IBM Storage Scale Software Version Recommendation Preventive Service Planning

Content

IBM strongly recommends at least an annual upgrade of the IBM Storage Scale code to stay at the recommended or latest levels of code, as defined in the next tables.

Definition: Extended Updated Support (EUS) releases are long term support releases on an 18-month cadence (nominally) that provides customers a stable release with updates through ongoing program temporary fixes (PTFs). PTFs are typically made available in 7-10 week intervals to provide functionality and security fixes. See more details at IBM Storage Scale release philosophy.

As announced in September 2024 on the Product Lifecycle pages, code editions for IBM Storage Scale 5.1.x (and its use on IBM Storage Scale System 6.1.x) reached End of Service (EOS) on September 30 of 2025.

Your options

Full Support (upgrade to 5.2.x) - IBM recommended

Upgrading to 5.2.x ensures that you have full support, including:

✓ Security updates

✓ Bug fixes

✓ New features and improvements

Limited Support Contract (use the final 5.1.9.12 PTF available as of October 1 of 2025)

You can receive limited support if you upgrade to the final 5.1.9.x PTF and purchase a Service Extension Support contract for your specific 5.1.9.x final PTF edition listed in the Product lifecycle page.

✓ No bug fixes, no operating system currency updates, and no security updates will be provided.

✓ This is only a temporary option with a maximum of 2 years extension. A full upgrade to 5.2.x is still recommended.

What you need to do

• Check your current version and plan your upgrade accordingly by consulting the following deployment guides:
  • Verify that your upgrade path is supported for IBM Storage Scale or IBM Storage Scale System
  • Storage Scale Upgrade via the preferred method of using the installation toolkit
  • IBM Storage Scale Quick Deployment Guide
  • IBM Storage Scale System Quick Deployment Guide
  • IBM Storage Scale Frequently Asked Questions
  • IBM Storage Scale Software interoperability table
• Ensure that you are subscribed for product notifications by registering at My Support > Storage Scale System Software.
• To obtain IBM Storage Scale Product Services to help you through your upgrade, contact the IBM Technology Expert Labs infrastructure services team:
  • https://www.ibm.com/products/expertlabs/infrastructure
  • Email for IBM Expert Labs: systems-expert-labs@ibm.com. Please use the reference subject of "Scale Upgrade".

Detailed information on the product fixes that are contained within IBM Storage Scale 5.x releases can be found here.

IBM Storage Scale alerts and notifications can be found here. IBM Storage Scale Systems alerts and notifications can be found here, plus the base IBM Storage Scale software here.

Special Note: (ALERT, July 11 of 2025) Due to issues discovered with NFS and SMB protocols, the IBM Storage Scale 5.2.3.0 and 5.2.3.1 offerings were removed and are now replaced within the 5.2.3.2 offering and later. For more information, see the related hyper alert and the flash alert. Additionally, on July 8 of 2025, Microsoft released a Windows Server update CVE-2025-49716 that disables an API used by IBM Storage Scale and it required IBM to issue a hyper alert.

Note 1: IBM Storage Scale System numbering loosely follows the IBM Storage Scale numbering. The first digit is always incremented by one. The second and third digits are exactly the same as IBM Storage Scale. The last digit is different and reflects the fix pack level.

Note 2: When considering an upgrade of either IBM Storage Scale Container or IBM Storage Scale Container Storage Interface, check the respective compatibility matrix tables to ensure compatibility with the installed OpenShift or Kubernetes versions.

Note 3: Support statements for each component within a CSI standalone or CNS deployment are as follows.

• IBM Storage Scale CNS is directly dependent upon the Kubernetes/OpenShift and IBM Storage Scale levels.
  • See table 1 on https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/scalecontainernative/6.0.1?topic=planning-software-requirements
• IBM Storage Scale CSI driver/operator is directly dependent upon the Kubernetes/OpenShift and IBM Storage Scale/CNS levels.
  • See table 1 on https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/scalecsi/3.0.x?topic=planning-hardware-software-requirements
• Red Hat's support policy for OpenShift reflects continued support and fixes.
• Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.x tested integrations list.
• Kubernetes version skew support policy reflects continued support and fixes for the latest 3 releases of Kubernetes.
• IBM Storage Scale will continue to support both the CSI and CNSA previous versions as long as their dependent Kubernetes or Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform levels have not reached end of support, and so long as the dependent IBM Storage Scale levels have not reached end of support.
• If you open a support a ticket for out of support levels, be aware that a recreate against a currently supported level may be requested.

Note 4: Neither fixes nor root cause analysis will be provided for code level below minimum level.

IBM Storage Scale release philosophy

At any given time, IBM Storage Scale normally maintains two release streams, the latest release stream and the EUS release stream.

The latest release stream is where new features and functions are introduced in the IBM Storage Scale product. Additionally, this release stream will include all fixes that have been completed to address functional, performance, or security problems reported for IBM Storage Scale. Generally, one or two updates (PTFs) are provided for the latest release stream before a new latest release stream is released. The intent of the latest release stream is to get new features and functions into the product. Tthe intended users for the latest release stream are customers who either need the new feature or function, or are willing to do release upgrades often (usually once a year.

The EUS release stream receives regular updates (PTFs), over an extended period of time, nominally 18 months. The updates (PTFs) for the EUS stream are released every 7-10 weeks and include functional and security fixes and may include performance fixes. The EUS stream is intended for customers that prioritize release stability over the integration of new features and functions. Customers are expected to apply updates (PTFs) regularly, minimally once a year, to stay current with fixes made to the release stream.

Generally, EUS releases are planned to overlap by three to six months to support managed migration.

Note that, while it is IBM’s goal to incorporate all fixes, including security fixes, into an EUS release, it may not always be feasible to do so. There may be some fixes or updates that require the latest IBM Storage Scale code base for delivery because they are too large or pervasive to be retrofitted safely, without posing an unacceptable stability risk. In such instances, customers may need to update to a new release or modification level to obtain the corresponding fix or update.

Details regarding the actual lifecycle of IBM Storage Scale releases can be found on the Product lifecycle page by entering “Storage Scale” in the search field.

The IBM Storage Scale CNS and IBM Storage Scale CSI products are based upon very dynamic and fast-moving community projects and therefore do not adhere to the general EUS approach described above.

IBM's statements regarding its plans, directions, and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at IBM's sole discretion.

Release nomenclature at IBM

IBM identifies software using a four-digit string formatted as: V.R.M.F.

• V = Version number (“5.0.0.0”)
  • Indicates a separate IBM licensed program that usually has significant new code or new function.
  • Typically has new part numbers.
  • Typically, major feature changes.
  • Can include updates on opearting system currency.
• R = Release number (“5.1.0.0”)
  • Feature changes.
  • Can include updates on opearting system currency.
• M = Modification level (“5.1.4.0”)
  • Can include new functionality
  • Can include updates on opearting system currency.
• F = Fix pack, commonly known as PTF (“5.1.4.1”)
  • Security and functional fixes.
  • No new functionality.
  • Can include updates on opearting system currency.

Summary of the intended release cadence for IBM Storage Scale

• New version release (V.R.) every three years or more.
• New modification (M) level approximately every 3-6 months.
• Extended Update Support (EUS) release approximately every 18 months:
  • Approximately every sixth modification (M) level comes with EUS.
  • Subsequent EUS releases are planned to overlap by three to six months to support managed migration.
• Customers can regularly apply updates to their IBM Storage Scale systems:
  • By applying PTFs released for the EUS stream.
  • By moving to each successive modification (M) level.
• The IBM Storage Scale CNS and IBM Storage Scale CSI products are based upon very dynamic and fast-moving community projects and therefore do not adhere to the general EUS approach.
• IBM's statements regarding its plans, directions, and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at IBM's sole discretion.