3.1.0&platform=All&function=all

We'd be glad to hear your feedback!

VMware administrator, provision new datastores for your applications yourself, using IBM Storage Enhancements for vSphere Web Client. Use abstracted storage services, provided by your storage administrator. The services are consistent with application requirements with extendable storage space and VVol support. IBM Storage Enhancements for vSphere Web Client come packaged with IBM Spectrum Control Base Edition, a nifty storage provisioning tool integrated with a variety of VMware solutions for automation, monitoring, orchestration and native support of VVols and VASA API. Check the solution overview on YouTube at https://youtu.be/tf-0LGABZK8.

To make this happen, IBM has teamed up with VMware, creating a better experience for administrators and end users. We are proud to be one of the first partners in VMware's Web Client Plug-in certification program.
Learn more about the VMware program here: http://vmw.re/1S2FF7B.

If you happen to be using one or more IBM storage systems that are serving your VMware environment, we invite you to check out our recently released ’IBM Storage Integration Server’, a software solution that consolidates all your IBM storage usage through a single backend deployment.

You can add your IBM storage arrays into the scope of IBM Storage Integration Server in just one step, by using your storage user credentials as shown in the following example from the web-based management interface: 

Once added, the arrays would be available to all supported solutions, without having to re-add each storage array separately for each solution or for any future supported solution.

This single integration server reduces the amount of management traffic and shares the queried storage information with all the supported solutions. The first release, version 1.1.0, introduces support for ‘IBM Storage Enhancements for VMware vSphere Web Client’ and for ‘IBM Storage Provider for VMware VASA’.

‘IBM Storage Enhancements for vSphere Web Client’ enables native visibility and provisioning of IBM storage volumes (LUNs) within VMware vSphere Web Client. These enhancements bring the value of the already known and acclaimed IBM Storage vCenter plug-in, formally known as ‘IBM Storage Management Console for VMware vCenter’, to the new web-based VMware vSphere Web Client, which allows the integration of multiple vCenter servers instead of one.

VMware administrators who were previously daunted by the thought of the complex task of connecting and utilizing storage resources through vSphere Web Client – can now be much more relaxed with the ability to easily create and manage storage volumes in delegated storage pools, which were attached by the storage administrators on the IBM Storage Integration Server side. 

‘IBM Storage Provider for VMware VASA’, previously a standalone plug-in, is now a feature of the IBM Storage Integration Server, adding the following enhancements:

·                     Supports the IBM Storwize family in addition to the existing IBM XIV support.

·                     Storage capabilities are automatically defined and assigned, eliminating the need for manual definition and assignment.

That’s about it, for now J

More to come soon!

You can download the IBM Storage Integration Server software package and the related documentation from the IBM Fix Central.

You can also view the online documentation at our information center.

As always, we would be happy to have your comments and thoughts.

The IBM Storage Host Software Group (HSG)

• Multiple volume creation in one single operation: You can now create a few volumes together, instead of creating each volume separately. You can see how it's done in the example screenshots below, marked in a blue rectangle.
• Consistent volume names across the vSphere environment: In previous versions it was difficult to identify your volumes through VMware vSphere’s panels and wizards due to the long-form name given to them. For example, this is what your Add Storage wizard may have looked like:

But which Disk/LUN is the one I am looking for? Now when you create a volume, the name you provide is used as the VMware’s Disk/LUN name in the vSphere environment, making it much easier to view and manage.

For example, have a look at this ‘Creating 3 new volumes’ operation:  

The volume names in VMware’s “Add Storage” wizard are identical, allowing simple volume identification!

• Simple multipath policy enforcement: This feature enforces the multipath policy either per storage array or per single volume, overriding VMware's defaults.
  

  To set the policy for an entire XIV storage system, go to the IBM Storage tab, right click on the relevant storage system, choose Set Multipath Policy Enforcement, and then select the appropriate option:

  
   

From now on, for each new volume you create on the storage system, the IBM storage plug-in enforces the chosen MP policy. Alternatively, if you choose Disable Multipath Policy Enforcement, no MP policy is enforced  (in such a case, VMware’s default MP policy for the storage array will be in effect).

 

Just note that this feature is designed mostly for ESX/i versions 4.1 or earlier, where the default multipath policy set for the IBM XIV storage system was not Round Robin (RR). In ESXi 5.0 or later, the default is RR.

 

The IBM Flash Centers of Competency has posted a very good blog about our latest SCB version

You can read the blog here