IBM DS6000 Series Storage capacity, DS management console, IBM TotalStorage DS Storage Manager

DS6000 expansion enclosure (Model 1750-EX1)

The size and the front look of the DS6000 expansion enclosure (1750-EX1) is the same as the DS6800 controller enclosure. In the front you can have up to 16 disk drives.

Aside from the drives, the DS6000 expansion enclosure contains two Fibre Channel switches to connect to the drives and two power supplies with integrated fans.

Up to 7 DS6000 expansion enclosures can be added to a DS6800 controller enclosure. The DS6800 supports two dual redundant switched loops. The first loop is for the DS6800 and up to three (3) DS6000 expansion enclosures. The second switched loop is for up to four (4) expansion enclosures. For connections to the previous and next enclosure, four inbound and four outbound 2 Gbps Fibre Channel ports are available.

1.2.2 Storage capacity

The DS6000 series offers outstanding scalability with physical capacities ranging from

584 GB up to 38.4 TB, while maintaining excellent performance. Physical capacity for the DS6800 and DS6000 expansion enclosure is purchased via disk drive sets. A disk drive set contains four identical disk drives (same capacity and revolutions per minute (RPM)). Currently, a minimum of eight drives (two disk drive sets) are required for the DS6800. You can increase the capacity of your DS6000 by adding one or more disk drive sets to the DS6800 or DS6000 expansion enclosure. Within the controller model DS6800, you can install up to four disk drive sets (16 disk drive modules (DDMs)). Up to 7 DS6000 expansion enclosures can be added non-disruptively, on demand, as your storage needs grow.

According to your performance needs you can select from four different disk drive types: fast 73 GB and 146 GB drives rotating at 15,000 RPM, good performing and cost efficient 146 GB drives operating at 10,000 RPM, and high capacity 300 GB drives running at 10,000 RPM.

The minimum storage capability with eight 73 GB DDMs is 584 GB. The maximum storage capability with 16 300 GB DDMs for the DS6800 controller enclosure is 4.8 TB. If you want to connect more than 16 disks, you can use the optional DS6000 expansion enclosures that allow a maximum of 128 DDMs per storage system and provide a maximum storage capability of 38.4 TB.

Every four or eight drives form a RAID array and you can choose between RAID-5 and RAID-10. The configuration process enforces that at least two spare drives are defined on each loop. In case of a disk drive failure or even when the DS6000’s predictive failure analysis comes to the conclusion that a disk drive might fail soon, the data of the failing disk is reconstructed on the spare disk. More spare drives might be assigned if you have drives of mixed capacity and speed. The mix of different capacities and speeds will not be available at general availability, but at a later time.

1.2.3 DS management console

The DS management console consists of the DS Storage Manager software, shipped with every DS6000 series system, and a computer system on which the software can run. The DS6000 management console running the DS Storage Manager software is used to configure and manage DS6000 series systems. The software runs on a Windows or Linux system that the client can provide.

IBM TotalStorage DS Storage Manager

The DS Storage Manager is a Web-based graphical user interface (GUI) that is used to perform logical configurations and Copy Services management functions. It can be accessed

8DS6000 Series: Concepts and Architecture