Add storage systems

You can add the storage systems of types block, file, and object.

When you click Add Storage Systems, it opens a tearsheet with two options:

Select storage type

The Add storage system page is split into two tabs, IBM storage systems and non-IBM storage systems with tiles that can be clicked for all storage types.

Each selection tile includes the system's title, a brief description, a link to the respective documentation, and a model drop down, if multiple models are available.

When you add multiple storage systems, they must be of the same type and use the same authentication credentials. It is not possible to add systems of different types simultaneously. The task manager handles the success or failure of the system addition. There are two types of storage systems:

  1. IBM storage systems- The selection tile includes the following IBM storage systems:
    • IBM Storage FlashSystem Family
    • IBM Storage Accelerate / XIV
    • IBM System Storage DS8000
    • IBM Storage Scale
    • IBM Cloud Object Storage
    • A Cloud Call Home banner appears only for IBM Flash Family systems after a Flash model is selected.
    • IBM Storwize and IBM SVC systems are grouped under the IBM FlashSystem Family and are selectable from the model drop down within the Flash Family tile.
    • IBM Storage Accelerate and IBM XIV systems are also combined under a single tile.

    Connection details for IBM storage systems

    The connection details include fields for entering IP addresses or hostname, selecting an authentication type, SSH username, SSH password, and SSH key. The IP address fields in the connection details support port numbers, as certain internal simulative devices require both the IP address and port for connection.

    SSH keys can be uploaded through drag-and-drop or by using click to upload option. The key must have maximum file size of 500 KB and support formats that includes .txt, .pem, and PuTTY.

  2. Non-IBM Storage Systems- The selection tile also includes Non-IBM storage systems that include the following:
    • Dell EMC
    • Hitachi
    • Pure Storage
    • NetApp

Connection details for Non-IBM storage systems

For Hitachi, the connection details include options for Hitachi Ops center and Hitachi command suite.

Note: The Non-IBM devices, IBM Storage Scale, and IBM Cloud Object Storage remains disabled for free license users.

Connection details

After clicking Next, you can provide the connection details such as IP address and credentials to connect to the device.

The Add storage system becomes enabled when all connection details are filled.

Note: The add, remove, and edit operations are hidden but not disabled for non-Admin roles.

Toast notifications

When you try to add a storage system but it fails, then on clicking the Retry option of failed task, an inline notification is displayed. A relevant error message that is decoded from the error code is displayed which informs the user about the cause of the addition failure.

Recommendation popup

The pop-up appears when a Data Collector (DC) is not available, regardless of the firmware level or system memory of the devices that are being added. It informs you about the two possible methods for adding storage systems, through Data collector or Call home.

If the data collector is not available, FlashSystem devices can be added through Call home. It also recommends deploying a data collector for broader device support.