IBM Spectrum Scale product editions

IBM Spectrum Scale™ has two different editions based on functional levels. Each edition can be licensed by IBM Spectrum Scale Client license, IBM Spectrum Scale Server license, and IBM Spectrum Scale FPO license.

For more information, see IBM Spectrum Scale license designation.

IBM Spectrum Scale Standard Edition

Available on AIX®, Linux, and Windows. This edition provides extended features in addition to the base GPFS™ functions. On AIX and Linux, the extended features include Information Lifecycle Management (ILM), Active File Management (AFM), and Clustered NFS (CNFS). CNFS is not available on Linux on Z. On Windows, the extended features include limited Information Lifecycle Management (ILM).

On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.x, SLES 12, and Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, the extended features include the ability to enable and use the additional protocol functionality integration (NFS, SMB, and Object). On SLES 12, Object functionality is not supported in this release. Two packages are provided for this edition: one that includes protocols and needs additional (opensource/GPL) license acceptance, and another that does not include protocols and requires the traditional GPFS license acceptance.

IBM Spectrum Scale Advanced Edition

Available on AIX and Linux. This edition provides all the features of the Standard Edition and also provides AFM-based Asynchronous Disaster Recovery and high-level data protection using the GPFS cryptographic subsystem. For additional information, see Encryption.

IBM Spectrum Scale Data Management Edition

This edition provides identical functionality as IBM Spectrum Scale Advanced Edition under capacity-based licensing. For more information, see Capacity-based licensing.

Note: All nodes in a cluster must have the same edition installed.

The only exception is when a remote cluster without encryption needs access to a home cluster with encryption. For more information, see Encryption with Multicluster in IBM Spectrum Scale license designation.

Attention: Starting with release 4.2.3, IBM Spectrum Scale Express Edition is no longer available. For information on upgrading from IBM Spectrum Scale Express Edition 4.2.2.x or earlier to IBM Spectrum Scale Standard Edition 4.2.3.x or later, see Migrating from Express Edition to Standard Edition.

Table 1 lists the availability of key features in the IBM Spectrum Scale editions.

Table 1. Features in IBM Spectrum Scale editions
Feature	Standard Edition	Advanced or Data Management Edition
Support for maximum file system size, number of files, file systems and number of nodes	✓	✓
Node roles: Collector node, Admin node	No charge	No charge
Node roles: Cluster Config Server, Manager, quorum, tie-breaker, NSD server	✓	✓
Multi-cluster	✓	✓
Quotas (user and group only)	✓	✓
Snapshots	✓ (fileset)	✓ (fileset)
Management GUI	✓	✓
Compression (2:1 to 5:1 ratio)	✓	✓
Quality of Service	✓	✓
Filesets	✓	✓
Multi-protocol access	✓	✓
Storage pools	✓	✓
ILM placement and management policies	✓	✓
HSM with IBM Spectrum Protect™ or IBM Spectrum Archive™	✓	✓
AFM caching	✓	✓
Transparent cloud tiering		✓
AFM-based Asynchronous Disaster Recovery (gateway nodes)		✓
Encryption of data at rest and secure erase		✓

Consult the IBM Spectrum Scale FAQ in IBM® Knowledge Center for the latest features included in each edition.