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Even more praise for the XIV GUI
I know I have already blogged about the XIV GUI and how it just keeps getting better and better.... But I feel the need to share yet another improvement to the way the GUI presents information. In this case its an additional widget to show the health of each module in the XIV. A fully configured XIV consists of 15 modules, each module containing components like fans, power supplies and disk... [More]
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10 things I like about the IBM DS3500
IBM recently announced the new System Storage DS3500 Express. The DS3500 is an entry level storage system that can be easily serviced and managed by an end-user. It is a very worthy successor to the DS3200/DS3300/DS3400 product line. So I thought I would share with you 10 things I really like about the new IBM DS3500 (in no particular order). 1) Its small The base unit is only 2U in size and... [More]
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Upgrading AIX? Don't forget SDDPCM
SDDPCM (Subsystem Device Driver Path Control Module) is the multi-pathing plug-in for AIX 5.3 and 6.1. Customers who use IBM SVC, DS6000, DS8000 and/or ESS800 use this package to allow the operating system to handle multiple paths from OS to storage. The good news is that this plug-in is supplied free of charge. The bad news is that it is not included with AIX fixpacks. What this means is... [More]
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Keeping yourself informed about IBM Storage
Having spent several fantastic years working for IBM's Storage Central team as a post-sales Storage Support Specialist, one of my many tasks was to communicate known issues to the members of my team. This meant keeping up to date with all the alerts; flashes; firmware releases of IBM's very comprehensive range of storage products. I found a vital tool for achieving this was to be registered... [More]
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Distance considerations for longwave 8 Gpbs SFPs
As a follow up to my previous blog, there are also distance considerations for longwave 8 Gpbs SFPs. To provide some background, there are three things that control our ability to reliably send data over longer distances than 300 meters. The intensity (brightness) of the transmitter (for long distances this is normally a laser as opposed to an LED). The transmit value is measured in dBm. There... [More]
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Things to be aware of when migrating to 8 Gbps Fibre Channel
Its now becoming far more common to see 8 Gbps Fibre Channel switches and HBAs. IBM offer a very comprehensive range of 8 Gbps capable switches manufactured by both Brocade and Cisco. These range from top of the line SAN Directors like the IBM SAN768B (Brocade DCX) and the Cisco MDS9513 to 1U switches like the MDS9148 and the IBM SAN40B-4 (Brocade Silkworm 5100). You can check them all... [More]
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How XIV handles a building power failure
I received a question the other day about how the XIV interacts with a customers building UPS. So I thought I would share my answer with you. The XIV has two separate line cords (there is an option to have four line cords but I am trying not to complicate this). This means the clients building power provides the XIV with two separate power sources. As long as one of those two line cords... [More]
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New Cisco MDS9148 fills a gap
I wrote up this blog entry and then deleted the whole entry while editing a typo. It seems to be a glitch in the developerworks Blog interface, but it could also be a code 16 (problem lies 16 inches in front of keyboard). Anyway.... Cisco have filled a gap in the product line with their new MDS9148. IBM have offered the 4 Gbps capable MDS9124 24 ports) and MDS9134 (32 ports plus 2 x 10... [More]
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Storage Interoperability checking using the SSIC
In my current job I commonly get asked about interoperability. The fear of finding your vendor is not willing to support your setup... that's a serious source of anxiety. After all.... what every IT professional wants to deliver is certainty. I think it is the number one deliverable that a good IT company should provide its clients. So how does IBM deliver this certainty? The answer is... [More]
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Missing images
It seems I have some problems with inserting images into this blog. Apologies for this, am working on discovering what I am doing wrong....
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DS8000 and FCIP - is it possible?
I got asked an interesting question over the weekend regarding the use of DS8000 Metro Mirror and FCIP distance extension technology. It seems an IBM competitor had told a client that their sync hron ous repl icat ion technology worked over an FCIP link, but that IBM DS8000 Metro Mirror did not. My first reaction was that FCIP is clearly going to have more latency than a WDM/CWDM based... [More]
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The XIV Command Log is now accessible via the XIV GUI
The XIV GUI impressed me the very first time I used it. Its truly a user-friendly GUI for the 21st century. Dare I say... its a standard setter for expectations on how a GUI should work. The latest version (2.4.3) that has just been released and it continues the tradition of adding new features and widgets. The latest solves a problem for me since I started testing Windows 7. While the XIV GUI... [More]
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Simulators for IBM Storage products
One of the biggest challenges when working on such a wide variety of products is staying familiar with the GUIs used by each product. So its worth remembering that there are simulators and demo modes in all of IBM's disk products. XIV The XIV GUI offers a demonstration mode that can be accessed by simply logging on with a user-id of p10demomode. No password is needed. While the demo mode does... [More]
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Supporting the Developworks storage forum
So I set myself a goal this year to better support the Developerworks System Storage forum found here: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=846 Its a great way for me to keep my brain active and to help people achieve the most with their IBM Storage Solutions. Its really quite surprising how many things I have learnt while helping people use IBM Storage products. What I... [More]
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