Technical overview

The IBM® DS8900F is a high-performance, high-capacity storage system that supports continuous operation, data security, and data resiliency. For high-availability, the hardware components are redundant.

The DS8900F provides two system types within the 533x all-flash machine type family:
DS8910F Flexibility Class
The DS8910F Flexibility Class Rack Mounted model 993 and model 994 strike the perfect balance of performance, capacity, and cost, all delivered within a flexible space-saving footprint.
Rack Mounted model 993
DS8910F Flexibility Class Rack Mounted model 993 provides a modular rack-mountable enterprise storage system within the 533x all-flash machine type family. The modular system can be integrated into an existing IBM Z, IBM LinuxONE, or other standard 19-inch wide rack that conforms to EIA 310D specifications. The DS8910F allows you to take advantage of the DS8900F advanced features while limiting datacenter footprint and power infrastructure requirements. The modular system contains processor nodes, an I/O Enclosure, High Performance Flash Enclosures Gen2, and a Management Enclosure (which includes the HMCs, private network Ethernet Switches, and power control cards). The DS8910F model 993 includes 8-core processors and is scalable with up to 96 Flash Tier 0, Flash Tier 1, or Flash Tier 2 drives, up to 512 GB system memory, and up to 32 host adapter ports.
Model 994
The DS8910F Flexibility Class model 994 includes 8-core processors and is scalable with up to 192 Flash Tier 0, Flash Tier 1, or Flash Tier 2 drives, up to 512 GB system memory, and up to 64 host adapter ports. The DS8910F model 994 includes a base frame with 40U capacity.
DS8950F Agility Class
The DS8950F Agility Class consolidates all your workloads for IBM Z®, IBM LinuxONE, IBM Power® System and distributed environments under a single all-flash storage solution.
Model 996 and E96
The DS8950F Agility Class model 996 base frame and optional E96 expansion frame includes up to 20-core processors and is scalable with up to 384 Flash Tier 0, Flash Tier 1, or Flash Tier 2 drives, up to 2048 GB system memory, and up to 128 host adapter ports.
The DS8900F models 994, 996, and E96 feature new 19-inch wide frames with reduced footprint and height.
Licensed functions are available in four groups:
Base Function
The Base Function license is required for each storage system. The licensed functions include Encryption Authorization, Easy Tier®, the Operating Environment License, and Thin Provisioning.
z-synergy Services
The z-synergy Services include z/OS® functions that are supported on the storage system. The licensed functions include zHyperLink, transparent cloud tiering, High Performance FICON® for z Systems®, HyperPAV, PAV, SuperPAV, zHyperWrite, and z/OS Distributed Data Backup.
Copy Services
Copy Services features help you implement storage solutions to keep your business running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by providing data duplication, data migration, and disaster recovery functions. The licensed functions include Global Mirror, Metro Mirror, Metro/Global Mirror, Point-in-Time Copy/FlashCopy®, z/OS Global Mirror, Safeguarded Copy, and z/OS Metro/Global Mirror Incremental Resync (RMZ).
Copy Services Manager on Hardware Management Console
The Copy Services Manager on Hardware Management Console (CSM on HMC) license enables IBM Copy Services Manager to run on the Hardware Management Console, which eliminates the need to maintain a separate server for Copy Services functions. The CSM software license is required to enable CSM usage on the HMC.
The storage system also includes features such as:
  • POWER9™ processors
  • Power-usage reporting
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-131A enablement
Other functions that are supported in both the DS8000® Storage Management GUI and the DS command-line interface (DS CLI) include:
  • Easy Tier
  • Data encryption
  • Thin provisioning

You can use the DS8000 Storage Management GUI and the DS command-line interface (DS CLI) to manage and logically configure the storage system.

Functions that are supported in only the DS command-line interface (DS CLI) include:
  • Point-in-time copy functions with IBM FlashCopy
  • Remote Mirror and Copy functions, including
    • Metro Mirror
    • Global Copy
    • Global Mirror
    • Metro/Global Mirror
    • z/OS Global Mirror
    • z/OS Metro/Global Mirror
    • Multiple Target PPRC
The storage systems meets hazardous substances (RoHS) requirements by conforming to the following EC directives:
  • Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. It has been demonstrated that the requirements specified in Article 4 are met.
  • EN 50581:2012 technical documentation for the assessment of electrical and electronic products regarding the restriction of hazardous substances.

The IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager stores data keys that are used to secure the key hierarchy that is associated with the data encryption functions of various devices, including the DS8000 series. It can be used to provide, protect, and maintain encryption keys that are used to encrypt information that is written to and decrypt information that is read from encryption-enabled disks. IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager operates on various operating systems.