Summary of changes

This topic summarizes changes to the IBM Storage Scale Systems information. Within each topic, double angle brackets () surrounding text or illustrations indicate technical changes or additions made to the previous edition of the information.

Summary of changes for IBM Storage Scale
Systems 7.0.1.x. as updated, July 2026

The following new features and updates are available in IBM Storage Scale Systems 7.0.1:

Start of changeUpgradeEnd of change
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Upgrade flowchart
Added for high-level overview of the upgrade process. For more information, see Upgrade workflow.
Upgrade support matrix.
Updated upgrade guidelines and the matrix table. For more information, see Software upgrade and firmware update.
Decoupled precheck tool
A stand-alone tool validates system health across all nodes before upgrade. Run this tool after the container is started and before the upgrade begins. See Checking the system health by using the decoupled precheck tool.
Protocol nodes upgrade
Only online upgrade is supported. For more information, see Upgrading the protocol nodes
CES deployment from the GUI
Cluster Export Services (CES), Protocol VMs, AFM Gateway VMs, I/O Building Blocks, and Client VMs can now be deployed from the GUI on IBM® Storage Scale System Utility Node systems. See Deployment from an x86 Utility Node by using the GUI.
Minimum drives for RAID arrays
Declustered arrays require a minimum of 20 drives for 16+2p and 21 drives for 16+3p RAID configurations. See Prerequisites.
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Start of changeCommandsEnd of change
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  • Updated the essrun protocol configure --enable command.
  • Removed the --include-firmwares and --skip-firmwares options from the essrun command. The new --jbof-deps option installs JBOF dependencies for MES scenarios. See the essrun command in IBM Storage Scale System: Command Reference.
  • The essrun audit command enables, verifies, and rolls back STIG audit configuration on nodes. See Enabling STIG audit.
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Start of changeSecurityEnd of change
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STIG audit support
STIG-compliant audit logging is available on IBM Storage Scale System nodes that are running RHEL 8.10 or RHEL 9.6. See Security Technical Implementation Guide and Enabling STIG audit.
FIPS mode management
FIPS mode can be enabled, verified, and disabled on nodes by using the essrun fips command. This mode is supported on RHEL 8.10 and RHEL 9.6. See Federal Information Processing mode, Enabling and managing FIPS mode on nodes, and FIPS mode issues.
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New messages
No new messages have been added in this release.
Start of changeHardware updatesEnd of change
Start of changeVLAN tags on canisters is removed. Use untagged traffic when you deploy IBM Storage Scale System 3500 nodes or add S54 switches. See Configuring the MTM 5149-S54 switch.End of change