The Easy Tier algorithm understands the maximum throughput of all drives in the system and needs to be updated with the capabilities of the next generation of FlashCore Modules (FCMs) that were released in March 2020.
If your system is running V8.2.1.5 or earlier with the next generation FCMs and doesn't have the updated Easy Tier algorithm, Easy Tier might incorrectly believe that the drive is overloaded when it isn't.
There is no other impact to using the next generation FCMs without the Easy Tier update.
In many cases, new drives can be added to Spectrum Virtualize systems without requiring any specific software updates to support those drives. In these environments, the Easy Tier algorithms have a set of default performance characteristics that are applied. Once the Spectrum Virtualize software is updated, the system will be given a specific set of performance characteristics for that drive and Easy Tier will optimize the system more accurately.
Due to the high performance of the FCMs, the default characteristics are a lot lower than the capabilities of the drive. Hence it is possible that Easy Tier considers the drive to be overloaded when it is capable of much higher throughput. In this scenario, Easy Tier stops adding any more workload to the array, which means that some hot workload might sit unnecessarily on lower tiers of storage.
When the next generation of FCM were released the Easy Tier algorithms were updated to have the latest available data, however not all systems have that update installed.
To identify if your system contains any of the next generation FCMs, open the Pools -> Internal Storage view in the GUI. Click on Actions -> Customize Columns and ensure that "Part Number" is selected. If any of the following Part numbers appear in that column, then your system contains next generation FCMs
- 02YC416
- 02YC417
- 02CY418
- 02CY419
Fix
If your system is running V8.2.1.5 or earlier, and contains one of the next generation FCMs, then upgrade your system to the latest V8.2.1 PTF to unlock the full potential of the FCMs. This upgrade should be scheduled as part of your regular upgrade planning.
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