This IBM® Redbooks® publication details the configuration and best practices for using the IBM FlashSystem® family of storage products within a VMware environment. The first version of this book was published in 2021 and specifically addressed IBM Spectrum® Virtualize Version 8.4 with VMware vSphere 7.0. This second version of this book includes all the enhancements that are available with IBM Spectrum Virtualize 8.5. Topics illustrate planning, configuring, operations, and preferred practices that include integration of IBM FlashSystem storage systems with the VMware vCloud suite of applications: VMware vSphere Web Client (vWC) vSphere Storage APIs - Storage Awareness (VASA) vSphere Storage APIs – Array Integration (VAAI) VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) VMware vSphere Metro Storage Cluster (vMSC) Embedded VASA Provider for VMware vSphere Virtual Volumes (vVols) This book is intended for presales consulting engineers, sales engineers, and IBM clients who want to deploy IBM FlashSystem storage systems in virtualized data centers that are based on VMware vSphere. Note: There is a newer version of this book: "IBM Storage Virtualize and VMware: Integrations, Implementation and Best Practices, SG24-8549". This book addresses IBM Storage Virtualize Version 8.6 with VMware vSphere 8. The new IBM Storage plugin for vSphere is covered in this book.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication describes several of the preferred practices and describes the performance gains that can be achieved by implementing the IBM SAN Volume Controller powered by IBM Spectrum® Virtualize V8.4. These practices are based on field experience. This book highlights configuration guidelines and preferred practices for the storage area network (SAN) topology, clustered system, back-end storage, storage pools, and managed disks, volumes, Remote Copy services, and hosts. Then, it provides performance guidelines for IBM SAN Volume Controller, back-end storage, and applications. It explains how you can optimize disk performance with the IBM System Storage Easy Tier® function. It also provides preferred practices for monitoring, maintaining, and troubleshooting IBM SAN Volume Controller. This book is intended for experienced storage, SAN, and IBM SAN Volume Controller administrators and technicians. Understanding this book requires advanced knowledge of the IBM SAN Volume Controller, IBM FlashSystem, and SAN environments.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication captures several of the preferred practices and describes the performance gains that can be achieved by implementing the IBM FlashSystem products. These practices are based on field experience. This book highlights configuration guidelines and preferred practices for the storage area network (SAN) topology, clustered system, back-end storage, storage pools and managed disks, volumes, remote copy services, and hosts. It explains how you can optimize disk performance with the IBM System Storage® Easy Tier® function. It also provides preferred practices for monitoring, maintaining, and troubleshooting. This book is intended for experienced storage, SAN, IBM FlashSystem, SAN Volume Controller (SVC), and IBM Storwize® administrators and technicians. Understanding this book requires advanced knowledge of these environments.

Continuing its commitment to developing and delivering industry-leading storage technologies, IBM® introduces the IBM FlashSystem® solution that is powered by IBM Spectrum® Virtualize V8.4. This innovative storage offering delivers essential storage efficiency technologies and exceptional ease of use and performance, all integrated into a compact, modular design that is offered at a competitive, midrange price. The solution incorporates some of the top IBM technologies that are typically found only in enterprise-class storage systems, which raises the standard for storage efficiency in midrange disk systems. This cutting-edge storage system extends the comprehensive storage portfolio from IBM and can help change the way organizations address the ongoing information explosion. This IBM Redbooks® publication introduces the features and functions of an IBM Spectrum Virtualize V8.4 system through several examples. This book is aimed at pre-sales and post-sales technical support and marketing and storage administrators. It helps you understand the architecture, how to implement it, and how to take advantage of its industry-leading functions and features.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication details the configuration and best practices for using IBM's FlashSystem family of storage products within a VMware environment. This book was published in 2021 and specifically addresses Spectrum Virtualize Version 8.4 with VMware vSphere Version 7.0. Topics illustrate planning, configuring, operations, and preferred practices that include integration of FlashSystem storage systems with the VMware vCloud suite of applications: - vSphere Web Client (VWC) - vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) - vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI) - Site Recovery Manager (SRM) - vSphere Metro Storage Cluster (vMSC) This book is intended for presales consulting engineers, sales engineers, and IBM clients who want to deploy IBM FlashSystem® storage systems in virtualized data centers that are based on VMware vSphere.

IBM® Spectrum Virtualize is a key member of the IBM Spectrum™ Storage portfolio. It is a highly flexible storage solution that enables rapid deployment of block storage services for new and traditional workloads, on-premises, off-premises and in a combination of both. IBM Spectrum Virtualize™ for Public Cloud provides the IBM Spectrum Virtualize functionality in IBM Cloud™. This new capability provides a monthly license to deploy and use Spectrum Virtualize in IBM Cloud to enable hybrid cloud solutions, offering the ability to transfer data between on-premises private clouds or data centers and the public cloud. This IBM Redpaper™ publication gives a broad understanding of IBM Spectrum Virtualize for Public Cloud architecture and provides planning and implementation details of the common use cases for this product. This publication helps storage and networking administrators plan and implement install, tailor, and configure IBM Spectrum Virtualize for Public Cloud offering. It also provides a detailed description of troubleshooting tips. IBM Spectrum Virtualize is also available on AWS. For more information, see Implementation guide for IBM Spectrum Virtualize for Public Cloud on AWS, REDP-5534.

In this paper, we outline some IBM® Spectrum Virtualize HyperSwap® SAN implementation and design best practices for optimum resiliency of the SAN Volume Controller cluster. It provides IBM Spectrum® Virtualize HyperSwap and Stretched Cluster configuration details. Note: In this book, for brevity, we use HyperSwap to refer to both HyperSwap and Stretched Cluster. The documentation there details the minimum requirements. However, it does not describe the design of the storage area network (SAN) in detail, nor does it describe the recommended way to implement those requirements on a SAN. In this IBM Redpaper publication, we outline some of the best practices for SAN design and implementation that leads to optimum resiliency of the SAN Volume Controller (SVC) cluster, and we explain why each recommendation is made. This paper is SAN vendor-neutral wherever possible. Any mention of a specific SAN switch vendor, or terms used by a specific switch vendor, is made only where relevant to a specific context, and does not imply an endorsement of a specific switch vendor. Note: Some of the figures in this document might not depict redundant fabrics or storage configurations. This was done for simplicity, and it should be assumed that any recommendations made for fabric design assume that there are two redundant fabrics.

VersaStack, an IBM® and Cisco integrated infrastructure solution, combines computing, networking, and storage into a single integrated system. It combines the Cisco Unified Computing System (Cisco UCS) Integrated Infrastructure with IBM Spectrum Virtualize™, which includes IBM FlashSystem® storage offerings, for quick deployment and rapid time to value for the implementation of modern infrastructures. This IBM Redbooks® publication covers the preferred practices for implementing a VersaStack Solution with IBM FlashSystem 5030, Cisco UCS Mini, Hyper-V 2016, and Microsoft SQL Server. Cisco UCS Mini is optimized for branch and remote offices, point-of-sale locations, and smaller IT environments. It is the ideal solution for customers who need fewer servers but still want the comprehensive management capabilities provided by Cisco UCS Manager. The IBM FlashSystem 5030 delivers efficient, entry-level configurations that are designed to meet the needs of small and midsize businesses. Designed to provide organizations with the ability to consolidate and share data at an affordable price, the IBM FlashSystem 5030 offers advanced software capabilities such as clustering, IBM Easy Tier®, replication and snapshots that are found in more expensive systems. This book is intended for pre-sales and post-sales technical support professionals and storage administrators who are tasked with deploying a VersaStack solution with Hyper-V 2016 and Microsoft SQL Server.

The IBM HyperSwap® high availability (HA) function allows business continuity in a hardware failure, power failure, connectivity failure, or disasters, such as fire or flooding. It is available on the IBM SAN Volume Controller and IBM FlashSystem products. This IBM Redbooks publication covers the preferred practices for implementing Cisco VersaStack with IBM HyperSwap. The following are some of the topics covered in this book: Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure to showcase Cisco's ACI with Nexus 9Ks Cisco Fabric Interconnects and Unified Computing System (UCS) management capabilities Cisco Multilayer Director Switch (MDS) to showcase fabric channel connectivity Overall IBM HyperSwap solution architecture Differences between HyperSwap and Metro Mirroring, Volume Mirroring, and Stretch Cluster Multisite IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC) deployment to showcase HyperSwap configuration and capabilities This book is intended for pre-sales and post-sales technical support professionals and storage administrators who are tasked with deploying a VersaStack solution with IBM HyperSwap.