IBM XIV Storage System Architecture and Implementation

IBM XIV Storage System Architecture and Implementation

by Bertrand Dufrasne, Dietmar Dausner, Roger Eriksson, Roman Fridli, Itzhack Goldberg, Markus Oscheka, Stephen Solewin
Released December 2013
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: 9780738439099

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Book description

This IBM® Redbooks® publication describes the concepts, architecture, and implementation of the IBM XIV® Storage System.

The XIV Storage System is a scalable enterprise storage system that is based on a grid array of hardware components. It can attach to both Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) and IP network Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) capable hosts. This system is a good fit for clients who want to be able to grow capacity without managing multiple tiers of storage. The XIV Storage System is suited for mixed or random access workloads, including online transaction processing, video streamings, images, email, and emerging workload areas, such as Web 2.0 and storage cloud.

The focus of this edition is on the XIV Gen3 hardware Release 3.4, running Version 11.4 of the XIV system software. With this version, XIV Storage System offers 4 TB drives, and enhanced caching with optional 800 GB flash cache devices (solid-state drives (SSDs)) per module.

IBM XIV software Version 11.4, XIV Gen3 supports encryption for all capacity points. This version also scales XIV snapshot management out with the new Hyper-Scale Consistency, by coordinating concurrent snapshots of volumes that are spread across multiple XIV systems and belong to one application.

In the first few chapters of this book, we describe many of the unique and powerful concepts that form the basis of the XIV Storage System logical and physical architecture. We explain how the system is designed to eliminate direct dependencies between the hardware elements and the software that governs the system. In subsequent chapters, we explain the planning and preparation tasks that are required to deploy the system in your environment by using the intuitive, yet powerful XIV Storage Manager GUI or the XIV command-line interface (XCLI).

We describe the performance characteristics of the XIV Storage System and present options that are available for alerting and monitoring, including an enhanced secure remote support capability.

This book is intended for IT professionals who want an understanding of the XIV Storage System. It also targets readers who need detailed advice on how to configure and use the system.

Table of contents

  1. Front cover
  2. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  3. Preface
    1. Authors
    2. Now you can become a published author, too!
    3. Comments welcome
    4. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks publications
  4. Summary of changes
    1. December 2013, Eighth Edition
  5. Chapter 1. IBM XIV Gen3 Storage System overview
    1. 1.1 What’s new in release 11.4
    2. 1.2 Introduction
    3. 1.3 Total cost of ownership
    4. 1.4 XIV Gen3 Storage System models and components
    5. 1.5 XIV Gen3 key design features
      1. 1.5.1 Massive parallelism
      2. 1.5.2 Workload balancing
      3. 1.5.3 Self-healing
      4. 1.5.4 Fast drive rebuild
      5. 1.5.5 True virtualization
      6. 1.5.6 Flash caching (optional)
      7. 1.5.7 Thin provisioning
      8. 1.5.8 Processing power
      9. 1.5.9 SAN connectivity
      10. 1.5.10 Inter-generational mirroring
    6. 1.6 The XIV Storage System software
      1. 1.6.1 IBM XIV Storage Management tools
      2. 1.6.2 IBM XIV Storage Management GUI
      3. 1.6.3 IBM Hyper-Scale Manager GUI
      4. 1.6.4 XIV Storage Management online monitoring with XIV Top
      5. 1.6.5 XIV Storage Management XCLI
    7. 1.7 Host support
  6. Chapter 2. IBM XIV Storage System logical architecture and concepts
    1. 2.1 Architecture overview
      1. 2.1.1 Features
      2. 2.1.2 Hardware elements
    2. 2.2 Parallelism
      1. 2.2.1 Hardware parallelism and grid architecture
      2. 2.2.2 Software parallelism
    3. 2.3 Full storage virtualization
      1. 2.3.1 XIV Storage System virtualization design
      2. 2.3.2 Logical system concepts
      3. 2.3.3 System capacity
      4. 2.3.4 Storage pool concepts
    4. 2.4 Capacity allocation and thin provisioning
    5. 2.5 Flash caching architecture
      1. 2.5.1 Flash caching overview
      2. 2.5.2 Flash caching algorithm and concepts
    6. 2.6 Encryption for data at rest
    7. 2.7 Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS)
      1. 2.7.1 Resilient architecture
      2. 2.7.2 Preserving data redundancy: Rebuilding and redistributing
      3. 2.7.3 Exclusive additional functions for reliability and availability
  7. Chapter 3. IBM XIV architecture, components, and planning
    1. 3.1 IBM XIV Storage System Gen3
      1. 3.1.1 Fully populated configurations
      2. 3.1.2 Partially populated configurations
      3. 3.1.3 Capacity on Demand
      4. 3.1.4 XIV Storage System Model 114 and Model 214 hardware components
      5. 3.1.5 Rack
      6. 3.1.6 Power components
      7. 3.1.7 Data Modules and Interface Modules
      8. 3.1.8 Interface Modules
      9. 3.1.9 InfiniBand module interconnect
      10. 3.1.10 Patch panel
      11. 3.1.11 Hardware support
    2. 3.2 Hardware planning overview
      1. 3.2.1 Basic configuration planning
      2. 3.2.2 IPv6 addressing and planning
      3. 3.2.3 Management connectivity
      4. 3.2.4 IBM XIV Storage System physical installation
      5. 3.2.5 System power-on and power-off
  8. Chapter 4. IBM XIV Storage Management software
    1. 4.1 XIV Storage Management software introduction
      1. 4.1.1 XIV Storage Management software platforms
      2. 4.1.2 XIV Storage Management software interfaces
    2. 4.2 XIV Storage Management software installation
      1. 4.2.1 XIV Storage Management (GUI and XCLI) software upgrade
      2. 4.2.2 XIV Storage Management software installation steps for direct use
    3. 4.3 XIV Storage Management software usage
      1. 4.3.1 XIV Storage Management GUI used in direct mode
      2. 4.3.2 XIV Storage System Command-Line Interface
    4. 4.4 Storage pools
      1. 4.4.1 Function of storage pools
      2. 4.4.2 Managing storage pools with the XIV Storage Management GUI
      3. 4.4.3 Managing storage pools with XIV Command-Line Interface
    5. 4.5 Volumes
      1. 4.5.1 Managing volumes with the XIV Storage Management GUI
      2. 4.5.2 Managing volumes with XIV Command-Line Interface
    6. 4.6 Host definition and mapping
      1. 4.6.1 Assigning LUNs to a host using the XIV Storage Management GUI
      2. 4.6.2 Assigning logical unit numbers to a host by using the XCLI
    7. 4.7 Flash cache
      1. 4.7.1 Managing flash cache with the XIV Storage Management GUI
      2. 4.7.2 Managing flash cache with XIV Command Line Interface
  9. Chapter 5. Security
    1. 5.1 Physical access security
    2. 5.2 x509 certificate validation and management
      1. 5.2.1 Managing x509 certificates with the XIV Storage Management GUI
    3. 5.3 Configuring IPv6 addresses
      1. 5.3.1 Enabling IPv6 support
      2. 5.3.2 Configuring IPv6 addresses
    4. 5.4 Configuring Internet Protocol Security connectivity
    5. 5.5 Native user authentication
      1. 5.5.1 XIV Storage System local credential repository
      2. 5.5.2 Managing user accounts with the XIV Storage Management GUI
      3. 5.5.3 Security considerations when using Hyper-Scale Manager
      4. 5.5.4 Managing user accounts using the XCLI
      5. 5.5.5 Password management and resets
      6. 5.5.6 Managing multiple systems
    6. 5.6 LDAP-based authentication
      1. 5.6.1 Introduction to Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
      2. 5.6.2 LDAP directory components
      3. 5.6.3 LDAP product selection
      4. 5.6.4 LDAP role mapping
    7. 5.7 Defining LDAP on the XIV Storage System
      1. 5.7.1 Using the XIV Storage Management GUI LDAP wizard to configure LDAP
      2. 5.7.2 Using the XIV Storage Management GUI directly to configure LDAP
      3. 5.7.3 Using XIV Storage System Command-Line Interface
    8. 5.8 LDAP-managed user authentication
      1. 5.8.1 LDAP repository credential objects
      2. 5.8.2 Managing LDAP user accounts
      3. 5.8.3 Managing user groups using XCLI in LDAP authentication mode
      4. 5.8.4 Active Directory group membership and XIV role mapping
      5. 5.8.5 OpenLDAP Directory and XIV Storage System role mapping
      6. 5.8.6 Managing multiple systems in LDAP authentication mode
    9. 5.9 Securing LDAP communication with Secure Sockets Layer
      1. 5.9.1 Configuring XIV to use LDAP over Secure Sockets Layer
      2. 5.9.2 Maintaining the SSL certificate
  10. Chapter 6. Performance
    1. 6.1 XIV Storage System software and hardware architecture
      1. 6.1.1 Workload distribution and load balancing
      2. 6.1.2 Grid architecture
      3. 6.1.3 Caching mechanisms
      4. 6.1.4 Data redistribution effects on host systems
      5. 6.1.5 Snapshots
    2. 6.2 Best practices for optimum performance
      1. 6.2.1 Sizing
      2. 6.2.2 Number of logical unit numbers
      3. 6.2.3 Multipathing considerations
      4. 6.2.4 Host considerations
      5. 6.2.5 Quality of service
    3. 6.3 Performance monitoring
      1. 6.3.1 Using the XIV Storage Management GUI
      2. 6.3.2 Using XIV Top
      3. 6.3.3 Using the XIV Storage System Command-Line Interface
      4. 6.3.4 Tivoli Storage Productivity Center
    4. 6.4 Performance evaluation
      1. 6.4.1 Problem solving steps
      2. 6.4.2 Performance analysis
  11. Chapter 7. Monitoring
    1. 7.1 Monitoring with XIV Storage Management GUI and XCLI
      1. 7.1.1 Monitoring by using the Systems menu
      2. 7.1.2 Monitoring alerts for all defined IBM XIV systems with the GUI
      3. 7.1.3 Monitoring an individual XIV Storage System using the GUI
      4. 7.1.4 Monitoring with XIV Storage System Command-Line Interface
      5. 7.1.5 XIV audit event logging
      6. 7.1.6 Viewing events in the XIV Storage Management GUI
      7. 7.1.7 Event attributes
      8. 7.1.8 Viewing events using the XCLI
      9. 7.1.9 Defining notification rules
      10. 7.1.10 Monitoring using the IBM XIV Mobile Dashboard
      11. 7.1.11 Mobile Dashboard for the Apple iPhone
      12. 7.1.12 Mobile Dashboard for Android
    2. 7.2 XIV Storage System event notification
      1. 7.2.1 Configuring the XIV Storage System to send notifications
      2. 7.2.2 Setting up event notification
    3. 7.3 Call home and remote support
      1. 7.3.1 Call home feature
      2. 7.3.2 Remote support
      3. 7.3.3 XIV Remote Support Proxy
      4. 7.3.4 Installation
    4. 7.4 Simple Network Management Protocol-based monitoring
      1. 7.4.1 Monitoring tools
      2. 7.4.2 Using SNMP commands to confirm the XIV Storage System status
      3. 7.4.3 Using SNMP get or walk commands with open source software
    5. 7.5 Using IBM Director
      1. 7.5.1 Compiling the Management Information Base file
      2. 7.5.2 Discovering the XIV Storage System
      3. 7.5.3 General System Attributes window
      4. 7.5.4 Event log
      5. 7.5.5 Event actions
    6. 7.6 Using Tivoli Storage Productivity Center
      1. 7.6.1 Setting up and discovering XIV systems in Tivoli Storage Productivity Center V4.2 or later
      2. 7.6.2 XIV Storage System Tivoli Storage Productivity Center reports
    7. 7.7 Tivoli Storage Productivity Center web-based GUI
    8. 7.8 Custom monitoring
      1. 7.8.1 Custom monitoring of a volume
      2. 7.8.2 Custom monitoring of performance attributes
      3. 7.8.3 Conclusion
    9. 7.9 Microsoft System Center Operations Manager
      1. 7.9.1 Prerequisites
      2. 7.9.2 Installing SCOM and the IBM Storage Management Pack
      3. 7.9.3 Importing the management packs
      4. 7.9.4 Configuring the SCOM Management Pack
      5. 7.9.5 Monitoring your XIV Storage System with SCOM
      6. 7.9.6 Upgrading the IBM Storage Management Pack
    10. 7.10 XIV Host Attachment Kit and Host Profiler information
      1. 7.10.1 XIV Host Attachment Kit overview
      2. 7.10.2 XIV Host Profiler
  12. Appendix A. Thin provisioning conceptual examples
    1. System-level thin provisioning conceptual example
    2. Regular storage pool conceptual example
    3. Thinly provisioned storage pool conceptual example
  13. Appendix B. Additional LDAP information
    1. Creating user accounts in Microsoft Active Directory
    2. Creating user accounts in Sun Java Directory
    3. Securing LDAP communication with SSL
    4. Certificate authority setup
  14. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks publications
    2. Other publications
    3. Online resources
    4. How to get IBM Redbooks publications
    5. Help from IBM
  15. Back cover

Product information

  • Title: IBM XIV Storage System Architecture and Implementation
  • Author(s): Bertrand Dufrasne, Dietmar Dausner, Roger Eriksson, Roman Fridli, Itzhack Goldberg, Markus Oscheka, Stephen Solewin
  • Release date: December 2013
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: 9780738439099