System overview
IBM® Storage FlashSystem 9200 is a part of the FlashSystem family, powered by IBM FlashCore Modules and NVMe technology.
| Machine Type - Model | Description | Minimum Software Level |
|---|---|---|
| 9846-AG8 | FlashSystem 9200 Controller – One-year warranty | 8.3.1 |
| 9848-AG8 | FlashSystem 9200 Controller – Three-year warranty | 8.3.1 |
| 4666-AG8 | FlashSystem 9200 Controller with Expert Care | 8.4.2 |
| 9846-AFF | 2U24 All-flash SAS Expansion enclosure – One-year warranty | 8.3.1 |
| 9846-AFF | 2U24 All-flash SAS Expansion enclosure – Three-year warranty | 8.3.1 |
| 9846-A9F | 2U24 All-flash SAS Expansion enclosure – One-year warranty | 8.3.1 |
| 9848-A9F | 2U24 All-flash SAS Expansion enclosure – Three-year warranty | 8.3.1 |
| 4666-AFF | 2U24 All-flash SAS Expansion enclosure with Expert Care | 8.4.2 |
| 4666-A9F | 2U24 All-flash SAS Expansion enclosure with Expert Care | 8.4.2 |
IBM Storage Virtualize software
- A single pool of storage
- Logical unit virtualization
- Management of logical volumes
- Replication:
- Simplify data management by automating configuration tasks.
- Ensure seamless continuity while maintaining high throughput and low latency to applications.
- Data reduction:
- Hardware compression with FlashCore Modules (FCM)
- Thin-provisioned logical volumes
- Data reduction pool with deduplication and compression
- Ransomware threat detection enhanced with FlashCore Module 4 computational storage assists.
- High-performance Distributed RAID for redundancy and fast rebuild
- Large scalable cache
- Easy to use management and automation that is consistent across the Storage Virtualize portfolio, including RestAPI, Ansible Playbooks, CSI integration, VMWare integration, and a modern Graphical User Interface (GUI).
For more information on IBM Storage Virtualize software, see the relevant IBM Documentation.
Control Enclosure
- 24 slots for NVMe Flash devices (front)
- Two Node Canisters
- Two Power Supplies.
The system can be expanded with the addition of SAS-based Expansion Enclosures.
NVMe Flash Devices
Highly Available Architecture
IBM Storage FlashSystem 9200 implements an Active-Active architecture, with the two Node Canisters forming a redundant I/O Group. Because data volumes are served by both node canisters, the volume remains available if one node canister fails or is taken offline.
Node canisters contain the systems CPUs, memory, backup batteries, and Network Attachment adapters.
Flexible Network Attachment
IBM Storage FlashSystem 9200 supports a range of Network Attachment adapter features.
| Adapter Type | Protocols supported | Minimum or maximum per node canister | Minimum software level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quad-port 16 Gbps Fibre Channel | SCSI, FC-NVMe | 0 - 3 | 8.3.2 |
| Quad-port 32 Gbps Fibre Channel | SCSI, FC-NVMe | 0 - 3 | 8.3.2 |
| Dual-port 25 Gbps Ethernet (RoCE) | iSCSI, RoCE, NVMe/TCP | 0 - 3 | 8.3.2 |
| Dual-port 25 Gbps Ethernet (iWARP) | iSCSI, iWARP (iSCSI and High speed replication, Native IP replication) | 0 - 3 | 8.3.2 |
| Dual-port 12 Gbps SAS Expansion | SAS (expansion) | 0 - 1 | 8.3.2 |
In addition, each canister has three on-board Ethernet ports that are used for system management, replication, and Host I/O.
Power Supplies and Battery Backup
IBM Storage FlashSystem 9200 has two redundant Power Supplies. The system can be powered by only one supply (N+1 redundant).The power supplies require a high-line (200 V - 240 V) AC power source.
Each node canister contains a Battery that allows a canister to save its cache and metadata in an unscheduled power-down event.
Enterprise Warranty and Services
IBM Storage FlashSystem 9200 models with Machine Type 4666 are available with IBM Storage Expert Care, with several levels of support to suit different deployment models. Refer to IBM Enterprise Support and Preferred Care options for more information.
System components
For more details on the different components of the system, see the following pages: