Front cover

IBM Storage DS8A00

Architecture and
Implementation Guide
Vasfi Gucer Robert Tondini
Sherry Brunson
Nino de Carvalho
Jeffery Cook
Michael Frankenberg
Carsten Haag
Peter Kimmel
Radoslav Neshev
Connie Riggins
Mike Stenson

Redbooks
IBM Redbooks

IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation

Guide

December 2024

SG24-8559-00
 Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on
page xi.

First Edition (December 2024)

This edition applies to DS8000 G10 systems with Licensed Machine Code (LMC) 7.10.0 (bundle version
10.0.xxx.x), referred to as Release 10.0.

© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2024. All rights reserved.

Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule
Contract with IBM Corp.
Contents

Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Now you can become a published author, too! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Comments welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Stay connected to IBM Redbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.1 Introduction to the DS8A00 system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 DS8A00 controller options and frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.3 DS8A00 architecture and functions overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3.1 Overall architecture and components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3.2 Storage capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.3.3 Supported environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.3.4 Configuration flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.3.5 Copy Services functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.3.6 Service and setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.3.7 IBM-Certified Secure Data Overwrite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.4 Performance features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.4.1 Three-layer architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.4.2 3.5 TB cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.4.3 32 Gbps host adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.4.4 Sophisticated caching algorithms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.4.5 Flash storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.4.6 Performance for IBM Z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1.4.7 Performance enhancements for IBM Power servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

2.1 Flash drive terminology of the DS8A00. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
2.1.1 Storage system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
2.1.2 Hardware Management Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
2.1.3 Central processor complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2.2 DS8A00 configurations and models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.2.1 DS8A50 configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.2.2 DS8A10 Rack configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
2.2.3 DS8A00 base frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
2.2.4 DS8A00 expansion frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
2.2.5 Scalable upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
2.2.6 Licensed functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
2.3 DS8A00 architecture overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
2.3.1 IBM Power9 processor-based CPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
2.3.2 Processor memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
2.3.3 Flexible service processor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
2.3.4 Ethernet connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
2.3.5 Peripheral Component Interconnect Express adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
2.4 I/O enclosures and adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
2.4.1 Cross-cluster communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. iii

 2.4.2 I/O enclosure adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
2.5 Flash drive enclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
2.6 Power and cooling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
2.6.1 Intelligent Power Distribution Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
2.6.2 Power domains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2.6.3 Backup Power Modules and NVDIMM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2.6.4 Power cord options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
2.6.5 Enclosure power supply units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
2.7 Hardware Management Console and network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

3.1 Virtualization definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
3.2 Benefits of virtualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
3.3 Abstraction layers for drive virtualization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
3.3.1 Array sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
3.3.2 Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
3.3.3 Ranks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
3.4 Extent pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
3.4.1 Dynamic extent pool merge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
3.4.2 Logical volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
3.4.3 Allocation, deletion, and modification of LUNs and CKD volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
3.4.4 Volume allocation and metadata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
3.4.5 Logical subsystems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
3.4.6 Volume access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
3.4.7 Virtualization hierarchy summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
3.5 Terminology for IBM Storage products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

4.1 DS8A00 processor complex features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
4.1.1 Power9 PowerVM Hypervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
4.1.2 Power9 processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
4.1.3 Cross-cluster communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
4.1.4 Environmental monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
4.1.5 Resource deconfiguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
4.2 CPC failover and failback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
4.2.1 Dual cluster operation and data protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
4.2.2 Failover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
4.2.3 Failback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
4.2.4 NVS and power outages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
4.3 Data flow in the DS8A00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
4.3.1 I/O enclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
4.3.2 Host connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
4.3.3 Metadata checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
4.4 RAS on the Hardware Management Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
4.4.1 Licensed Internal Code updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
4.4.2 Call Home and remote support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
4.5 RAS on the storage system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
4.5.1 RAID configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
4.5.2 Drive path redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
4.5.3 Flash RAID controller redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
4.5.4 Predictive failure analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
4.5.5 Disk scrubbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
4.5.6 RAID support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

iv IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 4.5.7 RAID 6 overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
4.5.8 RAID 10 overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
4.5.9 Smart Rebuild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
4.5.10 Spare creation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
4.6 RAS on the power subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
4.6.1 Power components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
4.6.2 Line power loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
4.6.3 Line power fluctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
4.6.4 Power control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
4.7 Other features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
4.7.1 Internal network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
4.7.2 Earthquake resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
4.7.3 IBM Certified Secure Data Overwrite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

5.1 Considerations before the installation: Planning for growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
5.1.1 Client responsibilities for the installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
5.1.2 Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
5.1.3 Required information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
5.2 Planning for the physical installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
5.2.1 Delivery and staging area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
5.2.2 Floor type and loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
5.2.3 Overhead cabling features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
5.2.4 Room space and service clearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
5.2.5 Power requirements and operating environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
5.2.6 Host interface and cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
5.2.7 Host adapter Fibre Channel specifics for open environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
5.2.8 FICON specifics on a z/OS environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
5.2.9 Best practices for host adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
5.2.10 Worldwide node name and worldwide port name determination . . . . . . . . . . . 150
5.3 Network connectivity planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
5.3.1 Hardware Management Console and network access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
5.3.2 IBM Spectrum Control and IBM Storage Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
5.3.3 DS Command-Line Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
5.3.4 Remote support connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
5.3.5 Storage area network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
5.3.6 Key manager servers for encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
5.3.7 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5.4 Remote Mirror and Remote Copy connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5.5 Disk capacity considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5.5.1 Disk sparing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
5.5.2 Disk capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
5.6 z/OS maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

6.1 DS8A00 Management Console overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
6.1.1 Management Console hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
6.1.2 Private and Management Ethernet networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
6.2 Management Console software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
6.2.1 DS Storage Management GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
6.2.2 Data Storage Command-Line Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
6.2.3 RESTful application programming interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
6.2.4 IBM Copy Services Manager interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Contents v
 6.2.5 Updating the embedded IBM Copy Services Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
6.3 Web User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
6.3.1 Logging in to the HMC WUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
6.3.2 IBM ESSNI server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
6.4 Management Console activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
6.4.1 Management Console planning tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
6.4.2 Planning for Licensed Internal Code upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
6.4.3 Time synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
6.4.4 Monitoring DS8A00 with the Management Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
6.4.5 Event notification through syslog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
6.4.6 Call Home and remote support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
6.5 Management Console network settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
6.5.1 Configuring the Management Console Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
6.5.2 Private networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
6.6 User management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
6.6.1 Password policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
6.6.2 Remote authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
6.6.3 Service Management Console User Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
6.6.4 Service Management Console LDAP authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
6.6.5 Multifactor authentication (MFA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
6.7 Secondary Management Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
6.7.1 Management Console redundancy benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

7.1 DS8000 licensed functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
7.1.1 General introduction to licensing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
7.1.2 Licensing cost structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
7.2 Activating licensed functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
7.2.1 Obtaining DS8000 machine information and activating license keys . . . . . . . . . 197
7.2.2 Obtaining the activation codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
7.2.3 Applying activation codes by using the DS CLI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
7.3 Licensed scope considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
7.4 Expert Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Chapter 8. DS8000 G10 configuration flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

8.1 Configuration worksheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
8.2 User and role management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
8.3 Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
8.4 Network security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
8.5 Configuration flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
8.6 General storage configuration guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

9.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
9.2 DS GUI: Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
9.2.1 Accessing the DS GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
9.2.2 System Setup wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
9.2.3 Configuring Fibre Channel port protocols and topologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
9.3 Managing and monitoring the storage system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
9.3.1 Overview of DS GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
9.3.2 Storage Management help functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
9.4 System configuration overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
9.4.1 Network settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
9.4.2 Security settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

vi IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

9.5 System settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
9.5.1 Notifications settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
9.5.2 Support settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
9.6 Logical configuration overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
9.7 Logical configuration for open systems volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
9.7.1 Configuration flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
9.7.2 Creating FB pools for open systems hosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
9.7.3 Creating FB volumes for open systems hosts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
9.7.4 Creating FB host attachments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
9.7.5 Assigning FB volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
9.8 Logical configuration for Count Key Data volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
9.8.1 Configuration flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
9.8.2 Creating CKD storage pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
9.8.3 Creating CKD logical subsystems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
9.8.4 Creating CKD volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
9.8.5 Creating CKD parallel access volumes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
9.8.6 Setting the FC port protocols for IBM Z attachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
9.9 Expanding volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
9.10 Deleting a pool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
9.11 Deleting volumes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
9.12 Reinitializing a thin-provisioned volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
9.13 Easy Tier support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
9.14 Monitoring system health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
9.14.1 Hardware components: Status and attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
9.14.2 Viewing components health and state from the system views . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
9.14.3 Monitoring system events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
9.14.4 Exporting system-wide information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
9.14.5 Audit logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
9.15 Performance monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
9.15.1 Performance statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
9.15.2 Working with customized performance graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
9.16 Fibre Channel error rate statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
9.17 Providing feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface . . . . . . . . . 319

10.1 DS CLI overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
10.1.1 Supported operating systems for the DS CLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
10.1.2 Installation hints and tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
10.1.3 Installing the DS CLI on a Windows 10 or 11 system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
10.1.4 Installing the DS CLI on an z/OS system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
10.1.5 DS CLI version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
10.1.6 User accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
10.1.7 User management by using the DS CLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
10.1.8 DS CLI profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
10.1.9 Configuring the DS CLI to use the second HMC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
10.1.10 Command structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
10.1.11 Using the DS CLI application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
10.1.12 Return codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
10.1.13 User assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
10.2 I/O port configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
10.3 DS8A00 storage configuration for Fixed-Block volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
10.3.1 Disk classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
10.3.2 Creating the arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

Contents vii
 10.3.3 Creating the ranks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
10.3.4 Creating the extent pools and assigning ranks to the extent pools. . . . . . . . . . 341
10.3.5 Creating the FB volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
10.3.6 Creating the volume groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
10.3.7 Creating host connections and clusters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
10.3.8 Mapping open system host disks to storage unit volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
10.4 DS8A00 storage configuration for the CKD volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
10.4.1 Disk classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
10.4.2 Creating the arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
10.4.3 Creating the ranks and extent pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
10.4.4 Creating the extent pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
10.4.5 Logical control unit creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
10.4.6 Creating the CKD volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
10.4.7 Resource groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
10.4.8 IBM Easy Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
10.5 Metrics with DS CLI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
10.5.1 Overview of metrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
10.5.2 Offloading performance data and other parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
10.6 Private network security commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
10.7 Copy Services commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
10.8 Earlier DS CLI commands and scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
10.9 For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

11.1 How new Licensed Internal Code is released . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
11.2 Bundle installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
11.2.1 Remote Code Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
11.2.2 Customer Code Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
11.3 Code updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
11.4 Host adapter firmware updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
11.4.1 Light-on fastload firmware update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
11.4.2 Remote Mirror and Remote Copy path considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
11.4.3 Control-unit initiated reconfiguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
11.5 Loading the code bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
11.6 Postinstallation activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
11.7 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

12.1 SNMP implementation on the DS8A00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
12.1.1 Message Information Base file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
12.1.2 Predefined SNMP trap requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
12.2 SNMP notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
12.2.1 Serviceable event that uses specific trap 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
12.2.2 Copy Services event traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
12.2.3 Thin-provisioning SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
12.2.4 Compression SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
12.3 SNMP configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
12.3.1 SNMP preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
12.3.2 SNMP configuration with the HMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
12.3.3 SNMP configuration with the DS CLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
12.4 Introducing remote support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
12.5 IBM policies for remote support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
12.6 Remote support advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418

viii IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

12.7 Remote support and Call Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
12.7.1 Call Home and heartbeat: Outbound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
12.7.2 Data offload: Outbound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
12.7.3 Outbound connection types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
12.8 Remote Support Access (inbound) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
12.8.1 Assist On-site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
12.8.2 DS8A00-embedded AOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
12.8.3 IBM Remote Support Center for DS8A00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
12.8.4 Support access management through the DS CLI and DS GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
12.9 Call Home and Assist On-Site customer-provided certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
12.10 Audit logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
12.11 Using IBM Storage Insights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
12.11.1 IBM Storage Insights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
12.11.2 Getting started with IBM Storage Insights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429
12.11.3 Case interaction with IBM Storage Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
12.11.4 IBM Storage Insights: Alert Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
12.12 IBM Call Home Connect Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439

Abbreviations and acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441

Related publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445

IBM Redbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Other publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Online resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Help from IBM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447

Contents ix
x IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
Notices

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© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. xi

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xii IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Preface

This IBM® Redbooks® publication describes the concepts, architecture, and implementation
of the IBM DS8A00 family. The book provides reference information to assist readers who
need to plan for, install, and configure the IBM DS8000® G10 systems. This edition applies to
DS8000 G10 systems with Licensed Machine Code (LMC) 7.10.0 (bundle version 10.0.xxx.x),
referred to as Release 10.0.

The DS8000 G10 systems are all-flash exclusively, and currently two models and classes are
offered:
򐂰 IBM DS8A50: Agility Class
The Agility Class consolidates all your mission-critical workloads for IBM Z®,
IBM LinuxONE, IBM Power Systems, and distributed environments under a single all-flash
storage solution.
򐂰 IBM DS8A10: Flexibility Class
The Flexibility Class reduces complexity and addresses various workloads at the lowest
DS8000 family entry cost.

The DS8A00 architecture relies on powerful IBM Power9+ processor-based servers that
manage the cache to streamline disk input/output (I/O), which maximizes performance and
throughput. These capabilities are further enhanced by High-Performance Flash Enclosures
(HPFE) Gen-3.

Like its predecessors, the DS8A00 models support advanced disaster recovery (DR)
solutions, business continuity solutions, and thin provisioning. In addition to several
performance enhancements, they offer compression.

The predecessor DS8900F models are described in IBM Storage DS8900F Architecture and
Implementation, SG24-8456, and IBM DS8910F Model 993 Rack-Mounted Storage System,
REDP-5566.

Authors
This book was produced by a team of specialists from around the world.

Vasfi Gucer leads projects for the IBM Redbooks® team, leveraging his 20+ years of
experience in systems management, networking, and software. A prolific writer and global
IBM instructor, his focus has shifted to storage and cloud computing in the past eight years.
Vasfi holds multiple certifications, including IBM Certified Senior IT Specialist, PMP, ITIL V2
Manager, and ITIL V3 Expert.

Sherry Brunson joined IBM in March of 1985 and worked as a large system IBM service
representative before becoming a Top Gun in 1990. Sherry is a Top Gun in the Eastern US for
all storage products, Power systems, and IBM Z Systems. She has supported and
implemented DS8000 and Scaled out Network Appliance storage products globally as well as
developing and teaching educational classes. She has also taught Z System classes in the
United States.

Nielson “Nino” de Carvalho is a Level 2 certified IT specialist in IBM Switzerland with over a
decade of experience in IBM Mainframe computing. He specializes in IBM Z, LinuxONE,

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. xiii

 IBM z/OS®, z/VM®, GDPS®, DS8000, TS7700, and SAN solutions. Nino has extensive
technical experience serving IBM® clients across various sectors globally.

Jeff Cook is a DS8000 Subject Matter Expert (SME), and leads the Tucson, Arizona DS8000
Product Engineering team. He has been with IBM for 45 years, providing implementation and
technical support to customers and service representatives in complex enterprise
environments. For the past 26 years, he has specialized in IBM direct access storage device
products, specifically the DS8000 and former enterprise storage systems.

Michael Frankenberg is a Certified IT Specialist in Germany and joined IBM in 1995. With
more than twenty-five years of experience in high-end storage he works in Technical Sales
Support for EMEA. His area of expertise includes performance analysis, establishing high
availability and disaster recovery solutions and implementation of storage systems. He
supports the introduction of new products and provides advice for business partners,
Technical Sales, and customers. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering / Information
Technology from University of Applied Sciences Bochum, Germany.

Carsten Haag is a DS8000 Subject Matter Expert (SME) and leads the EMEA DS8000
support team. He joined IBM in 1998 and has been working with IBM High End Storage
Systems for over 20 years. He holds a Diploma (MSc) degree in microelectronics from the
Technical University of Darmstadt.

Peter Kimmel is a Senior Platform Engineer for Enterprise Storage in the IBM EMEA Client
Engineering team Frankfurt, Germany. He joined IBM Storage in 1999, and since then has
worked with all DS8000 generations, with a focus on architecture and performance. Peter has
co-authored several DS8000 IBM publications. He holds a Diploma (MSc) degree in physics
from the University of Kaiserslautern.

Radoslav Neshev is a DS8000 Subject Matter Expert (SME) and a recent addition to the
DS8000 development field support team, specializing in storage hardware. He joined IBM at
2016 as part of the newly formed DS8000 Remote Support team in Bulgaria, working closely
with clients to troubleshoot and resolve any hardware and software issues related to the
product. With experience in networking, prior to joining IBM Radoslav has worked as a
Level 3 technical support engineer and technical auditing specialist for one of the leading
internet service providers in the UK.

Connie Riggins is a DS8000 Copy Services and Copy Services Manager Subject Matter
Expert with the DS8000 Product Engineering group. She started working at IBM in 2015.
Prior to joining IBM, starting in 1991, Connie worked at Amdahl Corp. as a Systems Engineer
and later at Softek Storage Solutions as Product Manager of TDMF for z/OS.

Mike Stenson is the team lead for the DS8000 development field screen team. He has over
20 years of experience of engineering, and development in storage, server, and networking
environments. He joined IBM in 2005 and has worked on every generation of the DS8000. He
has co-authored several IBM publications.

Robert Tondini is a mainframe storage Subject Matter Expert based in IBM Australia and
New Zealand. He has 28 years of experience in mainframe storage implementation,
management, capacity and performance sizing with focus on designing and exploiting high
availability, disaster recovery and cyber resiliency solutions. He co-authored several
IBM Redbooks publications and workshops for DS8000 systems.

Thanks to the following people for their contributions to this project:

Brian Rinaldi, John Bernatz, Cheryl Friauf, Randy Blea, Carl Brown, Andy Benbenek
IBM USA

xiv IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Now you can become a published author, too!
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Preface xv
xvi IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
 1

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10

storage system
This chapter introduces the features and functions of the IBM DS8000 G10 generation of
storage systems and its DS8A00 models that are available with IBM DS8000 Licensed
Machine Code (LMC) 7.10.0 (bundle version 10.0.xxx.x), which is referred to as Release
10.0. More information about functions and features is provided in subsequent chapters.

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “Introduction to the DS8A00 system” on page 2
򐂰 “DS8A00 controller options and frames” on page 8
򐂰 “DS8A00 architecture and functions overview” on page 9
򐂰 “Performance features” on page 17

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 1

1.1 Introduction to the DS8A00 system
The IBM DS8000 G10 tenth generation is a high-performance, high-capacity, highly secure,
and resilient series of DS8000 storage systems. Its DS8A00 model family is the most
advanced of the DS8000 offerings to date. All DS8A00 models are compression-capable,
all-flash systems. The high-availability (HA) multiplatform support, including IBM Z, and the
simplified management tools provide a cost-effective path to an on-demand world.

Figure 1-1 shows a single-frame DS8000 G10.

Figure 1-1 Single-frame DS8000 G10

All models of this DS8000 generation belong to the IBM DS8A00 high-performance model
family:
򐂰 IBM DS8A50: Agility Class
򐂰 IBM DS8A10: Flexibility Class

The DS8A00 models support the most demanding business applications with their
exceptional all-around performance and data throughput. Some models are shown in
Figure 1-2 on page 3.

2 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 1-2 DS8A00 frames (right: Tiled standard doors 2-frame, with side covers; left: Space-saver
door)

The DS8000 offers features that clients expect from a high-end storage system:
򐂰 High performance
򐂰 High capacity
򐂰 High Availability
򐂰 Security and encryption
򐂰 Cost efficiency
򐂰 Energy efficiency
򐂰 Scalability
򐂰 Business continuity and data-protection functions.

The DS8000 G10 architecture is server-based. Two Power9+ processor-based servers

manage the cache to streamline drive I/Os, which maximizes performance and throughput.
These capabilities are further enhanced with the availability of High-Performance Flash
Enclosures (HPFEs), which also come in a new generation.

The DS8A00 is an all-flash storage system that is equipped with encryption-capable flash
drives. High-density storage enclosures offer a considerable reduction in the footprint and
energy consumption. It can be equipped with compression-capable drives, which reduce this
footprint even further.

The DS8000 includes a power design that is based on intelligent Power Distribution Units
(iPDUs), and non-volatile dual inline memory modules (NVDIMMs) to store data in case of a
power outage. The iPDUs allow the DS8A00 to achieve the highest energy efficiency in the
DS8000 series. The DS8A00 comes with Titanium power supplies which comply with latest
regulations for an enhanced energy efficiency. All models are available for both three-phase
and single-phase power attachment.

Figure 1-3 on page 4 shows the various components within the base frame. The expansion
frame which is an option for the bigger model enables clients to add more capacity to their
storage systems in once again the same footprint.

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 3

 High-Performance
Flash Enclosure Pair

I/O Enclosure Pair

High-Performance
Flash Enclosure Pair
Keyboard/Display
Drawer
High-Performance
Flash Enclosure Pair

I/O Enclosure Pair

High-Performance
Flash Enclosure Pair

P9+ Servers (2)

Hardware Management
Consoles (2)

Figure 1-3 DS8A50 components (base frame)

I/O enclosures are attached to the Power9+ processor-based servers with Peripheral
Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) Generation-4 cables. The I/O enclosure has six
PCIe adapter slots for host/device adapters, and two slots for zHyperLink ports.

These racked models also have an integrated keyboard and display that can be accessed
from the front of the rack. A pair of 1U Hardware Management Consoles (HMCs) are installed
in the base rack management enclosure. The height of the rack is 42U for all units.

At-a-glance features of the DS8A00

The DS8A00 offers the following features (more details can be found in subsequent chapters
of this book):
򐂰 The DS8A00 is available with various Power9+ processor options, from a DS8A10 20-core
option (10 cores per CPC) to a DS8A50 with 40 cores (20 cores per CPC). Each system
covers a wide range of performance and cost options.
򐂰 By using IBM Power SMT technology, analytic data processing clients can attain
multi-million IOPS performance for open database environments, optimizing a 70/30
read/write workload of 4KB I/Os and benefiting from a 50% read cache hit rate, all while
minimizing latency.

4 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

򐂰 By using the IBM Power simultaneous multithreading (SMT) technology, analytic data
processing clients can achieve a few million I/O operations per second (IOPS) in database
for open environments. (70% read and 30% write, 4 KB I/Os, and 50% read cache hit at
record-low latencies).
򐂰 Memory configurations between 256 GB and 3.5 TB are available.
򐂰 The DS8000 is designed for up to 99.999999% (“eight nines”) availability and a
no-data-loss automatic failover within metropolitan distances, for clients using best
practices and an enabled Parallel Sysplex®, GDPS (Geographically Dispersed Parallel
Sysplex), HyperSwap® and System Recovery Boost (SRB).
򐂰 With long-distance replication, an RPO of 2 seconds is possible. In replication
environments configured with GDPS Continuous Availability, the DS8000 supports an
RTO of less than 60 seconds at distances of more than 1,000 miles.
򐂰 The DS8A00 uses High-Performance Flash Enclosures: HPFE Gen3. One HPFE pair can
hold 16, 32, or 48 flash drives, with nominal capacities between 1.6 TB and 19.2 TB.
Some of the drives are industry-standard flash drives. The larger capacities come as
IBM FlashCore® Modules (FCM) which offer hardware compression. At the time of
writing, the FCMs are in their 4th generation.
򐂰 IBM Z Synergy Services (zsS) include the following IBM z/OS licensed features that are
supported on the storage system:
– Fibre Channel connection (IBM FICON®) attachment for IBM Z
– Parallel access volume (PAV), HyperPAV, and SuperPAV
– High-Performance FICON for IBM Z (zHPF)
– zHyperLink and zHyperWrite usage
– z/OS Distributed Data Backup (zDDB)
– Encryption of data in flight
– Compression with the FlashCore Modules
– An option for thin-provisioned Count Key Data (CKD) volumes.
򐂰 As another option, Transparent Cloud Tiering (TCT) is available for these clients. TCT
enables hybrid cloud storage solutions as additional tiers for disaster recovery, data
archiving, and long-term retention in IBM Z environments. By using TCT, you can
configure direct data movement from the DS8000 CPCs to tape, to other local storage like
IBM Cloud® Object Storage, or to external cloud storage, which helps reduce backup
workload on IBM Z. Data can be encrypted before it leaves the DS8000. The data remains
encrypted in cloud storage and is decrypted after it is transferred back to the storage
system.
TCT offers hybrid multicloud integration and can be used to move DS8000 data to an
IBM TS7700 Virtualization Engine that is configured as an object store. In this case, the
data can be encrypted while it is being transferred, and can be compressed. If configured
as object storage, the TS7700 can still be used with traditional FICON logical tape
volumes. For more information, see IBM DS8000 Transparent Cloud Tiering, SG24-8381.
򐂰 DS8000 G10 offers enhanced connectivity with 4-port 32 Gbps Fibre Channel Protocol
(FCP) / FICON host adapters. Each host adapter port can be configured independently for
either FCP or FICON protocol.
򐂰 zHPF is an enhancement to the FICON architecture to offload I/O management
processing from the IBM Z channel subsystem to the DS8000 host adapters and CPCs.
zHPF is an optional feature of IBM Z and DS8000. Further enhancements to zHPF include
Extended Distance Facility zHPF List Pre-fetch support for IBM Db2® and utility
operations, and zHPF support for sequential access methods. All Db2 I/O is
zHPF-capable and supports the Db2 castout accelerator function that allows the DS8000
to treat a castout as a single chain of I/Os. zHPF improvements like Extended Distance II

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 5

 further accelerate support for heavy write I/Os over an extended distance of up to 100 km
(62 miles).
򐂰 The DS8000 G10 includes PCIe-based I/O enclosures. I/O enclosures come as pairs.
Each single I/O enclosure connects to both internal servers through a pair of x8 PCIe
Gen4 cables. Each cable provides 16 GBps connectivity. Each I/O enclosure also provides
two zHyperLink ports.
Each pair of I/O enclosures supports up to two pairs of HPFEs. You can use the storage
virtualization that is offered by the DS8000 to allocate system resources more effectively
and better control application quality of service (QoS).
򐂰 The Adaptive Multi-stream Prefetching (AMP) caching algorithm can dramatically improve
sequential performance by reducing times for backup, processing for business
intelligence, and streaming media. Sequential Adaptive Replacement Cache (SARC) is a
caching algorithm that allows you to run different workloads, such as sequential and
random workloads, without negatively affecting each other. For example, a sequential
workload does not fill up the cache and does not affect cache hits for random workloads.
Intelligent Write Caching (IWC) improves the cache algorithm for random writes.
򐂰 The DS8000 G10 provides a graphical management interface to configure, query status
information, and monitor the performance of the DS8000. The DS Storage Management
GUI (DS GUI) also provides link buttons for accessing the Service Management GUI and
Copy Services Manager (CSM) GUI. Additionally, many service functions that previously
required using the Service Management GUI can now be accessed from the DS GUI.
򐂰 IBM Easy Tier® is a no-charge feature that enables automatic dynamic data relocation
capabilities. Easy Tier optimizes the usage of the flash storage. No manual tuning is
required. The auto-balancing algorithms also provide benefits when homogeneous
storage pools are used to eliminate hot spots on arrays of drives.
򐂰 Large volume support that allows a DS8000 to support logical unit number (LUN) sizes up
to 16 TB. This configuration simplifies storage management tasks. In a z/OS environment,
extended address volumes (EAVs) with sizes up to 1 TB are supported.
򐂰 The DS8000 has an Active Volume Protection feature that prevents the deletion of
volumes that are still in use.
򐂰 The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) T10 Data Integrity Field (DIF)
Protection Information standard is supported by DS8000 for Small Computer System
Interface (SCSI) end-to-end data protection on Fixed-Block (FB) architecture LUN
volumes for operating systems (OSs) that can use DIF.
򐂰 Dynamic Volume Expansion (DVE) helps simplify management by enabling easier, online
volume expansion to support application data growth, and to support data center migration
and consolidation to larger volumes to ease addressing constraints.
򐂰 Thin provisioning allows the creation of over-provisioned devices for more efficient usage
of the storage capacity for open systems. For more information, see IBM DS8000 Thin
Provisioning, REDP-5343.
򐂰 Quick Initialization provides fast volume initialization for open system LUNs and CKD
volumes. Quick Initialization provides access to volumes the moment that the command
completes.
򐂰 Full Disk Encryption (FDE), also known as data-at-rest encryption, can protect
business-sensitive data by providing drive-based hardware encryption that is combined
with external key management software (IBM Security® Guardium® Key Lifecycle
Manager, Gemalto SafeNet KeySecure, or Thales Vormetric Data Security Manager). FDE
is available for flash drive types. Because encryption is performed by the drive, it is
transparent to host systems, and it can be used in any environment, including z/OS.

6 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

򐂰 An alternative Local Key Management for FDE is also available on the storage system,
and it does not require any external key manager server or extra license. Here, the internal
keys are stored in the encrypted Platform Key Store (PKS) areas of the Power9+ CPC
server LPARs.
򐂰 The DS8000 enables clients to comply with SP 800-131A, which is a US National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) directive that provides guidance for protecting
sensitive data by using cryptographic algorithms that have key strengths of 112 bits. NIST
SP 800-131A mode is configured by default in any DS8A00.
򐂰 All drives of this DS8000 generation are capable of complying with FIPS 140-3 which is
the latest and updated standard for security requirements for cryptographic modules, from
the US National Institute of Standards and Technology.
򐂰 Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a feature of the encryption
key management process that helps address payment industry requirements.
򐂰 DS8000 host adapters include support for IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security (IFCES)
as part of the cybersecurity solutions that are offered by IBM. Traffic to the host can be
authenticated and encrypted. As with data-at-rest encryption, the IFCES data-in-flight
encryption comes without any impact to performance. To take advantage of this capability,
the platforms that are attached to the DS8000 must also support IBM Fibre Channel
Endpoint Security. IBM z16™ is an example. IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security is
described in IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security for IBM DS8900F and IBM Z,
SG24-8455.
򐂰 The DS8000 series is certified as meeting the requirements of the IPv6 Ready Logo
program. This certification indicates its implementation of IPv6 mandatory core protocols
and the ability to interoperate with other IPv6 implementations. The DS8000 can be
configured in native IPv6 environments. The logo program provides conformance and
interoperability test specifications that are based on open standards to support IPv6
deployment globally. Furthermore, US NIST tested IPv6 with the DS8000 and granted it
support for the USGv6 profile and testing program.
򐂰 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) authentication support can simplify user
management. The DS8000 uses a centralized LDAP directory rather than a local user
repository. The DS8A00 supports native LDAP configuration, and it does not require any
IBM CSM proxy. For more information, see LDAP Authentication for IBM Storage DS8000
Systems: Updated for DS8000 Release 9.3.2, REDP-5460.
򐂰 For data protection and availability needs, the DS8000 provides point-in-time copy (PTC),
Remote Mirror, and Remote Copy functions. These functions provide storage mirroring
and copying over large distances for disaster recovery (DR) or HA purposes.
򐂰 For customers using Copy Services (CS feature), the IBM Copy Services Manager (CSM)
software is freely available to install and use on the Hardware Management Consoles.
CSM helps to manage complex replication environments, like multi-site PPRC and their
combinations with IBM FlashCopy® or Safeguarded Copy.
򐂰 The IBM Safeguarded Copy functionality protects data from malware, ransomware, and
many other cyberattacks. Safeguarded Copy delivers the ability to create and retain
hundreds of PTCs to protect against logical data corruption or malicious destruction.
Those copies can be used to verify customer data, analyze the nature of the corruption,
and restore critical customer data. Dynamic expansion of Safeguarded volume capacity is
now possible. For more information, see IBM Storage DS8000 Safeguarded Copy,
REDP-5506.
򐂰 Support for IBM i variable LUN adds flexibility for volume sizes. You can increase capacity
usage for IBM i environments. IBM i volumes can be dynamically expanded.
򐂰 The DS8000 features Smart Rebuild, a function that is designed to reduce the possibility
of secondary failures and data loss in RAID arrays. When a predicted failure occurs on

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 7

 one member of a RAID array, the affected drive is cloned to a spare drive, allowing it to
participate in its own rebuild. The cloning process reduces the duration of the rebuild time.
The process falls back to traditional rebuild when Smart Rebuild cannot complete.
򐂰 The DS8000 makes use of synergies with IBM Z in more than 30 advanced capabilities
and includes the following DS8000 G10 enhanced IBM Z Synergy items:
– Forward Error Correction (FEC)
FEC is a protocol that detects and corrects bit errors that are generated during data
transmission. Both IBM zSystems™ and the DS8000 extend the usage of FEC to
complete end-to-end coverage for 16 Gbps and faster links and preserve data integrity
with more redundancy.
– Fibre Channel (FC) Read Diagnostic Parameters (RDP)
FC RDP improves the end-to-end link fault isolation for 16 Gbps and faster links on
current IBM Z and DS8000 systems. RDP data provides the optical signal strength,
error counters, and other critical information that is crucial to determine the quality of
the link.
– FICON Dynamic Routing (FIDR)
FIDR is an IBM Z and DS8000 feature that supports the use of dynamic routing policies
in the fabric switch to balance load across inter-switch links (ISLs) on a per I/O basis.
– Fabric I/O Priority
Fabric I/O Priority is an end-to-end synergy feature among the z/OS Workload
Manager (WLM), Brocade storage area network (SAN) Fabric, and the storage system
to manage QoS on a single I/O level.
– IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security
As one of the first hosts, and following a pervasive encryption philosophy, IBM Z
supports SAN authentication and FC encryption of FICON traffic to the DS8000.
– IBM zHyperLink
zHyperLink is a short-distance link technology that dramatically reduces latency by
connecting the IBM Z CPCs directly to the I/O bays of the DS8000.
All DS8A00 models support zHyperLink, for both read and write I/O. zHyperLink is
intended to complement FICON technology to accelerate I/O requests that are typically
used for transaction processing.
The DS8A00 models accelerate zHyperLink one step further compared to previous
DS8000 generations: For instance, the transfer sizes for reads of qualified I/Os can
now grow up to 32K, which allows further usage scenarios and enables higher
throughputs.
For more information, see Getting Started with IBM zHyperLink for z/OS, REDP-5493.

Note: For more information about the IBM Z synergy features, see IBM DS8900F and
IBM Z Synergy DS8900F, REDP-5186.

1.2 DS8A00 controller options and frames

The DS8A00 family consists of distinct DS8000 G10 models of all-flash storage:
򐂰 DS8A10 machine type 5341 model A01 as racked in a single frame
򐂰 DS8A50 machine type 5341 model A05 with a model E05 expansion frame option

8 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 The DS8A00 includes the following features:
򐂰 IBM Power9+ processor-based server technology
The DS8A00 features the IBM Power9+ processor-based server technology for high
performance. Compared to the IBM Power8® processors that were used in the DS8880,
IBM Power9®, and Power9+ processor-based servers excel with a smaller front-end
latency and up to 60% more IOPS in transaction-processing workload environments. The
number of transistors per core is almost doubled between these two Power generations.
򐂰 PCIe Gen-4
With the change of the servers from Power9 to Power9+, the internal connectivity within
the DS8A00 is upgraded to PCIe Gen-4, which typically doubles throughput of the
respective connection.
򐂰 Nondisruptive upgrade path
Upgrades to the DS8000 are non-disruptive. You can upgrade processor, cache, host
adapters, storage, and expansion frames concurrently without disrupting applications.
򐂰 The air-flow system allows optimal horizontal cool down of the storage system. The
DS8000 is designed for hot- and cold-aisle data center design, drawing air for cooling from
the front of the system and exhausting hot air at the rear. For more information, see 2.6,
“Power and cooling” on page 64.
򐂰 The DS8A00 offers two system-class options:
– DS8A50 Model A05 – Agility Class, which is based on the IBM Power S924
architecture.
– DS8A10 Model A01– Flexibility Class, which is based on IBM Power S922 architecture.
For more information about the specifics for each model, see 2.3.1, “IBM Power9
processor-based CPCs” on page 51.
򐂰 HPFE
HPFE Gen3 is an enclosure that can support high-performance and high-capacity flash
drives that can provide a capacity of 1.6 TB–19.2 TB (2.5-inch form-factor) in a 2U rack
space. The enclosures must be installed in pairs. All drive media have NVMe interfaces,
and some of them are compression-capable.
򐂰 Rack-mountable and racked options
The DS8A00 comes in racks with a footprint that is slightly less than a DS8900F and much
smaller than its DS8880 predecessor models. To use a DS8000 in a customer-provided
rack, order the DS8910F model 993.

1.3 DS8A00 architecture and functions overview

The DS8000 G10 and its DS8A00 models offer continuity with the fundamental architecture of
its predecessors: the DS8900F and DS8880 models. This architecture ensures that the
DS8A00 can use a stable and proven operating environment that offers optimal availability.
The hardware is optimized to provide higher performance, connectivity, and reliability.

1.3.1 Overall architecture and components

For more information about the available configurations for the DS8A00, see Chapter 2, “IBM
DS8A00 hardware components and architecture” on page 39.

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 9

 IBM POWER processor technology
The Power9+ and Power9 processors are manufactured by using the 14 nm
Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) technology. Each chip is 695 mm2 and contains 8 billion
transistors. The DS8A00 uses the PCIe I/O controllers and an interconnection system that
connects all components within the chip. The POWER® processor advancements in
multi-core and multithreading are significant. These multithreading capabilities improve the
I/O throughput of the DS8000 storage servers.

The DS8A00 family offers several configurations of CPCs:

򐂰 The DS8A50 offers dual-20-core configurations (40 cores total) with a total of 1 TB, 2 TB,
or 3.5 TB of total system memory
򐂰 The DS8A10 has a 10-core processor configuration per CPC (20 cores total) with 256 GB
or 512 GB of system memory.

A CPC is also referred to as a storage server. For more information, see Chapter 4, “IBM
DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability” on page 103.

Internal PCIe-based fabric

The DS8000 fabric includes the following specifications:
򐂰 DS8A00 Power9+ processor-based servers are based on the current PCIe Gen4
architecture to provide up to 16-lane (x16) high-speed connectivity to internal adapters.
򐂰 PCIe adapters provide point-to-point connectivity to the I/O enclosures. The I/O
enclosures provide connectivity between the I/O adapters and the Power9+ processor
complexes.
򐂰 The I/O enclosures provide PCIe Gen4 connectivity to all installed host and device
adapters. Each I/O enclosure features six PCIe Gen4 x16 adapter slots for these, two for
the device adapters and two connectors for attachment to zHyperLink optical transceiver
ports, and another four PCIe x8 connecting to host adapters.

For more information, see Chapter 2, “IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture”
on page 39.

HPFE Gen3
The HPFE flash RAID adapters are installed in pairs and split across an I/O enclosure pair.
They occupy the respective top PCIe slots according to the adapter pair plugging order.

HPFE drive enclosures are also installed in pairs, and connected to the corresponding flash
RAID adapter pair over eight PCIe Gen4 cables for high bandwidth and redundancy. Each
drive enclosure can contain up to twenty-four 2.5-inch NVMe flash drives or modules. The
flash devices are installed in groups of 16, and split evenly across the two drive enclosures in
the pair.

Each flash adapter pair and HPFE pair delivers a throughput in a range of around 20 GBps,
and for small blocks, with reads, more than a million IOPS.

For more information, see Chapter 2, “IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture”
on page 39.

Drive options
Flash drives use less power than HDDs, and their IOPS count per drive can be up to 100
times higher with a 10 times shorter response time. Drive vendors also offer flash drives with
various specifications, such as enterprise versus consumer, single-level versus multi-level
cell, endurance, and DRAM cache, and each generation is a little more advanced.

10 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Flash drives are grouped into three classes, based on performance, capacity, and
compression capability. The following 2.5-inch NVMe flash devices are currently supported
with DS8A00:
򐂰 Compression Tier – IBM FlashCore Modules:
– 4.8 TB
– 9.6 TB
– 19.2 TB
򐂰 Capacity Tier 1 – Industry-standard flash drives:
– 1.6 TB
򐂰 Capacity Tier 2 – Industry-standard flash drives:
– 1.92 TB
– 3.84 TB
– 7.68 TB

All flash drives in the DS8000 Gen10 are encryption-capable and internally, encrypt always.
Fully enabling encryption is optional, and requires either using the local key management or
at least two external key servers.

IBM FlashCore Modules

The IBM FlashCore Modules (FCM) feature hardware-enabled compression and encryption.
IBM already offers them in their fourth generation. With an internal mix and tiering of
Single-Level Cell (SLC) and Quad-Level Cell (QLC) flash they deliver a higher density and
capacity and maintain the same excellent response times. FCMs are computational storage
and come with a specialized processor, associated memory and a highly-adapted firmware,
which is not available in industry-standard flash. For more on FCM Gen-4, see IBM FlashCore
Module (FCM) Product Guide, REDP-5725.

Easy Tier
The DS8000 can use Easy Tier to automatically balance data placement on disk drives to
avoid hot spots on flash arrays. Easy Tier can place data on a storage array that is less
loaded and best suits the access frequency of the data. For certain drive combinations, such
as between the capacity tiers of the industry-standard drives, data can be moved
nondisruptively to a higher or lower tier.

For more information about Easy Tier, see IBM DS8000 Easy Tier, REDP-4667.

Host adapters
The DS8A00 offers 32 Gbps host adapters. They have four ports each, and each port can be
independently configured for either FCP or FICON. Each port independently auto-negotiates
to a 32 Gbps, 16 Gbps, or 8 Gbps link speed.

For more information, see Chapter 2, “IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture”
on page 39.

Storage Hardware Management Console for the DS8000

HMCs are the focal point for notification, management, and maintenance activities. HMCs
proactively monitor the state of your system and notify you and IBM when service is required.
HMCs can also be used for management of copy services by using the preinstalled IBM Copy
Services Manager (CSM) software.

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 11

 Every DS8000 includes two HMCs for redundancy, which are installed at the bottom in the
base rack. DS8A00 HMCs support IPv4 and IPv6 standards. For more information, see
Chapter 6, “IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup” on page 161.

Isolated key server

The DS8000 includes FDE flash drives which internally always encrypt. To configure a
DS8000 to use data-at-rest encryption, either Local Encryption, or at least two external key
servers are required. In the latter case, at least one isolated key server with dedicated
hardware and non-encrypted storage resources is required. For more information, see 5.3.6,
“Key manager servers for encryption” on page 156.

You can also encrypt data before it is transmitted to the cloud when using the TCT feature.
For more information, see the IBM DS8000 Encryption for Data at Rest, Transparent Cloud
Tiering, and Endpoint Security, REDP-4500.

Local Key Manager

Local Key Management provides a DS8000 encryption and key management solution to
minimize the risk of exposure and reduce operational costs. Local key encryption offers
security for data on disk, even when a drive is physically removed with the intent of stealing
the data. For more information about local key manager, see IBM DS8000 Encryption for Data
at Rest, Transparent Cloud Tiering, and Endpoint Security, REDP-4500.

1.3.2 Storage capacity

The physical storage capacity for the DS8A00 is installed in fixed increments that are called
drive sets or flash drive sets. A drive set contains 16 flash drives, all of which have the same
capacity and the same drive class. Both FlashCore Modules and industry-standard flash
drives are available in sets of 16.

The available drive options provide industry-class capacity and performance to address a
wide range of business requirements. The DS8000 storage arrays can be configured as
RAID 6 or RAID 10. RAID 6 is the default and preferred setting for the DS8A00. As of the time
of this writing, a drive extent pool consists of either FCM only, or industry-standard drives only.

For more information, see 2.2, “DS8A00 configurations and models” on page 42.

1.3.3 Supported environments

The DS8000 offers connectivity support across a broad range of server environments,
including IBM Power, IBM Z, servers from HPE and Oracle, AMD-based, and Intel-based x64
servers.

The DS8A00 supports over 70 platforms. For the list of supported platforms, see the IBM
System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC) for IBM Storage Enterprise Disk/DS8A00.

This support of heterogeneous environments and attachments, with the flexibility to partition
the DS8000 storage capacity among the attached environments, can help support storage
consolidation requirements and dynamic environments.

12 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

1.3.4 Configuration flexibility
The DS8000 series uses virtualization techniques to separate the logical view of hosts onto
LUNs from the underlying physical layer, providing high configuration flexibility. For more
information about virtualization, see Chapter 3, “Virtualization concepts” on page 73.

Dynamic Volume Expansion

DVE increases the capacity of open systems, IBM i, and IBM Z volumes while the volumes
remain connected to a host system. This capability simplifies data growth by providing volume
expansion without taking volumes offline. Certain OSs do not support a change in volume
size. Therefore, a host action is required to detect the change after the volume capacity is
increased.

Large LUN and large Count Key Data volume support

You can configure LUNs and volumes to span arrays, allowing for larger LUN sizes of up to
16 TB in open systems.

Tip: Copy Services (CS) are currently supported for LUN sizes of up to 4 TB.

The maximum CKD volume size is 1,182,006 cylinders (1 TB), which can greatly reduce the
number of volumes that are managed. This large CKD volume type is called a 3390 Model A.
It is referred to as an Extended Address Volume (EAV).

T10 Data Integrity Field support

The DS8000 supports the T10 DIF standard for FB volumes that are accessed by the FCP
channel of Linux on IBM Z and IBM AIX® on IBM Power. You can define LUNs with an option
to instruct the DS8000 to use the CRC-16 T10 DIF algorithm to store the data. You can also
create T10 DIF-capable LUNs. The support for IBM i variable LUNs adds flexibility for volume
sizes and can increase capacity usage for IBM i environments.

VMware vStorage API for Array Integration support

The VMware vStorage API for Array Integration (VAAI) feature offloads specific storage
operations to the storage system to improve performance and efficiency. With VAAI, VMware
vSphere can perform key operations faster and use less CPU, memory, and storage
bandwidth.

The DS8000 supports the following VAAI primitives:

򐂰 Atomic Test and Set (ATS), which is also known as Compare and Write for
hardware-assisted locking.
򐂰 Clone Blocks (Extended Copy or XCOPY) for hardware-assisted move or cloning. For
XCOPY, the DS8000 CS license is required. Also, XCOPY is not supported by extent
space efficient (ESE) volumes and volumes larger than 4 TB. The target of an XCOPY
cannot be an MM or GM primary volume.
򐂰 Write Same (or Block Zero) is used to initialize new volumes and is supported by all
volumes.
򐂰 Space Release (UNMAP) is supported only with ESE volumes that use small extents
(16 mebibytes (MiB)).

IBM DS8000 Storage Replication Adapter

IBM DS8000 Storage Replication Adapter (SRA) is a software add-on that integrates with the
VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager (SRM) solution and enables SRM to perform

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 13

 failovers together with DS8000 storage systems. The DS8000 SRA extends SRM capabilities
and allows it to employ DS8000 replication and mirroring as part of the SRM comprehensive
disaster recovery planning (DRP) solution.

OpenStack
The DS8000 supports the OpenStack cloud management software for business-critical
private, hybrid, and public cloud deployments. The DS8A00 supports features in the
OpenStack environment, such as volume replication and volume retype. The Cinder driver for
DS8000 is open source in the OpenStack community. The /etc/cinder.conf file can be
directly edited for the DS8000 back-end information.

For more information about the DS8000 and OpenStack, see Using IBM DS8000 in an
OpenStack Environment, REDP-5220.

Red Hat OpenShift

Red Hat OpenShift is an open source container application platform that is based on the
Kubernetes container orchestrator for enterprise application development and deployment.
IBM Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (OCP) provides developers and IT organizations
with a hybrid cloud application platform for deploying new and existing applications on secure,
scalable resources with minimal configuration and management overhead. OCP supports
various programming languages and frameworks, such as Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby,
and PHP.

DS8000 offers persistent storage for mission-critical containers with support for
IBM Cloud Pak® solutions to enhance and extend the functionality of Red Hat OpenShift.

The DS8000 supports the Container Storage Interface (CSI) specification. IBM released an
open-source CSI driver for IBM storage that allows dynamic provisioning of storage volumes
for containers on Kubernetes and IBM Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (OCP).

The CSI driver for IBM block storage systems enables container orchestrators such as
Kubernetes to manage the lifecycle of persistent storage. This CSI is the official operator to
deploy and manage the IBM block storage CSI driver.

For more information about CSI, see IBM block storage CSI driver documentation.

RESTful application programming interface

With the DS8000 support of RESTful application programming interface (API) services,
DS8000 clients or cloud administrators can design and implement the DS8000 management
applications by using the REST software architecture.

For more information about the RESTful API, see DS8900F/DS8880 4.0 RESTful API Guide,
SC27-9823, or Exploring the DS8870 RESTful API Implementation, REDP-5187.

Flexible LUN-to-LSS association

With no predefined association of arrays to logical subsystems (LSSs) on the DS8000 series,
users can put LUNs or CKD volumes into LSSs to better use the 256 address range,
particularly for IBM Z.

Simplified LUN masking

In the GUI, LUNs are directly mapped to the host, and the user cannot define volume groups.
Volume groups still exist on the DS8000 systems, but they are not visible from the GUI
because they are created in the background during the assignment of a volume to the host.

14 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Thin-provisioning features, and compression
Volumes in the DS8000 G10 can be provisioned as full or thin. When clients plan capacity,
they must consider the number of volumes in the extent pool (or overall storage system) and
the degree of over-allocation that is planned for.

Thin-provisioned volumes provide over-provisioning capabilities that provide more efficient

usage of the storage capacity and reduced storage management requirements. For more
information, see Chapter 3, “Virtualization concepts” on page 73 and IBM DS8000 Thin
Provisioning, REDP-5343.

Data in the FCM Compression Tier is always stored thin and compressed. New or enhanced
system commands, GUI views, warning thresholds, and alerts are available to monitor and
manage the available capacities. When you use over-provisioning, define a policy to handle
these alerts and let IBM help you with an appropriate planning for the right capacities and
procedures.

Maximum values of logical definitions

The DS8000 features the following maximum values for the major logical definitions:
򐂰 Up to 255 LSSs
򐂰 Up to 65,280 logical devices
򐂰 Up to 16 TiB LUNs
򐂰 Up to 1,182,006 cylinder (1 TB) CKD volumes
򐂰 Up to 130,560 FICON logical paths (512 logical paths for each control unit image) on the
DS8000
򐂰 Up to 1,280 logical paths for each FC port
򐂰 Up to 8,192 process logins (509 for each SCSI-FCP port)

1.3.5 Copy Services functions

For IT environments that cannot afford to stop their systems for backups, the DS8000
provides IBM FlashCopy. The DS8000's IBM FlashCopy technology provides
near-instantaneous point-in-time copies (PTCs) of data, ideal for IT environments that cannot
tolerate system downtime for traditional backups. Also, The DS8000 can perform Cascaded
FlashCopy backups, where the target of a FlashCopy relationship can also be the source of
another FlashCopy relationship. For more information, see DS8000 Cascading FlashCopy
Design and Scenarios, REDP-5463.

To meet the challenges of cybersecurity, the Safeguarded Copy function, which is based on
the FlashCopy technology, can create and retain hundreds of PTCs for protection against
logical data corruption. In PPRC-replicated DS8000 pairs, you can also incrementally restore
a recovered Safeguarded Copy to a production copy of the data. With the additional
integration level to a full Cyber Vault solution you could automate and accelerate detection
and response to a cyberattack. For more information, see IBM Storage DS8000 Safeguarded
Copy, REDP-5506, and Getting Started with IBM Z Cyber Vault, SG24-8511.

For data protection and availability needs, the DS8000 provides MM, GM, GC, and MGM,
which are Remote Mirror and Remote Copy functions. These functions are also available and
are fully interoperable with previous models of the DS8000 family. These functions provide
storage mirroring and copying over large distances for DR or availability purposes.

CS scope limiting is the ability to specify policy-based limitations on CS requests. For more
information about CS, see IBM DS8000 Copy Services, SG24-8367.

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 15

1.3.6 Service and setup
DS8000 systems have a single machine type that is called 5341. Warranty and service
options are offered as part of Expert Care. Options range from a 1-year Expert Care
Advanced selection up to a 5-year Expert Care Premium, and can be chosen when you order
a new system or an upgrade as requirements change.

Figure 1-4 describes the available Expert Care options.

Base Warranty Advanced Premium

Expert Care Services
5341 5130 (A01–A05) 5130 (P01–P05)

1-Year
Hardware Maintenance 24×7 24×7
24×7
(IOR = IBM On-site Repair) same day same day
same day

Support Line
(24×7 remote technical support) ✓ ✓

Predictive Support ✓ ✓
SI SI Pro

Technical Account Manager

(TAM) ✓

Enhanced Response Time

(30 min for Severity 1 & 2) ✓
Remote Code Load
(up to 2× per year)
Optional add-on ✓
Outside the bundle
On-site Code Load
(optional add-on via Feature Code)
Optional add-on Optional add-on

Media Retention
(optional add-on via Service Pac)
Optional add-on Optional add-on

Figure 1-4 Expert Care: 1-year to 5-year options

Physical installation of the DS8000 is performed by IBM by using the installation procedure for
this system. The client’s responsibility is the installation planning, retrieval, and installation of
feature activation codes, logical configuration, and execution.

The storage system HMC is the focal point for maintenance and service operations. Two
HMCs are inside each DS8000 Base rack, and they continually monitor the state of the
system. HMCs notify IBM, and they can be configured to notify you when service is required.

The HMC is also the interface for Call Home and remote support, which can be configured to
meet client requirements. It is possible to allow one or more of the following configurations:
򐂰 Call Home on error (machine-detected)
򐂰 Remote connection for a few days (client-initiated)
򐂰 Remote problem log collection (service-initiated)

16 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 The remote connection between the HMC and IBM Support is performed by using the Assist
On-site (AOS) feature. AOS offers more options, such as Transport Layer Security (TLS), and
enhanced audit logging. For more information, see IBM Assist On-site for Storage Overview,
REDP-4889.

You can also select IBM Remote Support Center (RSC) so that IBM Support can access your
systems remotely.

IBM provides three options for microcode updates:

򐂰 Customer-controlled Code Load
򐂰 Remote Code Load (RCL)
򐂰 Onsite SSR Code Load

For customers who choose Expert Care Advanced or the base warranty service,
Customer-controlled Code Load is the default method for performing concurrent microcode
updates:
򐂰 Microcode bundles are downloaded and activated by the customer by using the standard
DS Storage Manager GUI.
򐂰 The download defaults to the current recommended bundle, or an alternative compatible
bundle can be chosen.
򐂰 Health checks are run before the download, and again before activation to ensure that the
system is in good health.
򐂰 If a problem is encountered anywhere in the process, a ticket is opened automatically with
IBM Support, and the ticket number is provided in the GUI for reference.
򐂰 After the problem is corrected, the code load can be restarted.

Customers who want to have an IBM Systems Service Representative (IBM SSR) perform
Onsite Code Load can purchase Feature Code #AHY2 with Expert Care Premium, or Feature
Code #AHY3 with Expert Care Advanced. Customers selecting EC Advanced but still opting
for RCL can select Feature Code #AHY4.

1.3.7 IBM-Certified Secure Data Overwrite

IBM-Certified Secure Data Overwrite (SDO) is a process that provides a secure overwrite of
all data storage in a DS8000 storage system. Before you perform an SDO, remove all the
logical configuration and any existing encryption groups. The process is then initiated by the
IBM SSR. For more information, see 4.7.3, “IBM Certified Secure Data Overwrite” on
page 132.

1.4 Performance features

The DS8000 offers optimally balanced performance. The DS8A00 incorporates many
performance enhancements, such as a dual multi-core IBM Power9+ processor complex
implementation, fast 32 Gbps FCP / FICON host adapters, HPFE dedicated flash architecture
in third generation, classical flash drives or hardware-compression enabled flash modules,
and high-bandwidth, fault-tolerant point-to-point PCIe Gen-4 internal connections, using
NVMe.

With all of these components, the DS8A00 is positioned at the top of the high-performance
category.

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 17

1.4.1 Three-layer architecture
In a new 3-layer, shared-everything architecture, the DS8000 G10 not only has a strong core
with its central processor complexes (CPC), but also strong peripheral layers, such as the
host adapter or device adapter levels or with the computational storage in the FlashCore
Modules. These each have very strong and independent computational capabilities.
Therefore, not only the CPC units are relieved from this work, but more importantly, less extra
data travels back and forth as computations are done directly near where they are needed.
This saves internal bandwidth, and this offloading further lowers response time.

1.4.2 3.5 TB cache

DS8A00 supports a maximum 3.5 TB cache, which can improve the cache hit ratio and result
in the reduction of the response time of the same workload demand. For a cache-size
sensitive workload with an improved cache hit ratio, the larger cache size provides higher
throughput with faster response time.

1.4.3 32 Gbps host adapters

The DS8A00 supports 32 Gbps host adapters. This connectivity reduces latency and
provides faster single-stream and per-port throughput. These adapters can be configured to
two speed classes below their own nominal class, but they do not support Fibre Channel
Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) connections. The Lights on Fastload feature avoids path disturbance
during code loads. The HBA supports both IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security
authentication and line-rate encryption. So, the adapter handles this type of data-in-flight
encryption autonomously. For IBM Z, the plan is to make it a standard in one of the upcoming
zSystems host generations.

1.4.4 Sophisticated caching algorithms

IBM Research® conducts extensive investigations into improved algorithms for cache
management and overall system performance improvements. To implement sophisticated
caching algorithms, it is essential to include powerful processors for the cache management.
With a 4 KB cache segment size and a maximum of 3.5 TB overall cache sizes, the tables to
maintain the cache segments can become large.

Sequential Prefetching in Adaptive Replacement Cache

One of the performance features of the DS8000 is its self-learning cache algorithm, which
optimizes cache efficiency and enhances cache hit ratios. This algorithm, which is used in the
DS8000 series, is called Sequential Prefetching in Adaptive Replacement Cache (SARC).

SARC provides the following abilities:

򐂰 Sophisticated algorithms to determine the data to store in cache that is based on recent
access and the frequency needs of the hosts
򐂰 Prefetching, which anticipates data before a host request and loads it into cache
򐂰 Self-learning algorithms to adaptively and dynamically learn which data to store in cache
that is based on the frequency needs of the hosts

Adaptive Multi-stream Prefetching

Adaptive Multi-stream Prefetching (AMP) is a breakthrough caching technology that improves
performance for common sequential and batch processing workloads on the DS8000. AMP

18 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 optimizes cache efficiency by incorporating an autonomic, workload-responsive, and
self-optimizing prefetching technology.

Intelligent Write Caching

Intelligent Write Caching (IWC) improves performance through better write-cache
management and by destaging the order of writes. IWC can also double the throughput for
random write workloads. Specifically, database workloads benefit from this new IWC cache
algorithm.

SARC, AMP, and IWC play complementary roles. Although SARC carefully divides the cache
between the RANDOM and the SEQ lists to maximize the overall hit ratio, AMP is managing
the contents of the SEQ list to maximize the throughput that is obtained for the sequential
workloads. IWC manages the write cache and decides the order and rate to destage to disk.

1.4.5 Flash storage

Flash drives sharply improve I/O transaction-based performance over traditional HDDs in
standard drive enclosures and deliver a much better latency. Their better IOPS, lower power
consumption, less heat generation, and lower acoustical noise offer compelling advantages.

Given the capacity increase of the flash modules, the price drop of capacity-optimized flash
compared to high-RPM HDDs, and given their savings on energy consumption and space,
most clients decide on an all-flash array storage strategy. Several types and tiers of flash are
available. Also, within the higher durability range of enterprise flash, flash modules with
different performance characteristics or extra functionality are offered to cover more
cost-economical large-capacity use cases and highly-performing and intense workloads with
heavy access densities.

For all these scenarios, the DS8A00 offers the different tiers of drives including two
performance classes of industry-standard drives and another tier on the IBM FlashCore®
Modules (FCMs), which features hardware compression and encryption. Each FCM has extra
added processing power and DRAM to perform the compression task. Also, caching and
internal SLC/QLC tiering is available that helps to keep latency at the same low levels.

All flash devices now come with the NVM Express (NVMe) protocol, running on the PCIe
hardware interfaces. NVMe was developed for SSD flash, and NAND flash is used in our
devices. Compared to earlier SAS standards, NVMe allows a much a much higher I/O
parallelism and more transactions and IOPS per drive.

Considering the RAID implementation that is always needed, with the flash drives and the
specific architecture that is used in the HPFEs, much higher IOPS densities (IOPS per GB)
are possible than with ordinary solid-state drives (SSDs). The transition to PCIe Gen-4 for the
HPFE and drive backend has significantly enhanced performance that results in
approximately double the typical per-HPFE and per-array throughput compared to the
previous DS8000 generation.

The flash drives use the flash RAID adapters in the I/O enclosures, and PCIe connections to
the processor complexes. The high-performance flash drives that are available with the
Capacity Tier 1 are high-IOPS class enterprise storage devices that are targeted at most
I/O-intensive workload applications, which need high-level, fast-access storage. The
high-capacity flash drive types of Capacity Tier 2 have a more economical acquisition cost
point. For many workloads, the Tier 2 drives can often fulfill standard enterprise workload
requirements as a single tier. The Compression Tier gives some extra capacity advantage
while maintaining a comparable excellent level of low latency. With its always-on hardware

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 19

 compression due to the large and extra capacities there it gives another price-competitive
edge even when compared to Capacity Tier 2.

1.4.6 Performance for IBM Z

The DS8000 series supports the following IBM performance enhancements for IBM Z
environments:
򐂰 With PAVs, a single IBM Z server can simultaneously process multiple I/O operations to
the same logical volume, which can reduce device queue delays. This reduction is
achieved by defining multiple addresses for each volume. With Dynamic PAV, the
assignment of addresses to volumes can be automatically managed to help the workload
meet its performance objectives and reduce overall queuing.
򐂰 With HyperPAV, applications can achieve equal or better performance than with PAV
alone, use fewer unit control blocks (UCBs), and eliminate the latency in targeting an alias
to a base. With HyperPAV, the system can react immediately to changing I/O workloads.
򐂰 With SuperPAV, z/OS can use an alias address from another logical control unit (LCU).
򐂰 Multiple Allegiance expands the simultaneous logical volume access capability across
multiple IBM Z servers. With this function, and with PAV, the DS8000 can process more
I/Os in parallel, which improves performance and enables greater use of large volumes.
򐂰 With I/O priority queuing, the DS8000 series can use I/O priority information that is
provided by the z/OS WLM to manage the processing sequence of I/O operations at the
adapter level.
򐂰 With zHPF, multiple channel commands can be sent to the control unit as a single entity.
The channel forwards a chain of commands, and it does not need to track each individual
channel command word (CCW). This configuration improves FICON throughput on the
DS8000 I/O ports. The DS8000 systems also support the zHPF I/O commands for
multi-track I/O operations, Db2 list-prefetch, sequential access methods, and Db2 castout
acceleration.
򐂰 zHyperWrite is another enhancement for Db2 clients. In a z/OS MM environment, it
enables Db2 log updates to be written to the primary and secondary volumes in parallel.
This configuration reduces the latency for log writes, which improves transactional
response times and log throughput. The MM primary volume must be enabled with
IBM HyperSwap by either IBM Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (IBM GDPS) or
IBM Copy Services Manager.
򐂰 zHyperLink provides a connectivity method that dramatically reduces latency by
interconnecting the IBM Z system directly to the I/O bays of the DS8000. Response times
in the range of 16 µs are possible for qualifying I/Os. zHyperLink supports read and write
I/O.
򐂰 With the new zHyperLink Acceleration in DS8A00 and because of the respective PCIe
Gen-4 adapters, latency, read, and write throughput have improved. The improvement in
write throughput is approximately a factor of 2.5. Further zHyperLink exploitation is
possible because of an increased maximum zHL read block size to 32K with a default of
16K, which allows new zHL usage scenarios for customers with larger CI sizes. IMS
VSAM databases and larger Db2 pages sizes up to 32K can now use it. And for Writes,
MQ (9.4+) log writes can use zHL also, sharply increasing their throughput.
򐂰 Writes of zHyperLink to the GM primary extends the benefits of zHyperLink to GM
environments. With 32 Gbps FICON connectivity, where a zHPF write operation to a GM
takes about 100 µs, that same write operation takes only 27 µs over zHyperLink.
򐂰 In an MM replication configuration, Consistent Read from Secondary volumes (CRS) is
possible over zHyperLink or zHPF in a HyperSwap configuration.

20 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 򐂰 With the TCT function, the DS8000 CPCs can be scheduled to directly move data over to
tape or to Cloud Object Storage without data going through the host, which can sharply
reduce IBM Z MIPS usage during the backup periods and reduce expenses and simplify
data archiving operations. The TCT function enables multi-cloud support where up to eight
cloud targets can be defined for each DS8000. For more information, see IBM DS8000
Transparent Cloud Tiering, SG24-8381.

For more information about performance on IBM Z, see IBM DS8900F and IBM Z Synergy
DS8900F, REDP-5186.

1.4.7 Performance enhancements for IBM Power servers

Many IBM Power users can benefit from the following DS8000 features:
򐂰 End-to-end I/O priorities
򐂰 Cooperative caching
򐂰 Long busy wait host tolerance
򐂰 Automatic port queues

Chapter 1. Introducing the IBM DS8000 G10 storage system 21

22 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
 2

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware

components and architecture
This chapter describes the hardware components of the IBM DS8A00. It provides insights
into the architecture and individual components.

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “Flash drive terminology of the DS8A00” on page 40
򐂰 “DS8A00 configurations and models” on page 42
򐂰 “DS8A00 architecture overview” on page 51
򐂰 “I/O enclosures and adapters” on page 56
򐂰 “Flash drive enclosures” on page 62
򐂰 “Power and cooling” on page 64
򐂰 “Hardware Management Console and network” on page 70

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 39

2.1 Flash drive terminology of the DS8A00
This section describes the naming conventions that are used to describe the DS8A00
components and features. Although most of these terms are introduced in other chapters of
this book, they are repeated and summarized here.

2.1.1 Storage system

The term storage system in this context describes a single DS8A00 (base frame plus optional
expansion frame).

Base frame
The DS8A00 has two available base frame models. The model numbers, DS8A50 and
DS8A10, depend on the hardware configuration for each. In this chapter, the DS8A00 family
name, or model number, are used interchangeably. Table 2-1 lists each of the frame models.

Table 2-1 DS8A00 frame models and expansion frames

DS8A00 Base frame model Expansion frame Max expansion
model frames

DS8A50 A05 E05 1

DS8A10 A01 N/A N/A

Each base frame is equipped with dual Hardware Management Consoles (HMCs). To
increase the storage capacity and connectivity, an expansion frame can be added to any
DS8A50 model A05.

For more information about the base frame configuration, see 2.2.3, “DS8A00 base frames”
on page 45.

Expansion frame
The DS8A50 supports one optional expansion frame, which provides space for extra storage
capacity, and also supports up to two additional I/O enclosure pairs.

With this model, you can place the expansion frame a maximum of 20 meters away from the
base frame. To use this feature, use the optical Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
(PCIe) I/O Bay interconnect. The Copper PCIe I/O Bay interconnect is used when the
expansion frame is physically next to the base frame. For more information about the
expansion frame connections, see 2.2.4, “DS8A00 expansion frame” on page 48.

All DS8A00 system memory and processor upgrades can be performed concurrently.

2.1.2 Hardware Management Console

Each DS8A00 contains two IBM Power Systems Hardware Management Consoles (HMC)
type 7063-CR2 and two rack control hubs (Ethernet switches) for internal network
communications to the central processor complexes (CPCs. Each DS8A00 also includes I/O
enclosures and intelligent Power Distribution Units (iPDUs). Clients connect Ethernet cables
to both HMCs for remote management access to the DS8A00. A monitor and keyboard with
trackpad is installed in the base frame for local management.

Figure 2-1 on page 41 shows the front view of both Power9 HMCs.

40 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 2-1 Power9 Hardware Management Console (HMC)

2.1.3 Central processor complex

The DS8A00 uses two Power9-based servers, which are referred to as CPCs. Internal server,
processor complex, or central electronics complex (CEC) are also sometimes used. For more
information, see 2.3.1, “IBM Power9 processor-based CPCs” on page 51.

The characteristics for CPCs for each model type are listed in Table 2-2.

Table 2-2 DS8A00 processor and System Memory details

Model Processor per storage System Memory per storage
system system

A05 Forty cores 1024 GB

2048 GB

3584 GB

A01 Twenty cores 256 GB

512 GB

Both CPCs in a DS8A00 system share the system workload. The CPCs are redundant, and
either CPC can fail over to the other for scheduled maintenance, for upgrade tasks, or if a
failure occurs. The CPCs are identified as CPC 0 and CPC 1. A logical partition (LPAR) in
each CPC runs the AIX V7.x operating system (OS) and storage-specific Licensed Internal
Code (LIC). This LPAR is called the storage node. The storage servers are identified as
Node 0 and Node 1 or server0 and server1.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 41

2.2 DS8A00 configurations and models
This section presents the DS8A00 configurations and models at the time of writing. The
DS8A00 consists of one base frame, and for the DS8A50, one optional expansion frame. The
CPCs are in the base frame, and they can be upgraded with more processor cores and
system memory to accommodate growing performance or when more storage capacity or
host connectivity is required.

The main variations between models are the combinations of CPCs, I/O enclosures, storage
enclosures, and flash drives. System memory, processors, storage capacity, and host
attachment upgrades from the smallest to the largest configuration can be performed
concurrently.

The DS8A00 storage systems use machine type 5341. Warranty and services are offered as
part of Expert Care. Options range from a 1-year base warranty to a 5-year Expert Care
Advanced or Premium, where Premium is the default option in eConfig.

2.2.1 DS8A50 configuration

The DS8A50 model 5341-A05 is equipped with two CPCs, each with 20-core processors, with
a maximum of 16 host adapters in the base frame that support both Fibre Channel (FC) and
FICON and a maximum of 16 FC / FICON host adapters in the expansion frame.

Figure 2-2 shows minimum and maximum DS8A50 configuration:

Figure 2-2 Minimum and maximum DS8A50 configuration

42 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Table 2-3 lists the hardware and the minimum and maximum configuration options for the
DS8A50 model A05.

Table 2-3 DS8A50 model A05 component list

Features DS8A50

Rack size 19” 600x1050, 42U fixed

Frames min / max 1/2

CPC Two IBM Power9 MTM 9009-42G systems

I/O Enclosure pairs min / max 1/4

Power9 cores per system min / max 20 / 40

System memory min / max 1024 GB / 3584 GB

System NVS memory min / max 64 GB / 192 GB

Host adapters min / maxa 2 / 32

Host adapter ports min / max 8 / 128

zHyperLink adapters min / maxb 0 / 10

Flash drives min / max 16 / 384

HPFE Gen3 pairs min / max 1/8

Device adapter pairs min / max 1/8

iPDU min / max 2/6

Power Single-phase or three-phase

HMC Two Power 9 systems (7063-CR2)

Ethernet switches Two 8-port switches in Base Frame, two additional

24-port switches with an E05 expansion frame

Keyboard/Monitor 1
a. For more information, see 2.4.2, “I/O enclosure adapters” on page 58.
b. For more information, see Getting Started with IBM zHyperLink for z/OS, REDP-5493.

Note: The DS8A00 hardware uses iPDUs, non-volatile dual inline memory modules
(NVDIMMs) and Backup Power Modules (BPMs).

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 43

2.2.2 DS8A10 Rack configuration
The DS8A10 model 5341-A01 is equipped with two CPCs, each with 10-core processors, with
a maximum of 16 FC / FICON host adapters and a maximum of four zHyperLink adapters.

Figure 2-3 shows minimum and maximum configuration of a DS8A10-A01 system.

Figure 2-3 DS8A10 model A01 system min. and max. configuration

Table 2-4 lists the hardware and the minimum and maximum configuration options for the
DS8A10 model A01.

Table 2-4 DS8A10 model A01 component list

Features DS8A10

Rack size 19” 600x1050, 42U fixed

Frames 1

CPC Two IBM Power MTM 9009-22G systems

I/O bay pairs min / max 1/2

Power9 cores per storage system 20

System memory min / max 256 GB / 512 GB

System non-volatile storage (NVS) 16 GB / 32 GB

memory min / max

44 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Features DS8A10

Host adapters min / maxa 2 / 16

Host adapter ports min / max 8 / 64

zHyperLink adapters min / maxb 0/4

Flash drives min / max 16 / 192

HPFEs Gen3 pairs min / max 1/4

Device adapter pairs min / max 1/4

iPDU min / max 2/4

Power Single-phase or three-phase

HMC Two Power9 systems (7063-CR2)

Ethernet switches Two 8-port switches

Keyboard/Monitor 1
a. For more information, see 2.4.2, “I/O enclosure adapters” on page 58.
b. For more information, see Getting Started with IBM zHyperLink for z/OS, REDP-5493.

2.2.3 DS8A00 base frames

As mentioned in 2.1.1, “Storage system” on page 40, the DS8A00 is available in different rack
models. The frame model number is determined by the configuration and the hardware
version. The specific combinations are shown in Table 2-1 on page 40.

The DS8A00 base racks accommodate the following components:

򐂰 Up to four HPFE Gen3 enclosure pairs in the base frame
The flash drives are installed in groups of 16, which are called installation groups. The
installation groups are ordered as a set by Feature Code. Each HPFE Gen3 enclosure pair
can accommodate 16, 32, or 48 flash drives.
The DS8A00 supports Industry Standard NVMe drives and IBM FlashCore Modules
(FCM). The Industry Standard NVMe drives are available in 1.6 TB, 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, and
7.68 TB capacities. The IBM FlashCore Models which support compression are available
in 4.8 TB, 9.6 TB, and 19.2 TB capacities. For more information about FCMs, see IBM
FlashCore Module Product Guide.
All HPFE Gen 3 enclosures have redundant power and integrated cooling, which draws air
from front to rear. For more information about cooling requirements, see Chapter 5, “IBM
DS8A00 physical planning and installation” on page 137.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 45

 򐂰 The rack power subsystem
The DS8A00 family is using iPDUs that support single or three-phase power in all models.
Each iPDU has its own dedicated input AC power cord. Various connector options are
available for different regions.
The iPDUs are organized and installed in pairs. One iPDU pair is installed by default in
each frame. A second iPDU pair is installed in the base frame when a second I/O
enclosure or HPFE Gen3 pair is added. The second iPDU pair does not have to be the
same type as the first pair. For more information about the iPDUs, see 2.6, “Power and
cooling” on page 64.
򐂰 Hardware Management Consoles
Each base frame contains two Power9 HMCs in all DS8A00 models. Clients connect
Ethernet cables to both HMCs for remote management access to the DS8A00. A For more
information about the HMC, see 2.7, “Hardware Management Console and network” on
page 70.
Each base frame includes a 1U keyboard or display tray that is used for local management
through both HMCs.
򐂰 Power9 processor-based CPCs
Each base frame accommodates two Power9 servers, which support PCIe Gen4, also
known as CPCs. The Power9 servers contain the processors and memory that drive all
functions to operate the DS8A00 storage facility image (SFI). System memory and
processor cores in the DS8A00 can be upgraded concurrently. The DS8A50
configurations run on two 4U IBM Power System S924 servers. The DS8A10 systems use
two 2U IBM Power Systems S922 servers. For more information about the CPCs, see
2.3.1, “IBM Power9 processor-based CPCs” on page 51.
Each CPC can accommodate an optional 10 Gbps Transparent Cloud Tiering (TCT)
network adapter. For more information about slots for TCT, see 2.3.4, “Ethernet
connections” on page 53.
򐂰 I/O enclosures
The DS8A00 base frame accommodates a maximum of four I/O enclosures, which are
installed in pairs. The first I/O enclosure pair is installed by default. The I/O enclosures
provide PCIe Gen4 connectivity between the CPCs and installed I/O adapters.
The I/O enclosures house the following PCIe I/O adapters:
– Up to 16 host adapters in the base frame for a total of up to 64 host ports.
– Up to four 4-port 32 Gbps encryption-capable PCIe Gen3 FC / FICON host adapters in
each I/O enclosure, supporting either SW or LW.

Note: Intermix of SW and LW adapters is also allowed. For HA, IBM recommends
installing host adapters in pairs. The 32 Gbps HA adapter is using the same
technology as in DS8900F systems but with a different form factor.

The host adapter ports can be configured in the following manner:

• Switched Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP), which is used for open systems host
attachment, and for Metro Mirror (MM) and Global Copy (GC)
• FICON for IBM Z host connectivity
• FCP and FICON are not supported simultaneously on the same port.

46 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Note: The Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) topology is not supported on
DS8A00 host adapters.

– Device adapters (DAs):

• One Device adapter pair is required for each HPFE Gen3 pair.
• Each I/O enclosure pair supports up to two DA pairs.
• DA pairs are connected to HPFE Gen3 pairs through redundant NVMe over PCIe
Gen4 connections.
– zHyperLink connections to IBM Z hosts:
• Supports direct connectivity to IBM Z at distances up to 150 m.
• Install zHyperLink adapters in pairs in two different I/O enclosures.
• zHyperLink cables are available in lengths of 40 m or 150 m. For other lengths, see
IBM Z Connectivity Handbook, SG24-5444, or consult your optical cable vendor.
• High-Performance FICON (z/HPF) connectivity is required.
򐂰 zHyperLink adapter and zHyperLink cables
zHyperLink connections with IBM Z hosts provide low latency for random reads and small
block sequential writes. It is a point-to-point connection, as shown in Figure 2-4.

Note: All DS8A00 models have zHyperLink capability.

Figure 2-4 DS8A00 zHyperLink connection to the system

• Each zHyperLink requires a transceiver to connect the optical zHyperLink cable to

the storage system. The transceiver connects directly to an I/O enclosure CXP
PCIe port, and provides connectivity for 12 transmit and receive pairs, in a
multi-fiber termination push-on (MTP-24) connection. A 24x MTP-MTP cable is
required for each zHyperLink connection. The transceivers are plugged into ports
T3 and T4 of the I/O enclosure, as shown in Figure 2-16 on page 59.
• The number of zHyperLink adapters that can be installed into the DS8A00 system
depends on the number of cores per CPC. The supported combinations for
zHyperLink port availability are shown in Table 2-5 on page 48.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 47

 Table 2-5 zHyperLink availability for DS8A00 models
System or model Cores per CPC zHyperLink Max zHyperLink
(DS8A00 server) support connections
(increments of 2)

DS8A50 Base 20 Yes 08

Frame model A05

DS8A50 model Yes 08

Expansion Frame
E05

DS8A10 model A01 10 Yes 04

Note: A maximum of 10 zHyperLink connections are supported in a DS8A50 system.

For more information about I/O enclosures and I/O adapters, see 2.4, “I/O enclosures and
adapters” on page 56.

2.2.4 DS8A00 expansion frame

The DS8A50 configuration supports an optional model E05 42U high-end expansion frame.

A DS8A50 system supports the installation of an expansion frame without any additional
features.

Expansion frame components

The model E05 expansion frame accommodates the following components:
򐂰 Up to four HPFE Gen3 enclosure pairs in the expansion frame
The flash drives are installed in groups of 16, which are called installation groups. The
installation groups are ordered as a set by Feature Code. Each HPFE enclosure pair can
accommodate 16, 32, or 48 flash drives.
The DS8A00 supports Industry Standard NVMe drives and IBM FlashCore Modules
(FCM). The Industry Standard NVMe drives are available in 1.6 TB, 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, and
7.68 TB capacities. The IBM FlashCore Models, which support hardware compression,
are available in 4.8 TB, 9.6 TB, and 19.2 TB capacities. For more information about FCMs,
see IBM FlashCore Module Product Guide.
All enclosures have redundant power and integrated cooling, which draws air from front to
rear. For more information about cooling requirements, see Chapter 5, “IBM DS8A00
physical planning and installation” on page 137.
򐂰 The rack power subsystem
The DS8A00 family is using iPDUs that support single or three-phase power in all models.
Each iPDU has its own dedicated input AC power cord. Various connector options are
available for different regions. The iPDUs are organized and installed in pairs. One iPDU
pair is installed by default in each frame. For more information about the iPDUs, see 2.6,
“Power and cooling” on page 64.
򐂰 I/O enclosures
The DS8A50 model E05 accommodates a maximum of four I/O enclosures, which are
installed in pairs. The first I/O enclosure pair is installed by default. The I/O enclosures
provide PCIe Gen4 connectivity between the CPCs and installed I/O adapters.

48 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 The I/O enclosures house the following PCIe I/O adapters:
– Up to 16 host adapters in the base frame for a total of up to 64 host ports.
– Up to four 4-port 32 Gbps FC / FICON encryption-capable PCIe Gen3 host adapters in
each I/O enclosure, supporting either SW or LW.

Note: Intermix of SW and LW adapters is also allowed. For HA, IBM recommends
installing host adapters in pairs. The 32 Gbps HA adapter uses the same technology
that is used in DS8900F systems but with a different form factor.

The host adapters can be configured in the following manner:

• Switched Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP), which is used for open systems host
attachment, and for Metro Mirror (MM) and GC
• FICON for IBM Z host connectivity
• FCP and FICON are not supported simultaneously on the same port.

Note: The FC-AL topology is not supported on DS8A00 host adapters.

– Device adapter:
• One device adapter pair is required for each HPFE Gen3 pair.
• Each I/O enclosure pair supports up to two DA pairs.
• DA pairs are connected to HPFE Gen3 pairs through redundant NVMe over PCIe
Gen4 connections.
– zHyperLink connections to IBM Z hosts:
• Supports direct connectivity to IBM Z at distances up to 150 m.
• zHyperLink adapters should be installed in pairs in two different I/O enclosures.
• zHyperLink cables are available in lengths of 40 m, or 150 m. For other lengths, see
IBM Z Connectivity Handbook, SG24-5444, or contact your optical cable vendor.

For more information, see 2.4, “I/O enclosures and adapters” on page 56.

Connecting the expansion frame

The default cable set for connecting an expansion frame contains PCIe copper cables that
allow a distance of up to 2 m. This limitation requires the installation of the expansion frame
next to the base frame. One cable set is required for each installed I/O enclosure pair in the
expansion frame.

To ease floor planning for future expansions, an available optical PCIe cable allows a distance
up to 20 m. The cable set contains optical cables and transceivers. One cable set is required
for each installed I/O enclosure pair in the expansion frame.

As shown in Figure 2-5 on page 50, this extension makes the positioning of an expansion
frame more flexible, especially for future capacity expansion. An extra rack side cover pair is
available if needed.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 49

 Figure 2-5 Expansion frame at a distance

2.2.5 Scalable upgrades

The hardware features that are supported in the DS8A00 depend on the total system memory
and total processor cores that are installed. This design ensures that the performance and
capacity scale correctly. For more information about processor and system memory
requirements for hardware upgrades, see Figure 2-8 on page 52. Each of the DS8A00
configurations can be nondisruptively upgraded from the smallest system memory feature to
the largest memory feature that is supported by that configuration.

2.2.6 Licensed functions

Several of the DS8A00 functions require a license key. For more information about licensed
functions, see Chapter 7, “IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions” on page 189.

50 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

2.3 DS8A00 architecture overview
This section provides an architectural overview of the major components of the DS8A00:
򐂰 IBM Power9 processor-based CPCs
򐂰 I/O enclosures and adapters
򐂰 PCIe connectivity and communication
򐂰 Storage subsystem
򐂰 Hardware management

2.3.1 IBM Power9 processor-based CPCs

All DS8A00 systems include two CPCs:
򐂰 In the DS8A50 configurations, the CPCs are IBM Power 9009-42G servers, which have
two processor sockets. The processors run in Turbo mode and typically achieve cycle
speeds of 3.8 GHz.
For the DS8A50 configuration, the CPCs are populated with two 10-core processors, for a
combined total of 20 cores per CPC. The DS8A50 systems support a maximum of
1792 GB of system memory per CPC.
򐂰 The CPCs that are used in DS8A50 feature the following configuration:
– Two single-chip module (SCM) sockets
– Thirty-two DDR4 dual inline memory module (DIMM) slots
– Two BPMs
– Five x16 Gen 4 full-height half-length (FHHL) slots
– Two x8 Gen 4 FHHL slots with x16 connectors
– Four x8 Gen 4 FHHL slots
– Two 800 GB NVMe U.2 drives
– Four power supply units (PSUs).

Figure 2-6 shows CPC front view for the DS8A50 systems.

Figure 2-6 DS8A50 CPC: front view

򐂰 In the DS8A10 configuration, the CPCs are IBM Power 9009-22G servers, which are
populated with two 8-core processors with 5 cores used per processor, which makes 10

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 51

 cores in total per CPC. The processors run in Turbo mode and typically achieve cycle
speeds of 3.8 GHz.
The DS8A10 supports a maximum of 256 GB of system memory per CPC.
򐂰 The CPCs that are used in DS89A0 systems feature the following configuration:
– Two SCM sockets
– Thirty-two DDR4 DIMM slots
– One BPM
– Five x16 Gen4 low-profile, half-length slots
– Two x8 Gen4 low-profile, half-length slot (with x16 connectors)
– Four x8 Gen4 low-profile, half-length slots
– Two 800 GB NVMe U.2 drives
– Two PSUs.

Figure 2-7 shows the CPC front view as configured in the DS8A10 system.

Figure 2-7 DS8A10 CPC: front view

For more information about the server hardware that is used in the DS8A10 and DS8A50, see
IBM Power Systems S922, S914, and S924 Technical Overview and Introduction Featuring
PCIe Gen 4 Technology, REDP-5595.

In the DS8A00, processor core and system memory configurations dictate the hardware that
can be installed in the storage system. Processors and memory can be upgraded
concurrently as required to support storage system hardware upgrades. The supported
maximum system hardware components depend on the total processor and system memory
configuration.

Figure 2-8 shows the supported components for the DS8A00 processor and memory options.
NVS values are typically 1/16th of installed system memory, except for the smallest systems
with 192 GB system memory, where only 8 GB, that is, 4 GB per CPC, is used as NVS, and
for the biggest systems of 3.5 TB memory, where NVS remains at 192 GB.

Figure 2-8 Supported components for the DS8A00 processor and memory options

52 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

2.3.2 Processor memory
The DS8A50 configuration offers up to 3584 GB of total system memory. The DS8A10
Racked configuration offers up to 512 GB of total system memory.

Each CPC contains half of the total system memory. All memory that is installed in each CPC
is accessible to all processors in that CPC. The absolute addresses that are assigned to the
memory are common across all processors in the CPC. The set of processors is referred to
as a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) system.

The Power9 processor that is used in the DS8A00 operates in simultaneous multithreading
(SMT) mode, which runs multiple instruction streams in parallel. The number of simultaneous
instruction streams varies according to processor and LIC level. SMT mode enables the
Power9 processor to maximize the throughput of the processor cores by processing multiple
concurrent threads on each processor core.

The DS8A00 configuration options are based on the total installed memory, which in turn
depends on the number of installed and active processor cores:
򐂰 In the DS8A50, you can install a memory upgrade from 512 GB per server to 1024 GB per
server or to 1792 GB per server nondisruptively.
򐂰 In the DS8A10, you can install a memory upgrade from 128 GB per server to 256 GB per
server.

Caching is a fundamental technique for reducing I/O latency. Like other modern caches, the
DS8A00 system contains volatile memory (RDIMM) that is used as a read/write cache, and
NVDIMM that is used for a persistent memory write cache. (A portion of the NVDIMM
capacity is also used for read/write cache.) The NVDIMM technology eliminates the need for
the large backup battery sets that were used in previous generations of DS8000. If power is
lost, the system shuts down in 20 ms, but power is maintained to the NVDIMMs, and data in
the NVS partition is hardened to onboard NAND flash.

NVS scales according to the processor memory that is installed, which also helps to optimize
performance. NVS is typically 1/16th of the installed CPC memory, with a minimum of 16 GB
and a maximum of 192 GB.

2.3.3 Flexible service processor

Each Power9 processor-based CPC is managed by a flexible service processor (FSP). The
FSP is an embedded controller that is based on an IBM PowerPC® processor.

The FSP controls power and cooling for the CPC. The FSP performs predictive failure
analysis (PFA) for installed processor hardware, and performs recovery actions for processor
or memory errors. The FSP monitors the operation of the firmware during the boot process,
and can monitor the OS for loss of control and take corrective actions.

2.3.4 Ethernet connections

Each Power9 processor-based CPC has a single 4-port, 1 Gbps Ethernet adapter installed.
On all models, the top two of these ports are connected to the internal network switches that
are described in Figure 2-9 on page 54. The bottom two RJ45 copper ports can be used for
Transparent Cloud Tiering (TCT).

A pair of optional adapters is available for TCT as a chargeable Feature Code. Each adapter
provides two 10 Gbps small form-factor pluggable plus (SFP+) optical ports for short

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 53

 distances, and a pair of 1 Gbps (RJ45 copper) connectors. The standard 1 Gbps Ethernet
adapter is in the same slot (P1-C11) in DS8A50 and DS8A10 systems. The optional 10 Gbps
Ethernet adapter is in the P1-C10 slot in DS8A50 and DS8A10 systems. For more information
about TCT, see IBM DS8000 Transparent Cloud Tiering, SG24-8381.

Figure 2-9 shows the location codes of the CPCs in DS8A50 systems. Figure 2-10 shows the
location codes of the CPC in a DS8A10 system.

Figure 2-9 Location codes of the CPC in DS8A50 systems in the rear

Figure 2-10 Location codes of the CPC in the DS8A10 system in the rear

54 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

2.3.5 Peripheral Component Interconnect Express adapters
Each DS8A00 CPC contains multiple PCIe Gen4 adapters. These adapters enable
point-to-point connectivity between CPCs, and I/O enclosures. Depending on the
configuration, up to seven PCIe adapters are in each DS8A00 CPC.

A DS8A00 CPC is equipped with the following PCIe Gen 4 adapters:

򐂰 The DS8A50 system has dual 10-core CPC maximum configuration for two frames, has
six single-port PCIe adapters in slots C2, C4, C6, C8, C9, and C12, and one 2-port PCIe
adapter in slot C3.
򐂰 The DS8A10 system has four single-port PCIe adapters in slots C6, C8, C9, and C12.

Figure 2-11 shows the PCIe adapter locations in the DS8A50 CPC. Figure 2-12 shows the
PCIe adapter locations in the DS8A10 CPC.

Single-port PCIe adapters

slots C2, C4, C6, C8, C9 and C12
Multi-port PCIe adapter slot C3
Figure 2-11 PCIe adapter locations in the DS8A50 CPC: rear view

Single-port PCIe adapters

slots C6, C8, C9, and C12
Figure 2-12 PCIe adapter locations in the DS8A10 CPC: rear view

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 55

2.4 I/O enclosures and adapters
The DS8A00 base frame and expansion frame (if installed) contain I/O enclosures, which are
installed in pairs.

The I/O enclosures are PCIe Gen4-capable, and are attached to the CPCs with 8-lane PCIe
Gen4 cables. The I/O enclosures have six PCIe adapter slots, plus two CXP connectors.
򐂰 DS8A50 CPCs have up to six 1-port and one 2-port PCIe Gen4 adapters that provide
connectivity to the I/O enclosures.
򐂰 DS8A10 CPCs have up to four 1-port PCIe Gen4 adapters that provide connectivity.

Figure 2-13 on page 57 shows the DS8A00 CPC-to-I/O enclosure connectivity.

The DS8A50 configuration requires no extra features to support an expansion frame.

One or two I/O enclosure pairs can be installed in the base frame of the DS8A00 and also in
the E05 expansion frame. Each I/O enclosure can have up to four host adapters. A maximum
of 16 host adapter ports are supported in a single I/O enclosure. The I/O enclosure has up to
two zHyperLink adapters. For more information about zHyperLink availability for DS8A00
models, see Table 2-5 on page 48.

Each I/O enclosure has the following characteristics:

򐂰 3U rack-mountable enclosure
򐂰 Eight PCIe Gen4 slots
– four for host adapters
– two for device adapters
– two zHyperLink adapters
򐂰 Two PCIe connections to the CPCs
򐂰 Redundant power and cooling

Figure 2-13 on page 57 shows the DS8A50 CPC to I/O enclosure connectivity.

56 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 2-13 DS8A50 I/O enclosure connections to the CPCs

Figure 2-14 DS8A10 I/O enclosure connections to the CPC

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 57

2.4.1 Cross-cluster communication
The DS8A00 I/O enclosure hardware is shared between the servers (CPC). A high-speed
communication between the CPCs is establish by using PCIe Gen4 paths through the I/O
enclosures. Normally, the lowest available even-numbered I/O enclosure is used for
communication from server 0 to server 1, and the lowest available odd-numbered I/O
enclosure is used for communication from server 1 to server 0.

Figure 2-15 shows PCIe connections of a DS8A50, One CPC is on the left side and one CPC
is on the right side.

Figure 2-15 DS8A50 series PCIe communications paths

If a failure occurs in one or more I/O enclosures, any of the remaining enclosures can be used
to maintain communication between the servers.

2.4.2 I/O enclosure adapters

The DS8A00F I/O bay provides the connectivity from the host systems to the storage arrays
through the CPCs. Each I/O adapter is optimized for its specific task.

The I/O bay can contain up to four host adapters and two zHyperlink adapters (zHL) that
provide attachment to host systems Also, the I/O bay can contain up to two device adapters to
provide attachment to the High-Performance Flash Enclosure (HPFE) Gen3. Each I/O bay
has two PCIe Gen4 x8 CXP connectors on the I/O bay for the internal PCIe fabric
connections to CPC 0 and CPC 1.

58 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 2-16 shows the DS8A00 I/O bay adapter layout.

Figure 2-16 DS8A00 I/O bay adapter layout

DS8A00 host adapters

Attached host servers interact with software that is running on the CPCs to access data that
is stored on logical volumes. The CPCs manage all read/write requests to the logical volumes
on the storage arrays.

Both 32 Gbps Short Wave and 32 Gbps Long Wave host adapters are available. Both have
four ports and the adapters can auto-negotiate their data transfer rate down to 8 Gbps
full-duplex data transfer. Both host adapters support FCP or FICON protocol.

The 32 Gbps host adapter supports both IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security authentication
and line-rate encryption.

For more information, see IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security for IBM DS8900F and IBM Z,
SG24-8455.

Both adapters contain a high-performance application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). To

ensure maximum data integrity, it supports metadata creation and checking. Each FC port
supports a maximum of 509 host login IDs and 1,280 paths. This configuration enables the
creation of large storage area networks (SANs).

The DS8A50 configurations support a maximum of 16 host adapters in the base frame and 16
extra host adapters in the model E05 expansion frame. The DS8A10 supports a maximum of
16 host adapters.

Host adapters are installed in slots 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the I/O enclosure. Figure 2-16 shows the
locations for the host adapters in the DS8A00 I/O enclosure. The system supports an intermix
of both adapter types up to the maximum number of ports, as shown in Table 2-6.

Optimum availability: To obtain optimum availability and performance, one host adapter
must be installed in each available I/O enclosure before a second host adapter is installed
in the same enclosure.

Table 2-6 DS8A00 port configurations

Model Min/Max host adapters Min/Max host adapter Max zHyperLink
ports adapters

A05 2/16 8/64 8

A05 + E05 2/32 8/128 10a

A01 2/16 8/64 10

a. Maximum of eight in either the base frame or the expansion frame. Maximum of 10 per system.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 59

 Table 2-7 shows the host adapter installation order for the DS8A00 system.

The host adapter locations and installation order for the four I/O enclosures in the base frame
are the same for the I/O enclosures in the expansion frame.

Table 2-7 DS8A00 host adapter installation order Fibre Channel

I/O bay Slot number

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6

For two I/O enclosures (all models, including Model E05a )

bay 02 / 06 N/A N/A 1 3 5 7

bay 03 / 07 N/A N/A 2 4 6 8

For four I/O enclosures (Model A05, Model A01, Model E05a)

bay 00 / 04 N/A N/A 3 7 11 15

bay 01 / 05 N/A N/A 4 8 12 16

bay 02 / 06 N/A N/A 1 5 9 13

bay 03 / 07 N/A N/A 2 6 10 14

a. For the DS8A50 model E05, the enclosure numbers are in emphasized
text, and the plug order is the same as the other models.

The DS8A00 uses the FCP to transmit Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) traffic inside
FC frames. It also uses FC to transmit FICON traffic for IBM Z I/O. Each of the ports on a
DS8A00 host adapter can be configured for FCP or FICON, but a single port cannot be
configured for both concurrently. The port topology can be changed by using the DS GUI or
DS CLI.

Fibre Channel-supported servers

The current list of servers that are supported by FC attachment can be found at the IBM
System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC) website.

Fibre Channel distances

All ports on each adapter must be either LW or SW. The two types cannot be intermixed
within a single adapter. With LW, you can connect nodes at maximum distances of 10 km
(6.2 miles) non-repeated. With SW, you are limited to a distance that depends on the FC
cable type and the data transfer rate. For the distance limitations of a 32 Gbps HA with SW
using OM3 or OM4, see Table 2-8.

Table 2-8 SW link distance

Speed OM3 link distance OM4 link distance

32 Gbps 70 m (229.6 ft.) 100 m (328 ft.)

zHyperlink adapters
zHyperlink adapters can be attached via a point-to-point connection to IBM Z servers running
the z/OS operating system. It provides a low latency interface to a z/OS LPAR, which allows
synchronous I/Os and means the CPU is waiting for a response from the DS8A00. For more
information about zHyperLink, see Getting Started with IBM zHyperLink for z/OS,
REDP-5493.

60 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

In each I/O enclosure two zHyperLink (zHL) adapters can be installed. The number of
supported zHL adapters per system depends on the number of processor cores. A maximum
of 10 zHL adapters can be installed in a DS850F and 4 zHL adapters are supported in a
DS8A10 system. The preferred installation order of the zHL adapters is shown in Table 2-9.

Table 2-9 zHyperLink adapter plug order

zHyperLink Plug order Location

DS8A00 2 DS8A00 2 DS8A00 1 DS8A00 1 Base Frame Expansion

Frame 4x I/O Frame 3x I/O Frame 2x I/O Frame 1x I/O location Frame
enclosure enclosure enclosure enclosure location
pairs pairs pairs pairs

1 1 Bay 6 C7-C1

2 2 Bay 7 C7-C1

3 Bay 4 C7-C1

4 Bay 5 C7-C1

5 3 1 1 Bay 2 C7-C1

6 4 2 Bay 1 C7-C1

7 5 3 2 Bay 3 C7-C1

8 6 4 Bay 0 C7-C1

9 7 Bay 6 C7-C2

10 8 Bay 7 C7-C2

Bay 4 C7-C2

Bay 5 C7-C2

5 3 Bay 2 C7-C2

6 Bay 1 C7-C2

7 4 Bay 3 C7-C2

8 Bay 0 C7-C2

Device adapters
Device adapters (DA) provide redundant NVMe access to the internal storage devices and
support RAID6 and RAID10. Each DA manages a pair of HPFE Gen3 enclosures. The
adapters are always installed as a pair. Logical configuration is then balanced across the DA
pair for load-balancing and the highest throughput.

The DAs are installed in the I/O enclosures and are connected to the CPCs through the PCIe
Gen4 network. The DAs are responsible for managing and monitoring the RAID arrays
(RAID6 / RAID10) in the HPFE enclosures. The DAs provide remarkable performance
because of a high-function and high-performance NVMe design. To ensure maximum data
integrity, the adapter supports metadata creation and checking.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 61

2.5 Flash drive enclosures
The DS8A00 is equipped with High-Performance Flash Enclosure (HPFE) Gen3 storage
enclosures:
򐂰 Flash enclosure pairs connect to devices adapters (DA) by using NVMe connections.
򐂰 DAs are installed in the C1 and C2 slots of I/O enclosures.

HPFE Gen3 enclosures are always installed in pairs. Each enclosure pair supports 16, 32, or
48 flash drives. In Figure 2-17, a pair of HPFE Gen3 enclosures is shown.

Figure 2-17 HPFE Gen3 enclosure

Each HPFE Gen3 pair is connected to a redundant pair of devices adapters. The PCIe Gen 4
DAs are installed in the DS8A00 I/O enclosures.

The DS8A50 configuration can support up to four HPFE Gen3 pairs in the base frame, and up
to four HPFE Gen3 pairs in the expansion frame for a total of eight HPFE Gen3 pairs, with a
maximum of 384 flash drives. The DS8A10 configuration supports up to four HPFE Gen3
pairs, with a maximum of 192 flash drives.

Flash drives in the HPFE Gen3

Each HPFE Gen3 pair can contain 16, 32, or 48 flash drives. HPFE Gen3 supports Industry
Standard NVMe drives with 1.6 TB, 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, and 7.68 TB capacity, and IBM
FlashCore Modules with 4.8 TB, 9.6 TB, and 19.2 TB capacity. Both drive types are NVMe
drives supporting data-at-rest encryption, and the IBM FlashCore Modules also provide data
compression capability. All flash drives in an HPFE Gen3 enclosure pair must be of the same
type, either Industry Standard NVMe or IBM FlashCore Module.

Flash drive sets

Flash drives are ordered in drives sets of 16. The HPFE Gen3 pair can contain 16, 32, or 48
flash drives (1, 2, or 3 drive sets). Half of the drive set is installed in each enclosure of the
pair.

Storage-enclosure fillers
Storage-enclosure fillers occupy empty drive slots in the storage enclosures. The fillers help
ensure consistent airflow through an enclosure. For HPFE Gen3, one filler feature provides a
set of 16 fillers.

Industry Standard NVMe flash drives

The DS8A00F system supports 2.5-inch Industry Standard NVMe flash drives. All flash drives
are Full Disk Encryption (FDE) capable, Table 2-10 on page 63 shows supported NVMe flash
drives. For more information about licensed features, see Chapter 7, “IBM DS8000 G10
features and licensed functions” on page 189.

62 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Table 2-10 Supported high-performance flash drives
Feature Code Drive capacity Drive type RAID support
(Default RAID 6)

AAA0 1.6 TB 2.5-in NVMe 6 and 10

AAB0 1.92 TB 2.5-in NVMe 6 and 10

AAB1 3.84 TB 2.5-in NVMe 6 and 10

AAB2 7.68 TB 2.5-in NVMe 6 and 10

IBM FlashCore Modules

The DS8A00 system is the first DS8000 generation that supports 2.5-inch IBM FCMs which
are NVMe drives supporting data-at-rest-encryption and hardware compression. The
hardware compression on each FCM uses LZ77 + Dynamic Huffman Encoding on 16 KB
blocks. Compression and thin provisioning within FCMs cannot be disabled.

For FCMs, Easy Tier auto mode must be enabled to allow extent management.

FCMs supports space reclamation on a track boundary (56 KB CKD / 64 KB Open) instead of
an extent boundary.

Note: With DS8A00 Release 10.0, no intermix of Industry-Standard NVMe and IBM FCMs
in a High-Performance Flash Enclosure or in a storage pool is supported.

The IBM FlashCore Modules are available in 4.8 TB, 9.6 TB, and 19.2 TB capacities, see
Table 2-11. For more information about FCMs, see IBM FlashCore Module Product Guide.

Table 2-11 IBM FlashCore Modules capacity

Feature Code Drive capacity Drive type RAID support
(Default RAID 6)

AAAA 4.8 TB 2.5-in. IBM FCM 6, 10

AAAB 9.6 TB 2.5-in. IBM FCM 6, 10

AAAC 19.2 TB 2.5-in. IBM FCM 6, 10

Arrays and spares

Each HPFE Gen3 pair can contain up to six array sites. Each set of 16 flash drives creates
two 8-drive array sites. During logical configuration, RAID 6 arrays are created by default on
each array site, and the required number of spares are created. Each HPFE Gen3 pair always
has two global spares, which are created from the first increment of 16 flash drives. For
RAID 6 arrays, the first two arrays that are created from these array sites are 5+P+Q+S.
Subsequent RAID 6 arrays in the same HPFE Gen3 Pair are 6+P+Q.

Note: For all drive types, RAID 6 is the default in the DS GUI and DS CLI, but RAID 10 is
optional.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 63

 System capacity limitations
There are capacity limitations depending on the use of small or large extents. The maximum
amount of usable and provisioned capacities from small and large extents depend on the
amount of system cache, as shown in Table 2-12.

Table 2-12 Maximum usable and provisioned capacity based on system cache size
Cache Maximum Maximum Maximum Maximum
usable size with provisioned size usable size with provisioned size
large extents with large small extents with small
extents extents

Less than or Fixed-Block (FB): FB: 8192 TiB FB: 1024 TiB FB: 2048 TiB
equal to 512 GB 8192 TiB CKD: 7304 TiB CKD: 1102 TiB CKD: 1826 TiB
Count Key Data
(CKD): 7304 TiB

Greater than FB: 32768 TiB FB: ~32768 TiB FB: 4096 TiB FB: ~8192 TiB
512 GB CKD: 29216 TiB CKD: ~29216 TiB CKD: 4410 TiB CKD: ~7304 TiB

Table 2-13 shows the maximum number of flash drives and maximum raw storage capacity
for the different models.

Table 2-13 Maximum raw storage capacity per model

Model / Processors System memory Maximum Maximum raw
(GB) number of storage
flash drives capacitya

DS8A50 / 40-core 1 024 384 7372.8 TB

2 048
3 584

DS8A10 / 20-core 256 192 3686.4 TB

512
a. Using 19.2 TB FCM drives without compression.

2.6 Power and cooling

The DS8A00 power and cooling systems are highly redundant. The components are
described in this section. For more information, see 4.6, “RAS on the power subsystem” on
page 129.

2.6.1 Intelligent Power Distribution Units

By using NVDIMMs for write cache retention, the DS8A00 can help simplify rack power
distribution. The DS8A00 systems use compact intelligent power distribution units (iPDUs)
that significantly reduce the rack footprint and weight.

The iPDUs are available in single or three-phase power configurations in all models. Each
iPDU has one AC power connector and a dedicated inline power cord. Output power is
provided by 12 C13 power outlets with circuit breaker protection.

Figure 2-18 on page 65 shows the iPDU connections.

64 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Ethernet and

serial connector

12x C13 power outlets

AC input line connector

Figure 2-18 iPDU connections

iPDUs are installed in pairs. Each DS8A00 rack has a minimum of one iPDU pair. For models
A05, a second pair can be installed in the base frame to provide power for more I/O and
storage enclosures.

DS8A00 can tolerate a power line disturbance (PLD) of up to 20 ms. If the PLD exceeds this
threshold on both sides of the power domain, the system initiates an orderly shutdown, and
data in write cache is saved to flash memory in the NVDIMMs. The NVDIMMs remain
functional, even if the system has a complete power outage. For more information about
NVDIMMs, see 2.6.3, “Backup Power Modules and NVDIMM” on page 68.

The iPDUs are managed by using the black and gray internal private networks. Each of the
outlets can be individually monitored, and powered on or off. The iPDUs support Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMP), telnet, and a web interface.

DS8A00 HMCs can control system power and monitoring by communicating to the network
interfaces of the iPDUs and CPCs.

HMCs provide control and monitoring of the following items:

򐂰 AC power ON/OFF the whole system
򐂰 iPDU configuration
򐂰 iPDU health checking and error reporting
򐂰 Collecting power usage statistical data
򐂰 Controlling single power outlets during service actions
򐂰 iPDU firmware update

Figure 2-19 on page 66 shows redundant Ethernet connections (black and gray network) of
the iPDUs and CPCs for a DS8A50, which is equivalent to the network configuration on a
DS8A10. The red connection for both rack power control hubs (Ethernet switches) provides
backup power from the other rack control hub in the event of local power failure.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 65

 Figure 2-19 DS8A50 Ethernet connections to iPDUs and CPCs

66 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 2-20 shows an example how the power is distributed when two iPDU pairs are
installed. Note the power connections of a second HPFE Gen3 storage enclosure or the
second I/O enclosure pair.

Figure 2-20 DS8A50 iPDU power connections

Adding a model E05 expansion frame to a DS8A50 system also adds another iPDU pair in
that frame, which requires Ethernet connections to the rack control hub in the base frame.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 67

2.6.2 Power domains
To provide redundant power, the iPDUs are organized into groups that are called power
domains. As shown in Figure 2-20 on page 67, the iPDUs on one side of the racks form a
power domain. In the rear of the storage system, the iPDUs on the left side of the racks are in
one domain (green), and the iPDUs on the right side of the racks are in the other (yellow)
power domain.

The redundant power supplies in the CPCs, I/O enclosures, HPFE Gen3 enclosures, and the
HMC are connected across both power domains. The left power supplies connect to the
green domain, and the right power supplies connect to the yellow domain.

For full redundancy, each power domain must be connected to separate power distribution
systems that are fed by independent building power sources or service entrances.

2.6.3 Backup Power Modules and NVDIMM

In DS8A00 systems, system memory consists of RDIMMs for read/write cache memory, and
NVDIMMs, which contain the write NVS partitions. A portion of the NVDIMM capacity is also
accessed as ordinary read/write cache. The NVDIMM Persistent Memory Write Cache design
eliminates the need for DC-UPSs and bulky battery sets, thus reducing the footprint of the
DS8A00 racks.

During normal operation, the NVDIMMs behave like any other DRAM, but when a power
outage or other system failure occurs, the NVS partition contents are hardened in NAND flash
storage. This NAND flash storage is with the DRAM chips on the NVDIMM module. The
content is encrypted when written to the flash storage to prevent unauthorized access to the
contents. Storing the write cache data in flash chips replaces the need for a data dump, which
was used on earlier DS8000 models to harden NVS data to disk. Figure 2-21 shows a
symbolic view of an NVDIMM module.

Figure 2-21 NVDIMM logic

BPMs connect directly to the NVDIMM modules to provide power during the DRAM to flash
operation. They are specific nickel-based hybrid energy storage modules with a high-power
discharge and fast charge times of 3–15 minutes. When system power is restored, the
NVDIMMs move the preserved data from flash back to DRAM to be destaged to the storage
system arrays during initial microcode load (IML).

68 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 The Power9 processor-based systems support up to four NVDIMMs per CPC in designated
memory slots.

The size of a BPM is smaller than a standard 2.5-inch disk drive module (DDM) and fits into
one of the free CPC disk drive bays. A maximum of two BPMs are installed per CPC.

Figure 2-22 shows an example of a BPM.

Figure 2-22 Backup Power Module

With the BPMs connected directly to the NVDIMMs, the DRAM to flash operation functions
independently without the need for any power that is provided by the CPC.

The NVDIMM capability is in addition to the data protection concept of storing the write cache
NVS on the alternative node. For more information, see 4.2, “CPC failover and failback” on
page 110.

NVDIMM configurations use either up to four 16 GB modules or up to four 32 GB modules.

NVDIMMs are always installed in pairs of the same size. With 16 GB NVDIMMs, one BPM is
sufficient to provide power to both modules in one CPC. With 32 GB NVDIMMs, two BPMs
are provided in each CPC, with one for each NVDIMM.

2.6.4 Power cord options

The power cord must be ordered for a specific input voltage and connector type to meet local
requirements, and these requirements vary worldwide. In cases where the supplied power
cord does not include a connector, the proper connector must be installed by an electrician
after the system is delivered. For more information, see IBM Storage DS8000 10.0
Introduction and Planning Guide, G10-I53-00.

Three-Phase, and Single-Phase Power connections

Power attachment to a DS8000 is available by either Three-Phase Power connect (L1, L2, L3,
N, PE – Wye, 5 connections; or: L1, L2, L3, PE – Delta, 4 connections), or Single-Phase
Power connect (L, N, PE – 3 connections). One of the advantages of three-phase alternating
current is that it delivers almost twice as much power as single-phase systems without the
need for twice the number of wires. Also, a better phase compensation is often possible.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 69

 Initial restrictions
For the initial (10.0) version of the DS8A00 model, certain restrictions apply with regards to
power attachment:
򐂰 In the Base frame (A0x), FCMs are restricted to up to 2 drive sets (32 drives) per HPFE, if
Single-Phase Power is used. This restriction does not apply to industry-standard drives. It
also does not apply if 3-phase power is used.
򐂰 If you're using the Expansion frame (E05) with Single-Phase Power and have more than
64 drives with FCMs, you need 4 iPDUs. This restriction does not apply when using
3-phase power attachment. This restriction does not apply to industry-standard drives.

2.6.5 Enclosure power supply units

The CPCs, I/O enclosures, HMC, and HPFE Gen3 enclosures have redundant PSUs for each
enclosure that are fed by both left and right-side iPDUs. Left and right-side iPDUs should be
fed by independent power distribution sources whenever possible. The PSUs have their own
internal cooling fans. Each enclosure also has its own redundant cooling fans. All fans draw
cool air from the front of the frame and exhaust hot air to the rear of the frame.

Note: The DS8A00 is designed for efficient air flow and to be compliant with hot and cold
aisle data center configurations.

2.7 Hardware Management Console and network

Every DS8A00 base frame is equipped with a pair of Power9 Hardware Management
Consoles (HMC), and two private network Ethernet switches also known as rack power
control hubs. The secondary HMC is a redundant point of management in the DS8A00.

Figure 2-23 on page 71 shows locations of both HMCs, the keyboard and monitor drawer and
the Ethernet switches (rack power control hubs) in a DS8A10 base frame.

The storage administrator runs all DS8A00 logical configuration tasks by using the Storage
Management GUI or DS CLI. All client communications to the storage system are through the
HMCs.

Clients that use the DS8A00 advanced functions, such as MM or FlashCopy, communicate to
the storage system with IBM Copy Services Manager.

The HMCs provide connectivity between the storage system and external Encryption Key
Manager (EKM) servers.

HMCs also provide remote Call Home and remote support connectivity.

For more information about the HMC, see Chapter 6, “IBM DS8A00 Management Console
planning and setup” on page 161.

70 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 2-23 DS8A10 location of KVM, HMCs, and Rack Power Control Hubs (Ethernet switches)

Ethernet switches (Rack Power Control Hubs)

The DS8A00 base frame has two 10-port Ethernet switches (Rack Power Control Hubs)
installed. The two switches provide redundant connectivity for the black and gray private
management networks. The FSPs and LPARs in each CPC have dual network connections,
with each connecting to the black and gray switch network, see Figure 2-19 on page 66. The
switches receive power from the IPDUs in the Base Frame.

Each HMC also uses two designated Ethernet interfaces for the internal black (eth0) and gray
(eth3) networks.

The black and gray networks provide fully redundant communication between the HMCs and
CPCs. These networks cannot be accessed externally, and no external connections are
allowed. External customer network connections for both HMCs are provided at the rear of
the base rack.

When an expansion frame E05 is installed for a DS8A50, an Ethernet connection is

established from both Rack Power Control Hubs to the iPDUs in the expansion frame.

Important: The internal Ethernet switches (Rack Power Control Hubs) are for the DS8A00
private networks only. Do not connect an external network (or any other equipment) to the
black or gray network switches.

Chapter 2. IBM DS8A00 hardware components and architecture 71

72 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
 3

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts

This chapter describes virtualization concepts as they apply to the IBM DS8A00 system

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “Virtualization definition” on page 74
򐂰 “Benefits of virtualization” on page 74
򐂰 “Abstraction layers for drive virtualization” on page 75
򐂰 “Extent pools” on page 78
򐂰 “Terminology for IBM Storage products” on page 101

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 73

3.1 Virtualization definition
For the purposes of this chapter, virtualization is the abstraction of a physical drive to one or
more logical volumes. This virtual drive is presented to hosts and systems as though it is a
physical drive.

3.2 Benefits of virtualization

Virtualization in IBM DS8A00 includes the following benefits:
򐂰 Flexible logical volume configuration:
– Multiple redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID) types (RAID 6, and RAID 10).
RAID 6 is preferred and is the default for all drive types.
– Storage types (Count Key Data (CKD) and Fixed-Block (FB) architecture) that are
aggregated into separate extent pools.
– Volumes are provisioned (allocated) from extents of the extent pool.
– Storage pool striping.
– Dynamically add and remove volumes.
– Logical volume configuration states.
– Dynamic Volume Expansion (DVE).
– Extent space efficient (ESE) volumes for thin provisioning of FB and CKD volumes.
– Support for small and large extents.
– Extended address volumes (EAVs) (CKD).
– Parallel access volumes (PAVs) across logical control units (LCUs) (SuperPAV for
CKD).
– Dynamic extent pool merging for IBM Easy Tier.
– Dynamic Volume Relocation (DVR) for Easy Tier.
– Easy Tier Heat Map Transfer (HMT).
򐂰 Flexible logical volume sizes:
– CKD: Up to 1 TB (1,182,006 cylinders) by using EAVs.
– FB: Up to 16 TiB either with small or large extents (limit of 4 TiB when used with Copy
Services (CS)).
򐂰 Flexible number of logical volumes:
– Up to 65280 (CKD).
– Up to 65280 (FB).
– 65280 total for mixed CKD + FB.
򐂰 No strict relationship between RAID ranks and logical subsystems (LSSs).
򐂰 LSS definition allows flexible configuration of the number and size of devices per LSS:
– With larger devices, fewer LSSs can be used.
– Volumes for a particular application can be kept in a single LSS.
– Smaller LSSs can be defined, if required (for applications that require less storage).
– Test systems can have their own LSSs with fewer volumes than production systems.

74 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

3.3 Abstraction layers for drive virtualization
Virtualization in the DS8A00 refers to the process of preparing physical drives for storing data
on logical volumes, for use by attached hosts. Logical volumes are seen by the hosts as if
they were physical storage. In open systems, this process is known as creating logical unit
numbers (LUNs). In IBM Z, it refers to the creation of 3390 logical volumes.

The basis for virtualization begins with the physical drives, which are mounted in storage
enclosures and connected to the internal storage servers. DS8A00 uses the
High-Performance Flash Enclosure (HPFE) Gen3 storage enclosures exclusively. To learn
more about the drive options and their connectivity to the internal storage servers, see 2.5,
“Flash drive enclosures” on page 62.

Virtualization builds upon the physical drives as a series of layers:

򐂰 Array sites
򐂰 Arrays
򐂰 Ranks
򐂰 Extent pools
򐂰 Logical volumes
򐂰 LSSs / LCUs

Note: The DS GUI streamlines the process to configure arrays, ranks, and extent pool
pairs in a single operation. For more granular control, the DS CLI can be used to manage
these entities individually. For more information, see Chapter 10, “IBM DS8A00 Storage
Management Command-line Interface” on page 319

3.3.1 Array sites

An array site is formed from a group of eight identical drives with the same capacity, and drive
class. The specific drives that are assigned to an array site are automatically chosen by the
system at installation time to balance the array site capacity across both drive enclosures in a
pair and across the connections to both storage servers. The array site also determines the
drives that are required to be reserved as spares. No predetermined storage server affinity
exists for array sites. Array sites are the building blocks that are used to define arrays.

3.3.2 Arrays
An array is created from one array site. When an array is created, its RAID level, array type,
and array configuration are defined. This process is also called defining an array. In all
IBM DS8000 series implementations, one array is always defined as using one array site.

Two RAID levels are supported in the DS8A00:

򐂰 RAID 6 (default)
򐂰 RAID 10

Each HPFE Gen3 pair can contain up to six array sites. The first set of 16 flash drives creates
two 8-drive array sites. RAID 6 arrays are created by default on each array site. RAID 10 is
optional for all flash drive sizes (RAID-5 is no longer supported).

During logical configuration, RAID 6 arrays with the required number of spares are created.
Each HPFE Gen3 pair has two global spares that are created from the first increment of 16
flash drives. The first two arrays to be created from these array sites are 5+P+Q+S.
Subsequent RAID 6 arrays in the same HPFE Gen3 Pair are 6+P+Q.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 75

 Important: Using RAID 6 is recommended, and it is the default in the DS GUI. As drives
increase in size, the RAID rebuild times (after one drive failure) also increase. Using RAID
6 reduces the danger of data loss due to a double-drive failure. For more information, see
4.5.1, “RAID configurations” on page 121.

For more information about the sparing algorithm, see 4.5.10, “Spare creation” on page 128.

Figure 3-1 shows the creation of a RAID 6 array with one spare, which is also called a
5+P+Q+S array. It has a capacity of five drives for data, two drives for double distributed
parity, and a spare drive. According to the RAID 6 rules, parities are distributed across all
seven drives in this example.

Figure 3-1 Creation of a 5+P+Q+S array

Depending on the selected RAID level and sparing requirements, four types of arrays are
possible, as shown in Figure 3-2.

Figure 3-2 Supported RAID array types

Tip: Larger drives have a longer rebuild time. Only RAID 6 can recover from a double drive
failure during a rebuild, by using the additional parity data. RAID 6 is the best choice for
systems that require high availability (HA), and is the default in DS8A00.

76 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

3.3.3 Ranks
After the arrays are created, the next task is to define a rank. A rank is a logical
representation of the physical array that is formatted for use as FB or CKD storage types. In
the DS8A00, ranks are defined in a one-to-one relationship to arrays. Before you define any
ranks, you must decide whether you plan to encrypt the data or not.

Encryption group
All drives that are offered in the DS8A00 are Full Disk Encryption (FDE)-capable to secure all
logical volume data at rest. In the DS8A00, the Encryption Authorization license is included in
the Base Function (BF) license group.

If you plan to use encryption for data at rest, you must define an encryption group before any
ranks are created. The DS8A00 supports only one encryption group. All ranks must be in this
encryption group. The encryption group is an attribute of a rank. Therefore, your choice is to
encrypt everything or nothing. If you want to enable encryption later (create an encryption
group), all logical configuration must be deleted and re-created, and volume data restored.

For more information, see IBM DS8000 Encryption for Data at Rest, Transparent Cloud
Tiering, and Endpoint Security (DS8000 Release 9.1), REDP-4500.

Defining ranks
When a new rank is defined, its name is chosen by the DS GUI or Data Storage
Command-line Interface (DS CLI), for example, R1, R2, or R3. The rank is then associated
with an array.

Important: In all DS8000 series implementations, a rank is defined as using only one
array. Therefore, rank and array can be treated as synonyms.

The process of defining a rank accomplishes the following objectives:

򐂰 The array is formatted for FB data for open systems or CKD for IBM Z data. This
formatting determines the size of the set of data that is contained on one drive within a
stripe on the array.
򐂰 The capacity of the array is subdivided into partitions, which are called extents. The extent
size depends on the extent type, whether FB or CKD. The extents are the building blocks
of the logical volumes. An extent is striped across all drives in an array, and it is
represented by the small squares in Figure 3-3 on page 79.
򐂰 You can choose between large extents and small extents.

An FB rank features an extent size of either 1 GB (more precisely a gibibyte (GiB), which is a
binary gigabyte that is equal to 230 bytes), called large extents, or an extent size of 16
mebibytes (MiB), called small extents.

IBM Z users or administrators typically do not deal with gigabytes or gibibytes. Instead,
storage is defined in terms of the original 3390 volume sizes. A 3390 Model 3 is three times
the size of a Model 1. A Model 1 features 1113 cylinders, which are about 0.946 GB.

In a 3390 Model 1, the large extent size for CKD ranks is 1113 cylinders. The small extent
size for CKD ranks is 21 cylinders, which corresponds to the z/OS allocation unit for EAV
volumes larger than 65520 cylinders. z/OS changes the addressing modes and allocates
storage in 21 cylinder units.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 77

 An extent can be assigned to only one volume. You can define a CKD volume with a capacity
that is an integral multiple of one cylinder or an FB LUN with a capacity that is an integral
multiple of 128 logical blocks (64 KB). However, if you define a volume this way, you might
waste the unused capacity in the last extent that is assigned to the volume.

For example, the DS8A00 theoretically supports a minimum CKD volume size of one cylinder,
but the volume still claims one full extent of 1113 cylinders if large extents are used or 21
cylinders for small extents. So, 1112 cylinders are wasted if large extents are used.

Note: In the DS8A00 firmware, all volumes have a common metadata structure. All
volumes have the metadata structure of ESE volumes, whether the volumes are
thin-provisioned or fully provisioned. ESE is described in 3.4.4, “Volume allocation and
metadata” on page 91.

Small or large extents

Whether you use small or large extents depends on the goals that you want to achieve. Small
extents provide better capacity utilization, particularly for thin-provisioned storage. With
thin-provisioned volumes, using small extents is preferred. However, managing many small
extents causes some small performance degradation during initial allocation. For example, a
format write of 1 GB requires one storage allocation with large extents, but 64 storage
allocations with small extents. Otherwise, host performance should not be adversely affected.

3.4 Extent pools

An extent pool is a logical construct to aggregate the extents from a set of ranks, and it forms
a domain for extent allocation to a logical volume. Historically, extent pools were used to
separate drives with different RPMs and capacities. Although you can still use extent pools to
separate different flash tiers (Tier 1 and Tier 2), Easy Tier doesn't manage data placement
across these pools.

No rank or array affinity to an internal server (central processor complex (CPC) is predefined.
The affinity of the rank (and its associated array) to a server is determined when it is assigned
to an extent pool. One or more ranks with the same extent type (FB or CKD) can be assigned
to an extent pool.

Important: Because a rank is formatted to have small or large extents, the first rank that is
assigned to an extent pool determines whether the extent pool is a pool of all small or all
large extents. You cannot have a pool with a mixture of small and large extents. You cannot
change the extent size of an extent pool. In addition, FCM (Flash Copy Manager) capacity
cannot be intermixed with independent storage capacity within an extent pool.

If you want Easy Tier to automatically optimize rank utilization, configure more than one rank
in an extent pool. A rank can be assigned to only one extent pool. As many extent pools as
ranks can exist, but for the majority of systems, a single pair of extent pools for each rank type
(FB or CKD) will provide the best overall performance.

Easy Tier moves data within an extent pool to optimize the placement of the data within the
pools.

Note: FCM storage requires Easy Tier to be enabled.

78 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

With storage pool striping, you can create logical volumes that are striped across multiple
ranks to enhance performance. To benefit from storage pool striping, more than one rank in
an extent pool is required.

Storage pool striping can enhance performance significantly. However, in the unlikely event
that a whole RAID array fails, the loss of the associated rank affects the entire extent pool
because data is striped across all ranks in the pool. For data protection, consider mirroring
your data to another DS8000 family storage system.

When an extent pool is defined, it must be assigned the following attributes:

򐂰 Internal storage server affinity
򐂰 Extent type (FB or CKD)
򐂰 Encryption group

As with ranks, extent pools are also assigned to encryption group 0 or 1, where group 0 is
non-encrypted, and group 1 is encrypted. The DS8A00 supports only one encryption group,
and all extent pools must use the same encryption setting that is used for the ranks.

A minimum of two extent pools must be configured to balance the capacity and workload
between the two servers. One extent pool is assigned to internal server 0. The other extent
pool is assigned to internal server 1. In a system with both FB and CKD volumes, four extent
pools provide one FB pool for each server and one CKD pool for each server.

In DS8A00, small extents are the default when creating extent pools. If you plan on using
large extents for ESE volumes you must create an additional pool pair with large extents.
Small and large extents cannot be in the same pool.

Figure 3-3 shows an example of a mixed environment that features CKD and FB extent pools.

Extent Pool P0-FB Extent Pool P1-FB

Rank R0
Rank R3
1 GB extents
POWER9 - Server-0

POWER9 - Server-1
16 MB extents
Rank R1

1 GB extents Rank R4
Rank R2
1 6 MB extents
1 GB extents

Extent Pool P3-CKD

Extent Pool P2-CKD Rank R6
Rank R5
1113 cyl extents
Rank R7
21 cyl extents
1113 cyl extents

Figure 3-3 Extent pools

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 79

 Extent pools can be expanded by adding more ranks to the pool. All ranks that belong to
extent pools with the same internal server affinity are called a rank group. Ranks are
organized in two rank groups. Rank group 0 is controlled by server 0, and rank group 1 is
controlled by server 1, however in DS8A00, both servers have read/write access to all drives,
using all four internal NVMe paths.

3.4.1 Dynamic extent pool merge

Dynamic extent pool merge is a capability that is provided by the Easy Tier manual mode
facility, which is shown in Figure 3-4 on page 81. It allows one extent pool to be merged into
another extent pool if they meet these criteria:
򐂰 Have extents of the same size
򐂰 Have the same flash drive type (Independent Storage or Flash Copy Manager)
򐂰 Have the same formatting of either Fixed Block (FB) or Count Key Data (CKD)
򐂰 Have the same DS8A00 internal server affinity

When merging extent pools, the logical volumes remain accessible to the host systems.
Dynamic extent pool merge can be used for the following reasons:
򐂰 Consolidation of two extent pools with the equivalent storage type (Independent Storage
or Flash Copy Manager), equivalent formatting (FB or CKD), and equivalent extent size,
into one extent pool. If you create a pool that contains more extents, logical volumes can
be distributed over a greater number of ranks, which improves overall performance in the
presence of skewed workloads. Newly created volumes in the merged extent pool allocate
capacity as specified by the selected extent allocation algorithm. Logical volumes that
existed in either the source or the target extent pool can be redistributed over the set of
ranks in the merged extent pool by using the Migrate Volume function.

Note: Migrating volumes from one FCM pool to another FCM pool is not supported with
DS8A00 Release 10.0.

򐂰 Consolidating Independent Storage extent pools with different storage tiers to create a
merged extent pool with a mix of storage drive technologies. This type of an extent pool is
called a multitiered pool, and it is a prerequisite for using the Easy Tier automatic mode
feature.

80 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Tier 0 Pools Tier 1 Pools Tier 2 Pools

Merge Pools

Merged

Easy Tier Application Manual Volume Migration

• Application-assisted data • Change Disk Class
placement to designated tiers. • Change RAID Type
• Change striping

Easy Tier Application

Volume based data relocation
Cross tier data relocation
Automated intra tier data relocation

Figure 3-4 Easy Tier migration types

Important: Volume migration (or DVR) within the same extent pool is not supported in
multitiered pools. Easy Tier automatic mode rebalances the volumes’ extents within the
multitiered extent pool automatically based on I/O activity.

Dynamic extent pool merge is allowed only among extent pools with the same internal server
affinity or rank group. Additionally, the dynamic extent pool merge is not allowed in the
following circumstances:
򐂰 If source and target pools have different storage types (Independent Storage and
FlashCopy Manager)
򐂰 If source and target pools have different format types (Fixed Block and Count Key Data).
򐂰 If source and target pools have different extent sizes
򐂰 If you selected an extent pool that contains volumes that are being moved.
򐂰 If the combined extent pools include 2 PB or more of ESE effective (virtual) capacity

For more information about Easy Tier, see IBM DS8000 Easy Tier (Updated for DS8000
R9.0), REDP-4667.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 81

3.4.2 Logical volumes
A logical volume consists of a set of extents from one extent pool. The DS8A00 supports up
to 65,280 logical volumes (64 K CKD or 64 K FB volumes, or a mixture of both, up to a
maximum of 64 K total volumes). The abbreviation 64 K is used in this section, even though it
is 65,536 minus 256, which is not quite 64 K in binary.

Fixed-Block LUNs
A logical volume that is composed of FB extents is called a LUN. An FB LUN is composed of
one or more 1 GiB (230 bytes) large extents or one or more 16 MiB small extents from one FB
extent pool. A LUN cannot span multiple extent pools, but a LUN can have extents from
multiple ranks within the same extent pool. You can construct LUNs up to 16 TiB (16 x 240
bytes, or 244 bytes) when you use large extents.

Important: DS8000 CS does not support FB logical volumes larger than 4 TiB. Do not
create a LUN that is larger than 4 TiB if you want to use CS for the LUN unless the LUN is
integrated as Managed Disks in an IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC), and is using
IBM Spectrum® Virtualize CS.

LUNs can be provisioned (allocated) in binary GiB (230 bytes), decimal GB (109 bytes), or
512-byte or 520-byte blocks. However, the usable (physical) capacity that is provisioned
(allocated) is a multiple of 1 GiB. For small extents, it is a multiple of 16 MiB. Therefore, it is a
good idea to use LUN sizes that are a multiple of a gibibyte or a multiple of 16 MiB. If you
define a LUN with a size that is not a multiple of 1 GiB (for example, 25.5 GiB), the LUN size
is 25.5 GiB. However, 26 GiB are physically provisioned (allocated), of which 0.5 GiB of the
physical storage is unusable. When you want to specify a LUN size that is not a multiple of 1
GiB, specify the number of blocks. A 16 MiB extent has 32768 blocks.

The allocation process for FB volumes is illustrated in Figure 3-5.

Extent Pool FBprod

Logical
3 GB LUN
1 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB
Rank-a free
3 GB LUN

1 GB 1 GB
Rank-b used
free
used
free Allocate a 3 GB LUN

Extent Pool FBprod

1 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB
Rank-a used
3 GB LUN 2.9 GB LUN
created

1 GB 1 GB
used used
Rank-b used used
100 MB unused

Figure 3-5 Creation of an FB LUN

82 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

With small extents, wasted storage is not an issue.

A FB LUN must be managed by a Logical SubSystem (LSS). One LSS can manage up to 256
LUNs. The LSSs are created and managed by the DS8A00, as required. A total of 255 LSSs
can be created in the DS8A00.

IBM i logical unit numbers

IBM i LUNs are composed of FB 1 GiB (or 16 MiB) extents. However, special aspects must be
considered with IBM i LUNs. LUNs that are created on a DS8A00 are always RAID-protected.
LUNs are based on RAID 6 or RAID 10 arrays. However, you might want to make it seem to
IBM i that the LUN is not RAID-protected. This setup causes IBM i to conduct its own
mirroring.

IBM i LUNs can use the unprotected attribute, in which case the DS8A00 reports that the
LUN is not RAID-protected. Selecting either the protected or unprotected attribute does not
affect the RAID protection that is used by the DS8A00 on the open volume.

IBM i LUNs display a 520-byte block to the host. The operating system (OS) uses eight of
these bytes, so the usable space is still 512 bytes like other Small Computer System Interface
(SCSI) LUNs. The capacities that are quoted for the IBM i LUNs are in terms of the 512-byte
block capacity, and they are expressed in GB (109 ). Convert these capacities to GiB (230 )
when you consider the effective usage of extents that are 1 GiB (230 ).

Important: The DS8A00 supports IBM i variable volume (LUN) sizes in addition to fixed
volume sizes.

IBM i volume enhancement adds flexibility for volume sizes and can optimize the DS8A00
capacity usage for IBM i environments.

The DS8A00 supports IBM i variable volume data types A50, which is an unprotected variable
size volume, and A99, which is a protected variable size volume. For more information, see
Table 3-1. IBM i variable volumes can be dynamically expanded.

Table 3-1 IBM i variable volume sizes

Model type IBM i Number of Extents Unusable Usable
device logical space space%
Unprotected Protected size (GB) block (GiB1 )
addresses
(LBAs)

2107-050 2107-099 Variable 0.00 Variable

Example 3-1 demonstrates the creation of both a protected and an unprotected IBM i variable
size volume by using the DS CLI.

Example 3-1 Creating the IBM i variable size for unprotected and protected volumes
dscli> mkfbvol -os400 050 -extpool P4 -name itso_iVarUnProt1 -cap 10 5413
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 5413 successfully created.

dscli> mkfbvol -os400 099 -extpool P4 -name itso_iVarProt1 -cap 10 5417

CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 5417 successfully created.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 83

 When you plan new capacity for an existing IBM i system, the larger the LUN, the more data it
might have, which causes more I/O operations per second (IOPS) to be driven to it.
Therefore, mixing different drive sizes within the same system might lead to hot spots.

Note: IBM i fixed volume sizes continue to be supported in current DS8A00 code levels.
Consider the best option for your environment between fixed and variable-size volumes.

T10 Data Integrity Field support

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) T10 standard provides a way to check the
integrity of data that is read and written from the application or the host bus adapter (HBA) to
the drive and back through the storage area network (SAN) fabric. This check is implemented
through the Data Integrity Field (DIF) that is defined in the T10 standard. This support adds
protection information that consists of a cyclic redundancy check (CRC), LBA, and host
application tags to each sector of FB data on a logical volume.

A T10 DIF-capable LUN uses 520-byte sectors instead of the common 512-byte sector size.
Eight bytes are added to the standard 512-byte data field. The 8-byte DIF consists of 2 bytes
of CRC data, a 4-byte Reference Tag (to protect against misdirected writes), and a 2-byte
Application Tag for applications that might use it.

On a write, the DIF is generated by the HBA, which is based on the block data and LBA. The
DIF field is added to the end of the data block, and the data is sent through the fabric to the
storage target. The storage system validates the CRC and Reference Tag and, if correct,
stores the data block and DIF on the physical media. If the CRC does not match the data, the
data was corrupted during the write. The write operation is returned to the host with a write
error code. The host records the error and retransmits the data to the target. In this way, data
corruption is detected immediately on a write, and the corrupted data is never committed to
the physical media.

On a read, the DIF is returned with the data block to the host, which validates the CRC and
Reference Tags. This validation adds a small amount of latency for each I/O, but it might affect
overall response time on smaller block transactions (less than 4 KB I/Os).

The DS8A00 supports the T10 DIF standard for FB volumes that are accessed by the Fibre
Channel Protocol (FCP) channels that are used by Linux on IBM Z or AIX. You can define
LUNs with an option to instruct the DS8A00 to use the CRC-16 T10 DIF algorithm to store the
data.

You can also create T10 DIF-capable LUNs for OSs that do not yet support this feature
(except for IBM i). Active protection is available for Linux on IBM Z and for AIX on Power
Systems servers. For other distributed OSs, read their documentation.

When you create an FB LUN by running the DS CLI command mkfbvol, add the option
-t10dif. If you query a LUN with the showfbvol command, the data type is FB 512T instead
of the standard FB 512 type.

Important: Because the DS8A00 internally always uses 520-byte sectors to support IBM i
volumes, no capacity is considered when standard or T10 DIF-capable volumes are used.

Target LUN: When FlashCopy for a T10 DIF LUN is used, the target LUN must also be a
T10 DIF-type LUN. This restriction does not apply to mirroring.

84 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Count Key Data volumes
An IBM Z CKD volume is composed of one or more extents from one CKD extent pool. CKD
extents are of the size of 3390 Model 1, which features 1113 cylinders for large extents or
21 cylinders for small extents. When you define an IBM Z CKD volume, specify the size of the
volume as a multiple of 3390 Model 1 volumes or the number of cylinders that you want for
the volume.

Before a CKD volume can be created, a Logical Control Unit (LCU) must be defined that
provides up to 256 possible addresses that can be used for CKD volumes. Up to 255 LCUs
can be defined. For more information about LCUs, see 3.4.5, “Logical subsystems” on
page 95.

On a DS8A00, you can define CKD volumes with up to 1,182,006 cylinders, or about 1 TB.
This volume capacity is called an EAV, and it is supported by the 3390 Model A.

A CKD volume cannot span multiple extent pools, but a volume can have extents from
different ranks in the same extent pool. You can also stripe a volume across the ranks. For
more information, see “Storage pool striping: Extent rotation” on page 87.

Figure 3-6 shows an example of how a logical volume is provisioned (allocated) with a CKD
volume.

Extent Pool CKD0 Logical

3390 Mod. 3

1113 1113 1113 1113

Rank-x free
3390 Mod. 3

1113 1113 Allocate 3226 cylinder

Rank-y used
free
used
free volume

Extent Pool CKD0

1113 1113 1113 1113
Rank-x used
3390 Mod. 3
Volume w ith
3226 cylinders

1113 1000
Rank-y used
used
used
used
113 cylinders unused

Figure 3-6 Allocation of a Count Key Data logical volume

CKD alias volumes

Another type of CKD volume is the PAV alias volume. PAVs are used by z/OS to send parallel
I/Os to the same base CKD volume. Alias volumes are defined within the same LCU as their
corresponding base volumes. Although they have no size, each alias volume needs an
address, which is linked to a base volume. The total of base and alias addresses cannot
exceed the maximum of 256 for an LCU.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 85

 HyperPAV and SuperPAV
With HyperPAV, the alias can be assigned to access a base device within the same LCU on
an I/O basis. However, the system can exhaust the alias resources that are needed within an
LCU and cause an increase in I/O queue time (the queue time of software that is waiting for a
device to accept the I/O). In this case, you need more aliases to access hot volumes.

Classically, to start an I/O to a base volume, z/OS can select any alias address only from the
same LCU as the base address to perform the I/O. With SuperPAV, the OS can use alias
addresses from other LCUs to perform an I/O for a base address.

The restriction is that the LCU of the alias address belongs to the same DS8A00 server. In
other words, if the base address is from an even / odd LCU, the alias address that z/OS can
select must also be from an even / odd LCU. In addition, the LCU of the base volume and the
LCU of the alias volume must be in the same path group. z/OS prefers alias addresses from
the same LCU as the base address, but if no alias address is free, z/OS looks for free alias
addresses in LCUs of the same Alias Management Group.

An Alias Management Group is all the LCUs that have affinity to the same DS8A00 internal
server and have the same paths to the DS8A00. SMF can provide reports at the Alias
Management Group level.

Figure 3-7 illustrates how SuperPAV works.

Figure 3-7 SuperPAV

Initially, each alias address must be assigned to a base address. Therefore, it is not possible
to define an LCU with only alias addresses.

As with PAV and HyperPAV, SuperPAV must be enabled. SuperPAV is enabled by the
HYPERPAV=XPAV statement in the IECIOSxx parmlib member or by the SETIOS HYPERPAV=XPAV
command. The D M=DEV(address) and the D M=CU(address) display commands show whether
XPAV is enabled or not. With the D M=CU(address) command, you can check whether aliases
from other LCUs are being used (Example 3-2).

Example 3-2 Display information about SuperPAV (XPAV)

D M=CU(4E02)
IEE174I 11.26.55 DISPLAY M 511
CONTROL UNIT 4E02
CHP 65 5D 34 5E
ENTRY LINK ADDRESS 98 .. 434B ..
DEST LINK ADDRESS FA 0D 200F 0D

86 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 CHP PHYSICALLY ONLINE Y Y Y Y
PATH VALIDATED Y Y Y Y
MANAGED N N N N
ZHPF - CHPID Y Y Y Y
ZHPF - CU INTERFACE Y Y Y Y
MAXIMUM MANAGED CHPID(S) ALLOWED = 0
DESTINATION CU LOGICAL ADDRESS = 56
CU ND = 002107.981.IBM.75.0000000FXF41.0330
CU NED = 002107.981.IBM.75.0000000FXF41.5600
TOKEN NED = 002107.900.IBM.75.0000000FXF41.5600
FUNCTIONS ENABLED = ZHPF, XPAV
XPAV CU PEERS = 4802, 4A02, 4C02, 4E02
DEFINED DEVICES
04E00-04E07
DEFINED PAV ALIASES
14E40-14E47

With cross-LCU HyperPAV, which is called SuperPAV, the number of alias addresses can
further be reduced while the pool of available alias addresses to handle I/O bursts to volumes
is increased.

3.4.3 Allocation, deletion, and modification of LUNs and CKD volumes

Extents of ranks that are assigned to an extent pool are independently available for allocation
to logical volumes. The extents for a LUN or volume are logically ordered, but they do not
have to come from one rank. The extents do not have to be contiguous on a rank.

This construction method of using fixed extents to form a logical volume in the DS8A00 allows
flexibility in the management of the logical volumes. You can delete LUNs or CKD volumes,
resize LUNs or volumes, and reuse the extents of those LUNs to create other LUNs or
volumes, including ones of different sizes. One logical volume can be removed without
affecting the other logical volumes that are defined on the same extent pool.

The extents are cleaned after you delete a LUN or CKD volume. The reformatting of the
extents is a background process, and it can take time until these extents are available for
reallocation.

Two extent allocation methods (EAMs) are available for the DS8000: Storage pool striping
(rotate extents) and rotate volumes.

Storage pool striping: Extent rotation

The storage allocation method (SAM) is chosen when a LUN or volume is created. The
extents of a volume can be striped across several ranks. An extent pool with more than one
rank is needed to use this SAM.

Note: Although the preferred SAM was storage pool striping, it is now a better choice to let
Easy Tier manage the storage pool extents. This chapter describes rotate extents for the
sake of completeness, but it is now mostly irrelevant.

The DS8A00 maintains a sequence of ranks. The first rank in the list is randomly picked at
each power-on of the storage system. The DS8A00 tracks the rank in which the last allocation
started. The allocation of the first extent for the next volume starts from the next rank in that
sequence.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 87

 The next extent for that volume is taken from the next rank in sequence, and so on. Therefore,
the system rotates the extents across the ranks, as shown in Figure 3-8.

  

   

   

 

  



Figure 3-8 Rotate extents

Rotate volumes allocation method

Extents can be allocated sequentially. In this case, all extents are taken from the same rank
until enough extents are available for the requested volume size or the rank is full. In this
case, the allocation continues with the next rank in the extent pool.

If more than one volume is created in one operation, the allocation for each volume starts in
another rank. When several volumes are provisioned (allocated), rotate through the ranks, as
shown in Figure 3-9.

  

   

   

 

  

 

Figure 3-9 Rotate volumes

You might want to consider this allocation method if you prefer to manage performance
manually. The workload of one volume is going to one rank. This configuration makes the
identification of performance bottlenecks easier. However, by putting all the volumes’ data
onto one rank, you might introduce a bottleneck, depending on your actual workload.

88 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Important: Rotate extents and rotate volume EAMs provide distribution of volumes over
ranks. Rotate extents run this distribution at a granular (1 GiB or 16 MiB extent) level, and
is a better method to minimize hot spots and improve overall performance.

However, as previously stated, Easy Tier is the preferred choice for managing the storage
pool extents.

In a mixed-tier extent pool that contains different tiers of ranks, the storage pool striping EAM
is used independently of the requested EAM, and the EAM is set to managed.

Easy Tier's default allocation order prioritizes the highest-performance drive classes. In the
case of a DS8A00, this typically means Flash Tier 1 followed by Flash Tier 2. The system
allocates new data to the fastest available tier to optimize performance.

There is a GUI and a CLI option for the whole Storage Facility to change the allocation
preference. The two options are High Performance and High Utilization. With the High
Utilization setting, the machine populates drive classes in this order: Flash Tier 1, Flash Tier
2, and then Flash Tier 0. The chsi command can be used to switch the ETTierOrder
parameter between High Performance and High Utilization.

When you create striped volumes and non-striped volumes in an extent pool, a rank might be
filled before the others. A full rank is skipped when you create striped volumes.

By using striped volumes, you distribute the I/O load of a LUN or CKD volume to more than
one set of eight drives, which can enhance performance for a logical volume. In particular,
OSs that do not include a volume manager with striping capability benefit most from this
allocation method.

Small extents can increase the parallelism of sequential writes. Although the system stays
within one rank until 1 GiB is written, with small extents it jumps to the next rank after 16 MiB.
This configuration uses more disk drives when performing sequential writes.

Important: If you must add capacity to an extent pool because it is nearly full, it is better to
add several ranks concurrently, not just one rank. This method allows new volumes to be
striped across the newly added ranks.

With the Easy Tier manual mode facility, if the extent pool is a single-tier pool, the user can
request an extent pool merge followed by a volume relocation with striping to run the same
function. For a multitiered managed extent pool, extents are automatically relocated over
time, according to performance needs. For more information, see IBM DS8000 Easy Tier
(Updated for DS8000 R9.0), REDP-4667.

Rotate volume EAM: The rotate volume EAM is not allowed if one extent pool is
composed of flash drives and configured for effective (virtual) capacity.

Dynamic Volume Expansion

The DS8A00 supports expanding the size of a LUN or CKD volume without data loss by
adding extents to the volume. The OS must support resizing.

A logical volume includes the attribute of being striped across the ranks or not. If the volume
was created as striped across the ranks of the extent pool, the extents that are used to
increase the size of the volume are striped. If a volume was created without striping, the
system tries to allocate the additional extents within the same rank that the volume was
created from originally.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 89

 Important: Before you can expand a volume, you must delete any CS relationship that
involves that volume.

Because most OSs have no means of moving data from the end of the physical drive off to
unused space at the beginning of the drive, and because of the risk of data corruption, IBM
does not support shrinking a volume. The DS CLI and DS GUI interfaces cannot reduce the
size of a volume.

Dynamic Volume Relocation

Dynamic Volume Relocation (DVR) is a capability that is provided as part of the Easy Tier
manual mode facility.

DVR allows data that is stored on a logical volume to be migrated from its allocated storage to
newly allocated storage while the logical volume remains accessible to attached hosts.

The user can request DVR by using the Migrate Volume function that is available through the
DS GUI or DS CLI. DVR allows the user to specify a target extent pool and an EAM. The
target extent pool can be a separate extent pool than the extent pool where the volume is. It
can also be the same extent pool, but only if it is a single-tier pool. However, the target extent
pool must be managed by the same DS8A00 internal server.

Important: DVR in the same extent pool is not allowed in a managed pool. In managed
extent pools, Easy Tier automatic mode automatically relocates extents within the ranks to
allow performance rebalancing.

You can move volumes only among pools of the same drive type, same extent size, and
same formatting. However, DVR is not supported between two FCM pools in R10.0.

DVR provides the following capabilities:

򐂰 The ability to change the extent pool in which a logical volume is provisioned. This ability
provides a mechanism to change the underlying storage characteristics of the logical
volume to include the drive class (Tier 0, Tier 1, or Tier 2), and RAID array type. Volume
migration can also be used to migrate a logical volume in to or out of an extent pool.
򐂰 The ability to specify the EAM for a volume migration that allows the EAM to be changed
among the available EAMs any time after volume creation. Volume migration that specifies
the rotate extents EAM can also be used (in single-tier extent pools) to redistribute a
logical volume’s extent allocations across the existing ranks in the extent pool if more
ranks are added to an extent pool.

Each logical volume has a configuration state. To begin a volume migration, the logical
volume initially must be in the normal configuration state.

More functions are associated with volume migration that allow the user to pause, resume, or
cancel a volume migration. Any or all logical volumes can be requested to be migrated at any
time if available capacity is sufficient to support the reallocation of the migrating logical
volumes in their specified target extent pool. For more information, see IBM DS8000 Easy
Tier (Updated for DS8000 R9.0), REDP-4667.

90 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

3.4.4 Volume allocation and metadata
In the DS8A00 and DS8900F, all volumes use an improved metadata extent structure, similar
to what was previously used for ESE volumes. This unified extent structure greatly simplifies
the internal management of logical volumes and their metadata. No area is fixed and
reserved for volume metadata, and this capacity is added to the space that is available for
use.

The metadata is allocated in the storage pool when volumes are created, and the space that
is used by metadata is referred to as the pool overhead. Pool overhead means that the
amount of space that can be provisioned (allocated) by volumes is variable and depends on
both the number of volumes and the logical capacity of these volumes.

Tips: The following characteristics apply to the DS8A00:

򐂰 Metadata is variable in size. Metadata is used only as logical volumes are defined.
򐂰 The size of the metadata for a logical volume depends on the number and size of the
logical volumes that are being defined.
򐂰 As volumes are defined, the metadata is immediately allocated and reduces the size of
the available user extents in the storage pool.
򐂰 As you define new logical volumes, you must allow for the fact that this metadata space
continues to use user extent space.

For storage pools with large extents, metadata is also allocated as large extents (1 GiB for FB
pools or 1113 cylinders for CKD pools). Large extents that are allocated for metadata are
subdivided into 16 MiB subextents, which are also referred to as metadata extents, for FB
volumes, or 21 cylinders for CKD. For extent pools with small extents, metadata extents are
also small extents. Sixty-four metadata subextents are in each large metadata extent for FB,
and 53 metadata subextents are in each large metadata extent for CKD.

For each FB volume that is provisioned (allocated), an initial 16 MiB metadata subextent or
metadata small extent is allocated, and an extra 16 MiB metadata subextent or metadata
small extent is allocated for every 10 GiB of provisioned (allocated) capacity or portion of
provisioned capacity.

For each CKD volume that is provisioned (allocated), an initial 21 cylinders metadata
subextent or metadata small extent is allocated, and an extra 21 cylinders metadata
subextent or metadata small extent is allocated for every 11130 cylinders (or ten 3390 Model
1) of allocated capacity or portion of allocated capacity.

For example, a 3390-3 (that is, 3339 cylinders or about 3 GB) or 3390-9 (that is, 10,017
cylinders or 10 GB) volume takes two metadata extents (one metadata extent for the volume
and another metadata extent for any portion of the first 10 GB). A 128 GB FB volume takes 14
metadata extents (one metadata extent for the volume and another 13 metadata extents to
account for the 128 GB).

Figure 3-10 on page 92 shows an illustration of 3 GB and 12 GB FB volumes for a storage

pool with large extents. In an extent pool with small extents, there is no concept of subextents.
You have user extents, unused extents, and metadata extents.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 91

 Figure 3-10 Metadata allocation

Metadata extents with free space can be used for metadata by any volume in the extent pool.

When you use metadata extents and user extents within an extent pool, some planning and
calculations are required, especially in a mainframe environment where thousands of
volumes are defined and the whole capacity is provisioned (allocated) during the initial
configuration. You must calculate the capacity that is used up by the metadata to get the
capacity that can be used for user data. This calculation is important only when fully
provisioned volumes are used. Thin-provisioned volumes use no space when created; only
metadata and space are used when data is written.

For extent pools with small extents, the number of available user data extents can be
estimated as follows:

(user extents) = (pool extents) - (number of volumes) - (total provisioned capacity)/10

For extent pools with regular 1 GiB extents where the details of the volume configuration are
not known, you can estimate the number of metadata extents based on many volumes only.
The calculations are performed as shown:
򐂰 FB pool overhead = (number of volumes × 2 + total volume extents/10)/64 and rounded up
to the nearest integer
򐂰 CKD pool overhead = (number of volumes × 2 + total volume extents/10)/53 and rounded
up to the nearest integer

The formulas overestimate the space that is used by the metadata by a small amount
because it assumes wasted space on every volume. However, the precise size of each
volume does not need to be known.

92 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Here are two examples:
򐂰 A CKD storage pool has 6,190 extents in which you expect to allocate all of the space on
700 volumes. Your pool overhead is 39 extents by using this calculation:
(700 x 2 + 6190/10)/53 = 38.09
򐂰 An FB storage pool has 6,190 extents in which you expect to use thin provisioning and
allocate up to 12,380 extents (2:1 overprovisioning) on 100 volumes. Your pool overhead
is 23 extents by using this calculation:
(100 x 2 + 12380/10)/64 = 22.46

Total volume effective (virtual) capacity

IBM is standardizing the capacity names. A list of standardized names is listed in 3.5,
“Terminology for IBM Storage products” on page 101.

Space for Easy Tier

The Easy Tier function of DS8000 monitors access to extents to host applications. Easy Tier
moves extents to higher or lower tiers depending on the access frequency or heat of an
extent. To move around extents, some free space or free extents must be available in an
extent pool. You can manually watch the free space or extents, but a better option is to let the
system reserve some space for Easy Tier extent movements. Run the chsi command to
change the ETSRMode parameter to Enabled. This setting causes the storage system to
reserve some capacity for Easy Tier. Obviously, when this mode is enabled, capacity for new
volume allocations is reduced.

Extent space efficient volumes

Volumes can be created as thin-provisioned or fully provisioned.

Note: Volumes configured using FlashCore Module (FCM) drives must be thin provisioned.

Space for a thin-provisioned volume is allocated when a write occurs. More precisely, it is
allocated when a destage from the cache occurs and insufficient free space is left on the
currently allocated extent.

Therefore, thin provisioning allows a volume to exist that is larger than the usable (physical)
capacity in the extent pool to which it belongs. This approach allows the “host” to work with
the volume at its defined capacity, even though insufficient usable (physical) space might exist
to fill the volume with data.

The assumption is that either the volume is never filled, or as the DS8A00 runs low on raw
capacity, more is added. This approach also assumes that the DS8A00 is not at its maximum
raw capacity.

Thin-provisioned volume support is contained in the BF license group. This provisioning is an

attribute that you specify when creating a volume.

Note: If thin provisioning is used, the metadata is allocated for the entire volume (effective
provisioned capacity) when the volume is created, not when extents are used. The
DS8A00 creates thin-provisioned volumes by default.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 93

 CKD thin provisioning
Thin provisioning is also possible with CKD volumes. See IBM DS8880 Thin Provisioning
(Updated for Release 8.5), REDP-5343, and check for the APARs that are needed for certain
z/OS versions.

Extent space efficient capacity controls for thin provisioning

Using thin provisioning can affect the amount of storage capacity that you choose to order.
Use ESE capacity controls to allocate storage correctly.

With the mixture of thin-provisioned (ESE) and fully provisioned (non-ESE) volumes in an
extent pool, a method is needed to dedicate part of the extent-pool storage capacity for ESE
user data usage, and to limit the ESE user data usage within the extent pool.

Also, you must be able to detect when the available storage space within the extent pool for
ESE volumes is running out of space.

ESE capacity controls provide extent pool attributes to limit the maximum extent pool storage
that is available for ESE user data usage. These controls also ensure that a proportion of the
extent pool storage is available for ESE user data usage.

Capacity controls exist for an extent pool and also for a repository, if it is defined. There are
system-defined warning thresholds at 15% and 0% free capacity left, and you can set your
own user-defined threshold for the whole extent pool or for the ESE repository. Thresholds for
an extent pool are set by running the DS CLI chextpool -threshold (or mkextpool)
command. Thresholds for a repository are set by running the chsestg -repcapthreshold (or
mksestg) command.

The threshold exceeded status refers to the user-defined threshold. The extent pool or
repository status shows one of the three following values:
򐂰 0: The percentage of available capacity is greater than the extent pool / repository
threshold.
򐂰 1: The percentage of available capacity is greater than zero but less than or equal to the
extent pool / repository threshold.
򐂰 10: The percentage of available capacity is zero.

A Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) trap is associated with the extent pool /
repository capacity controls, and it notifies you when the extent usage in the pool exceeds a
user-defined threshold and when the extent pool is out of extents for user data.

When the size of the extent pool remains fixed or when it increases, the available usable
(physical) capacity remains greater than or equal to the provisioned (allocated) capacity.
However, a reduction in the size of the extent pool can cause the available usable (physical)
capacity to become less than the provisioned (allocated) capacity in certain cases.

For example, if the user requests that one of the ranks in an extent pool is depopulated, the
data on that rank is moved to the remaining ranks in the pool. This process causes the rank to
become not provisioned (allocated) and removed from the pool. The user is advised to
inspect the limits and threshold on the extent pool after any changes to the size of the extent
pool to ensure that the specified values are still consistent with the user’s intentions.

94 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Overprovisioning control
It is possible to set the maximum allowed overprovisioning ratios for an extent pool.

A new attribute (-opratiolimit) is available when creating or modifying extent pools to add
operational limits. Example 3-3 provides an example of creating and modifying an extent pool
with a defined operational limit that cannot be exceeded.

Example 3-3 The opratiolimit parameter

dscli> mkextpool -rankgrp 0 -stgtype fb -opratiolimit 3.5 -encryptgrp 1 my_pool
CMUC00000I mkextpool: Extent pool P3 successfully created.
dscli> chextpool -opratiolimit 3.125 p3
CMUC00001I chextpool: Extent pool P3 successfully modified.

Setting an overprovisioning ratio limit results in the following changes to system behavior to
prevent an extent pool from exceeding the overprovisioning ratio:
򐂰 Prevent volume creation, expansion, or migration.
򐂰 Prevent rank depopulation.
򐂰 Prevent pool merge.
򐂰 Prevent turning on Easy Tier space reservation.

For more information, see IBM DS8880 Thin Provisioning (Updated for Release 8.5),
REDP-5343.

3.4.5 Logical subsystems

An LSS is another logical construct. It can also be referred to as an LCU. The term LSS is
mostly used in association with FB volumes. The term LCU is used in association with CKD
volumes. A maximum of 255 LSSs can exist in the DS8A00. Each of them have an identifier
of 00–FE. An individual LSS must manage either FB or CKD volumes.

All even-numbered LSSs (X’00’, X’02’, X’04’, up to X’FE’) are handled by internal server 0,
and all odd-numbered LSSs (X’01’, X’03’, X’05’, up to X’FD’) are handled by internal server 1.
LSS X’FF’ is reserved. This configuration allows both servers to handle host commands to the
volumes in the DS8A00 if the configuration takes advantage of this capability. If either server
is not available, the remaining operational server handles all LSSs. LSSs are also placed in
address groups of 16 LSSs, except for the last group that has 15 LSSs. The first address
group is 00–0F, and so on, until the last group, which is F0–FE.

Because the LSSs manage volumes, an individual LSS must manage the same type of
volumes. An address group must also manage the same type of volumes. The first volume
(either FB or CKD) that is assigned to an LSS in any address group sets that group to
manage those types of volumes. For more information, see “Address groups” on page 97.

Volumes are created in extent pools that are associated with either internal server 0 or 1.
Extent pools are also formatted to support either FB or CKD volumes. Therefore, volumes in
any internal server 0 extent pools can be managed by any even-numbered LSS if the LSS
and extent pool match the volume type. Volumes in any internal server 1 extent pools can be
managed by any odd-numbered LSS if the LSS and extent pool match the volume type.

Volumes also have an identifier 00 - FF. The first volume that is assigned to an LSS has an
identifier of 00. The second volume is 01, and so on, up to FF if 256 volumes are assigned to
the LSS.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 95

 For FB volumes, the LSSs that are used to manage them are not significant if you spread the
volumes between odd and even LSSs. When the volume is assigned to a host (in the DS8A00
configuration), a LUN is assigned to it that includes the LSS and Volume ID. This LUN is sent
to the host when it first communicates with the DS8A00. The LUN is sent, so it can include
the LUN in the “frame” that is sent to the DS8A00 when it wants to run an I/O operation on the
volume. This method is how the DS8A00 knows which volume on which to run the operation.

Conversely, for CKD volumes, the LCU is significant. The LCU must be defined in a
configuration that is called the input/output configuration data set (IOCDS) on the host. The
LCU definition includes a control unit address (CUADD). This CUADD must match the LCU ID
in the DS8A00. A device definition for each volume, which has a unit address (UA) that is
included, is also included in the IOCDS. This UA must match the volume ID of the device. The
host must include the CUADD and UA in the “frame” that is sent to the DS8A00 when it wants
to run an I/O operation on the volume. This method is how the DS8A00 knows which volume
on which to run the operation.

For both FB and CKD volumes, when the “frame” that is sent from the host arrives at a host
adapter port in the DS8A00, the adapter checks the LSS or LCU identifier to know which
internal server to pass the request to inside the DS8A00. For more information about host
access to volumes, see 3.4.6, “Volume access” on page 97.

FB LSSs are created automatically when the first FB logical volume on the LSS is created. FB
LSSs are deleted automatically when the last FB logical volume on the LSS is deleted. CKD
LCUs require user parameters to be specified and must be created before the first CKD
logical volume can be created on the LCU. They must be deleted manually after the last CKD
logical volume on the LCU is deleted.

Certain management actions in Metro Mirror (MM), Global Mirror (GM), or Global Copy (GC)
operate at the LSS level. For example, the freezing of pairs to preserve data consistency
across all pairs in case a problem occurs with one of the pairs is performed at the LSS level.

The option to put all or most of the volumes of a certain application in one LSS makes the
management of remote copy operations easier, as shown in Figure 3-11.

Physical Drives Logical Volumes

Array
Site
LSS X'17'
DB2
Array
….
….

Site
24
24

. ...
. ...

Array
Site

Array
Site
LSS X'18'
…….
….

Array DB2-test
24
24

Site
. ... ...
…. ...

Array
Site

Figure 3-11 Grouping of volumes in LSSs

96 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Address groups
Address groups are created automatically when the first LSS that is associated with the
address group is created. The groups are deleted automatically when the last LSS in the
address group is deleted.

All devices in an LSS must be CKD or FB. This restriction goes even further. LSSs are
grouped into address groups of 16 LSSs. LSSs are numbered X’ab’, where a is the address
group and b denotes an LSS within the address group. For example, X’10’–X’1F’ are LSSs in
address group 1.

All LSSs within one address group must be of the same type (CKD or FB). The first LSS that
is defined in an address group sets the type of that address group.

Figure 3-12 shows the concept of LSSs and address groups.

Address group X'1x' CKD

LSS X'10' LSS X'11'
LSS X'12' LSS X'13'
LSS X'14' LSS X'15'
LSS X'16' X'1500'
Extent Pool CKD-1 Extent Pool CKD-2
LSS X'18'
Rank-a LSS X'1A' LSS X'17' Rank-w
LSS X'1C' LSS X'19'
LSS X'1B'
Rank-b X'1E00' Rank-x
LSS X'1D'

Server1
X'1E01'
X'1D00'
Server0

LSS X'1E'
Extent Pool FB-1 LSS X'1F' Extent Pool FB-2

Rank-y
Rank-c

Address group X'2x': FB

Rank-d
Extent Pool FB-2
LSS X'20' LSS X'21'
LSS X'22' X'2100' Rank-z
LSS X'24'
X'2101'
LSS X'26'
LSS X'23'
X'2800' LSS X'25'
LSS X'27'
LSS X'28' LSS X'29'
Volume ID LSS X'2A' LSS X'2B'
LSS X'2C' LSS X'2D'
LSS X'2E' LSS X'2F'

Figure 3-12 Logical storage subsystems

The LUN identification X’gabb’ is composed of the address group X’g’, the LSS number within
the address group X’a’, and the ID of the LUN within the LSS X’bb’. For example, FB LUN
X’2101’ denotes the second (X’01’) LUN in LSS X’21’ of address group 2.

An extent pool can have volumes that are managed by multiple address groups. The example
in Figure 3-12 shows only one address group that is used with each extent pool.

3.4.6 Volume access

The DS8A00 provides mechanisms to control host access to LUNs. Usually, a host system
features two or more HBAs and the system needs access to a group of LUNs. For
management of system access to logical volumes, the DS8A00 introduces the concept of
host attachments and volume groups.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 97

 Host attachment
HBAs are identified to the DS8A00 in a host attachment construct that specifies the
worldwide port names (WWPNs) of a host’s HBAs. A set of host ports can be associated
through a port group attribute that allows a set of HBAs to be managed collectively. This port
group is referred to as a host attachment within the configuration.

Each host attachment can be associated with a volume group to define the LUNs that the
host is allowed to access. Multiple host attachments can share the volume group. The host
attachment can also specify a port mask that controls the DS8A00 I/O ports that the host
HBA is allowed to log in to. Whichever ports the HBA logs in to, it sees the same volume
group that is defined on the host attachment that is associated with this HBA.

The maximum number of host attachments on a DS8A00 is 8,192. This host definition is
required only for open systems hosts. Any IBM Z servers can access any CKD volume in a
DS8A00 if its IOCDS is correct.

Volume group
A volume group is a named construct that defines a set of logical volumes. A volume group is
required only for FB volumes. When a volume group is used with CKD hosts, a default volume
group contains all CKD volumes. Any CKD host that logs in to a Fibre Channel connection
(IBM FICON) I/O port has access to the volumes in this volume group. CKD logical volumes
are automatically added to this volume group when they are created and are automatically
removed from this volume group when they are deleted.

When a host attachment object is used with open systems hosts, a host attachment object
that identifies the HBA is linked to a specific volume group. Define the volume group by
indicating the FB volumes that are to be placed in the volume group. Logical volumes can be
added to or removed from any volume group dynamically.

Important: Volume group management is available only with the DS CLI. In the DS GUI,
users define hosts and assign volumes to hosts. A volume group is defined in the
background. No volume group object can be defined in the DS GUI.

Two types of volume groups are used with open systems hosts. The type determines how the
logical volume number is converted to a host addressable LUN_ID in the Fibre Channel (FC)
SCSI interface. A SCSI map volume group type is used with FC SCSI host types that poll for
LUNs by walking the address range on the SCSI interface. This type of volume group can
map any FB logical volume numbers to 256 LUN IDs that have zeros in the last 6 bytes and
the first 2 bytes in X’0000’–X’00FF’.

A SCSI mask volume group type is used with FC SCSI host types that use the Report LUNs
command to determine the LUN IDs that are accessible. This type of volume group can allow
any FB logical volume numbers to be accessed by the host where the mask is a bitmap that
specifies the LUNs that are accessible. For this volume group type, the logical volume number
X’abcd’ is mapped to LUN_ID X’40ab40cd00000000’. The volume group type also controls
whether 512-byte block LUNs or 520-byte block LUNs can be configured in the volume group.

When a host attachment is associated with a volume group, the host attachment contains
attributes that define the logical block size and the Address Discovery Method (LUN Polling or
Report LUNs) that is used by the host HBA. These attributes must be consistent with the
volume group type of the volume group that is assigned to the host attachment. This
consistency ensures that HBAs that share a volume group have a consistent interpretation of
the volume group definition and have access to a consistent set of logical volume types.

98 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 The DS Storage Manager GUI typically sets these values for the HBA based on your
specification of a host type. Consider what volume group type to create when a volume group
is set up for a particular HBA.

FB logical volumes can be defined in one or more volume groups. This definition allows a
LUN to be shared by host HBAs that are configured to separate volume groups. An FB logical
volume is automatically removed from all volume groups when it is deleted.

The DS8A00 supports a maximum of 8,320 volume groups.

Figure 3-13 shows the relationships between host attachments and volume groups. Host
AIXprod1 has two HBAs, which are grouped in one host attachment, and both HBAs are
granted access to volume group DB2-1. Most of the volumes in volume group DB2-1 are also
in volume group DB2-2, which is accessed by the system AIXprod2.

However, one volume in each group is not shared in Figure 3-13. The system in the lower-left
part of the figure has four HBAs, and they are divided into two distinct host attachments. One
HBA can access volumes that are shared with AIXprod1 and AIXprod2. The other HBAs have
access to a volume group that is called docs.

W W PN-1 W W PN-2 W W PN-3 W W PN-4

Host attachm ent: AIXprod1 Host attachm ent: AIXprod2

Volum e group: DB2-1 Volum e group: DB2-2

Volum e group: DB2-test

Host att: Test

W W PN-5 W W PN-6

W W PN-7
Host att: Prog
W W PN-8 Volum e group: docs

Figure 3-13 Host attachments and volume groups

When working with Open Systems clusters for defining volumes, use the Create Cluster
function of the DS Storage Manager GUI to easily define volumes. In general, the GUI hides
the complexity of certain DS8000 internal definition levels like volume groups, array sites, and
ranks. It helps save time by directly processing these definitions internally in the background
without presenting them to the administrator.

3.4.7 Virtualization hierarchy summary

As you view the virtualization hierarchy (as shown in Figure 3-14 on page 100), start with
many drives that are grouped in array sites. The array sites are created automatically when
the drives are installed.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 99

 Complete the following steps as a user:
1. Associate an array site with a RAID array, and allocate spare drives as required.
2. Associate the array with a rank with small or large extents that are formatted for FB or
CKD data.
3. Add the extents from the selected ranks to an extent pool. The combined extents from the
ranks in the extent pool are used for subsequent allocation for one or more logical
volumes. Within the extent pool, you can reserve space for ESE volumes. ESE volumes
require effective (virtual) capacity to be available in the extent pool.
4. Create logical volumes within the extent pools (by default, striping the volumes), and
assign them a logical volume number that determines the LSS that they are associated
with and the internal server that manages them. The LUNs are assigned to one or more
volume groups.
5. Configure the host HBAs into a host attachment that is associated with a volume group.

Figure 3-14 shows the virtualization hierarchy.

Array RAID Rank Extent Logical

Site Array Type FB Pool Volume

Data

1 GB FB

1 GB FB

1 GB FB
Data
1 GB FB

1 GB FB
1 GB FB

Data
Data

Server0
Data

1 GB FB

1 GB FB
1 GB FB
Data
Parity
Spare

LSS Address Volume Host

FB Group Group Attachment

X'2x' FB
4096
addresses

LSS X'27'

X'3x' CKD
4096
addresses

Figure 3-14 Virtualization hierarchy

This virtualization concept provides a high degree of flexibility. Logical volumes can be
dynamically created, deleted, and resized. They can also be grouped logically to simplify
storage management. Large LUNs and CKD volumes reduce the total number of volumes,
which contributes to the reduction of management effort.

Tip: The DS GUI helps save administration steps by handling some of these virtualization
levels in the background and automatically processing them for the administrator.

100 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

3.5 Terminology for IBM Storage products
This section lists the capacity terms for all IBM Storage products. These terms replace all
terms that were previously used to describe capacity in IBM Storage products.
򐂰 Raw Capacity (IS)
The reported capacity of the drives in the system before RAID and formatting are applied.
򐂰 Total logical capacity (FCM)
The total amount of capacity that can be written (also known as total effective capacity).
򐂰 Usable capacity (IS)
The amount of capacity that is available for storing data on a system, pool, or array after
formatting and RAID techniques are applied.
򐂰 Total Physical Capacity (FCM)
The amount of raw capacity that can be stored on media after data reduction.
򐂰 Used Logical Capacity (FCM)
The total amount of capacity written from the host before data reduction techniques are
applied.
򐂰 Available (usable) Capacity (IS)
The amount of usable capacity that is not yet used in a system, pool, or array.
򐂰 Used Physical Capacity (FCM)
The amount of usable capacity that is taken up by data after data reduction techniques are
applied.
򐂰 Provisioned capacity
The amount of provisioned capacity that can be created in a system or pool without
running out of usable capacity for the current data-reduction savings that you want
achieved. This capacity equals the usable capacity that is divided by the data reduction
savings percentage. In some storage systems, restrictions in the system determine the
maximum provisioned capacity that is allowed in a pool or system. In those cases, the
provisioned capacity cannot exceed this limit.
Provisioned capacity was previously called virtual capacity in this chapter.
򐂰 Written Capacity
The amount of usable capacity that is written in a pool or system.
򐂰 Overhead capacity
The amount of usable capacity that is occupied by metadata in a pool or system and other
data that is used for system operation.
򐂰 Thin-provisioning savings
The total amount of usable capacity that is saved in a pool, system, or volume by using
usable capacity when needed as a result of write operations. The capacity that is saved is
the difference between the provisioned capacity minus the written capacity.

Chapter 3. Virtualization concepts 101

 򐂰 Overprovisioning
The result of creating more provisioned capacity in a storage system or pool than there is
usable capacity. This result occurs when thin provisioning or compression ensures that the
used capacity of the provisioned volumes is less than their provisioned capacity.
򐂰 Overprovisioned ratio
The ratio of provisioned capacity to usable capacity in a pool or system.

102 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 4

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability,

availability, and serviceability
This chapter describes the reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) characteristics of
the IBM DS8000 (10th Generation). The 10th Generation of DS8000s is referred to as the
DS8A00.

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “DS8A00 processor complex features” on page 104
򐂰 “CPC failover and failback” on page 110
򐂰 “Data flow in the DS8A00” on page 114
򐂰 “RAS on the Hardware Management Console” on page 118
򐂰 “RAS on the storage system” on page 120
򐂰 “RAS on the power subsystem” on page 129
򐂰 “Other features” on page 132

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 103

4.1 DS8A00 processor complex features
RAS is an important concept in the design of the DS8A00. Hardware features, software
features, design considerations, and operational guidelines all contribute to make the
DS8A00 reliable. At the heart of the DS8A00 is a pair of Power9+ processor-based servers.
These servers, which are known as central processor complexes (CPCs), share the load of
receiving and moving data between the attached hosts and the storage arrays. For more
information, see IBM Power Systems S922, S914, and S924 Technical Overview and
Introduction Featuring PCIe Gen 4 Technology, REDP-5595.

However, the CPCs are also redundant so that if either one fails, the system switches to the
remaining CPC and continues to run without any host I/O interruption. This section looks at
the RAS features of the CPCs, including the hardware, the operating system (OS), and the
interconnections.

4.1.1 Power9 PowerVM Hypervisor

The Power9 IBM PowerVM® Hypervisor (PHYP) is a component of system firmware that is
always active regardless of the system configuration, even when it is not connected to the
Management Console (MC). PHYP runs on the flexible service processor (FSP). It requires
the FSP processor and memory to support the resource assignments to the logical partition
(LPAR) on the server. It operates as a hidden partition with no CPC processor resources that
are assigned to it, but it does allocate a small amount of memory from the partition.

The PHYP provides the following capabilities:

򐂰 Reserved memory partitions set aside a portion of memory to use as cache and a portion
to use as non-volatile storage (NVS) functioning as write cache.
򐂰 Preserved memory support allows the contents of the NVS and cache areas to be
protected if a server restarts.
򐂰 It provides automatic restart of a hung or stopped partition. The PHYP also monitors the
service processor and runs a reset or reload if it detects the loss of the service processor.
It notifies the OS if the problem is not corrected.

The AIX OS uses PHYP services to manage the Translation Control Entry (TCE) tables. The
OS communicates the wanted I/O bus address to logical mapping, and the PHYP returns the
I/O bus address to physical mapping within the specific TCE table. The PHYP needs a
dedicated memory region for the TCE tables to convert the I/O address to the partition
memory address. The PHYP then can monitor direct memory access (DMA) transfers to the
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) adapters.

4.1.2 Power9 processor

The Power9 processor implements 64-bit IBM Power Architecture® technology. The
multi-core architecture of the Power9 processor-based modules is matched with innovation
across a wide range of related technologies to deliver leading throughput, efficiency,
scalability, and RAS.

104 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Areas of innovation, enhancement, and consolidation
The Power9 processor represents an important performance increase that can be as high as
70% over previous comparable hardware generations. The Power9 processor has the
following areas of innovation, enhancement, and consolidation:
򐂰 A large on-chip, low-latency L3 cache that is implemented in embedded dynamic random
access memory (eDRAM). Lower energy consumption and a smaller physical footprint are
two of the benefits.
򐂰 Cache hierarchy and component innovation.
򐂰 Advances in memory subsystem with eight memory channels.
򐂰 Advances in off-chip signaling.
򐂰 The Power9 processor has intelligent threads that can vary based on the workload
demand. The system automatically selects whether a workload benefits from dedicating
as much capability as possible to a single thread of work, or if the workload benefits more
from spreading the capability across up to 44 threads (four per core) of work by using
simultaneous multithreading (SMT). With more threads, the Power9 processor can deliver
more total capacity as more tasks are accomplished in parallel. With fewer threads, those
workloads that need fast individual tasks can get the performance that they need for
maximum benefit.

The remainder of this section describes the RAS features of the Power9 processor. These
features and abilities apply to the DS8A00. You can read more about the Power9 and
processor configuration from the DS8A00 architecture point of view in 2.3.1, “IBM Power9
processor-based CPCs” on page 51.

Power9 RAS features

The following sections describe the RAS leadership features of IBM Power9+
processor-based systems.

Power9 processor instruction retry and recovery (IRR)

As with previous generations, the Power9 processor can run processor instruction retry and
alternative processor recovery for many core-related faults. This ability reduces exposure to
permanent and intermittent errors in the processor core.

With the instruction retry function, when an error is encountered in the core in caches and
certain logic functions, the Power9 processor first automatically retries the instruction. If the
source of the error was truly transient, the instruction succeeds and the system can continue
normal operation.

Power9 cache protection and cache error handling

The processor instruction retry function protects processors and data caches. The L1 cache
is divided into sets. The Power9 processor can deallocate all but one set before a processor
instruction retry is run. In addition, faults in the segment lookaside buffer (SLB) array are
recoverable by the PHYP. The SLB is used in the core to run address translation calculations.

The L2 and L3 caches in the Power9 processor are protected with double-bit detect single-bit
correct error correction code (ECC). Single-bit errors are corrected before they are forwarded
to the processor, and then they are written back to L2 or L3.

In addition, the caches maintain a cache line delete capability. A threshold of correctable
errors that is detected on a cache line can result in purging the data in the cache line and
removing the cache line from further operation without requiring a restart. An ECC
uncorrectable error that is detected in the cache can also trigger a purge and delete of the
cache line.

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 105

 This action results in no loss of operation because an unmodified copy of the data can be
held in system memory to reload the cache line from main memory. Modified data is handled
through special uncorrectable error handling. L2 and L3 deleted cache lines are marked for
persistent deconfiguration on subsequent system restarts until they can be replaced.

Power9 first-failure data capture

First-failure data capture (FFDC) is an error isolation technique. FFDC ensures that when a
fault is detected in a system through error checkers or other types of detection methods, the
root cause of the fault is captured without the need to re-create the problem or run an
extended tracing or diagnostics program.

For most faults, a good FFDC design means that the root cause is detected automatically
without intervention by an IBM Systems Service Representative (IBM SSR). Pertinent error
data that relates to the fault is captured and saved for analysis. In hardware, FFDC data is
collected from the fault isolation registers and the associated logic. In firmware, this data
consists of return codes, function calls, and other items.

FFDC check stations are carefully positioned within the server logic and data paths to ensure
that potential errors can be identified quickly and accurately tracked to a field-replaceable unit
(FRU).

This proactive diagnostic strategy is an improvement over the classic, less accurate restart
and diagnose service approach.

Redundant components
High opportunity components (those components that most affect system availability) are
protected with redundancy and the ability to be repaired concurrently.

The following redundant components allow the system to remain operational:

򐂰 Power9 cores, which include redundant bits in L1 instruction and data caches, L2 caches,
and L2 and L3 directories.
򐂰 IBM Power S922 and IBM Power S924 use CPC main memory with Direct Attach Industry
Standard DIMMs (ISDIMMs), which use an ECC algorithm that improves single-bit error
correction and memory failure identification.
򐂰 Redundant cooling.
򐂰 Redundant power supply units (PSUs).
򐂰 Redundant links to the I/O subsystem.
򐂰 Concurrent maintenance for PCI adapters.

Self-healing
For a system to be self-healing, it must be able to recover from a failing component by
detecting and isolating the failed component. The system is then able to take the component
offline, fix, or isolate it, and then reintroduce the fixed or replaced component into service
without any application disruption. Self-healing technology includes the following examples:
򐂰 Chipkill, which is an enhancement that enables a system to sustain the failure of an entire
DRAM chip. The system can continue indefinitely in this state with no performance
degradation until the failed dual inline memory module (DIMM) can be replaced.
򐂰 Single-bit error correction by using ECC without reaching error thresholds for main, L2,
and L3 cache memory.
򐂰 L2 and L3 cache line delete capability, which provides more self-healing.

106 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

򐂰 ECC extended to inter-chip connections on the fabric and processor bus.
򐂰 Dynamic processor deallocation.

Bus cyclic redundancy check and lane repair

ECC is used internally in various data paths as data is transmitted between units. High-speed
data buses can be susceptible to the occasional multiple bit errors due to the nature of the
bus design. A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code is used to determine whether there are
errors within an entire packet of data. If a bit error is recognized, the bus can retrain and retry
the operation and continue. CRC checking is done for the memory bus, and in Power9 CRC
checking is now done for the processor fabric bus interfaces sending data between
processors.

The memory bus between processors and the memory uses CRC with retry. The design also
includes a spare data lane so that if a persistent single data error exists, the faulty bit can be
“self-healed.” The Power9 busses between processors also have a spare data lane that can
be substituted for a failing one to “self-heal” the single bit errors.

Memory reliability, fault tolerance, and integrity

Power9 uses ECC circuitry for system memory to correct single-bit memory failures. The ECC
algorithm works on ISDIMM pairs on a rank basis. With this ECC code, the system can
dynamically allow correction from an entire DRAM failure (Chipkill) correction by using x4
DRAMs. It can also correct an error even if another symbol (a byte, which is accessed by a
2-bit line pair) experiences a fault.

A rank of four ISDIMMs contains enough DRAMs to provide 64 bits of data at a time with
enough check bits to correct the case of a single DRAM module after the bad DRAM is
detected, and then correct an extra faulty bit.

The ability to correct an entire DRAM is what IBM traditionally called Chipkill correction.
Correcting this kind of fault is essential in protecting against a memory outage and should be
considered as a minimum error correction for any modern server design.

The Power9 processors that are used in DS8A00 are designed internally for ISDIMMs without
an external buffer chip. The ECC checking is at the 64-bit level, so Chipkill protection is
provided with x4 DIMMs plus some additional sub Chipkill level error checking after a Chipkill
event.

The memory DIMMs also use hardware scrubbing and thresholding to determine when
memory modules within each bank of memory must be used to replace modules that
exceeded their threshold of error count. Hardware scrubbing is the process of reading the
contents of the memory during idle time and checking and correcting any single-bit errors that
accumulated by passing the data through the ECC logic. This function is a hardware function
on the memory controller chip, and does not influence normal system memory performance.

The ability to use hardware accelerated scrubbing to refresh memory that might have
experienced soft errors is a given. The memory bus interface is also important. The direct
bus-attach memory that is used in the scale-out servers supports RAS features in that design,
including register clock driver (RCD) parity error detection and retry.

Fault masking
If corrections and retries succeed and do not exceed threshold limits, the system remains
operational with full resources, and no external administrative intervention is required.

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 107

 Mutual surveillance
The service processor monitors the operation of the IBM Power Hypervisor firmware during
the boot process and monitors for loss of control during system operation. It also allows the
Power Hypervisor to monitor service processor activity. The service processor can take the
correct action (including calling for service) when it detects that the Power Hypervisor
firmware lost control. The Power Hypervisor can also request a service processor repair
action if necessary.

4.1.3 Cross-cluster communication

In the DS8A00, the I/O enclosures are connected point-to-point, and each CPC uses a PCIe
architecture. DS8A00 uses the PCIe paths between the I/O enclosures to provide the
cross-cluster (XC) communication between CPCs. This configuration means that no separate
path is between the XC communications and I/O traffic, which simplifies the topology. During
normal operations, the XC communication traffic uses a tiny portion of the overall available
PCIe bandwidth, so XC communication traffic has a negligible effect on I/O performance.

Figure 4-1 shows the redundant PCIe fabric design for XC communication in the DS8A00 and
depicts the single-chip modules (SCMs) (SCM #0 and SCM#1) in each CPC. If the I/O
enclosure that is used as the XC communication path fails, the system automatically uses an
available alternative I/O enclosure for XC communication.

C4-T1 bay07 C4-T1

C2-T1 C2-T1
bay06
P9 C3-T2 P9
SCM #1 C3-T2 SCM #1
C3-T1 C3-T1
bay05

bay04

bay03

C12-T1 C12-T1
bay02
P9 P9
SCM #0
C9-T1 C9-T1 SCM #0
bay01
C8-T1 C8-T1

C6-T1 bay00 C6-T1

Figure 4-1 DS8A00 XC communication through the PCIe fabric and I/O enclosures

4.1.4 Environmental monitoring

The environment (power, fans, and temperature) is monitored by the flexible service
processor (FSP). Environmental critical and non-critical conditions generate emergency
power-off warning (EPOW) events. Critical events (for example, a complete input power loss)
trigger the correct signals from the hardware to start an emergency shutdown to prevent data
loss without OS or firmware involvement. Non-critical environmental events are logged and
reported by using Event Scan.

108 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 The temperature is also monitored. If the ambient temperature rises above a preset operating
range, the rotational speed of the cooling fans increases. Temperature monitoring also warns
the Licensed Internal Code (LIC) of potential environmental problems. An orderly system
shutdown, including a service call to IBM, occurs when the operating temperature exceeds a
critical level.

Voltage monitoring provides a warning and an orderly system shutdown when the voltage is
out of the operational specification range.

More monitoring support can be found by running the DS CLI showsu command and viewing
the Added Energy Report (ER) Test Mode, ER Recorded, ER Power Usage, ER Inlet Temp,
ER I/O Usage, and ER Data Usage fields, as shown in Example 4-1.

Example 4-1 The showsu command

dscli> showsu
Name -
desc Saw Shark
ID IBM.2107-75xxxx0
Model A05
WWNN 5005076309FFEC62
config Undefined
pw state On
pw mode Remote Manual
reqpm Remote Manual
System Memory 896.0 GB
MTS IBM.5341-75xxxx0
ER Test Mode Disabled
ER Recorded 2024-09-19T22:39:03+0200
ER Power Usage 8353
ER Inlet Temp 23.0
ER I/O Usage 83
ER Data Usage 458

4.1.5 Resource deconfiguration

If recoverable errors exceed threshold limits, resources can be unconfigured to keep the
system operational. This ability allows deferred maintenance at a more convenient time.
Dynamic deconfiguration of potentially failing components is nondisruptive, which allows the
system to continue to run. Persistent deconfiguration occurs when a failed component is
detected. It is then deactivated on a subsequent restart.

Dynamic deconfiguration functions include the following components:

򐂰 Processor
򐂰 L3 cache lines
򐂰 Partial L2 cache deconfiguration
򐂰 PCIe bus and slots

Persistent deconfiguration functions include the following components:

򐂰 Processor
򐂰 Memory
򐂰 Unconfigure or bypass failing I/O adapters
򐂰 L2 cache

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 109

 After a hardware error is flagged by the service processor, the subsequent restart of the CPC
starts extended diagnostic testing. If a processor or memory is marked for persistent
deconfiguration, the boot process attempts to proceed to completion with the faulty device
automatically unconfigured. Failing I/O adapters are unconfigured or bypassed during the
boot process.

4.2 CPC failover and failback

To understand the process of CPC failover and failback, review the logical architecture of the
DS8A00. For more information, see Chapter 3, “Virtualization concepts” on page 73.

4.2.1 Dual cluster operation and data protection

For processing host data, a basic premise of RAS is that the DS8000 system always tries to
maintain two copies of write data while the data moves through the storage system. Two
areas of the primary memory of the nodes are used for holding host data: cache memory and
NVS.

All DS8A00 configurations use 1/16th of system memory except for the largest DS8A50
Model A05 with 3.5 TB of total system memory, which uses 192 GB of NVS. NVS contains
write data until the data is destaged from cache to the drives. NVS data is protected and kept
by non-volatile dual inline memory module (NVDIMM) technology, where the data is moved
from DRAM to a flash memory on the NVDIMM modules if the DS8A00 experiences a
complete loss of input AC power.

When a write is sent to a volume and both the nodes are operational, the write data is placed
into the cache memory of the owning node and into the NVS of the other CPC. The NVS copy
of the write data is accessed only if a write failure occurs and the cache memory is empty or
possibly invalid. Otherwise, the NVS copy of the write data is discarded after the destaging
from cache to the drives is complete.

The location of write data when both CPCs are operational is shown in Figure 4-2 on
page 111, which shows how the cache memory of node 0 in CPC0 is used for all logical
volumes that are members of the even logical subsystems (LSSs). Likewise, the cache
memory of node 1 in CPC1 supports all logical volumes that are members of odd LSSs. For
every write that is placed into cache, a copy is placed into the NVS memory that is in the
alternate node. Therefore, the following normal flow of data for a write when both CPCs are
operational is used:
1. Data is written to cache memory in the owning node. At the same time, data is written to
the NVS memory of the alternate node.
2. The write operation is reported to the attached host as complete.
3. The write data is destaged from the cache memory to a drive array.
4. The write data is discarded from the NVS memory of the alternate node.

110 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 NVS for NVS for
ODD EVEN
numbered numbered
LSS LSS

Cache Cache
Memory for Memory for
EVEN ODD
numbered numbered
LSS LSS

CPC0 CPC1
Figure 4-2 NVS write data when both CPCs are operational

Under normal operation, both DS8A00 nodes are actively processing I/O requests. The
following sections describe the failover and failback procedures that occur between the CPCs
when an abnormal condition affects one of them.

4.2.2 Failover
In the example that is shown in Figure 4-3, CPC0 failed. CPC1 must take over all of the CPC0
functions. All storage arrays are accessible by both CPCs.

NVS for NVS NVS

ODD For EVEN For ODD
numbered numbered numbered
LSS LSS LSS

Cache Cache Cache

Memory for Memory Memory
For EVEN For ODD
EVEN
numbered numbered
numbered LSS LSS
LSS

CPC0 CPC1
Failover
Figure 4-3 CPC0 failover to CPC1

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 111

 At the moment of failure, node 1 in CPC1 includes a backup copy of the node 0 write data in
its own NVS. From a data integrity perspective, the concern is the backup copy of the node 1
write data, which was in the NVS of node 0 in CPC0 when it failed. Because the DS8A00 now
has only one copy of that data (active in the cache memory of node 1 in CPC1), it performs
the following steps:
1. Node 1 destages the contents of its NVS (the node 0 write data) to the drive subsystem.
However, before the actual destage and at the beginning of the failover, the following tasks
occur:
a. The surviving node starts by preserving the write data in cache that was backed up by
the failed CPC NVS. If a restart of the single working CPC occurs before the cache
data is destaged, the write data remains available for subsequent destaging.
b. The existing write data in cache (for which only a single volatile copy exists) is added to
the NVS so that it remains available if the attempt to destage fails or a server restart
occurs. This function is limited so that it cannot use more than 85% of NVS space.

2. The NVS and cache of node 1 are divided in two portions, one for the odd LSSs and one
for the even LSSs.
3. Node 1 begins processing the I/O for all the LSSs, taking over for node 0.

This entire process is known as a failover. After failover, the DS8A00 operates as shown in
Figure 4-3 on page 111. Node 1 now owns all the LSSs, which means all reads and writes are
serviced by node 1. The NVS inside node 1 is now used for both odd and even LSSs. The
entire failover process is transparent to the attached hosts.

The DS8A00 can continue to operate in this state indefinitely. No functions are lost, but the
redundancy is lost, and performance is decreased because of the reduced system cache.
Any critical failure in the working CPC renders the DS8A00 unable to serve I/O for the arrays,
so the IBM Support team begins work immediately to determine the scope of the failure and
build an action plan to restore the failed CPC to an operational state.

4.2.3 Failback
The failback process is initiated when the DS8A00 determines that the failed CPC has been
repaired and is ready to resume operations. The DS8A00 then automatically starts the
resume action, or if manual intervention is required, an IBM SSR or remote support engineer
will initiate the failback process.

This example in which CPC0 failed assumes that CPC0 was repaired and resumed. The
failback begins with server 1 in CPC1 starting to use the NVS in node 0 in CPC0 again, and
the ownership of the even LSSs being transferred back to node 0. Normal I/O processing,
with both CPCs operational, then resumes. Just like the failover process, the failback process
is transparent to the attached hosts.

In general, recovery actions (failover or failback) on the DS8A00 do not affect I/O operation
latency by more than 8 seconds.

If you require real-time response in this area, contact IBM to determine the latest information
about how to manage your storage to meet your requirements.

112 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

4.2.4 NVS and power outages
DS8A00 systems contain up to two pairs of intelligent power distribution units (iPDUs) in the
base frame, and a third pair of iPDUs when a model E05 expansion frame is installed. One
iPDU in each pair is in the green power domain, and its partner is in the yellow power domain.

During normal operation, the DS8A00 preserves write data by storing a duplicate copy in the
NVS of the alternative CPC. To ensure that write data is not lost during a power failure event,
the DS8A00 stores the NVS contents on non-volatile DIMMs (NVDIMMs). Each CPC contains
up to four NVDIMMs with dedicated Backup Power Modules (BPMs). The NVDIMMs act as
regular DRAM during normal operation. During AC power loss, the BPMs provide power to
the NVDIMM modules until they have moved all modified data (NVS) to integrated flash
memory. The NVDIMM save process is autonomous, and requires nothing from the CPC.

Important: DS8A00 can tolerate a power line disturbance (PLD) for up to 20 ms. A PLD
that exceeds 20 ms on both power domains initiates an emergency shutdown.

The following sections describe the steps that occur when AC input power is lost to both
power domains.

Power loss
When a wall power loss condition occurs, the following events occur:
1. All host adapter I/O is blocked.
2. Each NVDIMM begins copying its NVS data to the internal flash partition.
3. The system powers off without waiting for the NVDIMM copy operation.
4. The copy process continues and completes independently from the storage systems
power.

Power restored
When power is restored, the DS8A00 must be powered on manually unless the remote power
control mode is set to automatic.

Note: Be careful if you decide to set the remote power control mode to automatic. If the
remote power control mode is set to automatic, after input power is restored, the DS8A00
is powered on automatically.

For more information about how to set power control on the DS8A00 system, see IBM
Documentation.

After the DS8A00 is powered on, the following events occur:

1. The CPCs are powered on, PHYP loads, and power-on self-test (POST) runs.
2. Each CPC boots up, and begins the initial microcode load (IML).
3. At an early stage in the IML process, the CPC detects NVS data on its NVDIMMs and
restores the data to destage it to the storage drives.

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 113

4.3 Data flow in the DS8A00
The DS8A00 connectivity between the CPC and the I/O enclosures uses the PCIe
architecture. For more information, see 2.3.5, “Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
adapters” on page 55.

4.3.1 I/O enclosures

As shown in Figure 4-1 on page 108, each CPC on a DS8A50 can be connected to up to four
I/O enclosures within the base frame, and up to eight I/O enclosures when the expansion
frame is installed. Each I/O enclosure functions as an extension of the CPCs. The DS8A10
model A01 has a maximum of four I/O enclosures.

The DS8A00 I/O enclosures use adapters with PCIe connections. The adapters in the I/O
enclosures are concurrently replaceable. Each slot can be independently powered off for
installation, replacement, or removal of an adapter.

In addition, each I/O enclosure has 2N power and cooling redundancy in the form of two
PSUs with integrated fans, and four double-stacked enclosure cooling fans. The PSUs and
enclosure fans can be replaced concurrently without disruption to the I/O enclosure.

4.3.2 Host connections

Each DS8A00 32 Gbps Fibre Channel (FC) host adapter provides four longwave (LW) or
shortwave (SW) ports for connectivity to storage area network (SAN) switches, or directly to
hosts. Each port can be independently configured for FCP or FICON topology.

Single or multiple paths

The host adapters are shared between the CPCs. To illustrate this concept, Figure 4-4 on
page 115 shows a potential system configuration. In this example, two I/O enclosures are
shown. Each I/O enclosure has up to four FC host adapters. If a host server has only a single
path to a DS8A00, as shown in Figure 4-4 on page 115, it can access volumes that belong to
all LSSs because the host adapter directs the I/O to the correct CPC. However, if an error
occurs on the host adapter, host adapter port, I/O enclosure, or in the SAN, all connectivity is
lost because this configuration has no redundancy. The same is true for the host bus adapter
(HBA) in the attached host, making it a single point of failure (SPoF) without a redundant
HBA. Figure 4-4 on page 115 shows a single-path host connection.

Important: For host connectivity, hosts that access the DS8A00 must have at least two
connections to I/O ports on separate host adapters in separate I/O enclosures.

A more robust design is shown in Figure 4-5 on page 115, in which the host is attached to
separate FC host adapters in separate I/O enclosures. This configuration is also important
because during a LIC update, a host adapter port might need to be taken offline. This
configuration allows host I/O to survive a hardware failure on any component on either path.

114 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Single pathed host

HBA

HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP

Host Host
Adapter Adapter

I/O enclosure 2
PCI PCI
CPC 0 Express Express
CPC 1

I/O enclosure 3
Host Host
Adapter Adapter
HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP

Figure 4-4 A single-path host connection

Dual pathed host

HBA HBA

HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP

Host Host
Adapter Adapter

I/O enclosure 2
PCI PCI
CPC 0 Express Express
CPC 1

I/O enclosure 3
Host Host
Adapter Adapter
HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP

Figure 4-5 A dual-path host connection

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 115

 SAN and FICON switches
Because many hosts can connect to the DS8A00 by using multiple paths, the number of host
adapter ports that are available in the DS8A00 might not be sufficient to accommodate all the
connections. The solution to this problem is to use SAN switches or directors to switch logical
connections from multiple hosts. In an IBM Z environment, a SAN switch or director that
supports FICON is required.

A logic or power failure in a switch or director can interrupt communication between hosts and
the DS8A00. Provide more than one switch or director to ensure continued availability.
Configure ports from two separate host adapters in two separate I/O enclosures to go through
each of two directors. The complete failure of either director leaves the paths that are
configured to the alternative director still available.

Support for the T10 Data Integrity Field standard

The DS8A00 incorporates the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) T10 Data
Integrity Field (DIF) standard for Fixed-Block (FB) volumes.

When data is read, the DIF is checked before the data leaves the DS8A00 and again when
the data is received by the host system. Previously, it was possible to ensure the data integrity
within the storage system only with ECC. However, T10 DIF can now check end-to-end data
integrity through the SAN. Checking is done by hardware, so no performance impact occurs.

For more information about T10 DIF implementation in the DS8A00, see “T10 Data Integrity
Field support” on page 84.

Robust and resilient SAN data transfer

Forward Error Correction (FEC) is enabled on the host adapters to intercept and correct bit
errors for utmost reliability. FEC is also implemented on IBM z13® and later systems,
providing end-to-end reliability.

To provide more proactive system diagnosis information about SAN fabric systems, the Read
Diagnostic Parameters (RDP) function, which complies with industry standards, is
implemented on the DS8A00. This function provides host software with the capability to
perform predictive failure analysis (PFA) on degraded SAN links before they fail.

When troubleshooting SAN errors, the IBM SSR can run a wrap test on a single host adapter
port without taking the entire adapter offline.

Multipathing software
Each attached host OS requires multipathing software to manage multiple paths to the same
device, and to provide redundant routes for host I/O requests. When a failure occurs on one
path to a logical device, the multipathing software on the attached host can identify the failed
path and route the I/O requests for the logical device to alternative paths. Furthermore, it can
likely detect when the path is restored. The multipathing software that is used varies by
attached host OS and environment, as described in the following sections.

Open systems
In most open systems environments, multipathing is available at the OS level. The Subsystem
Device Driver (SDD), which was provided and maintained by IBM for several OSs, is now an
obsolete approach for a multipathing solution.

116 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Important: The IBM System Storage Multipath Subsystem Device Driver is no longer
supported for IBM DS8000. The Subsystem Device Driver Device Specific Module
(SDDDSM) for Windows and Subsystem Device Driver Path Control Module (SDDPCM)
for AIX are end of service (EOS). Clients must move to the native multipath OS software to
get continuous support from IBM. For more information, see SDDDSM and SDDPCM End
Of Support for DS8000.

For AIX OS, the DS8000 is supported through the AIX multipath I/O (MPIO) framework, which
is included in the base AIX OS. Use the base AIX Multipath I/O Path Control Module
(AIXPCM) support instead of the old SDDPCM.

For multipathing under Microsoft Windows, the DS8000 is supported by the native Microsoft
MPIO stack by using Microsoft Device Specific Module (MSDSM). Existing environments that
rely on the old SDDDSM should be moved to the native OS driver.

Note: To move existing SDDPCM and SDDDSM implementations, see the following
resources:
򐂰 How To Migrate SDDPCM to AIXPCM
򐂰 Migrating from SDDDSM to Microsoft MSDSM - SVC/Storwize

For all newer versions of RHEL and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, the native Linux
multipathing driver, Device-Mapper Multipath (DM Multipath), is used.

Also, on the VMware vSphere ESXi server, the VMware Native Multipathing Plug-in (NMP) is
the supported multipathing solution.

For more information about the multipathing software that might be required for various OSs,
see the IBM System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC).

IBM Z
In the IBM Z environment, a best practice is to provide multiple paths from each host to a
storage system. Typically, four or eight paths are configured. The channels in each host that
can access each logical control unit (LCU) in the DS8A00 are defined in the hardware
configuration definition (HCD) or input/output configuration data set (IOCDS) for that host.
Dynamic Path Selection (DPS) allows the channel subsystem to select any available
(non-busy) path to start an operation to the disk subsystem. Dynamic Path Reconnect (DPR)
allows the DS8A00 to select any available path to a host to reconnect and resume a
disconnected operation, for example, to transfer data after disconnection because of a cache
miss.

These functions are part of the IBM z/Architecture®, and are managed by the channel
subsystem on the host and the DS8A00.

A physical FICON path is established when the DS8A00 port sees light on the fiber, for
example, a cable is plugged in to a DS8A00 host adapter, a processor or the DS8A00 is
powered on, or a path is configured online by z/OS. Logical paths are established through the
port between the host, and part of or all of the LCUs in the DS8A00 are controlled by the HCD
definition for that host. This configuration happens for each physical path between an IBM Z
host and the DS8A00. Multiple system images can be in a CPU. Logical paths are established
for each system image. The DS8A00 then knows the paths that can be used to communicate
between each LCU and each host.

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 117

 Control-unit initiated reconfiguration (CUIR) varies off a path or paths to all IBM Z hosts to
allow service to an I/O enclosure or host adapter, then varies on the paths to all host systems
when the host adapter ports are available. This function automates channel path
management in IBM Z environments in support of selected DS8A00 service actions.

CUIR is available for the DS8A00 when it operates in the z/OS and IBM z/VM environments.
CUIR provides automatic channel path vary on and vary off actions to minimize manual
operator intervention during selected DS8A00 service actions.

CUIR also allows the DS8A00 to request that all attached system images set all paths that
are required for a particular service action to the offline state. System images with the correct
level of software support respond to such requests by varying off the affected paths, and
either notifying the DS8A00 system that the paths are offline, or that it cannot take the paths
offline. CUIR reduces manual operator intervention and the possibility of human error during
maintenance actions and reduces the time that is required for the maintenance. This function
is useful in environments in which many z/OS or z/VM systems are attached to a DS8A00.

4.3.3 Metadata checks

When application data enters the DS8A00 system, special codes or metadata, also known as
redundancy checks, are appended to that data. This metadata remains associated with the
application data while it is transferred throughout the DS8A00. The metadata is checked by
various internal components to validate the integrity of the data as the data moves throughout
the disk system. It is also checked by the DS8A00 before the data is sent to the host in
response to a read I/O request. The metadata also contains information that is used as an
extra level of verification to confirm that the data that is returned to the host is coming from the
location that you want on the disk.

The metadata check is independent of the DS8A00 T10 DIF support for FB volumes. For
more information about T10 DIF implementation in the DS8000, see “T10 Data Integrity Field
support” on page 84.

4.4 RAS on the Hardware Management Console

The Hardware Management Console (HMC) is used to configure, manage, and maintain the
DS8A00. Two HMCs (the primary and the secondary) are included in every DS8A00 base
frame. The DS8A00 HMCs work with IPv4, IPv6, or a combination of both IP standards. For
more information about the HMC and network connections, see 5.3, “Network connectivity
planning” on page 153.

The HMC is the DS8A00 management focal point. If no HMC is operational, it is impossible to
run maintenance, modifications to the logical configuration, or Copy Services (CS) tasks,
such as the establishment of FlashCopy backups, Metro Mirror (MM) or Global Mirror (GM),
by using the DS Command-line Interface (DS CLI), Storage Management GUI, or IBM Copy
Services Manager. The implementation of a secondary HMC provides a redundant
management focal point and is especially important if CS or Encryption Key Manager (EKM)
are used.

118 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

4.4.1 Licensed Internal Code updates
The DS8A00 contains many discrete redundant components. The DS8A00 architecture
allows concurrent code updates. This ability is achieved by using the redundant design of the
DS8A00. The following components have firmware that can be updated concurrently:
򐂰 FSP and IBM Power firmware
򐂰 iPDU
򐂰 Host adapters
򐂰 Flash enclosure
򐂰 Device adapters (DAs)
򐂰 Flash drives
򐂰 I/O enclosure

The DS8A00 CPCs have an OS (AIX) and Licensed Machine Code (LMC) that can be
updated. As IBM continues to develop and improve the DS8A00, new releases of firmware
and LMC become available that offer improvements in function and reliability. For more
information about LIC updates, see Chapter 11, “Licensed Machine Code” on page 385.

4.4.2 Call Home and remote support

This section describes the Call Home feature and remote support capability.

Call Home
Call Home is the capability of the DS8A00 to notify the client and IBM Support to report a
problem. Call Home is configured in the HMC at installation time. Call Home to IBM Support
is done over the customer network through a secure protocol. Customer notifications can also
be configured as email (SMTP) or Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) alerts. An
example of an email notification output is shown in Example 4-2.

Example 4-2 Typical email notification output

REPORTING SF MTMS: 2107-A05*75xxxx1
FAILING SF MTMS: 5341-A05*75xxxx0
REPORTING SF LPAR: unknown
PROBLEM NUMBER: 270
PROBLEM TIMESTAMP: Sep 24, 2024 2:40:10 PM CEST
REFERENCE CODE: BF84DC12

************************* START OF NOTE LOG **************************

BASE RACK ORDERED MTMS 5341-A05*75xxxx0
LOCAL HMC MTMS 8100LI7*I336057 HMC ROLE Primary
LOCAL HMC OUTBOUND CONFIG SSL only FTP: enabled
REMOTE HMC MTMS 8100LI7*I336145 HMC ROLE Secondary
REMOTE HMC OUTBOUND CONFIG Internet only FTP: enabled
AOS STATUS Running AOS VERSION 4.0
AOS ACL=(DS8k, Storage) AOS TRACE Enable
RSC STATUS Running RSC PASSWORD Required
HMC CE default HMC REMOTE default
HMC PE default HMC DEVELOPER default
2107 BUNDLE 10.0.198.0
HMC BUILD 1909242353
LMC LEVEL v25.90.0 build level 20191013.1
FIRMWARE LEVEL SRV0 01VL93087 SRV1 01VL93087

STORAGE FACILITY 2107-A05*75xxxx0,

PARTITION NAME SF75xxxx0ESS11
PARTITION HOST NAME SF75xxxx0ESS11

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 119

 PARTITION STATUS SFI 2107-996*xxxx1 SVR 9009-42A*785A6C0 LPAR SF75xxxx0ESS11 STATE =
AVAILABLE

FIRST REPORTED TIME Sep 24, 2024 2:40:10 PM CEST

LAST REPORTED TIME Sep 24, 2024 2:40:10 PM CEST
CALL HOME RETRY #0 of 12 on Sep 24, 2024 2:40:11 PM CEST.
REFCODE BE83CB93..... <=== system reference code (SRC)
SERVICEABLE EVENT TEXT
Device adapter reset reached threshold, adapter fenced. ... <=== Description of Problem

FRU group MEDIUM FRU class FRU

FRU Part Number 01LT624 FRU CCIN DAQN
FRU Serial Number 0095G725
FRU Location Code U1500.1B2.RJAAL2Y-P1-C6
FRU Previously Replaced No
FRU Previous PMH N/A

************************** END OF NOTE LOG ***************************

For more information about planning the connections that are needed for HMC installations,
see Chapter 6, “IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup” on page 161.

For more information about setting up SNMP notifications, see Chapter 12, “Monitoring and
support” on page 403.

Remote support
Remote support provides the ability of IBM Support personnel to remotely access the
DS8A00. This capability can be configured at the HMC, and access is through Assist On-site
(AOS) or by IBM Remote Support Center (RSC).

For more information about remote support operations, see Chapter 12, “Monitoring and
support” on page 403.

For more information about AOS, see IBM Assist On-site for Storage Overview, REDP-4889.

4.5 RAS on the storage system

The DS8A00 was designed to safely store and retrieve large amounts of data. Redundant
array of independent disks (RAID) is an industry-wide method to store data on multiple
physical disks to enhance data redundancy. Many variants of RAID are used today. The
DS8A00 system supports RAID 6 and RAID 10.

Note: Due to the added resiliency of RAID 6, RAID 5 is no longer supported on DS8A00
Models.

120 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

4.5.1 RAID configurations
The following RAID configurations are supported on DS8A00:
򐂰 5+P+Q+S RAID 6 configuration: The array consists of five data drives and two parity
drives. The remaining drive on the array site is used as a spare.
򐂰 6+P+Q RAID 6 configuration: The array consists of six data drives and two parity drives.
򐂰 3+3+2S RAID 10 configuration: The array consists of three data drives that are mirrored to
three copy drives. Two drives on the array site are used as spares.
򐂰 4+4 RAID 10 configuration: The array consists of four data drives that are mirrored to four
copy drives.

Note: The following characteristics refer to RAID:

򐂰 Spare drives are globally available to the flash RAID controller pair.
򐂰 The P and Q indicators do not mean that individual drives are dedicated to holding the
parity bits for the array, but rather, they designate the equivalent capacity of the parity
drives. By design, RAID 6 employs a rotating parity architecture so that no single drive
is always involved in every write operation. The data and parity stripes are distributed
among the member drives of the array to provide optimum write performance.

IBM Storage Modeler (StorM) is an easy-to-use web tool that is available only to IBM
personnel and Business Partners to help with capacity planning for physical and usable
capacities that are based on installation drive capacities and quantities in intended RAID
configurations.

RAID 6 is the default when creating new arrays by using the DS Storage Manager GUI.

Important: The following restrictions apply:

򐂰 Within one High-Performance Flash Enclosure (HPFE) Gen3 pair of six array sites, a
RAID intermix is allowed, but no intermix of high-performance drives (Flash Tier 0) with
high-capacity drives (Flash Tier 1 or Flash Tier 2) is supported.

For the latest information about supported RAID configurations and to request an RPQ /
SCORE, contact your IBM SSR.

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 121

4.5.2 Drive path redundancy
Each flash drive inside an HPFE in the DS8A00 is attached to two PCIe Gen4 NVMe switch
expanders, which are contained within the Enclosure Service Modules (ESMs) in the flash
drive enclosure. Figure 4-6 shows the redundancy features of the DS8A00 switched NVMe
drive architecture.

Each flash drive has two separate connections to the enclosure backplane. This configuration
allows a flash drive to be simultaneously attached to both NVMe expander switches. If either
ESM is removed from the enclosure, the NVMe expander switch in the remaining ESM retains
the ability to communicate with all the flash drives and both flash RAID controllers in the DA
pair. Similarly, each DA has a path to each switch, so it can also tolerate the loss of a single
path. If both paths from one DA fail, it cannot access the switches. However, the partner DA
retains connectivity to all drives in the enclosure pair.

DS8000 Storage Enclosure with Switched Dual Loops

Next CPC 0 Next

Storage Device Storage
Enclosure Adapter Enclosure

CPC 1
Device
Adapter

Out Out In In In In Out Out

FC-AL Switch FC-AL Switch

Storage Enclosure Backplane

Disk Drive Modules

Figure 4-6 Flash Drive Enclosure Paths

For more information about the drive subsystem of the DS8A00, see 2.5, “Flash drive
enclosures” on page 62.

4.5.3 Flash RAID controller redundancy

Flash RAID controllers are always installed in pairs and connect to a pair of HPFEs, which are
also always installed in pairs. Each controller provides four ports that are connected across
each of the four ESMs in the flash enclosures, for a total of eight paths.

The arrays are balanced between the flash enclosures to provide redundancy and
performance. Both flash RAID controllers can access all arrays within the DA pair. Each
controller in a DA pair is installed in different I/O enclosures, and each has allegiance to a
different CPC.

The DS8A00 introduces a dual-active design that allows each node to connect directly to both
adapters in a pair. This setup boosts performance and fault tolerance by ensuring that if one
adapter fails, I/O can be redirected locally without needing to switch arrays or change roles.
This design not only reduces disruptions during software updates but also enhances how
adapter failures are managed, especially in single CEC mode.

122 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 4-7 shows the connections for the DA and flash enclosure pair.

Figure 4-7 Dual paths on a flash drive enclosure

4.5.4 Predictive failure analysis

The flash drives that are used in the DS8A00 incorporate Predictive failure analysis (PFA),
and can anticipate certain forms of failures by keeping internal statistics of read/write errors. If
the error rates exceed predetermined threshold values, the drive is nominated for
replacement. Because the drive did not yet fail, data can be copied directly to a spare drive by
using the technique that is described in 4.5.9, “Smart Rebuild” on page 127. This copy ability
avoids using RAID recovery to reconstruct all the data on to the spare drive.

4.5.5 Disk scrubbing

The DS8A00 periodically reads data on a flash drive. This reading is designed to occur
without interfering with application performance. It is called background data scrubbing.

If ECC detects correctable bad bits, the bits are corrected immediately. This ability reduces
the possibility of multiple bad bits accumulating in a block beyond the ability of ECC to correct
them. If a block contains data that is beyond ECC’s ability to correct, RAID is used to
regenerate the data and write a new copy onto a spare block or cell of the flash drive. This
scrubbing process applies to flash drives that are array members and spares.

Data scrubbing can proactively relocate data, which reduces the probability of data reread
impact. Data scrubbing does this relocation before errors increase to a level beyond error
correction capabilities.

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 123

4.5.6 RAID support
Arrays can be configured as RAID 6 or RAID 10.

Important: RAID 6 is now the default and preferred setting for the DS8A00. RAID 10
continues to be an option for all-flash drive types.

The DS8A00 uses the idea of rotating parity, which means that no single drive in an array is
dedicated to holding parity data, which makes the drive active in every I/O operation. Instead,
the drives in an array rotate between holding data stripes and holding parity stripes, balancing
out the activity level of all drives in the array

Spare drives
An HPFE Gen3 pair in a DS8A00 can contain up to six array sites. Each array site contains
eight flash drives, and the HPFE Gen3 pair has two spare flash drives for each enclosure pair.
The first two array sites on a flash RAID controller (DA) pair have a spare that is assigned,
and the rest of the array sites have no spare that is assigned if all flash drives are the same
capacity. The number of required spare drives per flash enclosure pair applies to all available
RAID levels.

4.5.7 RAID 6 overview

The DS8A00 supports RAID 6 protection. RAID 6 presents an efficient method of data
protection in double failure scenarios, such as two drive failures, two coincident media errors,
or a hardware failure combined with a media error. RAID 6 protection provides greater fault
tolerance while consuming less raw drive capacity than RAID 10.

Note: RAID 6 is the default and preferred array configuration in DS8A00 systems.

RAID 6 provides around a 1,000 times improvement over RAID 5 for impact risk. RAID 6
allows more fault tolerance by using a second independent distributed parity scheme (dual
parity). Data is striped on a block level across a set of drives while the second set of parity is
calculated and written across all the drives, and allows reconstruction of the data even when
two drives fail. The striping is shown in Figure 4-8 on page 125.

124 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 4-8 Illustration of RAID 6 stripe on a 5+P+Q+S array

RAID 6 is best used with large-capacity drives because they have a longer rebuild time. One
risk is that longer rebuild times increase the possibility that a second drive error occurs during
the rebuild window.

Workload planning is important before considering RAID 6 for write-intensive applications,

including CS targets. In the case of high random-write ratios, RAID 10 can be the better
choice.

When RAID 6 is sized correctly for the I/O demand, it is a considerable reliability
enhancement, as shown in Figure 4-8.

RAID 6 implementation in the DS8A00

A RAID 6 array in one array site of a DS8A00 can be built in one of the following
configurations:
򐂰 In a seven-drive array, two drives are always used for parity, and the eighth drive of the
array site is needed as a spare. This type of RAID 6 array is referred to as a 5+P+Q+S
array, where P and Q stand for parity and S stands for spare.
򐂰 A RAID 6 array, which consists of eight drives, is built when all necessary spare drives are
configured for the DA pair. An eight-drive RAID 6 array also always uses two drives for
parity, so it is referred to as a 6+P+Q array.

Drive failure with RAID 6

When a drive fails in a RAID 6 array, the DA starts to reconstruct the data of the failing drive
on to one of the available spare drives. An algorithm determines the location of the spare
drive to use, depending on the capacity and the location of the failed drive. After the spare
drive replaces a failed drive in a redundant array, the recalculation of the entire contents of the

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 125

 new drive is run by reading the corresponding data and parity in each stripe from the
remaining drives in the array. This data is then written to the spare drive.

During the rebuilding of the data on the new drive, the DA can still handle I/O requests from
the connected hosts to the affected array. Performance degradation might occur during the
reconstruction because DAs and path resources are used to do the rebuild. Because of the
dual-path architecture of the DS8A00, this effect is minimal. Additionally, any read requests
for data on the failing drive require data to be read from the other drives in the array, and then
the DA reconstructs the data.

Any subsequent failure during the reconstruction within the same array (second drive failure,
second coincident medium errors, or a drive failure and a medium error) can be recovered
without data loss.

Performance of the RAID 6 array returns to normal when the data reconstruction on the spare
drive is complete. The rebuild time varies, depending on the capacity of the failed drive and
the workload on the array and the DA. The completion time is comparable to a RAID 5 rebuild,
but slower than rebuilding a RAID 10 array in a single drive failure.

4.5.8 RAID 10 overview

RAID 10 provides high availability (HA) by combining the features of RAID 0 and RAID 1.
RAID 0 optimizes performance by striping volume data across multiple drives. RAID 1
provides drive mirroring, which duplicates data between two drives. By combining the
features of RAID 0 and RAID 1, RAID 10 provides more optimization for fault tolerance. Data
is striped across half of the drives in the RAID 1 array. The same data is also striped across
the other half of the array, which creates a mirror. Access to data is preserved if one drive in
each mirrored pair remains available.

RAID 10 offers faster data reads and writes than RAID 6 because it does not need to manage
parity. However, with half of the drives in the group used for data and the other half mirroring
that data, RAID 10 arrays have less usable capacity than RAID 6 arrays.

RAID 10 is commonly used for workloads that require the highest performance from the drive
subsystem. With RAID 6, each front-end random write I/O might theoretically lead to six
back-end I/Os, including the parity updates (RAID penalty), but this number is only two for
RAID 10 (not counting cache optimizations). A typical use case for RAID 10 is for workloads
with a high random-write ratio. Either member in the mirrored pair can respond to the read
requests.

RAID 10 implementation in DS8A00

In the DS8A00, the RAID 10 implementation is achieved by using six or eight drives. If spares
must be allocated from the array site, six drives are used to make a three-drive RAID 0 array,
which is then mirrored to a three-drive array (3x3). If spares do not need to be allocated, eight
drives are used to make a four-drive RAID 0 array, which is then mirrored to a four-drive array
(4x4). For the required number of spares per flash drive enclosure pair, see “Spare drives” on
page 124.

Drive failure with RAID 10

When a flash drive fails in a RAID 10 array, the DA rejects the failing drive and takes a hot
spare into the array. Then, data is copied from the good drive to the hot spare drive. The
spare that is used is chosen based on an algorithm that looks at the location of the spares
and the size and location of the failed drive. Remember, a RAID 10 array is effectively a RAID
0 array that is mirrored. Therefore, when a drive fails in one of the RAID 0 arrays, you can
rebuild the failed drive by reading the data from the equivalent drive in the other RAID 0 array.

126 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 While this data copy is occurring, the DA can still service read/write requests to the array from
the hosts. Performance might degrade while the copy operation is in progress because DAs
and path resources are used to rebuild the RAID 1 pair. Because a good drive is available,
this effect is minimal. Read requests for data on the failed drive are likely not affected
because they are all directed to the good copy on the mirrored drive. Write operations are not
affected.

Performance of the RAID 10 array returns to normal when the data copy onto the spare drive
completes. The time that is taken for rebuild can vary, depending on the capacity of the failed
drive and the workload on the array and the DA.

Compared to RAID 6, RAID 10 rebuild completion time is faster because rebuilding a RAID 6
array requires several reads on the remaining stripe units plus two parity operations for each
write. However, a RAID 10 configuration requires one read and one write (essentially, a direct
copy).

4.5.9 Smart Rebuild

Smart Rebuild is a function that is designed to help reduce the possibility of secondary
failures and data loss of RAID arrays. It can be used to rebuild a RAID 6 array when certain
drive errors occur and a normal determination is made that it is time to use a spare to
proactively replace a failing flash drive. If the suspect drive is still available for I/O, it is kept in
the array rather than being rejected as under a standard RAID rebuild. A spare is brought into
the array, as an extra member, concurrently.

The suspect drive and the new member-spare are set up in a temporary RAID 1 association,
allowing the troubled drive to be duplicated onto the spare rather than running a full RAID
reconstruction (rebuild) from data and parity. The new member-spare is then made a regular
member of the array and the suspect drive is rejected from the RAID array. The array never
goes through an n-1 stage in which it might suffer a complete failure if other drives in this
array encounter errors. The result saves substantial time and provides a new level of
availability that is not available in other RAID products.

Smart Rebuild is not applicable in all situations, so it is not always used. Smart Rebuild runs
only for healthy RAID arrays. If two drives with errors are in a RAID 6 configuration, or if the
drive mechanism failed to the point that it cannot accept any I/O, the standard RAID rebuild
procedure is used for the RAID array. If communications across a drive fabric are
compromised, such as an NVMe path link error that causes the drive to be bypassed,
standard RAID rebuild procedures are used because the suspect drive is not available for a
one-to-one copy with a spare. If Smart Rebuild is not possible or cannot complete, a standard
RAID rebuild occurs.

Drive error patterns are continuously analyzed as part of the scheduled tasks that are run by
the DS8A00 LIC. Drive firmware is optimized to report predictive errors to the DA. At any time,
when certain drive errors (following specific criteria) reach a specified threshold, the RAS LIC
component starts Smart Rebuild within the hour. This enhanced technique, when it is
combined with a more frequent schedule, leads to considerably faster identification of drives
showing signs of imminent failure.

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 127

 A fast response in fixing drive errors is vital to avoid multiple drive failures in an array, and to
thus avoid potential data loss. The possibility of having an array with diminished redundancy,
such as when a RAID rebuild occurs, is reduced by shortening the time when a specific error
threshold is reached until Smart Rebuild is triggered, as described in the following scenarios:
򐂰 Smart Rebuild might avoid the circumstance in which a suspected drive is rejected
because the Smart Rebuild process is started before rejection. Therefore, Smart Rebuild
prevents the array from going to a standard RAID rebuild, during which the array has
diminished redundancy.
򐂰 Because DS8A00 LIC is continuously analyzing drive errors, any drive that exceeds the
error threshold is detected immediately.
򐂰 The RAS LIC component starts Smart Rebuild after the Smart Rebuild threshold criteria
are met. The Smart Rebuild analysis process runs every hour.

Smart Rebuild is also used to proactively rebalance member and spare drive distribution
between the paths in a DA pair. Also, if a DA pair has a mix of different capacity flash drives, a
larger spare might, sometimes, be taken by a smaller drive array. Smart Rebuild corrects this
situation after the failing drives are replaced, and returns the larger drive to the spare pool.

DS8000 Release 9.1 code provided an enhancement of the rebuild process by avoiding the
rebuild of areas that are not mapped to logical volumes.

This process is performed by running a status command to the drives to determine whether
the parity stripe is unmapped. This process prevents unnecessary writes (P/E cycles) of
zeroed data to the target drive in a rebuild, allowing faster rebuild for partially allocated RAID
arrays.

IBM SSRs and remote support can manually initiate a Smart Rebuild if needed, such as when
two drives in an array are logging temporary media errors.

4.5.10 Spare creation

This section describes methods of spare creation.

Flash drive enclosures

When the arrays are created on a DS8A00 flash drive enclosure, the LIC determines the
array sites that contain spares. The first array sites on each flash RAID controller (DA) pair
that are assigned to arrays contribute one or two spares (depending on the RAID option) until
the DA pair has access to at least two spares, with spares initially placed on each enclosure
in the pair.

A minimum of one spare is created for each array site that is assigned to an array until the
following conditions are met:
򐂰 A minimum of two spares per DA pair exist.
򐂰 A minimum of two spares for the largest capacity array site on the DA pair exist.

Spare rebalancing
The DS8A00 implements a spare rebalancing technique for spare drives. When a drive fails
and a hot spare is taken, it becomes a member of that array. When the failed drive is repaired,
DS8A00 LIC might choose to allow the hot spare to remain where it was moved. However, it
can instead choose to move the spare to a more optimum position. This migration is
performed to better balance the spares across the two dual flash enclosure paths to provide
the optimum spare location based on drive capacity and spare availability.

128 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 It might be preferable that the drive that is in use as an array member is converted to a spare.
In this case, the data on that flash drive module is moved in the background onto an existing
spare by using the Smart Rebuild technique. For more information, see 4.5.5, “Disk
scrubbing” on page 123 and 4.5.9, “Smart Rebuild” on page 127. This process does not fail
the disk that is being moved. However, the process reduces the number of available spares in
the DS8A00 until the migration process is complete.

In a flash drive intermix on a DA pair, it is possible to rebuild the contents of a smaller flash
drive onto a larger spare drive. When the failed flash drive is replaced with a new drive, the
DS8A00 LIC moves the data back onto the recently replaced drive.

When this process completes, the smaller flash drive rejoins the array, and the larger drive
becomes a spare again.

Hot-pluggable drives
Replacing a failed flash drive does not affect the operation of the DS8A00 system because
the drives are fully hot-pluggable. Each drive plugs into a NVMe expander switch, so no path
break is associated with the removal or replacement of a drive. In addition, no potentially
disruptive loop initialization process occurs.

4.6 RAS on the power subsystem

This section describes the power subsystem components of the DS8A00 from a RAS
standpoint.

All power and cooling components that constitute the DS8A00 power subsystem are fully
redundant. The key element that allows this high level of redundancy is a dual power domain
configuration that is formed of iPDU pairs. Dual PSUs in all major components provide a 2N
redundancy for the system.

Combined with the NVDIMMs and the BPMs, which preserve the NVS write cache, the design
protects the storage system in an input power failure.

The BPMs in each of the CPCs provide power to complete the movement of write data from
cache memory to non-volatile flash storage if an input power loss occurs in both power
domains (as described in 4.2.4, “NVS and power outages” on page 113).

The CPCs, I/O enclosures, and flash enclosures components in the frame all feature
duplicated PSUs.

4.6.1 Power components

This section describes the following power components:
򐂰 Intelligent Power Distribution Units
򐂰 Backup Power Modules and NVDIMMs
򐂰 Flash drive enclosure power supply units
򐂰 CPC, HMC, and I/O enclosure power supply units

Intelligent Power Distribution Units

iPDUs are used to distribute power from the AC input power cords to all areas of the system.
These areas include the PSUs in flash drive enclosures, HMCs, CPCs, I/O enclosures, and
Ethernet switches.

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 129

 iPDUs are installed in pairs, one in each input power domain. An iPDU module can be
replaced concurrently, as described in 2.6.2, “Power domains” on page 68.

The iPDUs are firmware upgradeable and controlled and managed by the HMCs through its
Ethernet interfaces.

For more information, see 2.6.1, “Intelligent Power Distribution Units” on page 64.

iPDUs support high or low voltage three-phase, and low-voltage single-phase input power.
The correct power cables must be used. For more information about power cord Feature
Codes, see IBM Storage DS8000 10.0 Introduction and Planning Guide, G10-I53-00.

Backup Power Modules and NVDIMMs

If AC input power is lost to both power domains, and is not restored within the 20 ms ride
through time, an emergency shutdown is initiated, and the NVDIMMs copy the data from NVS
to internal flash memory.

The Backup Power Modules (BPMs) provide the power for this emergency copy process of
the NVDIMMs. They are firmware upgradeable. The condition of the BPMs is continually
monitored by the CPC FSP. The BPMs have fast charge times that ensure that an empty BPM
is charged and fully operational during the IML phase of the system when the storage system
powers on so that no SPoF occurs. For more information, see 2.6.3, “Backup Power Modules
and NVDIMM” on page 68.

The DS8A00 BPMs have a 5-year lifetime. If a BPM must be replaced, the containing CPC
must be set to service mode and shut down, which starts a failover of all operations to the
other CPC. Because of the high resilience of the system, the remaining CPC keeps the whole
storage facility operable and in production servicing all I/Os. As a best practice, replacement
should be done in a scheduled service window to avoid reduced performance and
redundancy during peak workload hours. As the BPM is monitored, sufficient warning is given
to schedule the service action.

Flash drive enclosure power supply units

The flash drive enclosure PSUs provide power for the drives, and they house the cooling fans
for the drive enclosure. The fans draw air from the front of the frame, through the drives, and
then out through the back of the frame. The entire frame cools from front to back, complying
with the data center hot aisle / cold aisle cooling strategy. Redundant fans are in each PSU,
and redundant PSUs are in each drive enclosure. The drive enclosure power supply can be
replaced concurrently.

Each flash drive enclosure power supply plugs into two separate iPDUs, which must each be
supplied by redundant independent customer power feeds.

CPC, HMC, and I/O enclosure power supply units

Each CPC, HMC, and I/O enclosure have dual redundant PSUs that each receive power from
a designated iPDU pair. Each I/O enclosure, CPC, and HMC has its own cooling fans.

4.6.2 Line power loss

The DS8A00 uses an area of server memory as NVS. This area of memory is used to hold
modified data that is not yet written to the storage drives. If power is lost to both input power
domains, the DS8A00 uses NVDIMMs to preserve that data. For a full explanation of the NVS
and cache operation, see 4.2, “CPC failover and failback” on page 110.

130 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

4.6.3 Line power fluctuation
If a power fluctuation occurs that causes a momentary interruption to power (often called a
brownout), the DS8A00 tolerates this condition for approximately 20 ms. If this period is
exceeded, the flash enclosure, CPC, and other components are powered off. Independently,
the NVDIMMs remain powered by the BPMs, and begin copying the contents of NVS to the
flash memory to hold the data for destage when the system becomes operational. For many
clients who use uninterruptible power supply (UPS) technology, brownouts are not an issue.
UPS-regulated power is reliable, so more redundancy in the attached devices is often
unnecessary.

4.6.4 Power control

Power control functions are performed by the HMCs, which communicate sequencing
information to the service processor in each CPC and iPDU. Power control of the DS8A00
can be performed by using the Service Maintenance Console Web User Interface (WUI) or by
using the DS8A00 Storage Management GUI or DS CLI commands. Figure 4-9 shows the
Power Control in the Actions menu on the dashboard of the Storage Management GUI.

Figure 4-9 DS8A00 power control in the Storage Management GUI

Figure 4-10 shows the power control settings window of the Storage Management GUI.

Figure 4-10 DS8A00 modify power control settings from the Storage Management GUI

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 131

4.7 Other features
Many more features of the DS8A00 enhance RAS. Several of these features are described in
this section.

4.7.1 Internal network

Each DS8A00 base frame contains two-gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switches supporting a fully
redundant pair of private management networks. Each CPC in the DS8A00 has a connection
to each switch. Each HMC has a connection to each switch. This configuration means that if a
single Ethernet switch fails, all communication from the HMCs to other components in the
storage system continue to function by using the alternate private network. Section 6.1.2,
“Private and Management Ethernet networks” on page 163 explains the design of the internal
network in more detail.

Note: The Ethernet switches that are used internally in DS8A00 are for private network
communication only. No external connection to the private networks is allowed. Client
connectivity to the DS8A00 is allowed only through the provided external customer HMC
Ethernet connectors (eth2 and eth1) at the rear of the base frame.

4.7.2 Earthquake resistance

The Earthquake Resistance Kit is an optional seismic kit for stabilizing the storage system
frame so that the frame complies with IBM earthquake resistance standards. It helps to
prevent personal injury and increases the probability that the system is available following an
earthquake by limiting potential damage to critical system components.

Storage system frames with this optional seismic kit include hardware at the bottom of the
frame that secures it to the floor. Depending on the flooring in your environment (specifically,
non-raised floors), installation of the required floor mounting hardware might be disruptive.
This kit must be special-ordered for the DS8A00. The kit is not available for the
rack-mountable DS8A10 model A00. For more information, contact your IBM SSR.

4.7.3 IBM Certified Secure Data Overwrite

IBM Certified Secure Data Overwrite (SDO) is a process that provides a secure erasure of all
data in a DS8A00 storage system. Before you perform a secure data erasure, you must
remove all logical configuration. Encryption groups, if configured, must also be disbanded.
Then, the process is initiated by the IBM SSR. The process continues unattended until it
completes. This process can take a full day to complete.

The storage system also overwrites the areas that are usually not accessible and used only
internally by the disk.

132 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

As illustrated in Figure 4-11, the data becomes unintelligible after this process.

Figure 4-11 Secure Data Erasure data workflow

Flash drives secure erasure

For flash-based drives or media, a combination of crypto-erase is run by zeroing any stored
key information within flash drives, resetting the flash tables in RAM, and issuing a block
erase to every flash block on the drive (format operation).

CPC and HMC

CPC drives are cleared through a single-pass overwrite, which is in accordance with National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-88 Rev. 1. The HMC SSD drives are
also overwritten with a single pass. There is no customer data on the HMC drives because
this process clears all diagnostics and support trace information.

NVDIMM
The NVDIMMs are cleared by applying a single-pass overwrite in accordance with NIST
SP-800-881. This process is run in parallel on both CPCs.

Process overview
The SDO process is summarized in these steps:
1. After the logical configuration is removed, SDO is started from the primary HMC.
2. The primary HMC performs a dual cluster restart.
3. The crypto-erase and format of the flash drives is started.
4. The overwrite of the CPC hard disk drives (HDDs) are started in parallel (with each other
and with the above).
5. The overwrite of the secondary HMC is started in parallel.
6. Both CPCs are restarted and the NVDIMMs are cleared.
7. After the overwrite of the CPC and secondary HMC HDDs is complete, the primary HMC
HDD is overwritten.
8. The certificate is generated.

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 133

 Certificate
The certificate provides written verification, by drive or flash drive serial number, of the full
result of the overwrite operations. You can retrieve the certificate by using DS CLI, or your
IBM SSR can offload the certificate to removable media and provide it to you. Example 4-3
shows a sample SDO certificate.

Example 4-3 SDO sample certificate

Copyright (C) 2008, 2020 by International Business Machines Corporation
All Rights Reserved

Secure Data Overwrite Service for the IBM System Storage DS8A00

Certificate of Completion

IBM Corporation hereby confirms that:

1. IBM and the Customer entered into an agreement under which the Customer
retained IBM to provide Secure Data Overwrite Service for the below mentioned system

2. IBM performed such Secure Data Overwrite Service as set forth herein

3. IBM provided the Customer with a report, a copy of which is

attached to this certificate to identify the specific drives and
the level of Secure Data Overwrite Services applied on each drive.

Machine Type, Model Serial #: 5341-A05*75NKxxx

System Serial #: 75NKxxx

Customer Data Drive Overwrite Option:

Single-pass Cryptographic Erase followed by a Sanitize Block Erase

Date of Service Completion: Sep 25, 2024

In all cases, the successful complexion of all erasure commands is a prerequisite for successful erasure.

Flash module (shown as 2.5" FLASH-FDE) were PURGED in accordance with NIST SP-800-88R1 for flash-based media, by
issuing the sanitize command, which performs a crypto erase followed by block overwrite.

NVDIMMÕs NAND Flash blocks were CLEARED in accordance with NIST SP-800-88R1 for flash-based media, by applying a
single overwrite pattern of 0x00. After the blocks are cleared, the data was read back to verify that the contents
are erased. The overwrite and verification was performed by using vendor provided tools/methods.

CPC drives were CLEARED in accordance with NIST SP-800-88R1 for magnetic disks, by applying a single pass overwrite
pattern of 0x00. Random samples, the first two sectors, and the last 10000 sectors were read back and verified to
match the data written.

HMC flash base media drives were NOT securely erased. This device does not contain customer data, but the partition
containing all trace data and diagnostic dumps was overwritten with single pass overwrite pattern of 0x00.

Scope
==================
This report covers the secure data overwrite service that is performed on the
DS8A00 storage system with the serial number 75NHxxx

Drive Types Table

===========================
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drive Type | Drive Block | Drive | Number of | Number of
2.5" FLASH-FDE | Type | Capacity | drives | drives available for
| 528 | (GB) | installed | secure overwrite process
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.5" FLASH FDE |528 |400 | 16 | 16
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Drive Types Table provides information about each drive type that is installed on the DS8000 system.
a) Drive Type: This identifies that the drive is solid-state class of full disk encryption drive that is, 2.5"
FLASH-FDE.
b) Drive block type: This identifies that the drive block consists of 528 bytes.
c) Drive Capacity: This identifies the specified drive type's capacity in GB.

134 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

d) Number of drives installed: This identifies the number of drives that are installed of a given drive type and
capacity.
e) Number of drives available for secure overwrite process: This identifies the number of drives of a given drive
type and capacity that is available for secure data overwrite.

Customer Data Drive Overwrite Results

=====================================

This section covers the devices that are used to store customer data (and associated metadata) both of which are
subject to erasure.

Disk Type - All these devices are flash memory-based and are labeled as FLASH-FDE
Disk Serial# - Manufacturer assigned serial number visible on the device case
WWNN. - Device WWNN
Drive Location - Rack, Enclosure, and slot where the device is installed.
Overwrite Status - The success or failure of the overwrite operation
Sector Defect Count - Always zero for these devices.

Customer Data Drive Table

-------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Disk Type | Disk Serial# | WWNN | Drive Location | Overwrite Status |Sector Defect Count|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ1304E |5000C50030172544 |R1-F08-D8 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ131SE |5000C5003017349C |R1-F08-D7 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ131ZE |5000C50030173AB8 |R1-F08-D6 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ13243 |5000C500301736D8 |R1-F08-D5 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ132AT |5000C50030173A58 |R1-F08-D3 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ132L2 |5000C5003017383C |R1-F08-D4 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ132GW |5000C500301735B4 |R1-F08-D2 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ132AQ |5000C50030173648 |R1-F08-D1 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ15HE5 |5000C500302283B4 |R1-F07-D8 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ15HWY |5000C5003022817C |R1-F07-D7 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ15HPK |5000C500302281E0 |R1-F07-D6 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ15KM0 |5000C5003023CB00 |R1-F07-D5 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ15HT5 |5000C5003022849C |R1-F07-D2 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ15GWJ |5000C50030228068 |R1-F07-D1 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ15L1R |5000C5003023CBB8 |R1-F07-D3 |Successful |0 |
|2.5" FLASH-FDE |ZAJ15KJD |5000C5003023CAE0 |R1-F07-D4 |Successful |0 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CPC Drive Override Results

==========================

This section covers the devices on the processors that are used to store the operating system,
configuration data and trace data on the Central Processor Complex (CPC) servers.

Processor Complex # - This indicates the CPC in the DS8A00 cluster

Hdisk Number - The operating system assigned identifier
CPC Drive Serial Number - Manufacturer assigned serial number visible on the device case
Overwrite Status - The success or failure of the overwrite operation
Completion Date - Completion timestamp

CPC Drive Table

---------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Processor | hdisk | CPC Drive | Overwrite | Completion |
| Complex # | Number | Serial Number | Status | Date |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| CPC 0 | hdisk0 | WAE1045Q | Successful | 2021/03/09 19:11:46 |
| CPC 0 | hdisk1 | WAE10N39 | Successful | 2021/03/09 20:10:31 |
| CPC 1 | hdisk0 | 0TJ5SJLP | Successful | 2021/03/09 19:13:16 |
| CPC 1 | hdisk1 | WAE104DZ | Successful | 2021/03/09 20:12:32 |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hardware Management Console (HMC) Drives

========================================

This section covers the devices on the processors that are used to store the operating system,

Chapter 4. IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability 135

 configuration data and trace data on the Hardware Management Console (HMC).

As noted above, these devices were NOT erased and only the partition containing logs
and dumps were deleted.

HMC Type - Indicates whether this is the first or optional second HMC
HMC Drive Serial Number - Manufacturer assigned serial number visible on the device case
Overwrite Status - The success or failure of the overwrite operation
Completion Date - Completion timestamp
HMC Drive Type - Always SSD for these systems

Hardware Management Console (HMC) Override Results

==================================================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| HMC Type | HMC Drive Serial Number | SDO Results | Completion Date | HMC Drive Type |
| | | | | Hard Disk Drive/ |
| | | | | SSD |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| First Management | N/A | Successful | 25/09/24-06:33:51 | SSD |
| Console | | | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Secondary Management| N/A | Successful | 25/09/24-03:49:39 | SSD |
| Console | | | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Non-Volatile Dual In-Line Memory Module (NVDIMM)

================================================

This section covers the devices that are used to store customer data when system goes through emergency power off and
the device is subject to erasure.

NVDIMM Location Code - Central Processor Complex (CPC) and slot where the device is
installed
Serial Number- Manufacturer assigned serial number visible on the device
NVDIMM Capacity- Device capacity in GB
Overwrite Status- The success or failure of the overwrite operation
Completion Date - Completion timestamp

NVDIMM Secure Erase Results

===========================
=========================================================================================
| NVDIMM Location Code | Serial Number | NVDIMM | Overwrite | Completion |
| | | Capacity | Status | Date |
=========================================================================================
| U78D2.001.WZS03ED-P1-C22 | YH10DP98G0E7 | 32 GB | Successful | 25/09/24 19:42:56 |
| U78D2.001.WZS03ED-P1-C36 | YH10DP98G0EX | 32 GB | Successful | 25/09/24 19:42:56 |
=========================================================================================
=========================================================================================
| U78D2.001.WZS03RG-P1-C22 | YH30DP944055 | 32 GB | Successful | 25/09/24 19:42:58 |
| U78D2.001.WZS03RG-P1-C36 | YH30DP94400R | 32 GB | Successful | 25/09/24 19:42:58 |
=========================================================================================

136 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 5

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning

and installation
This chapter describes the various steps that are involved in the planning and installation of
the IBM DS8A00. It includes a reference listing of the information that is required for the setup
and where to find detailed technical reference material.

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “Considerations before the installation: Planning for growth” on page 138
򐂰 “Planning for the physical installation” on page 140
򐂰 “Network connectivity planning” on page 153
򐂰 “Remote Mirror and Remote Copy connectivity” on page 157
򐂰 “Disk capacity considerations” on page 157
򐂰 “z/OS maintenance” on page 159

For more information about the configuration and installation process, see IBM Storage
DS8000 10.0 Introduction and Planning Guide, G10-I53-00.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 137

5.1 Considerations before the installation: Planning for growth
Start by developing and following a project plan to address the necessary topics for a
successful implementation. Consider the following items for your installation plan checklist:
򐂰 Plan for growth to minimize disruption to operations.

Important: The IBM DS8A50 system can support an expansion frame that can be
installed adjacent or 20 meters away from the base frame. (Feature Code AB01 is
needed.)

򐂰 Consider location suitability, floor loading, access constraints, elevators, and doorways.
򐂰 Analyze power requirements, such as redundancy and using an uninterruptible power
supply (UPS).
򐂰 Examine environmental requirements, such as adequate cooling capacity.
򐂰 Full Disk Encryption (FDE) drives are a standard feature for the DS8A00. If encryption
activation is required, consider either local or external key management. If external, then
consider the location and connection needs for the external key servers, such as IBM
Security Key Lifecycle Manager or Gemalto SafeNet KeySecure servers.
򐂰 Consider the integration of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) to allow a single
user ID and password management. LDAP can be configured from the Storage
Management GUI, as described in 6.6.2, “Remote authentication” on page 179.
򐂰 Call Home through a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) installation to provide a continued
secure connection to the IBM Support center.
򐂰 Consider connecting to IBM Storage Insights that can help you predict and prevent
storage problems before they impact your business.
򐂰 Plan for logical configuration, Copy Services (CS), and staff education. For more
information, see Chapter 8, “DS8000 G10 configuration flow” on page 213.

5.1.1 Client responsibilities for the installation

The DS8A00 is specified as an IBM or IBM Business Partner installation and setup system.
However, the client is responsible for several high-level planning and installation activities,
including the following:
򐂰 Physical configuration planning
Your Storage Marketing Specialist can assist in the planning and selecting the physical
configuration and features of the DS8A00 model.
򐂰 Installation planning
򐂰 Integration of LDAP
IBM can assist in the planning and implementation at the client’s request.
򐂰 Installation of Assist On-site (AOS)
IBM can assist plan and implement at the client’s request.
򐂰 Integration of IBM Spectrum Control and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
into the client environment for monitoring of performance and configuration
IBM can provide services to set up and integrate these components.

138 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 򐂰 Configuration and integration of external key servers and IBM DS8000 Encryption for
enhanced data security
Supported key servers for data at rest and Transparent Cloud Tiering (TCT) Encryption
include IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager, Gemalto Safenet KeySecure, and Thales
Vormetric DSM. IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager is the only supported key
server for encryption of data in flight (IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security).
IBM provides services to set up and integrate IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle
Manager components.
Alternatively, clients can install the Gemalto SafeNet key servers or Thales Vormetric
DSM. For IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security, IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle
Manager with Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP) in Multi-Master mode is
required.
򐂰 Logical configuration planning and application
Logical configuration refers to the creation of redundant array of independent disks
(RAID) arrays and pools, and to the assignment of the configured capacity to servers.
Application of the initial logical configuration and all subsequent modifications to the
logical configuration are also client responsibilities. The logical configuration can be
created, applied, and modified by using the DS GUI, DS Command-line Interface (DS
CLI), or DS Open application programming interface (DS Open API).

IBM Services® also can apply or modify your logical configuration, which is a fee-based
service.

5.1.2 Participants
A project manager must coordinate the many tasks that are necessary for a successful
installation. Installation requires close cooperation with the user community, IT support staff,
and technical resources that are responsible for floor space, power, and cooling.

A storage administrator must also coordinate requirements from the user applications and
systems to build a storage plan for the installation. This plan is needed to configure the
storage after the initial hardware installation is complete.

The following people must be briefed and engaged in the planning process for the physical
installation:
򐂰 Systems and storage administrators
򐂰 Installation planning engineer
򐂰 Building engineer for floor loading, air conditioning, and electrical considerations
򐂰 Security engineers for AOS, LDAP, key servers, and encryption
򐂰 Administrator and operator for monitoring and handling considerations
򐂰 IBM Systems Service Representative (IBM SSR) or IBM Business Partner

5.1.3 Required information

A validation list to help the installation process must include the following items:
򐂰 Drawings that detail the DS8000 placement as specified and agreed upon with a building
engineer, which ensures that the weight is within limits for the route to the final installation
position.
򐂰 Approval to use elevators if the DS8A00 weight and size are acceptable.
򐂰 Connectivity information, servers, storage area network (SAN), and mandatory local area
network (LAN) connections.

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 139

 򐂰 Agreement on the security structure of the installed DS8000 with all security engineers.
򐂰 Agreement on the detailed storage plan. Ensure that the configuration specialist has all of
the information to configure all of the storage and set up the environment, as required.
򐂰 Activation codes for Base Functions (BFs), which are mandatory, and any optional feature
activation codes.

5.2 Planning for the physical installation

This section describes the physical installation planning process and provides important tips
and considerations.

5.2.1 Delivery and staging area

The shipping carrier is responsible for delivering and unloading the DS8A00 as close to its
final destination as possible. Inform the carrier of the weight and size of the packages to
deliver. Also, inspect the site and the areas through which the packages will be moved (for
example, hallways, floor protection, elevator size, and loading).

Table 5-1 lists the final packaged dimensions and maximum packaged weight of the DS8A00
storage unit ship group. The maximum packaged weight is the maximum weight of the frame
plus the packaging weight.

Table 5-1 Packaged dimensions and weight for DS8A00 models

Shipping container Packaged dimensions (in Maximum packaged weight
meters and inches) (in kilograms and pounds)

IBM DS8A10 model A01 Height 2.22 m (87.7 in.) 924 kg (2037 lb)
Width 1 m (39.4 in.)
Depth 1.50 m (59.1 in.)

DS8A50 model A05 Height 2.22 m (87.7 in.) 924 kg (2037 lb)
Width 1.0 m (39.4 in.)
Depth 1.50 m (59.1 in.)

Expansion Frame model E05 Height 2.22 m (87.7 in.) 603 kg (1330 lb)
Width 1.0 m (39.4 in.)
Depth 1.50 m (59.1 in.)

5.2.2 Floor type and loading

The DS8A00 can be installed on a raised or nonraised floor. The total weight and space
requirements of the storage unit depend on the configuration features that you ordered. You
might consider calculating the weight of the unit and the expansion frame (if ordered) in their
maximum capacity to allow for the addition of new features.

For the maximum weight of the various DS8A00 models, see Table 5-1.

Important: Verify with the building engineer or other appropriate personnel to ensure that
the floor loading is correctly considered.

140 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 5-1 shows the location of the cable cutouts for DS8A00. You can use the following
measurements when you cut the floor tile:
򐂰 Width: 41.91 cm (16.5 in.)
򐂰 Depth: 8.89 cm (3.5 in.)
򐂰 End of frame to edge of cable cutout: 10.0 cm (3.9 in.)

Figure 5-1 Floor tile cable cutout for DS8A00

For more information about floor loading and weight distribution, see IBM DS8900F
Introduction and Planning Guide, SC27-9560.

5.2.3 Overhead cabling features

The overhead cabling (top exit) feature, as shown in Figure 5-2 on page 142, is available for
DS8A00 as an alternative to the standard rear cable exit. Verify whether you ordered the top
exit feature before the tiles for a raised floor are cut.

This feature requires the following items:

򐂰 Feature Code AAV1 Top exit bracket for overhead cabling
򐂰 Feature Code AAX0 Overhead ladder

For more information, see IBM Storage DS8000 (10th Generation) 10.0 Introduction and
Planning Guide, SC27-9560-09.

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 141

 Figure 5-2 shows the overhead cabling (top exit) feature.

Figure 5-2 Overhead cabling for DS8A00

5.2.4 Room space and service clearance

The total amount of space that is needed by the storage units can be calculated by using the
dimensions that are shown in Table 5-2.
Table 5-2 DS8A00 dimensions with decorative doors
Dimensions with casters DS8A00 all models (racked)
and covers

Height 204 cm (80.3 in.)

Width 62 cm (24.4 in.)

Depth 124 cm (48.8 in.)

142 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

The storage unit location area also covers the service clearance that is needed by the
IBM SSR when the front and rear of the storage unit are accessed. You can use the following
minimum service clearances. Verify your configuration and the maximum configuration for
your needs, keeping in mind that the DS8A00 has a maximum of one expansion frame (for a
total of two frames).

Figure 5-3 shows the overall physical footprint of a storage system.

Figure 5-3 DS8A00 service clearance requirements

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 143

 The following clearances are needed:
򐂰 For the front of the unit, allow a minimum of 121.92 cm (48 in.).
򐂰 For the rear of the unit, allow a minimum of 76.2 cm (30 in.).

5.2.5 Power requirements and operating environment

Consider the following basic items when you plan for the DS8A00 power requirements:
򐂰 Power connectors
򐂰 Input voltage
򐂰 Power consumption and environment
򐂰 Power control features

Power connectors
Each DS8A00 base and expansion frame features redundant intelligent Power Distribution
Unit (iPDU) rack systems. The base frame can have 2–4 power cords, and the expansion
frame has two power cords.

Attach the power cords to each frame to separate AC power distribution systems. For more
information about power connectors and power cords, see IBM Storage DS8000 (10th
Generation) 10.0 Introduction and Planning Guide, SC27-9560-09.

Input voltage
When you plan the power requirements of the storage system, consider the input voltage
requirements. Table 5-3 and Table 5-4 shows the DS8A00 input voltages and frequencies.

Table 5-3 DS8A00 single-phase input voltages and frequencies

Characteristic Voltage (single-phase)

Nominal input voltage 200–240 RMS V AC

Minimum input voltage 180 RMS V AC

Maximum input voltage 256 RMS V AC

Customer wall breaker rating 1-phase 30–32 Ampsa

Steady-state input frequency 50 ± 3 or 60 ± 3.0 Hz

Power line disturbance (PLD) input 50 ± 3 or 60 ± 3.0 Hz

frequencies (<10 seconds)
a. Can vary by region.

Table 5-4 DS8A00 3-phase input voltages and frequencies

Characteristic Three-phase delta Three-Phase wye

Nominal input voltage 200–240 RMS V AC 380–415 RMS V AC

Minimum input voltage 180 RMS V AC 315 RMS V AC

Maximum input voltage 256 RMS V AC 465 RMS V AC

Customer wall breaker rating 3-phase 60–63 Amps 30–32 Amps

Steady-state input frequency 50 ± 3 or 60 ± 3.0 Hz

PLD input frequencies (<10 seconds) 50 ± 3 or 60 ± 3.0 Hz

144 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Power consumption
Table 5-5 lists the power consumption specifications of the DS8A00. The power estimates in
this table are conservative and assume a high transaction rate workload.

Table 5-5 Power consumption and environmental information (fully equipped frames)

Measurement Unit of measure Base frame model Expansion frame model

Peak electric Kilowatt (kW) DS8A10 model A01: ≤10.2

power DS8A50 model A05: ≤10.2 Model E05: ≤10.2

Thermal load British thermal units DS8A10 model A01:

(BTUs) per hour ≤34800
DS8A50 model A05: Model E05: ≤ 34800
≤34800

Capacity of Cubic meters per 44.2 51.8

exhaust min. (cubic feet per (1500) (1800)
min., or CFM)

The values represent data that was obtained from the following configured systems:
򐂰 A model A01, A05, and E01 that contained four fully configured High Performance Flash
Enclosure Gen3 Pairs and 16 Fibre Channel adapters.
򐂰 All Frames and configurations were used in single-phase mode and did not exceed 8kVA.

DS8A00 cooling
Air circulation for the DS8A00 is provided by the various fans that are installed throughout the
frame. All of the fans in the DS8A00 system direct air flow from the front of the frame to the
rear of the frame. No air exhausts out of the top of the frame.

The use of such directional air flow allows cool aisles to the front and hot aisles to the rear of
the systems, as shown in Figure 5-4.

Figure 5-4 DS8A00 air flow: Hot aisle/cold aisle approach

The operating temperature for the DS8A00 is 16–32 °C (60–90 °F) at relative humidity limits
of 20%–80% and optimum at 45%.

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 145

 Important: The following factors must be considered when the DS8A00 system is
installed:
򐂰 Ensure that the air circulation for the DS8A00 base frame and expansion frames is
maintained free from obstruction to keep the unit operating in the specified temperature
range.
򐂰 For safety reasons, do not store anything on top of the DS8A00 system.

Power control features

The DS8A00 has remote power control features that are used to control the power of the
storage system through the HMC. For more information about power control features, see
IBM Storage DS8000 (10th Generation) 10.0 Introduction and Planning Guide,
SC27-9560-09.

5.2.6 Host interface and cables

The DS8A10 model A01 and DS8A50 model A05 can contain a maximum of 16 host
adapters. The DS8A50 model E05 supports an extra 16 host adapters to be installed in the
expansion frame for a total of 32 host adapters. For a full breakdown of the available ports on
a DS8A00, see Table 5-6.

Table 5-6 shows the minimum and maximum numbers of host adapters that are supported by
the DS8A00.

Table 5-6 Minimum and maximum host adapters

Storage system type Storage system Minimum number of Maximum number of
configuration host adapter features host adapter features
for the base frame for the storage
system

DS8A10 model A01 Base 2 16

DS8A50 model A05 Base frame 2 16

DS8A50 model E05 Base frame plus 2 32

expansion frames

Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel connection

Each host adapter port supports Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) or Fibre Channel connection
(IBM FICON). However, it cannot support both topologies simultaneously on the same port.
Fabric components from various vendors, including IBM; Broadcom, Emulex, and Brocade;
Cisco; and Marvell QLogic are supported by both environments.

The FC and FICON shortwave (SW) host adapter, when it is used with 50 μm multi-mode
fiber cable, supports point-to-point distances. For more information about cable limits, see
Table 5-7.

Table 5-7 Cabling type and limits according to speed

Cable type Distance limits

16 GFC 32 GFC

OM3 (50 μm) 100 m (328 ft.) 70 m (230 ft.)

146 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Cable type Distance limits

OM4 (50 μm) 125 m (410 ft.) 100 m (328 ft.)

The FC and FICON longwave (LW) host adapter, when it is used with 9 μm single-mode fiber
cable, extends the point-to-point distance to 10 km (6.2 miles).

Different fiber optic cables with various lengths can be ordered for each FC adapter port.

Table 5-8 lists the fiber optic cable features for the FCP/FICON adapters.

Table 5-8 FCP/FICON cable features

Feature Code Length Characteristics Compatible FC host adapter
features

AB10 40 m (131 ft.) 50 μm multimode 򐂰 SW FC or FICON host

adapters (Feature Code
AB13 3 m (10 ft.) 50 μm multimode AAE0)
򐂰 LC connector

AB11 31 m (102 ft.) 50 μm multimode 򐂰 LC/SC connector

AB20 31 m (102 ft.) 9 μm single mode 򐂰 LW FC or FICON host

adapters (Feature Code
AAE1)
AB23 3 m (10 ft.) 9 μm single mode 򐂰 LC connector

AB21 31 m (102 ft.) 9 μm single mode 򐂰 LC/SC connector

For more information about host types, models, adapters, and operating systems (OSs) that
are supported by the DS8A00, see the IBM System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC) for
DS8000.

zHyperLink connections and cables

zHyperLink is a short distance IBM Z attach link that is designed for up to 10x lower latency
than High-Performance FICON for IBM Z (zHPF). zHyperLink provides random reads and
writes and small block sequential writes. It is a point-to-point connection that uses Peripheral
Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) Gen4 with a maximum distance of 150 meters.
zHyperLink connects the IBM Z (central processor complexes (CPCs)) directly to the I/O
enclosure of a DS8A00 system, as shown in Figure 5-5 on page 148.

zHyperLink does not replace zHPF. It works in cooperation with it to reduce the workload on
zHPF. zHyperLink provides a new PCIe connection. The physical number of current zHPF
connections is not reduced by zHyperLink.

On the DS8A00, the number of zHyperLink ports that can be installed varies, depending on
the number of cores per CPC that are available and the number of I/O bay enclosures.

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 147

 Figure 5-5 zHyperLink connection

The number of zHyperLinks that can be installed based on the number of cores available is
listed in Table 5-9.

Table 5-9 zHyperLink availability by DS8A00 model

System or model Cores per CPC zHyperLink support Max zHyperLink
(DS8A00 server) connections
(increments of 2)

DS8A10 model A01 10 Yes 4

DS8A50 model A05 40 Yes 8

DS8A50 model E05 40 Yes 10

Each zHyperLink connection requires a zHyperLink I/O adapter to connect the zHyperLink
cable to the storage system, as shown in Table 5-10 and Table 5-11.

Table 5-10 Feature Codes for zHyperLink I/O adapters

Feature Code Description Models

AAG0 zHyperLink I/O adapter All

Table 5-11 shows the codes for the zHyperLink cables.

Table 5-11 Feature Codes for zHyperLink cables

Feature Cable type Cable length Compatible zHyperLink I/O
Code adapter features

AB30 OM4 50/125 micrometer, 40 m (131 Ft) zHyperLink I/O adapter

multimode, and MTP connectors (Feature Code AAG0)
AB31 150 m (492 ft)

148 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

5.2.7 Host adapter Fibre Channel specifics for open environments
Each storage system host adapter has four ports, and each port has a unique worldwide port
name (WWPN). Each port can be configured as Small Computer System Interface
(SCSI)-FCP or FICON topology by using the DS Management GUI or the DS CLI. Host
adapters can be SW or LW. Extra host adapters up to two host adapters per I/O enclosure
can be installed.

With host adapters that are configured as FC protocols, the DS8A00 provides the following
configuration capabilities:
򐂰 A maximum of 128 FC ports.
򐂰 A maximum of 509 logins per FC port, which includes host ports and Peer-to-Peer Remote
Copy (PPRC) target and initiator ports.
򐂰 Access to 63750 logical unit numbers (LUNs) for each target (one target for each host
adapter), depending on the host type.
򐂰 Either switched-fabric (FC-SW), or point-to-point topologies.
򐂰 The adapters do not support arbitrated loop topology at any speed.

5.2.8 FICON specifics on a z/OS environment

For host adapters that are configured for FICON, the DS8A00 provides the following
configuration capabilities:
򐂰 Fabric or point-to-point topologies
򐂰 A maximum of number of host adapter ports that depends on the model:
– 64 ports on the DS8A10 model A01, DS8A50 model A05
– 64 ports on the DS8A50 model E05 expansion frame, 128 ports with the B frame
򐂰 A maximum of 509 logins for each host adapter port
򐂰 A maximum of 8,192 logins for each storage unit
򐂰 A maximum of 1,280 logical paths on each host adapter port
򐂰 Access to all 255 control-unit images (65,280 Count Key Data (CKD) devices) over each
FICON port
򐂰 A maximum of 512 logical paths for each control-unit image

Note: The IBM z16, z15®, z14, and z13 servers support 32,000 devices for each FICON
host channel. The IBM zEnterprise® EC12 and IBM zEnterprise BC12 servers support
24,000 devices for each FICON host channel. Earlier IBM Z servers support 16,384
devices for each FICON host channel. To fully access 65,280 devices, it is necessary to
connect multiple FICON host channels to the storage system. You can access the devices
through an FC switch or FICON director to a single storage system.

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 149

5.2.9 Best practices for host adapters
For optimum availability and performance, the following practices are preferred:
򐂰 To obtain the maximum ratio for availability and performance, install one host adapter on
each available I/O enclosure before you install the second host adapter on the same I/O
enclosure.
򐂰 The DS8A00 supports 32 GFC 4-port host adapters.

Note: IBM z16 supports 32 GFC host adapters and FICON Express32S Channels. The
support for 32 host adapters provides twice the read/write bandwidth compared to 16
GFC host adapters on previous models, thus taking full advantage of 32 GFC host
adapters on the DS8A00.

򐂰 Better performance for copy services can be obtained by using dedicated host ports for
remote copy links, and other path optimization. For more information, see IBM DS8900F
Performance Best Practices and Monitoring, SG24-8501.

Note: DS8000 has a set of internal parameters that are known as pokeables, which are
sometimes referred to as product switches. These internal parameters are set to
provide the best behavior in most typical environments. In special cases, like
intercontinental distances or when bandwidth is low, some internal tuning might be
required to adjust those internal controls to keep Global Mirror (GM) as efficient as it is
in more common environments. Pokeable values can be displayed by a GUI or by Copy
Services Manager, but they can be changed only by IBM Support. For more
information, see DS8000 Global Mirror Best Practices, REDP-5246.

5.2.10 Worldwide node name and worldwide port name determination

The incoming and outgoing data to the DS8A00 is tracked by using a worldwide node name
(WWNN) and a WWPN. For the DS8000, each storage facility image (SFI) has its own unique
WWNN. The storage unit itself also has a unique WWNN. Each host adapter port has a
unique and persistent WWPN for attachment to a SAN. The WWNN and WWPN values can
be determined by using the DS CLI or DS Storage Management GUI.

Determining a WWNN by using a DS CLI

The DS8A00 WWNN has an address that is similar to the following strings:
50:05:07:63:0z:FF:Cx:xx
50:50:07:63:0z:FF:Dx:xx

The z and x:xx values are unique combinations for each system and each SFI that are based
on a machine’s serial number. Use the DS CLI command lssi to determine the SFI WWNN,
as shown in Example 5-1.

Example 5-1 SFI WWNN determination

dscli> lssi
Date/Time: September 19, 2024 at 5:20:03 AM EDT IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.749 DS: -
Name ID Storage Unit Model WWNN State ESSNet
===================================================================================
ds8k-g10-01 IBM.2107-78xxxx1 IBM.2107-78xxxx0 A05 5005076303FFF0DD Online Enabled

150 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Do not use the lssu command because it determines the storage unit WWNN, which is not
used. Attached hosts see only the SFI, as shown in Example 5-2.

Example 5-2 Machine WWNN

dscli> lssu
Date/Time: September 19, 2024 at 5:21:29 AM EDT IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.749 DS: -
Name ID Model WWNN pw state
===========================================================
ds8a50-atg IBM.2107-78xxxx0 A05 5005076303FFC8DD On

Determining a WWPN by using a DS CLI

Similar to the WWNN, a WWPN in the DS8A00 looks like the following address:
50:05:07:63:0z:YY:Yx:xx

However, the DS8A00 WWPN is a child of the SFI WWNN, where the WWPN inserts the z
and x:xx values from SFI WWNN. It also includes the YY:Y from the logical port naming,
which is derived from where the host adapter is physically installed. Use the DS CLI
command lsioport to determine the SFI WWPN, as shown in Example 5-3.

Example 5-3 WWPN determination

dscli> lsioport
Date/Time: September 19, 2024 at 5:22:27 AM EDT IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.749 DS:
IBM.2107-78NKG41
ID WWPN State Type topo portgrp Security
===========================================================================================
I0020 50050763030230DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0021 50050763030270DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0022 500507630302B0DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0040 50050763030430DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0041 50050763030470DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0042 500507630304B0DD Communication established Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0043 500507630304F0DD No light detected Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0050 50050763030530DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0051 50050763030570DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0052 500507630305B0DD Communication established Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0053 500507630305F0DD No light detected Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0120 50050763030A30DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0121 50050763030A70DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0122 50050763030AB0DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0123 50050763030AF0DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0142 50050763030CB0DD Communication established Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0143 50050763030CF0DD No light detected Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0150 50050763030D30DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0151 50050763030D70DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0152 50050763030DB0DD Communication established Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0242 500507630314B0DD Communication established Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0243 500507630314F0DD Communication established Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled

Determining a WWNN by using a DS GUI

Use the following steps to determine the WWNN by using the Storage Management GUI:
1. Connect by using a web browser to the HMC IP address:
https://< hmc IP address >
2. Select Actions.

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 151

 3. Select Properties to obtain the WWNN value, as shown in Figure 5-6.

Figure 5-6 System properties: WWNN

You can also determine the host adapter port WWPN by completing the following steps:
1. Connect to the HMC IP address by using a web browser:
https://< hmc IP address >
2. Select Actions.
3. Select Modify Fibre Channel Port Protocols.
The default view may show protocols and the state only. The view can be customized to
display the port WWPN and the frame.
4. Click Actions, and then select Customize Columns to include the WWPN and frame in
the view. You receive the full list of each installed I/O port with its WWPN and its physical
location, as shown in Figure 5-7 on page 153.

152 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 5-7 Determining the I/O port WWPN

5.3 Network connectivity planning

To implement the DS8A00, you must consider the physical network connectivity of the HMC
within your LAN.

Consider the following network and communications requirements when you plan the location
and interoperability of your storage systems:
򐂰 HMC network access (one IP per HMC).
򐂰 Remote support connection.
򐂰 SAN connectivity.
򐂰 An IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager connection if encryption, end-point
security, or TCT is activated, or an LDAP connection if LDAP is implemented.

For more information about physical network connectivity, see IBM Storage DS8000 10.0
Introduction and Planning Guide, G10-I53-00.

5.3.1 Hardware Management Console and network access

The HMCs are the focal point for the configuration of Advanced Function management, and
maintenance for a DS8A00 unit. Two internal HMCs are included with every base frame.

A dual Ethernet connection is available for client access. The two HMCs provide redundant
management access to enable continuous availability access for encryption key servers and
other advanced functions.

The HMC can be connected to the client network for the following tasks:
򐂰 Remote management of your system by using the DS CLI
򐂰 Remote management by using the DS Storage Management GUI by opening a browser to
the network address of the HMC:
https://<HMC IP address>

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 153

 To access the HMCs (HMC1/HMC2) over the network, provide the following information:
򐂰 HMC: For each HMC, determine one TCP/IP address, hostname, and domain name.
򐂰 DNS settings: If a DNS is implemented, ensure that it is reachable to avoid contention or
network timeout.
򐂰 Gateway routing information: Supply the necessary routing information.

Note: Users can also control a second Ethernet adapter within the HMCs.

For more information about HMC planning, see Chapter 6, “IBM DS8A00 Management
Console planning and setup” on page 161.

Important: The DS8A00 uses 172.16.y.z and 172.17.y.z private network addresses. If the
client network uses the same addresses, the IBM SSR can reconfigure the private
networks to use another address range option.

5.3.2 IBM Spectrum Control and IBM Storage Insights

IBM Spectrum Control is an integrated software solution that can help you improve and
centralize the management of storage environments. With IBM Spectrum Control, you can
manage and configure multiple DS8000 storage systems from a single point of control.

IBM Spectrum Control simplifies storage management by providing the following benefits:
򐂰 Centralizing the management of heterogeneous storage network resources with IBM
storage management software
򐂰 Providing greater synergy between storage management software and IBM storage
devices
򐂰 Reducing the number of servers that are required to manage your software infrastructure
򐂰 Migrating from basic device management to storage management applications that
provide higher-level functions

IBM Storage Insights is a complementary offering to IBM Spectrum Control.

IBM Storage Insights is offered free of charge to customers who own IBM block storage
systems. It is an IBM Cloud storage service that monitors IBM block storage. It provides
single-pane views of IBM block storage systems, such as the Operations dashboard and the
Notifications dashboard.

With the information that is provided, such as the diagnostic event information; key capacity;
and performance information, and the streamlined support experience, you can quickly
assess the health of your storage environment and get help with resolving issues.

On the Advisor window, IBM Storage Insights provides recommendations about the remedial
steps that can be taken to manage risks and resolve issues that might impact your storage
services. For a brief illustration of IBM Storage Insights features, see 12.11, “Using IBM
Storage Insights” on page 428.

154 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

5.3.3 DS Command-Line Interface
You can use the DS CLI can be used to create, delete, modify, and view CS functions, and to
perform the logical configuration of a storage unit. These tasks can be performed interactively,
in batch processes (OS shell scripts), or by using DS CLI script files.

A DS CLI script file is a text file that contains one or more DS CLI commands. It can be
issued as a single command. DS CLI can also be used to manage other functions for a
storage system, including managing security settings, querying point-in-time performance
information or the status of physical resources, and exporting audit logs.

The DS CLI client can be installed on a workstation, and can support multiple OSs. The DS
CLI client can access the DS8A00 over the client’s network. For more information about
hardware and software requirements for the DS CLI, see IBM DS8000 Series Command-Line
Interface User’s Guide, SC27-9562.

5.3.4 Remote support connection

Remote support is available through the embedded AOS application or through the IBM
Remote Support Center (RSC).

Embedded AOS
The preferred remote support connectivity method for IBM is through Transport Layer
Security (TLS) for the Management Console (MC) to IBM communication. DS8A00 uses an
embedded AOS server solution. Embedded AOS is a secure and fast broadband form of
remote access.

IBM Remote Support Center

DS8A00 also supports a web-based remote support option that is called RSC. It provides
more isolation between IBM Support and the DS8A00 system by requiring that all remote
support actions be performed by using a web-based console interface.

For more information, see Chapter 6, “IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and
setup” on page 161 and Chapter 12, “Monitoring and support” on page 403.

5.3.5 Storage area network connection

The DS8A00 can be attached to a SAN environment through its host adapter ports. The SAN
provides the capability to interconnect open systems hosts, IBM Z hosts, and other storage
systems.

A SAN allows your host bus adapter (HBA) host ports to have physical access to multiple host
adapter ports on the storage system. Zoning can be implemented to limit the access (and
provide access security) of host ports to the storage system.

Shared access to a storage system host adapter port is possible from hosts that support a
combination of HBA types and OSs.

Important: A SAN administrator must verify periodically that the SAN is working correctly
before any new devices are installed. SAN bandwidth must also be evaluated to ensure
that it can handle the new workload.

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 155

5.3.6 Key manager servers for encryption
The DS8A00 system is delivered with FDE drives. When you activate encryption, either
isolated key managers or local key managers are required. The Local Key Management
feature is available.

With a DS8A00 system, you can choose among IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle
Manager, Gemalto SafeNet KeySecure, and Thales Vormetric Data Security Manager for data
at rest and TCT encryption. IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security encryption requires IBM
Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager. You cannot mix IBM Security Guardium Key
Lifecycle Manager and SafeNet or Vormetric key servers. For more information, see IBM
DS8000 Encryption for Data at Rest, Transparent Cloud Tiering, and Endpoint Security
(DS8000 Release 9.2), REDP-4500.

Encryption activation review planning

IBM Encryption offerings must be activated before they are used. This activation is part of the
installation and configuration steps that are required to use the technology.

Using the IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager

An IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager license is required to use the IBM Security
Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager software. Two isolated Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager
servers are required to enable data at rest encryption on the DS8A00 system.

Important: Clients must acquire an IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager license
to use the Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager software.

The licensing for IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager includes both an
installation license for the Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager management software and
licensing for the encrypting drives.

The DS8000 series is supported with current IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager
V4.x versions. This version also uses a connection between the HMC and the key server,
which complies with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-131A
standard.

You are advised to upgrade to the latest version of the IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle
Manager.

IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager connectivity and routing

information
To connect the IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager to your network, provide the
following settings to your IBM SSR:
򐂰 IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager server network IDs, hostnames, and
domain name
򐂰 DNS settings (if you plan to use DNS to resolve network names)

Two network ports must be opened on a firewall to allow the DS8A00 connection and to
obtain an administration management interface to the IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle
Manager server. These ports are defined by the IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle
Manager administrator.

For more information, see the following IBM publications for IBM Security Guardium Key
Lifecycle Manager:

156 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 򐂰 IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager Quick Start Guide, GI13-4178
򐂰 IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager Installation and Configuration Guide, SC27-5335, or
the relevant sections in IBM Security Guiardium Key Lifecycle Manager 4.2.1.

Local Key Manager

It is possible to configure Local Key Management. For more information about Local Key
Management, see IBM DS8000 Encryption for Data at Rest, Transparent Cloud Tiering, and
Endpoint Security (DS8000 Release 10.0), REDP-4500-11.

5.3.7 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol server

The DS8000 system provides, by default, local basic user authentication. The user IDs, roles,
and their passwords are maintained locally within the DS8000 system. Each individual
DS8000 system has its own list of user IDs and passwords that must be maintained
separately.

To simplify user ID management and comply with industry or company-internal security

regulations, the DS8000 system can access a centralized directory service to perform user
authentication by using LDAP.

LDAP authentication can be configured through the Storage Management GUI, as described
in 6.6.2, “Remote authentication” on page 179.

5.4 Remote Mirror and Remote Copy connectivity

The DS8A00 uses the high-speed FCP for Remote Mirror and Remote Copy connectivity.
Ensure that you assigned sufficient FCP paths for the remote mirroring between the source
and target sites to address performance and redundancy issues. When you plan to use
Metro Mirror (MM) and Global Copy (GC) modes between a pair of storage systems, use
separate logical and physical paths for the MM, and use another set of logical and physical
paths for the GC.

Plan the distance between the primary and auxiliary storage systems carefully to correctly
acquire fiber optic cables of the necessary length that are required. If necessary, the CS
solution can include hardware, such as channel extenders or dense wavelength division
multiplexing (DWDM).

For more information, see IBM DS8000 Copy Services: Updated for IBM DS8000 Release
9.1, SG24-8367.

5.5 Disk capacity considerations

The effective capacity of the DS8A00 is determined by the following factors:
򐂰 The spare configuration
򐂰 The capacity of the installed drives
򐂰 The selected RAID configuration: RAID 6 or RAID 10
򐂰 The storage type: Fixed-Block (FB) or CKD

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 157

5.5.1 Disk sparing
RAID arrays automatically attempt to recover from a drive failure by rebuilding the data for the
failed drive to a spare disk drive module (DDM). For sparing to occur, a drive with a capacity
equal to or greater than the failed drive must be available on the same device adapter (DA)
pair. After the sparing is initiated, the spare and the failing drives are swapped between their
respective array sites so that the spare drive becomes part of the array site that is associated
with the array at the failed drive. The failing drive becomes a failed spare drive in the array site
from which the spare came.

High-Performance Flash Enclosure Gen3

High-Performance Flash Enclosures (HPFEs) are installed in pairs, with 16, 32, or 48 NVMe
flash drives per enclosure pair. Two spare NVMe flash drives are assigned for each HPFE
Gen3 pair. If a flash drive fails and a spare is taken, the system calls for service because only
one spare remains in the HPFE Gen3 pair (DA pair).

For more information about the DS8000 sparing concepts, see 4.5.10, “Spare creation” on
page 128.

5.5.2 Disk capacity

The following RAID configurations are supported on the DS8A00:
򐂰 5+P+Q+S RAID 6 configuration: The array consists of five data drives and two parity
drives. The remaining drive on the array site is used as a spare.
򐂰 6+P+Q RAID 6 configuration: The array consists of six data drives and two parity drives.
򐂰 3+3+2S RAID 10 configuration: The array consists of three data drives that are mirrored to
three copy drives. Two drives on the array site are used as spares.
򐂰 4+4 RAID 10 configuration: The array consists of four data drives that are mirrored to four
copy drives.

Note: The following characteristics refer to RAID:

򐂰 Spare drives are globally available to the flash RAID controller pair.
򐂰 The +P/+Q indicators do not mean that a single drive is dedicated to holding the parity
bits for the RAID. The DS8A00 uses floating parity technology so that no single drive is
always involved in every write operation. The data and parity stripes float among the
member drives of the array to provide optimum write performance.

For the effective capacity of one rank in the various possible configurations, see IBM Storage
DS8000 10.0 Introduction and Planning Guide, G10-I53-00.

Important: When you review the effective capacity, consider the following points:
򐂰 Effective capacities are in decimal gigabytes (GB). 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes.
򐂰 Although drive sets contain 16 drives, arrays use only eight drives. The effective
capacity assumes that you have two arrays for each set of 16 disk drives.

The IBM Storage Modeller tool can help you determine the raw and net storage capacities
and the numbers for the required extents for each available type of RAID. IBM Storage
Modeller is available only for IBM employees and IBM Business Partners.

158 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 DS8A00 offers the following flash drives sets with HPFE Gen3:
򐂰 2.5-inch high-capacity flash (Tier 1) drives are 1.6 TB.
򐂰 2.5-inch high-performance flash (Tier 2) drives are 1.92 TB, 3.8 TB, and 7.68 TB capacity
drives.

Flash drives in HPFE Gen3 are ordered in sets of 16 within an enclosure pair. There are three
sets of 16 drives in an HPFE Gen3 enclosure pair.

Important: The following restrictions apply:

򐂰 Within one HPFE Gen3 pair of six array sites, a RAID intermix is allowed, but no
intermix of Capacity Tier drives (typically HDDs) with high-capacity flash drives (Flash
Tier 1 or Flash Tier 2) is supported.

For the latest information about supported RAID configurations and requesting an RPQ or
SCORE, contact your IBM SSR.

5.6 z/OS maintenance

The MISSINGFIX report is required to identify if any APARs are needed to use a function that is
not yet installed. The REPORT MISSINGFIX command checks the specified zones (using the
zones operand) and determines if any fixes are missing based on the specified fix categories.

Note: The DFSMSdss Compression tool utility is not included in the base z/OS 3.1 and
z/OS 2.5 releases. Therefore, all applicable APARs and PTFs must be installed.

Run the SMP/E REPORT MISSINGFIX for the following function fix categories:
򐂰 IBM.Function.DiskCompression
Enables or exploits hardware compression on the IBM DS8A00 series devices.
򐂰 IBM.Function.zHyperLink
Fixes for the zHyperLink function.
򐂰 IBM.Function.DFSMSCloudStorage
Fixes for Transparent Cloud Tiering Function.

Example 5-4 shows a sample MISSINGFIX JCL.

Example 5-4 Sample SMP/E Control cards with FIXCAT option

SET BOUNDARY (GLOBAL) .
REPORT
MISSINGFIX
ZONES (<your zone names>)
FIXCAT(IBM.Function.DiskCompression,
IBM.Function.zHyperLink,
IBM.Function.DFSMSCloudStorage) .

For more information about the SMP/E APPLY or REPORT MISSINGFIX commands, See
SMP/E for z/OS commands.

Chapter 5. IBM DS8A00 physical planning and installation 159

160 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
 6

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management

Console planning and setup
This chapter describes the planning tasks that are involved in the setup of the IBM DS8A00
Management Console (MC), which is usually referred to as the Hardware Management
Console (HMC).

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “DS8A00 Management Console overview” on page 162
򐂰 “Management Console software” on page 165
򐂰 “Management Console activities” on page 172
򐂰 “Management Console network settings” on page 175
򐂰 “User management” on page 177
򐂰 “Secondary Management Console” on page 187

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 161

6.1 DS8A00 Management Console overview
The HMC is a multi-purpose piece of equipment that provides the services to configure and
manage storage, and manage several of the operational aspects of the storage system. It
also provides the interface where service personnel perform diagnostic and repair tasks.

The HMC does not process any of the data from hosts. It is not even in the path that the data
takes from a host to the storage. The HMC is a configuration and management station for the
whole DS8A00 system.

To enhance security by ensuring that only trusted software is run, starting with DS8000
release 10, the HMC uses Secure Boot.

The DS8A00 includes two HMCs, for redundancy reasons.

The HMC, which is the focal point for DS8A00 management, includes the following functions:
򐂰 DS8A00 power control
򐂰 Storage provisioning
򐂰 Storage system health monitoring
򐂰 Storage system performance monitoring
򐂰 Copy Services (CS) monitoring
򐂰 Embedded IBM Copy Services Manager
򐂰 Interface for onsite service personnel
򐂰 Collection of diagnostic and Call Home data
򐂰 Problem management and alerting
򐂰 Remote support access capability
򐂰 Storage management through the DS GUI
򐂰 Connection to IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager or other supported external
key manager for encryption management functions, if required
򐂰 Connection to an external IBM Copy Services Manager or IBM Spectrum Control
򐂰 Interface for Licensed Internal Code (LIC) and other firmware updates

6.1.1 Management Console hardware

The HMC itself consists of a 7063-CR2 Power HMC running Red Hat Linux. It supports the
DS8A00 hardware and firmware installation and maintenance activities.

Both of the 1U primary and secondary HMCs are mounted in the bottom of the main rack.
The primary HMC is installed above the secondary HMC. There is an 1U keyboard and
display tray that are available.

The HMC connects to the customer network and provides access to functions that can be
used to manage the DS8A00. Management functions include logical configuration, problem
notification, Call Home for service, remote service, and CS management.

These management functions can be performed from the DS GUI, Data Storage
Command-Line Interface (DS CLI), or other storage management software that supports the
DS8A00.

162 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 For example, clients who use an external IBM Copy Services Manager for advanced
functions, such as Metro Mirror (MM) or FlashCopy are communicating to the storage system
by connecting the IBM Copy Services Manager server to the HMCs as management entry
point.

The HMC provides connectivity between the DS8000 and Encryption Key Manager (EKM)
servers (Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager), and also provides the functions for
remote call home and remote support connectivity.

The HMCs are equipped with Ethernet connections for the client’s network. For more
information, see 6.1.2, “Private and Management Ethernet networks” on page 163.

To provide continuous availability to the HMC functions, the DS8A00 includes a second HMC.
The secondary HMC is needed for redundancy, such as for encryption management or CS
management functions. For more information about the secondary HMC, see 6.7, “Secondary
Management Console” on page 187.

Use the DS CLI command lshmc to show the HMC types, whether both HMCs are online, and
their amount of disk capacity and memory, as shown in Example 6-1.

Example 6-1 The lshmc command

dscli> lshmc
Date/Time: October 8, 2024 at 11:06:25 AM GMT-05:00 IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.749 DS: -
Name State Role Release Management-IP Location-Code Machine-Type Machine-Model Memory Disk
================================================================================================================================
DS89A50-1B.DMZ Online Secondary(2) R10.0 bundle 10.0.198.0 192.168.61.91 U7063CR2.78A97DD 7063 CR2 33GB 1TB
DS8A50-1A.DMZ Online Primary(1) R10.0 bundle 10.0.198.0 192.168.61.90 U7063CR2.78A81DD 7063 CR2 33GB 1TB
dscli>

6.1.2 Private and Management Ethernet networks

The HMCs communicate with the storage facility internally through a pair of redundant
Ethernet networks, which are designated as the black network and the gray network. There
are two Rack Control Hubs (RCH) that are isolated from each other at the bottom of the rack.

Each central processor complex (CPC) flexible service processor (FSP) and each CPC
logical partition (LPAR) network are connected to both RCHs. Each of these components
(FSP and LPAR) uses their own designated interface for the black network and another
interface for the gray network.

Each HMC also uses two designated Ethernet interfaces for the internal black (eth0) and gray
(eth3) networks.

Additionally, an HMC contains two Ethernet interfaces (eth1 and eth2) for the customer
network connection to allow management functions to be started over the network. These
adapters can be used to connect the HMC to two separate customer networks, usually for
separating internet traffic (call home and remote access) from storage management tasks
(DS GUI, DS CLI, and IBM Copy Services Manager).

Figure 6-1 on page 164 and Table 6-1 on page 164 show these internal and external network
connections.

Important: The Rack Control Hubs that are shown in Figure 6-2 on page 165 (the black
and gray private networks) are for DS8A00 internal communication only. Do not connect
these ports directly to your network. There is no connection between the customer network
interfaces and the isolated black and gray networks.

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 163

 Figure 6-1 HMC network connections

Table 6-1 Network connections

From HMC network connections Connects to

1 DS8000 private (gray) network (eth3)

2 Primary customer network connection (eth2)

3 Secondary customer network connection (optional) (eth1)

4 DS8000 private (black) network (eth0)

Intelligent Power Distribution Units

In DS8A00 systems, the rack power control is managed through the Ethernet-managed
intelligent Power Distribution Units (iPDUs).

An HMC communicates to these iPDUs by using the Ethernet network, and it manages and
monitors the system power state, iPDU configuration, System AC power on and off, iPDU
firmware update, iPDU health check and error, and power usage reporting.

The iPDUs’ network interfaces are also connected to the black and gray Rack Control Hubs.
They are distributed over the black and gray networks, which means iPDUs that belong to one
power domain (usually on the left side of the rear of the rack) connect to a gray network RCH
and the iPDUs that belong to the other power domain (usually on the right side of the rear of
the rack) connect to the black network RCH.

There are two10-port Rack Control Hubs. One is for the black network, and one is for the gray
network. The 1U space that is required is already reserved at the bottom of the base rack.

164 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 6-2 and Table 6-2 show how each port is used on the pair of DS8A00 Rack Control
Hubs.

Figure 6-2 Rack Control Hub breakout

Table 6-2 Black network Rack Control Hub connections

Left side RCH (Gray) Rack Control Hub Right side RCH (Black)
Connection

Upper FSP 1 Upper FSP

Lower FSP 2 Lower FSP

Upper LPAR 3 Upper LPAR

Lower LPAR 4 Lower LPAR

HMC1 (Upper) 5 HMC1 (Upper)

HMC2 (Upper) 6 HMC2 (Upper)

Rack 1 iPDU, upper left 7 Rack 1 iPDU, upper right

Rack 2 iPDU, lower left 8 Rack 2 iPDU, lower right

Rack 2 iPDU, upper left 9 Rack 2 iPDU, upper right

Unused 10 Unused

6.2 Management Console software

The HMC, which is based on Linux, includes the following application servers:
򐂰 DS8000 Storage Management GUI
򐂰 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Web UI (WUI)
򐂰 IBM Copy Services Manager
򐂰 RESTful application programming interface (API) services
򐂰 DS CLI
򐂰 IBM Enterprise Storage Server® Network Interface (IBM ESSNI) server

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 165

 The Management Console also provides the interfaces for IBM Spectrum Control,
IBM Storage Insights, external Copy Services Manager, and the DS CLI to connect to the
DS8A00 remotely.

Note: The DS Open API with IBM System Storage Common Information Model (CIM)
agent is no longer supported. The removal of the CIM Agent simplifies network security
because fewer open ports are required.

6.2.1 DS Storage Management GUI

The DS GUI is used to perform logical configuration and storage management tasks. It can be
accessed in the following ways:
򐂰 Remotely by using a web browser that is connected to the DS8A00 HMC
򐂰 From the local console of the HMC directly
򐂰 By using IBM Spectrum Control, which has connectivity to the HMC

For more information, see 9.2.1, “Accessing the DS GUI” on page 223.

6.2.2 Data Storage Command-Line Interface

The Data Storage Command-Line Interface (DS CLI), which must be run in the command
environment of an external workstation, is a second option to communicate with the HMC.
The DS CLI is a good choice for configuration tasks when many updates are needed. A copy
of DS CLI is installed locally on the HMC, and it can be used when servicing the machine
from the local console.

Note: The DS Storage Management GUI also provides a built-in DS CLI. Look for the
console icon on the lower left of the browser window after logging in.

For more information about DS CLI usage and configuration, see Chapter 10, “IBM DS8A00
Storage Management Command-line Interface” on page 319. For a complete list of DS CLI
commands, see IBM DS8000 Series: Command-Line Interface User’s Guide, SC27-9562.

6.2.3 RESTful application programming interface

DS8A00 RESTful API services provide an application programming interface (API) to
manage DS8A00 through communication with the HMC. The RESTful API communicates
with RESTful services that run on the HMC. The RESTful services in turn interact with the
IBM ESSNI server software that runs on the HMC to pass requests and receive replies. For
more information about the RESTful API, see IBM DS8880/DS8870 RESTful API Guide,
SC27-9235.

6.2.4 IBM Copy Services Manager interface

IBM Copy Services Manager is preinstalled on the DS8A00 HMC. You can use it to manage
and automate replication and disaster recovery (DR) for up to four DS8000 storage systems.

This feature removes the requirement for an external server to host IBM Copy Services
Manager, which provides savings on infrastructure costs and operating system (OS)
licensing. Administration costs are also reduced because the embedded IBM Copy Services
Manager instance is upgraded through the DS8A00 code maintenance schedule, which is

166 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 performed by IBM support personnel, or with the DS CLI as explained in 6.2.5, “Updating the
embedded IBM Copy Services Manager” on page 167

Important: Avoid configuring the primary HMC and the secondary HMC of the same
storage system as the active and standby IBM Copy Services Manager servers within a CS
environment.

6.2.5 Updating the embedded IBM Copy Services Manager

With the embedded IBM Copy Services Manager on HMC, the IBM Copy Services Manager
release that came initially installed on the DS8000 HMC might be outdated. IBM Copy
Services Manager can be updated independent of a microcode update.

Important: Updating the HMC embedded IBM Copy Services Manager must be done
exclusively through the IBM DS CLI tool that is installed on the workstation, laptop, or
server.

Update IBM Copy Services Manager on the HMC by completing the following steps:
1. Verify the current level of the DS CLI.
2. Verify the current level of IBM Copy Services Manager on the HMC.
3. Download selected releases of DS CLI, if necessary, and IBM Copy Services Manager
from IBM Fix Central.
4. Update the DS CLI, if needed.
5. Update IBM Copy Services Manager on the HMC.

The DS8000 Code Recommendation page provides a link to the DS8A00 code bundle
information page, as shown in Figure 6-3 and Figure 6-4.

Figure 6-3 DS8A00 Code Recommendation page

Figure 6-4 Recommended DS CLI release

Verifying the current level of IBM Copy Services Manager on the HMC
To verify the current IBM Copy Services Manager release that is installed on a DS8000 HMC,
run the lssoftware DS CLI command:

lssoftware -l -type csm -hmc all

Example 6-2 on page 168 shows an example where the IBM Copy Services Manager release
on both HMCs is 6.3.12.0.

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 167

 Example 6-2 Current IBM Copy Services Manager release
dscli> lssoftware -l -type csm -hmc all
Date/Time: October 8, 2024 at 11:08:29 AM GMT-05:00 IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.749
DS: IBM.2107-78NKG41
Type Version Status HMC
=========================================
CSM V6.3.12.0-a20240906-1620 Running 1
CSM V6.3.12.0-a20240906-1620 Running 2
dscli>

Downloading IBM Copy Services Manager for an upgrade on the HMC

The IBM Copy Services Manager installation file must be downloaded on the same
workstation or server where the DS CLI was previously installed.

Complete the following steps. Assume that IBM Copy Services Manager 6.3.0 is the release
to be installed.
1. On the IBM Fix Central page, select IBM Copy Services Manager as the product,
6.3.12.0 as the installed version, and Linux PPC as the platform. Figure 6-5 shows a
summary of selected options.

Figure 6-5 Selected IBM Copy Services Manager Version for HMC

Note: The HMC OS is Linux PPC. Ensure that the correct platform is selected.

2. Be sure to download the correct Linux-ppcle release. Figure 6-6 shows the correct
package type selected. Check the Release Notes, and if there is a newer fix pack file, you
can use it instead.

Figure 6-6 IBM Copy Services Manager Linux-ppcle package

168 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

When the download process is complete, note the folder path where the files were stored. In
the example, the files are stored in the folder C:\Downloads\CSM_Linux, as shown in
Figure 6-7.

Figure 6-7 Downloaded IBM Copy Services Manager files

Updating IBM Copy Services Manager on the HMC by using the DS CLI
Update the IBM Copy Services Manager on each HMC. In a dual HMC environment, update
one IBM Copy Services Manager instance at a time.

Note: If your IBM Copy Services Manager installation has active CS sessions, you must
follow best practices while applying maintenance to an active management server.

Note: The Active and Standby servers must be updated concurrently, to the same code
level. Failure to do so results in the inability to reconnect Active and Standby CSM servers.

The DS CLI command that is used for the IBM Copy Services Manager update is
installsoftware. You can find more information about the command in IBM Documentation.

Table 6-3 describes the parameters that are necessary for the installsoftware command.

Table 6-3 DS CLI installsoftware parameters

Parameter Explanation

-type csm The software type of the installation package.

-loc software_package The full path of the installation package to be

installed.

-certloc certificate_location The full path of the certificate file location.

-hmc 1 | 2 | all Specifies the primary or secondary HMC where the

software is to be installed. The default is all.

Note: Ensure that no spaces are included in the path that you specify for the location of the
software package and certificate file.

Note: In addition to the standard 1751 port, DS CLI also uses port 1755 (TCP protocol) to
transfer the IBM Copy Services Manager installation file to the HMC. That port must be
open on any physical or software firewall standing between the workstation where DS CLI
is installed and the DS8000 HMCs.

To effectively run the command, you must use a DS8000 user ID that is part of the
Administrator role (for example, the default admin user ID).

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 169

 Example 6-3 shows how the IBM Copy Services Manager on HMC1 was updated by using
DS CLI.

Example 6-3 IBM Copy Services Manager update on HMC1

dscli> installsoftware -type csm -loc
C:\Downloads\CSM_Linux\csm-setup-6.3.6-linux-ppcle.bin -certloc
C:\Downloads\CSM_Linux\csm-setup-6.3.6-linux-ppcle.bin.crt -hmc 1
CMUC00516I installsoftware: The file uploaded successfully.
CMUC00517I installsoftware: Software CSM is successfully installed on 1.

dscli> lssoftware
Type Version Status
====================================
CSM V6.3.0.6-a20210622-1237 Running
CSM V6.2.9.1-a20200804-1704 Running

The next step is to update IBM Copy Services Manager on HMC2, as shown in Example 6-4.

Example 6-4 IBM Copy Services Manager update on HMC2

dscli> installsoftware -type csm -loc
C:\Downloads\CSM_Linux\csm-setup-6.3.6-linux-ppcle.bin -certloc
C:\Downloads\CSM_Linux\csm-setup-6.3.6-linux-ppcle.bin.crt -hmc 2
CMUC00516I installsoftware: The file uploaded successfully.
CMUC00517I installsoftware: Software CSM is successfully installed on 2.

dscli> lssoftware
Type Version Status
====================================
CSM V6.3.0.6-a20210622-1237 Running
CSM V6.3.0.6-a20210622-1237 Running

The IBM Copy Services Manager upgrade is now complete.

6.3 Web User Interface

The HMC Web User Interface (WUI) is used for the initial setup of the HMC and for servicing
the hardware of the DS8A00. It provides remote access to system utilities.

6.3.1 Logging in to the HMC WUI

To log in to the WUI, complete the following steps:
1. Start the Storage Management GUI, as shown in Figure 6-8 on page 171. Click the
Service icon (wrench) to access the Service Management Console (SMC).
2. Click Log on and launch the Hardware Management Console web application to open
the login window, as shown in Figure 6-9 on page 171, and log in. The default user ID is
customer and the default password is cust0mer.

170 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Important: Change the default password. The user credentials for accessing the SMC
are managed separately from the ones that are used with DS CLI and the Storage
Management GUI. For more information about HMC user management, see 6.6.3,
“Service Management Console User Management” on page 180.

Service Management Console

Copy Services Management Console

Figure 6-8 DS Storage Management GUI Logon window

Figure 6-9 Service Management Console application

3. If you are successfully logged in, you see the HMC window, in which you can select
Status Overview to see the status of the DS8A00. Other areas of interest are shown in
Figure 6-10 on page 172.

Because the HMC web UI is mainly a services interface used by IBM service engineers, it is
not covered here. For more information, see the Help menu.

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 171

 HMC Management Logoff
Service Management
Help

Status overview Extra information

Figure 6-10 Web UI main window

6.3.2 IBM ESSNI server

IBM ESSNI is the logical server that communicates with the DS GUI server and interacts with
the two processor nodes of the DS8A00. It is also referred to as the DS Network Interface
(DSNI).

6.4 Management Console activities

This section covers planning and maintenance tasks for the DS8A00 HMC. For more
information about overall planning, see Chapter 5, “IBM DS8A00 physical planning and
installation” on page 137.

6.4.1 Management Console planning tasks

To plan the installation or configuration of the HMC, you must do the following tasks:
򐂰 A connection to the client network is needed at the base rack for both HMCs. The
connections must be standard CAT5/6 Ethernet cabling with RJ45 connectors.
򐂰 IP addresses for the primary and secondary HMCs are needed. The DS8A00 can work
with IPv4 and IPv6 networks. From DS8000 release 10 each HMC is capable of
supporting two ethernet connections for the customer network. For more information
about procedures to configure the DS8A00 HMC for IPv6, see 6.5, “Management Console
network settings” on page 175.
򐂰 Most users access the DS GUI remotely through a browser. You can also use
IBM Spectrum Control in your environment to access the DS GUI.

172 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 The web browser to be used on any administration workstation must be supported, as
described in IBM Storage DS8000 10.0 Introduction and Planning Guide, G10-I53-00.
򐂰 The IP addresses of Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) recipients must be
identified if the client wants the DS8A00 HMC to send traps to a monitoring station.
򐂰 Email accounts must be identified if the client wants the DS8A00 HMC to send email
messages for problem conditions.
򐂰 The IP addresses of Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers must be identified if the client
wants the DS8A00 HMC to use NTP for time synchronization.
򐂰 When a DS8A00 is ordered, the license and certain optional features must be activated as
part of the customization of the DS8A00. For more information, see Chapter 7, “IBM
DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions” on page 189.
򐂰 The installation tasks for the optional external HMC must be identified as part of the overall
project plan and agreed upon with the responsible IBM personnel.

Important: Applying feature activation codes is a concurrent action.

6.4.2 Planning for Licensed Internal Code upgrades

The following tasks must be considered regarding the LIC upgrades on the DS8A00:
򐂰 LIC changes
IBM periodically releases changes to the DS8A00 series Licensed Machine Code (LMC).
Customers can check the IBM Support site for the latest Flashes, Alerts and Bulletins, and
keep up to date by subscribing to IBM Support Notifications.
򐂰 LIC installation options
There are three installation types available, depending on the support contract:
– Onsite Code Load
An IBM Systems Service Representative (IBM SSR) goes onsite to install the changes.
– Remote Code Load (RCL)
IBM Remote Support personnel install the LIC remotely.
– Customer Code Load
As of Release 9.3, customers can perform the installation.
򐂰 DS CLI Compatibility
Check whether the new LIC requires new levels of DS CLI. Plan on upgrading them on the
relevant workstations, if necessary.
򐂰 Code prerequisites
When you are planning for initial installation or for LIC updates, ensure that all
prerequisites for the environment are identified correctly, which include host OS versions,
fixes, host bus adapter (HBA) levels, interconnect and fabric types, and OS versions.
DS8A00 interoperability information is available at the IBM System Storage Interoperation
Center (SSIC).
To prepare for downloading the drivers, see the “Interoperability Search Details” report in
SSIC, which provides an end-to-end support matrix from the host to the DS8A00, and
covers all versions of OS, multipathing software, and firmware. This check is necessary to
ensure that the DS8A00 storage subsystem is in a supported environment.

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 173

 Important: The SSIC includes information about the latest supported code levels. This
availability does not necessarily mean that former levels of HBA firmware or drivers are
no longer supported. Some host type interoperability, such as NetApp ONTAP, might
need to be confirmed in the vendor’s support matrix. If you are in doubt about any
supported levels, contact your IBM representative.

Never proceed with a LIC update without adhering to all prerequisites.

򐂰 Maintenance windows
The LIC update of the DS8A00 is a nondisruptive action. Scheduling a maintenance
window with added time for contingency is still a best practice. Also, plan for sufficient time
to confirm that all environment prerequisites are met before the upgrade begins.
For more information about LIC upgrades, see Chapter 11, “Licensed Machine Code” on
page 385.

6.4.3 Time synchronization

With the DS8A00, the HMC can use the NTP service. Clients can specify NTP servers on
their internal or external network to provide the time to the HMC. It is the client’s responsibility
to ensure that the NTP servers are working, stable, and accurate. An IBM SSR enables the
HMC to use NTP servers (ideally at the time of the initial DS8A00 installation). Changes can
be made by the client by using the Change Date and Time action under HMC Management
on the HMC WUI.

Important: For correct error analysis, the date and time information must be synchronized
on all components in the DS8A00 environment. These components include the DS8A00
HMC, the attached hosts, IBM Spectrum Control, and DS CLI workstations.

6.4.4 Monitoring DS8A00 with the Management Console

A client can receive notifications from the HMC through traps and email messages.
Notifications contain information about your storage complex, such as open serviceable
events. You can choose one or both of the following notification methods:
򐂰 Traps
For monitoring purposes, the DS8A00 uses traps. A trap can be sent to a server in the
client’s environment, perhaps with System Management Software, which handles the trap
that is based on the Management Information Base (MIB) that was delivered with the
DS8A00 software. A MIB that contains all of the traps can be used for integration purposes
into System Management Software.
The supported traps are described in the documentation that comes with the LIC on the
CDs that are provided by the IBM SSR. The IP address to which the traps must be sent
must be configured during initial installation of the DS8A00. For more information about
the DS8A00 and monitoring, see Chapter 12, “Monitoring and support” on page 403.
򐂰 Email
When you enable email notifications, email messages are sent to all the addresses that
are defined on the HMC whenever the storage complex encounters a serviceable event or
must alert individuals to other information.
During the planning process, create a list of the individuals who need to be notified.

174 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Additionally, when the DS8A00 is attached to an IBM Z system server, a service information
message (SIM) notification occurs automatically. A SIM message is displayed on the OS
console if a serviceable event occurs. These messages are not sent from the HMC, but from
the DS8A00 through the FICON connections that run between the server and the DS8A00.

6.4.5 Event notification through syslog

To meet ever increasing security requirements, the DS8A00 supports security and logging
events that are forwarded to a syslog server. Events that are contained in the audit log are
forwarded to configured syslog receivers.

Up to eight external syslog servers can be configured, with varying ports if required. Events
that are forwarded include user login and logout, all commands that are issued by using the
GUI or DS CLI while the user is logged in, and remote access events. Events are sent from
Facility 19, and are logged as level 6.

6.4.6 Call Home and remote support

The HMC uses outbound (Call Home) and inbound (remote service) support.

Call Home is the capability of the HMC to contact the IBM Support Center to report a
serviceable event. Remote support is the capability of the IBM SSR to connect to the HMC to
perform service tasks remotely. If the IBM Support Center can connect to the HMC to perform
service tasks remotely based on the setup of the client’s environment, an IBM SSR can
connect to the HMC to perform detailed problem analysis. The IBM SSR can view error logs
and problem logs and start trace or memory dump retrievals.

Remote support can be configured by using the embedded Assist On-site (AOS) or Remote
Support Console. The setup of the remote support environment is performed by the IBM SSR
during the initial installation. For more information, see Chapter 12, “Monitoring and support”
on page 403.

6.5 Management Console network settings

The DS8A00 HMC is configured by an IBM SSR during the initial installation of the storage
facility. The IBM SSR applies the settings that are defined by the customer in the DS8000
Configuration Worksheets, which are partially shown in Figure 6-11 on page 176.

This activity includes the configuration of the private (internal) and management (customer)
network with IPv6 or IPv4, hostname, DNS, NTP, routing, and remote support settings.

IMPORTANT: DNS resolution of esupport.ibm.com, either by the HMC or via a proxy

server is required for call home. Direct use of IP addresses is no longer supported.

When you change the internal private network, you do not need to configure each individual
network interface. Instead, each change that you make changes both the black and gray
networks at once.

To make the change, select HMC Management → Query/Change IP Range, as shown in

Figure 6-13 on page 177.

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 175

 Figure 6-11 DS8000 Configuration Worksheets

6.5.1 Configuring the Management Console Network

In the Service Console (WUI), select HMC Management → Change Network Settings →
LAN Adapters, select the adapter, and then select Details, as shown in Figure 6-12.

Note: Only the customer management network interfaces eth2 and eth1 are shown and
can be configured in the Network Settings dialog because the internal private black and
gray networks with interfaces eth0 and eth3 are used for the running system. The eth0 and
eth3 interfaces can be changed only by opening an IBM support request.

Figure 6-12 Management Ethernet settings

176 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

6.5.2 Private networks
The internal private networks (black and gray) are using the IP ranges 172.x.x.x by default.
Ensure that the network that is used for the internal private network is not interfering with
outside network ranges that are used by any network that the HMC can reach.

If the default address range cannot be used because it conflicts with another network, you
can instead specify one of three optional addresses ranges. Table 6-4 shows the possible
options that can be chosen during installation.

Table 6-4 Private networks

Setting Black network (HMC eht0) Gray network (HMC eth3)

Default 172.16.0.0–172.16.255.255 172.17.0.0–172.17.255.255

Option 1 10.235.0.0–10.235.2.255 10.236.0.0–10.236.2.255

Option 2 192.168.160.0–192.168.162.255 192.168.240.0–192.168.242.255

Option 3 9.15.0.0–9.15.2.255 9.16.0.0–9.16.2.255

Figure 6-13 Setting the private network range

Note: Changing the internal private network range on the storage system facility can be
done in concurrent mode, but requires special care. For that reason, an IBM service
request must be opened before making such a change.

6.6 User management

The Service Management WUI uses credentials that are separate from the Storage
Management GUI and DS CLI. This section describes user management for the DS GUI and
DS CLI first. User management of the Service Management Console is described in 6.6.3,
“Service Management Console User Management” on page 180.

To manage the DS GUI and DS CLI credentials, you can use the DS CLI or the DS GUI. An
administrator user ID is preconfigured during the installation of the DS8A00 and this user ID
uses the following defaults:
򐂰 User ID: admin
򐂰 Password: admin

The password of the admin user ID must be changed before it can be used. The GUI forces
you to change the password when you first log in. By using the DS CLI, you log in but you

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 177

 cannot run any other commands until you change the password. For example, to change the
admin user’s password to passw0rd, run the following DS CLI command:
chuser -pw passw0rd admin

After you issue that command, you can run other commands.

6.6.1 Password policies

DS8A00 supports different role-based users. For more information about user and role
management, see 8.2, “User and role management” on page 214. When the administrator
adds a user, the administrator enters a password. During the user’s first login, this password
must be changed. Password settings include the period (in days) after which passwords
expire and a number that identifies how many failed logins are allowed. The user ID is
deactivated if an invalid password is entered more times than the limit. Only a user with
administrator rights can then reset the user ID with a new initial password.

Recommendation: Do not set the value of the chpass command to 0 because this setting
indicates that passwords never expire and unlimited login attempts are allowed.

If access is denied for the admin user, for example, because of the number of invalid login
attempts, the administrator can use the security recovery utility tool on the HMC to reset the
password to the default value. The detailed procedure is described by selecting Help
Contents and can be accessed from the DS GUI.

Important: Upgrading an existing storage system to the latest code release does not
change the old default user-acquired rules. Existing default values are retained to prevent
disruption. The user might opt to use the new defaults by running the chpass -reset
command. The command resets all default values to the new defaults immediately.

The password for each user account is forced to adhere to the following rules:
򐂰 Passwords must contain one character from at least two groups of the following ones:
alphabetic, numeric, and punctuation.
򐂰 The range for minimum password length is 6–64 characters. The default minimum
password length is 8 characters.
򐂰 Passwords cannot contain the user’s ID.
򐂰 Passwords are case-sensitive.
򐂰 The length of the password is determined by the administrator.
򐂰 Initial passwords on new user accounts are expired.
򐂰 Passwords that are reset by an administrator are expired.
򐂰 Users must change expired passwords at the next logon.

The following password security implementations are included:

򐂰 Password rules are checked when passwords are changed.
򐂰 The valid character set, embedded user ID, age, length, and history are also checked.
򐂰 Passwords that are invalidated by a change remain usable until the next password
change.
򐂰 Users with invalidated passwords are not automatically disconnected from the DS8A00.

178 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 򐂰 The following password rules are checked when a user logs on:
– Password expiration, locked-out user, and failed attempts are checked.
– Users with passwords that expire or that are locked out by the administrator while they
are logged on are not automatically disconnected from the DS8A00.

6.6.2 Remote authentication

You can enable and configure remote authentication to connect to an LDAP repository.

The remote authentication setup can be found in the Storage Manager GUI. Go to the
Access menu and select Remote Authentication. From there, click Configure Remote
Authentication. The installation is guided by the Remote Authentication wizard.

Figure 6-14 shows the window that opens directly after the Welcome window. After you
complete all the wizard steps of the wizard, the DS8000 is enabled and configured for remote
authentication.

Figure 6-14 Remote Authentication wizard

The following prerequisites are required to complete the Remote Authentication wizard:
򐂰 Access to create users and groups on your remote authentication server.
򐂰 A primary LDAP repository URI is required.
򐂰 A secondary LDAP repository URI is optional.
򐂰 A User search base (only for Direct LDAP).

For more information about LDAP-based authentication and configuration, see LDAP
Authentication for IBM Storage DS8000 Systems: Updated for DS8000 Release 9.3.2,
REDP-5460.

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 179

6.6.3 Service Management Console User Management
Access to the Service Management Console is managed through the HMC WUI. With the
HMC, you can manage users, user roles, and authentication methods. Creating personal IDs
enables individual accountability. The HMC also supports remote authentication and
centralized user ID and password control through LDAP.

In the HMC Management section of the WUI, two options are available:
򐂰 Managed User Profiles and Access
򐂰 Configure LDAP

Figure 6-15 shows the two options.

Figure 6-15 Administration options

When logged in as an admin user, you can:

򐂰 Create user IDs for predefined roles, including Service and Engineering roles.
򐂰 Modify or remove any user, including predefined Service and Engineering user IDs.
򐂰 Allow each user to change their password.
򐂰 Allow the Service and Engineering user IDs to connect remotely.
򐂰 Configure authentication locally or by using LDAP.

Important: Do not delete the last user ID in a role. For more information about removing
user IDs for a role, see Table 6-6 on page 181.

There are three predefined user roles that are related to the Customer, Service, and
Engineering user IDs, as shown in Table 6-5 on page 181.

180 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Table 6-5 Predefined user roles
Predefined user role Access requirement

esshmccustomer Requires a password for access regardless of authentication method.

esshmcserv Local access only. Requires an IBM Support Representative to be at the

HMC.

esshmcpe Requires the IBM proprietary challenge/response key for remote access.

The roles, access, and properties for each user ID are described in Table 6-6.

Table 6-6 User roles

Role esshmccustomer esshmcserv esshmcpe

Access Administration Service (CE / Service (IBM Remote

IBM SSR) Support Center (RSC)
and IBM SSR)

Default user ID customer IBM use only IBM use only

Default Password cust0mer IBM use only IBM use only

Remove last user in No Yesa Yesb

this role

Backup and restore in Yes Yes Yes

the event of HMC
rebuild

LDAP Authentication Yes Yesc Yesc

a. If removed, IBM service personnel cannot perform service functions.
b. Removing this user ID prevents remote access for support services. This user ID should not be
modified or deleted.
c. This user ID can log in to this account only by using the IBM proprietary challenge/response
process. Extra user IDs with this role do not use the challenge/response process and are not
viable for support services.

Manage User Profile and Access windows

To manage user profiles, complete the following steps:
1. Log in to the web UI, as explained in 6.3, “Web User Interface” on page 170.
2. In the HMC Management window, select Manage User Profiles and Access, as shown in
Figure 6-16 on page 182.

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 181

 Figure 6-16 Manage User Profiles and Access

A new window opens that lists the user IDs and profiles for the defined console users, as
shown in Figure 6-17.

Figure 6-17 Predefined User Profiles

User IDs PE, CE, and customer are specifically for DS8A00 use. Ignore the other profiles.

Note: Do not change the user ID PE because it uses the remote challenge/response login
process, which is logged and audited.

The user ID root cannot log in to the WUI. The user IDs hscroot and essbase cannot
access HMC functions externally. Do not use them.

Do not create user IDs with a Task Role beginning with “hmc”.

Do not create user IDs with a Task Role of esshmcoperator.

182 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Adding a user ID
To add a user ID, complete the following steps:
1. Click User to open the User Profiles option menu, as shown in Figure 6-18.

Figure 6-18 User Profiles option menu

2. Click Add. The Add User window opens, as shown in Figure 6-19.

Figure 6-19 Add User window

Only those roles that are outlined by the boxes are valid Task Roles.
3. Complete the following fields:
a. Under Description, define a user or use HMC User as an example.
b. Passwords must adhere to the DS8A00 password policies. For more information, see ,
“After you issue that command, you can run other commands.” on page 178.
c. Choose the type of Authentication that you want.

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 183

 d. Select AllSystemResources, under Managed Resource Roles.
e. Select the Task Role type.
4. Click User Properties to optionally add Timeout and Inactivity values. Ensure that Allow
access via the web is selected if web access is needed.
Figure 6-20 shows these settings.

Figure 6-20 User Properties menu

5. Click OK, and then click OK again. This task is complete.

The User Profiles are updated and list the new user ID. As an example, user ID IBM_RSC was
created and is shown in Figure 6-21 and Figure 6-22 on page 185.

Figure 6-21 IBM_RSC user ID

184 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 6-22 IBM_RSC user ID properties

6.6.4 Service Management Console LDAP authentication

Before LDAP authentication is selected, the HMC must first be configured to access an LDAP
server. Complete the following steps:
1. In the HMC Management window, select Configure LDAP, as shown in Figure 6-23.

Figure 6-23 Configuring LDAP

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 185

 2. The window that is shown in Figure 6-24 opens. Perform the following actions:
a. Select the Enable LDAP box.
b. Provide the Primary URI, and optionally, the Backup URI.
c. Choose either TLS Encryption or Non-Anonymous Binding.
d. Select an attribute for Use the Following Attribute for User Login.
e. Identify the Distinguished Name Tree for search functions.
f. Do not select Enable LDAP for Remote User Management.
3. Click OK to complete this task.

Figure 6-24 LDAP Server Definition window

6.6.5 Multifactor authentication (MFA)

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a stronger method of authentication than just a password.
It is typically used to protect sensitive data. MFA requires multiple proofs of identification to
gain access.

MFA enables the DS8000 storage system user to configure remote authentication with RSA
SecurID Authentication Manager or with direct LDAP+RSA SecurID Authentication Manager.
It supports a PIN (something that the user knows) and a token (something that the user has)
as factors of authentication.

You can also configure IBM RACF® to use MFA by implementing IBM Z Multi-Factor
Authentication (IBM Z MFA).

For more information, see LDAP Authentication for IBM Storage DS8000 Systems: Updated
for DS8000 Release 9.3.2, REDP-5460.

186 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

6.7 Secondary Management Console
The secondary HMC is used for redundancy and it is part of the DS8A00. The primary HMC
is referred to as HMC1, and the secondary HMC is referred to as HMC2. The two HMCs run
in a dual-active configuration, so either HMC can be used at any time. Each HMC is assigned
a role of either primary (normally HMC1) or secondary (normally HMC2). Certain service
functions can be performed only on the primary HMC.

Important: The primary and secondary HMCs are not available to be used as
general-purpose computing resources.

6.7.1 Management Console redundancy benefits

HMC redundancy provides the following advantages:
򐂰 Enhanced maintenance capability
Because the HMC is the only interface that is available for service personnel, an
alternative HMC provides maintenance operational capabilities if the internal HMC fails.

򐂰 Greater availability for power management

Using the HMC is the only way to safely power on or power off the DS8A00. The
secondary HMC is necessary to shut down the DS8A00 if the primary HMC fails.
򐂰 Greater availability of encryption deadlock recovery
If the DS8A00 is configured for Full Disk Encryption (FDE) and an encryption deadlock
situation occurs, the use of the HMC is the only way to input a recovery key to allow the
DS8A00 to become operational.
򐂰 Greater availability for Advanced CS
Because all CS functions are driven by the HMC, any environment that uses Advanced CS
must include dual HMCs for operational continuity.
򐂰 Greater availability for configuration operations
All configuration commands must go through the HMC. This requirement is true whether
access is through IBM Spectrum Control, DS CLI, or DS GUI. The secondary HMC allows
these operations to continue if the primary HMC fails.

When a configuration or CS command is run, the DS CLI or DS GUI sends the command to
the first HMC. If the first HMC is unavailable, it automatically sends the command to the
second HMC instead. Typically, you do not need to reissue the command.

Any changes that are made by using one HMC are instantly reflected in the other HMC. No
host data is cached within the HMC, so no cache coherency issues occur.

Chapter 6. IBM DS8A00 Management Console planning and setup 187

188 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
 7

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and

licensed functions
This chapter describes licensed functions and their activation for the IBM DS8000 G10.

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “DS8000 licensed functions” on page 190
򐂰 “Activating licensed functions” on page 197
򐂰 “Licensed scope considerations” on page 210
򐂰 “Expert Care” on page 211

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 189

7.1 DS8000 licensed functions
The DS8000 G10 family with its DS8A00 models introduces the following Licensed Functions:
򐂰 Base Functions License (feature numbers BAAx)
򐂰 Copy Services (CS) License (feature numbers BABx)
򐂰 z-synergy Services (zsS) License (feature numbers BACx)
򐂰 Transparent Cloud Tiering (TCT) Function License (feature numbers BADx)

The licensed functions are bundled into groups, as shown in Table 7-1.

Table 7-1 IBM DS8000 licensed functions

Licensed function for DS8000 with License scope IBM 9031-FFA indicator
Enterprise Choice warranty Feature Code numbers

Base Function (BF) ALL BAA0 - BAA6

Copy Services (CS) ALL, Fixed-Block (FB), BAB0 - BAB7

or Count Key Data
(CKD)

Z Synergy Services (zsS) CKD BAC0 - BAC8

TCT CKD BAD0 - BAD8

The grouping of licensed functions facilitates ordering. The licenses establish the extent of
IBM authorization for the use of the licensed functions on an IBM Storage DS8000.

The four license bundles contain the following functions:

򐂰 Base Functions (BF) license:
– Logical configuration support for Fixed Block (open systems)
– Operating Environment License (OEL)
– Thick/Thin-provisioned Volume support
– Space reclamation (Unmap)
– Dynamic Volume Expansion
– FB Compression through FCM
– Encryption Authorization SSD/FCM
– Local Key Manager for Data at Rest
– Easy Tier
– Secure Boot
– Multifactor Authorization
– LDAP
򐂰 Copy Services (CS) license:
– FlashCopy
– Metro Mirror (MM)
– Global Mirror (GM)
– Global Copy (GC)
– Metro/Global Mirror (MGM)

190 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 – Multiple-Target Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy (MT-PPRC)
– Cascaded Incremental Resync
– Safeguarded Copy
– Sub-capacity Licensing
– HyperSwap
IBM Copy Services Manager (CSM) integrated into CS license group
The CS function group includes and enables the CSM on HMC functionality (previously
offered under FC 8451) as part of CS, and for all volumes on DS8000 G10 and later
generations, when managed on HMC. This consolidation reduces license complexity and
enables all users to use Copy Services Manager for replication management. The
IBM Copy Services Manager provides an advanced GUI to easily and efficiently manage
CS. IBM Copy Services Manager is available on the DS8000 HMC, which eliminates the
need to maintain a separate server for CS functions.
򐂰 z-synergy Service (zsS) license:
– Parallel Access Volumes (PAV)
– HyperPAV, SuperPAV
– FICON attachment
– High-Performance FICON for IBM Z (zHPF)
– zHPF Extended Distance II
– FICON Dynamic Routing
– Dynamic Volume Expansion
– IBM z/OS Distributed Data Backup (zDDB), IBM Sterling® MFT Acceleration with
zDDB
– zHyperWrite
– zHyperLink
– z/DS8000 Easy Tier Application
– GDPS Heat Map Transfer
– Fibre Channel Endpoint Security (IFCES) – Authorization and Encryption of data in
flight (EdiF)
– CKD Compression through FCM
򐂰 Transparent Cloud Tiering (TCT) function license:
– Multi-Cloud on premises and off premises support
– Encryption support
– Compression for TS7700
With increasing demand and popularity, the Transparent Cloud Tiering function group is
created, and customers can benefit from this stand-alone group, which streamlines
support on the previously mentioned functions.

Licensed functions enable the operating system and functions of the storage system. Some
features, such as the operating system, are always enabled, and other functions are optional.
Licensed functions are purchased as 5341 machine function authorizations for billing
purposes.

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 191

 Each licensed function indicator feature that is ordered enables that function at the system
level, and it requires an equivalent 9031 function authorization. The licensed function
indicators are also used for maintenance billing purposes.

All maintenance and support falls under Expert Care, which defines the support duration (1,
2, 3, 4, or 5 years) and the service level (Advanced or Premium). When purchasing an IBM
DS8000 (machine type 5341), the inclusion of Expert Care is mandatory. For more
information, see 7.4, “Expert Care” on page 211.
򐂰 All DS8A00 models are sold with a 1-year warranty. This warranty is extended by Expert
Care from 2 to 5 years. The machine type 5341 remains in all cases.
򐂰 Each license function authorization is associated with a fixed 1-year function authorization
9031-FFA.
򐂰 The licensed function indicator feature numbers enable the technical activation of the
function, subject to a feature activation code that is made available by IBM, which must be
applied by the client.
򐂰 Licensed functions are activated and enforced with a defined license scope. License scope
refers to the type of storage and the type of servers that the function can be used with. For
example, the zsS licenses are available only with the CKD (z/FICON) scope.
The BFs are mandatory. The BFs must always be configured for both mainframe and open
systems, which have a scope of ALL. Also, to configure CKD volumes, Feature Code BACx
is required.
With CS, if these services are used only for either mainframe or open systems, the
restriction to either FB or CKD is possible. However, most clients want to configure CS for
the scope ALL.

Typically, the DS8000 10th-generation licensed functions are enabled, authorized, managed,
activated, and enforced based upon the physical capacity contained in a 5341 system.
For each group of licensed functions, specific Feature Code numbers indicate the licensed
capacity.

7.1.1 General introduction to licensing

Several of the orderable Feature Codes must be activated through the installation of a
corresponding license key bundle. These feature bundle codes are listed in Table 7-1 on
page 190. Certain features can be configured directly for the client by the IBM marketing
representative during the ordering process.

Ordering features that require a license key

Important: All CSs are bundled.

The following features are available after the license bundle is activated:
򐂰 MM is a synchronous way to perform remote replication. GM enables asynchronous
replication, which is useful for longer distances and lower bandwidth.
򐂰 MGM enables cascaded 3-site replication, which combines synchronous mirroring to an
intermediate site with asynchronous mirroring from that intermediate site to a third site at a
long distance.
Combinations with other CS features, like MM, GM or FlashCopy, are possible and often
needed.

192 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

򐂰 Multiple-Target PPRC (MT-PPRC) enhances disaster recovery (DR) solutions by allowing
data at a single primary site to be mirrored to two remote sites simultaneously. The
function builds and extends MM and GM capabilities and is supported on all recent
DS8000 generations, and on IBM Copy Services Manager or IBM Z software, such as IBM
Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (IBM GDPS) / MTMM.
Various interfaces and operating systems (OSs) support the function. For the DS8000
family, this feature is integrated with the CS license bundle.
򐂰 Two possibilities exist for FlashCopy PTC: Use it with thick (standard) volumes or
thin-provisioned extent space efficient (ESE) volumes.
The ESE thin volumes can also be used in remote mirroring relationships. ESE volumes
offer the same good performance as standard (thick) volumes,
򐂰 Safeguarded Copy enables you to create snapshots for Logical Corruption Protection
(LCP). It provides many recovery points from which to restore data in case of logical
corruption or destruction of data. If Safeguarded Copy is used, you should additionally
mark the Feature Code 0785 indicator option when ordering.
򐂰 As previously noted, IBM Copy Services Manager on HMC offers full IBM Copy Services
Manager functions. Only when having the IBM Copy Services Manager manage
non-DS8A00 volumes or when for instance running it outside the HMC on an IBM Z host,
it would need to be purchased as a separate product and software license.
򐂰 For IBM Z clients, PAVs allow multiple concurrent I/O streams to the same CKD volume.
HyperPAV reassigns the alias addresses dynamically to the base addresses of the
volumes based on the needs of a dynamically changing workload. Both features result in
such large performance gains that for many years they have been configured as an
effective standard for mainframe clients, similar to FICON, which is required for z/OS.
SuperPAV is an extension to HyperPAV support and allows aliases to be borrowed from
eligible peer logical control units (LCUs).
򐂰 zHPF is a feature that uses a protocol extension for FICON and allows data for multiple
commands to be grouped in a single data transfer. This grouping increases the channel
throughput for many workload profiles. It works on all newer IBM zEnterprise Systems and
it is preferred for these systems because of the performance gains that it offers.
򐂰 zDDB is a feature for clients with a mixture of mainframe and distributed workloads to use
their powerful IBM Z host facilities to back up and restore open systems data. For more
information, see IBM System Storage DS8000: z/OS Distributed Data Backup,
REDP-4701.
򐂰 Transparent Cloud Tiering (TCT), for direct backups by DS8000 to tape, to internal or to a
hybrid cloud, is sold and listed as a separate license, just for those IBM Z clients who use
this also.
򐂰 As a part of the Base Function group, Easy Tier is available in the following modes:
– Automatic mode works on the subvolume level (extent level) and allows auto-tiering in
hybrid extent pools of industry-standard drives. The most-accessed volume parts go to
the upper tiers. In single-tier pools, it allows auto-rebalancing if it is turned on.
– Manual Dynamic Volume Relocation (DVR) mode works on the level of full volumes
and allows volumes to be relocated or restriped to other places in the DS8000 online. It
also allows ranks to be moved out of pools. For more information, see IBM DS8000
Easy Tier, REDP-4667.
– Easy Tier Heat Map Transfer (HMT) automatically replicates a heat map to remote
systems to ensure that they are also optimized for performance and cost after a
planned or unplanned outage.

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 193

 򐂰 The Drive Encryption Authorization feature provides data encryption by using IBM Full
Disk Encryption (FDE) and key managers, such as IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle
Manager. For external key managers, the key manager must be licensed separately.
򐂰 Local Data-at-Rest Encryption is also listed within the DS8000 as a separate subfeature
but is free as part of the Base Function group. Please note that for encryption of
data-in-flight support or the TCT backup-to-cloud encryption, an external key manager
such as GKLM is still required.

Hardware drive compression, as done by the IBM FlashCore Modules (FCM), is not listed as
any sublicense and comes directly with the respective base function group. So this function is
essentially available as soon as when having FCM drive hardware purchased.

For more information about these features, see the IBM Storage DS8000 10.0 Introduction
and Planning Guide, G10-I53-00.

7.1.2 Licensing cost structure

Licensing goes by terabytes (TB, decimal), where each TB equals one trillion bytes. For the
four possible license bundles, the following general guidelines apply:
򐂰 BF license
The license must be at least equal to the total raw (physical) capacity of the storage
system, which includes the raw capacity of any expansion frames. Select the full raw
capacity and order the number of TBs to support the total raw capacity of your storage
system.
򐂰 CS license
CS goes by provisioned capacity. The license can be equal to, less than, or potentially
even more than the total raw capacity of the storage system. You must license the
terabytes that you use (provisioned capacity) in copy relationships. However, we limit the
maximum CS license necessary to the raw capacity.
򐂰 zsS license
The license can be equal to or less than the total raw capacity of the storage system, but
order less only if you have a mixed machine (FB and open, and CKD and mainframe). You
must license the full CKD / IBM Z raw capacity for zsS, that is, the physical capacity of all
ranks that will be formatted as CKD ranks.
򐂰 TCT license
This follows the rules as for the zsS license, for all Z clients who additionally use the TCT
functions. The raw capacity of all CKD ranks counts in that moment.

Copy Services license specifics

You can order the CS license to support the total provisioned capacity of all volumes that are
involved in one or more CS functions. However, this sort of subcapacity licensing (less than
the total raw capacity) requires capacity monitoring via IBM Storage Insights and so a steady
remote connection on the client side.

Important: With the CS license bundle, order subcapacity licensing, which is less than the
total physical raw capacity, only when a steady remote connection for the DS8000 is
available and a Storage Insights installation will be active to monitor usage.

By using a remote connection for Call Home, and when having Storage Insights, the CS
license can be based on the usable capacity of the volumes that will potentially be in CS

194 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

relationships. For industry-standard flash drives, this amount is often less than the total raw
capacity.

Note: The CS license goes by the capacity of all volumes that are involved in at least one
CS relationship. The CS license is based on the provisioned capacity of volumes and not
on raw capacity. If overprovisioning (or compression) is used on the DS8000 with a
significant number of CS functions, the CS license needs to be equal only to the total raw
physical capacity. This situation is true even if the logical volume capacity of volumes in CS
is greater.

For example, with overprovisioning, if the total rank raw capacity of a DS8000 is 100 TB but
200 TB of thin-provisioning volumes are in MM, only a 100 TB of CS license is needed.

When using the IBM FlashCore Modules (FCM), compression is always on. Hence for these,
ordering the CS license as per what the nominal drive raw capacity says is usually
recommended.

Tip (also for industry-standard drives): If you want to ensure future use of
overprovisioning, use the raw capacity of the system for CS to ensure coverage.

For FlashCopy volumes, you must count the source plus target volumes as provisioned
capacity. Several examples are shown as follows.

Pricing examples for Copy Services

The following examples are provided to illustrate your CS licensing requirements in an FB
environment:
򐂰 Scenario 1: For FlashCopy for a 10 TB source, the purchase of a 20 TB capacity CS
license is required.
򐂰 Scenario 2: To use MM on a 10 TB source and then FlashCopy on a 10 TB target, the
purchase of a 10 TBs CS license on the source and a 20 TB CS license on the target
DS8000 is required.
򐂰 Scenario 3: To use GM on a 10 TB source and then FlashCopy on a 10 TB target DS8000,
the purchase of a 10 TB CS license on the source and a 20 TB CS license on the target
DS8000 is required.
򐂰 Scenario 4: To use MGM on a 10 TB source and then FlashCopy on a 10 TB target, the
purchase of a 10 TB CS license on the source and secondary, and the purchase of a
20 TB CS license on the target is required.
However, consider that with MGM, certain scenarios can require more FlashCopy targets
on the local machines, and so larger CS terabyte scopes are necessary.
򐂰 Scenario 5: A client wants to use GM for a 10 TB source and use FlashCopy on the target
for practicing DR, but they do not want to affect the normal GM. This situation requires a
GM secondary, GM Journal, and a FlashCopy volume on the secondary system. The
source DS8A00 requires a 10 TB CS license, and the target DS8900F requires a 30 TB
CS license.
򐂰 Scenario 6: To perform 4-site replications, the purchase of the correct capacity license
requirement for each storage system is required.

Z Synergy Services licensing

A zsS license is required for only the total physical capacity that is logically configured as
CKD ranks for use with IBM Z host systems.

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 195

 Note: If zDDB is used on a system with no CKD ranks, a 10 TB zsS license must be
ordered to enable the FICON attachment functions.

Drive features
The BF is based on the raw (decimal terabyte) capacity of the drives. The pricing is based on
the drive performance, capacity, and other characteristics that provide more flexible and
optimal price and performance configurations.

To calculate the raw (gross) physical capacity, multiply for each drive set the number of drives
with their individual capacities. Therefore, for example, an industry-standard drive set of
sixteen 3.84 TB drives has a 61.44 TB raw physical capacity. Or an FCM compression tier
drive set of sixteen 19.2 TB drives has a 307.2 TB raw physical capacity.

Important: Check with an IBM Systems Service Representative (IBM SSR) or go to the
IBM website for an up-to-date list of available drive types.

Easy Tier is a license feature that is available at no charge. Therefore, it is configured, by

default, with the BF license bundle. Likewise, the Thin Provisioning feature comes with the BF
license bundle. And so does the functionality for Database Protection (for open and FB), or for
compression (when using FCM).

The zDDB feature comes with the zsS license bundle.

Ordering granularity
You order the license bundles by the terabyte, but not by a single terabyte. The granularity is
slightly larger. For example, below 100 TB total raw capacity, the granularity increment for an
upgrade is 10 TB. With larger total capacities, the granularity is larger. For more information,
see Table 7-2.

Table 7-2 Ordering granularity

Tier Mini- Maxi- Tier TB Feature Range Feature numbers
mum mum granula- quantity delta
(TB) (TB) rity (max.) (TB)

1 1 100 10 10 100 BAA0/BAB1/BAC2/BAD2

2 101 250 15 10 150 BAA1/BAB2/BAC3/BAD3

3 251 500 25 10 250 BAA2/BAB3/BAC4/BAD4

4 501 1250 75 10 750 BAA3/BAB4/BAC5/BAD5

5 1251 3000 175 10 1750 BAA4/BAB5/BAC6/BAD6

6 3001 6000 300 10 3000 BAA5/BAB6/BAC7/BAD7

7 6001 12000 600 12 7200 BAA6/BAB7/BAC8/BAD8

196 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Tip: For more information about the features and considerations when you order DS8000
G10 licensed functions, use this link:

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/search/ds8000?type=announcement

and limit the date range to September 2024 and newer.

IBMers and BPs when looking for more details can go to the IBM Federated Catalog and
search by using the keywords DS8A10, DS8A50, or for the advanced functions DS8A00 as
search terms.

7.2 Activating licensed functions

You can activate the license keys of the DS8000 after the IBM SSR completes the storage
complex installation. If you plan to use the Storage Management GUI to configure your new
storage, after the initial login as admin, the setup wizard guides you to download your keys
from the IBM website and activate them. However, if you plan to use the Data Storage
Command-line Interface (DS CLI) to configure your new storage, you must first obtain the
necessary keys from IBM Entitled Systems Support (ESS).

Before you connect to the ESS website to obtain your feature activation codes, ensure that
you have the following items:
򐂰 The IBM License Function Authorization documents. If you are activating codes for a new
storage unit, these documents are included in the shipment of the storage unit. If you are
activating codes for an existing storage unit, IBM sends the documents to you in an
envelope.
򐂰 A USB memory device that can be used for downloading your activation codes if you
cannot access the DS Storage Manager from the system that you are using to access the
ESS website. Instead of downloading the activation codes in softcopy format, you can print
the activation codes and manually enter them by using the DS Storage Manager GUI or
the DS CLI. However, this process is slow and error-prone because the activation keys are
32-character strings.

7.2.1 Obtaining DS8000 machine information and activating license keys

To obtain the license activation keys from the ESS website, you must know the serial number
and possibly the machine signature of your DS8000 unit.

You can obtain the required information by using the DS Storage Management GUI or the
DS CLI. If you use the Storage Management GUI, you can obtain and apply your activation
keys at the same time. These options are described next.

DS Storage Management GUI

To obtain the required information by using the DS Storage Management GUI, complete
these steps:
1. Open a browser and enter https://< IP address of HMC >.
2. Log in by using a user ID with administrator access. If you are accessing the system for
the first time, contact your IBM SSR for the user ID and password. After a successful login,
the system monitor window opens.

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 197

 3. If this machine is new, a System Setup wizard window opens automatically that guides
you through the initial setup and configuration tasks, as shown in Figure 7-1.

Figure 7-1 System Setup wizard including Licensed Functions activation

Note: Before you begin this task, resolve any current DS8000 problems that might
exist. You can contact IBM Support to help you resolve these problems.

4. After an option to give your system another nickname, then to begin the guided procedure
to acquire and activate your feature activation keys, select and complete the Activate
Licensed Functions routine, as shown in Figure 7-2.

Figure 7-2 Wizard step: Activate Licensed Functions

Note: You can download the keys and save the XML file to the folder that is shown here,
or you can copy the license keys from the IBM ESS website.

5. Use the help function to get further information where and how to obtain the license keys,
and how to apply the XML file, as shown in Figure 7-3 on page 199.

198 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 7-3 Help for adding the license keys

6. All generated license keys become visible after importing, and you click Activate to start
the activation process, as shown in Figure 7-4.

Figure 7-4 Adding the license keys: Activate step

7. The next screens document the activation of the keys, as in Figure 7-5.

Figure 7-5 License key activation ongoing

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 199

 8. You can Activate further keys manually as needed, or click Next to proceed, as in
Figure 7-6.

Figure 7-6 Adding the license keys: Further steps

9. Click Summary in the System Setup wizard to view the list of licensed functions or feature
keys that are installed on your DS8000, as shown in Figure 7-7. With Finish you leave the
wizard dialog.

Figure 7-7 Summary of licensed functions

200 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

10.If you must activate more feature keys after the initial installation, click the Settings icon in
the left menu, select Licensed Functions, and click the Activate icon, which opens
another window where you enter the keys, as shown in Figure 7-8.

Figure 7-8 Licensed Functions

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 201

 11.To obtain the machine signature and machine type and model (MTM) after the installation,
go to the Dashboard and click Actions → Properties, as shown in Figure 7-9.

Important: The ESS usually expects the Serial Number of the Storage Unit, finishing
with a 0, not the one of the Storage Image which finishes with 1.

Figure 7-9 Properties window showing the machine signature and MTM

Important: The initial enablement of any optional DS8000 licensed function is a

concurrent activity (assuming that the correct level of Licensed Internal Code (LIC) is
installed on the system for the function).

The following activation activities are disruptive and require an initial machine load or
restart of the affected image:
򐂰 Removal of a DS8000 licensed function to deactivate the function.
򐂰 A lateral change or reduction in the license scope. A lateral change is defined as
changing the license scope from FB to CKD or from CKD to FB. A reduction is
defined as changing the license scope from all physical capacity (ALL) to only FB or
only CKD capacity.

Note: Before you begin this task, you must resolve any current DS8000 problems that
exist. You can contact IBM Support for help with resolving these problems.

12.Click Activate to enter and activate your licensed keys, as shown in Figure 7-4 on
page 199.
13.Wait for the activation process to complete and select Licensed Functions to show the
list of activated features.

202 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

DS Command-Line Interface
To obtain the required information by using the DS CLI, log on to the DS CLI and run the lssi
and showsi commands, as shown in Figure 7-10.

dscli> lssi
Name ID Storage Unit Model WWNN State ESSNet
===================================================================================
ds8k-g10-01 IBM.2107-78HAL91 IBM.2107-78HAL90 A05 5005076301234567 Online Enabled

dscli> showsi
Date/Time: 25 November 2024 19:56:17 CET IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.882 DS: -
Name ds8k-g10-01
desc Saw Shark
ID IBM.2107-78HAL91
Storage Unit IBM.2107-78HAL90
Model A05
WWNN 5005076301234567
Signature abcd-ef12-3456-7890
State Online
ESSNet Enabled
Volume Group V0
os400Serial 567
NVS Memory 64.0 GB
Cache Memory 832.0 GB
Processor Memory 1015.6 GB
MTS IBM.5341-78HAL90
numegsupported 16
ETAutoMode tiered
ETMonitor automode
IOPMmode Disabled
ETCCMode -
ETHMTMode Enabled
ETSRMode Enabled
ETTierOrder High performance
ETAutoModeAccel Disabled
Figure 7-10 Obtaining DS8000 information by using the DS CLI

Note: The showsi command can take the storage facility image (SFI) serial number as a
possible argument. The SFI serial number is identical to the storage unit serial number,
except that the SFI serial number ends in 1 instead of 0 (zero).

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 203

 Gather the following information about your storage unit:
򐂰 The Machine Type - Serial Number (MTS), which is a string that contains the machine type
and the serial number. The machine type is now mostly 5341. The last 7 characters of the
string are the machine’s serial number (XYABCDE), which always ends with 0 (zero).
򐂰 The model, which, for example, is A05 for a DS8A50.
򐂰 The machine signature, which is found in the Machine signature field and uses the
following format:
ABCD-EF12-3456-7890

Table 7-3 documents this information, which is entered at the ESS website to retrieve the
activation codes.

Table 7-3 DS8000 machine information

Property Your storage unit’s information

Machine type

Machine’s serial number

Machine signature

7.2.2 Obtaining the activation codes

If you plan to use the DS CLI to configure your system, you must obtain your activation keys
before you configure your machine.

To obtain the activation codes, complete the following steps:

1. As shown in Figure 7-11, connect to the ESS website.

Figure 7-11 ESS website

204 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

2. Proceed to My Entitled Hardware → Storage License Management, as shown in
Figure 7-12. Watch out for DS8000.

Figure 7-12 ESS Storage License Management

3. Click DS8000. The DS8000 machine information window opens, as shown in Figure 7-13.

Figure 7-13 ESS DS8000 machine information entry window

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 205

 4. Enter the machine information that was collected in Table 7-3 on page 204: Look for the
model, for instance 5341-A05 (IBM DS8A50), and enter the serial number finishing with 0,
as shown in Figure 7-14. The machine signature should be entered when having a brand
new machine; only for later viewing it can be optional. Then click Search.

Figure 7-14 DS8000 information: Select model and enter serial number

The View machine summary window shows the total purchased licenses and the number
of licenses that are currently assigned. When you assign licenses for the first time, the
Assigned field shows 0.0 TB.
5. The View machine summary window shows the total purchased licenses and the number
of licenses that are currently assigned. When you assign licenses for the first time, the
Assigned field might show 0.0 TB, or the results might show a yellow warning message for
unassigned license scopes as shown in Figure 7-15.

Figure 7-15 Warning when license scopes are unassigned

6. Figure 7-16 shows a DS8950F model where licenses are already assigned.

Figure 7-16 DS8000 with assigned licenses

206 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

7. Figure 7-17 on page 207 shows the View machine summary view of a new DS8A10. The
yellow warning bar directs you to go to Actions → Manage Activations to define the
correct license scopes.
This option is only available when also a valid Machine signature number has been
entered.

Figure 7-17 ESS View machine summary: New DS8A00 with unassigned scopes

8. If it is not done yet, the Actions Assign function authorization and Manage activations
allow you to specify the details for the respective license group. Managing activations is
shown in Figure 7-18 on page 208.
For each license type and storage image, enter the following information:
– Select the license scope from the list box:
• FB (Fixed-Block data)
• CKD
• All
– Type the capacity value (in TB) to assign to the storage image. The capacity values are
expressed in decimal terabytes. The sum of the storage image capacity values for a
license cannot exceed the total license value.
– Ensure any Unassigned scopes (as shown in Figure 7-18 on page 208) are all
assigned. Unassigned scopes can be assigned, for example, to an All scope.

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 207

 Figure 7-18 ESS: Manage activations

9. Once done, you can either copy each of the generated activation codes, or can proceed to
Download all codes, what saves the activation codes in an XML file that you can import
into the DS8000.
10.This XML file, or the individual keys, can apply in the DS8000 GUI as shown in Figure 7-3
on page 199, and following Figures.

Important: In most situations, the ESS website and application can locate your 9031
licensed function authorization record when you enter the DS8000 5341 serial number, or
serial number and signature. However, if the 9031 licensed function authorization record is
not attached to the 5341 record, you must assign it to the 5341 record by using the Assign
function authorization link in the ESS application. In this case, you need the 9031 serial
number (which you can find on the License Function Authorization document).

7.2.3 Applying activation codes by using the DS CLI

The license keys can also be activated by using the DS CLI. This option is available only if the
machine OEL was activated and you installed a compatible DS CLI program on your console.

To apply activation codes by using the DS CLI, complete the following steps:

208 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

1. Run the showsi command to display the DS8000 machine signature, as shown in
Figure 7-19.

dscli> showsi
Date/Time: 25 November 2024 20:01:45 CET IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.882 DS: -
Name ds8k-r9-01
desc Sand Shark
ID IBM.2107-78HAL91
Storage Unit IBM.2107-78HAL90
Model 998
WWNN 5005076301234567
Signature abcd-ef12-3456-7890
State Online
ESSNet Enabled
Volume Group V0
os400Serial 567
NVS Memory 127.5 GB
Cache Memory 4168.4 GB
Processor Memory 4343.4 GB
MTS IBM.5341-78HAL90
numegsupported 16
ETAutoMode tiered
ETMonitor automode
IOPMmode Disabled
ETCCMode -
ETHMTMode Enabled
ETSRMode Enabled
ETTierOrder High performance
ETAutoModeAccel Disabled

Figure 7-19 DS CLI showsi command

2. Obtain your license activation codes from the IBM ESS website, as described in 7.2.2,
“Obtaining the activation codes” on page 204.
3. Enter the applykey command at the following DS CLI. The -file parameter specifies the
key file. The second parameter specifies the storage image.
dscli> applykey -file c:\5341_78XXXX0.xml IBM.2107-78XXXX1
Or you can apply individual keys by running the following command:
dscli> applykey -key f190-1234-1234-1234-1234-5678-1234-5678 IBM.2107-78XXXX1
CMUC00199I applykey: License Machine Code successfully applied to storage image
IBM.2107-78XXXX1.
4. Verify that the keys were activated for your storage unit by running the lskey command, as
shown in Figure 7-20 on page 210.

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 209

 dscli> lskey
Activation Key Authorization Level (TB) Scope
==========================================================================
Base function 1100 All
Copy services 800 All
Encryption Authorization on All
Global mirror (GM) 800 All
High Performance FICON for System z (zHPF) on CKD
IBM HyperPAV on CKD
IBM System Storage DS8000 Thin Provisioning on All
IBM System Storage Easy Tier on All
IBM z/OS Distributed Data Backup on FB
Local Data-at-Rest Encryption on All
Metro mirror (MM) 800 All
Metro/Global mirror (MGM) 800 All
Operating environment (OEL) 1100 All
Parallel access volumes (PAV) 575 CKD
Point in time copy (PTC) 800 All
RMZ Resync 800 CKD
Transparent Cloud Tiering 575 CKD
z-synergy services 575 CKD
Figure 7-20 Using the lskey command to list the installed licenses

For more information, see CLI commands.

The BF license bundle must be installed before ranks can be formatted for FB (open
systems). The zsS license bundle must be installed before ranks can be formatted for CKD
(mainframe).

7.3 Licensed scope considerations

An increase in license capacity is concurrent. A deactivation (or decrease in license capacity)
takes place only after one more machine initial machine load. Similar considerations apply to
the license scopes:
򐂰 The BF license and CS license are available with several license scopes, such as ALL, FB,
and CKD.
򐂰 An increase in license scope, for example, changing FB or CKD to ALL, is a concurrent
activity.
򐂰 A lateral change, such as changing FB to CKD or changing CKD to FB, or a reduction of
the license scope, such as changing ALL to FB or CKD, is a disruptive activity because it
requires an initial machine load to activate the change.

Tip: Because the BF license must be ordered for the full physical capacity anyway, and
because the CS license can be ordered for only those volumes that are in CS
relationships, consider the following tip: For BF and CS, configure these bundles with
scope “ALL” from the beginning.

210 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

7.4 Expert Care
With Expert Care for IBM DS8000, customers can easily select their level of service. At the
time of hardware purchase, select either the Advanced or Premium tier along with the
coverage term, which can be 1 to 5 years.

Expert Care services

IBM Storage Expert Care includes various services, depending on the selected service level.
All services are listed in Table 7-4.

Table 7-4 Expert Care services

Services Advanced Premium

Hardware Maintenance 24x7 same day 24x7 same day

(IOR = IBM Onsite Repair)

Support Line Yes Yes

(24x7 remote technical
support)

Predictive Support Yes Yes

Storage Insights Yes Yes, Pro edition

Technical Account Manager No Yes

Enhanced Support Time No Yes

Remote Code Load (RCL) Optional Yes

(up to 2x per year)

Onsite Code Load Optional Optional

Media Retention Optional Optional

The Technical Account Manager is a new role that combines the previous roles of Technical
Sales Manager and Technical Advisor. The TAM acts as the single point of contact for the
client. They set up a welcome call, schedule monthly activity reports, advise on code
currency, help schedule code upgrades, facilitate the initial installation, help with Call Home
and remote support setup, and perform other activities.

Enhanced Support Time targets an incident response time of 30 minutes or less for Severity 1
and 2 incidents in the United States and selected countries.

With Predictive Support, IBM pro-actively notifies customers of possible problems to prevent
issues from escalating or causing an impact. Predictive Support leverages statistics and
performance metrics from IBM Storage Insights. For more information about IBM Storage
Insights, see 12.11, “Using IBM Storage Insights” on page 428.

Expert Care Feature Codes

The MTMs for Expert Care are 5130-A0x for Advanced and 5130-P0x for Premium, where x
indicates the number of years of support. The indicator for the Expert Care Premium software
program number is 577x-ECP.

Table 7-5 shows the Feature Codes for each of the available options.

Chapter 7. IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions 211

 Table 7-5 Expert Care Feature Codes
Description Expert Care Advanced Expert Care Premium
5130 (A01 - A05) 5130 (P01 - P05)

Expert Care Indicator ALH0 ALH0

1 year ALK1 ALL1

2 years ALK2 ALL2

3 years ALK3 ALL3

4 years ALK4 ALL4

5 years ALK5 ALL5

Onsite Code Load AHY3 AHY2

Remote Code Load AHY4 Included

The feature codes for Expert Care might differ from region to region. For a full listing, see the
relevant IBM Hardware Announcement for your region.

Specific options are also available regarding contact and resolution times, including 4-hour,
6-hour, 8-hour, 12-hour, 24-hour, 48-hour, or 72-hour committed fix time, each with a
corresponding feature code. For more information, contact your IBM Sales Representative.

212 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 8

Chapter 8. DS8000 G10 configuration flow

This chapter provides a brief overview of the sequence of tasks that are required to configure
an IBM DS8000 G10.

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “Configuration worksheets” on page 214
򐂰 “User and role management” on page 214
򐂰 “Encryption” on page 216
򐂰 “Network security” on page 216
򐂰 “Configuration flow” on page 217
򐂰 “General storage configuration guidelines” on page 218

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 213

8.1 Configuration worksheets
Before a new DS8000 G10 system is delivered, it is highly advised to complete the DS8000
G10 configuration worksheets (also called customization worksheets). For more information
about these worksheets, including links to download their current version, see Appendix D,
“Customization worksheets”, of the IBM Storage DS8000 10.0 Introduction and Planning
Guide, G10-I53-00. The guide provides detailed information to help you plan a successful
installation of the system.

Note: Planning information for all DS8000 G10 models, A01, A05, and E05.

The purpose of the configuration worksheets is to enable a smooth installation of the DS8000
G10 system by ensuring that the necessary information is available to the IBM Support
Representative during system installation. It is a best practice to present the completed
worksheets to the IBM Support Representative before the delivery of the DS8000 G10
system.

The completed customization worksheets specify the initial setup for the following items:
򐂰 Company information: Provide important company and contact information. This
information is required to ensure that IBM support personnel can reach the appropriate
contact person or persons in your organization, or send a technician to service your
system as quickly as possible during a critical event .
򐂰 Hardware Management Console (HMC) network: Provide the IP address and local area
network (LAN) settings. This information is required to establish connectivity to the
Management Console (MC).
򐂰 Remote support, including Call Home: Provide information to configure Remote Support
and Call Home. This information helps to ensure timely support for critical serviceable
events on the system.
򐂰 Notification: Provide information to receive Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
traps and email notifications. This information is required if you want to be notified about
serviceable events.
򐂰 Power control: Provide your preferences for the power mode on the system.
򐂰 Control switch: Provide information to set up the control switches on the system. This
information is helpful if you want to customize settings that affect host connectivity for
IBM i and IBM Z hosts.

8.2 User and role management

During the planning phase (when you use the customization worksheet), list all users who
need access to the DS GUI or DS Command-Line Interface (DS CLI). This action helps you
manage secure authorization, which specifies the resource and access for different
role-based users.

214 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Assign two or more storage administrators and two or more security administrators to
manage your storage system. To preserve the dual control that is recommended for recovery
key management, do not assign both storage administrator and security administrator roles to
the same user. Assign one or more users to each of the following roles:
򐂰 The Administrator (admin) has access to several HMC or MC service functions and all
storage image resources, except for specific encryption functions. This user authorizes the
actions of the Security Administrator during the encryption deadlock prevention and
resolution process.
򐂰 The Security Administrator (secadmin) has access to all encryption functions. A user with
an Administrator role is required to confirm the actions that are taken by a user of this role
during the encryption deadlock prevention and resolution process.
򐂰 The Physical operator (op_storage) has access to physical configuration service methods
and resources, such as managing the storage complex, storage image, rank, array, and
extent pool objects.
򐂰 The Logical operator (op_volume) has access to all service methods and resources that
relate to logical volumes, hosts, host ports, logical subsystems (LSSs), and volume
groups, excluding security methods.
򐂰 The Monitor role has access to all read-only, nonsecurity MC service methods, such as
the list and show commands.
򐂰 The IBM Service role (ibm_service) has access to all MC service methods and resources,
such as running code loads and retrieving problem logs. This group also has the privileges
of the Monitor group, excluding security methods.
򐂰 The IBM Engineering role (ibm_engineering) has all access that the ibm_service group
has plus more permissions to manage Fibre Channel (FC) Port settings, manage
data-at-rest encryption, and modify Easy Tier settings.
򐂰 The Copy Services (CS) operator (op_copy_services) has access to all CS methods and
resources, and the privileges of the Monitor group, excluding security methods.
򐂰 The Logical and Copy operator (op_volume and op_copy_services) has the combined
access of the Logical operator and the Copy operator.

Important: Resource groups offer an enhanced security capability that supports the
hosting of multiple customers with CS requirements. It also supports a single client with
requirements to isolate the data of multiple operating system (OS) environments. For
more information, see IBM DS8000 Copy Services, SG24-8367.

For more information about the capabilities of certain user roles, see User roles or use the
DS GUI Help function.

The DS8000 G10 provides a storage administrator with the ability to create custom user roles
with a fully customized set of permissions by using the DS GUI or DS CLI. This set of
permission helps to ensure that the authorization level of each user on the system exactly
matches their job role in the company so that the security of the system is more robust
against internal attacks or mistakes.

You can also consider using a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server for
authenticating IBM DS8000 users. You can now take advantage of the IBM Copy Services
Manager and its LDAP client that comes preinstalled on the DS8000 G10 HMC. For more
information about remote authentication and LDAP for the DS8000 G10, see LDAP
Authentication for IBM Storage DS8000 Systems, REDP-5460.

Chapter 8. DS8000 G10 configuration flow 215

8.3 Encryption
More planning is required if you intend to activate data-at-rest encryption for the DS8000 G10
system. It is important to plan and configure data-at-rest encryption before you perform the
logical configuration.

The following options are available:

򐂰 Data-at-rest encryption: DS8000 G10 support for data-at-rest encryption consists of
hardware-level, self-encrypting drives. The drive-based encryption is combined with an
external enterprise-scale key management infrastructure to provide increased data
security. The external key manager generates, protects, stores, and maintains encryption
keys that are needed to encrypt information.
The DS8000 G10 system also offers data-at-rest encryption without needing external key
servers. This feature is known as the Local Key Management feature. With the Local Key
Management feature, the encryption keys are generated as local key group, and
protected, stored, and maintained by the DS8000 G10. The Local Key Management
feature does not require a specific license, but the option to use this feature must be
selected during the initial order process of the DS8000 system. This feature cannot be
activated by using a license function later. However, you can still decide to use external
key server-based encryption. Each method is exclusive.
Additionally, DS8000 G10 encryption also offers a simple, cost-effective solution for
securely erasing any flash drive that is being retired or repurposed (cryptographic
erasure). Full-disk-encryption drives are standard on the DS8000 G10 system.
򐂰 IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security: Use this feature to encrypt data as it is transmitted
between your IBM Z server and DS8000 G10. This encryption mechanism also uses
external key servers. It can be enabled at any time.
򐂰 Transparent Cloud Tiering (TCT): The DS8000 G10 system also provides support to
encrypt data being transferred to the cloud when using the TCT function. TCT encryption
can be enabled at any time, and relies on external key managers.

For more information, including considerations and best practices for DS8900F encryption,
see 5.3.6, “Key manager servers for encryption” on page 156 and IBM DS8000 Encryption for
Data at Rest, Transparent Cloud Tiering, and Endpoint Security, REDP-4500.

For more information about encryption license considerations, see “Encryption activation
review planning” on page 156.

8.4 Network security

The security of the network that is used to communicate to and manage the DS8000 G10
(specifically the HMC) is important depending on the client requirements. The DS8000 G10
supports compliance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
SP 800-131a standards.

216 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Two components are required to provide full network protection:
򐂰 The first component is Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), and for Gen 2 security, IPsec v3
is required. IPsec protects network communication at the internet layer or the packets that
are sent over the network. This configuration ensures that a valid workstation or server
communicates with the HMC and that the communication between them cannot be
intercepted.
򐂰 The second component is Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2, which provides protection at
the application layer to ensure that valid software (external to the HMC or client) is
communicating with the software (server) in the HMC.

Note: The details for implementing and managing security requirements are provided in
IBM DS8870 and NIST SP 800-131a Compliance, REDP-5069.

8.5 Configuration flow

This section shows the list of tasks to perform when storage is configured in the DS8000 G10.
Depending on the environment and requirements, not all tasks might be necessary.

Logical configuration can be performed by using the DS GUI, DS CLI, or a combination of

both. Depending on your preference and experience, one method might be more efficient
than the other. The DS8000 G10 GUI provides a powerful yet simple process for logical
configuration. If you use the DS GUI, not all of the steps that are listed in this book are
explicitly performed by the user. For more information about the DS GUI, see Chapter 9, “IBM
DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI” on page 221.

If you perform logical configuration by using the DS CLI, the following steps provide a
high-level overview of the configuration flow. For more detailed information about using and
performing logical configuration with the DS CLI, see Chapter 10, “IBM DS8A00 Storage
Management Command-line Interface” on page 319.

Here is the general configuration flow:

1. Install license keys: Activate the license keys for the DS8000 G10 storage system. For
more information about activating licensed functions, see Chapter 7, “IBM DS8000 G10
features and licensed functions” on page 189.

Important: If data-at-rest encryption is activated, the encryption configuration must be

performed before starting the logical configuration.

2. Create arrays: Configure the installed flash drives as a redundant array of independent
disks (RAID) 6, which is the default and preferred RAID configuration for the DS8000 G10.
3. Create ranks: Assign each array as a Fixed-Block (FB) rank or a Count Key Data (CKD)
rank.
4. Create extent pools: Define extent pools, associate each one with Server 0 or Server 1,
and assign at least one rank to each extent pool. To take advantage of storage pool
striping, you must assign multiple ranks to an extent pool.

Important: If you plan to use IBM Easy Tier (in particular, in automatic mode),
select the All pools option to receive all of the benefits of Easy Tier data
management. IBM Easy Tier is required to be enabled with the new thin-provisioned
NVMe flash drives.

Chapter 8. DS8000 G10 configuration flow 217

 5. Consider other controls and monitoring when working with space-efficient volumes. For
more information, see IBM DS8000 Thin Provisioning, REDP-5343.

Note: You can modify the Pool capacity (Logical Capacity) and Compression capacity
(Physical Capacity) thresholds from their default value of 85%.

6. Configure the FC ports: Define the topology of the FC ports. The port type can be Fibre
Channel Protocol (FCP) or Fibre Channel connection (IBM FICON).
7. Create the volume groups for open systems: Create volume groups where FB volumes are
assigned.
8. Create the host connections for open systems: Define open systems hosts and their FC
host bus adapter (HBA) worldwide port names (WWPNs). Assign volume groups to the
host connections.
9. Create the open systems volumes: Create striped open systems FB volumes and assign
them to one or more volume groups.
10.Create the IBM Z logical control units (LCUs): Define their type and other attributes, such
as subsystem identifiers (SSIDs).
11.Create the striped IBM Z volumes: Create IBM Z CKD base volumes and parallel access
volumes (PAV) aliases for them.

8.6 General storage configuration guidelines

Observe the following general guidelines when storage is configured in the DS8000:
򐂰 To achieve a well-balanced load distribution, use at least two extent pools (also known as
a pool pair), each assigned to a different internal server. If CKD and FB volumes are
required on the same storage system, configure at least four extent pools: Two for FB and
two for CKD.
򐂰 The volume type for the first volume that is created in an address group is either FB or
CKD. That volume type determines the type for all other volumes (FB or CKD) in the entire
address group. A volume is one of 256 in an LSS or LCU. An LSS is one of 16 in an
address group (except address group F, which has only 15 LSSs). For more information
about LSSs and address groups, see 3.4.5, “Logical subsystems” on page 95.
򐂰 Volumes of one LCU or LSS can be allocated on multiple extent pools in the same rank
group.
򐂰 Assign multiple ranks to extent pools to take advantage of storage pool striping.
Additionally, assign ranks from multiple device adapter (DA) pairs to an extent pool to
spread the workload and increase performance.
򐂰 The following options are available for FB pools:
– Create a volume group for each server unless logical unit number (LUN) sharing is
required.
– Assign the volume group for one server to all of its host connections.
– If LUN sharing is required, the following items provide two possible use cases
(Figure 8-1 on page 219):
• Application sharing: Create one volume group for each server. Assign the shared
volumes in each volume group. Assign the individual volume groups to the
corresponding server’s host connections. The advantage of this option is that you
can assign private and shared volumes to each host.

218 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 • Clustering: Create one common volume group for all servers. Place the shared
volumes in the volume group and assign the volume group to the host connections.

Figure 8-1 LUN configuration for shared access

򐂰 The following options are available for FC ports:

– Configure a port to be FICON or FCP.
– Distribute host connections of each type (FICON and FCP) evenly across the I/O
enclosures.
– Ensure that each host is connected to at least two different host adapters in two
different I/O enclosures for redundancy and availability.
– As a best practice, allow hosts to access all host adapter ports of the system.

Note: Avoid intermixing host I/O with CS I/O on the same ports for performance
reasons.

Chapter 8. DS8000 G10 configuration flow 219

220 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
 9

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage

Management GUI
This chapter describes the DS8000 Storage Management DS GUI that is available with the
IBM DS8A00 system. In the DS GUI, you can perform most functions on the storage system,
including:
򐂰 Initial system setup for a new installation
򐂰 Activation of licensed functions
򐂰 Simplified and advanced logical configuration for open systems and IBM Z
򐂰 Graphical view of system resource availability
򐂰 System status and events viewer
򐂰 Access to advanced help and IBM Documentation
򐂰 Performance monitoring dashboard and statistics offload
򐂰 Custom user roles for more robust security of the system

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “Introduction” on page 222
򐂰 “DS GUI: Getting started” on page 223
򐂰 “Managing and monitoring the storage system” on page 229
򐂰 “System configuration overview” on page 237
򐂰 “Logical configuration overview” on page 253
򐂰 “Logical configuration for open systems volumes” on page 254
򐂰 “Logical configuration for Count Key Data volumes” on page 273
򐂰 “Expanding volumes” on page 284
򐂰 “Deleting a pool” on page 286
򐂰 “Deleting volumes” on page 286
򐂰 “Reinitializing a thin-provisioned volume” on page 288
򐂰 “Easy Tier support” on page 288
򐂰 “Monitoring system health” on page 289
򐂰 “Performance monitoring” on page 302
򐂰 “Fibre Channel error rate statistics” on page 316
򐂰 “Providing feedback” on page 317

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 221

9.1 Introduction
The DS GUI is packed with usability features that offer an easy-to-use interface for
administration of the DS8A00.

The DS GUI was designed and developed with three major objectives:
򐂰 Speed: A graphical interface that is fast and responsive.
򐂰 Simplicity: A simplified and intuitive design that can drastically reduce the time that is
required to perform functions with the system, which reduces the total cost of ownership
(TCO).
򐂰 Commonality: Use of common graphics, widgets, terminology, and metaphors that
facilitate the management of multiple IBM storage products and software products. The
DS GUI was introduced with Release 10.0 to provide a consistent graphical experience
and make it easier to switch between other products like IBM FlashSystem®, IBM
Spectrum Virtualize, or IBM Spectrum Control and IBM Storage Insights.

Based on these objectives, following the initial setup of the storage system, a system
administrator can use the DS GUI to complete the logical configuration and then prepare the
system for I/O. After the initial setup is complete, the system administrator can perform
routine management and maintenance tasks with minimal effort, including the monitoring of
performance, capacity, and other internal functions.

Logical storage configuration is streamlined in the DS GUI for ease of use. The conceptual
approach of array site, array, and ranks is streamlined into a single resource, which is
referred to as an array (or managed array). The storage system automatically manages flash
adapter pairs and balances arrays and spares across the two processor nodes without user
intervention.

Creating usable storage volumes for your hosts is equally simplified in the DS GUI. The
system can automatically balance volume capacity over a pool pair. If custom options are
required for your workload, the DS GUI can override defaults and customize your workload
needs.

Configuring connections to hosts is also easy. Host ports are updated automatically and host
mapping is allowed at volume creation.

The overall storage system status can be viewed at any time from the dashboard window. The
dashboard presents a view of the overall system performance when a system administrator
first logs in for a picture of the system status. This window also contains a “Hardware View”
and a “System Health View” that displays the status and attributes of all hardware elements
on the system.

Additionally, functions that include user access, licensed function activation, setup of
encryption, IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security, and remote authentication, and modifying
the power or Fibre Channel (FC) port protocols are available to the system administrator.

All functions that are performed in the DS GUI can be scripted by using the DS Command Life
Interface (DS CLI), which is described in Chapter 10, “IBM DS8A00 Storage Management
Command-line Interface” on page 319.

222 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

9.2 DS GUI: Getting started
This section describes how to accomplish the following tasks:
򐂰 Accessing the DS GUI
򐂰 System Setup wizard
򐂰 Configuring Fibre Channel port protocols and topologies
򐂰 Managing and monitoring the storage system
򐂰 Storage Management help functions

9.2.1 Accessing the DS GUI

The DS8000 Storage Management GUI (DS GUI) is a web-based GUI that is installed on the
Hardware Management Console (HMC). You can access the DS GUI from any
network-attached computer by using a supported web browser. Examples of the minimum
levels of the supported web browsers at the time of writing are:
򐂰 Mozilla Firefox 68
򐂰 Microsoft Edge 44
򐂰 Google Chrome 76

For any specific requirements on your browser, see DS8000 Storage Management GUI web
browser support and configuration.

On a new storage system, the user must log on as the administrator. The password expires
immediately: the user must change the password.

The initial view of the system is shown in Figure 9-1.

Figure 9-1 Storage Management GUI initial login

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 223

 Figure 9-1 on page 223 shows the following components:
1. DS GUI URL:
https://<HMC_IP>
This DS GUI URL is configured by the IBM Systems Service Representative (IBM SSR)
during system installation.
2. Initial log in to the new system:
– User = admin
– Password = admin
3. The default password expires immediately, and the user is forced to change the password
for the admin user ID.
4. IBM Support personnel use the Service Management Console (wrench) icon to log in to
the system as needed.
5. Clicking the IBM Copy Services Manager icon opens a window to the IBM Copy Services
Manager Console that is installed on the HMC, as shown in Figure 9-2.

Figure 9-2 IBM Copy Services Manager window started from the DS GUI

9.2.2 System Setup wizard

For a new storage system installation, the DS GUI starts the System Setup wizard. The wizard
starts automatically after the admin password is changed and a user with the Administrator
role and authority logs in.

The wizard guides the admin user through the following tasks:
1. Set the system name.
2. Activate the licensed functions.
3. Provide a summary of actions.

224 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

The System Setup window opens with the Welcome pane, as shown in Figure 9-3.

Figure 9-3 System Setup: Welcome pane

Starting with the Welcome pane, complete the following steps:

1. Click Next. The System Name window opens. The default entry is the storage system
serial number, which is shown in Figure 9-4. The user can create a preferred system name
that complies with the naming convention that is used in their environment.

Figure 9-4 System Setup: System Name window

2. Click Next. The Licensed Functions window opens. Click Activate Licensed Functions.
3. The Activate Licensed Functions window opens. Keys for licensed functions that are
purchased for this storage system must be retrieved by using the Machine Type, Serial
Number, and Machine Signature. The keys can be stored in a flat file or an XML file.
Licensed function keys are downloaded from the IBM Entitled Systems Support (ESS)
website.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 225

 Figure 9-5 shows the Activate License Functions window, the help information, and the
activation of the licensed functions. You can import the keys by selecting the Folder icon
or paste the keys in the window. For more information about licensed functions, see
Chapter 7, “IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions” on page 189.

Figure 9-5 System Setup: Activate Licensed Functions

4. When the license keys are entered, click Activate to enable the functions, as illustrated in
Figure 9-6.

Figure 9-6 System Setup: Enabling Licensed Functions

226 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 5. Click Next to open the Summary window, which is shown in Figure 9-7. If everything looks
correct, click Finish to exit the System Setup wizard. After the wizard is closed, the
System window opens.

Note: The Summary shows licenses for basic functions. The list might include some
advanced functions such as Copy Services (CS), Z Synergy Services (zsS), and IBM
Copy Services Manager (CSM) on the HMC if the corresponding licenses were
activated.

Figure 9-7 System Setup: Summary

9.2.3 Configuring Fibre Channel port protocols and topologies

After the initial setup is complete, you can configure the FC port topologies for your host
attachment requirements (open system or IBM Z).

There are several ways to do this task in the DS GUI:

򐂰 A quick way to perform this action is by clicking Actions on the Dashboard window and
selecting Modify Fibre Channel Port Protocols, as shown in Figure 9-8 on page 228.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 227

 Figure 9-8 Quick way to modify the fiber adapter port protocols

򐂰 Another option is to click Settings → Network → Fibre Channel Ports, select a specific
port from the list, and select Actions to set the ports, as shown in Figure 9-9.

Figure 9-9 Configuring the Fibre Channel port topology

򐂰 You can also configure the port topology from the System view or from the System Health
overview, as shown in Figure 9-10 on page 229.

You can also perform this configuration during logical configuration. For more information, see
9.7.4, “Creating FB host attachments” on page 264, and 9.14, “Monitoring system health” on
page 289.

228 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 9-10 Modifying the FC port protocol from the System Health overview

9.3 Managing and monitoring the storage system

When the initial setup of the system is complete, the Dashboard opens. This view is what
opens after a user logs in. It displays the main hardware components of the DS8A00 system
and shows the status of the system hardware, a view of the overall system performance for a
quick picture of the system performance, and a summary of the system capacity. You can
return to this window at any time by clicking the Dashboard icon in the upper left of the GUI.

Note: Different users might have a limited view of the Dashboard when logging in,
depending on their role. Most of the material that is documented here describes what the
Administrator role sees.

9.3.1 Overview of DS GUI

From the DS GUI, the administrator can manage the system, which includes performing the
following actions for various activities:
򐂰 Logical configuration
򐂰 Controlling how the system is powered on or off
򐂰 Modifying the FC port protocols and customer network settings
򐂰 Modifying Easy Tier settings
򐂰 Viewing system properties
򐂰 Displaying performance monitoring graphs
򐂰 Accessing the embedded DS CLI
򐂰 Viewing the status and properties of some Copy Services (CS) functions, such as
FlashCopy and mirroring

Figure 9-11 on page 230 presents a high-level overview of the System window and all the
objects that can be accessed from this window.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 229

 Figure 9-11 Initial System view

Note: The menu items and actions that are shown in the DS GUI depend on the role of the
user that is logged in, and they can vary for each user. For more information about user
roles, click Help at the upper right of the DS GUI window and search for user role.

This initial view of the system provides access to a wealth of information in a single view. The
following items are included in this initial view:
򐂰 Dashboard icon:
– Click the Dashboard icon from anywhere in the DS GUI to return to the system
Dashboard. The Dashboard provides an overall view of the DS8000 system.
– At the top, the serial number of the DS8000 system you are working on is shown.
– Actions menu:
• Rename
Change the name of the DS8000 G10 storage system.
• Modify Fibre Channel Port Protocols
Select the protocol that is used by FC ports to connect the storage system to a host
or to another storage system. The user can also display the properties of the
selected port, which opens the same view that you get when you select Settings →
Network → Fibre Channel Ports.
• Power Off/On
Initiate a power-off or power-on of the DS8000 storage system.
• Performance
Shows graphs that display performance metrics for I/O operations per second
(IOPS), Latency, Bandwidth, and Caching.
• Properties
This view displays the system properties that are shown in Table 9-1 on page 231.

230 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Table 9-1 System properties

System property

System name

Current state

Product type

Release and bundle version of the IBM system software

Machine type and model (MTM)

Unique serial number

Machine Signature (string of characters that identifies a DS8000 storage system), which is
used to retrieve license keys from the IBM ESS website

Worldwide node name (WWNN) of the system

Hardware component summary (such as processor type, total subsystem memory, raw
data storage capacity, or number of FC ports)

Last power-on timestamp

– Export reports
Every user role, including Monitor, can download reports such as the System Summary
comma-separated values (CSV) report, Performance Summary CSV report, Easy Tier
Summary report, and FC Connectivity report. Previously, exporting reports was limited
to the Storage Administrator role.
To select multiple options to be saved in a compressed CSV file, click the Download
icon. The options include the System Summary, Performance Summary, Easy Tier
Summary, and the FC Connectivity report.

Note: The System Capacity section in the System Summary CSV is composed of
consolidated data. The System Capacity, Used IBM Z (Count Key Data (CKD))
Capacity, and Used Open Systems (Fixed-Block (FB)) Capacity sections in the
System Summary CSV are now combined into one section that is called System
Capacity. All sections are now shown with the column headers listed even if there
are no items in the list. For example, the FlashCopy section is shown even if no
FlashCopy relationships are present on the system.

The FC connectivity report is a compressed file that contains a report that shows one
row for every connected path between the DS8000 and a host system, a switch, or
another DS8000. It also shows the status of these paths and their security settings.
– Alerts
Highlights events for which you should look into with priority.
– Suggested tasks
If there are any suggested tasks, they are indicated here.
– Help icon
Clicking this icon opens a drop-down menu that includes the following options:
• The first option in this menu is context-sensitive, and it depends on the window in
which you are currently in the DS GUI. Clicking this option opens a separate

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 231

 window to the DS GUI IBM Documentation for that specific window, and describes
resources and actions for that specific window.
• What’s New. This option provides descriptions of new features that are in the
installed release of the GUI with a link to the DS GUI IBM Documentation for each
of the new functions. Also provided is a link to learn more about the newest
functions.
• Help Contents. This option opens a separate window for the DS GUI
IBM Documentation main window.
• About DS8000. This option opens the DS8000 Storage Management window,
which shows information that is specific to the system, such as code level, product,
and machine serial number.
For more information about the DS8A00 help functions, see 9.3.2, “Storage
Management help functions” on page 236.
– Hardware View:
A graphic of the DS8A00 frame is shown.
Hover your cursor over an enclosure, node, HMC, or the processor nodes, and a
Properties window opens that shows basic information about that particular component
in the frame.
If a magnifying glass icon appears when hovering over a component, click it to bring
the component to the center of the window. You can now hover your cursor over the
subcomponents to see a Properties window that shows basic information about it. Click
anywhere on the window to close the view.
When viewing an FC port on a host adapter within an enclosure, you can right-click a
port to modify the FC port protocol and view properties and events.
The following information is typically shown for an enclosure:
• Enclosure
• ID
• State, for example, online, offline, or service required
• Enclosure-specific data
• Enclosure serial number
The following information is typically shown for a node:
• ID
• State, for example, online, offline, and service required
• DS8A00 release
• Data that is specific to an IBM Power server
For more information about the Hardware view, see 9.14, “Monitoring system health”
on page 289.
– Performance
This graph displays the performance of the system reads/writes based on latency,
bandwidth, or IOPS. Click one of the sections to view the graph.
– System Health View
Clicking this tab opens the System Health View in a table format. In addition to
displaying the machine type, model, serial number, and microcode level that is installed
on the system, this section also shows the overall health status and quantity of various
hardware components in the system, including processor nodes, HMCs, Storage

232 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Enclosures, Drives, I/O enclosures, Host Adapters (HAs), Device Adapters (DAs), and
Fibre Channel Ports. Clicking each component shows the details for that component in
a table. Click Close to exit.
– Capacity
The capacity area consists of a bar graph displaying the used capacity of the system
by type (Open Systems or IBM Z) and unassigned capacity. Next to the bar graph is a
legend for each of the colors that are used on the graph. Below this area is the
Provisioned Capacity summary of the system. To the right of this is the Capacity
Savings for Open Systems showing the percentage and TiB saved via the use of
Thin-Provisioning and Compression.
򐂰 Monitoring menu
– Events. This option opens the Events window, which displays all of the events in
severity order.
– Performance. This option opens the Performance (statistics) window.
򐂰 Pools menu:
– Arrays by Pool. This view provides information about the pools within the system along
with the arrays that they contain. Use this view to access actions that can be performed
on pools and arrays. This view lists any unassigned arrays.
– Volumes by Pool. Access this view to see all the pools on the system along with the
volumes that they contain. Use this view to access actions that can be performed on
pools and volumes.
򐂰 Volumes menu:
– Volumes. Access this view to see all the volumes on the system. Use this view to
access all actions that can be performed on volumes, such as create, modify, or delete
volumes.
– Volumes by Pool. This view is the same one that is described in the Pools menu.
– Volumes by Host. Displays volumes that are based on the host or host cluster to which
they are assigned and all volumes that are not mapped to a host. Use this view to
access all actions that can be performed on volumes and hosts or host clusters.
– Volumes by LSS. Access this view to see volumes that are allocated on the Logical
SubSystem (LSS) to which they belong. Use this view to access all actions that can be
performed on volumes and LSSs.
򐂰 Hosts menu:
– Hosts. Displays the hosts and host clusters defined the system. Use this view to
access all actions that can be performed on hosts and host clusters, such as create,
modify, or delete hosts or host clusters, and the state of host port logins.
– Volumes by Host. The same view that is described in the Volumes menu.
򐂰 Copy Services menu:
– FlashCopy. The FlashCopy window provides details about FlashCopy relationships.
– Mirroring. The Mirroring window provides details and status information about Remote
Mirror and Remote Copy volume relationships.
– Mirroring Paths. The Mirroring Paths window displays a list of existing Remote Mirror
and Remote Copy logical path definitions.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 233

 Note: There are other, more powerful, Copy Services tools to review and
manage Copy Services relationships such as IBM Copy Services Manager
(CSM) and Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (GDPS).

򐂰 Access menu:
– Users
Only users with the administrator role can access this menu. This menu opens the
Users window. A system administrator can use this menu to perform the following
actions:
• Create user accounts
• Set a user account role
• Set temporary passwords (to be reset at first use by the new user account)
• Modify an existing user account role
• Reset an existing user account password
• Disconnect a user account
• Determine a user account connection (DS CLI or GUI)
• Remove user accounts
– Roles:
A storage or security administrator can set up user roles in the GUI or CLI with a fully
customizable set of permissions to ensure that the authorization level of each user
account matches their job role. This helps to ensure that the security of the system is
more robust against internal attacks or mistakes. The following actions can be taken
with roles:
• Create custom user roles
• Modify remote mappings
• Delete roles

Restriction: Default roles cannot be deleted.

• View permissions for each role

• View properties for each role
– Remote Authentication
This menu allows the user to set up remote authentication through a central repository.
򐂰 Settings menu:
– Network:
• Modify the FC ports protocol for a selected port or group of ports
• Display error rates for a selected port or group of ports
• Display a single port’s properties
• View the current Ethernet network information and change settings for both HMCs
– Security:
• Manage encryption for the storage system, that is, data at rest encryption and
IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security

234 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 • Manage local password rules (such as password minimum length, expiration, and
age)
• Manage the communication certificate on the HMC to enable HTTPS connections
with the HMC
– System:
• Licensed Function
This window shows a summary of the activated licensed functions. When you click
the Activate option, the Activate Licensed Functions window opens, where you can
activate more licenses. For a full description about activating licensed functions, see
Chapter 7, “IBM DS8000 G10 features and licensed functions” on page 189.
• Easy Tier
You can use this function to enable and configure Easy Tier to improve performance
by managing or monitoring the volume capacity placement in pools. The Easy Tier
Heat Map Transfer Utility (HMTU) is also managed here.
• zHyperLink
You can use this function to enable or disable the zHyperLink as I/O Read Enabled
and I/O Write.
• Date and Time
Set the time zone, date, and time manually or enter the IP address of a Network
Time Protocol (NTP) server.
• Advanced
On the Advanced tab of the System settings window, you can allow service access,
enable ESSNet Copy Services, set the IBM i serial number prefix, enable
Control-Unit Initiated Reconfiguration (CUIR) for IBM Z, and select the power
control mode for the storage system. In addition, you can manage service settings
and work with other settings for your system.
– Notifications:
• Call Home
You can enable Call Home on your Management Console (MC) to send an
electronic Call Home record to IBM Support when there is a problem within the
storage complex.
• Syslog
You can define, modify, or remove Syslog servers. You can also enable extra
security with Transport Layer Security (TLS) for the Syslog.
– Support:
• IBM Remote Support Center (RSC)
You can configure RSC to allow IBM Support to remotely access this system to
quickly resolve any issues that you might be having. You can choose that the RSC
connection stays open always, close 2 hours after IBM support is logged off, or
closed. For added security, you can require an access code for remote support.
• Assist On-site
You can configure the Assist On-site (AOS) feature, which allows IBM Support to
remotely access the MC and storage system. Choose an option to stop, start, or
restart the AOS service.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 235

 • Troubleshooting
You can restart the local or remote HMC to correct communication issues between
the storage system and HMC.
You can refresh the GUI cache if the data in the Storage Management GUI is not in
sync with data in the DS CLI or IBM Spectrum Control.
You can restart the web servers and communication paths that are used by
IBM Enterprise Storage Server Network Interface (IBM ESSNI).
– GUI Preferences:
• Login Message
You can enter a message that is displayed when users log in to either the DS GUI or
an interactive DS CLI session.
• General
You can set the default logout timeout and chose to show suggested tasks.
򐂰 Embedded DS CLI
Click the Embedded DS CLI icon to open a DS CLI session from within the DS GUI, as
shown in Figure 9-12. The version of the embedded DS CLI is the most current one that is
available for the microcode that is installed on the DS8A00.
The DS CLI commands can be run from the GUI with the least amount of response time
by avoiding network hops when using remote DS CLI.
DS CLI scripts can also be run from the embedded DS CLI on the DS GUI. The script
must be text-based and on the workstation running the DS GUI session.

Figure 9-12 Embedded DS CLI

9.3.2 Storage Management help functions

The DS GUI provides access to comprehensive help functions. The help function aids you in
using the GUI and provides in-depth details about the overall DS8A00 Storage System and its
functions. To access the help contents, click the Help icon, and then select Help Contents to
open a separate window, as illustrated in Figure 9-13 on page 237.

236 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 9-13 Storage Management Help System: IBM Documentation

In IBM Documentation, you can discover introductory information about the DS8A00
architecture, features, and advanced functions. You can also learn about the available
management interfaces and tools, and troubleshooting and support.

You can obtain more information about using the DS GUI for common tasks:
򐂰 Logically configuring the storage system for open systems and IBM Z attachment.
򐂰 Managing user access.
򐂰 Attaching host systems.

IBM Documentation also provides links to external links for more information about
IBM storage systems, and other related online documentation.

For more information, see IBM DS8000 documentation.

9.4 System configuration overview

After the DS8A00 administrator configures the initial system, the administrator can configure
extra system functions according to the storage requirements.

9.4.1 Network settings

You can change the customer network settings for the DS8A00 on the tabs that are described
in the following sections.

Ethernet Network
The network settings for both HMCs are performed by IBM Support personnel during system
installation. To modify the HMC network information postinstallation, click Settings →
Network → Ethernet Network, as shown in Figure 9-14 on page 238.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 237

 Figure 9-14 Ethernet Network settings

Fibre Channel ports

From the Fibre Channel Ports tab of the Network Settings window, which is shown in
Figure 9-15 on page 239, you can configure the protocol that is used by the FC ports or view
the properties of those ports. To view the Actions, select an FC port, click Actions → and
select a function. You can also right-click on a specific port to see the same actions.
򐂰 Modify Protocol
Set the protocol that is used for connecting to a host or another storage system.
򐂰 Modify Endpoint Security
Configure IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security level: Disable, Enable, or Enforced.
򐂰 Refresh Security
Port refresh causes the port to go offline for a few seconds and come back online.
򐂰 Logged in WWPNs
Select this option to view details about connections that are logged in to an FC port.
򐂰 Error Rates
View the error rates of an FC port. For more information, see 9.16, “Fibre Channel error
rate statistics” on page 316.
򐂰 Performance
Use this option to view graphs showing key performance metrics for FC ports, such as
IOPS, Latency, and Bandwidth. For more information, see “Creating FC port performance
graphs” on page 312.
򐂰 Properties
View the properties of an FC port, such as the state and protocol.
򐂰 Export Fibre Channel Ports information
Click the Download icon next to the Actions menu to create and download a CSV file to
your laptop or workstation that contains all the information for FC ports that are shown in
the file, including their worldwide port names (WWPNs).

Figure 9-15 on page 239 shows the FC ports window with all available options that are listed.

238 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 9-15 Fibre Channel Ports settings

Note: Exporting the FC port information does not produce the comprehensive report that is
available in the FC connectivity report.

9.4.2 Security settings

To protect and safeguard data on the system, the DS8A00 offers the following encryption
features:
򐂰 Data-at-Rest Encryption. Drive-based encryption on the flash drives is combined with an
enterprise-scale key management infrastructure to encrypt the data at rest in the drives.
򐂰 IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security. Protects data in flight between an IBM Z host and
the DS8000 storage system by controlling access and encrypting data that is transferred
over a storage area network (SAN).
򐂰 Local Password Rules to accommodate any specific company-imposed standards for
password assignments.
򐂰 Communications Certificate on the HMC to enable HTTPS connections with the storage
system.

Use these settings to configure the security settings for your DS8A00 system.

Data-at-rest encryption
To enable data-at-rest encryption, select the Settings icon from the DS GUI navigation menu
on the left. Click Security to open the Security window, and click the Data at Rest
Encryption tab, as shown in Figure 9-16.

Figure 9-16 Enabling data-at-rest encryption

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 239

 You can define a custom certificate for communication between the encryption key servers
(typically IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager) and the storage system.

A system-generated Gen-2 (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

SP 800-131a compliant) or Gen-3 certificate can be updated to a customer-generated
certificate. The custom certificate must meet all the requirements or the update fails.

Important: If you plan to activate Data-at-Rest Encryption for the storage system, ensure
that the encryption license is activated and the encryption group is configured before you
begin any logical configuration on the system. After the pools are created, you cannot
disable or enable encryption.

If you use the Local Key Management feature (included in the base license), then the
DS8A00 manages the key group. Local Key Management can be set up only by using the
DS CLI. For more information, see IBM DS8000 Encryption for Data at Rest, Transparent
Cloud Tiering, and Endpoint Security, REDP-4500.

IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security

IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security protects data in flight between an IBM Z host and the
DS8A00 storage system by controlling access and encrypting data that is transferred over a
SAN. For more information about IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security, see IBM Fibre
Channel Endpoint Security for IBM DS8000 and IBM Z, SG24-8455.

To enable IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security, select the Settings icon from the DS GUI
navigation menu on the left. Click Security to open the Security window, and click Configure
IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security, as shown in Figure 9-17. This action starts a wizard
that guides you through the process.

Figure 9-17 Configuring IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security

Local password rules

Many companies have their own security policies for passwords and want to implement the
same policies for their DS8A00 storage system.

To implement password rules, complete these steps (see Figure 9-18 on page 241):
1. From the system window, click the Settings icon.
2. Click Security to open the Security window.
3. Click the Local Password Rules tab.

240 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 9-18 Local Password Rules

Communications Certificate
The Communications Certificate tab of the Security Settings window can be used to assign
or create an encryption certificate for each HMC with HTTPS connections to the storage
system. You can also create Certificate Signing Requests (CSRs), import existing certificates,
create self-signed certificates, and view the certificate information for each HMC, as shown in
Figure 9-19.

Figure 9-19 Communication Certificates

The Create Certificate Signing Request button is used to generate a CSR that is sent to a
certificate authority (CA) for verification. As shown in Figure 9-20 on page 242, the necessary
information to include in the CSR are the HMC Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN),
organization details, the length of time that the certificate must be valid, and an email
address.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 241

 Figure 9-20 Certificate signing request

After the CSR file is created, you can download that file for processing with your trusted CA.

Two other options are available:

򐂰 Importing existing certificates from your security group within your organization, or
򐂰 create a self-signed certificate.

9.5 System settings

The next option under Settings is System, which includes system settings for Licensed
Functions, Easy Tier, zHyperLink, Date and Time, and Advanced.

Licensed functions
You can display all the installed licensed functions and activate new function keys from this
menu, as shown in Figure 9-21 on page 243.

242 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 9-21 Licensed Functions settings

Easy Tier settings

To configure Easy Tier controls and advanced settings on your DS8A00 system, select the
Settings icon from the navigation menu on the left. Click System to open the System
window, and click the Easy Tier tab to open the Easy Tier Settings window, as shown in
Figure 9-22.

Figure 9-22 Easy Tier Settings

The following settings are available:

򐂰 Easy Tier mode. The available options are Disable, Enable, Tiered pools only, and Monitor
only. When this setting is Enabled, Easy Tier monitors I/O activity for capacity in all pools
and manages capacity placement within them.
򐂰 Easy Tier Heat Map Transfer (HMT). Use this setting to maintain application-level
performance at the secondary site of a DS8000 by transferring the Easy Tier information
to the secondary site.
򐂰 Easy Tier Allocation order. Specify the allocation order that is used by Easy Tier to select
the drive classes when allocating capacity in a pool.
򐂰 Easy Tier Automatic mode acceleration. Use this setting to temporarily accelerate data
migration by Easy Tier.

For more information about Easy Tier settings, see IBM DS8000 Easy Tier, REDP-4667.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 243

 zHyperLink
zHyperLink is a short-distance link (150 m) technology that complements Fibre Channel
connection (IBM FICON) technology to accelerate I/O requests that are typically used for
transaction processing. It consists of point-to-point connections for random reads and writes,
and provides up to 10 times lower latency than High-Performance FICON for IBM Z (zHPF).
You can set it to Enabled, I/O Read Enabled, I/O Write Enabled, or Disabled, as shown in
Figure 9-23.

Figure 9-23 zHyperLink settings

Note: To take advantage of zHyperLink in DS8000, ensure that CUIR support (under
IBM Z) is enabled.

For more information, see Getting Started with IBM zHyperLink for z/OS, REDP-5493.

Date and time

You can enter the date and time manually, or specify an external NTP server to provide the
date and time, as shown in Figure 9-24.

Figure 9-24 Date and Time settings

244 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Advanced settings
From the Advanced tab of the System Settings window, you can configure system-wide
options, such as power management, Copy Services, IBM Z features, and the DS Open
application programming interface (API).

Figure 9-25 Advanced settings

The Advanced settings window is shown in Figure 9-25 and includes the following settings:
򐂰 Power control mode
You can determine how to control the power supply to the storage system. From the
System window, click the Settings icon. Click System to open the System window. Click
the Advanced tab to open the window to manage Power control mode (as shown in
Figure 9-25 on page 245). The following options are available:
– Automatic. Control the power supply to the storage system through the external wall
switch.
– Manual. Control the power supply to the storage system by using the Power Off action
on the System window.
򐂰 Function settings
The Resource Group Checking option is available in the Function Settings section. It
allows a storage administrator to specify which users can perform certain logical
configuration actions, such as create or delete volumes in a pool.
򐂰 Service Access
The following options are available in the Service Access section:
– DS Service GUI Access
Allows authorized IBM SSRs to access the DS Service GUI.
– SSH Service Access
Allows authorized IBM SSRs to access the Secure Shell (SSH) CLI on the HMC.
򐂰 IBM i
Enter the IBM i serial number suffix to avoid duplicate logical unit number (LUN) IDs for an
IBM i (AS/400) host. Restart the storage system to assign the new serial number.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 245

 򐂰 IBM Z
CUIR Support enables Control Unit Initiated Reconfiguration. This option allows
automation of channel path quiesce and resume actions during certain service actions. It
eliminates the requirement for manual actions from the host.
򐂰 Other settings
The following options are available in the Other Settings section:
– ESSNet Copy Services
Enables the ESSNet user interface to manage Copy Services on the storage system.
– ESSNet volume group
Selects the ESSNet user interface to manage the volume group with Copy Services.
– Host pre-check
Enables FB and CKD volume delete protection.
– Device Threshold
Sets the threshold level for IBM Z at which the system presents a Service Information
Message (SIM) to the operator console for device-related errors. Device threshold
levels are the same type and severity as control unit threshold settings:
• 0: Service, Moderate, Serious, and Acute (all)
• 1: Moderate, Serious, and Acute
• 2: Serious and Acute
• 3: Acute
– Full Page Protection
Enables the ability to ensure that the autonomy of a database page-write is
maintained.
– PPRC Path Recovery
Enables the storage system to monitor PPRC paths for signs of failure. If a path fails, it
is placed into a degraded state in which it is used minimally until the problem stops. If
this setting is disabled, paths are never put into a degraded state.
– Present SIM data to all hosts.
Enables SIMs to be sent to all or to only the first attached IBM Z Logical Partition
(LPAR), and makes an I/O request to the logical system or logical volume. This setting
applies to IBM Z environments only.
– Enhanced Information Unit Pacing.
Enhanced Information Unit (IU) pacing uses the persistent pacing feature to change
the operating pacing credit to 64. This benefits channel programs with CCW chains
that contain more than 16 commands, or Db2 log writes in IBM Geographically
Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (GDPS) multi-site workloads. For more information about
this topic, see IBM DS8000 and IBM Z Synergy, REDP-5186
򐂰 Automatic code management
Automatically download and preinstall the recommended code level to update the code
level. The default setting is Enable.
򐂰 Service settings
You can view the service settings but they cannot be changed.
򐂰 Service Information
Displays information that is related to the Model of the DS8A00.

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9.5.1 Notifications settings
You can configure and manage Call Home and Syslog settings for the system from the DS
GUI by selecting Notifications from the Settings menu, as shown in Figure 9-26 on page
247.

Figure 9-26 Notifications Settings window

Call Home
The DS8A00 uses the Call Home feature to report serviceable events to IBM. To ensure
timely action from IBM Support personnel for these events, it is important to enable and
properly configure Call Home on the system.

When enabling Call Home for the first time, you must accept the Agreement for Service
Program when presented. Enter your Company Information, Administrator Information,
and System Information details. Finally, after completing the setup, you can test the Call
Home feature by clicking Test, as shown in Figure 9-26.

Important: All DS8000 storage systems must enable Domain Name Systems (DNS) on
both HMCs or ensure both HMCs are able to access esupport.ibm.com through a firewall
or proxy. Failure to do so results in Call Home not working.

Syslog
The Syslog window displays the Syslog servers that are configured to receive logs from the
DS8A00 system. A user with an administrator role can define, modify, or remove up to eight
Syslog target servers. Each Syslog server must use the same TLS certificate. Events such as
user login and logout, commands that are issued by an authorized user by using the DS GUI
or DS CLI, and remote access events are forwarded to the Syslog servers. Additionally,
events in the RAS audit log and Product Field Engineer (PFE) actions are also forwarded to
the Syslog servers. Messages from the DS8A00 are sent by using facility code 10 and
severity level 6.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 247

 To configure one or more Syslog servers, complete these steps:
1. Click Settings → Notifications.
2. On the Notifications window, select Add Syslog Server. You receive a warning to enable
TLS first before adding any Syslog server, as shown in Figure 9-27.

Figure 9-27 Warning to enable TLS

Note: A DS8A00 server must use TLS for its communications with the Syslog server. To
configure TLS, the customer must generate their own trusted certificate for the DS8A00
Syslog process with the CA and import the trusted CA file, signed machine (in this case
the HMC and Syslog process) Syslog server certificate file, and key file, as shown in
Figure 9-28.

For more information about the setup of the SYSLOG server with TLS, see Encrypting
Syslog Traffic with TLS (Secure Sockets Layer) (SSL).

This process involves external entities such as your trusted CA and potentially the use
of the openssl command to retrieve the Syslog server generated key if it is not already
provided by the CA.

The files that are entered into the fields that are shown in Figure 9-28 are:
򐂰 CA Certificate (ca.pem)
򐂰 HMC Signed Certificate (cert.pem)
򐂰 HMC Key (key.pem)

3. To enable TLS, in the Certificates area, click Enable TLS, as shown in Figure 9-28 on
page 249.

248 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 9-28 Enable TLS window

4. In the Enable TLS window, browse for the following certificate files on your local machine:
– The CA certificate file (Example: ca.pem).
– The Syslog communications certificate file, which is signed by the CA. (Example:
hmc.pem).
– The extracted Private Key file, which is the private key for the storage system.
(Example: key.pem).
5. Click Enable to complete the TLS configuration.
6. To add a Syslog server, click Add Syslog Server, as shown in Figure 9-29, and provide
the following parameters:
– IP Address: The IP address of the external Syslog server.
– Port: The TCP port for the external Syslog server (the default is 514).
7. After you review the details, click Add to create the Syslog server entry.

Figure 9-29 Syslog settings window

8. After the required Syslog servers are created, you can Modify, Test, Activate,
Deactivate, and Remove a selected Syslog server, as shown in Figure 9-30 on page 250.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 249

 Note: To enable TLS, all existing Syslog servers must be deleted first. Then, you can
enable TLS and create the Syslog servers.

Figure 9-30 Modify Syslog configuration

9.5.2 Support settings

Use this section to configure various support settings.

Update System
You can perform a System Health Check on the storage system. In addition, you can view and
manage the microcode levels that control all storage system functions.

IBM Remote Support Center

On the Support settings window, you can configure service access to the HMC so that RSC
can access the HMC for problem determination, as shown in Figure 9-31. Note this figure
displays the full configuration as if “Show full configuration...” was selected.

Figure 9-31 IBM Remote Support Center settings and full configuration

You can configure the RSC access to stay open continuously, close 2 hours after RSC logs
off, or keep it closed. You can require IBM service to use an access code for remote support
connections with the HMC on your storage system. Click Generate to generate an access
code or enter your own access code. The access code is case-sensitive and must be fewer
than 16 characters.

250 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

To configure the RSC, click Show Full Configuration. You can select the connection type,
define your proxy information, and Offload Logfile. Offload Logfile downloads the RSC log
file, which lists events and actions for the storage system. Select Enable debug mode to
generate detailed RSC log files. IBM Service Systems lists the IP addresses of the RSC
servers that you must configure your firewall to allow access to these addresses.

Assist On-site
If AOS is used for an IBM Support connection to the HMC, you can Start, Stop, or Restart
the AOS service from the GUI, as shown in Figure 9-32 on page 251.

Figure 9-32 AOS settings and full configuration

To configure AOS, click Show Full Configuration and enter the required settings, as shown
in Figure 9-32.

Troubleshooting
Use the Troubleshooting tab to perform actions that resolve common issues with your
storage system:
򐂰 Restart HMCs
If there are connectivity issues with the storage management software (DS GUI, DS CLI,
IBM Copy Services Manager, or IBM Spectrum Control), click Restart HMC. You can also
use this feature to restart an HMC after you modify the settings of the HMC.
򐂰 Refresh GUI Cache
If there are inconsistencies between what is displayed in the DS GUI and the DS CLI or
IBM Spectrum Control, click Refresh GUI Cache.
򐂰 Reset Communications Path
To restart the web servers and communication paths that are used by IBM ESSNI, click
Reset Communications Path.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 251

 Figure 9-33 shows the Troubleshooting options available.

Figure 9-33 Troubleshooting options

GUI Preferences
Use the GUI Preferences tab that is shown in Figure 9-34 to set the following options for the
DS GUI:
򐂰 Login Message
With an administrator role, you can enter a message that is displayed when users log in to
either the DS GUI or the DS CLI.
򐂰 General GUI settings
On the General tab of the GUI Preferences window, you can set the default logout time for
the DS GUI.

Figure 9-34 Login message

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9.6 Logical configuration overview
The logical configuration of the DS8A00 storage system begins with managed arrays and the
creation of storage pools.

When the storage pools are created, arrays are first assigned to the pools, and then volumes
are created in the pools. FB volumes are connected through host ports to an open system
host. CKD volumes require LSSs to be created so that they can be accessed by an IBM Z
host.

Pools must be created in pairs to balance the storage workload. Each pool in the pool pair is
controlled by a processor node (either Node 0 or Node 1). Balancing the workload helps to
prevent one node from performing most of the work and results in more efficient I/O
processing, which can improve overall system performance. Both pools in the pair must be
formatted for the same storage type, either FB or CKD storage. Multiple pools can be created
to isolate workloads.

When you create a pool pair, all available arrays can be assigned to the pools, or the choice
can be made to manually assign them later. If the arrays are assigned automatically, the
system balances them across both pools so that the workload is distributed evenly across
both nodes. Automatic assignment also ensures that spares and device adapter (DA) pairs
are distributed equally between the pools.

If the storage connects to an IBM Z host, you must create the LSSs before you create the
CKD volumes.

It is possible to create a set of volumes that share characteristics, such as capacity and
storage type, in a pool pair. The system automatically balances the capacity in the volume
sets across both pools. If the pools are managed by Easy Tier, the capacity in the volumes is
automatically distributed among the arrays. If the pools are not managed by Easy Tier, it is
possible to choose to use the rotate capacity allocation method, which stripes capacity
across the arrays.

When you plan your configuration with the DS8A00, all volumes, including standard
provisioned volumes, use metadata capacity when they are created, which causes the usable
capacity to be reduced. The 1 (gibibyte) GiB extents that are allocated for metadata are
subdivided into 16 mebibyte (MiB) subextents. The metadata capacity of each volume that is
created affects the configuration planning.

If the volumes must connect to an IBM Z host, the next steps of the configuration process are
completed on the host. For more information about logically configuring storage for IBM Z,
see 9.8, “Logical configuration for Count Key Data volumes” on page 273.

If the volumes connect to an open system host, map the volumes to the host, and then add
host ports to the host and map them to FC ports on the storage system.

FB volumes can accept I/O only from the host ports of hosts that are mapped to the volumes.
Host ports are zoned to communicate only with certain FC ports on the storage system.
Zoning is configured either within the storage system by using FC port masking, or on the
SAN. Zoning ensures that the workload is spread correctly over FC ports and that certain
workloads are isolated from one another.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 253

 With the DS8A00 microcode, host ports are now automatically updated and host mappings
can be performed during the volume creation step of the logical configuration. In addition,
host port topology can be safely changed by using the DS GUI or DS CLI. New host
commands are available for DS CLI to make, change, delete, list, and show a host
connection. For more information, see Chapter 10, “IBM DS8A00 Storage Management
Command-line Interface” on page 319.

Note: Deleting a pool with volumes is available via the GUI. A warning is displayed, and
the user must enter a code that is presented by the DS8A00 to confirm the delete. A “force
deletion” option is also available. For more information, see Figure 9-84 on page 286.

9.7 Logical configuration for open systems volumes

This section describes the logical configuration for Fixed-Block (FB) volumes for open
systems hosts. It covers the following topics:
򐂰 Simple open systems (FB) logical configuration flow
򐂰 FB pool creation
򐂰 Quick FB volume creation
򐂰 Advanced FB volume creation
򐂰 Creation and connection of FB volumes to the open systems hosts

9.7.1 Configuration flow

The following steps are needed for logical configuration of FB volumes:
1. Create an FB pool pair for open systems hosts.
2. Create the FB volumes.
3. Map to the open system hosts.

9.7.2 Creating FB pools for open systems hosts

For best performance and a balanced workload, create at least two pools. The DS GUI helps
the system administrator to create a balanced configuration by creating pools as a pair. The
pools are configured so that one pool of the pair is managed by system node 0 and the other
pool of the pair is managed by node 1.

Note: If the requirement is to create a single pool, see “Creating a single pool” on
page 258.

254 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

To create an FB pool pair, complete these steps:
1. Click the Pools icon and select the Arrays by Pool option to open the Array by Pool
window, as shown in Figure 9-35.

Figure 9-35 Arrays by Pool

2. Click the Create Pool Pair tab, as shown in Figure 9-36. The Create Pool Pair window
opens.

Figure 9-36 Create Pool Pair window

Note: By default, arrays within the DS8A00 are created using the virtualization
technology of Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID). When an array is
assigned to a pool, the choice of RAID 6 or RAID 10 is available.

3. Specify the pool pair parameters, as shown in Figure 9-37 on page 256:
– Storage type: Ensure that Open Systems (FB) is selected.
– Name prefix: Add the pool pair name prefix. A suffix ID sequence number is added
during the creation process.
4. Select whether the pair will be Compressed. Compression is important:
– If no compression is selected, the industry-standard NVMe disks are used. Standard,
full-provisioned, volumes can be created. No arrays are automatically assigned.
– If compression is selected, FCMs are used. Only ESE volumes can be created. Arrays
are automatically assigned during pool pair creation. See Figure 9-66 on page 274.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 255

 Figure 9-37 Creating an FB pool pair

5. When the pool pair parameters are correctly specified, click Create to proceed.
Figure 9-38 shows a pool pair that is created.

Figure 9-38 Pool pair that is created with assigned arrays

6. Assign arrays to the pool pair. Click Unassigned Arrays to display them, Right-click the
array to be assigned and then Assign as shown in Figure 9-39 on page 256.

Figure 9-39 Unassigned Arrays and assigning them

256 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

7. The Assign Array window opens. Select the Pool from the drop-down menu that you want
to assign the array. Choose the RAID type: 6 or 10. Select the Extent size: 1 GiB or 16
MiB. Click Assign to complete the process. Figure 9-40 is an example of assigning an
array and Figure 9-41 on page 257 shows the pool pair with assigned arrays.

Figure 9-40 Assigning an Array to a Pool

Figure 9-41 Pool pair with assigned arrays

Manually assigning arrays to existing pools

The storage administrator can manually unassign or reassign arrays from or to existing pools
when the current configuration must be modified, such as when the administrator adds
storage capacity. To manually assign arrays, complete these steps:
1. Select an array and right-click Assign or Reassign, as shown in Figure 9-42 on page 258.
This action opens the Assign Array window.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 257

 Figure 9-42 Manually assigning an array to an existing pool

2. Select the target pool from the drop-down list, and the RAID level that you want.
3. Select the Redistribute checkbox to redistribute all existing volumes across the pool,
including the new array.
4. Click Assign.

Note: In a pool that is managed by Easy Tier, redistributing volumes across the pool is
automatic. This redistribution is called Dynamic Pool Reconfiguration. For more
information, see IBM DS8000 Easy Tier, REDP-4667.

Creating a single pool

Occasionally, you are required to create a single pool, as opposed to creating a pool pair for
balancing a workload. To create a single storage pool, complete these steps:
1. Create a pool pair, as shown in Figure 9-43. By default, arrays are not automatically
assigned to pool pairs.

Figure 9-43 Creating an empty pool pair with no assigned arrays

2. Click Create. Two pools are created as usual.

3. Choose one of the pools from the recently created pool pair to delete, as shown in
Figure 9-44 on page 259.

258 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 9-44 Deletion of a single pool of a pair

4. Assign one or more arrays to the single pool, as shown in Figure 9-45.

Figure 9-45 Assigning an array to a single pool

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 259

9.7.3 Creating FB volumes for open systems hosts
There are multiple paths to take when creating FB volumes. The most straightforward way is
by using the Create Volumes tab on either the Volumes window or the Volumes by Pool
window. You can also access this tab by clicking the Actions menu under Host or LSS. The
maximum capacity for an FB volume is 16 TiB. The Storage Management GUI automatically
distributes capacity across the two pools.

To create these FB volumes, complete the following steps:

1. From the system window, select the Volumes icon. Four options are provided, as shown in
Figure 9-46 on page 260:
– Volumes. All volumes are visible in single view.
– Volumes by Pool. Volumes are grouped by pool.
– Volumes by Host. Volumes are grouped by host.
– Volumes by LSS. Volumes are grouped by LSS.

Figure 9-46 Volumes by View

2. Selecting one of the first two options opens a view that lists all the volumes or pools on the
system. Figure 9-47 shows the Volumes by Pool view.

Figure 9-47 Volumes by Pool

3. From this view, click Create Volumes. The Create Volumes dialog opens listing various
operating system platforms, as shown in Figure 9-48 on page 261.

260 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 9-48 Create Volumes dialog

The DS GUI provides three presets or templates to create volumes:

– Create Volumes for IBM Z
Use this option to create CKD volumes for IBM Z host storage capacity provisioning.
– Create Volumes for IBM i
Use this option to create FB volumes for IBM i host storage capacity provisioning.
– Create Volumes for Open System
Use this option to create FB volumes for open system host storage capacity
provisioning.

Creating FB volumes: Open systems

To create FB volumes for open systems hosts by using the open systems preset, complete
these steps:
1. From the Create Volumes drop-down menu (Figure 9-48 on page 261), click Create
Volumes for Open Systems.
2. The Create Volumes for Open Systems configuration dialog for open systems hosts opens
(Figure 9-49 on page 262). By default, the DS GUI tries to balance the volumes across the
pool pair so that the workload is balanced across both nodes or central processor
complexes (CPCs). So, by default it selects both CPC pools. An Administrator or Physical
Operator user can select the pool that they want in the drop-down option at pool selection.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 261

 Figure 9-49 Creating open systems (FB) volumes

3. Enter the following user-specified values:

– Name prefix: User-defined name for volumes (a suffix ID sequence number is added
during the creation process).
– Quantity: Number of volumes to be created in selected pools.
– Capacity: The capacity of the volumes to be created. Volumes can be configured in the
following increments:
• MiB, GiB, or TiB
• Blocks
– (Optional) Host: Optionally, map the volumes to a target host or host cluster.
– Provisioning: Select type of Storage allocation:
• Standard. Fully provisioned Volume.
• Thin Provisioning. Thin Provisioning defines logical volume sizes that are larger
than the usable capacity installed on the system. The volume allocates capacity on
an as-needed basis as a result of host-write actions. The Thin Provisioning feature
enables the creation of extent space-efficient (ESE) logical volumes.

Important: Starting with the DS8A00 G10, Standard volumes are only available when
pools are made up of industry-standard NVMe drives. Those pools made up of IBM
FlashCore Modules (FCM) support ESE volumes only.

The Administrator, or User with Administrator role, or storage administrator, when they
create the new volumes, can assign the address range to the volume in the Advanced
section, as shown in Figure 9-50 on page 263. It is possible to specify the volumes by
using the T10 Data Integrity Field (DiF)/Protection Information. After you specify the
volume set that you want to create, click Save. Then, you either create another one by
selecting ⊕ New Volume Set, or, when all the volume sets are specified, click Create to
create them in a row all at once.

262 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 9-50 Using the Advanced section when creating volumes

Tips:
򐂰 By providing a target host or host cluster, you can create volumes and map them to
the host in one step.
򐂰 Selecting the suitable range of addresses for the new volume set is important from
the Copy Services planning point of view and the CPC preferred path affinity. After
you create a volume, you cannot change its address.
򐂰 When FlashCopy is used on FB volumes, the source and the target volumes must
have the same protection type, that is, they must both use T10-DIF or standard.

Creating volumes: IBM i

To create FB volumes for IBM i hosts by using the IBM i preset, complete the following steps:
1. Click the Create Volumes for IBM i option. The window that is shown in Figure 9-51 on
page 263 opens.

Figure 9-51 Creating IBM i volumes

2. Choose an FB pool from the available ones in each node.

3. Enter a Name prefix to identify the volumes.
4. Enter the Quantity of volumes to create.
5. Select the volume Type from a list of fixed capacities.
6. If variable type 050 (unprotected) or 099 (variable, protected) is selected, then the
Capacity of the volumes (GiB or TiB) must also be specified.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 263

 7. In case you want volumes for Thin Provisioning (ESE), change the Provisioning field to
Thin Provisioning (ESE).
8. As an option, you can specify 4-digit volume serial numbers for the volumes in the
Advanced section. Use hexadecimal values (00–FE) for the LSSs.

Note: Dynamic Volume Expansion (DVE) of IBM i 050 and 099 volume types in
increments of 1–2000 GB is available. The minimum software level of the IBM i hosts
must be IBM i 7.4 and later.

Optionally, you can map the volumes to a defined IBM i host in this step too.
Further volume sets can be prepared and saved before you create what is defined in a
row.

9.7.4 Creating FB host attachments

To map FB volumes to open system hosts, complete the following steps:
1. Set the FC port topology.
2. Create open systems clusters (optional).
3. Create open systems hosts.
4. Assign host ports to hosts.
5. Assign FB volumes to open systems hosts.

Setting the Fibre Channel port topology

For an open system host to access FB volumes that are configured on the DS8A00, the host
must be connected to the DS8A00 through the Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP).

The DS8A00 offers 4-port, 32 Gbps encryption-capable PCIe Gen3 FCP/FICON host
adapters (referred to in the DS GUI as 32 Gbps). Each port can be independently configured
to one of the following topologies:
򐂰 FCP: Also known as FC-switched fabric (which is also called switched point-to-point) for
open system host attachment, and for Metro Mirror (MM), Global Copy (GC), Global Mirror
(GM), and Metro/Global Mirror (MGM) connectivity
򐂰 FICON: To connect to IBM Z hosts

To set the FC port topology for open system hosts, complete the following steps:
1. From the DS GUI left navigation menu, click Settings → Network and select Fibre
Channel Ports to open the Fibre Channel Ports window (Figure 9-52 on page 265).

264 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 9-52 Fibre Channel Ports window

2. Select the port to modify. Multiple ports can be selected by using the Shift or Ctrl key.
3. From the Actions tab, click Modify Protocol to open the Modify Protocol window, as
shown in Figure 9-53.

Figure 9-53 Modify FCP Protocol window

4. Choose from the available protocols to modify the selected host adapter port or ports. For
open system hosts attachment, select SCSI FCP (Small Computer System Interface
(SCSI) FCP).
5. Click Modify to perform the action.

Creating open system clusters and hosts

To simplify and enable better management of volume-mapping operations to hosts, the
DS8A00 can group hosts of the same type into a host cluster. Hosts in a host cluster can have
both shared and private volume mappings. This section describes how to configure host
clusters and hosts by using the DS GUI.

For reference, a host port is the FC port of the Host Bus Adapter (HBA) FC adapter that is
installed on the host system. It connects to the FC port of the host adapter that is installed on
the DS8A00.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 265

 To configure an open system cluster, complete the following steps:
1. Create a cluster: Configure a cluster object to access the storage system.
2. Create a host: Configure a host object to access the storage system.
3. Assign hosts: Assign hosts to a cluster object.
4. Assign a host port: Assign a host port to a host object by identifying one of the WWPNs of
the HBA that is installed on the host system.
5. Modify the FC port mask: Modify the FC port mask (on the DS8A00) to allow or disallow
host communication to and from one or more ports on the system.

To configure an open system host, complete the following steps:

1. Create a host: Configure a host object to access the storage system.
2. Assign a host port: Assign a host port to a host object by identifying one of the WWPNs of
the HBA that is installed on the host system.
3. Modify the FC port mask: Modify the FC port mask (on the DS8A00) to allow or disallow
host communication to and from one or more ports on the system.

Creating clusters
To configure a cluster object, complete these steps:
1. Click the Hosts icon from the DS GUI navigation pane on the left.
2. Select Hosts from the menu, as shown in Figure 9-54.

Figure 9-54 Hosts menu in the navigation

3. The Hosts window opens, as shown in Figure 9-55. Click Create Cluster.
4. The Create Cluster window opens, as shown in Figure 9-55. Specify the name of the
cluster, and click Create.

Figure 9-55 Hosts View: Create Cluster window

266 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Creating hosts
To configure a host object, complete these steps:
1. Click the Hosts icon from the DS GUI navigation pane on the left.
2. Click Hosts, as shown in Figure 9-54 on page 266.
3. Select Create Hosts to assign host ports to the existing hosts or click Create Host to
create hosts to assign the ports.
4. In the Hosts window, click Create Host, as shown in Figure 9-56.

Figure 9-56 Create Host

5. The Add Hosts window opens (Figure 9-57 on page 268). Specify the following items:
– Name. The user-defined name for the host to add.
– Type. The operating system (OS) of the host to add.
– Host port (WWPN). Optionally, provide the WWPN of the host port. If the host port
logged in to the system, it can be selected from the Host Port (WWPN) list as shown in
Figure 9-56.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 267

 Figure 9-57 Add Host window - host type - partial list

Assigning hosts to a cluster

If required, after a host is created, it can be assigned to a defined host cluster. To do so,
complete these steps:
1. From the Hosts window, select the host to be assigned to a cluster.
2. Either right-click, or from the Actions tab, select Assign to Cluster, as shown in
Figure 9-58.

Figure 9-58 Assigning a host to a cluster

3. The Assign Host window opens. From the drop-down list, select the cluster to which to add
the host.
4. Click Assign to complete the action.

268 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

5. Repeat the previous actions to add all hosts that are required in the cluster. After you
complete all the hosts, assigned hosts are listed under the cluster in the Hosts window, as
shown in Figure 9-59 on page 269.

Figure 9-59 Hosts window with created cluster

Assigning host ports

After the host is added, host ports must be assigned to the defined host. To do so, complete
these steps:
1. From the Hosts window, select the host to which to assign the host port. Either right-click,
or from the Actions tab, select Assign Host Port, as shown in Figure 9-60.

Figure 9-60 Assign Host Ports to Host

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 269

 2. This action opens the Assign Host Ports to Host window.
If the host ports are already logged in to the DS8A00, that is, the host ports are zoned so
that they are visible to the DS8A00, then the available WWPNs are listed in the
drop-down. If the host ports are not visible to the DS8A00, the WWPN of the host HBA
must be added manually.
Select one of the WWPNs that are shown in the drop-down list, or manually enter the
WWPN of the HBA of the host that you are adding. You can select multiple WWPNs by
clicking + as shown in Figure 9-60 on page 269. Click Assign to complete.
Typically, most open system hosts have multiple FC connections to the DS8A00 for
redundancy and performance. Ensure that all additional host WWPNs that are connected
for this host are defined to the host object by using the same procedure.

Note: When there are multiple FC connections to the DS8A00 from a host, you should
use native multipathing software that is provided by the host OS to manage these
paths.

Modifying the Fibre Channel port mask

When the host is configured, by default it has access to all FC ports on the DS8A00 system.
To view them, select a host from the Hosts window, right-click, and then select Properties, as
shown in Figure 9-61.

Figure 9-61 Host properties displaying the Fibre Channel port mask

If the storage administrator wants to restrict the FC ports that can communicate with the host,
FC port masking must be defined. Modify the FC port mask to allow or disallow host
communication to and from one or more ports on the system.

To define FC port masking, complete the following steps:

1. From the Hosts window, select the host to modify the FC port mask. Right-click or from the
Actions tab, select Modify Fibre Channel Port Mask. A list of the DS8A00 FC ports is
displayed.
2. Select one or more ports to disallow. You can use the Ctrl or Shift key for multiple
selections. Click Save, as shown in Figure 9-62 on page 271.

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 Figure 9-62 Modifying the Fibre Channel Port Mask

The properties of the selected host now reflect the number of FC ports that have access as
shown in Figure 9-63.

Figure 9-63 Host properties with FC port masking

9.7.5 Assigning FB volumes

FB volumes can accept I/O only from the host ports of hosts that are mapped to FB volumes.
To map a volume to a host or a cluster, complete these steps:
1. From the DS GUI system window, select either the Volumes icon or Hosts icon, and then
select Volumes by Host.
2. The Volumes by Hosts menu opens. Select the volumes to map from the Unmapped
Volumes list, as shown in Figure 9-64 on page 272. From the Actions tab, or by
right-clicking, select Map to Host or Cluster.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 271

 Figure 9-64 Mapping unmapped volumes to a host or cluster

3. The Map Volume to Host or Cluster window opens. Select the host or cluster from the list
of configured stand-alone hosts and clusters, as shown in Figure 9-64, and then click
Map.

Note: When mapping volumes to a cluster, volumes that are mapped to the cluster are
public volumes that are seen by all hosts in the cluster. Volumes that are mapped to a
single host in a cluster are private volumes.

It is the responsibility of the system administrator to ensure that the correct clustering
software is implemented to ensure data integrity when a volume is mapped to more
than one host.

Figure 9-65 on page 273 shows a mixture of public and private volumes that are mapped to a
cluster.

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 Figure 9-65 Mapping volumes to a cluster

9.8 Logical configuration for Count Key Data volumes

This section describes the logical configuration for CKD volumes for IBM Z.

9.8.1 Configuration flow

As with the FB configuration, logical configuration for CKD volumes is simplified and can now
be accomplished with a few steps:
1. Create a CKD pool pair and assign arrays to the pools.
2. Create the CKD LSSs (also known as Logical Control Unit (LCU)).
3. Create the CKD volumes.
4. Configure the alias volumes (Parallel Access Volumes (PAVs)).
5. Configure the FC ports for FICON.

9.8.2 Creating CKD storage pools

For the best performance and a balanced workload, two pools must be created. The DS GUI
helps the system administrator to create a balanced configuration by creating pools as a pair.
The pools are configured so that one pool of the pair is managed by node 0, and the other
pool of the pair is managed by node 1.

To create a CKD pool pair, complete these steps:

1. From the DS GUI window, select the Pools icon.
2. Click Arrays by Pool to open the Arrays by Pool window.
3. Click the Create Pool Pair tab. The Create Pool Pair window is opened as seen in Figure
9-66 on page 274.
4. Select the Storage Type. In this case Count Key Data (CKD) is preferred.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 273

 5. Decide whether the pair will be Compressed. Compression is important:
a. If no compression is selected, then industry-standard NVMe disks are used. Standard,
full-provisioned, volumes can be created. No arrays are automatically assigned. See
Figure 9-37 on page 256 and Figure 9-38 on page 256 as an example.
b. If compression is selected, FCMs are used. Only ESE volumes can be created. Arrays
are automatically assigned during pool pair creation
c. Assign a name to the pool pair. This name is used as the prefix for the pool pair ID.
6. Choose the Extent size. Small extents of 21 cylinders, or large extents of 1113 cylinders.
7. Select the number of arrays to assign to the pool pair.

Figure 9-66 CKD pool pair creation and assigning arrays to the pool pair

8. Click Create.

Important: The CKD LSSs cannot be created in an address group that already
contains FB LSSs. The address groups are identified by the first digit in the two-digit
LSS ID.

9. When the pool pair creation is complete, the arrays are assigned to the pool pair as shown
in Figure 9-67 on page 275. The DS GUI configures the selected arrays for CKD storage
and distributes them evenly between the two pools.

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Figure 9-67 CKD pool pair after creation and assignment of arrays

Note: With the added resiliency of RAID 6 and RAID 10, RAID 5 is no longer supported on
DS8A00 models.

For more information about the supported drive types and available RAID levels for DS8A00
models, see Chapter 4, “IBM DS8A00 reliability, availability, and serviceability” on page 103.

Manually assigning arrays to existing pools

The system administrator can manually assign arrays, or unassign or reassign assigned
arrays to existing pools when the current configuration must be modified, such as when the
system administrator adds storage capacity. To do so, complete these steps:
1. From the Arrays by Pool window, select the array that you want to assign, then either
right-click the array or select Actions, and then select Assign.
2. When you manually assign arrays, choose from an existing storage pool and define the
RAID type.
3. Click Assign.

Figure 9-68 shows the Arrays by Pool window, which shows how to assign the arrays.

Figure 9-68 Manually assigning arrays to an existing pool

Creating a single pool

Occasionally, you are required to create only a single pool as opposed to creating a pool pair
for balancing the workload. To create a single storage pool, see “Creating a single pool” on
page 258.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 275

9.8.3 Creating CKD logical subsystems

Note: You can create LSS ranges, exact volume address ranges, and aliases in one step.
For an example, see 9.8.4, “Creating CKD volumes” on page 279.

The DS8000 LSS emulates a CKD Logical Control Unit image (LCU). A CKD LSS must be
created before CKD volumes can be associated to the LSS.

To create CKD LSSs, complete these steps:

1. Click the Volumes icon in the system window.
2. Select Volumes by LSS from the menu.
3. Click the Create CKD LSSs tab from the Volumes by LSS window, as shown in
Figure 9-69.

Figure 9-69 Creating CKD volumes by LSS

4. The Create CKD LSSs window opens, as shown in Figure 9-70 on page 277. Enter the
required information. After you enter the values for the LSS range, SubSystem Identifier
(SSID) prefix, and LSS type, click Create. The Need Help icon shows information about
how the unique SSID for each LSS is determined based on the SSID prefix that is
provided.

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Figure 9-70 Defining CKD LSSs

Note: The CKD LSSs cannot be created in an address group that already contains FB
LSSs. The address groups are identified by the first digit in the two-digit LSS ID.

Figure 9-71 shows the 16 LSSs that are created.

Figure 9-71 CKD LSSs that are created

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 277

 5. The unique SSID for each LSS is automatically determined by combining the SSID prefix
with the ID of the LSS. The SSID can be modified if needed, as shown in Figure 9-72.

Important: This situation is important in an IBM Z environment where the SSIDs were
previously defined in input/output definition files (IODFs) and might differ from the
SSIDs that are automatically generated by the Storage Management GUI. Be careful
when changing SSIDs as they must be unique in an IBM Z environment.

Figure 9-72 Modifying the CKD LSS SSID

Important: Use caution when changing SSIDs that are in a Copy Services relationship. If a
change must be done, then the entire relationship must be broken down including the
PPRC paths.

SSIDs must be unique across all DS8000 systems participating in copy services
relationships.

Note: Occasionally, the DS8A00 GUI view does not immediately update after
modifications are made. After you modify the SSID, if the view is not updated, refresh
the GUI cache to reflect the change by clicking Settings → Support →
Troubleshooting → Refresh GUI cache. For more information, see “Troubleshooting”
on page 251.

Note: SSIDs must be unique across all DS8000 systems participating in copy services
relationships.

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9.8.4 Creating CKD volumes
To create CKD volumes, complete these steps:
1. Select the Volumes icon from the system window, and then select Volumes or Volumes
by Pool from the menu.
2. Select the pools in which you want to create volumes.
3. Select the Create Volumes for IBM Z option under Create Volumes. The Create Volumes
for IBM Z window opens, as shown in Figure 9-73 on page 279.

Figure 9-73 Creating multiple groups of CKD volumes

Note: The storage administrator can create configurations that specify new LSS
ranges, exact volume address ranges, and aliases in one step.

4. Determine the LSS range for the volumes that you want to create.
5. Determine the name prefix and the quantity of volumes to create for each LSS.
Enter a prefix name and capacity for each group. The capacity can be specified in three
ways:
– Device: Select one of these choices from the list: 3380-2, 3380-3, 3390-1, 3390-3,
3390-9, 3390-27, 3390-54, or 3390-A (extended address volume (EAV)). These device
types have a fixed capacity that is based on the number of cylinders of each model. A
3390 disk volume contains 56,664 bytes for each track, 15 tracks for each cylinder, and
849,960 bytes for each cylinder. The most common 3390 model capacities are shown:
• 3390-1 = 1113 cylinders
• 3390-3 = 3339 cylinders
• 3390-9 = 10017 cylinders
• 3390-27 = 30051 cylinders
• 3390-54 = 60102 cylinders

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 279

 – Mod1: Emulates a 3390 Model 1. However, the number of cylinders is variable from 1
to the maximum available capacity in the pool.
– Cylinders: Enter the number of cylinders for capacity based on a 3390 cylinder @
849,960 bytes per cylinder.
6. Under Provisioning, select either Standard (thick volumes), or Thin Provisioned (ESE).

Note: Pools with FCM storage support only Thin Provisioned (ESE) volumes. To
configure “Standard” volumes, select or create a pool with Industry-standard NVMe
drives.

7. After completing the details, either define another volume set directly by using the ⊕
symbol, or click Save and validate the complete volume preset information. If you like to
create another volume, click ⊕ New Volume Set. Otherwise, click Create to create all the
volume definitions together in a row.

9.8.5 Creating CKD parallel access volumes

The DS8A00 storage system supports the configuration and usage of PAVs. PAV is the
concept of using multiple devices or aliases to address a single disk device. PAVs allow the
definition of more Unit Control Blocks (UCBs) to the same logical device, each using an extra
alias address. For example, a direct access storage device at base address 1000 can have
alias addresses of 1001, 1002, and 1003. Each of these alias addresses has its own UCB.
Because there are four UCBs for a single device, four concurrent I/Os are possible. Writes to
the same extent (an area of the disk that is assigned to one contiguous area of a file) are still
serialized, but other reads and writes can occur simultaneously.

In the first version of PAV, the disk controller assigns a PAV to a UCB (static PAV). The second
version of PAV processing, Workload Manager (WLM), reassigns a PAV to new UCBs from
time to time (dynamic PAV). Following that is now HyperPAV which simplifies operational
procedures by removing static alias to base bindings and associating a PAV alias device to a
pool. There is also SuperPAV mode which supports the borrowing of aliases from neighboring
LSSs, thus requiring fewer aliases to be defined per system.

The restriction for configuring PAVs is that the total number of base and alias addresses for
each LSS cannot exceed 256 (00–FF). These addresses must be defined in the IODF so that
they match the correct type, base, or alias.

Typically, when you configure PAVs in the IODF, the base addresses start at 00 and increment
toward FF. Alias addresses are typically configured to start at FF and decrement (decrease)
toward 00. A storage administrator might configure only 16 or 32 aliases for each LSS.
However, no restrictions exist other than the total of 256 addresses that are available per LSS
(bases and aliases).

The DS GUI configures aliases in this manner, starting at FF and descending. The storage
administrator can either configure many aliases against the LSS, in which case those aliases
are assigned to the lowest address in the LSS. Alternatively, the system administrator can
define any number of aliases to any specific base address. For more information about PAVs,
see IBM DS8000 and IBM Z Synergy, REDP-5186.

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Configuring parallel access volumes: Aliases
To configure aliases (PAVs), complete these steps:
1. Select the Volumes icon from the System window and then click Volumes by LSS.
2. Select the LSS for which to create aliases and right-click the LSS, as shown in Figure 9-74
on page 281.

Figure 9-74 Creating aliases for the LSS

3. Select Manage Aliases to open the Aliases for LSS xx (where xx = 00 - FE) dialog box.
Click Create Aliases to open the dialog box that is shown in Figure 9-75. Enter the
number of aliases to create. The example in Figure 9-75 shows 32 aliases being created
for LSS 80.

Figure 9-75 Creating 32 aliases for LSS 80

4. Click Create. The aliases are created for LSS 80, as shown in Figure 9-76.

Figure 9-76 Thirty-two aliases are created for LSS 80

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 5. Click the arrow (>) icon to the left of the LSS to expand the LSS and display the base
volumes that are assigned to the LSS.
Figure 9-77 shows the list of alias volumes for LSS 80.
The aliases are automatically created against the lowest base volume address in the LSS
first. For example, in Figure 9-77, the 32 aliases are created against the lowest base
volume address 8000 (ITSO_CKD_8000).

Figure 9-77 Thirty-two aliases against the lowest base volume address

6. To display the aliases, select the base volume with those aliases that are assigned to it
and then click Action → Manage Aliases.
A list with the addresses of all aliases that are assigned to the base volume is displayed,
as shown in Figure 9-78.

Figure 9-78 List of aliases with their alias IDs starting at F5 and in ascending order

Note: The alias IDs start at F5 and are in ascending order, as shown in Figure 9-78.

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7. Aliases can also be created for a single base volume by selecting the base volume,
right-clicking, and selecting Action → Manage Aliases. Then select Create Aliases.
Enter the number of aliases that you want for the base volume, as shown in Figure 9-79.

Figure 9-79 Configuring aliases for a single base volume

The five aliases for a single base volume address (ITSO_CKD_8006) are created with a
starting address of DF and end with DB in ascending order, as shown in Figure 9-80.
(Aliases E0–FF were created before).

Figure 9-80 List of five aliases that are created for a single base address

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 283

9.8.6 Setting the FC port protocols for IBM Z attachment
For an IBM Z host to access assigned CKD volumes, the host must connect to the DS8A00
FICON.

To set the FC port protocols of the FC ports that the host uses to communicate with the
DS8A00, complete these steps:
1. Select Settings → Network → Fibre Channel Ports. Select a port then select
Actions → Modify Fibre Channel port protocols.
2. Select one or multiple ports to modify and select Actions → Modify.
3. The Modify Protocol for the selected Ports window opens. Select the FICON protocol.
4. Click Modify to set the topology for the selected FC ports, as shown in Figure 9-81.

Figure 9-81 Modifying the FC port protocols

9.9 Expanding volumes

The DS8A00 can dynamically expand a volume, which means that you can increase the
capacity of a volume without taking the volume offline or without removing the existing data
on the volume. This action is supported for both FB and CKD volumes. Additionally, this
action is also supported for the IBM i variable size volume types 050 (unprotected) and 099
(protected).

The following example shows the steps that are required to expand an IBM i volume of type
099 (Figure 9-82 on page 285):
1. Go to any Volumes view, such as Volumes → Volumes by Pool.
2. Select the volume and select Actions → Expand. You can also open the Actions menu
by selecting the volume and right-clicking it.
3. The Expand Volume dialog opens. Enter the new capacity for the volume and click
Expand.
4. A warning might appear to inform you that certain OSs do not support this action, and it
asks for confirmation to continue the action. Verify that the OS of the host to which the
volume is mapped supports the operation, and click Yes.
A task window opens and is updated with progress on the task until it is completed.

284 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 9-82 Expanding a volume

The storage administrator can also Expand the Safeguarded capacity, as shown in
Figure 9-83. For more information, see IBM Storage DS8000 Safeguarded Copy,
REDP-5506.

Figure 9-83 Expanding Safeguarded capacity

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 285

9.10 Deleting a pool
You can use the GUI to delete a pool that is no longer needed. If the pool contains volumes,
you no longer need to first delete the volumes. If the volumes are not in use, it is now possible
to delete a pool with volumes by entering the confirmation code that is presented by the GUI,
as shown in Figure 9-84.

Figure 9-84 Deleting a pool with volumes

9.11 Deleting volumes

You can use the GUI to delete volumes that are no longer needed. By default, the GUI
enforces safe deletion of volumes that are in use.

For FB volumes, a volume is considered to be in use if it is in a Copy Services relationship or

if the volume received an I/O operation in the last 5 minutes. A CKD volume is considered in
use if it participates in a Copy Services relationship or if the IBM Z path mask indicates that
the volume is in a grouped state or online to any host system.

You can instruct the GUI to force the deletion of volumes that are in use by selecting the
optional checkbox in the Delete Volumes dialog box, as shown by 1 in Figure 9-85 on page
287.

Important: This setting does not apply to volumes that are in a Safeguarded Copy
relationship.

The following example shows the steps that are needed to delete an FB volume that is in use:
1. Go to the hosts-centric Volumes view by selecting Volumes → Volumes by Host.
2. Select the volume to be deleted, and then select Actions → Delete, as shown by 2 in
Figure 9-85 on page 287.

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Figure 9-85 Deleting volumes

3. The Delete Volume window opens.

4. Confirm the action by entering the unique code that is displayed by the GUI into the
window.
5. Because the selected volume is mapped to the host itso-host (5), select the checkbox as
shown by number 1 in the window and click OK.
A task window opens, and is updated with your progress on the task until it completes.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 287

9.12 Reinitializing a thin-provisioned volume
Reinitializing a thin-provisioned volume frees storage, but also results in data loss. To prevent
against accidental data loss, reinitialization of volumes requires more confirmation. To
continue with the operation, confirm the action by entering the code that you receive.
Additionally, for online volumes, select the Force reinitialization checkbox if you choose to
bypass checking whether the selected volumes are mapped to a host or assigned to a path
group, as shown in Figure 9-86.

Figure 9-86 Reinitializing an online ESE volume

9.13 Easy Tier support

You can assign the volume to an Easy Tier drive class, or you can specify a tier that the
volume cannot use.

Assigning a volume to a drive class

Select a volume, and then click Assign to Drive Class, as shown in Figure 9-87 on page
289. A window with options that are based on the drive classes that are in the pool opens.
The following options are available, depending on the drive classes that are in the pool:
򐂰 Performance Flash Tier 1 (Industry-standard NVMe) - 1.6 TB
򐂰 Capacity Flash Tier 2 (industry-standard NVMe) - 1.9 TB, 3.8 TB, and 7.68 TB
򐂰 Compression Flash Tier 3 (IBM FCM4) - 4.8 TB, 9.6 TB, and 19.2 TB

There are three drive classes available as noted previously. You cannot change the drive
class of a device. Figure 9-87 on page 289 shows examples of two. “A” denotes assignment
of Performance Flash Tier 1, and “B” shows assignment of Compression Flash Tier.

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 Unassigning a volume from a drive class
By selecting the Unassign from Drive Class option, you can unassign a volume from an
Easy Tier drive class tier and allow Easy Tier to manage the volume automatically again.

For more information about the settings that are available to configure Easy Tier, see “Easy
Tier settings” on page 243.

For more information about Easy Tier, see IBM DS8000 Easy Tier, REDP-4667.

Figure 9-87 Assigning a volume to a drive class

9.14 Monitoring system health

The DS8A00 uses advanced predictive analysis to predict error conditions. The DS GUI
provides tools to help monitor the health of the storage system in real time. If a system failure
occurs, the system automatically provides notification. The Dashboard window in the DS GUI
provides a visual representation of the DS8A00 storage system. It displays system hardware
states, and also provides access to actions that can be performed on the hardware
components.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 289

 Figure 9-88 shows an example of the overall status of a system as displayed by the home
dashboard.

Figure 9-88 System Monitoring Dashboard

The Dashboard window of the DS GUI includes the following elements:

򐂰 Performance
The performance of the system is displayed in real time, and it shows latency, bandwidth,
and IOPS by default. Additionally, caching performance can be seen from the
Performance tab at the top of the dashboard under Actions/Performance.
򐂰 Hardware resource alerts
The state of each hardware component of the storage system is displayed on the system
window. Hardware components that need attention are highlighted.
򐂰 Used and Provisioned Capacity
Changes that affect the capacity of the storage system are displayed in the status area at
the bottom of the Dashboard window.
򐂰 Capacity Savings
Displays the savings from Thin-Provisioning, Compression, and Capacity for both Open
Systems and IBM Z (CKD) environment.
򐂰 System Health Overview
This view lists the key hardware components of the system and their overall health. There
are two views that are presented here:
a. System health view
Changes that affect data accessibility and hardware states are displayed in the system
health view on the right side of the Dashboard window. If a hardware error is displayed,
you can also observe the hardware component that needs attention.

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 b. Hardware view
A visual representation of the DS8A00 system, which includes key hardware
components. You can point to different system components for detailed information
about that component. Click the component to see a more detailed view and show
details and the state of that component. To restore the view of a component to its
original position in the frame, click outside the frame.
򐂰 Alerting events
Error and warning alerts are displayed as badges on the Alerts (Bell) icon in the banner of
the DS GUI (shown in Figure 9-89). Click the Alerts icon to see the alerts. Click the
specific alert to view the corresponding event in the Events window.

Figure 9-89 Dashboard Events

9.14.1 Hardware components: Status and attributes

The DS GUI can identify the different hardware components of the storage system through a
Hardware view, and it offers a detailed System Health overview of the system. Five of these
hardware components are listed as an example:
򐂰 Processor nodes
򐂰 HMCs for management
򐂰 Storage enclosures with drives
򐂰 I/O enclosures with host adapters and DAs
򐂰 FC ports

This section provides more information about these hardware components, including how to
see more information about them from the system window.

Processor nodes
Two processor nodes exist that are named ID 0 and ID 1. Each node consists of a CPC and
the Licensed Internal Code (LIC) that runs on it. You can also display the system health
overview by clicking the System Health View icon, as shown in Figure 9-90.

Figure 9-90 System Health Overview

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 For more information about the processor nodes, click Processor Nodes.

Figure 9-91 Processor Nodes - detailed view

Here are the node attributes that are shown in Figure 9-91:
򐂰 ID: The node identifier, which is node 0 or node 1.
򐂰 State: The current state of the node is shown:
– Online: The node is operating.
– Initializing: The node is starting or not yet operational.
– Service required: The node is online, but it requires service. A Call Home was initiated
to IBM Hardware Support.
– Service in progress: The node is being serviced.
– Drive service required: One or more drives that are online require service. A call home
was initiated.
– Offline: The node is offline and non-operational. A Call Home was initiated.
򐂰 Release: The version of the Licensed Machine Code (LMC) or hardware bundle that is
installed on the node.
򐂰 Processor: The type and configuration of the processor that is on the node.
򐂰 Memory: The amount of raw system memory that is installed in the node.
򐂰 Location Code: Logical location of the processor node.

Hardware Management Console

The DS8A00 has two HMCs. The HMC provides a standard interface on a dedicated console
to control managed systems. Point to the HMC component (Figure 9-90 on page 291) and
click HMCs to display the detailed attributes for both HMCs, as shown in Figure 9-92.

Figure 9-92 HMCs - detailed view

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These are some of the attributes that are displayed for the HMC component in Figure 9-92 on
page 292:
򐂰 Name: The name of the HMC as defined by the user.
򐂰 State: The status of the HMC is shown:
– Online: The HMC is operating normally.
– Code updating: The HMC software is being updated.
– Service required: The HMC is online, but it requires service. A call home was initiated
to IBM Hardware Support.
– Offline with redundancy: The HMC redundancy is compromised. A call home was
initiated to IBM Hardware Support.
– Offline: The HMC is offline and non-operational.
򐂰 Release: The version of the LMC that is installed on the HMC.
򐂰 Host address: The IP address for the host system of the HMC.
򐂰 Role: The primary or secondary HMC.
򐂰 Location Code: The logical location code for the HMC. If the HMC is external, the location
is identified as off-system.

Storage enclosures
A storage enclosure is a specialized chassis that houses and powers the flash drives in the
DS8A00 storage system. The storage enclosure also provides the mechanism to allow the
drives to communicate with one or more host systems. All enclosures in the DS8A00 are
High-Performance Flash Enclosures (HPFEs). These enclosures contain flash drives, which
are Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)-connected to the I/O enclosures.

To view detailed information about the enclosures that are installed in the system, select
Storage Enclosures, as shown in Figure 9-90 on page 291. Some of the attributes of the
storage enclosure are shown in Figure 9-93.

Figure 9-93 Storage Enclosures - detailed view

򐂰 ID: The storage enclosure number.

򐂰 State: The current state of the storage enclosure is shown:
– Online: The storage enclosure is operating normally.
– Service requested: A service request to IBM was generated for one or more drives
within the storage enclosure.
– Service required: The storage enclosure is online, but it requires service.
– Service in progress: The storage enclosure is being repaired.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 293

 – Offline: The storage enclosure requires service.
򐂰 Drive capacity: The raw capacity of the flash drives that are installed in the storage
enclosure.
򐂰 Drive class: The drive class (tier) of the drives in the storage enclosure. Examples include
Performance Flash Tier 1, Capacity Flash Tier 2, and Compression FlashCore Module
drives.
򐂰 Installed: The time and date when the enclosure was installed.
򐂰 Location Code: The logical location code, which includes the serial number of the storage
enclosure.

A drive is a data storage device. From the GUI perspective, a drive can be Performance Flash
Tier 1, Capacity Flash Tier 2, or Compression FlashCore Module drive. To see the data
storage devices and their attributes from the Hardware view, click a storage enclosure when
the magnifying glass pointer appears (Figure 9-88 on page 290). This action shows the
storage enclosure and installed storage devices in more detail (Figure 9-94). You can also
select Drives from the System Health Overview to display information for all installed drives.

Figure 9-94 Drive detail view in a storage enclosure

The attributes for the drives in Figure 9-94 are described:

򐂰 ID: The drive, storage enclosure, and frame ID
򐂰 State: The current state of the drives is described:
– Normal: Operational.
– Initializing: The drive is being prepared for operation.
– Service: The drive is being serviced.
– Offline: The drive requires service.
򐂰 Class: The drive class.
򐂰 Capacity: The raw capacity of the drive.

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I/O enclosures
The I/O enclosure contains the I/O adapters. To see the I/O adapters and their attributes from
the Hardware view, click an I/O enclosure (Figure 9-88 on page 290) when the magnifying
glass pointer appears.

This action displays the I/O enclosure adapter view (rear of the enclosure).

To see the attributes for all installed DAs or host adapters in the System Health overview,
select Device Adapters or Host Adapters from System Health Overview (Figure 9-90 on
page 291) to open the dialog that is shown in Figure 9-95.

Figure 9-95 I/O Enclosures

The attributes for the I/O enclosure are described in the following list:
򐂰 ID: The enclosure ID.
򐂰 State: The current state of the I/O enclosure is one of the following states:
– Online: Operational and normal.
– Offline: Service is required. A service request to IBM was generated.
– Service: The enclosure is being serviced.
򐂰 Location Code: Logical location code of the I/O enclosure.
򐂰 Host adapter: Number of host adapters that are installed.
򐂰 DA: Number of DAs that are installed.

The FC ports are ports on a host adapter that connect the DS8A00 to hosts or another
storage system either directly or through SAN switches/directors.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 295

 In the Hardware view, point to a port in the enclosure, and detailed information about the port
appears. The port topology can be modified by selecting the port, right-clicking, and selecting
Modify Fibre Channel Port Protocol, as shown in Figure 9-96.

Figure 9-96 I/O enclosure showing host adapter and FC ports

The FC ports have several attributes:

򐂰 ID: The identification number of the FC port.
򐂰 State: The current state of the FC port is one of the following states:
– Communication Established: The FC port is operating normally.
– No Light Detected: There is no light that is detected on the port, so the port cannot
process I/O.
– Unconfigured: The FC port protocol is not configured.
– Offline: The FC port requires service.
– Protocol: Use one of these FCPs:
• SCSI FCP: A method for transferring SCSI commands with FCP.
• FICON: FICON is a high-speed I/O interface for IBM Z host connections.
– WWPN: The unique 16-digit hex number that represents the WWPN of the FC port.

9.14.2 Viewing components health and state from the system views
The Hardware view and System Health overview are useful tools in the DS GUI to visualize
the state and health of hardware components in the system. Two sample scenarios are
illustrated here:
򐂰 Failed drives: Figure 9-97 on page 297 shows two failed drives in one of the storage
enclosures of the system. Clicking this enclosure from the Hardware view provides a
detailed view of the enclosure with all the drives, including the failed drives. Hovering your
cursor over the failed drives provide more information about them.

296 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Click to see System Health overview

Figure 9-97 Hardware view with failed drives

The same information can be obtained by clicking the Show System Health Overview
icon, as shown in Figure 9-97.
The System Health Overview opens and shows the failed state of the drives, as shown in
Figure 9-98.

Figure 9-98 System Health Overview with failed drives

򐂰 Failed processor node: Figure 9-99 on page 298 shows the Hardware view with a failed
processor node. Hovering your cursor over the node provides more information about this
component.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 297

 Figure 9-99 Hardware view with a failed processor node

The same information can be obtained from the System Health Overview, as shown in
Figure 9-100.

Figure 9-100 System Health Overview with a failed processor node

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9.14.3 Monitoring system events
The Events window displays all events that occurred within the storage system, whether they
are initiated by a user or by the system.

The Events table updates continuously so that you can monitor events in real time and track
events historically.

Events are categorized by five levels of severity:

򐂰 Error
򐂰 Warning
򐂰 Inactive error
򐂰 Inactive warning
򐂰 Information

To access the Events window, click Monitoring → Events. The Events window can also be
displayed by clicking the Event Status icon, as shown in Figure 9-101.

Figure 9-101 System Events window

The events can be exported as a CSV file by selecting Export Table on the Events window.
The Export Table action creates a CSV file of the events that are displayed in the Events table
with detailed descriptions.

9.14.4 Exporting system-wide information

As shown in Figure 9-102, you can export detailed reports from the dashboard with the
following system-wide information into a CSV file.

Figure 9-102 Export Storage System Performance sample

򐂰 System Summary
This data includes CSV offload of the system summary (full hardware and logical
configuration) by exporting individual tables (Volumes, I/O Ports, Users, and Volumes by
LSS).

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 299

 򐂰 Performance Summary
The performance data that is gathered at 1-minute intervals for up to one week can be
exported for IBM Support analysis.
򐂰 Easy Tier Summary
You can directly offload the three CSV files and the Excel tool from both the DS GUI, as
shown in Figure 9-107 on page 305, and the DS CLI (see 10.4.8, “IBM Easy Tier” on
page 372). This download enables you to view the detailed data for Easy Tier planning,
monitoring, and debugging.
Here are the offloaded CSV files:
– Workload categorization report: This report provides a method of classifying data
activity that Easy Tier manages. This categorization includes a comparison of heat
data across storage tiers.
– Workload skew curve report: This report provides a summary of workload distribution
across tiers within a pool.
– Data movement report: This report provides details about Easy Tier data movement
among the drive tiers on your storage system. Use the report to validate changes in
tiers and the migration of warm and cool data.
For more information about Easy Tier, see IBM DS8000 Easy Tier, REDP-4667.
򐂰 Export Fibre Channel Connectivity Report
This report shows one row for every connected path between the DS8000 and a host
system, a switch, or another DS8000. It also shows the status of these paths and their
security settings. The report can be offloaded as a compressed file that contains a CSV
file.
The CSV file name is IBM.2107-<serial>_fcconnectivity_<date>.csv, for example,
IBM.2107-75DMC12_fcconnectivity_20210717.csv.
Example 9-1 shows a sample of the CSV file content, which can be imported and
formatted in a spreadsheet tool such as Microsoft Excel.

Example 9-1 CSV content example

Local Port ID,LocalPort FC_ID,LocalPort WWPN,LocalPort WWNN,LocalPort Security
Capability,LocalPort Security Config,LocalPort Logins,LocalPort Security Capable
Logins,LocalPort Authentication Only Logins,LocalPort Encrypted Logins,AttachedPort
WWPN,AttachedPort WWNN,AttachedPort Interface ID,AttachedPort Type,AttachedPort
Model,AttachedPort Manufacturer,AttachedPort SN,RemotePort WWPN,RemotePort
WWNN,RemotePort FC_ID,RemotePort PRLI Complete,RemotePort Login Type,RemotePort Security
State,RemotePort Security Config,RemotePort Interface ID,RemotePort Type,RemotePort
Model,RemotePort SN,RemotePort SystemName
I0000,0x012E00,0x5005076306001339,0x5005076306FFD339,Auth Capable
Only,Disabled,1,0,0,0,0x202E8894715EC810,0x10008894715EC810,0x002E,008960,F64,IBM,000001
0550HA,0x5005076306041339,0x5005076306FFD339,0x010600,Yes,Mirroring secondary,
Notcapable,Disabled,0x0040,002107,996,0000000DMC01,Unknown
I0001,0x000002,0x5005076306005339,0x5005076306FFD339,Auth Capable
Only,Disabled,1,0,0,0,0x5005076306009339,0x5005076306FFD339,0x0002,002107,996,I
BM,0000000DMC01,0x5005076306009339,0x5005076306FFD339,0x000001,Yes,Mirroring
primary and
secondary,Notcapable,Disabled,0x0002,002107,996,0000000DMC01,Unknown
I0002,0x000001,0x5005076306009339,0x5005076306FFD339,Auth Capable
Only,Disabled,1,0,0,0,0x5005076306005339,0x5005076306FFD339,0x0001,002107,996,I
BM,0000000DMC01,0x5005076306005339,0x5005076306FFD339,0x000002,Yes,Mirroring
primary and
secondary,Notcapable,Disabled,0x0001,002107,996,0000000DMC01,Unknown

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 I0003,0x000001,0x500507630600D339,0x5005076306FFD339,Auth Capable
Only,Disabled,1,0,0,0,0x10000000C9CED91B,0x20000000C9CED91B,0x0000,.....

Figure 9-103 illustrates the formatting that occurs when you import the data in XLS format.
Data is presented as one or more lines per port, depending on the number of logins. This
data illustrates four ports on one adapter, which are split into three captures for
presentation.

Local port information

Local Port
Local Port Security Local Port Local Port
Local Port Local Port Security Security Local Port Capable Authentication Encrypted
Local Port ID FC_ID Local Port WWPN Local Port WWNN Capability Config Logins Logins Only Logins Logins

I0000 0x012E00 0x5005076306001339 0x5005076306FFD339 Auth Capable Only Disabled 1 0 0 0

I0001 0x000002 0x5005076306005339 0x5005076306FFD339 Auth Capable Only Disabled 1 0 0 0

I0002 0x000001 0x5005076306009339 0x5005076306FFD339 Auth Capable Only Disabled 1 0 0 0

I0003 0x000001 0x500507630600D339 0x5005076306FFD339 Auth Capable Only Disabled 1 0 0 0

Attached port information

Attached Port
Attached Port WWPN Attached Port WWNN Attached Port Interface ID Attached Port Type Attached Port Model Manufacturer Attached Port SN
0x202E8894715EC810 0x10008894715EC810 0x002E 8960 F64 IBM 0000010550HA
0x5005076306009339 0x5005076306FFD339 0x0002 2107 996 IBM 0000000DMC01
0x5005076306005339 0x5005076306FFD339 0x0001 2107 996 IBM 0000000DMC01
0x10000000C9CED91B 0x20000000C9CED91B Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

Remote port (Login) information

Remote Port Remote Port Remote Port Security Remote Port Remote Port Remote Port Remote Port Remote Port
Remote Port WWPN Remote Port WWNN FC_ID PRLI Complete Remote Port Login Type State Security Config Interface ID Type Model Remote Port SN System Name
0x5005076306041339 0x5005076306FFD339 0x010600 Yes Mirroring secondary Not capable Disabled 0x0040 2107 996 0000000DMC01 Unknown
Mirroring primary and
0x5005076306009339 0x5005076306FFD339 0x000001 Yes secondary Not capable Disabled 0x0002 2107 996 0000000DMC01 Unknown
Mirroring primary and
0x5005076306005339 0x5005076306FFD339 0x000002 Yes secondary Not capable Disabled 0x0001 2107 996 0000000DMC01 Unknown
0x10000000C9CED91B 0x20000000C9CED91B 0x000002 Yes FCP host Not capable Disabled Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

Figure 9-103 Example XLS format

9.14.5 Audit logs

Audit logs provide a record for auditing purposes to determine when changes were made to
a storage system and by which user.

The audit log is an unalterable record of all actions and commands that were initiated by
users on the system through the DS GUI, DS CLI, DS Network Interface (DSNI), or
IBM Spectrum Control. The audit log does not include commands that were received from
host systems or actions that were completed automatically by the storage system. The audit
log is downloaded as a compressed text file.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 301

 An audit log for the DS8A00 can also be exported by selecting Export Audit Log on the
Events window, as shown in Figure 9-104.

Figure 9-104 Export Audit Log

9.15 Performance monitoring

Performance data is presented directly on the initial dashboard view, or you can view it by
clicking the Monitoring tab of the menu. To monitor the performance, complete the following
steps:
1. From the System window, select the Monitoring icon.
2. Click Performance to display graphs that track performance indicators. The performance
indicators include IOPS, latency, bandwidth, cache read hits, and write delays.
3. The Performance window includes four preset graphs, which are listed in the Favorites
menu. These preconfigured graphs can be seen by clicking the Favorites menu icon, as
shown in Figure 9-105. You can also set any of these graphs as the default.

Figure 9-105 Performance Monitoring window

You can create your own performance graphs for the storage system, pools, volumes, and FC
ports. You can use predefined graphs and compare performance statistics for multiple pools,
up to six volumes at a time, or FC ports.

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 Figure 9-106 shows a comprehensive view of the available performance functions.

Figure 9-106 Performance monitoring graph comprehensive view

To learn how to obtain statistics from the DS CLI, see 10.5, “Metrics with DS CLI” on
page 372.

9.15.1 Performance statistics

Important: All the listed performance statistics are averaged over 1 minute. The
performance graphs cover data that is collected for the last 7 days. For long-term
performance statistics, use IBM Spectrum Control or IBM Storage Insights.

Users can monitor the following resources and performance metrics:

򐂰 System performance metrics:
– IOPS: Total number of processed requests in thousand I/O operations per second
(KIOPS) for the selected I/O operations.
– Latency: Response time in milliseconds (ms) for the selected I/O operations.
– Transfer Size: Number of kilobytes per I/O operation (KB/operation) for the selected I/O
operations.
– Bandwidth: Number of megabytes per second (MBps) for the selected bandwidth type.
– Cache: Percentage of read hits (read I/O operations that were fulfilled from the system
cache or memory) and write delays (I/O operations that were delayed because of write
cache space constraints or other conditions) during 1 minute.
– Capacity: Total capacity and provisioned capacity of the storage system in GiB.
– Power: Power usage of the storage system in watts.
– Temperature: Average temperature of the storage system in degrees Celsius.

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 303

 򐂰 Array performance metrics:
– Back-end IOPS: Number of requests that were processed on the selected arrays in
KIOPS for the selected I/O operation type.
– Back-end Latency: Response time in ms for the selected I/O operations that were
processed on the chosen arrays.
– Transfer Size: Number of KB/operation for the selected I/O operations (read, write, or
average of both) that were processed on the selected arrays.
– Back-end Bandwidth: Number of MBps for the selected bandwidth type (read, write, or
combined total) that was processed on the selected arrays.
– Utilization: Array utilization in %.
򐂰 Pool performance metrics:
– Back-end IOPS: Number of requests that were processed on the arrays in the pool in
KIOPS for the selected I/O operation type.
– Back-end Latency: Response time in ms for the selected I/O operations that were
processed on the arrays in the pool.
– Transfer Size: Number of KB/operation for the selected I/O operations (read, write, or
average of both) that were processed on the arrays in the pool.
– Back-end Bandwidth: Number of MBps for the selected bandwidth type that was
processed on the arrays in the selected pools.
– Usable Capacity: Used, provisioned, and usable capacity, in GiB, in the pool.
– Over-provisioned ratio: Over-provisioned capacity of the pool as a ratio of defined
capacity over total capacity.
– Data activity (Easy Tier): Capacity distribution of tiers in the pool showing capacity that
is active, inactive, or in-between. You can click the bar graphs to zoom in and see a
history of values.
– Data movement (Easy Tier): Historical information showing the amount of data that is
moved by Easy Tier within the pool.
– Data policy (Easy Tier): The capacity of a pool’s tiers that is pinned (assigned) to each
tier.
򐂰 Volume performance metrics:
– I/O: Measure the I/O in IOPS or Latency.
– Bandwidth.
– Data activity (Easy Tier): Capacity distribution of tiers in the volume showing capacity
that is active, inactive, or in-between. You can click the bar graphs to zoom in and see a
history of values.
– Data policy (Easy Tier): The capacity of a volume’s tiers that is pinned (assigned) to
each tier.
򐂰 LSS performance metrics:
– IOPS: Number of requests that are processed on the LSS in KIOPS for the default I/O
operations (read, write, and total).
– Latency: Response time in milliseconds (ms) for the default I/O operations (read, write,
and average) that are processed on the LSS.
– Bandwidth: Number of MBps for the selected bandwidth type (read, write, and total)
that is processed on the LSS.

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򐂰 HOST performance metrics:
– IOPS: Number of requests that are processed on the host, in KIOPS for the default I/O
operations (read, write, and total).
– Latency: Response time in ms for the default I/O operations (read, write, and average)
that is processed on the host.
– Bandwidth: Number of MBps for the selected bandwidth type (read, write, and total)
that is processed on the host.
򐂰 FC port performance metrics:
– IOPS: Number of processed requests in KIOPS for the selected I/O operations (read,
write, and total) on the FC port.
– Latency: Response time in ms for the selected I/O operations on the FC port.
– Transfer Size: Number of KB per operation for the selected I/O operations on the FC
port.
– Bandwidth: Number of MBps for the selected bandwidth type on the FC port.

You can use these performance metrics to define your own graphs. To add the custom graph
to the Favorites menu, click the star icon, as shown in Figure 9-105 on page 302. You can
also export the sample data that is used to create the performance graphs into a CSV file by
clicking the Save icon, as shown in Figure 9-107.

Figure 9-107 StorageSystem_PerformanceSample export CSV file

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9.15.2 Working with customized performance graphs
The DS GUI offers four predefined performance graphs, which are available in the Favorites
menu, as shown in Figure 9-108.

Figure 9-108 Predefined graphs

For detailed performance analysis, you can define more detailed statistics and graphs, which
can help identify and isolate problems. You can perform the following actions:
򐂰 Define your own performance graphs on demand.
򐂰 Add defined graphs to the Favorites menu.
򐂰 Pin defined graphs to the toolbar.
򐂰 Set defined graphs as a default in the Performance window.
򐂰 Rename or delete your graphs. You cannot delete predefined graphs.
򐂰 Change the time range of displayed graphs.

Creating array performance graphs

To create a graph from the System window, click the Monitoring icon. Click Performance to
open the Performance Graphs window. Hover your cursor over the left bar and click to create
a chart, as shown in Figure 9-109.

Figure 9-109 Creating a chart

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Figure 9-110 demonstrates how to complete the following steps (each step number is
referenced in the figure):
1. Select Array from the resources to monitor.
2. Select the arrays to monitor.
3. Select the metrics that you want (I/O, Bandwidth, or Utilization).

Figure 9-110 Array graph definition window

4. Draw the graph, which is shown in Figure 9-111.

Figure 9-111 Array performance graph: Total Utilization

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 307

 Note: Array Utilization is the respective addition to Array performance metrics. When
selected, it monitors the total utilization of the array.

To create a graph of a pool’s performance, see Figure 9-109 on page 306, which shows how
to create a chart, and then complete the following steps:
1. Select Pool from the resources to monitor.
2. Select the pool name to monitor.
3. Select the metrics that you want.
Figure 9-112 shows the metric options that are available for the selected pool.

Figure 9-112 Pool graph definition window

4. Draw the graph, which is shown in Figure 9-113.

Figure 9-113 Pool performance graph

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You can monitor Easy Tier directly in the DS GUI by using the workload categorization report
and migration report. Figure 9-114 shows the Easy Tier pool level workload settings for
creating total data movement report that is shown in Figure 9-115 on page 309.

Figure 9-114 Example of Easy Tier settings for total Data Movement

Figure 9-115 shows an example of the Total Data Movement report.

Figure 9-115 Easy Tier pool level workload reports (Total Data Movement)

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 309

 You can create an Easy Tier Data Activity Report for Pools and Volumes to monitor
performance and to verify that data is placed in the right place. Select a pool to monitor, and
then in the Easy Tier section select All Tiers for Data Activity, as shown in Figure 9-116.

Figure 9-116 Example of Easy Tier Data Activity Report setup

An example report of Easy Tier Data Activity for a pool is shown in Figure 9-117.

Figure 9-117 Example of Easy Tier Data Activity Report

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Creating system performance graphs
Figure 9-109 on page 306 shows the steps to start a chart. To create the graph of the
system’s performance as shown in Figure 9-118, complete the following steps:
1. Select System from the resources to monitor.
2. Select the system to monitor.
3. Select the metrics that you want.

Figure 9-118 System graph definition window

4. Draw the graph, which is shown in Figure 9-119.

Figure 9-119 System performance graph

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 Creating FC port performance graphs
Start a chart as shown in Figure 9-109 on page 306. To complete the sequence that is
indicated by the numbers in Figure 9-120 to create an FC port performance graph, complete
the following steps:
1. Select Fibre Channel Port from the resources to monitor.
2. Select the system to monitor.
3. Select the metrics that you want.

Figure 9-120 Fibre Channel Port graph definition window

4. Draw the graph. Figure 9-121 shows the completed graph.

Figure 9-121 Fibre Channel Port performance graph

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Creating volume performance graphs
Start a chart as shown in Figure 9-109 on page 306. To create the Easy Tier performance
graphs for the volume, as shown in Figure 9-122, complete the following steps:
1. Select Volume from the resources to monitor.
2. Select the volumes to monitor (you can select up to six volumes at a time for a graph).
3. Select the metrics that you want for I/O: Bandwidth or Easy Tier.

Figure 9-122 Volume Performance graph definition window

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 313

 4. Draw the graph. Figure 9-123 shows the bandwidth graph for a set of five volumes.

Figure 9-123 Volume performance graph

Note: The Performance action on the Volume, Host, and LSS resources is also available
in all pages where they are shown. For any Volume, Host, or LSS, select Performance
from the Action menu and then click the metric that you want to monitor. The performance
window for the selected resource and metric opens. Figure 9-124 shows the performance
actions and metrics that are available for a volume on the Volume by LSS page.

Figure 9-124 Performance action for a volume

Adding a graph to the Favorites menu

You can add a graph to the Favorites menu by completing the sequence that is indicated by
the numbers that are shown in Figure 9-125 on page 315:
1. Click the icon Add to Favorites.
2. Enter a name for it.
3. Search and display your favorite graphs from the list.

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Figure 9-125 Adding a graph to the Favorites menu

Pinning a graph to the toolbar

Graphs that are added to the Favorites menu can be pinned to the toolbar to enable faster
access by completing the sequence that is indicated by the numbers that are shown in
Figure 9-126.

Figure 9-126 Pinning a graph to the toolbar

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 315

9.16 Fibre Channel error rate statistics
Errors that occurred during data transmission through FC ports over the past 24 hours can be
displayed in the Error Rates for Fibre Channel Port window in the Network window, as shown
in Figure 9-127. This feature is useful for a proactive check of SAN-related issues from a
DS8A00 perspective.

Figure 9-127 Fibre Channel Port error rate statistics

The following list shows all of the statistics that are available for port error checking:
򐂰 Total errors. The total number of errors that were detected on the FC port.
򐂰 Error frame: An FC frame was received that was not consistent with the FCP.
򐂰 Link failure: FC connectivity with the port was broken. This type of error can occur when
the system that is connected to the port is restarted, replaced, or serviced, and the FC
cable that is connected to the port is temporarily disconnected. It can also indicate a faulty
connector or cable. Link failures result in degraded performance of the FC port until the
failure is fixed.
򐂰 Loss of sync: A synchronization loss error was detected on the FC link. This type of error
can occur when the system that is connected to the port is restarted, replaced, or
serviced, and the FC cable that is connected to the port is temporarily disconnected. It can
also indicate a faulty connector or cable. If a synchronization loss error persists, it can
result in a link failure error.
򐂰 Loss of signal: A loss of signal was detected on the FC link. This type of error can occur
when the system that is connected to the port is replaced or serviced, and the FC cable
that is connected to the port is temporarily disconnected. It can also indicate a faulty
connector or cable. If a loss of signal error persists, it can result in a link failure error.
򐂰 Cyclic redundancy check (CRC) error: An FC frame was received with CRC errors. This
type of error is often fixed when the frame is retransmitted. This type of error is often
recoverable and it does not degrade system performance unless the error persists and the
data cannot be relayed after retransmission.
򐂰 Primitive sequence protocol error: A primitive sequence protocol error was detected. A
primitive sequence is an ordered set that is transmitted and repeated continuously to
indicate specific conditions within the port. The set might also indicate conditions that are
encountered by the receiver logic of the port. This type of error occurs when an
unexpected primitive sequence is received.

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 򐂰 Transmission word count: A bit error was detected. A transmission word is the smallest
transmission unit that is defined in FC. This unit consists of four transmission characters,
4 x 10, or 40 bits. This type of error can include code violations, invalid special code
alignment, and disparity errors.
򐂰 Link reset transmitted: The state of the FC port changed from active (AC) to link recovery
(LR1).
򐂰 Link reset received: The state of the FC port changed from active (AC) to link recovery
(LR2) state.
򐂰 Out of order data: A missing frame was detected. The frame was either missing from a
data sequence or it was received beyond the FC port’s sequence reassembly threshold.
򐂰 Out of order acknowledgment (ACK): An out of order ACK frame was detected. ACK
frames signify that the transmission was received. The frame was either missing from a
data sequence or it was received beyond the FC port’s sequence reassembly threshold.
򐂰 Duplicate frame: A frame that was detected as previously processed was received.
򐂰 Invalid relative offset: A frame with an invalid relative offset parameter in the frame header
was received.
򐂰 Sequence timeout: The FC port detected a timeout condition when a sequence initiator
was received.
򐂰 Uncorrectable bad blocks: A data block with errors was unable to be fixed by Forward
Error Correction (FEC).
򐂰 Correctable bad blocks: A data block with errors was fixed by FEC.
򐂰 Transport mode write retries: A transport mode write operation retry was requested. The
buffer was not large enough to receive unsolicited data.

9.17 Providing feedback

Thirty days after the first login, a feedback request appears on the upper right under
“Suggested tasks”, as shown in Figure 9-128. Click Run Task and a window opens that leads
you through a survey. The task appears for all users in the system. After the feedback is
complete, the system does not ask the particular user for further online feedback. After
downloading the new bundle updates, it is not necessary to complete the survey again. If you
click Not now, the feedback request is snoozed for 90 days.

Figure 9-128 Suggested Tasks window

Chapter 9. IBM DS8000 G10 Storage Management GUI 317

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 10

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage

Management Command-line
Interface
This chapter describes how to use the DS8000 Command-line Interface (DS CLI).

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “DS CLI overview” on page 320
򐂰 “I/O port configuration” on page 337
򐂰 “DS8A00 storage configuration for Fixed-Block volumes” on page 338
򐂰 “DS8A00 storage configuration for the CKD volumes” on page 359
򐂰 “Metrics with DS CLI” on page 372
򐂰 “Private network security commands” on page 380
򐂰 “Copy Services commands” on page 382
򐂰 “Earlier DS CLI commands and scripts” on page 382
򐂰 “For more information” on page 383

Note: This chapter illustrates only a few essential commands. For a list of all commands
and their parameters, see Command-line interface.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 319

10.1 DS CLI overview
The DS CLI provides a full-function command set used for storage unit management and
configuration of various application functions. For more information about DS CLI usage and
setup, see Command-line interface.

The following list highlights a few of the functions that you can perform with the DS CLI:
򐂰 Manage user IDs and passwords that can be used with DS GUI, DS CLI, and Hardware
Management Console (HMC).
򐂰 Install activation keys for licensed features.
򐂰 Manage storage complexes and units.
򐂰 Configure and manage storage facility images (SFIs).
򐂰 Create and delete redundant array of independent disks (RAID) arrays, ranks, and extent
pools.
򐂰 Create and delete logical volumes.
򐂰 Manage the host access to volumes.
򐂰 Check the current Copy Services (CS) configuration that is used by the storage unit.
򐂰 Create, modify, or delete CS configuration settings.
򐂰 Integrate Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) policy usage and configuration.
򐂰 Implement encryption functions.

Single installation: In almost all cases, you can use a single installation of the current
version of the DS CLI for all of your system needs. However, it is not possible to test every
version of DS CLI with every Licensed Machine Code (LMC) level. Therefore, an
occasional problem might occur despite every effort to maintain that level of compatibility.

If you suspect a version incompatibility problem, install the DS CLI version that
corresponds to the LMC level that is installed on your system. You can have more than one
version of DS CLI installed on your system, each in its own directory.

10.1.1 Supported operating systems for the DS CLI

The DS CLI can be installed on many operating systems (OSs):
򐂰 AIX
򐂰 Red Hat Linux
򐂰 SUSE Linux
򐂰 IBM i
򐂰 Oracle Solaris
򐂰 VMware ESX
򐂰 Microsoft Windows
򐂰 IBM z/OS

Important: For more information about supported OSs, specific preinstallation concerns,
and installation file locations, see IBM Documentation.

320 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Before you can install the DS CLI, ensure that at least Java 8 or later is installed. A suitable
level of Java might already be installed on many hosts. The installation program checks for
this requirement during the installation process and does not install the DS CLI if a suitable
version of Java is not already installed.

The installation process can be performed through a shell, such as the bash or Korn shell, the
Windows command prompt, or through a GUI. If the installation process is installed by using a
shell, the installation can be a silent installation by using a profile file. The installation process
also installs software that allows the DS CLI to be uninstalled when the DS CLI is no longer
required.

This chapter focuses on the DS CLI that is installed on an external server and interacting with
the DS8A00. Alternatively, the DS CLI embedded in the DS GUI can be used, and it can be
accessed from the DS GUI dashboard by using the DS CLI option in the lower left corner of
the dashboard.

10.1.2 Installation hints and tips

Before proceeding with the installation of the DS CLI, ensure that you are running the correct
level of Java. If Java 8 or later is not found during the initial check, the following situation
occurs:
򐂰 If you are using Windows, the following message is displayed:
LaunchAnywhere Error: Could not find a valid Java virtual machine to load.
You might need to reinstall a supported Java virtual machine.
򐂰 If you are using UNIX or Linux, the following message is displayed:
No Java virtual machine could be found from your PATH environment variable. You
must install a VM before running this program.

After you ensure that Java 8 or later is installed, complete one of the following actions to
correct the Java virtual machine Not Found error:
򐂰 Run the DS CLI installer again from the console, and provide the path to the Java virtual
machine (JVM) by using the LAX_VM option. The following examples represent paths to
the correct version of Java:
– For a Windows system, specify the following path:
dsclisetup.exe LAX_VM "C:\Program Files\java-whatever\jre\bin\java.exe"

Note: Due to a space in the Program Files directory name, add quotation marks
around the directory name.

– For a UNIX or Linux system, specify the following path:

dsclisetup.bin LAX_VM /opt/ibm-Java-whatever/java/bin/java

Note: If you use the LAX_VM argument, the installer attempts to use whatever JVM
that you specify, even if it is an unsupported version. If an unsupported version is
specified, the installation might complete successfully, but the DS CLI might not run
and return an Unsupported Class Version Error message. You must ensure that
you specify a supported version.

– Continue with the installation of the DS CLI.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 321

 򐂰 (For UNIX or Linux) Add the JVM location to your PATH environment variable by running
the following command:
export PATH=$PATH:/opt/ibm-Java-whatever/java/bin
Then, run the dsclisetup.bin program to install the DS CLI.
򐂰 (AIX only) Run the following commands to sequentially disable the LIBPATH environment
variable, install the DS CLI, and restore the LIBPATH environment variable:
export LIBSAVE=$LIBPATH unset LIBPATH
dsclisetup.bin LAX_VM/opt/ibm-Java-whatever/java/bin/java
export LIBPATH=$LIBSAVE
unset LIBSAVE

10.1.3 Installing the DS CLI on a Windows 10 or 11 system

To install the DS CLI on a Microsoft Windows 10 or 11 system, make sure that the correct
Java version is installed. Example 10-1 shows how to install DS CLI on a Windows 10 system
with the extra step of passing the JVM path location. You can download the DS CLI from
IBM Fix Central.

Example 10-1 DS CLI installation with a path to java.exe on a Windows 10 system

E:\IMAGES\HMC\Disk1\InstData\Windows\NoVM>dsclisetup.exe LAX_VM "C:\Program Files
(x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_161\bin\java.exe"

For instances where Java is already set up, the installation starts with running the
dsclisetup.exe program that is found in your installation media, as shown in Figure 10-1.

Figure 10-1 The dsclisetup.exe file

10.1.4 Installing the DS CLI on an z/OS system

You can install the DS CLI along with IBM Copy Services Manager on z/OS system. It is a
regular System Modification Program/Extended (SMP/E) installation.

The DS CLI runs under UNIX System Services for z/OS, and has a separate FMID HIWN63A.
You can also install the DS CLI separately from IBM Copy Services Manager.

For more information, see IBM DS CLI on z/OS Program Directory, GI13-3563. You can use
the order number (GI13-3563) to search for it at IBM Publications Center.

After the installation is done, the first thing to do is to access your UNIX System Services for
z/OS. This process can vary from installation to installation. Ask your z/OS system
programmer how to access it.

Tip: Set your Time Sharing Option (TSO) REGION SIZE to 512 MB to allow the DS CLI to
run.

322 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 In our test system, we logged on to TSO and used option 6 ISPF Command Shell and issued
the command OMVS to start the z/OS UNIX Shell, as shown in Figure 10-2.

Menu List Mode Functions Utilities Help

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MCECEBC ISPF Command Shell
Enter TSO or Workstation commands below:

===> omvs

Place cursor on choice and press enter to Retrieve command

=> omvs
Figure 10-2 OMVS command to start the z/OS UNIX Shell

The default installation path for the z/OS DS CLI is /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI. To run the DS CLI,
change your working directory to the installation path by issuing the following command, as
shown in Figure 10-3:
cd /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI

IBM
Licensed Material - Property of IBM
...
GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

IBM is a registered trademark of the IBM Corp.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Business Notice:
IBM's internal systems must only be used for conducting IBM's
business or for purposes authorized by IBM management.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

===> cd /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI

INPUT
ESC=¢ 1=Help 2=SubCmd 3=HlpRetrn 4=Top 5=Bottom 6=TSO 7=BackScr
8=Scroll 9=NextSess 10=Refresh 11=FwdRetr 12=Retrieve
Figure 10-3 The cd /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI command

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 323

 You can choose between issuing the following commands to start DS CLI on z/OS, as shown
in Figure 10-4:
򐂰 ./dscli
򐂰 ./dscli -cfg ./profile/aca91.profile (If you decide to use a profile.)

IBM
Licensed Material - Property of IBM
...
GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

IBM is a registered trademark of the IBM Corp.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
IBM's internal systems must only be used for conducting IBM's
business or for purposes authorized by IBM management.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

$ cd /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI
$
===> ./dscli

INPUT
ESC=¢ 1=Help 2=SubCmd 3=HlpRetrn 4=Top 5=Bottom 6=TSO 7=BackScr
8=Scroll 9=NextSess 10=Refresh 11=FwdRetr 12=Retrieve
Figure 10-4 The ./dscli command

If you change your mind and decide to quit here, instead of typing ./dscli, press F2 to
activate the SubCmd, as shown in Figure 10-4 (2=SubCmd). The OMVS Subcommand line is
displayed, and you can issue a quit command.

As shown in Figure 10-5, the message CEE5210S The signal SIGHUP was received followed
by *** appears. Press Enter to quit OMVS.

IBM
Licensed Material - Property of IBM
...
IBM is a registered trademark of the IBM Corp.
...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
$ cd /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI
$
OMVS Subcommand ==> quit

SUBCOMMAND
ESC= 1=Help 2=SubCmd 3=Return 4=Top 5=Bottom 6=TSO 7=BackScr
8=Scroll 9=NextSess 10=Refresh 11=FwdRetr 12=Retrieve

-------------------------------------------------------
CEE5210S The signal SIGHUP was received.
***
Figure 10-5 Sequence to leave the DS CLI

324 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 By using the DS CLI on z/OS, you can issue single commands, use a script mode, or go into
batch mode by using z/OS Job Control Language (JCL). Figure 10-6 shows how to access
the command interface.

Business Notice:
IBM's internal systems must only be used for conducting IBM's
business or for purposes authorized by IBM management.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

$ cd /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI
$ ./dscli
Enter the primary management console IP address: <enter-your-machine-ip-address>
Enter the secondary management console IP address:
Enter your username: <enter-your-user-name-as-defined-on-the-machine>
Enter your password: <enter-your-user-password-to-access-the-machine>
dscli> ver -l
...
dscli>
===>

INPUT
ESC=¢ 1=Help 2=SubCmd 3=HlpRetrn 4=Top 5=Bottom 6=TSO 7=BackScr 8=Scroll
9=NextSess 10=Refresh 11=FwdRetr 12=Retrieve

Figure 10-6 Accessing the DS CLI on z/OS

The command that you run on DS CLI on z/OS has the same syntax as in other platforms.
Some examples of those commands are shown in Figure 10-7.

dscli> lssi
Name ID Storage Unit Model WWNN State ESSNet
========================================================================================
IBM.2107-75xxxx IBM.2107-75xxxx IBM.2107-75xxxxx A50 5005076303FFD13E Online Enabled
dscli> lsckdvol -lcu EF
Name ID accstate datastate configstate deviceMTM voltype orgbvols extpool cap (cyl)
===========================================================================================
ITSO_EF00 EF00 Online Normal Normal 3390-A CKD Base - P1 262668
ITSO_EF01 EF01 Online Normal Normal 3390-9 CKD Base - P1 10017
dscli> mkckdvol -dev IBM.2107-75xxxxx -cap 3339 -datatype 3390 -eam rotateexts -name ITSO_#h -extpool P1
EF02-EF02
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume EF02 successfully created.
dscli> lsckdvol -lcu EF
Name ID accstate datastate configstate deviceMTM voltype orgbvols extpool cap (cyl)
===========================================================================================
ITSO_EF00 EF00 Online Normal Normal 3390-A CKD Base - P1 262668
ITSO_EF01 EF01 Online Normal Normal 3390-9 CKD Base - P1 10017
ITSO_EF02 EF02 Online Normal Normal 3390-3 CKD Base - P1 3339
dscli> rmckdvol EF02
CMUC00023W rmckdvol: The alias volumes associated with a CKD base volume are automatically deleted
before deletion of the CKD base volume. Are you sure you want to delete CKD volume EF02? Ýy/n¨: y
CMUC00024I rmckdvol: CKD volume EF02 successfully deleted.
dscli>
===>

Figure 10-7 Common commands on the DS CLI

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 325

 Here are some examples of how to take advantage of using your own JCL:
򐂰 Example 10-2 shows a job to run a DS CLI script (multiple commands that are stored in a
UNIX file and in script mode).

Example 10-2 Running multiple commands from a UNIX file

//job--goes-here
//*******************************************************************/
//* */
//* Run a DS CLI script in z/OS */
//* */
//* DS CLI on z/OS = CSMDSCLI */
//* */
//* All output (stdin and stderr) is directed to the job log */
//* The actual UNIX command follows the SH statement, it can span */
//* more than one line */
//* */
//*******************************************************************/
//*
//PBXBAT EXEC PGM=BPXBATCH
//STDIN DD DUMMY
//STDOUT DD SYSOUT=*
//STDERR DD SYSOUT=*
//SYSOUT DD SYSOUT=*
//STDENV DD DUMMY
//STDPARM DD *
SH
/opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI/dscli -cfg /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI/profile/aca91.profile
-script /u/itso/dscli_script.txt
/*

򐂰 Example 10-3 shows a JCL to run several commands in a row, each in single-shot mode.

Example 10-3 Several single-shot mode commands

//job-card-goes-here
//*******************************************************************/
//* */
//* Run several DS CLI command in z/OS */
//* */
//* DS CLI on z/OS = CSMDSCLI */
//* */
//* All output (stdin and stderr) is directed to the job log */
//* The actual UNIX commands follow the SH statement, they can */
//* span more than one line */
//* */
//* Commands are separated by semicolon */
//* */
//*******************************************************************/
//*
//PBXBAT EXEC PGM=BPXBATCH
//STDIN DD DUMMY
//STDOUT DD SYSOUT=*
//STDERR DD SYSOUT=*
//SYSOUT DD SYSOUT=*
//STDENV DD DUMMY

326 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 //STDPARM DD *
SH
echo "Command 1:";
/opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI/dscli -cfg /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI/profile/aca91.profile
ver -l;
echo "Command 2:";
/opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI/dscli -cfg /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI/profile/aca91.profile
lsrank;
echo "Command 3:";
/opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI/dscli -cfg /opt/IBM/CSMDSCLI/profile/aca91.profile
lsarray;
/*

10.1.5 DS CLI version

The ver command displays the version of the DS CLI client program, the HMC code level
(Storage Manager), the HMC DS CLI version, the LMC version, and the code bundle version.
The ver command uses the following parameters:
-s (optional): The -s parameter displays the version of the DS CLI client program.
You cannot use the -s and -l parameters together.
-l (optional): The -l parameter displays the versions of the DS CLI client program,
Storage Manager, HMC code level, LMC, and the code bundle. You
cannot use the -l and -s parameters together.
-cli (optional): The -cli parameter displays the version of the DS CLI client program.
Version numbers are in this format:
version.release.modification.fixlevel
-stgmgr (optional): The -stgmgr parameter displays the version of the Storage Manager.
This ID is not the Storage Manager GUI. This ID relates to the HMC
code level information.
-lmc (optional): The -lmc parameter displays the version of the LMC.

Example 10-4 shows an example of the ver command, where the customer uses an earlier
DS CLI version.

Example 10-4 DS CLI version command

dscli> ver -l
Date/Time: 19 September 2024 4:52:54 PM IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.767 DS: -
DSCLI 7.10.0.767
StorageManager 10.2.2408132242
HMC DSCLI 7.10.0.749
================Version=================
Storage Image LMC Bundle Version
==========================================
IBM.2107-78xxxxx 7.10.0.749 10.0.198.0
dscli>

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 327

 The following DS CLI commands check the IBM Copy Services Manager version and install
new software levels of IBM Copy Services Manager:
򐂰 The lssoftware -l command displays the IBM Copy Services Manager version that is
installed on both HMCs, as shown in Example 10-5.

Example 10-5 Displaying the IBM Copy Services Manager version

dscli> lssoftware -l
Type Version Status HMC
======================================
CSM V6.3.11.0-a20240620-1649 Running 1
CSM V6.3.11.0-a20240620-1649 Running 2

򐂰 The installsoftware command is used to install a new version of IBM Copy Services
Manager software on the HMC, as shown in Example 10-6.

Example 10-6 The installsoftware command output

dscli> installsoftware -loc
/home/hscroot/wht/csm-setup-6.3.12.0-linux-ppcle.bin -certloc
/home/hscroot/wht/csm-setup-6.3.12.0-linux-ppcle.bin.crt -type CSM -hmc 1
IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.767 DS: IBM.2107-78xxxxx
CMUC00294I installsoftware: Upload file successfully.
CMUC00294I installsoftware: Software CSM is successfully installed on HMC 1.

10.1.6 User accounts

DS CLI communicates with the DS8A00 through the HMC. The primary or secondary HMC
can be used. The DS CLI access is authenticated by using IBM Enterprise Storage Server
Network Interface (IBM ESSNI), which is also referred to as the DS Network Interface (DSNI)
on the HMC. The same user ID is used for DS CLI and DS GUI access. For more information
about user accounts, see 6.6, “User management” on page 177.

The default user ID is admin and the password is admin. The system forces you to change the
password at the first login. If you forget the admin password, a reset can be performed that
resets the admin password to the default value.

10.1.7 User management by using the DS CLI

Although many administrative functions of the DS8A00 are controlled by the storage
administrator, you might want to define other users with different authorities for other limited
functions.

The following commands are used to manage user IDs by using the DS CLI:
򐂰 mkuser
A user account that can be used with the DS CLI and the DS GUI is created by using this
command. Example 10-7 shows the creation of a user that is called John, which is in the
op_storage group. The temporary password of the user is passw0rd. The user must
change the temporary password during the first login.

Example 10-7 Using the mkuser command to create a user

dscli> mkuser -pw passw0rd -group op_storage John
CMUC00133I mkuser: User John successfully created.

328 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

򐂰 rmuser
An existing user ID is removed by using this command. Example 10-8 shows the removal
of a user called Jane.

Example 10-8 Removing a user

dscli> rmuser Jane
CMUC00135W rmuser: Are you sure you want to delete user JaneSmith? [y/n]:y
CMUC00136I rmuser: User JaneSmith successfully deleted.

򐂰 chuser
Use this command to change the password or group (or both) of an existing user ID. It can
also be used to unlock a user ID that was locked by exceeding the allowable login retry
count. The administrator can also use this command to lock a user ID. In Example 10-9,
we unlock the user, change the password, and change the group membership for a user
that is called JohnDoe. The user must use the chpass command the next time that they log
in.

Example 10-9 Changing a user by using the chuser command

dscli> chuser -unlock -pw time2change -group op_storage John
CMUC00134I chuser: User JohnDoe successfully modified.

򐂰 lsuser
By using this command, a list of all user IDs can be generated. Example 10-10 shows a
list of three users, including the administrator account.

Example 10-10 Using the lsuser command to list users

dscli> lsuser -l
Name Group State Scope
=================================================
admin admin active *
engineering ibm_engineering active *
John op_storage active PUBLIC
secadmin secadmin active *
service ibm_service active *
suser ibm_service active PUBLIC

򐂰 showuser
The account details of a user ID can be displayed by using this command. Example 10-11
lists the details of the user JohnDoe.

Example 10-11 Using the showuser command to list user information

dscli> showuser John

Name John
Group op_storage
State active
FailedLogin 0
DaysToExpire 9999
Scope PUBLIC

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 329

 򐂰 managepwfile
An encrypted password file that is placed onto the local machine is created or added by
using this command. This file can be referred to in a DS CLI profile. You can run scripts
without specifying a DS CLI user password in clear text. If you are manually starting the
DS CLI, you can also refer to a password file with the -pwfile parameter. By default, the
file is in the following directories:
– Windows: C:\Users\<User>\dscli\security.dat
– Other than Windows: HOME/dscli/security.dat
Example 10-12 shows managing the password file by adding the user ID JohnDoe. The
password is now saved in an encrypted file that is called security.dat.

Example 10-12 Using the managepwfile command

dscli> managepwfile -action add -name John -pw passw0rd
CMUC00206I managepwfile: Record 10.0.0.1/John successfully added to password
file C:\Users\Administrator\dscli\security.dat.

򐂰 chpass
By using this command, you can change two password policies: Password expiration (in
days) and the number of failed logins that are allowed. Example 10-13 shows changing
the expiration to 365 days and five failed login attempts.

Example 10-13 Changing the rules by using the chpass command

dscli> chpass -expire 365 -fail 5

CMUC00195I chpass: Security properties successfully set.

򐂰 showpass
The properties for passwords (Password Expiration days and Failed Logins Allowed) are
listed by using this command. Example 10-14 shows that passwords are set to expire in
90 days and that four login attempts are allowed before a user ID is locked.

Example 10-14 Using the showpass command

dscli> showpass
Password Expiration 365 days
Failed Logins Allowed 5
Password Age 0 days
Minimum Length 8
Password History 8

10.1.8 DS CLI profile

To access the DS8A00 with the DS CLI, you must provide certain information by using the
dscli command. At a minimum, the IP address or hostname of the DS8A00 HMC, a
username, and a password are required. You can also provide other information, such as the
output format for list commands, the number of rows for each page in the command-line
output, and whether a banner is included with the command-line output.

If you create one or more profiles to contain your preferred settings, you do not need to
specify this information every time that you use the DS CLI. When you start the DS CLI, you
can specify a profile name by using the dscli command. You can override the values of the
profile by specifying a different parameter value for the dscli command.

330 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

When you install the command-line interface software, a default profile is installed in the
profile directory with the software. The file name is dscli.profile. For example, use
C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\dscli for Windows and
/opt/ibm/dscli/profile/dscli.profile for AIX (UNIX) and Linux platforms.

The following options are available for using profile files:

򐂰 You can modify the system default profile dscli.profile.
򐂰 You can create a personal default profile by copying the system default profile as
<user_home>/dscli/profile/dscli.profile. The default home directory <user_home> is in
the following directories:
– Windows system: %USERPROFILE%, which is usually C:\Users\Administrator
– UNIX or Linux system: $HOME
򐂰 You can create specific profiles for different storage units and operations. Save the profile
in the user profile directory, for example:
– %USERPROFILE%\IBM\DSCLI\profile\operation_name1
– %USERPROFILE%\IBM\DSCLI\profile\operation_name2

Default profile file: The default profile file that you created when you installed the DS CLI
might be replaced every time that you install a new version of the DS CLI. It is a best
practice to open the default profile and then save it as under a new file. You can then create
multiple profiles and reference the relevant profile file by using the -cfg parameter.

The following example uses a different profile when it starts the DS CLI:

dscli -cfg newprofile.profile (or whatever name you gave to the new profile)

These profile files can be specified by using the DS CLI command parameter -cfg
<profile_name>. If the profile name is not specified, the default profile of the user is used. If a
profile of a user does not exist, the system default profile is used.

Two default profiles: If two default profiles are called dscli.profile, one profile in the
default system’s directory and one profile in your personal directory, your personal profile is
loaded.

Profile change illustration

To edit the profile, complete the following steps. This sequence assumes that your
%userprofile% is C:\Users\Administrator.
1. Use Windows Explorer to copy the profile folder from C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\dscli
to C:\Users\Administrator\dscli.
2. From the Windows desktop, double-click the DS CLI icon.
3. In the command window that opens, enter the following command:
cd C:\Users\Administrator\dscli\
4. In the profile directory, enter the notepad dscli.profile command, as shown in
Example 10-15.

Example 10-15 Command prompt operation

C:\Users\Administrator\dscli>cd profile
C:\Users\Administrator\dscli\profile>notepad dscli.profile

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 331

 5. The notepad opens and includes the DS CLI profile. Add four lines. Examples of these
lines are shown in bold in Example 10-16.

Default newline delimiter: The default newline delimiter is a UNIX delimiter, which can
render text in the notepad as one long line. Use a text editor that correctly interprets
UNIX line endings.

Example 10-16 DS CLI profile example

#
# DS CLI Profile
#
# Management Console/Node IP Addresses
# hmc1 and hmc2 are equivalent to -hmc1 and -hmc2 command options.
#hmc1:127.0.0.1
#hmc2:127.0.0.1

# Default target Storage Image ID

# "devid" and "remotedevid" are equivalent to
# "-dev storage_image_ID" and "-remotedev storeage_image_ID" command
options, respectively.
#devid: IBM.2107-AZ12341
#remotedevid:IBM.2107-AZ12341

devid: IBM.2107-75xxxxx
hmc1: 10.0.0.1
username: admin
pwfile: c:\mydir\75xxxxx\pwfile.txt

Adding the serial number by using the devid parameter and adding the HMC IP address
by using the hmc1 parameter are suggested. These additions help you to avoid mistakes
when you use more profiles, and you do not need to specify this parameter for certain
dscli commands that require it. Additionally, if you specify the dscli profile for CS usage,
the remotedevid parameter is suggested for the same reasons. To determine the ID of a
storage system, use the lssi CLI command.
Add the username and an encrypted password file by using the managepwfile command. A
password file that is generated by using the managepwfile command is placed in the
user_home_directory/dscli/profile/security/security.dat directory. Specify the
location of the password file with the pwfile parameter.

Important: Be careful if you add multiple devid and HMC entries. Uncomment (remove
the number sign (#) one entry at a time. If multiple hmc1 or devid entries exist, the DS
CLI uses the entry that is closest to the bottom of the profile.

The following customization parameters also affect dscli output:

– banner: Date and time with the dscli version are printed for each command.
– header: Column names are printed.
– format: The output format, which is specified as default, xml, delim, or stanza.
– paging: For interactive mode, this parameter breaks output after several rows (24, by
default).
6. After you save your changes, use Windows Explorer to copy the updated profile from
C:\Users\Administrator\dscli\profile to C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\dscli\profile.

332 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

10.1.9 Configuring the DS CLI to use the second HMC
The second HMC can be specified on the CLI or in the profile file that is used by the DS CLI.
To specify the second HMC in a command, use the -hmc2 parameter, as shown in
Example 10-17.

Example 10-17 Using the -hmc2 parameter

C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\dscli>dscli -hmc1 10.0.0.1 -hmc2 10.0.0.5
Enter your user name: John
Enter your password: xxxxx
DS: IBM.2107-75xxxxx
dscli>

Alternatively, you can modify the following lines in the dscli.profile (or any profile) file:
# Management Console/Node IP Addresses
# hmc1 and hmc2 are equivalent to -hmc1 and -hmc2 command options.
hmc1:10.0.0.1
hmc2:10.0.0.5

After these changes are made and the profile is saved, the DS CLI automatically
communicates through HMC2 if HMC1 becomes unreachable. By using this change, you can
perform configuration and run CS commands with full redundancy.

Two HMCs: If you specify only one HMC in a DS CLI command (or profile), any changes
that you make to users are still replicated onto the other HMC.

10.1.10 Command structure

All DS CLI commands have a common structure which can include up to four components
arranged in the following order:
1. The command name specifies the task that the DS CLI performs. For example, lsarray
lists all defined arrays in the storage system.
2. Flags are used to modify the command. They provide more information that directs the
DS CLI to perform the command task in a specific way. They are always preceded by a
hyphen (-) and can be followed immediately by a space and a flag parameter. For
example, -h provides additional help with command syntax.
3. Flags parameter provides information that is required to implement the command
modification that is specified by a flag. They are variables as their value changes based on
your specific need. For example, flag -user requires a flag parameter that is a specific
user_name
4. Command parameters provide basic information that is necessary to perform the
command task. When a command parameter is required, it is always the last component
of the command, and it is not preceded by a flag.

In Example 10-18 on page 334, lsrank is the command name, -dev and -l are command
parameters and IBM.2107–75xxxxx is the sub parameter for the -dev parameter, and R1, R2,
and R3 are a list of command parameters.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 333

 Example 10-18 DS CLI components and structure
dscli> lsrank -dev IBM.2107-75xxxxx -l R1 R2 R3

10.1.11 Using the DS CLI application

To issue commands to the DS8A00, you must first log in to the DS8A00 through the DS CLI
client with one of the following command modes of execution:
򐂰 Single-shot command mode
򐂰 Interactive command mode
򐂰 Script command mode

Single-shot command mode

Use the DS CLI single-shot command mode if you want to issue an occasional command
from the operating system (OS) shell prompt where you need special handling, such as
redirecting the DS CLI output to a file. You can also use this mode if you are embedding the
command into an OS shell script.

You must supply the login information and the command that you want to process at the same
time. To use the single-shot mode, complete the following steps:
1. At the OS shell prompt, enter one of the following commands:
– dscli -hmc1 <hostname or ip address> -user <adm user> -passwd <pwd> <command>
– dscli -cfg <dscli profile> -pwfile <security file> <command>

Important: For security reasons, avoid embedding the username and password into
the profile. Instead, use the -pwfile command.

2. Wait for the command to process and display the results.

Example 10-19 shows the use of the single-shot command mode.

Example 10-19 Single-shot command mode

C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\dscli>dscli -hmc1 10.10.10.1 -user admin -passwd <pwd> lsuser
Name Group State
===============================================
AlphaAdmin admin locked
AlphaOper op_copy_services active
BetaOper op_copy_services active
admin admin active

Important: When you are typing the command, you can use the hostname or the IP
address of the HMC. When a command is run in single-shot mode, the user must be
authenticated. The authentication process can take a considerable amount of time.

Interactive command mode

Use the DS CLI interactive command mode when you want to issue a few infrequent
commands without needing to log on to the DS8A00 for each command.

The interactive command mode provides a history function that simplifies repeating or
checking earlier command usage.

334 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

To use the interactive command mode, complete the following steps:
1. Log on to the DS CLI application at the directory where it is installed.
2. Provide the information that is requested by the information prompts. The information
prompts might not appear if you provided this information in your profile file. The command
prompt switches to a dscli command prompt.
3. Use the DS CLI commands and parameters. You are not required to begin each command
with dscli because this prefix is provided by the dscli command prompt.
4. Use the quit or exit command to end interactive mode.

Interactive mode: In interactive mode for long outputs, the message Press Enter To
Continue appears. The number of rows can be specified in the profile file. Optionally, you
can turn off the paging feature in the DS CLI profile file by using the paging:off parameter.

Example 10-20 shows the interactive command mode by using the profile DS8A00.profile.

Example 10-20 Interactive command mode

C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\dscli>dscli -cfg DS8A00.profile

dscli> lsarraysite -l
Date/Time: 20 September 2024 5:42:24 PM IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.767 DS: IBM.2107-78xxxxx
arsite DA Pair dkcap (10^9B) diskrpm State Array diskclass encrypt
===============================================================================
S1 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S2 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S3 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S4 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported

dscli> lssi
Name ID Storage Unit Model WWNN State ESSNet
===================================================================================
ds8k-g10-01 IBM.2107-78xxxxx IBM.2107-78xxxxx A05 5005076303FFF0DD Online Enabled

Script command mode

Use the DS CLI script command mode if you want to use a sequence of DS CLI commands. If
you want to run a script that contains only DS CLI commands, you can start the DS CLI in
script mode. The script that DS CLI runs can contain only DS CLI commands.

Example 10-21 shows the contents of a DS CLI script file. The file contains only DS CLI
commands, although comments can be placed in the file by using a number sign (#). Empty
lines are also allowed. One advantage of using this method is that scripts that are written in
this format can be used by the DS CLI on any OS on which you can install the DS CLI, as well
as in the embedded DS CLI in the DS GUI. Only one authentication process is needed to run
all of the script commands.

Example 10-21 Example of a DS CLI script file

# Sample dscli script file
# Comments can appear if hashed
lsarraysite
lsarray
lsrank

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 335

 For script command mode, you can turn off the banner and header for easier output parsing.
Also, you can specify an output format that might be easier to parse by your script.

Example 10-22 shows starting the DS CLI by using the -script parameter and specifying a
profile and script path and name that contains the commands from Example 10-21 on
page 335.

Example 10-22 Running a DS CLI file

C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\dscli>dscli -cfg DS8A00.profile -script c:\ds8000.script
arsite DA Pair dkcap (10^9B) diskrpm State Array diskclass encrypt
===============================================================================
S1 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S2 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S3 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S4 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
Array State Data RAIDtype arsite Rank DA Pair DDMcap (10^9B) diskclass encrypt
================================================================================================
A0 Unassigned Normal 6 (5+P+Q+S) S1 - 0 4800.0 FlashCoreModule supported
A1 Unassigned Normal 6 (5+P+Q+S) S2 - 0 4800.0 FlashCoreModule supported
ID Group State datastate Array RAIDtype extpoolID stgtype
==============================================================
R0 - Unassigned Normal A0 6 - fb
R1 - Unassigned Normal A1 6 - fb

Important: The DS CLI script can contain only DS CLI commands. Using shell commands
results in a process failure.

10.1.12 Return codes

When the DS CLI exits, the exit status code is provided, which effectively is a return code. If
DS CLI commands are issued as separate commands (rather than by using script mode), a
return code is presented for every command. If a DS CLI command fails (for example,
because of a syntax error or the use of an incorrect password), a failure reason and return
code are shown. Standard techniques to collect and analyze return codes can be used.

The return codes/messages that are used by the DS CLI are listed in Messages.

10.1.13 User assistance

The DS CLI is designed to include several forms of user assistance. The main form of user
assistance is through IBM Documentation.

Click the Command-line interface tab to access user assistance. You can also get user
assistance when using the DS CLI program by running the help command. The following
examples of usage are included:
help Lists all the available DS CLI commands.
help -s Lists all the DS CLI commands with brief descriptions of each
command.
help -l Lists all the DS CLI commands with their syntax information.

To obtain information about a specific DS CLI command, enter the command name as a
parameter of the help command. The following examples of usage are included:
help <command name> Provides a detailed description of the specified command.
help -s <command name> Provides a brief description of the specified command.

336 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 help -l <command name> Provides syntax information about the specified command.

Man pages
A man page is available for every DS CLI command. Man pages are most commonly seen in
UNIX OSs, and provide information about command capabilities. This information can be
displayed by issuing the relevant command followed by the -h, -help, or -? flags.

10.2 I/O port configuration

Set the I/O ports to the topology that you want. Example 10-23 lists the I/O ports by using the
lsioport command. I0020–I0023 are on one adapter, and I0030–I0033 are on another
adapter.

Example 10-23 Listing the I/O ports

dscli> lsioport
ID WWPN State Type topo portgrp Security
===========================================================================================
I0020 50050763030230DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0021 50050763030270DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0022 500507630302B0DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0023 500507630302F0DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0030 50050763030330DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0031 50050763030370DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0032 500507630303B0DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0033 500507630303F0DD Offline Fibre Channel-LW - 0 Disabled
I0040 50050763030430DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0041 50050763030470DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0042 500507630304B0DD Communication established Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0043 500507630304F0DD No light detected Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0050 50050763030530DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0051 50050763030570DD Offline Fibre Channel-SW - 0 Disabled
I0052 500507630305B0DD Communication established Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
I0053 500507630305F0DD No light detected Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled

The following possible topologies for each I/O port are available:
򐂰 Small Computer System Interface - Fibre Channel Protocol (SCSI-FCP): Fibre Channel
(FC)-switched fabric, which is also called switched point-to-point. This port type is also
used for mirroring.
򐂰 Fibre Channel connection (IBM FICON): This port type is for IBM Z system hosts only.

The Security field in the lsioport output (Example 10-23) indicates the status of the
IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security feature (In-flight data encryption over FICON links). For
more information, see IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security for IBM DS8000 and IBM Z,
SG24-8455.

If added to the setioport command, the -force parameter allows a topology change to an
online I/O port even if a topology is set. Example 10-24 shows setting I/O ports without and
with the -force option to the FICON topology, and then checking the results.

Example 10-24 Changing the topology by using setioport

dscli> lsioport i0103
ID WWPN State Type topo portgrp Security
===========================================================================================

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 337

 I0103 500507630908D462 Communication established Fibre Channel-SW SCSI-FCP 0 Disabled
dscli> setioport -topology ficon I0103
CMUN04033E setioport: I0231: The change topology request failed because the current
topology is already set and force option is not provided.
dscli> setioport -topology ficon -force I0103
CMUC00011I setioport: I/O Port I0231 successfully configured.
dscli> lsioport I0103
ID WWPN State Type topo portgrp Security
========================================================================================
I0103 500507630908D462 Communication established Fibre Channel-SW FICON 0 Disabled

To monitor the status for each I/O port, see 10.5, “Metrics with DS CLI” on page 372.

10.3 DS8A00 storage configuration for Fixed-Block volumes

This section reviews examples of a typical DS8A00 storage configuration when the DS8A00
storage is attached to open system hosts. You can perform the DS8A00 storage configuration
by completing the following steps:
1. Create the arrays.
2. Create the ranks.
3. Create the extent pools.
4. Create the volumes.
5. Create the volume groups.
6. Create the host connections.
7. Create a cluster and assign hosts to it.

10.3.1 Disk classes

Arrays and array sites are associated with the following disk classes (diskclass), which
represent a classification of the different drive types that are available for the DS8A00:
򐂰 The FlashTier 1 flash disk class specifies 2.5-inch 1.6 TB flash drives.
򐂰 The FlashTier 2 flash disk class specifies 2.5-inch 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB, or 7.68 TB flash
drives.
򐂰 The FlashCoreModule flash disk class specifies 2.5-inch compression capable flash
drives with sizes of 4.8 TB, 9.6 TB, or 19.2 TB.

Important: For more information about the current drive choices and RAID capacities, see
IBM Documentation.

10.3.2 Creating the arrays

This section describes steps for creating the arrays. Array sites are groups of eight drives that
are predefined in the DS8A00.

Important: One rank is assigned to one array. An array is made of only one array site. An
array site contains eight drives. There is a one to one relationship among array sites,
arrays, and ranks.

338 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 The lsarraysite command displays all available array sites that are installed in the DS8A00.
In Example 10-25, all listed array sites are unassigned. Therefore, all array sites can be used
for creating arrays. The -l option reports the diskclass information.

Example 10-25 Listing array sites

dscli> lsarraysite -l
arsite DA Pair dkcap (10^9B) diskrpm State Array diskclass encrypt
===============================================================================
S1 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S2 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S3 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S4 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S5 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S6 0 4800.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashCoreModule supported
S7 1 1600.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashTier1 supported
S8 1 1600.0 65000 Unassigned - FlashTier1 supported

You can issue the mkarray command to create arrays, as shown in Example 10-26. The
example uses one array site to create a single RAID 6 array. If you want to create a RAID 10
array, change the -raidtype parameter to 10.

Example 10-26 Creating arrays by using mkarray

dscli> mkarray -raidtype 6 -arsite S1
CMUC00004I mkarray: Array A0 successfully created.
dscli> mkarray -raidtype 6 -arsite S2
CMUC00004I mkarray: Array A1 successfully created.

You can now see the arrays that were created by using the lsarray -l command, as shown
in Example 10-27.

Example 10-27 Listing the arrays by using lsarray

dscli> lsarray -l
Array State Data RAIDtype arsite Rank DA Pair DDMcap (10^9B) diskclass encrypt
================================================================================================
A0 Unassigned Normal 6 (5+P+Q+S) S1 - 0 4800.0 FlashCoreModule supported
A1 Unassigned Normal 6 (5+P+Q+S) S2 - 0 4800.0 FlashCoreModule supported

Example 10-28 shows the results of the lsarraysite -l command.

Example 10-28 Listing the high-performance flash disk class flash Tier 0 by using the lsarraysite command
dscli> lsarraysite -l -diskclass FlashCoreModule
arsite DA Pair dkcap (10^9B) diskrpm State Array diskclass encrypt
===============================================================================
S1 0 4800.0 65000 Assigned A0 FlashCoreModule supported
S2 0 4800.0 65000 Assigned A1 FlashCoreModule supported

You can see the following information in the previous examples:

򐂰 Type of RAID array (RAID 6).
򐂰 Number of drives that are allocated to the array (5+P+Q+S, which means that the usable
space of the array is five times the drive size, and P+Q is used for R6 Parity and S for
Spare).

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 339

 򐂰 Capacity of the drives that are being used (4.8 TB).
򐂰 Array sites (S1 and S2) that were used to create the arrays.
򐂰 Disk class (FlashCoreModule).

RAID types
RAID 6 and RAID 10 are supported RAID types for DS8A00 systems. RAID 5 is not
supported with DS8A00. You receive an alert and error message if you try to create RAID 5.
Example 10-29 shows an attempt to create RAID 5.

Example 10-29 Alert and error message when attempting to create RAID 5 array
dscli> mkarray -raidtype 5 -arsite S3

CMUC00536W mkarray: The use of RAID 6 over RAID 5 is highly recommended for
increased reliability. Please acknowledge that you understand the risks associated
with RAID 5.: Are you sure you want to accept the disclaimer above? [Y/N]: y
CMUN81522E mkarray: RAID 5 is not supported by the device adapter pair.

10.3.3 Creating the ranks

After you create all of the required arrays, create the ranks by using the mkrank command.
The format of the command for creating Fix Block - FB rank is mkrank -array Ax -stgtype
FB.

If you enabled Data-at-Rest encryption with local or external key manager, then when you
create ranks, you must include the -keygrp flag in the mkrank command with the
corresponding Encryption Key Group ID parameter which is included in the lskeygrp
command output.

After all the ranks are created, use the lsrank command to display the following information:
򐂰 List of all created ranks with associated ID.
򐂰 The rank group 0 or 1. Each group has server affinity (0 for server0 or 1 for server1). Rank
group ID is displayed only when a rank is assigned to a specific extent pool.
򐂰 The RAID type.
򐂰 The format of the rank (fb or ckd).

Example 10-30 shows the lskeygrp and mkrank commands and the result of a successful
lsrank command.

Example 10-30 Creating and listing ranks by using the mkrank and lsrank commands

dscli> lskeygrp
ID state reckeystate reckeydate datakeydate keyprotocol type name
========================================================================
1 accessible disabled - 09/18/2024 LOCAL DAR DAR_1

As per the above output, the Encryption Key Group ID = 1. It must be specified in
the mkrank command in -keygrp parameter.

dscli> mkrank -array A0 -keygrp 1 -stgtype fb

CMUC00007I mkrank: Rank R0 successfully created.
dscli> mkrank -array A1 -keygrp 1 -stgtype fb
CMUC00007I mkrank: Rank R1 successfully created.

340 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 dscli> lsrank
Date/Time: 20 September 2024 6:27:18 PM IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.767 DS: IBM.2107-78xxxxx
ID Group State datastate Array RAIDtype extpoolID stgtype
==============================================================
R0 - Unassigned Normal A0 6 - fb
R1 - Unassigned Normal A1 6 - fb

dscli> lsarray
Array State Data RAIDtype arsite Rank DA Pair DDMcap (10^9B)
====================================================================
A0 Assigned Normal 6 (5+P+Q+S) S1 R0 0 4800.0
A1 Assigned Normal 6 (5+P+Q+S) S2 R1 0 4800.0

When defining a rank, you can also specify the extent size. You can have ranks and extent
pools with large 1 (gibibyte) GiB FB extents or small 16 mebibytes (MiB) FB extents. The
extent unit is specified by the -extsize parameter of the mkrank command. The first rank that
is added to an extent pool determines the extent size of the extent pool.

Small extents are the default.

10.3.4 Creating the extent pools and assigning ranks to the extent pools
The next step is to create the extent pools. Remember the following points when you create
the extent pools:
򐂰 Each extent pool includes an associated rank group that is specified by the -rankgrp
parameter, which defines the extent pool’s server affinity (0 for server0 or 1 for server1).
򐂰 The extent pool type is specified by the -stgtype parameter. FB is used for Fixed-Block
format.
򐂰 The number of extent pools can range from one to the number of existing ranks. However,
to associate ranks with both servers, you need at least two extent pools.

For easier management, create empty extent pools that relate to the type of storage or the
planned usage for that pool. For example, create an extent pool pair for FB open systems
environment and create an extent pool pair for the CKD environment.

When an extent pool is created, the system automatically assigns it an extent pool ID, which
is a decimal number that starts from 0, preceded by the letter P. The ID that was assigned to
an extent pool is shown in the CMUC00000I message, which is displayed in response to a
successful mkextpool command.

Extent pools that are associated with rank group 0 receive an even ID number. Extent pools
that are associated with rank group 1 receive an odd ID number. The extent pool ID is used
when you refer to the extent pool in subsequent DS CLI commands. Therefore, it is a best
practice to note the ID.

The mkextpool command forces you to name the extent pools. To do so, complete the
following steps (Example 10-31 on page 342):
1. Create empty extent pools by using the mkextpool command. The keygrp parameter must
be used because encryption is enabled .S(see Example 10-30 on page 340 for more
information in finding the encryption group ID value.
2. List the extent pools to obtain their IDs using lsextpool command.
3. Assign a rank to an extent pool by using the chrank command.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 341

 4. List the extent pools again with lsextpool. Note the capacity changes after assigning
ranks.

Example 10-31 Creating an extent pool by using mkextpool, lsextpool, and chrank
dscli> mkextpool -rankgrp 0 -keygrp 1 -stgtype fb FB_0
CMUC00000I mkextpool: Extent pool P0 successfully created.
dscli> mkextpool -rankgrp 1 -keygrp 1 -stgtype fb FB_1
CMUC00000I mkextpool: Extent Pool P1 successfully created.
dscli> lsextpool
First half of the command output:
Name ID stgtype rankgrp status availstor (2^30B) %allocated available reserved numvols
=========================================================================================
FB_0 P0 fb 0 full 0 100 0 0 0
FB_1 P1 fb 1 full 0 100 0 0 0

Second half of the command output:

Name totalLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) provisionedCap(MiB/cyl) totalPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl)
===================================================================================================================================
FB_0 0 0 0 0 0
FB_1 0 0 0 0 0

dscli> chrank -extpool P0 R0

CMUC00008I chrank: Rank R0 successfully modified.
dscli> chrank -extpool P1 R1
CMUC00008I chrank: Rank R1 successfully modified.
dscli> lsextpool
First half of the command output:
Name ID stgtype rankgrp status availstor (2^30B) %allocated available reserved numvols
=========================================================================================
FB_0 P0 fb 0 below 101000 0 6463982 64 0
FB_1 P1 fb 1 below 101000 0 6463982 64 0

Second half of the command output:

Name totalLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) provisionedCap(MiB/cyl) totalPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl)
===================================================================================================================================
FB_0 108135060 1477436 40960 23605023 1472246
FB_1 108135060 1477436 40960 23605023 1472246

After a rank is assigned to an extent pool, use the lsrank command to display rank
assignments to extent pools. In Example 10-32, you can see that rank R0 is assigned to
extpool P0 and rank R1 to extent pool P1.

Example 10-32 Displaying the ranks after a rank is assigned to an extent pool
dscli> lsrank
ID Group State datastate Array RAIDtype extpoolID stgtype
===========================================================
R0 0 Normal Normal A0 6 P0 fb
R1 1 Normal Normal A1 6 P1 fb

342 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 To display more information about ranks, use lsrank -l as shown in Example 10-33. In
addition to the extent size, the output includes more information on capacity and
compression. In Example 10-33, compressionType has value compression because these
ranks include FlashCore Modules disks and the compressionRatio value changes when the
volumes are created and in use.

Example 10-33 List rank command showing the extent size, capacity, and compression
dscli> lsrank -l
First half of the command output:
ID Group State datastate Array RAIDtype extpoolID extpoolnam stgtype exts usedexts keygrp marray extsize
============================================================================================================
R0 0 Normal Normal A0 6 P0 FB_0 fb 6464054 0 1 MA1 16MiB
R1 1 Normal Normal A1 6 P1 FB_1 fb 6464054 0 1 MA2 16MiB

Second half of the command output:

ID totalLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) totalPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl) compressionRatio compressionType
=======================================================================================================================================
R0 108135060 1477304 23605023 1472246 1.00 compression
R1 108135060 1477304 23605023 1472252 1.00 compression

10.3.5 Creating the FB volumes

After ranks are associated to extents pools, you can create volumes and volume groups.
When you create the volumes or groups, try to distribute them evenly across the two rank
groups in the storage unit.

An FB-type volume can be created as a fully provisioned volume, which is known as a

standard volume or as a thin provisioned volume, which is referred as extent space efficient
(ESE) volume.

Note: Only thin provisioned ESE volumes can be created in extent pools with FlashCore
Modules (FCM) disks.

Extent pools with standard NVMe disks support both fully provisioned standard and thin
provisioned ESE volumes.

Creating standard volumes

Use the following command format when creating a volume:
mkfbvol -extpool pX -cap xx -name high_fb_0#h XXXX-XXXX

The last parameter is the volume_ID, which can be a range or a single entry. The four-digit
entry is based on LL and VV. LL (00–FE) equals the logical subsystem (LSS) that the volume
belongs to, and VV (00–FF) equals the volume number on the LSS. Therefore, the DS8A00
can support 255 LSSs, and each LSS can support a maximum of 256 volumes.

Example 10-34 shows the creation of eight volumes, each with a capacity of 10 GiB. The first
four volumes are assigned to rank group 0, and are assigned to LSS 20 with volume numbers
00 - 03. The second four volumes are assigned to rank group 1, and are assigned to LSS 21
with volume numbers of 00 - 03.

Example 10-34 Create fixed-block volumes by using mkfbvol

dscli> lsextpool
Name ID stgtype rankgrp status availstor (2^30B) %allocated available reserved numvols
=========================================================================================
FB_0 P2 fb 0 below 7220 0 462099 64 0

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 343

 FB_1 P3 fb 1 below 8665 0 554583 64 0
dscli> mkfbvol -extpool p2 -cap 10 -name fb_0_#h 2000-2003
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2000 successfully created.
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2001 successfully created.
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2002 successfully created.
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2003 successfully created.
dscli> mkfbvol -extpool p3 -cap 10 -name fb_1_#h 2100-2103
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2100 successfully created.
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2101 successfully created.
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2102 successfully created.
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2103 successfully created.

Looking closely at the mkfbvol command that is used in Example 10-34 on page 343, you see
that volumes 2000 - 2003 are in extpool P2. That extent pool is attached to rank group 0,
which means server 0. Rank group 0 can contain only even-numbered LSSs, which means
that volumes in that extent pool must belong to an even-numbered LSS. The first two digits of
the volume serial number are the LSS number. So, in this case, volumes 2000–2003 are in
LSS 20.

For volumes 2100–2103 in extpool P3 in Example 10-34 on page 343, the first two digits of
the volume serial number are 21 (an odd number), which signifies that they belong to rank
group 1. The -cap parameter determines the size. However, because the -type parameter
was not used, the default type is GiB or ds, which is a binary size of 230 bytes.

Therefore, these volumes are 10 GiB binary, which equates to 10,737,418,240 bytes. If you
used the -type ess parameter, the volumes are decimally sized, and they are a minimum of
10,000,000,000 bytes in size.

Example 10-34 on page 343 named the volumes by using the naming scheme fb_0_#h,
where #h means that you are using the hexadecimal volume number as part of the volume
name. This naming convention is shown in Example 10-35, where you list the volumes that
you created by using the lsfbvol command. You then list the extent pools to see how much
space is left after the volume is created.

Example 10-35 Checking the machine after the volumes are created by using lsfbvol and lsextpool
dscli> lsfbvol
Name ID accstate datastate configstate deviceMTM datatype extpool cap (2^30B) cap (10^9B) cap (blocks)
================================================================================================================
fb_0_2000 2000 Online Normal Normal 2107-900 FB 512 P2 10.0 - 20971520
fb_0_2001 2001 Online Normal Normal 2107-900 FB 512 P2 10.0 - 20971520
fb_0_2002 2002 Online Normal Normal 2107-900 FB 512 P2 10.0 - 20971520
fb_0_2003 2003 Online Normal Normal 2107-900 FB 512 P2 10.0 - 20971520
fb_1_2100 2100 Online Normal Normal 2107-900 FB 512 P3 10.0 - 20971520
fb_1_2101 2101 Online Normal Normal 2107-900 FB 512 P3 10.0 - 20971520
fb_1_2102 2102 Online Normal Normal 2107-900 FB 512 P3 10.0 - 20971520
fb_1_2103 2103 Online Normal Normal 2107-900 FB 512 P3 10.0 - 20971520
dscli> lsextpool
Name ID stgtype rankgrp status availstor (2^30B) %allocated available reserved numvols
=========================================================================================
FB_0 P2 fb 0 below 7180 0 459531 64 4
FB_1 P3 fb 1 below 8625 0 552015 64 4

344 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Important considerations:
򐂰 For a DS8000, the LSSs can be ID 00–FE. The LSSs are in address groups. Address
group 0 is LSSs 00–0F, address group 1 is LSSs 10–1F, and so on, except group F,
which is F0–FE. When you create an FB volume in an address group, that entire
address group can be used only for FB volumes. Be aware of this fact when you plan
your volume layout in a mixed FB and CKD DS8000. The LSS is automatically created
when the first volume is assigned to it.
򐂰 The -perfgrp <perf_group_ID> flag option is still available on the create volume
commands for compatibility with earlier version, but the feature for Performance I/O
Priority Manager was discontinued as of Release 9 DS8000 products.

Resource group: You can configure a volume to belong to a certain resource group by
using the -resgrp <RG_ID> flag in the mkfbvol command. For more information, see IBM
System Storage DS8000 Copy Services Scope Management and Resource Groups,
REDP-4758.

T10 Data Integrity Field volumes

A standard for end-to-end error checking from the application to the disk drives is emerging
that is called SCSI T10 Data Integrity Field (DIF). T10 DIF requires volumes to be formatted
in 520-byte sectors with cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bytes that are added to the data. If
you want to use this technique, you must create volumes that are formatted for T10 DIF
usage.

You configure T10 DIF by adding the -t10dif parameter to the mkfbvol command. It is
possible to create T10 DIF volumes and use them as standard volumes, and then enable
them later without configuration changes.

Storage pool striping

When a volume is created, you can choose how the volume is allocated in an extent pool with
several ranks. The extents of a volume can be kept together in one rank (if enough free space
exists on that rank). The next rank is used when the next volume is created. This allocation
method is called rotate volumes.

You can also specify that you want the extents of the volume that you create to be evenly
distributed across all ranks within the extent pool. This allocation method is called rotate
extents. The storage pool striping spreads the I/O of a logical unit number (LUN) to multiple
ranks, which improves performance and greatly reduces hot spots.

The extent allocation method (EAM) is specified by the -eam rotateexts or -eam rotatevols
option of the mkfbvol command, as shown in Example 10-36.

Default allocation policy: For DS8A00, the default allocation policy is rotate extents.

Example 10-36 Creating a volume with storage pool striping

dscli> mkfbvol -extpool p2 -cap 15 -name fb_0_2004 -eam rotateexts 2004
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2004 successfully created.

The showfbvol command with the -rank option (Example 10-37 on page 346) shows that the
volume that you created is distributed across two ranks. It also shows how many extents on
each rank were allocated for this volume. Compared to the previous examples, the extent pool
P2 now consists of two ranks, R2 and R3.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 345

 Example 10-37 Using showfbvol for information about a striped volume
dscli> showfbvol -rank 2004
Name fb_0_2004
ID 2004
accstate Online
datastate Normal
configstate Normal
deviceMTM 2107-900
datatype FB 512
addrgrp 2
extpool P2
exts 960
cap (MiB) 15360
captype DS
cap (2^30B) 15.0
cap (10^9B) -
cap (blocks) 31457280
volgrp -
ranks 2
dbexts 0
sam Standard
repcapalloc -
eam rotateexts
reqcap (blocks) 31457280
realextents 960
virtualextents 3
realcap (MiB) 15360
migrating 0
migratingcap (MiB) 0
perfgrp PG0
migratingfrom -
resgrp RG0
tierassignstatus Unknown
tierassignerror -
tierassignorder Unknown
tierassigntarget Unknown
%tierassigned 0
etmonpauseremain -
etmonitorreset unknown
GUID 6005076309FFD4620000000000002004
safeguardedcap (2^30B) -
safeguardedloc -
usedsafeguardedcap (2^30B) -
safeguarded no
SGC Recovered no
==============Rank extents==============
rank extents capacity (MiB/cyl) metadata
========================================
R2 480 7680 yes
R3 480 7680 no

346 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Dynamic Volume Expansion
A volume can be expanded without removing the data within the volume. You can specify a
new capacity by using the chfbvol command, as shown in Example 10-38.

Example 10-38 Expanding a striped volume

dscli> chfbvol -cap 60 2004
CMUC00332W chfbvol: Some host operating systems do not support changing the volume
size. Are you sure that you want to resize the volume? [y/n]: y
CMUC00026I chfbvol: FB volume 2004 successfully modified.

The largest LUN size is 16 TiB. CS is not supported for LUN sizes larger than 4 TiB.

New capacity: The new capacity must be larger than the previous capacity. You cannot
shrink the volume.

Because the original volume included the rotateexts attribute, the other extents are also
striped, as shown in Example 10-39. See both examples and check the difference.

Example 10-39 Checking the status of an expanded volume

ddscli> showfbvol -rank 2004
Name fb_0_2004
ID 2004
accstate Online
datastate Normal
configstate Normal
deviceMTM 2107-900
datatype FB 512
addrgrp 2
extpool P2
exts 3840
cap (MiB) 61440
captype DS
cap (2^30B) 60.0
cap (10^9B) -
cap (blocks) 125829120
volgrp -
ranks 2
dbexts 0
sam Standard
repcapalloc -
eam rotateexts
reqcap (blocks) 125829120
realextents 3840
virtualextents 7
realcap (MiB) 61440
migrating 0
migratingcap (MiB) 0
perfgrp PG0
migratingfrom -
resgrp RG0
tierassignstatus Unknown
tierassignerror -
tierassignorder Unknown

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 347

 tierassigntarget Unknown
%tierassigned 0
etmonpauseremain -
etmonitorreset unknown
GUID 6005076309FFD4620000000000002004
safeguardedcap (2^30B) -
safeguardedloc -
usedsafeguardedcap (2^30B) -
safeguarded no
SGC Recovered no
==============Rank extents==============
rank extents capacity (MiB/cyl) metadata
========================================
R2 1920 30720 yes
R3 1920 30720 yes

Important: Before you can expand a volume, you must delete all CS relationships for that
volume.

Creating thin-provisioned ESE volumes

The DS8A00 supports thin-provisioned volumes. A thin-provisioned volume is created by the
DS CLI mkfbvol command by specifying ESE storage allocation method (SAM) parameter as
shown in Example 10-40.

Example 10-40 Creating a thin-provisioned ESE volume

dscli> mkfbvol -extpool p2 -cap 1000 -name fb_0_2005 -sam ese 2005
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2005 successfully created.

The extent size is defined by the extent pools where the volume is created.

More DS CLI commands are available to control and protect the space in an extent pool with
thin-provisioned volumes. One of these commands is the mksestg command, which reserves
space for thin-provisioned volumes. For more information about thin-provisioning, see IBM
DS8000 Thin Provisioning (Updated for Release 9.3), REDP-5343-02.

Deleting volumes
FB volumes can be deleted by using the rmfbvol command. The command includes options
to prevent the accidental deletion of volumes that are in use. An FB volume is considered to
be in use if it is participating in a CS relationship or if the volume received any I/O operation in
the previous 5 minutes.

Volume deletion is controlled by the -safe and -force parameters (they cannot be specified
at the same time) in the following manner:
򐂰 If none of the parameters are specified, the system performs checks to see whether the
specified volumes are in use. Volumes that are not in use are deleted and the volumes that
are in use are not deleted.
򐂰 If the -safe parameter is specified and if any of the specified volumes are assigned to a
user-defined volume group, the command fails without deleting any volumes.
򐂰 The -force parameter deletes the specified volumes without checking whether they are in
use.

348 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Note: You cannot delete the volume even with the force parameter if the volume is in
an active SafeGuarded copy relationship (GDPS or CSM). You must first remove the
Safeguarded copy relationship before you can delete a volume.

Example 10-41 shows the creation of volumes 2200 and 2201, and then the assignment of
volume 2200 to a volume group. An attempt to delete both volumes with the -safe option fails
because the volume 2200 is assigned to volume group V0. You can delete volume 2201 by
using the -safe option because the volume is not assigned to a volume group. Volume 2200
is not in use, so you can delete it by not specifying either parameter.

Example 10-41 Deleting an FB volume

dscli> mkfbvol -extpool p2 -cap 12 -name fb_0_#h -eam rotateexts 2200-2201
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2200 successfully created.
CMUC00025I mkfbvol: FB volume 2201 successfully created.
dscli> chvolgrp -action add -volume 2200 v0
CMUC00031I chvolgrp: Volume group V0 successfully modified.
dscli> rmfbvol -quiet -safe 2200-2201
CMUC00253E rmfbvol: Volume IBM.2107-75xxxxx/2200 is assigned to a user-defined
volume group. No volumes were deleted.
dscli> rmfbvol -quiet -safe 2201
CMUC00028I rmfbvol: FB volume 2201 successfully deleted.
dscli> rmfbvol 2200
CMUC00027W rmfbvol: Are you sure you want to delete FB volume 2200? [Y/N]: y
CMUC00028I rmfbvol: FB volume 2200 successfully deleted.

Reinitializing space efficient FB volumes

Users can use the initfbvol command to reinitialize online space efficient FB volumes.

The command includes options to prevent the accidental reinitialization of volumes that are in
use. An FB volume is considered to be in use if it is participating in a CS relationship or if the
volume received any I/O operation in the previous 5 minutes. All data is lost when this
command is used.

Volume reinitialization is controlled by the -action releasespace and -force parameters in

the following manner (Example 10-42):
򐂰 The releasespace parameter is used to free all extents and tracks that are associated with
the specified volume so they can then be reused by other space efficient volumes.
򐂰 The -force parameter is required for the initfbvol command to reinitialize the specified
volume if it is in use.
򐂰 When both of these parameters are used, the user is prompted with a Y/N response for
the command to proceed with the reinitialization process.

Example 10-42 Using the initfbvol command to reinitialize a volume

dscli> initfbvol -action releasespace -force 2005
CMUC00337W initfbvol: Are you sure that you want to free all extents and lose the
data associated with the FB volume 2005? [Y/N]:y
CMUC00340I initfbvol: 2005: The command releasespace has completed successfully.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 349

10.3.6 Creating the volume groups
FB volumes are assigned to open system hosts by using volume groups. Do not confuse
them with the volume groups term, which is used in AIX. An FB volume can be a member of
multiple volume groups. Volumes can be added or removed from volume groups as required.
Each volume group must be SCSI MAP256 or SCSI MASK, depending on the SCSI LUN
address discovery method that is used by the OS to which the volume group is attached.

Note: There are two ways to create volume groups and map the volumes to the hosts.
Volume groups can be created manually in single steps or automatically. The automatic
method is done by using the mkhost and chhost commands, and it is the recommended
method for mapping volumes to host systems.

Mapping of volumes to hosts or host groups is also called storage partitioning.

The following sections describe both ways, but understand that the manual way is only there
for compatibility with earlier versions and must be applied with care to make sure that all the
steps are done to fully reflect the results and views in the DS GUI.

Determining whether an open system host is SCSI MAP256 or

SCSI MASK
Determine the type of SCSI host with which you are working. Then, run the lshosttype
command with the -type parameter of scsimask and then scsimap256.

Example 10-43 shows the results of each command.

Example 10-43 Listing the host types by running the lshostype command
dscli> lshosttype -type scsimask
HostType Profile AddrDiscovery LBS
===========================================================================
Hp HP - HP/UX reportLUN 512
SVC SAN Volume Controller reportLUN 512
SanFsAIX IBM pSeries - AIX/SanFS reportLUN 512
pSeries IBM pSeries - AIX reportLUN 512
pSeriesPowerswap IBM pSeries - AIX with Powerswap support reportLUN 512
zLinux IBM zSeries - zLinux reportLUN 512
dscli> lshosttype -type scsimap256
HostType Profile AddrDiscovery LBS
=================================================
AppleOSX Apple - OSX LUNPolling 512
Fujitsu Fujitsu - Solaris LUNPolling 512
HpTru64 HP - Tru64 LUNPolling 512
HpVms HP - Open VMS LUNPolling 512
Linux Linux Server LUNPolling 512
Novell Novell LUNPolling 512
SGI SGI - IRIX LUNPolling 512
SanFsLinux - Linux/SanFS LUNPolling 512
Sun SUN - Solaris LUNPolling 512
VMWare VMWare LUNPolling 512
Windows Windows Server LUNPolling 512
iLinux IBM iSeries - iLinux LUNPolling 512
nSeries IBM N series Gateway LUNPolling 512
pLinux IBM pSeries - pLinux LUNPolling 512

350 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Creating a volume group
After you determine the host type, create a volume group. In Example 10-44, the example
host type is AIX with the address discovery method SCSI Mask.

Example 10-44 Creating a volume group by using mkvolgrp and displaying it by using lsvolgrp
dscli> mkvolgrp -type scsimask -volume 2000-2002,2100-2102 AIX_VG_01
CMUC00030I mkvolgrp: Volume group V1 successfully created.
dscli> lsvolgrp -l -type scsimask
Name ID Type
============================
v0 V0 SCSI Mask
AIX_VG_01 V1 SCSI Mask
pE950_042 V2 SCSI Mask
pE950_048 V3 SCSI Mask
pseries_cluster V7 SCSI Mask
dscli> showvolgrp V1
Name AIX_VG_01
ID V1
Type SCSI Mask
Vols 2000 2001 2002 2100 2101 2102

Adding or deleting volumes in a volume group

In this example, you add volumes 2000–2002 and 2100–2102 to the new volume group to
evenly spread the workload across the two rank groups. You then list all available volume
groups by using the lsvolgrp command. Finally, list the contents of previously created
volume group V1.

You might also want to add or remove volumes to this volume group later. To add or remove
volumes, use the chvolgrp command with the -action parameter.

Example 10-45 shows adding volume 2003 to volume group V1, displaying the results, and
then removing the volume.

Example 10-45 Changing a volume group by using chvolgrp

dscli> chvolgrp -action add -volume 2003 V1
CMUC00031I chvolgrp: Volume group V1 successfully modified.
dscli> showvolgrp V1
Name AIX_VG_01
ID V1
Type SCSI Mask
Vols 2000 2001 2002 2003 2100 2101 2102
dscli> chvolgrp -action remove -volume 2003 V1
CMUC00031I chvolgrp: Volume group V1 successfully modified.
dscli> showvolgrp V1
Name AIX_VG_01
ID V1
Type SCSI Mask
Vols 2000 2001 2002 2100 2101 2102

Important: Not all OSs can manage a volume removal. To determine the safest way to
remove a volume from a host, see your OS documentation.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 351

10.3.7 Creating host connections and clusters
The logical configuration process also includes creating host connections for your attached
hosts. You must assign volume groups to those connections. Each host’s host bus adapter
(HBA) can be defined only once. Each host connection can have only one volume group that
is assigned to it. A volume can be assigned to multiple volume groups.

You can use a set of cluster commands (mkcluster, lscluster, showcluster, and rmcluster)
to create clusters to group hosts that have the same set of volume mappings, map or unmap
volumes directly to these clusters, or both. These commands were added to provide
consistency between the GUI and DS CLI. For more information, see “Creating open system
clusters and hosts” on page 265.

Clusters are grouped hosts that must share volume access with each other. A cluster usually
contains several hosts. Single hosts can exist without a cluster. Clusters are created with the
mkcluster command. This command does not need many parameters and is there only to
organize hosts.

The mkhost command now has two generic host types that are available: Linux Server and
Windows Server. These types were created to simplify and remove confusion when
configuring these host types. You must define the host type first by running the mkhost
command, as shown in Example 10-46.

Example 10-46 Creating generic host types Linux Server and Windows Server
dscli> mkcluster cluster_1
CMUC00538I mkcluster: The cluster cluster_1 is successfully created.
Usage: mkhost [ { -help|-h|-? } ] [-v on|off] [-bnr on|off] [-dev storage_image_ID] -type
AIX|AIX with PowerSwap|HP OpenVMS|HP-UX|IBM i AS/400|iLinux|Linux RHEL|Linux SUSE|Linux
Server|N series Gateway|Novell|pLinux|SAN Volume Controller|Solaris|VMware|Windows
2003|Windows 2008|Windows 2012|Windows Server|zLinux [-hostport wwpn1[,wwpn2,...]]
[-cluster cluster_name] Host_Name | -

dscli> mkhost -type “Linux Server” -cluster cluster_1 Host_1

CMUC00530I mkhost: The host Host_1 is successfully created.
dscli> mkhost -type “Linux Server” -cluster cluster_1 Host_2
CMUC00530I mkhost: The host Host_2 is successfully created.
dscli> lshost
Name Type State Cluster
===========================================
Host_1 Linux Server Offline cluster_1
Host_2 Linux Server Offline cluster_1
pE950_042 AIX Online -
pE950_048 AIX Online -
x3550_2_03 Windows Server Online -
x3650_2_54 Linux Server Online -

More commands are also available: chhost, lshost, showhost, chhost, and rmhost. These
commands were added to provide consistency between the DS GUI and DS CLI.
Example 10-47 provides examples of the commands.

Example 10-47 Examples of the four extra CLI host commands

dscli> mkcluster cluster_2
CMUC00538I mkcluster: The cluster cluster_2 is successfully created.

dscli> chhost -cluster cluster_2 Host_1

CMUC00531I chhost: The host Host_1 is successfully modified.

352 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

dscli> lshost
Name Type State Cluster
===========================================
Host_1 Linux Server Offline cluster_2
Host_2 Linux Server Offline cluster_1
pE950_042 AIX Online -
pE950_048 AIX Offline -
x3550_2_03 Windows Server Online -
x3650_2_54 Linux Server Online -

dscli> showhost Host_1

Name Host_1
Type Linux Server
State Offline
AddrMode scsimap256
Volumes 0
Host ports 0
I/O ports 16 (all)
AddrDiscovery lunpolling
LBS 512
Cluster cluster_2

To link the logical hostname with a real physical connection, host ports must be assigned to
the host using the mkhostport command. This task can also be done with the mkhost
command specifying the -hostport wwpn1[,wwpn2,...] option during host creation to save
the additional configuration step.

To see a list of unassigned worldwide port names (WWPNs), which are already logged in to
the storage system and represent the physical HBA ports of the hosts, run the lshostport
command. Specifying -unknown shows all the free ports and -login shows all the logged-in
ports. It takes a while until the storage system displays the new logged-in ports. It is also
possible to add them manually, and they do not need to be logged in to create the host
configuration and volume mappings.

Example 10-48 shows the host port connection.

Example 10-48 Host port connection

dscli> lshostport -login
WWNN WWPN Host I/O ports ESSIOport
================================================================
20000000C9F607E8 10000000C9F607E8 - - I0032
20000000C9F607E9 10000000C9F607E9 - - I0103
2000001B329CBB21 2100001B329CBB21 x3650_2_54 16 (all) I0032
20000024FF2D0F86 21000024FF2D0F86 x3550_2_03 16 (all) I0103
20000024FF2D0F87 21000024FF2D0F87 x3550_2_03 16 (all) I0032
20000024FF41D1CE 21000024FF41D1CE x3550_2_03 16 (all) I0103
20000024FF41D1CF 21000024FF41D1CF x3550_2_03 16 (all) I0032
20000120FA13B914 10000090FA13B914 - - I0032
20000120FA13B915 10000090FA13B915 - - I0103
2001001B32BCBB21 2101001B32BCBB21 x3650_2_54 16 (all) I0103
C05076068D1B004A C05076068D1B004A pE950_048 16 (all) I0032
C05076068D1B004C C05076068D1B004C pE950_048 16 (all) I0103
dscli> lshostport -unknown
Date/Time: June 27, 2022 5:50:08 PM CEST IBM DSCLI Version: 7.9.30.154 DS: IBM.2107-75xxxxx
WWNN WWPN ESSIOport
===========================================
20000000C9F607E8 10000000C9F607E8 I0032
20000000C9F607E9 10000000C9F607E9 I0103

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 353

 20000120FA13B914 10000090FA13B914 I0032
20000120FA13B915 10000090FA13B915 I0103
dscli> mkhostport -host Host_1 "10000000C9F607E8"
CMUC00542I mkhostport: The host port 10000000C9F607E8 is successfully created.
dscli> mkhostport -host Host_1 "10000000C9F607E9"
CMUC00542I mkhostport: The host port 10000000C9F607E9 is successfully created.
dscli> lshostport
WWPN Name Type State
====================================================
10000000C9F607E8 Host_1 Linux Server logged_in
10000000C9F607E9 Host_1 Linux Server logged_in
2100001B329CBB21 x3650_2_54 Linux Server logged_in
21000024FF2D0F86 x3550_2_03 Windows Server logged_in
21000024FF2D0F87 x3550_2_03 Windows Server logged_in
21000024FF41D1CE x3550_2_03 Windows Server logged_in
21000024FF41D1CF x3550_2_03 Windows Server logged_in
2101001B32BCBB21 x3650_2_54 Linux Server logged_in
C05076068D1B004A pE950_048 AIX logged_in
C05076068D1B004C pE950_048 AIX logged_in
dscli> lshost -l
Name Type State Cluster AddrMode Volumes Host ports I/O ports
===================================================================================
Host_1 Linux Server Online cluster_2 scsimap256 0 2 16 (all)
Host_2 Linux Server Offline cluster_1 scsimap256 0 0 16 (all)
pE950_042 AIX Offline - scsimask 0 0 16 (all)
pE950_048 AIX Online - scsimask 0 2 16 (all)
x3550_2_03 Windows Server Online - scsimap256 6 4 16 (all)
x3650_2_54 Linux Server Online - scsimap256 8 2 16 (all)

The last step is to assign volumes to the host or cluster to allow host access to the volumes.
The volumes that are assigned to the host are seen only by the host, and the volumes that
are assigned to the cluster can be seen by all hosts inside the cluster. The volume groups for
the cluster and the host are generated automatically by running the chhost/chcluster
-action map command. The automatically created volume groups have the same name as
the host or cluster itself but are different objects.

Example 10-49 shows the steps for a cluster and a host.

Example 10-49 Volume to host mapping

dscli> lsvolgrp -type scsimap256
Name ID Type
==========================
x3650_2_54 V4 SCSI Map 256
x3550_2_03 V8 SCSI Map 256
dscli> chhost -action map -volume 2000-2003 Host_1
CMUC00531I chhost: The host Host_1 is successfully modified.
dscli> lsvolgrp -type scsimap256
Name ID Type
==========================
x3650_2_54 V4 SCSI Map 256
Host_1 V5 SCSI Map 256
x3550_2_03 V8 SCSI Map 256
dscli> chcluster -action map -volume 2100-2103 cluster_2
CMUC00541I chcluster: The cluster cluster_2 is successfully modified.
dscli> lsvolgrp -type scsimap256
Name ID Type
==========================
x3650_2_54 V4 SCSI Map 256
Host_1 V5 SCSI Map 256

354 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

cluster_2 V6 SCSI Map 256
x3550_2_03 V8 SCSI Map 256
dscli> lshost -l
Name Type State Cluster AddrMode Volumes Host ports I/O ports
===================================================================================
Host_1 Linux Server Online cluster_2 scsimap256 8 2 16 (all)
Host_2 Linux Server Offline cluster_1 scsimap256 0 0 16 (all)
pE950_042 AIX Offline - scsimask 0 0 16 (all)
pE950_048 AIX Online - scsimask 0 2 16 (all)
x3550_2_03 Windows Server Online - scsimap256 6 4 16 (all)
x3650_2_54 Linux Server Online - scsimap256 8 2 16 (all)

Example 10-50 shows some change and removal commands. Unassigning the host from the
cluster means that the host also keeps the cluster volume mappings and the cluster also
keeps them.

The automatically created volumes groups are removed only if the host is removed or you run
the rmvolgrp command.

Example 10-50 Host change and removal

dscli> showhost Host_1
Name Host_1
Type Linux Server
State Online
AddrMode scsimap256
Volumes 8
Host ports 2
I/O ports 16 (all)
AddrDiscovery lunpolling
LBS 512
Cluster cluster_2
dscli> chhost -cluster cluster_2 Host_2
CMUC00531I chhost: The host Host_2 is successfully modified.
dscli> chhost -unassign Host_1
CMUC00531I chhost: The host Host_1 is successfully modified.

dscli> showhost Host_1

Name Host_1
Type Linux Server
State Online
AddrMode scsimap256
Volumes 8
Host ports 2
I/O ports 16 (all)
AddrDiscovery lunpolling
LBS 512
Cluster -

dscli> rmhost -quiet Host_1

CMUC00533E rmhost: The host IBM.2107-75xxxxx/Host_1 cannot be removed because it contains
volumes.
dscli> lsvolgrp -type scsimap256
Name ID Type
==========================
x3650_2_54 V4 SCSI Map 256
Host_1 V5 SCSI Map 256
cluster_2 V6 SCSI Map 256
x3550_2_03 V8 SCSI Map 256
Host_2 V9 SCSI Map 256

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 355

 dscli> showvolgrp v5
Name Host_1
ID V5
Type SCSI Map 256
Vols 2000 2001 2002 2003 2101 2100 2102 2103
dscli> chvolgrp -action remove -volume 2000-2003,2100-2103 v5
CMUC00031I chvolgrp: Volume group V9 successfully modified.
dscli> rmhost Host_1
CMUC00529W rmhost: Are you sure that you want to delete host Host_1? [Y/N]: y
CMUC00528I rmhost: The host Host_1 is successfully deleted.
dscli> lsvolgrp -type scsimap256
Name ID Type
==========================
x3650_2_54 V4 SCSI Map 256
cluster_2 V6 SCSI Map 256
x3550_2_03 V8 SCSI Map 256
Host_2 V9 SCSI Map 256

Connecting a host to an existing volume group

Example 10-44 on page 351 shows the already created volume group for an example AIX
host connection. The volumes are already assigned to the volume group.

Example 10-51 shows the creation of a host connection that represents two HBA ports in this
AIX host. Use the -hosttype parameter to include the host type that you used in
Example 10-43 on page 350. Allocate it to volume group V1. If the storage area network
(SAN) zoning is correct, the host can see the LUNs in volume group V1.

Example 10-51 Creating host connections by using mkhostconnect and lshostconnect

dscli> lshostport -unknown
WWNN WWPN ESSIOport
===========================================
20000120FA13B914 10000090FA13B914 I0032
20000120FA13B915 10000090FA13B915 I0103
dscli> lsvolgrp -type scsimask
Name ID Type
============================
v0 V0 SCSI Mask
AIX_VG_01 V1 SCSI Mask
pE950_042 V2 SCSI Mask
pE950_048 V3 SCSI Mask
pseries_cluster V7 SCSI Mask
dscli> showvolgrp V1
Name AIX_VG_01
ID V1
Type SCSI Mask
Vols 2000 2001 2002 2100 2101 2102
dscli> mkhostconnect -wwname 10000090FA13B914 -hosttype pSeries -volgrp V1 AIX_Server_01
CMUC00012I mkhostconnect: Host connection 000A successfully created.
dscli> mkhostconnect -wwname 10000090FA13B915 -hosttype pSeries -volgrp V1 AIX_Server_01
CMUC00012I mkhostconnect: Host connection 000B successfully created.
dscli> lshostconnect
Name ID WWPN HostType Profile portgrp volgrpID ESSIOport
=========================================================================================
AIX_Server_01 000A 10000090FA13B914 pSeries IBM pSeries - AIX 0 V1 all
AIX_Server_01 000B 10000090FA13B915 pSeries IBM pSeries - AIX 0 V1 all

356 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 You can also use -profile instead of -hosttype. However, this method is not a best practice.
Using the -hosttype parameter reflects both parameters (-profile and -hosttype). In
contrast, using -profile leaves the -hosttype column unpopulated.

The option in the mkhostconnect command to restrict access only to certain I/O ports is also
available by using the -ioport parameter. Restricting access in this way is unnecessary. If
you want to restrict access for certain hosts to certain I/O ports on the DS8A00, perform
zoning on your SAN switch.

The mkhostconnect command normally is sufficient to allow the volumes to access the
specified host ports. The command works, but it is not reflected in the modernized GUI
interface. The modernized GUI interface introduced host and cluster grouping for easier
management of groups of hosts with many host ports. If no host or cluster is assigned to the
created connection, the GUI still shows the ports as unassigned host ports with mapped
volumes. Figure 10-8 shows the results in the DS GUI.

Figure 10-8 Volumes that are mapped to a host port without a host

The lshostconnect -l command in Example 10-52 shows that the relationship between the
volume group and a host connection was not built up. The assigned host is missing in the last
column and portgrp 0 is used, which is not recommended because it is the default port group
for new host ports. There is no host that is created yet for the AIX connection in our example.

The first column does not show the hostname: It is a symbolic name for the connection for
better recognition. The ID field makes the connection unique.

Example 10-52 The lshostconnect -l command for full view

dscli> lshostconnect -l
Name ID WWPN HostType LBS addrDiscovery Profile portgrp volgrpID ESSIOport host
======================================================================================================================
x3650_2_54 0001 2100001B329CBB21 Linux 512 LUNPolling Linux Server 1 V4 all x3650_2_54
x3650_2_54 0002 2101001B32BCBB21 Linux 512 LUNPolling Linux Server 1 V4 all x3650_2_54
x3550_2_03 0004 21000024FF2D0F86 Windows 512 LUNPolling Windows Server 2 V8 all x3550_2_03
x3550_2_03 0005 21000024FF2D0F87 Windows 512 LUNPolling Windows Server 2 V8 all x3550_2_03
x3550_2_03 0006 21000024FF41D1CE Windows 512 LUNPolling Windows Server 2 V8 all x3550_2_03
x3550_2_03 0007 21000024FF41D1CF Windows 512 LUNPolling Windows Server 2 V8 all x3550_2_03
AIX_Server_01 000A 10000090FA13B914 pSeries 512 reportLUN IBM pSeries - AIX 0 V1 all -
AIX_Server_01 000B 10000090FA13B915 pSeries 512 reportLUN IBM pSeries - AIX 0 V1 all -
pE950_048 000F C05076068D1B004A pSeries 512 reportLUN IBM pSeries - AIX 4 V3 all pE950_048
pE950_048 0010 C05076068D1B004C pSeries 512 reportLUN IBM pSeries - AIX 4 V3 all pE950_048

Note: As a best practice, it is not advisable to use the host port group ID 0. This ID ties
together a group of SCSI host port objects that are accessing a common volume group. If
the port group value is set to zero, the host port is not associated with any port group. It is
used by default for ports that are not grouped yet.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 357

 When hosts are created, you can specify the -portgrp parameter. By using a unique port
group number for each attached server, you can detect servers with multiple HBAs.

If you want to use a single command to change the assigned volume group of several host
connections at the same time, assign the host connections to a unique port group. Then, run
the managehostconnect command. This command changes the assigned volume group for all
host connections that are assigned to a particular port group.

Changing host connections

If you want to change a host connection, run the chhostconnect command. This command
can be used to change nearly all parameters of the host connection, except for the WWPN.

Example 10-53 shows the steps to finish the configuration of the mapping. A host must be
created, and then the new host must be assigned to the existing connections A and B and
volume group V1 relationship.

Example 10-53 Host and volume group relationship

dscli> mkhost -type AIX Host_AIX
CMUC00530I mkhost: The host Host_AIX is successfully created.
dscli> lshost -l
Name Type State Cluster AddrMode Volumes Host ports I/O ports
===================================================================================
Host_AIX AIX Offline - scsimask 0 0 16 (all)
...
dscli> lshostport -l
WWPN Name Type State Volumes AddrMode I/O ports Host
===========================================================================================
10000090FA13B914 AIX_Server_01 AIX logged_in 6 scsimask 16 (all) -
10000090FA13B915 AIX_Server_01 AIX logged_in 6 scsimask 16 (all) -
...
dscli> lshostconnect
Name ID WWPN HostType Profile portgrp volgrpID ESSIOport
=========================================================================================
...
AIX_Server_01 000A 10000090FA13B914 pSeries IBM pSeries - AIX 0 V1 all
AIX_Server_01 000B 10000090FA13B915 pSeries IBM pSeries - AIX 0 V1 all
...
dscli> chhostconnect -host Host_AIX A
CMUC00527W chhostconnect: The volumes will be merged into the host. Are you sure that you
want to modify host connection A? [Y/N]: y
CMUC00013I chhostconnect: Host connection 000A successfully modified.
dscli> chhostconnect -quiet -host Host_AIX B
CMUC00013I chhostconnect: Host connection 000B successfully modified.
dscli> lshost -l
Name Type State Cluster AddrMode Volumes Host ports I/O ports
===================================================================================
Host_AIX AIX Online - scsimask 6 2 16 (all)
...
dscli> lshostport -l
WWPN Name Type State Volumes AddrMode I/O ports Host
===============================================================================================
10000090FA13B914 AIX_Server_01 AIX logged_in 6 scsimask 16 (all) Host_AIX
10000090FA13B915 AIX_Server_01 AIX logged_in 6 scsimask 16 (all) Host_AIX
...

After completing the steps, the configuration is done.

358 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Example 10-54 with the command lsconnect -l shows that the relationship between host,
connection, and volume group is made. The chhostconnect command automatically changed
the host port group to a value different from zero.

Example 10-54 The lshostconnect -l command

dscli> lshostconnect -l
Name ID WWPN HostType LBS addrDiscovery Profile portgrp volgrpID ESSIOport host
======================================================================================================================
...
AIX_Server_01 000A 10000090FA13B914 pSeries 512 reportLUN IBM pSeries - AIX 5 V1 all Host_AIX
AIX_Server_01 000B 10000090FA13B915 pSeries 512 reportLUN IBM pSeries - AIX 5 V1 all Host_AIX
...

Note: Using the mkvolgrp and mkhostconnect commands for storage partitioning to map
volumes to hosts is not the preferred method. It is available for compatibility for earlier and
existing volume groups. It is better to use the mkhost command from the beginning to
assign hosts, host ports, volume groups, and volume mappings together. It combines the
needed functions in one command and makes sure that no step is forgotten. It also
reduces the number of steps that is needed.

10.3.8 Mapping open system host disks to storage unit volumes

When you assign volumes to an open system host and install the DS CLI on a host, you can
run the lshostvol DS CLI command on that host. This command maps assigned LUNs to
open system host volume names.

You log on to this host and start DS CLI. It does not matter which HMC you connect to when
you use the DS CLI. Then, run the lshostvol command.

Important: The lshostvol command communicates only with the OS of the host on which
the DS CLI is installed. You cannot run this command on one host to see the attached
disks of another host.

Note: The Subsystem Device Driver Path Control Module (SDDPCM) (a multipath solution
on AIX) and Subsystem Device Driver Device Specific Module (SDDDSM) (a multipath
solution on Windows) are no longer developed for DS8000. Instead, use an OS-native
solution such as AIX Multipath I/O Path Control Module (AIXPCM) (the AIX default
multipath solution) or Microsoft Device Specific Module (MSDSM) (the Windows default
multipath solution). These solutions are fully supported on open systems.

10.4 DS8A00 storage configuration for the CKD volumes

This list contains the steps to configure CKD storage in the DS8880:
1. Create the arrays.
2. Create the CKD ranks.
3. Create the CKD extent pools.
4. Create the logical control units (LCUs).
5. Create the CKD volumes.

Unlike with FB volumes, you do not need to create volume groups or host connects for CKD
volumes. If I/O ports in FICON mode exist, access to CKD volumes by FICON hosts is
granted automatically, and follows the specifications in the input/output definition file (IODF).

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 359

10.4.1 Disk classes
More information about available disk classes in DS8A00 can be found in 10.3.1, “Disk
classes” on page 338.

10.4.2 Creating the arrays

Array creation for CKD volumes is the same as for FB volumes. For more information, see
10.3.2, “Creating the arrays” on page 338.

10.4.3 Creating the ranks and extent pools

After you create all of the required arrays, create the ranks by using the mkrank command.
The format of the command for creating Count Key Data (CKD) rank is mkrank -array Ax
-stgtype CKD.

If you enabled Data-at-Rest encryption with local or external key manager, then when you
create ranks, you must include the -keygrp flag in the mkrank command with the
corresponding Encryption Key Group ID parameter which is included in the lskeygrp
command output.

After all the ranks are created, use the lsrank command to display the following information:
򐂰 List of all created ranks with associated ID.
򐂰 The rank group 0 or 1. Each group has server affinity (0 for server0 or 1 for server1). Rank
group ID is displayed only when a rank is assigned to a specific extent pool.
򐂰 The RAID type.

The format of the rank (fb or ckd).

Example 10-55 shows the process of creating ranks using lskeygrp, mkrank, lsrank,
mkextpool, chrank, and lsextpool commands.

Example 10-55 Steps to create CKD ranks

dscli> lskeygrp
ID state reckeystate reckeydate datakeydate keyprotocol type name
========================================================================
1 accessible disabled - 09/18/2024 LOCAL DAR DAR_1

As per the above output, the Encryption Key Group ID = 1. It must be specified in
the mkrank command in -keygrp parameter.

dscli> mkrank -array A0 -keygrp 1 -stgtype ckd

CMUC00007I mkrank: Rank R0 successfully created.
dscli> mkrank -array A1 -keygrp 1 -stgtype ckd
CMUC00007I mkrank: Rank R1 successfully created.

dscli> lsrank
ID Group State datastate Array RAIDtype extpoolID stgtype
=============================================================
R0 - Unassigned Normal A0 6 - ckd
R1 - Unassigned Normal A1 6 - ckd

dscli> lsarray
Array State Data RAIDtype arsite Rank DA Pair DDMcap (10^9B)

360 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 ====================================================================
A0 Assigned Normal 6 (5+P+Q+S) S1 R0 0 4800.0
A1 Assigned Normal 6 (5+P+Q+S) S2 R1 0 4800.0

When you define a rank, you can also specify the extent size. You can have ranks and extent
pools with large 1113 cylinder CKD extents, or small 21 cylinder CKD extents. The extent unit
is specified with the -extsize parameter of the mkrank command. The first rank that is added
to an extent pool determines the extent size of the entire extent pool. Example 10-56 shows
CKD ranks with small and large extent sizes.

Example 10-56 CKD ranks with different extent sizes

dscli> lsrank -l
ID Group State datastate Array RAIDtype extpoolID extpoolnam stgtype exts usedexts keygrp marray extsize (cap)
=================================================================================================================
R10 0 Normal Normal A10 6 P2 CKD_FCM_0 ckd 8099 0 1 MA1 1113cyl
R11 1 Normal Normal A11 6 P3 CKD_FCM_1 ckd 429258 0 1 MA2 21cyl

10.4.4 Creating the extent pools

The next step is to create the extent pools. Remember the following points when you create
the extent pools:
򐂰 Each extent pool includes an associated rank group that is specified by the -rankgrp
parameter, which defines the extent pool’s server affinity (0 for server0 or 1 for server1).
򐂰 The extent pool type is specified by the -stgtype parameter and for IBM z mainframe is
CKD.
򐂰 The number of extent pools can range from one to the number of existing ranks. However,
to associate ranks with both servers, you need at least two extent pools.

For easier management, create empty extent pools that relate to the type of storage or the
planned usage for that pool. For example, create an extent pool pair for the CKD environment.

When an extent pool is created, the system automatically assigns it an extent pool ID, which
is a decimal number that starts from 0, preceded by the letter P. The ID that was assigned to
an extent pool is shown in the CMUC00000I message, which is displayed in response to a
successful mkextpool command.

Extent pools that are associated with rank group 0 receive an even ID number. Extent pools
that are associated with rank group 1 receive an odd ID number. The extent pool ID is used
when you refer to the extent pool in subsequent DS CLI commands. Therefore, it is a best
practice to note the ID.

The mkextpool command forces you to name the extent pools. To do so, complete the
following steps (see Example 10-57 on page 362):
1. Create empty extent pools by using the mkextpool command. The keygrp parameter must
be used because encryption is enabled (see Example 10-30 on page 340 for more
information in finding the encryption group ID value).
2. List the extent pools to obtain their IDs.
3. Attach a rank to an empty extent pool by using the chrank command.
4. List the extent pools again by using lsextpool and note the change in the capacity of the
extent pool after assigning ranks into the extent pools.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 361

Example 10-57 Create CKD Extent Pools and assign ranks to Extent Pools
dscli> mkextpool -rankgrp 0 -keygrp 1 -stgtype ckd CKD_0
CMUC00000I mkextpool: Extent pool P0 successfully created.
dscli> mkextpool -rankgrp 1 -keygrp 1 -stgtype ckd CKD_1
CMUC00000I mkextpool: Extent Pool P1 successfully created.
dscli> lsextpool
First half of the command output:
Name ID stgtype rankgrp status availstor (2^30B) %allocated available reserved numvols
=========================================================================================
CKD_0 P0 ckd 0 full 0 100 0 0 0
CKD_1 P1 ckd 1 full 0 100 0 0 0

Second half of the command output:

Name totalLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) provisionedCap(MiB/cyl) totalPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl)
===================================================================================================================================
CKD_0 0 0 0 0 0
CKD_1 0 0 0 0 0

dscli> chrank -extpool P0 R0

CMUC00008I chrank: Rank R0 successfully modified.
dscli> chrank -extpool P1 R1
CMUC00008I chrank: Rank R1 successfully modified.
dscli> lsextpool
First half of the command output:
Name ID stgtype rankgrp status availstor (2^30B) %allocated available reserved numvols
=========================================================================================
CKD_0 P0 ckd 0 below 101000 0 6463982 64 0
CKD_1 P1 ckd 1 below 101000 0 6463982 64 0

Second half of the command output:

Name totalLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) provisionedCap(MiB/cyl) totalPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl)
===================================================================================================================================
CKD_0 108135060 1477436 40960 23605023 1472246
CKD_1 108135060 1477436 40960 23605023 1472246

After a rank is assigned to an extent pool, use lsrank command to display rank assignments
to extent pools. In Example 10-58, you can see that rank R0 is assigned to extpool P0 and
rank R1 to extent pool P1.

Example 10-58 Displaying the ranks after a rank is assigned to an extent pool
dscli> lsrank
ID Group State datastate Array RAIDtype extpoolID stgtype
===========================================================
R0 0 Normal Normal A0 6 P0 ckd
R1 1 Normal Normal A1 6 P1 ckd

In order to display more information about ranks, use lsrank -l command as shown in
Example 10-59. In addition to the extent size, the output includes more information on
capacity and compression. In Example 10-59, compressionType has value compression
because these ranks include FlashCore Modules disks and compressionRatio value
changes when the volumes are created and in use.

Example 10-59 List ranks with lsrank -l command

dscli> lsrank -l
First half of the comand output:
ID Group State datastate Array RAIDtype extpoolID extpoolnam stgtype exts usedexts keygrp marray extsize
============================================================================================================

362 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

R0 0 Normal Normal A0 6 P0 CKD_0 ckd 6464054 0 1 MA1 21cyl
R1 1 Normal Normal A1 6 P1 CKD_1 ckd 6464054 0 1 MA2 21cyl

Second half of the command output:

ID totalLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedLogicalCap(MiB/cyl) totalPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl) usedPhysicalCap(MiB/cyl) compressionRatio compressionType
=======================================================================================================================================
R0 108135060 1477304 23605023 1472246 1.00 compression
R1 108135060 1477304 23605023 1472252 1.00 compression

10.4.5 Logical control unit creation

In a CKD environment, you must create LCUs before the volumes are created. In
Example 10-60, you can see what happens if you try to create a CKD volume without creating
an LCU first.

Example 10-60 Trying to create CKD volumes without creating an LCU first
dscli> mkckdvol -extpool p2 -cap 262668 -name CKD_EAV1_#h C200
CMUN02282E mkckdvol: C200: Unable to create CKD logical volume: CKD volumes require a CKD
logical subsystem.

To create the LCUs, run the mklcu command. The command uses the following format:
mklcu -qty XX -id XX -ss XXXX

Note: For the z/OS hardware definition and copy services (Metro Mirror or Global Mirror),
the subsystem identifier (SSID) (-ss -id) must be unique for all connected storage systems.

To display the LCUs that you created, run the lslcu command.

Example 10-61 shows the creation of two LCUs by running the mklcu command and then
listing the created LCUs by running the lslcu command. By default, the LCUs that were
created are the 3990-6 type.

Example 10-61 Creating a logical control unit by running mklcu

dscli> mklcu -qty 2 -id BC -ss 91BC
CMUC00017I mklcu: LCU BC successfully created.
CMUC00017I mklcu: LCU BD successfully created.
dscli> lslcu
ID Group addrgrp confgvols subsys conbasetype
=============================================
BC 0 B 0 0x91BC 3990-6
BD 1 B 0 0x91BD 3990-6

Because two LCUs were created by using the parameter -qty 2, the first LCU, which is ID BC
(an even number), is in address group 0, which equates to rank group 0. The second LCU,
which is ID BD (an odd number), is in address group 1, which equates to rank group 1. By
placing the LCUs into both address groups, performance can be maximized by spreading the
workload across both servers in the DS8A00.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 363

 Important: For the DS8A00, the CKD LCUs can be ID 00–FE. The LCUs fit into one of 16
address groups. Address group 0 is LCUs 00–0F, address group 1 is LCUs 10–1F, and so
on, except group F is F0–FE. If you create a CKD LCU in an address group, that address
group cannot be used for FB volumes. Likewise, if, for example, FB volumes were in LSS
40–4F (address group 4), that address group cannot be used for CKD. Be aware of this
limitation when you plan the volume layout in a mixed FB and CKD DS8A00. Each LCU
can manage a maximum of 256 volumes, including alias volumes for the parallel access
volume (PAV) feature.

10.4.6 Creating the CKD volumes

When LCUs are created, you can start creating CKD volumes. A CKD-type volume can be
created as a fully provisioned volume, which is known as a standard volume or as a thin
provisioned volume, which is referred to as an extent space efficient (ESE) volume.

Note: Only thin provisioned ESE volumes can be created in extent pools with FlashCore
Modules (FCM) disks.

Extent pools with standard NVMe disks support both fully provisioned standard and thin
provisioned ESE volumes.

The CKD volumes can be created by using the mkckdvol command. The mkckdvol command
uses the following format:
mkckdvol -extpool P2 -cap 262668 -datatype 3390-A -name CKD_EAV1_#h BC06

With CKD volumes, the capacity is expressed in cylinders or as mod1 (Model 1) extents (1113
cylinders). To use the capacity more efficiently and avoid wasting space, use volume
capacities that are a multiple of 1113 cylinders.

The DS8A00 supports EAV volumes up to 1,182,006 cylinders. The EAV device type is called
3390 Model A and must be specified in the mkckdvol command using parameter datatype
3390-A.

Important: For 3390-A volumes, the size can be specified as 1 - 65,520 in increments of 1,
and from 65,667, which is the next multiple of 1113, to 1,182,006 in increments of 1113.

The last parameter in the command is the volume_ID. This value determines the LCU that the
volume belongs to and the unit address (UA) for the volume. Both of these values must match
the control unit address (CUADD) and device definition in the input/output configuration data
set (IOCDS) that an IBM Z system server uses to access the volume.

The volume_ID has a format of LLVV. LL (00 - FE) equals the LCU to which the volume
belongs, and VV (00 - FF) equals the offset for the volume. Only one volume of an LCU can
use a unique VV of 00 - FF.

364 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Example 10-62 shows the creation of 3390-A volumes with a capacity of 262,668 cylinders
that are assigned to LCU BC with an offset of 00 - 05.

Example 10-62 Creating CKD volumes by using mkckdvol

dscli> mkckdvol -extpool P2 -cap 262668 -datatype 3390-A -name CKD_EAV1_#h BC00-BC05
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BC00 successfully created.
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BC01 successfully created.
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BC02 successfully created.
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BC03 successfully created.
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BC04 successfully created.
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BC05 successfully created.
dscli> lsckdvol
Name ID accstate datastate configstate deviceMTM voltype orgbvols extpool cap (cyl)
===============================================================================================
CKD_EAV1_BC00 BC00 Online Normal Normal 3390-A CKD Base - P2 262668
CKD_EAV1_BC01 BC01 Online Normal Normal 3390-A CKD Base - P2 262668
CKD_EAV1_BC02 BC02 Online Normal Normal 3390-A CKD Base - P2 262668
CKD_EAV1_BC03 BC03 Online Normal Normal 3390-A CKD Base - P2 262668
CKD_EAV1_BC04 BC04 Online Normal Normal 3390-A CKD Base - P2 262668
CKD_EAV1_BC05 BC05 Online Normal Normal 3390-A CKD Base - P2 262668

You can create only CKD volumes in LCUs that you already created. Volumes in
even-numbered LCUs must be created from an extent pool that belongs to rank group 0.
Volumes in odd-numbered LCUs must be created from an extent pool in rank group 1. With
one mkckdvol command, volumes for one LCU can be defined.

Important: You can configure a volume to belong to a certain resource group by using the
-resgrp <RG_ID> flag in the mkckdvol command. For more information, see IBM System
Storage DS8000 Copy Services Scope Management and Resource Groups, REDP-4758.

Defining thin-provisioned extent space efficient CKD volumes

The DS8A00 supports thin-provisioned volumes. A thin-provisioned volume is created with
the mkckdvol using the sam ese parameter, as shown in Example 10-63.

Example 10-63 Creating a thin-provisioned CKD volume

dscli> mkckdvol -extpool p2 -cap 1000 -sam ese BC06
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BC06 successfully created.

Space release of thin-provisioned ESE CKD volumes

It is possible to release space at an extent level for CKD volumes. This feature is enabled by
the z/OS utility DFSMSdss, which performs the release operation. DFSMSdss includes a
parameter, SPACERel, with its options. A corresponding IBM RACF FACILITY class profile
provides protection as well. It is available from z/OS V2.1 and z/OS V2.2 with Program
Temporary Fix (PTF) OA50675.

More DS CLI commands are available to control and protect the space in an extent pool for
thin-provisioned volumes. One of these commands, the mksestg command, reserves space
for thin-provisioned volumes. For more information about thin-provisioning, see IBM DS8000
Thin Provisioning (Updated for Release 9.3), REDP-5343-02.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 365

 Storage pool striping
When a volume is created, you can choose how the volume is allocated in an extent pool with
several ranks. The extents of a volume can be kept together in one rank (if enough free space
exists on that rank). The next rank is used when the next volume is created. This allocation
method is called rotate volumes.

You can also specify that you want the extents of the volume to be evenly distributed across
all ranks within the extent pool. This allocation method is called rotate extents.

Note: Rotate extents is the default allocation policy.

The eam (extent allocation method) parameter is specified with rotateexts or rotatevols
option in the mkckdvol command (Example 10-64).

Example 10-64 Creating a CKD volume with extent pool striping

dscli> mkckdvol -extpool p3 -cap 10017 -name CKD_EAV1_#h -sam ese -eam rotateexts BD00-BD03
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BD00 successfully created.
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BD01 successfully created.
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BD02 successfully created.
CMUC00021I mkckdvol: CKD Volume BD03 successfully created.

The showckdvol command with the -rank option (Example 10-65) shows that the volume that
was created is distributed across two ranks. It also displays how many extents on each rank
were allocated for this volume. In this example, the pool P3 uses small 21-cylinder CKD
extents.

Example 10-65 Obtaining information about a striped CKD volume

dscli> showckdvol -rank BD00
Name CKD_EAV1_BD00
ID BD00
accstate Online
datastate Normal
configstate Normal
deviceMTM 3390-9
volser -
datatype 3390
voltype CKD Base
orgbvols -
addrgrp B
extpool P3
exts 477
cap (cyl) 10017
cap (10^9B) 8.5
cap (2^30B) 7.9
ranks 2
sam ese
repcapalloc -
eam rotateexts
reqcap (cyl) 10017
cap (Mod1) 9.0
realextents 477
virtualextents 2
realcap (cyl) 10017
migrating 0
migratingcap (cyl) 0
perfgrp PG0

366 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

migratingfrom -
resgrp RG0
tierassignstatus Unknown
tierassignerror -
tierassignorder Unknown
tierassigntarget Unknown
%tierassigned 0
etmonpauseremain -
etmonitorreset unknown
safeguardedcap (cyl) -
safeguardedloc -
usedsafeguardedcap (cyl) -
safeguarded no
SGC Recovered no
safeguardedcapstate -
totalLogicalCap 151298364
usedLogicalCap 0
usedPhysicalCap 0
compressionType compression
==============Rank extents==============
rank extents capacity (MiB/cyl) metadata
========================================
R2 239 5019 yes
R3 238 4998 yes

Dynamic Volume Expansion

A volume can be expanded without removing the data within the volume. You can specify a
new capacity by using the chckdvol command, as shown in Example 10-66. The new
capacity must be larger than the previous capacity. You cannot shrink the volume.

Example 10-66 Expanding a striped CKD volume

dscli> chckdvol -cap 30051 BD00
CMUC00332W chckdvol: Some host operating systems do not support changing the volume size.
Data can be at risk if the host does not support this action. Are you sure that you want to
resize the volume? [Y/N]: y
CMUC00022I chckdvol: CKD Volume BD00 successfully modified.

Because the original volume used the rotateexts attribute, the additional extents are also
striped, as shown in Example 10-67. In this example, the pool P3 is using small 21-cylinder
CKD extents.

Example 10-67 Checking the status of an expanded CKD volume

dscli> showckdvol -rank BD00
Name CKD_EAV1_BD00
ID BD00
accstate Online
datastate Normal
configstate Normal
deviceMTM 3390-9
volser -
datatype 3390
voltype CKD Base
orgbvols -
addrgrp B
extpool P3
exts 1431
cap (cyl) 30051

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 367

 cap (10^9B) 25.5
cap (2^30B) 23.8
ranks 2
sam ese
repcapalloc -
eam rotateexts
reqcap (cyl) 30051
cap (Mod1) 27.0
realextents 1431
virtualextents 4
realcap (cyl) 30051
migrating 0
migratingcap (cyl) 0
perfgrp PG0
migratingfrom -
resgrp RG0
tierassignstatus Unknown
tierassignerror -
tierassignorder Unknown
tierassigntarget Unknown
%tierassigned 0
etmonpauseremain -
etmonitorreset unknown
safeguardedcap (cyl) -
safeguardedloc -
usedsafeguardedcap (cyl) -
safeguarded no
SGC Recovered no
safeguardedcapstate -
totalLogicalCap 151298364
usedLogicalCap 0
usedPhysicalCap 0
compressionType compression
==============Rank extents==============
rank extents capacity (MiB/cyl) metadata
========================================
R2 716 15036 yes
R3 715 15015 yes

Important: Before you can expand a volume, you first must delete all Copy Services
relationships for that volume. Also, you cannot specify both -cap and -datatype in the
same chckdvol command.

It is possible to expand a 3390 Model 9 volume to a 3390 Model A. Expand the volume by
specifying new capacity for an existing Model 9 volume. When you increase the size of a
3390-9 volume beyond 65,520 cylinders, its device type automatically changes to 3390-A.

Example 10-68 Expanding a 3390 to a 3390-A

*** Command to show CKD volume definition before expansion:

dscli> showckdvol -rank BD01

Name CKD_EAV1_BD01
ID BD01
accstate Online
datastate Normal
configstate Normal
deviceMTM 3390-9
volser -

368 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

datatype 3390
voltype CKD Base
orgbvols -
addrgrp B
extpool P3
exts 477
cap (cyl) 10017
cap (10^9B) 8.5
cap (2^30B) 7.9
ranks 2
sam ese
repcapalloc -
eam rotateexts
reqcap (cyl) 10017
cap (Mod1) 9.0
realextents 477
virtualextents 2
realcap (cyl) 10017
migrating 0
migratingcap (cyl) 0
perfgrp PG0
migratingfrom -
resgrp RG0
tierassignstatus Unknown
tierassignerror -
tierassignorder Unknown
tierassigntarget Unknown
%tierassigned 0
etmonpauseremain -
etmonitorreset unknown
safeguardedcap (cyl) -
safeguardedloc -
usedsafeguardedcap (cyl) -
safeguarded no
SGC Recovered no
safeguardedcapstate -
totalLogicalCap 151298364
usedLogicalCap 0
usedPhysicalCap 0
compressionType compression
==============Rank extents==============
rank extents capacity (MiB/cyl) metadata
========================================
R2 239 5019 no
R3 238 4998 yes

*** Command to expand CKD volume from 3390-9 to 3390-A:

dscli> chckdvol -cap 262668 BD01

CMUC00332W chckdvol: Some host operating systems do not support changing the volume size.
Data can be at risk if the host does not support this action. Are you sure that you want to
resize the volume? [Y/N]: y
CMUC00022I chckdvol: CKD Volume BD01 successfully modified.

*** Command to show CKD volume definition after expansion:

dscli> showckdvol -rank BD01

Name CKD_EAV1_BD01
ID BD01

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 369

 accstate Online
datastate Normal
configstate Normal
deviceMTM 3390-A
volser -
datatype 3390-A
voltype CKD Base
orgbvols -
addrgrp B
extpool P3
exts 12508
cap (cyl) 262668
cap (10^9B) 223.3
cap (2^30B) 207.9
ranks 2
sam ese
repcapalloc -
eam rotateexts
reqcap (cyl) 262668
cap (Mod1) 236.0
realextents 12508
virtualextents 25
realcap (cyl) 262668
migrating 0
migratingcap (cyl) 0
perfgrp PG0
migratingfrom -
resgrp RG0
tierassignstatus Unknown
tierassignerror -
tierassignorder Unknown
tierassigntarget Unknown
%tierassigned 0
etmonpauseremain -
etmonitorreset unknown
safeguardedcap (cyl) -
safeguardedloc -
usedsafeguardedcap (cyl) -
safeguarded no
SGC Recovered no
safeguardedcapstate -
totalLogicalCap 151298364
usedLogicalCap 0
usedPhysicalCap 0
compressionType compression
==============Rank extents==============
rank extents capacity (MiB/cyl) metadata
========================================
R2 6254 131334 yes
R3 6254 131334 yes

You cannot reduce the size of a volume. If you try to reduce the size, an error message is
displayed.

CKD volumes can be deleted by using the rmckdvol command.

The command includes a capability to prevent the accidental deletion of volumes that are in
use. A CKD volume is considered in use if it participates in a copy services relationship, or if

370 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

the IBM Z path mask indicates that the volume is in a grouped state or online to any host
system.

If the -force parameter is not specified with the command, volumes that are in use are not
deleted. If multiple volumes are specified and several volumes are in use and several volumes
are not, the volumes that are not in use are deleted.

If the -force parameter is specified in the command, the volumes are deleted without
checking to see whether they are in use.

Note: You cannot delete the volume even with the force parameter if the volume is in an
active SafeGuarded copy relationship (GDPS or CSM). You must first terminate
Safeguarded copy relationship before you can delete a volume with force.

Example 10-69 shows an attempt to delete two volumes, BD02 and BD03. Volume BD02 is
online on a host. Volume BD03 is not online on any host and not in a copy services
relationship. The rmckdvol BD02-BD03 command deletes only volume BD03, which is offline.
To delete volume BD02, use the -force parameter.

Example 10-69 Deleting CKD volumes

dscli> lsckdvol BD02-BD03
Name ID accstate datastate configstate deviceMTM voltype orgbvols extpool cap (cyl)
===============================================================================================
CKD_EAV1_BD02 BD02 Online Normal Normal 3390-9 CKD Base - P3 10017
CKD_EAV1_BD03 BD03 Online Normal Normal 3390-9 CKD Base - P3 10017

dscli> rmckdvol -quiet BD02-BD03

CMUN02947E rmckdvol: BD02: The Delete logical volume task cannot be initiated because the
Allow Host Pre-check Control Switch is set to true and the volume that you have specified
is online to a host.
CMUC00024I rmckdvol: CKD volume BD03 successfully deleted.

dscli> lsckdvol BD02-BD03

Name ID accstate datastate configstate deviceMTM voltype orgbvols extpool cap (cyl)
===============================================================================================
CKD_EAV1_BD02 BD02 Online Normal Normal 3390-9 CKD Base - P3 10017

dscli> rmckdvol -force BD02

CMUC00023W rmckdvol: The alias volumes associated with a CKD base volume are automatically
deleted before deletion of the CKD base volume. Are you sure you want to delete CKD volume BD02?
[Y/N]: y
CMUC00024I rmckdvol: CKD volume BD02 successfully deleted.

dscli> lsckdvol BD02-BD03

CMUC00234I lsckdvol: No CKD Volume found.

Reinitializing online space-efficient CKD volumes

You can use the initckdvol command to reinitialize online space-efficient CKD volumes.

The command includes options to prevent the accidental reinitialization of volumes that are in
use. A CKD volume is considered to be in use if it is participating in a Copy Services
relationship or if the IBM Z system path mask indicates that the volume is in a grouped state
or online to any host system. All data is lost when this command is used.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 371

 Volume reinitialization is controlled by the -action releasespace and -force parameters in
the following manner:
򐂰 The releasespace parameter is used to free all extents and tracks that are associated with
the specified volume so they can be reused by other space efficient volumes.
򐂰 The -force parameter is required for the initckdvol command to reinitialize the specified
volume.
򐂰 When both of these parameters are used, the user is prompted with a Y/N response for the
command to proceed with the reinitialization process, as shown in Example 10-70.

Example 10-70 An initckdvol command example

dscli> initckdvol -action releasespace -force BD06
CMUC00338W initckdvol: Are you sure that you want to free all extents and lose the
data associated with CKD volume BD06? [Y/N]:y
CMUC00340I initckdvol: BD06: The command releasespace has completed successfully.

10.4.7 Resource groups

The resource group feature is designed for multitenancy environments. The resources are
volumes, LCUs, and LSSs, and they are used for access control for copy services functions
only.

For more information about resource groups, see IBM System Storage DS8000 Copy
Services Scope Management and Resource Groups, REDP-4758.

10.4.8 IBM Easy Tier

Easy Tier is designed to automate data placement throughout the storage pool. It enables the
system, without disrupting applications, to relocate data (at the extent level) across storage
tiers. The process is fully automated. Easy Tier also automatically rebalances extents among
ranks within the same tier, removing the workload skew between ranks, even within
homogeneous and single-tier extent pools.

Easy Tier Heat Map Transfer (HMT) allows the transfer of Easy Tier heat maps from primary
to auxiliary storage sites.

For more information about Easy Tier, see the following publication:
򐂰 IBM DS8000 Easy Tier (Updated for DS8000 R9.0), REDP-5667

10.5 Metrics with DS CLI

This section describes several command examples from the DS CLI that analyze the
performance metrics from different levels in a storage unit. The DS GUI also provides new
capabilities for performance monitoring, as described in 9.15, “Performance monitoring” on
page 302.

372 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Important: The help command shows specific information about each of the metrics.

Performance metrics: All performance metrics are an accumulation starting from the
most recent counter-wrap or counter-reset. The performance counters are reset on the
following occurrences:
򐂰 When the storage unit is turned on.
򐂰 When a server fails and the failover and fallback sequence is run.

10.5.1 Overview of metrics

Example 10-71 shows an example of the showfbvol command. This command displays the
detailed properties for an individual volume and includes a -metrics parameter that returns
the performance counter-values for a specific volume ID.

Example 10-71 Metrics for a specific fixed-block volume

dscli> showfbvol -metrics 000A
ID 000A
Date 10/10/2024 14:19:03 CEST
normrdrqts 7129645
normrdhits 4725660
normwritereq 25533232
normwritehits 25533232
seqreadreqs 11746083
seqreadhits 11578653
seqwritereq 3994518
seqwritehits 3994518
cachfwrreqs 0
cachfwrhits 0
cachefwreqs 0
cachfwhits 0
inbcachload 0
bypasscach 0
DASDtrans 4019246
seqDASDtrans 5825774
cachetrans 14933989
NVSspadel 0
normwriteops 0
seqwriteops 0
reccachemis 1314738
qwriteprots 0
CKDirtrkac 0
CKDirtrkhits 0
cachspdelay 0
timelowifact 0
thread 9848943
phwrite 820103
phbyteread 4269617
phbytewrite 7453693
recmoreads 2104182
sfiletrkreads 0
contamwrts 0
PPRCtrks 0
NVSspallo 29527749

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 373

 timephread 508529
timephwrite 169907
byteread 4254384
bytewrit 7690334
timbered 336121
typewrite 1418265
zHPFRead -
zHPFWrite -
zHPFPrefetchReq 0
zHPFPrefetchHit 0
GMCollisionsSidefileCount 0
GMCollisionsSendSyncCount 0
dscli>

Example 10-72 show an example of the showckdvol command. This command displays the
detailed properties for an individual volume and includes a -metrics parameter that returns
the performance counter-values for a specific volume ID.

Example 10-72 Metrics for a specific CKD volume

dscli> showckdvol -metrics 7b3d
ID 7B3D
normrdrqts 9
normrdhits 9
normwritereq 0
normwritehits 0
seqreadreqs 0
seqreadhits 0
seqwritereq 0
seqwritehits 0
cachfwrreqs 0
cachfwrhits 0
cachefwreqs 0
cachfwhits 0
inbcachload 0
bypasscach 0
DASDtrans 201
seqDASDtrans 0
cachetrans 1
NVSspadel 0
normwriteops 0
seqwriteops 0
reccachemis 0
qwriteprots 0
CKDirtrkac 9
CKDirtrkhits 9
cachspdelay 0
timelowifact 0
phread 201
phwrite 1
phbyteread 49
phbytewrite 0
recmoreads 0
sfiletrkreads 0
contamwrts 0
PPRCtrks 0

374 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

NVSspallo 0
timephread 90
timephwrite 0
byteread 0
bytewrit 0
timeread 0
timewrite 0
zHPFRead 0
zHPFWrite 0
zHPFPrefetchReq 0
zHPFPrefetchHit 0
GMCollisionsSidefileCount 0
GMCollisionsSendSyncCount 0

Example 10-73 shows an example of the output of the showrank command. This command
generates two types of reports. One report displays the detailed properties of a specified
rank, and the other report displays the performance metrics of a specified rank by using the
-metrics parameter.

Example 10-73 Metrics for a specific rank

dscli> showrank -metrics R0
ID R0
Date 10/10/2024 14:32:46 CEST
byteread 8175947
bytewrit 29508105
Reads 17783022
Writes 17946281
timeread 1105024
timewrite 19434052
dataencrypted yes
timeload 8206273
dscli>

Example 10-74 shows an example of the showioport command. This command shows the
properties of a specified I/O port and the performance metrics by using the -metrics
parameter. Monitoring the I/O ports is one of the most important tasks of the system
administrator. The I/O port is where the HBAs, SAN, and DS8A00 exchange information. If
one of these components has problems because of hardware or configuration issues, all of
the other components are affected.

Example 10-74 Metrics for a specific 32 Gbps I/O port

dscli> showioport -metrics I0032
ID I0032
Date 10/12/2024 09:33:38 CEST
byteread (FICON/ESCON) 0
bytewrit (FICON/ESCON) 0
Reads (FICON/ESCON) 0
Writes (FICON/ESCON) 0
timeread (FICON/ESCON) 0
timewrite (FICON/ESCON) 0
CmdRetries (FICON) 0
TransferReady (FICON) 0
Logins (FC) 6
SecCapableLogins (FC) 0

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 375

 AuthLogins (FC) 0
EncryptedLogins (FC) 0
bytewrit (PPRC) 0
byteread (PPRC) 0
Writes (PPRC) 0
Reads (PPRC) 0
timewrite (PPRC) 0
timeread (PPRC) 0
byteread (SCSI) 19858294
bytewrit (SCSI) 8510622
Reads (SCSI) 323762119
Writes (SCSI) 3058836
timeread (SCSI) 585195
timewrite (SCSI) 1750344
LinkFailErr (FC) 0
LossSyncErr (FC) 0
LossSigErr (FC) 0
PrimSeqErr (FC) 0
InvTxWordErr (FC) 0
CRCErr (FC) 0
LRSent (FC) 0
LRRec (FC) 0
IllegalFrame (FC) 0
OutOrdData (FC) 0
OutOrdACK (FC) 0
DupFrame (FC) 0
InvRelOffset (FC) 0
SeqTimeout (FC) 0
BitErrRate (FC) 0
RcvBufZero (FC) 0
SndBufZero (FC) 0
RetQFullBusy (FC) 0
ExchOverrun (FC) 0
ExchCntHigh (FC) 0
ExchRemAbort (FC) 0
CurrentSpeed (FC) 8 Gbps
%UtilizeCPU (FC) 2 Dedicated
TxPower(RDP) -1.7 dBm(681.2 uW)
RxPower(RDP) -3.5 dBm(446.8 uW)
TransceiverTemp(RDP) 40 C
SupplyVolt(RDP) 3367.0 mV
TxBiasCurrent(RDP) 6.55 mA
ConnectorType(RDP) SFP+
TxType(RDP) Laser-SW
FECStatus(RDP) Inactive
UncorrectedBlks(RDP) -
CorrectedBlks(RDP) -

The output of the showioport command includes several metric counters. For example, the
%UtilizeCPU metric for the CPU utilization of the HBA and the CurrentSpeed that the port
uses might be useful information.

Example 10-75 on page 378 shows the many important metrics that are returned by the
command. It provides the performance counters of the port and the FC link error counters.
The FC link error counters are used to determine the health of the overall communication.

376 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

The Security Login Counts metric includes the following metrics:
򐂰 Logins: The number of remote hosts or peer N_ports logged in to the specified I/O port.
򐂰 SecCapableLogins: The number of logins that are capable of FC security protocols. If the
port is security-enabled, the remote ports are expected to perform authentication.
򐂰 AuthLogins: The number of security capable logins that negotiated link authentication.
򐂰 EncryptedLogins: The number of remote hosts or peer N_ports that are logged in to the
specified port. These ports successfully authenticated and negotiated an encryption
algorithm for the IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security function (In-flight encryption over
FICON links).

The following groups of errors point to specific problem areas:

򐂰 Any nonzero figure in the counters LinkFailErr, LossSyncErr, LossSigErr, and
PrimSeqErr indicates that unstable HBAs might be attached to the SAN. These unstable
HBAs log in to and log out of the SAN, creating name server congestion and performance
degradation.
򐂰 If the InvTxWordErr counter increases by more than 100 each day, the port is receiving
light from a source that is not a small form-factor pluggable (SFP). The cable that is
connected to the port is not covered at the end or the I/O port is not covered by a cap.
򐂰 The CRCErr counter shows the errors that occur between the last sending SFP in the SAN
and the receiving port of the DS8A00. These errors do not appear in any other place in the
data center. To resolve this issue, replace the cable that is connected to the port or the
SFP in the SAN.
򐂰 The link reset counters LRSent and LRRec also suggest hardware defects in the SAN.
These errors must be investigated.
򐂰 The counters IllegalFrame, OutOrdData, OutOrdACK, DupFrame, InvRelOffset, SeqTimeout,
and BitErrRate point to congestion in the SAN. These counters can be influenced only by
configuration changes in the SAN.
򐂰 The 32 Gbps host adapters implement the T11 Read Diagnostic Parameters (RDP)
standard and provide extra details, such as optical signal strength, error counters, and
other information that is crucial to determining the quality of the link. For example, the
cable - connector path (including the cleanliness of the optical connectors) is diagnosed by
calculating the RxPower (RDP)/TxPower (RDP) ratio. Receivers rarely fail, and the
receiver sensitivity does not change. Therefore, if the receiver optical power is too low for
good signal reception and the calculated RxPower (RDP)/TxPower (RDP) ratio is too low,
clean the connector. If this RX/TX ratio continues to be low, the cable might be broken.
򐂰 The following ioport command options are used to improve the RDP diagnostic
capabilities:
– showioport -rdp Ixxxx
• Shows detailed RDP information for both the local port and the attached switched
port or directly connected port.
• The information that is shown is the last time that it was obtained from the SFP for
the local port or from the attached port that uses RDP.
• DS8A00 32 Gbps FC host adapters read the SFPs each hour and send an RDP
command to the attached port every 4 hours.
– setioport –update rdp Ixxxx
• Causes the port to read the local SFP and also send an RDP command to the
attached port.
• Attached port information currency depends on the implementation.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 377

 Example 10-75 provides an example of the RDP status.

Example 10-75 Full output for the showioport -rdp Ixxxx command for a specific I/O port
dscli> showioport -rdp I0032
ID I0032
WWPN 5005076309039462
Attached WWPN 200D00051EF0EC72
Physical Type FC-FS-3
Link Failure Error 0
Loss of sync Error 0
Loss of Signal Error 0
Primitive Sequence Error 0
Invalid Transmission Word Error 0
CRC Error 0
FEC Status Inactive
Uncorrected Blocks -
Corrected Blocks -
Port Speed Capabilities 8GFC 16GFC 32GFC
Port Operating Speed 32GFC
Advertised B-B Credit 20
Attached Port B-B Credit 180
Nominal RTT Link Latency Unknown
Connector Type SFP+
Tx Type Short Wave Laser
Transceiver Temperature 39.9 C [Operating Range -128 - +128 C]
Tx Bias Current 6.5 mAmps [Operating Range 0 - 131 mAmps]
Transceiver Supply Voltage 3364.4 mV [Operating Range 0 - 3600 mVolts]
Rx Power 448.8 uW(-3.5 dBm) [Operating Range 0 - 6550 uW]
Tx Power 681.3 uW(-1.7 dBm) [Operating Range 0 - 6550 uW]
Last SFP Read time 10/12/2024 09:48:04 CEST
======SFP Parameters Alarm Levels=======
Element High Warning Low Warning High Alarm Low Alarm
========================================================================
Transceiver Temperature 0 0 0 0
Tx Bias Current 0 0 0 0
Transceiver Supply Voltage 0 0 0 0
Tx Power 0 0 0 0
Rx Power 0 0 0 0
============================Attached Port=============================
ID N/A
WWPN 200D00051EF0EC72
Attached WWPN 5005076309039462
Physical Type FC-FS-3
Link Failure Error 0
Loss of sync Error 3
Loss of Signal Error 2
Primitive Sequence Error 0
Invalid Transmission Word Error 0
CRC Error 0
FEC Status Inactive
Uncorrected Blocks -
Corrected Blocks -
Port Speed Capabilities 1GFC 2GFC 4GFC 8GFC
Port Operating Speed 32GFC
Advertised B-B Credit 20
Attached Port B-B Credit 180
Nominal RTT Link Latency Unknown
Connector Type SFP+
Tx Type Short Wave Laser
Transceiver Temperature 39.0 C [Operating Range -128 - +128 C]
Tx Bias Current 9.0 mAmps [Operating Range 0 - 131 mAmps]
Transceiver Supply Voltage 3281.1 mV [Operating Range 0 - 3600 mVolts]
Rx Power 690.2 uW(-1.6 dBm) [Operating Range 0 - 6550 uW]
Tx Power 479.8 uW(-3.2 dBm) [Operating Range 0 - 6550 uW]
Last SFP Read time 10/12/2024 08:40:30 CEST

378 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 ======SFP Parameters Alarm Levels=======
Element High Warning Low Warning High Alarm Low Alarm
========================================================================
Transceiver Temperature 0 0 0 0
Tx Bias Current 0 0 0 0
Transceiver Supply Voltage 0 0 0 0
Tx Power 0 0 0 0
Rx Power 0 0 0 0
dscli>

10.5.2 Offloading performance data and other parameters

There is an option to offload performance data by using the DS CLI. The command is
offloadfile -perfdata. It contains performance data that includes one week of data at
1-minute intervals for the system, arrays, pools, and I/O port. Here is the list of parameters for
the offloadfile command:
-auditlog Exports one file that contains the audit log for the Management
Console (MC) server.
-sdocert Exports the IBM Certified Secure Data Overwrite (SDO) certificate for
each storage facility.
-etdata Exports two files that contain the Easy Tier summary data.
-config Offloads two files: One file contains the advanced settings, and
another file contains the Install Corrective Service (ICS) settings. Only
one file set parameter must be specified.
-pepackage Generates a PE package that is sent to IBM, but only if you do not
specify -showstatus. Specify only one file set.
-statesave Generates a file that is sent to IBM, but only if you do not specify
-showstatus or -list. Specify only one file set.
-odd Generates a file that is sent to IBM, but only if you do not specify
-showstatus or -list. Specify only one file set.
-perfdata Downloads the performance summary comma-separated values
(CSV) file.
-sysdata Downloads the system summary file. Specify only one file set.
-etdataCSV Downloads a compressed file that contains one or more Easy Tier
CSV files and an Excel tool that is used for the CSV files. (The CSV
files are Microsoft Excel files.) The compressed file is downloaded to a
directory that you specify. Specify only one file set.
-fcdata Exports the Fibre Channel Connectivity report.

Restriction: The offloadfile command is not supported by the embedded DS CLI.

The result of the command in Example 10-76 is a .csv file with detailed information. For more
information, see Figure 10-9 on page 380.

Example 10-76 The offloadfile command that is issued from DS CLI

dscli> offloadfile -perfdata c:\temp
CMUC00428I offloadfile: The perfdata file has been offloaded to
c:\temp\FORMATTED_PERF_SAMPLES_75xxxxx.csv.
dscli>

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 379

Figure 10-9 Snapshot from the -perfdata csv file

10.6 Private network security commands

There are DS CLI commands used to manage DS8A00 network security. With the
introduction of support for National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-131a
compliance, new commands were introduced to enable compliance support. Network security
includes Transport Layer Security (TLS) to protect application access.

The following commands are available to manage TLS security settings:

򐂰 manageaccess
The manageaccess command is used to manage the security protocol access settings of an
HMC for all communications to and from the DS8A00. It can also control port 1750 access
to the network interface server for pre-Gen 2 certificate access.
It is primarily used to manage server access in the HMC, which includes DS GUI, Web
User Interface (WUI) and network interface servers.
Each of these accesses can be set to an access level of either Legacy or 800131a. When
the access is set to the 800131a level, it is NIST SP 800-131a-compliant.
򐂰 showaccess
This command displays the current setting for each access that is managed with the
manageaccess command. It also displays the remote service access settings that are
provided with the lsaccess command.

The following security commands are available to manage remote service access settings:
򐂰 chaccess
Use the chaccess command to change the following HMC settings:
– Enable and disable the HMC command-line shell access
– Enable and disable the HMC WUI access
– Enable and disable Assist On-site (AOS) or IBM Remote Support Center (RSC) access

Important:
򐂰 This command affects service access only and does not change access to the
system by using the DS CLI or DS Storage Manager.
򐂰 Only users with administrator authority can access this command.

380 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

򐂰 lsaccess
The lsaccess command displays the access settings of an HMC. If you add the -l
parameter, the command also displays the AOS or RSC status. If AOS or RSC is active,
an AOS or RSC connection shows as enabled. An AOS or RSC connection is used only
for remote support purposes. For more information, see Example 10-77.

Example 10-77 The lsaccess command and example output

dscli> lsaccess -l
hmc cmdline wui modem cim aos rsc vpn
===============================================================
hmc1 enabled enabled disabled disabled enabled enabled disabled
hmc2 enabled enabled disabled disabled enabled enabled disabled

The following commands enable the TLS protocol for secure syslog traffic. TLS must be
enabled before configuring all syslog servers. If you specify TLS, all syslog servers
configurations use the same protocol and certificates.
򐂰 mksyslogserver
Example 10-78 shows the new DS CLI command mksyslogserver, which configures
syslogserver as TLS-enabled. The certificate authority (CA) certificate, HMC Certificate,
and HMC private key locations are required when configuring the first syslogserver.

Example 10-78 Enabling TLS for secure syslog traffic

dscli> mksyslogserver -addr 9.100.10.7 -protocol tls -cacert
/Users/heping/ut/syslog/ca.pem -hmccert /Users/heping/ut/syslog/cert.pem -key
/Users/heping/ut/syslog/key.pem test
CMUC00508I mksyslogserver: The syslog server machine.example.net has been
created.

򐂰 lssyslogserver -l
The lssyslogserver -l displays the list of all syslog servers and their attributes, as shown
in Example 10-79.

Example 10-79 The lssyslogserver -l command and a sample output

dscli> lssyslogserver -l
name IP address port state access protocol type HMC
======================================================================
daisy 9.10.100.127 514 active online tls audit,message,event 1
daisy 9.10.100.127 514 active online tls audit,message,event 2

Important: For more information about security issues and overall security management
to implement NIST 800-131a compliance, see IBM DS8870 and NIST SP 800-131a
Compliance, REDP-5069.

The following DS CLI commands specify a custom certificate for communication between the
external encryption key servers (typically IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager and the
storage system:
򐂰 managekeygrp -action -importcert

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 381

 Specifies the customer-generated certificate to import in Public-Key Cryptography
Standard (PKCS) #12 format, as shown in Example 10-80.

Example 10-80 The managekeygrp command for importing a custom certificate

dscli> managekeygrp -action importcert -loc /home/hscroot/rashmic/da6.p12 -pw blah 1
CMUC00489I managekeygrp: The certificate for encryption group 1 has been imported.

򐂰 managekeygrp -action updatecert

When specified, the option -certType CUSTOMER updates an IBM supplied Gen 1 or Gen 2
certificate to a customer-generated certificate, as shown in Example 10-81. For more
information about the encryption and DS8000 certificates, see IBM DS8000 Encryption for
Data at Rest, Transparent Cloud Tiering, and Endpoint Security, REDP-4500.

Example 10-81 The managekeygrp command for updating a custom certificate

dscli> managekeygrp -action updatecert -certType CUSTOMER -key data 1
CMUC00472I managekeygrp: The certificate for encryption group 1 has been updated.

For more information, see IBM Documentation.

10.7 Copy Services commands

More DS CLI commands are available, and many of these commands are used for the
management of copy services, such as the Safeguarded copy, FlashCopy, Metro Mirror (MM),
and Global Mirror (GM) commands.

These commands are not described in this chapter. For more information, see Copy Services
commands.

10.8 Earlier DS CLI commands and scripts

As versions of the DS8000 code evolve, new commands are introduced that are supported by
the DS CLI. Additionally, in some cases, older commands are adjusted or changed to support
new functions. To ensure continuity for any scripts and programming customers might have
created by using these older commands, the DS CLI still supports many of these commands
even though they might no longer be documented in the DS CLI Command Reference or
available any longer with the DSI CLI help command, as shown in Example 10-82.

Example 10-82 Command help

dscli> help lsddm
Help page for lsddm is not available
dscli>

Even though the command may no longer be referenced in the help pages of the DS CLI, the
command is still supported, as shown in Example 10-83.

Example 10-83 Support for older commands

dscli> lsddm
ID DA Pair dkcap (10^9B) dkuse arsite State
===============================================================================
IBM.2107-D04-4N014/R1-P1-D1 11 1920.0 array member S3 Normal

382 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 IBM.2107-D04-4N014/R1-P1-D2 11 1920.0 array member S3 Normal
IBM.2107-D04-4N014/R1-P1-D3 11 1920.0 array member S3 Normal
IBM.2107-D04-4N014/R1-P1-D4 11 1920.0 array member S3 Normal

Some new commands and their older equivalents are shown in Table 10-1.

Table 10-1 DS CLI new and old commands

New command Output Old command

lsdrive Lists drives. lsddm

lsstgenclosure Lists storage enclosures. lsstgencl

lshacard Lists host adapters. lshba

lsdacard Lists device adapter (DA). lsda

lspnode Lists processor nodes. N/A

lshmc Lists HMCs. N/A

lsioenclosure Lists I/O enclosures. N/A

lspciecard Lists PCIe cards. N/A

10.9 For more information

For more information about the topics that were described in this chapter, see the following
resources:
򐂰 For more information about the copy services configuration, see IBM DS8000 Series
Command-Line Interface User’s Guide, SC27-9562.
򐂰 For more information about DS CLI commands that relate to disk encryption, see IBM
DS8000 Encryption for Data at Rest, Transparent Cloud Tiering, and Endpoint Security,
REDP-4500.
򐂰 For more information about thin-provisioning, see IBM DS8000 Thin Provisioning,
REDP-5343.
򐂰 For more information about DS CLI commands that relate to Easy Tier, see IBM DS8000
Easy Tier, REDP-4667.

Chapter 10. IBM DS8A00 Storage Management Command-line Interface 383

384 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
 11

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code

This chapter describes considerations that relate to the planning and installation of new
Licensed Machine Code (LMC) bundles on the IBM DS8A00. The overall process for the
DS8A00 is the same as for previous models.

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “How new Licensed Internal Code is released” on page 386
򐂰 “Bundle installation” on page 388
򐂰 “Code updates” on page 398
򐂰 “Host adapter firmware updates” on page 399
򐂰 “Loading the code bundle” on page 400
򐂰 “Postinstallation activities” on page 401
򐂰 “Summary” on page 401

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 385

11.1 How new Licensed Internal Code is released
Most of the hardware components within the DS8A00 system can be updated with new
firmware when it is available:
򐂰 Device adapters (DAs)
򐂰 Host adapters (HAs)
򐂰 Flash Drives:
– Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe) Drives
– FlashCore Modules (FCMs)
򐂰 Power subsystems:
– Intelligent Power Distribution Units (iPDUs)
– Storage Enclosure (SE) components:
• Services Managers (ESMs)
• Power Supplies (PSUs)
– I/O Bay components:
• I/O Bay logic cards
• I/O Bay PSUs

In addition, the Licensed Internal Code (LIC) and internal operating system (OS) that run on
the Hardware Management Consoles (HMCs) and each central processor complex (CPC)
can be updated. As IBM continues to develop the DS8A00, new features are released
through new LIC levels.

When IBM releases a new LIC for the DS8A00, it is released in the form of a bundle. The term
bundle is used because a new code release can include updates for various DS8A00
components. These updates are tested together, and then the various code packages are
bundled together into one unified release. Components within the bundle each include their
own revision levels.
For more information about a DS8A00 cross-reference table of code bundles, see DS8A00
Code Bundle Information.

The cross-reference table shows the levels of code for released bundles. The cross-reference
information is updated as new code bundles are released.

In addition to keeping your LIC current, maintain a current version of the Data Storage
Command-line Interface (DS CLI).

The DS8A00 continues to use the same naming convention for bundles like the former
DS8000 generations: PR.MM.FFF.EEEE.

The following list describes the components of the naming convention:

򐂰 P: Product (1 = DS8000)
򐂰 R: Release Major (X, 0= DS8A00)
򐂰 MM: Release Minor (xx)
򐂰 FFF: Fix Level (xxx)
򐂰 EEEE: Fix Level (0 is base, and 1..n is the interim fix build that is later than the base level.)

This naming convention is shown in Example 11-1 on page 387.

386 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Example 11-1 Bundle level information
For BUNDLE 10.0.198.0 :
Product DS8000
Release Major 0
Release Minor 0
Fix Level 198
EFIX level 0

The 10.0 in Example 11-1 stands for the Release 10.0 without a Service Pack.

If DS CLI is used, you can obtain the CLI and LMC code level information by using the ver
command, as shown in Example 11-2. The ver command uses the following optional
parameters and displays the versions of the CLI, Storage Manager, and LMC:
-s (optional) The -s parameter displays the version of the CLI program. You cannot
use the -s and -l parameters together.
-l (optional) The -l parameter displays the versions of the CLI, Storage Manager,
and LMC. You cannot use the -l and -s parameters together.
-cli (optional) Displays the version of the CLI program. Version numbers are in the
format version.release.modification.fixlevel.
-stgmgr (optional) Displays the version of the Storage Manager.
This ID is not for the GUI (Storage Manager GUI). This ID relates to
HMC code bundle information.
-lmc (optional) Displays the version of the LMC.

Example 11-2 Output of the DS CLI ver -l command

dscli> ver -l
Date/Time: September 9, 2024 at 3:33:15 AM MST IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.746 DS: -
DSCLI 7.10.0.746
StorageManager 10.2.2408132242
HMC DSCLI 7.10.0.746
================Version=================
Storage Image LMC Bundle Version
==========================================
IBM.2107-78HAL91 7.10.0.746 10.0.198.0

The Bundle version (Release) can also be retrieved from the DS Storage Manager by clicking
Actions → Properties from the Dashboard window, as shown in Figure 11-1 on page 388.

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code 387

 Figure 11-1 Bundle version under DS Storage Manager

11.2 Bundle installation

Important: The LMC is usually provided by and installed by IBM Remote Support
Personnel, or by an IBM Systems Service Representative (IBM SSR). The customer can
also manage the entire process from the DS8000 Storage Manager GUI. During the
planning phase customers must read the following document to know whether any
prerequisites must be considered:
Customer "Must-Read" Information for DS8000 Code Updates

The bundle package contains the following levels of updated code:

򐂰 HMC code levels:
– HMC OS and managed system base
– DS Storage Manager
– IBM Copy Services Manager
򐂰 Managed system code levels
򐂰 Interim fix code levels
򐂰 Storage facility image (SFI) code levels
򐂰 HA code levels
򐂰 DA code level
򐂰 I/O bay code level

388 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

򐂰 Power code levels
򐂰 Flash Drive Enclosure Service Manager (ESM) interface card code levels
򐂰 Flash Drive enclosure power supply unit (PSU) code levels
򐂰 Flash Drive firmware code level

The code is either updated remotely or locally at the HMC by an IBM SSR. Upgrading the
code remotely can be done by IBM through Remote Code Load (RCL) or by the client through
the DS8000 Storage Manager GUI. RCL is the default method. If the client wants the code to
be updated by the local IBM SSR onsite, then the Feature Code for remote code exception
must be ordered with the system.

Note: When the customer does not opt for Expert Care Premium, Customer Code Load is
the default on the DS8A00 system.

Other than the actions of acquiring the microcode, the process of distribution and activation is
the same.

The Code Distribution and Activation (CDA) software preinstall is the method that is used to
run the concurrent code load (CCL) distribution. By using the CDA software preinstall, the
IBM SSR performs every non-impacting CCL step for loading code by inserting the physical
media into the primary HMC or by running a network acquisition of the code level that is
needed. The IBM SSR can also download the bundle from IBM Fix Central on the HMC.

After the CDA software preinstallation starts, the following steps occur automatically:
1. The release bundle is downloaded from either the physical media or network to the
Primary HMC (HMC1) hard disk drive (HDD).
2. The release bundle is copied from HMC1 to the Secondary HMC (HMC2)
3. The HMCs receive any code update-specific fixes.
4. Code updates are distributed to the logical partition (LPAR) and staged on an alternative
base operating system (BOS) repository.
5. Scheduled precheck scans are performed until the distributed code is activated by the
user. After 30 days without activation, the code expires and is automatically removed from
the alternative BOS.

Anytime after the software preinstallation completes, when the user logs in to the primary
HMC, the user is guided automatically to correct any serviceable events that might be open,
update the HMC, and activate the previously distributed code on the storage facility. The
overall process is also known as CCL.

The code installation process performs the following actions:

1. Updates code on HMC1.
2. Updates code on HMC2.
3. Performs updates to the CPC OS and the internal LMC, which are performed individually.
To update each CPC, the logical subsystem (LSS) fails over to the alternative CPC. This
process updates the firmware that is running on each DA that is owned by that CPC.

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code 389

 4. Performs updates to the host adapters. For DS8A00 host adapters, the impact of these
updates on each adapter is less than 2.5 seconds and they do not affect connectivity. If an
update takes longer, the multipathing software on the host or the control-unit initiated
reconfiguration (CUIR) directs I/O to another host adapter. If a host is attached with only a
single path or through multipathing to different ports on the same host adapter,
connectivity is lost. For more information about host attachment, see 4.3.2, “Host
connections” on page 114.
5. New firmware for the hypervisor, service processor, system board, and I/O enclosure
boards is released periodically. This firmware can be loaded into each device directly from
the HMC. Activation of this firmware might require a shutdown and restart of each CPC
individually. This process causes each CPC to fail over its LSSs to the alternative CPC.
Certain updates do not require this step, or it might occur without processor restarts. For
more information, see 4.2, “CPC failover and failback” on page 110.
6. Maintain the latest flash drive firmware because enhancements for efficiency,
performance, and reliability are released often. A flash drive firmware update is a
concurrent process in the DS8A00 series family. The instructions to update the firmware
by using Install Corrective Service (ICS) can be found in the code installation instructions.

Although the microcode installation process might seem complex, it does not require
significant user intervention. IBM Remote Support Personnel normally start the CDA process
and then monitors its progress by using the HMC. The customer’s experience with upgrading
the code of the DS8000 is the same.

Important: For the DS8A00 models, DS CLI should be maintained at a current level.
Matching the version to the storage facility is not required if the DS CLI version is at a
higher level. The higher level can be used to support all other IBM DS8000 models in the
environment. For more information, see the release notes or speak to your IBM SSR.

Automatic Code Management

Automatic code management is an optional automatic acquire and preinstallation feature for
LIC. This feature automatically downloads the recommended “go to” level of LIC to the HMC,
and then it performs an automated preinstallation. This preinstallation reduces the code load
time because this level is preinstalled at the beginning of the code load window. You can view
the recommended level of LIC by going to DS8000 Code Recommendation.

Important: The default setting for this feature is off, but can be enabled in the Storage
Manager GUI. For more information, contact your IBM SSR.

To enable this feature, log in to the Storage Manager GUI, select Settings → System →
Advanced, and select Automatic code management, as shown in Figure 11-2 on
page 391.

390 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 11-2 Advanced Settings menu: Automatic code management

HMC Code Image Server

When several DS8000 storage systems in the same data center must be updated, acquiring a
code bundle from IBM Fix Central individually for each storage system can be a
time-consuming process.

To address this situation, an HMC Code Image Server function is available. With the HMC
Code Image Server function, a single HMC in the customer data center can acquire code
from IBM Fix Central. One HMC sends those images to other HMCs by using the client
Ethernet network. The advantage of this approach is that there is no need to download the
image from IBM Fix Central multiple times, and the code bundles can be copied locally by
using that download.

The HMC Code Image Server function works with bundle images and other updates, such as
ICS Images. HMC Recovery Images are performed if they are available on the source HMC.

Figure 11-3 on page 392 shows the relevant menu options in the Updates menu of the
service console Web User Interface (WUI).

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code 391

 Figure 11-3 Updates menu: HMC Code Image Server

At the site where the code bundle was acquired and downloaded, the HMC Code Image
Server function must be enabled. The target site then uses the “Remote File Download”
function to copy the available code bundles to a local repository. All images on the source
HMC are copied to the target HMC.

This process copies only the update image files to the local /extra/BundleImage/ directory
on the target HMC. Then, the normal acquisition step still must be performed, and the local
directory on the target HMC must be selected, as shown on Figure 11-4.

Figure 11-4 Acquiring from the HMC Directory

After the acquisition is complete, the normal code load process proceeds with the CDA
software preinstallation.

392 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Note: Bundles that were acquired from physical media cannot be served by the HMC Code
Image Server function because they are imported directly to the HMC software library and
are not available as single bundle image afterward.

Figure 11-4 on page 392 also shows that it is possible to acquire a bundle from the storage
system LPAR. Every IBM Fix Central acquired image is copied to the HMC and the LPARs of
the storage system and then imported into the HMC library. Because there is a copy on the
LPAR, the partner HMC can now use the LPAR as a source for the acquisition step. This
action can be done on both HMCs on the same storage system because only these HMCs
have access to the internal network to copy the files from the LPARs. Copying from the LPARs
does not require using the HMC Code Image Server function.

11.2.1 Remote Code Load

With RCL, you have an efficient and secure method to update the DS8000 systems
microcode in a concurrent way without interrupting business operations.

RCL is supported by DS8870, DS8880, DS8900F, and DS8A00 systems.

RCL is a trusted process where an IBM Remote Support engineer securely connects to a
DS8000 system, enables the remote acquisition, and performs the distribution and activation
of LIC bundles and ICS images.

The RCL process is concurrent, that is, it can be run without interruptions to business
operations. This process consists of the following steps, as illustrated in Figure 11-5.

Figure 11-5 Remote Code Load process

The following steps are used for the Remote Code Load process:
1. IBM Remote Support Personnel work with IBM Technical Account Managers (TAM) to plan
the microcode update to ensure that the client’s environment is in the planning phase.
2. When an RCL is agreed on and scheduled, IBM Remote Support Personnel in the
IBM Support Center initiate a session with the target HMC.

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code 393

 3. During the agreed on maintenance window, IBM Remote Support Personnel direct the
HMC to acquire the code images from the IBM Fix Central repository and prepare for code
activation.
4. During the customer maintenance window, IBM Remote Support Personnel initiate the
activation request and update the HMCs and DS8000 to the new target microcode level.

RCL requires access to the following server:

Host name IPv4 IPv6 Port(s)

esupport.ibm.com 192.148.6.11 2620:1f7:c010:1:1:1:1:11 443

Notes:
򐂰 Code bundles are pulled to the HMC. They are not pushed.
򐂰 IP addresses might change in the future. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to
use host names for firewall configuration instead of IP addresses.

11.2.2 Customer Code Load

The IBM DS8000 G10 tenth generation offers a feature that clients can use to perform an
upgrade of the DS8000 storage systems by themselves. This option provides some benefits
for clients that prefer having full control of the entire process to plan, schedule, and perform
the code upgrade. The process is entirely handled by the customer, and IBM Remote Support
Personnel are not required to perform this task.

Note: Customer Code Load runs the same background processes as the RCL.

The process is split into two parts:

1. The user performs the download and acquires the new DS8000 code bundle.
2. The user activates the code bundle.

There is a 30-day countdown between these two parts of the upgrade in which the client can
decide when to proceed with the second part. During the 30 days, the system stores the
downloaded code bundle, and it can be activated at any point.

This option is available under Settings → Support → Update System, as shown in

Figure 11-6.

Figure 11-6 Storage Manager GUI: Update System menu

394 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 11-6 on page 394 shows the Update System menu when there are no code bundles
downloaded to the DS8000 storage system. The Health Check and Activate option is enabled
after the download of the microcode completes.

Important: The storage system must be in a healthy hardware status to avoid issues
during the code upgrade process. For that reason, at any point in time, the client can select
the option Health Check to confirm whether the system is ready for the upgrade.

Customer Code Load process

To use the Customer Code Load process, complete the following steps:
1. To download the microcode, select Download Code Level from the window that is shown
in Figure 11-6 on page 394, which immediately begins a microcode bundle query of IBM
Fix Central for a list of codes that the customer can select. This query displays only higher
or equal microcode levels compared to the currently installed level on the DS8000 system.
After the query completes, a new window opens in the Storage Manager GUI, as shown in
Figure 11-7.

Figure 11-7 Microcode level query

2. After the code level is selected, the process downloads the new code bundle to the
DS8000 Hardware Management Console, and then distributes the separate firmware
packages to each internal component in the DS8000 system.
3. The user can monitor the process until completion. After the download completes, click
Close Status, as shown in Figure 11-8 on page 396.

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code 395

 Figure 11-8 Microcode download complete message

4. After closing the window, the option Health Check and Activate is available. Also, you can
see and confirm which code level was downloaded, and how many days are left before the
code expires, as shown in Figure 11-9.

Note: After completing this step, the Health Check option still is available, but it is not
mandatory to select it before proceeding with the code activation. A health check is still
performed before and after the activation when the user selects Health Check and
Activate.

Figure 11-9 select Health Check and Activate

5. To activate the code, select Health Check and Activate. A new attention message
appears in the Storage Manager GUI and notifies you about the actions that are about to
be performed, as shown in Figure 11-10 on page 397. To start, click Yes.

396 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 11-10 Code Activation Message

6. The code activation progress can be tracked in the Storage Manager GUI until the end.
After it completes, it displays a message confirming that the activation is complete (see
Figure 11-11).

Figure 11-11 Code Activation Complete

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code 397

 If there is any unexpected situation such as hardware failure or code upgrade failure
during the process, the customer is notified in the window that is shown in Figure 11-12.
There is a case number in that notification, which can be used as a reference for when the
client engages IBM Remote Support.

Figure 11-12 Case number

When the problem is resolved, the Code Load can be resumed by going back to step 5 on
page 396 and select Health Check and Activate.

Note: If the option Health Check and Activate is not available, the Code Load needs
to be restarted by going back to step 1 on page 395 to download the same Code
Bundle which failed the activation.

11.3 Code updates

The LIC running on the HMC is updated as part of a new code bundle installation. The HMC
can hold up to six previous versions of code in the Code Library. Each CPC can hold three
versions of code (the previous version, the active version, and the next version). Most
organizations plan for two code updates each year.

Best practice: Many clients with multiple DS8000 systems follow the update schedule that
is detailed in this chapter. In this schedule, the HMC is updated a day or two before the rest
of the bundle is applied. If a large gap exists between the present and destination level of
bundles, certain DS CLI commands (especially DS CLI commands that relate to IBM Copy
Services (CS)) might not be able to be run until the SFI is updated to the same level of the
HMC. Your IBM SSR or Technical Account Manager can help you in this situation.

Before you update the CPC OS and LIC, a pre-verification test is run to ensure that no
conditions exist that prohibit a successful code load. The HMC code update installs the latest
version of the pre-verification test. Then, the newest test can be run.

If problems are detected, one or two days are available before the scheduled code installation
window date to correct them. This procedure is shown in the following example:
򐂰 Thursday:
a. Acquire the new code bundle and send them to the HMCs.

398 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 b. Update the HMCs to the new code bundle.
c. Run the updated pre-verification test.
d. Resolve any issues that were identified by the pre-verification test.
򐂰 Saturday:
Update (Activate) the SFI code.

The average code load time varies depending on the hardware that is installed, but 2.5–4
hours is normal. Always speak with your IBM SSR or Technical Account Manager about
proposed code load schedules.

Code recommendations are listed at DS8000 Code Recommendation.

Additionally, check multipathing drivers and storage area network (SAN) switch firmware
levels for their current levels at regular intervals.

11.4 Host adapter firmware updates

One of the final steps in the CCL process is updating the host adapters. Normally, every code
bundle contains new host adapter firmware. For DS8A00 Fibre Channel (FC) adapters,
regardless of whether they are used for open systems (FC) attachment or IBM Z system
(Fibre Channel connection (IBM FICON)) attachment, the update process is concurrent with
the attached hosts. The FC adapters use a technique that is known as adapter fast-load,
which is the default option for updating. This technique allows the adapters to switch to the
new firmware in less than 2 seconds.

This fast update means that single path hosts, hosts that boot from SAN, and hosts that do
not have multipathing software do not need to be shut down during the update. They can
keep operating during the host adapter update because the update is so fast. Also, no
Subsystem Device Driver (SDD) path management is necessary.

Interactive host adapters can also be enabled if you want to control the host path manually. If
so, before the host adapters are updated, a notification is sent and a confirmation is needed.
You can then take the corresponding host paths offline and switch to other available paths.

11.4.1 Light-on fastload firmware update

Light-on fastload firmware update is a DS8A00 feature that allows a host adapter to perform
a fastload firmware update without dropping light to hosts and SAN switches. It decreases
generated registered state change notification (RSCN) messages in SAN fabrics. It also
eliminates warning messages or problems that are generated because of the light-off action
of a traditional fastload. In addition, this feature shortens the duration of host I/O interrupts
during the host adapter firmware update because the DS8A00 host ports stay in login states
without extra SAN fabric communication actions, such as a login back to the connected SAN
switch.

This function is usually enabled by default. For more information about how to enable this
function, contact your IBM SSR.

11.4.2 Remote Mirror and Remote Copy path considerations

No special considerations are required for Remote Mirror and Remote Copy paths that use
FC ports. The ability to perform a fast load means that no interruption occurs to the Remote
Mirror operations.

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code 399

11.4.3 Control-unit initiated reconfiguration
CUIR prevents the loss of access to volumes in IBM Z system environments because of
incorrect or wrong path handling. This function automates channel path management in
IBM Z environments in support of selected DS8A00 service actions. CUIR is available for the
DS8A00 when the DS8A00 is operated in the z/OS and z/VM environments. The CUIR
function automates channel path vary on and vary off actions to minimize the manual
operator intervention during selected DS8A00 service actions.

CUIR allows the DS8A00 to request that all attached system images set all paths that are
required for a particular service action to the offline state. System images with the correct
level of software support respond to these requests by varying off the affected paths. The
image then notifies the DS8A00 subsystem that the paths are offline or that it cannot take the
paths offline. CUIR reduces manual operator intervention and the possibility of human error
during maintenance actions.

CUIR also reduces the time that is required for the maintenance window. This feature is
useful in environments in which many systems are attached to a DS8A00.

11.5 Loading the code bundle

The DS8A00 code bundle installation can be performed in different ways. The preferred
method is through the IBM RCL process, where IBM Remote Support Personnel download
the microcode bundle remotely from IBM Fix Central and then activate it remotely.

Loading the microcode can also be performed entirely by the client. The microcode is
downloaded from IBM Fix Central, and the client can perform all the steps by using the
DS8000 Storage Manager GUI. For more information, see 11.2.2, “Customer Code Load” on
page 394.

The microcode can be loaded by an IBM SSR onsite as well. To review and arrange the
required services, contact your IBM SSR or your IBM Technical Account Manager.

The CCL process includes an autonomic recovery function, which means that it is tolerant to
temporary non-critical errors that might surface during the activation. During the CCL, if an
error is posted, the LIC automatically analyzes the error and evaluates whether CCL can
continue. If it cannot, the LIC suspends the CCL and calls for service. The DS8A00 system
can continue with the code update with tolerable errors. After the code update completes,
your IBM SSR works to resolve any of the problems that were generated during the code
update at a convenient time so that DS8A00 clients can schedule the code update in a
controlled manner.

During an update, a system is under less redundant conditions because certain components
are undergoing a firmware update. DS8000 development always strives to reduce the
firmware activation time to improve system redundancy with less exposure to non-redundant
durations. In addition, firmware distribution time is also minimized because fewer components
are involved in the code update.

The CCL duration of the DS8000 family continues to advance with the introduction of new
technology. With the latest DS8A00 firmware, the LIC preinstall can be arranged before your
code update service window performs the code activation, distribution, and HMC update. The
activation times of various components are greatly reduced.

400 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

11.6 Postinstallation activities
After a new code bundle is installed, you might need to complete the following tasks:
1. Upgrade the DS CLI of external workstations. For most new release code bundles, a
corresponding new release of the DS CLI is available. The LMC version and the DS CLI
version are usually identical. Ensure that you upgrade to the new version of the DS CLI to
take advantage of any improvements.
A current version of the DS CLI can be downloaded from IBM Fix Central.
2. Verify the connectivity from each DS CLI workstation to the DS8A00.
3. Verify the DS Storage Manager connectivity by using a supported browser.
4. Verify the DS Storage Manager connectivity from IBM Spectrum Control to the DS8A00.
5. Verify the DS Storage Manager connectivity from IBM Copy Services Manager to the
DS8A00.
6. Verify the connectivity from the DS8A00 to all IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle
Manager instances, or other servers in use.

11.7 Summary
IBM might release changes to the DS8A00 LMC. These changes might include code fixes
and feature updates that relate to the DS8A00.

These updates and the information about them are documented in the DS8A00 Code
cross-reference website. You can find this information for a specific bundle under the Bundle
Release Note information section in DS8000 Code Recommendation.

Chapter 11. Licensed Machine Code 401

402 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
 12

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support

This chapter provides information about the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
implementation and messages for the IBM DS8A00 storage system.

The chapter also describes the outbound (Call Home and support data offload) and inbound
(code download and remote support) communications for the IBM DS8000 family.

This chapter covers the following topics:

򐂰 “SNMP implementation on the DS8A00” on page 404
򐂰 “SNMP notifications” on page 405
򐂰 “SNMP configuration” on page 413
򐂰 “Introducing remote support” on page 417
򐂰 “IBM policies for remote support” on page 418
򐂰 “Remote support advantages” on page 418
򐂰 “Remote support and Call Home” on page 418
򐂰 “Remote Support Access (inbound)” on page 420
򐂰 “Call Home and Assist On-Site customer-provided certificates” on page 425
򐂰 “Audit logging” on page 427
򐂰 “Using IBM Storage Insights” on page 428
򐂰 “IBM Call Home Connect Cloud” on page 439

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 403

12.1 SNMP implementation on the DS8A00
SNMP, as used by the DS8A00, is designed so that the DS8A00 sends traps only if a
notification is necessary. The traps can be sent to a defined IP address.

SNMP alert traps provide information about problems that the storage unit detects. You or the
service provider must correct the problems that the traps detect.

The DS8A00 does not include an installed SNMP agent that can respond to SNMP polling.
The default Community Name parameter is set to public.

The management server that is configured to receive the SNMP traps receives all of the
generic trap 6 and specific trap 3 messages, which are sent in parallel with the call home to
IBM.

To configure SNMP for the DS8A00, first get the destination address for the SNMP trap and
information about the port on which the trap daemon listens.

Standard port: The standard port for SNMP traps is port 162.

12.1.1 Message Information Base file

The DS8A00 storage system provides a Message Information Base (MIB) file that describes
the SNMP trap objects. Load the file by using the software that is used for enterprise and
SNMP monitoring.

The file is in the snmp subdirectory on the Data Storage Command-line Interface (DS CLI)
installation CD or the DS CLI installation CD image. The image is available at IBM Fix Central.

12.1.2 Predefined SNMP trap requests

An SNMP agent can send SNMP trap requests to SNMP managers to inform them about a
change of values or status on the IP host where the agent is running. Seven predefined types
of SNMP trap requests exist, as shown in Table 12-1.

Table 12-1 SNMP trap request types

Trap type Value Description

coldStart 0 Restart after a crash.

warmStart 1 Planned restart.

linkDown 2 Communication link is down.

linkUp 3 Communication link is up.

authenticationFailure 4 Invalid SNMP community string was used.

egpNeighborLoss 5 Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP) neighbor is

down.

enterpriseSpecific 6 Vendor-specific event happened.

404 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Each trap message contains an object identifier (OID) and a value, as shown in Table 12-1 on
page 404, to notify you about the cause of the trap message. You can also use type 6, the
enterpriseSpecific trap type, when you must send messages that do not fit the predefined trap
types. For example, the DS8A00 uses this type for notifications that are described in this
chapter.

12.2 SNMP notifications

The Management Console (MC), which is also known as the Hardware Management Console
(HMC), of the DS8A00 sends an SNMPv1 trap in the following cases:
򐂰 A serviceable event is reported to IBM by using Call Home.
򐂰 An event occurs in the Copy Services (CS) configuration or processing.
򐂰 When the Global Mirror (GM) operation pauses on the consistency group boundary.
򐂰 When the GM operation fails to unsuspend one or more Global Copy (GC) members.
򐂰 A space efficient repository or an overprovisioned volume reaches a user-defined warning
watermark.
򐂰 When a rank reaches I/O saturation.
򐂰 When Encryption Key Management issues an alert that communication between the
control unit and one or more Encryption Key Manager (EKM) servers is lost, or
reconnected.

A serviceable event is posted as a generic trap 6, specific trap 3 message. The specific trap 3
is the only event that is sent for serviceable events and hardware service-related actions
(data offload and remote secure connection). For reporting CS events, generic trap 6 and
specific traps 100, 101, 102, 200, 202, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220,
225, or 226 are sent.

Note: Consistency group traps (200 and 201) must be prioritized above all other traps.
They must be surfaced in less than 2 seconds from the real-time incident.

12.2.1 Serviceable event that uses specific trap 3

Example 12-1 shows the contents of generic trap 6, specific trap 3. The trap holds the
following information:
򐂰 Serial number of the DS8A00
򐂰 Event number that is associated with the manageable events from the HMC
򐂰 Reporting storage facility image (SFI)
򐂰 System reference code (SRC)
򐂰 Location code of the part that is logging the event

The SNMP trap is sent in parallel with a call home for service to IBM and email notification (if
configured).

Example 12-1 SNMP special trap 3 of a DS8A00

Manufacturer=IBM
ReportingMTMS=2107-A05*78NKG41
ProbNm=3084
LparName=SF78NFT50ESS01
FailingEnclosureMTMS=2107-A05*78NKG41

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 405

 SRC=BE80CB13
EventText=Recovery error,the device hardware error.
FruLoc=Part Number 02AT314 FRU CCIN Y7G1
FruLoc=Serial Number 8CE38EE300A19242
FruLoc=Location Code U2107.D05.UL000GC-P3-C6

For open events in the event log, a trap is sent every 8 hours until the event is closed.

12.2.2 Copy Services event traps

For state changes in a remote CS environment, 13 traps are implemented. The 1xx traps are
sent for a state change of a physical link connection. The 2xx traps are sent for state changes
in the logical CS setup. For all of these events, no call home is generated and IBM is not
notified.

This chapter describes only the messages and the circumstances when traps are sent by the
DS8A00. For more information about these functions and terms, see IBM DS8000 Copy
Services: Updated for IBM DS8000 Release 9.1, SG24-8367.

Physical connection events

Within the trap 1xx range, a state change of the physical links is reported. The trap is sent if
the physical remote copy link is interrupted. The Link trap is sent from the primary system.
The PLink and SLink columns were used only by the 2105 Enterprise Storage Server disk
unit.

If one or several links (but not all links) are interrupted, a trap 100 (Example 12-2) is posted.
Trap 100 indicates that the redundancy is degraded. The reference code (RC) column in the
trap represents the return code for the interruption of the link.

Example 12-2 Trap 100: Remote Mirror and Remote Copy links degraded
PPRC Links Degraded
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm LS
PRI: IBM 2107-A01 75LRV51 12
SEC: IBM 2107-A05 78NFT51 24
Path: Type PP PLink SP SLink RC
1: FIBRE 0143 XXXXXX 0010 XXXXXX 15
2: FIBRE 0213 XXXXXX 0140 XXXXXX OK

If all of the links are interrupted, a trap 101 (Example 12-3) is posted. This event indicates that
no communication between the primary and the secondary system is possible.

Example 12-3 Trap 101: Remote Mirror and Remote Copy links are inoperable
PPRC Links Down
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm LS
PRI: IBM 2107-A01 75-LRV51 10
SEC: IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51 20
Path: Type PP PLink SP SLink RC
1: FIBRE 0143 XXXXXX 0010 XXXXXX 17
2: FIBRE 0213 XXXXXX 0140 XXXXXX 17

406 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

After the DS8A00 can communicate again by using any of the links, trap 102 (Example 12-4)
is sent after one or more of the interrupted links are available again.

Example 12-4 Trap 102: Remote Mirror and Remote Copy links are operational
PPRC Links Up
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm LS
PRI: IBM 2107-A01 75-LRV51 21
SEC: IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51 11
Path: Type PP PLink SP SLink RC
1: FIBRE 0010 XXXXXX 0143 XXXXXX OK
2: FIBRE 0140 XXXXXX 0213 XXXXXX OK

Remote Mirror and Remote Copy events

If you configured consistency groups, and a volume within this consistency group is
suspended because of a write error to the secondary device, trap 200 is sent, as shown in
Example 12-5. One trap for each logical subsystem (LSS) that is configured with the
consistency group option is sent. This trap can be handled by automation software, such as
IBM Copy Services Manager to freeze this consistency group. The SR column in the trap
represents the suspension reason (SR) code, which explains the cause of the error that
suspended the Remote Mirror (Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy (PPRC)) and Remote Copy group.
The SR codes are listed in Table 12-2 on page 410.

Example 12-5 Trap 200: LSS pair consistency group Remote Mirror and Remote Copy pair error
LSS-Pair Consistency Group PPRC-Pair Error
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm LS LD SR
PRI: IBM 2107-A01 75-LRV51 84 08
SEC: IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51 54 84

Trap 202, as shown in Example 12-6, is sent if a Remote Copy pair goes into a suspend state.
The trap contains the serial number (SerialNm) of the primary and secondary machine, the
LSS (LS), and the logical device (LD). To avoid SNMP trap flooding, the number of SNMP traps
for the LSS is throttled. The complete suspended pair information is represented in the
summary.

The last row of the trap represents the Suspended state for all pairs in the reporting LSS. The
suspended pair information contains a hexadecimal string of 64 characters. By converting this
hex string into binary code, each bit represents a single device. If the bit is 1, the device is
suspended. Otherwise, the device is still in full duplex mode.

Example 12-6 Trap 202: Primary Remote Mirror and Remote Copy devices on LSS suspended due to
an error

Primary PPRC Devices on LSS Suspended Due to Error

UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm LS LD SR
PRI: IBM 2107-A01 75-LRV51 28 00 01
SEC: IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51 a8 00
Start: 2024/09/14 10:30:32 CST
PRI Dev Flags (1 bit/Dev, 1=Suspended):
C000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 407

 Trap 210, as shown in Example 12-7, is sent when a consistency group in a GM environment
was successfully formed.

Example 12-7 Trap 210: Global Mirror initial consistency group successfully formed
Asynchronous PPRC Initial Consistency Group Successfully Formed
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A01 75-LRV51
Session ID: 4002

Trap 211, as shown in Example 12-8, is sent if the GM setup is in a severe error state in which
no attempts are made to form a consistency group.

Example 12-8 Trap 211: Global Mirror session is in an unrecoverable state

Asynchronous PPRC Session is in an unrecoverable State
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Session ID: 4002

Trap 212, as shown in Example 12-9, is sent when a consistency group cannot be created in
a GM relationship for one of the following reasons:
򐂰 Volumes were taken out of a copy session.
򐂰 The Remote Copy link bandwidth might not be sufficient.
򐂰 The Fibre Channel (FC) link between the primary and secondary system is not available.

Example 12-9 Trap 212: Global Mirror consistency group failure - Retry is attempted
Asynchronous PPRC Consistency Group Failure - Retry will be attempted
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Session ID: 4002

Trap 213, as shown in Example 12-10, is sent when a consistency group in a GM

environment can be formed after a previous consistency group formation failure.

Example 12-10 Trap 213: Global Mirror consistency group successful recovery
Asynchronous PPRC Consistency Group Successful Recovery
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Session ID: 4002

Trap 214, as shown in Example 12-11, is sent if a GM session is ended by using the DS CLI
rmgmir command or the corresponding GUI function.

Example 12-11 Trap 214: Global Mirror master terminated

Asynchronous PPRC Master Terminated
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Session ID: 4002

408 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

As shown in Example 12-12, trap 215 is sent if, in the GM environment, the master detects a
failure to complete the FlashCopy commit. The trap is sent after many commit retries fail.

Example 12-12 Trap 215: Global Mirror FlashCopy at remote site unsuccessful
Asynchronous PPRC FlashCopy at Remote Site Unsuccessful
A UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A01 75-LRV51
Session ID: 4002

Trap 216, as shown in Example 12-13, is sent if a GM master cannot end the GC relationship
at one of its subordinates. This error might occur if the master is ended by using the rmgmir
command but the master cannot end the copy relationship on the subordinate.

You might need to run a rmgmir command against the subordinate to prevent any interference
with other GM sessions.

Example 12-13 Trap 216: Global Mirror subordinate termination unsuccessful

Asynchronous PPRC subordinate Termination Unsuccessful
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
Master: IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Subordinate: IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT00
Session ID: 4002

Trap 217, as shown in Example 12-14, is sent if a GM environment is suspended by the DS

CLI command pausegmir or the corresponding GUI function.

Example 12-14 Trap 217: Global Mirror paused

Asynchronous PPRC Paused
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT01
Session ID: 4002

Trap 218, as shown in Example 12-15, is sent if a GM exceeded the allowed threshold for
failed consistency group formation attempts.

Example 12-15 Trap 218: Global Mirror number of consistency group failures exceeds threshold
Global Mirror number of consistency group failures exceed threshold
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Session ID: 4002

Trap 219, as shown in Example 12-16, is sent if a GM successfully formed a consistency

group after one or more formation attempts previously failed.

Example 12-16 Trap 219: Global Mirror first successful consistency group after prior failures
Global Mirror first successful consistency group after prior failures
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Session ID: 4002

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 409

 Trap 220, as shown in Example 12-17, is sent if a GM exceeded the allowed threshold of
failed FlashCopy commit attempts.

Example 12-17 Trap 220: Global Mirror number of FlashCopy commit failures exceeds threshold
Global Mirror number of FlashCopy commit failures exceed threshold
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Session ID: 4002

Trap 225, as shown in Example 12-18, is sent when a GM operation paused on the
consistency group boundary.

Example 12-18 Trap 225: Global Mirror paused on the consistency group boundary
Global Mirror operation has paused on the consistency group boundary
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT01
Session ID: 4002

Trap 226, in Example 12-19, is sent when a GM operation failed to unsuspend one or more
GC members.

Example 12-19 Trap 226: Global Mirror unsuspend members failed

Global Mirror operation has failed to unsuspend one or more Global Copy members
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT01
Session ID: 4002

Table 12-2 shows the CS SR codes.

Table 12-2 Copy Services suspension reason codes

SR code Description

03 The host system sent a command to the primary volume of a Remote Mirror and
Remote Copy volume pair to suspend copy operations. The host system might
specify an immediate suspension or a suspension after the copy completes and the
volume pair reaches a full duplex state.

04 The host system sent a command to suspend the copy operations on the secondary
volume. During the suspension, the primary volume of the volume pair can still
accept updates, but updates are not copied to the secondary volume. The
out-of-sync tracks that are created between the volume pair are recorded in the
change recording feature of the primary volume.

05 Copy operations between the Remote Mirror and Remote Copy volume pair were
suspended by a primary storage unit secondary device status command. This
system resource code can be returned only by the secondary volume.

06 Copy operations between the Remote Mirror and Remote Copy volume pair were
suspended because of internal conditions in the storage unit. This system resource
code can be returned by the control unit of the primary volume or the secondary
volume.

07 Copy operations between the Remote Mirror and Remote Copy volume pair were
suspended when the auxiliary storage unit notified the primary storage unit of a
state change transition to the simplex state. The specified volume pair between the
storage units is no longer in a copy relationship.

410 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 SR code Description

08 Copy operations were suspended because the secondary volume became

suspended because of internal conditions or errors. This system resource code can
be returned only by the primary storage unit.

09 The Remote Mirror and Remote Copy volume pair was suspended when the
primary or auxiliary storage unit was restarted or when the power was restored. The
paths to the auxiliary storage unit might not be unavailable if the primary storage
unit was turned off. If the auxiliary storage unit was turned off, the paths between
the storage units are restored automatically, if possible. After the paths are restored,
run the mkpprc command to resynchronize the specified volume pairs. Depending
on the state of the volume pairs, you might need to run the rmpprc command to
delete the volume pairs and run an mkpprc command to reestablish the volume
pairs.

0A The Remote Mirror and Remote Copy pair was suspended because the host issued
a command to freeze the Remote Mirror and Remote Copy group. This system
resource code can be returned only if a primary volume was queried.

12.2.3 Thin-provisioning SNMP

The DS8A00 can trigger two specific SNMP trap alerts that relate to the thin-provisioning
feature. The trap is sent out when certain extent pool capacity thresholds are reached, which
causes a change in the extent status attribute. A trap is sent under the following conditions:
򐂰 The extent status is not zero (available space is already below threshold) when the first
extent space efficient (ESE) volume is configured.
򐂰 ESE volumes are configured in the extent pool.

Example 12-20 shows an example of generated event trap 221.

Example 12-20 Trap 221: Space-efficient repository or overprovisioned volume reached a warning
Space Efficient Repository or Over-provisioned Volume has reached a warning
watermark
Unit: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Volume Type: repository
Reason Code: 1
Extent Pool ID: f2
Percentage Full: 100%

Example 12-21 shows an example of generated event trap 223.

Example 12-21 Trap 223: Extent pool capacity reached a warning threshold
Extent Pool Capacity Threshold Reached
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 78-NFT51
Extent Pool ID: P1
Limit: 95%
Threshold: 95%Status: 0

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 411

12.2.4 Compression SNMP
With DS8A00, a new specific trap is added that relates to compression for FCMs. This trap is
sent out when the compression capacity of an extent pool goes above the specified threshold,
as shown in Example 12-22

The following information is shown for specific trap 228:

򐂰 ssEventDescr=yyyy/MM/dd hh:mm:ss tzn
Shows the time that the alert was sent (year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and time
zone)
򐂰 -error_description-
Shows the event description
򐂰 UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
򐂰 HMC IP: -ipaddr-
– shows the IPv4 or IPv6 address of the HMC sending the trap
򐂰 Extent Pool ID: ee
ee is the extent pool identifier, for example: P0
򐂰 Compression Threshold: kk%
kk is the compression capacity threshold percentage
򐂰 Compression Status: ss
The following statuses can be seen:
– Above Compression Threshold
– Pool Physical Capacity Full
– Pool Physical Capacity Full, Emergency Reserve 1
– Pool Physical Capacity Full, Emergency Reserve 2

Example 12-22 Compression SNMP

Frame Length: 315 bytes
Version: SNMPv1
Community: public
OID: .1.3.6.1.4.1.2.6.130
Address: 9.11.212.162
sysUpTime: 0 days, 00:36:47
Generic: 6 - Enterprise Specific
Specific: 228
OID: .1.3.6.1.4.1.2.6.130.3.2
ASN1 Type: Octet String 0x04 (4)
Value: 2024/08/05 14:28:31 MST
Extent Pool Compression Capacity Above Treshold
UNIT: Mnf Type-Mod SerialNm
IBM 2107-A05 13-02211
HMC IP:9.11.212.162
Extent Pool ID: P12
Compression Threshold: 15%
Compression Status: Above Compression Threshold

412 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

12.3 SNMP configuration
The SNMP for the DS8A00 is designed to send traps as notifications. The DS8A00 does not
include an installed SNMP agent that can respond to SNMP polling. Also, the SNMP
community name for CS-related traps is fixed and set to public.

12.3.1 SNMP preparation

During the planning for the installation (see 6.3.4, “Monitoring DS8A00 with the Management
Console” on page 184), the IP addresses of the management system are provided for the
IBM Systems Service Representative (IBM SSR). This information must be applied by the
IBM SSR during the installation. Also, the IBM SSR can configure the HMC to send a
notification for every serviceable event or for only those events that call home to IBM.

The network management server that is configured on the HMC receives all of the generic
trap 6, specific trap 3 messages, which are sent in parallel with any events that call home to
IBM.

The SNMP alerts can contain a combination of a generic and a specific alert trap. The Traps
list outlines the explanations for each of the possible combinations of generic and specific
alert traps. The format of the SNMP traps, the list, and the errors that are reported by SNMP
are available in the Generic and specific alert traps section of the IBM Storage DS8000 (10th
Generation) Documentation.

SNMP alert traps provide information about problems that the storage unit detects. You or the
IBM SSR must perform corrective action for the related problems.

12.3.2 SNMP configuration with the HMC

Clients can configure SNMP alerts by logging in to the DS8A00 Service Web User Interface
(WUI). The Service WUI can be started from the DS8000 Storage MC
(https://<HMC_ip_address>/service) remotely through a web browser. Access the Service
MC and log in by using the following client credentials:
򐂰 User ID: customer
򐂰 Password: cust0mer (default password)

Note: To configure the operation-related traps, use the DS CLI, as shown in 12.3.3, “SNMP
configuration with the DS CLI” on page 417.

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 413

 Complete the following steps to configure SNMP at the HMC.

Important: The two HMCs must be configured separately.

1. Log in to the Service Management section on the HMC, as shown in Figure 12-1.

Figure 12-1 HMC Service Management

2. Select Manage Serviceable Event Notification, as shown in Figure 12-2.

Figure 12-2 HMC Manage Serviceable Event Notification Selection

414 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

3. A new window opens. Enter the TCP/IP information of the SNMP server in the SNMP Trap
Configuration dialog. Select Trap 3, as shown in Figure 12-3.

Figure 12-3 MC Manage Serviceable Event Notification

4. To verify the successful setup of your environment, create a Test Event on your DS8A00
MC by selecting the IP address and Test SNMP Trap, as shown in Figure 12-4.

Figure 12-4 HMC test SNMP trap

Check the SNMP server for the successful reception of the test trap.
5. The test generates the Service Reference Code BEB20010, and the SNMP server
receives the SNMP trap notification, as shown in Figure 12-5 on page 416.

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 415

 Figure 12-5 HMC SNMP trap test

Errors occurring after configuring the SNMP traps on the HMC are sent to the SNMP server,
as shown in Example 12-23.

Example 12-23 Example of an error that is reported to the SNMP system

2024-08-11 10:15:22 9.100.123.230(via UDP: [9.100.123.230]:57179->[9.100.121.11])
TRAP, SNMP v1, community public
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.2.6.130 Enterprise-Specific Trap (3) Uptime:
14:33:49.15
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.2.6.130.3 = STRING: "Aug 11, 2024 10:13:49 AM CEST
Manufacturer=IBM
ReportingMTMS=5341-A05*78xxxx0
ProbNm=217
LparName=null
FailingEnclosureMTMS=5341-A05*78xxxx0
SRC=BE340012
EventText=Device Area Resource Manager detected objects missing in the current
harvest.
Fru1Loc=U1700.1B4.RJB0094-P1-C1
Fru2Loc=U1700.1B3.RJB00A8-P1-C2

PMH=TS01xxxxxxx
Reporting HMC Hostname=ds8k-r10-xxxx.mainz.de.ibm.com."

416 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

12.3.3 SNMP configuration with the DS CLI
Perform the configuration process for receiving the operation-related traps, such as for CS,
thin provisioning, or encryption, by using the DS CLI. Example 12-24 shows how SNMP is
enabled by using the chsp command.

Example 12-24 Configuring the SNMP by using the DS CLI

dscli> chsp -snmp on -snmpaddr 10.10.10.1,10.10.10.2
CMUC00040I chsp: Storage complex IbmStoragePlex successfully modified.

dscli> showsp
Name IbmStoragePlex
desc -
acct -
SNMP Enabled
SNMPadd 10.10.10.1,10.10.10.2
emailnotify Disabled
emailaddr -
emailrelay Disabled
emailrelayaddr -
emailrelayhost -
numkssupported 4

SNMP preparation for the management software

To enable the trap-receiving software to display the correctly decoded message in a
human-readable format, load the DS8A00 specific Message Information Base file.

The Message Information Base file that is delivered with the latest DS8A00 DS CLI CD is
compatible with all previous levels of DS8A00 Licensed Internal Code (LIC) and previous
generations of the DS8000 Product Family. Therefore, ensure that you loaded the latest
Message Information Base file that is available.

12.4 Introducing remote support

IBM provides remote support capabilities for the DS8000. Remote support enables storage to
communicate with IBM, and allows IBM Support to remotely connect to the system when
authorized by the client.

The benefits of remote support are that IBM Support can respond quickly to events that are
reported by you or the system.

The following features can be enabled in the DS8A00 for remote support:
򐂰 Call Home support (outbound remote support):
– Reporting problems to IBM
– Sending heartbeat information
– Offloading data
򐂰 Remote service (inbound) remote support
IBM Support accesses the DS8A00 HMC through a network-based connection.

During the installation and planning phase, complete the remote support worksheets and
supply them to the IBM SSR at the time of the installation.

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 417

 The worksheets have information about your remote support preferences and the network
communication requirements that must be fulfilled by your local network.

12.5 IBM policies for remote support

The following guidelines are at the core of the IBM remote support strategies for the DS8000:
򐂰 When the DS8000 transmits service data to IBM, only logs and process memory dumps
are gathered for troubleshooting.
򐂰 When a remote session with the DS8000 is needed, the HMC or MC always initiates an
outbound connection to predefined IBM servers or ports.
򐂰 IBM maintains multiple-level internal authorizations for any privileged access to the
DS8000 components. Only approved IBM Support personnel can gain access to the tools
that provide the security codes for HMC CLI access.

Although the MC is based on a Linux operating system (OS), IBM disabled or removed all
unnecessary services, processes, and IDs, including standard internet services, such as
Telnet (the Telnet server is disabled on the HMC), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), r commands
(Berkeley r-commands and Remote Procedure Call (RPC) commands), and RPC programs.

12.6 Remote support advantages

The following benefits can be realized when you enable remote support on the DS8A00:
򐂰 Serviceable events with related problem data are reported to IBM automatically, and a
support call is opened.
򐂰 IBM support personnel can start data analysis and problem isolation immediately, which
can reduce the overall time that is required to fix a problem.
򐂰 If more service data is needed, IBM Support can connect to the MC and offload the data
for the next level of support.
򐂰 Remote support helps clients to maintain the highest availability of their data.

12.7 Remote support and Call Home

This section details the Call Home characteristics.

12.7.1 Call Home and heartbeat: Outbound

This section describes the Call Home and heartbeat capabilities.

Call Home
Call Home is the capability of the MC to report serviceable events to IBM. The MC also
transmits machine-reported product data (MRPD) information to IBM through Call Home. The
MRPD information includes installed hardware, configurations, and features. Call Home is
configured by the IBM SSR during the installation of the DS8A00 by using the customer
worksheets. A test call home is placed after the installation to register the machine and verify
the Call Home function.

418 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Heartbeat
The DS8A00 also uses the Call Home facility to send proactive heartbeat information to IBM.
The heartbeat configuration can be set by the IBM SSR to send heartbeat information to the
customer (through SNMP and email) and IBM. A heartbeat is a small message with basic
product information that is sent to IBM to ensure that the Call Home function works.

The heartbeat can be scheduled every 1–7 days based on the client’s preference. When a
scheduled heartbeat fails to transmit, a service call with an action plan to verify that the Call
Home function is working is sent to an IBM SSR. The DS8A00 uses an internet connection
through Transport Layer Security (TLS), which is also known as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL),
for Call Home functions.

12.7.2 Data offload: Outbound

For many DS8A00 problem events, such as a hardware component failure, a large amount of
diagnostic data is generated. This data can include text and binary log files, firmware
information, inventory lists, and timelines. These logs are grouped into collections by the
component that generated them or the software service that owns them.

The entire bundle is collected together in a PEPackage. A DS8A00 PEPackage can be large,
often exceeding 100 MB. In certain cases, more than one PEPackage might be needed to
diagnose a problem correctly. In certain cases, the IBM Support Center might need an extra
memory dump that is internally created by the DS8A00 or manually created through the
intervention of an operator.

OnDemand Data Dump: The OnDemand Data Dump (ODD) provides a mechanism that
allows the collection of debug data for error scenarios. With ODD, IBM can collect data with
no impact to the host I/O after an initial error occurs. ODD can be generated by using the
DS CLI command diagsi -action odd and then offloaded.

The MC is a focal point for gathering and storing all of the data packages. Therefore, the MC
must be accessible if a service action requires the information. The data packages must be
offloaded from the MC and sent in to IBM for analysis. The offload is performed through the
internet through a TLS connection.

12.7.3 Outbound connection types

This section describes the outbound connection options that are available for Call Home and
data offload.

Internet through a TLS connection

The preferred remote support connectivity method is internet TLS for MC to IBM
communication. TLS is the encryption protocol that was originally developed as a secured
web communication standard. Traffic through a TLS proxy is supported by or without
authentication based on the client’s proxy server configuration.

When the internet is selected as the outbound connectivity method, the MC uses a TLS
connection over the internet to connect to IBM. For more information about IBM TLS remote
support, planning, and worksheets, see IBM Storage DS8000 10.0 Introduction and Planning
Guide, G10-I53-00.

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 419

 Using the CLI to export data
The offloadfile command provides clients with the ability to export different sets of data
files. Data sets include the audit log, the IBM Certified Secure Data Overwrite (SDO)
certificate, the IBM Easy Tier summary data, the configuration settings, packages to be used
by product support teams, the performance summary, the system summary file, and Easy
Tier files. Example 12-25 shows exporting the configuration files.

Note: The offloadfile command cannot be run from the embedded DS CLI window.

Example 12-25 DS CLI command to download configuration files

dscli> offloadfile -config c:\dscli_offload
Date/Time: October 4, 2024 1:01:17 PM EDT IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.773 DS:
IBM.2107-78NKG41
CMUC00428I offloadfile: The config file has been offloaded to
c:\dscli_offload\productSettings.
CMUC00428I offloadfile: The config file has been offloaded to
c:\dscli_offload\ICSInstall.history.
dscli>

12.8 Remote Support Access (inbound)

IBM took many necessary steps to provide secure network access for the MC. The client can
define how and when the IBM SSR can connect to the MC. When remote support access is
configured, IBM Support can connect to the MC to start problem analysis and data gathering.
This process enables data to be analyzed as fast as possible with an action plan that is
created for an onsite IBM SSR, if needed.

Having inbound access that is enabled can greatly reduce the problem resolution time by not
waiting for the IBM SSR to arrive onsite to gather problem data and upload it to IBM. With the
DS8A00, the following inbound connectivity options are available to the client:
򐂰 External Assist On-site (AOS) Gateway
򐂰 Embedded remote access feature

The remote support access connection cannot be used to send support data to IBM.

The support data offload always uses the Call Home feature.

12.8.1 Assist On-site

AOS is an IBM remote access solution. The DS8000 support uses the port-forwarding feature
to maintain the DS8000 with an IP-based maintenance tool.

IBM Support encourages you to use AOS as your remote access method.

The remote access connection is secured with TLS 1.3, but TLS 1.2 is also supported. In
addition, a mechanism is implemented so that the HMC communicates only as an outbound
connection, but you must specifically allow IBM to connect to the HMC. You can compare this
function to a modem that picks up incoming calls. The DS8A00 documentation refers to this
situation as an unattended service.

420 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 The connection is always under the control of the DS8000 administrator. Any DS8000
administrator can start and stop the AOS connection.

For more information, see 12.8.4, “Support access management through the DS CLI and DS
GUI” on page 422.

When you prefer to have a centralized access point for IBM Support, then an AOS Gateway
might be the correct solution. With the AOS Gateway, you install the AOS software externally
to a DS8A00 HMC. You must install the AOS software on a system that you provide and
maintain. IBM Support provides only the AOS software package. Through port-forwarding on
an AOS Gateway, you can configure remote access to one or more DS8A00 systems or other
IBM storage systems.

A simple AOS connection to the DS8000 is shown in Figure 12-6. For more information about
AOS, prerequisites, and installation, see IBM Assist On-site for Storage Overview,
REDP-4889.

Figure 12-6 DS8000 AOS connection

12.8.2 DS8A00-embedded AOS

AOS is an embedded feature on DS8A00 systems. The AOS software package is preinstalled
and customized on the MC. This technique eliminates the need to provide an extra system to
operate an AOS Gateway. Embedded AOS is a secure and fast broadband form of remote
access. You can choose to allow unattended or attended remote access sessions. If you
select attended remote access sessions, IBM Support contacts you or the storage operator to
start the support session through DS CLI or the DS GUI.

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 421

 The IBM SSR configures AOS during the installation or a later point by entering information
that is provided by the inbound remote support worksheet. The worksheets can be found in
IBM Storage DS8000 10.0 Introduction and Planning Guide, G10-I53-00.

In addition, your firewall must allow outbound traffic from the HMC to the AOS infrastructure.
The inbound remote support worksheet provides information about the required firewall
changes.

For more information about AOS, see IBM Assist On-site for Storage Overview, REDP-4889.

12.8.3 IBM Remote Support Center for DS8A00

The HMC is IBM Remote Support Center (RSC) ready. The RSC relies on a single outgoing
TCP connection, and it cannot receive inbound connections. Instead of TLS, RSC uses
Secure Shell (SSH).

Access to the DS8000 by using RSC is controlled by using either the DS GUI or DS CLI. For
more information about RSC, contact your IBM SSR.

12.8.4 Support access management through the DS CLI and DS GUI

All support connections can be enabled or disabled through the DS GUI or DS CLI. The
following interfaces can be controlled:
򐂰 The web-based user interface for the IBM SSR on the HMC
򐂰 The SSH CLI access through the local or internal network
򐂰 Remote access through AOS

Using the DS GUI to manage service access

You can control the all service access through the DS Storage Manager GUI through the
Access window, which can be opened by clicking Settings → System → Advanced, as
shown in Figure 12-7.

Figure 12-7 Controlling service access through the DS Storage Manager GUI

422 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

The following options are available in the Service Access section:
򐂰 DS Service GUI Access
Allows authorized IBM SSRs to access the DS Service GUI
򐂰 SSH Service Access
Allows authorized IBM SSRs to access the SSH CLI on the HMC

Using the DS GUI to manage an embedded AOS connection

You can manage the AOS connection by selecting Settings → Support → Assist On-Site.
You can select among three options for the AOS connection: Start, Stop, or Restart. After
making the selection, click Save in the upper right of the Storage Manager GUI, as shown in
Figure 12-8.

Figure 12-8 Managing the Assist On-Site connection

Using the DS GUI to manage the IBM Remote Support Center

connection
To manage the IBM Remote Support Center connection, select Settings → Support →
Remote Support Center. You can select among three options: Open always, Open for 2
hours, and Closed. Also, you can generate an access code by selecting the Access code
checkbox. Provide the code to the IBM Remote Support Personnel that attempt to connect to
the storage system. Figure 12-9 shows the Remote Support Center window.

Figure 12-9 Managing the Remote Support Center connection

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 423

 Using DS CLI to manage service access
You can manage service access to the DS8A00 by using DS CLI commands. The following
user access security commands are available:
򐂰 manageaccess: This command manages the security protocol access settings of an MC for
all communications to and from the DS8000 system. You can also use the manageaccess
command to start or stop outbound virtual private network (VPN) connections instead of
using the setvpn command.
򐂰 chaccess: The command changes one or more access settings of an HMC. Only users
with administrator authority can access this command. See the command output in
Example 12-26.
chaccess [-commandline enable | disable] [-wui enable | disable] [-aos enable |
disable] [-rsc enable | disable] -hmc 1|2|all

Example 12-26 Output of the chaccess command

dscli> chaccess -aos enable -hmc 1
Date/Time: October 1, 2024 4:01:17 PM EDT IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.773 DS -
CMUC00441I chaccess: hmc1: The access settings were successfully modified.
dscli>

򐂰 lsaccess: This command displays the access settings of the primary and backup MCs:
lsaccess [-hmc 1|2|all]
See the output in Example 12-27.

Example 12-27 lsaccess command output

dscli> lsaccess -hmc all -l
Date/Time: October 1, 2024 4:04:17 PM EDT IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.773 DS -
hmc cmdline wui modem cim aos rsc vpn
================================================================
hmc1 enabled enabled disabled disabled enabled disabled disabled
hmc2 enabled enabled disabled disabled enabled disabled disabled
dscli>

Important: The hmc1 value specifies the primary HMC, and the hmc2 value specifies the
secondary HMC, regardless of how -hmc 1 and -hmc 2 were specified during DS CLI start.
A DS CLI connection might succeed even if a user inadvertently specifies a primary HMC
by using -hmc 2 and the secondary backup HMC by using -hmc 1 at DS CLI start.

Client notification of remote login

The MC code records all remote access in a log file. A client can use a DS CLI function to
offload this file for audit purposes. The DS CLI function combines the log file that contains all
service login information with an IBM Enterprise Storage Server Network Interface
(IBM ESSNI) server audit log file that contains all client user login information to provide the
client with a complete audit trail of remote access to an MC.

This on-demand audit log mechanism is sufficient for client security requirements for HMC
remote access notification.

In addition to the audit log, email notifications and SNMP traps can also be configured at the
MC to send notifications in a remote support connection.

424 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

12.9 Call Home and Assist On-Site customer-provided
certificates
Figure 12-10 shows an overview of the communication path for Call Home with customer
proxy configured and using a certificate that is provided by the customer.

Figure 12-10 Call Home customer-provided certificate - Communication path

1. The HMC IBM Electronic Customer Care client initiates a call home, and the request is
sent through the customer proxy to the IBM Electronic Customer Care server.
2. The IBM Electronic Customer Care server always presents the default certificate “X”.
3. The customer proxy presents the customer-provided certificate “Y” (instead of the default
certificate “X”) to the client.
4. The client has a matching certificate (“Y”) in the truststore, so the proxy allows
communication.

Note: The client still has the original default certificate “X” in the truststore, which is
used if Call Home is not configured with customer proxy.

5. The communication continues with the session certificates through the customer proxy.

A similar communication path takes place between the HMC IBM AOS client and the IBM
AOS server. The only difference is that the customer-provided certificate “Y” is stored in a
property file rather than in a truststore.

Figure 12-11 shows an overview of the communication path for AOS with customer proxy
configured and using a certificate that is provided by the customer.

Figure 12-11 AOS customer-provided certificate - Communication path

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 425

 To install a customer-provided certificate for the Call Home connection, from the DS GUI
access Settings → Notifications → Call Home → select Configure HTTP proxy → click
Install TLS certificate. Figure 12-12 shows these settings in the DS GUI. For detailed
configuration steps, see Call home settings.

Figure 12-12 Installing a customer-provided certificate for Call Home

To install a customer-provided certificate for the AOS connection, from the DS GUI access
Settings → Support → Assist On-Site → select Configure HTTP proxy → click Install
TLS certificate. If initially the setting is not visible, click Show full configuration at the
bottom of the page. Figure 12-13 shows these settings in the DS GUI. For detailed
configuration steps, see Assist On-Site.

Figure 12-13 Installing a customer-provided certificate for AOS

Guidance from IBM support is available to help setting up this configuration.

426 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

12.10 Audit logging
The DS8A00 offers an audit log, which is an unalterable record of all actions and commands
that were initiated by users on the storage system through the DS8000 Storage Management
GUI, DS CLI, DS Network Interface (DSNI), or IBM Copy Services Manager. An audit log
does not include commands that were received from host systems or actions that were
completed automatically by the storage system. The audit logs can be exported and
downloaded by the DS CLI or Storage Management GUI.

The DS CLI offloadauditlog command provides clients with the ability to offload the audit
logs to the client’s DS CLI workstation into a directory of their choice, as shown in
Example 12-28.

Example 12-28 DS CLI command to download audit logs

dscli> offloadauditlog -logaddr smc1 c:\temp\audit.txt
Date/Time: October 4, 2024 1:33:08 PM EDT IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.0.773 DS: -
CMUC00243I offloadauditlog: Audit log was successfully offloaded from smc1 to
c:\temp\audit.txt.
dscli>

The audit log can be exported by using the DS GUI on the Events window by clicking the
Download icon and then selecting Export Audit Log, as shown in Figure 12-14.

Figure 12-14 Export Audit Log

The downloaded audit log is a text file that provides information about when a remote access
session started and ended, and the remote authority level that was applied. A portion of the
downloaded file is shown in Example 12-29.

Example 12-29 Audit log entries that relate to a remote support event
MST,,1,IBM.2107-78KNG40,N,8036,Authority_to_root,Challenge Key = 'Fy31@C37';
Authority_upgrade_to_root,,,
U,2024/09/18 12:09:49:000
MST,customer,1,IBM.2107-78KNG40,N,8020,WUI_session_started,,,,

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 427

 U,20214/09/18 13:35:30:000
MST,customer,1,IBM.2107-78KNG40,N,8022,WUI_session_logoff,WUI_session_ended_logged
off,,,

The challenge key that is presented to the IBM SSR is a part of a two-factor authentication
method that is enforced on the MC. It is a token that is shown to the IBM SSR who connects
to the DS8A00. The IBM SSR must use the challenge key in an IBM internal system to
generate a response key that is given to the HMC. The response key acts as a one-time
authorization to the features of the HMC. The challenge and response keys change when a
remote connection is made.

The challenge-response process must be repeated if the SSR needs higher privileges to
access the MC command-line environment. No direct user login and no root login are
available on a DS8A00.

Entries are added to the audit file only after the operation completes. All information about the
request and its completion status is known. A single entry is used to log request and
response information. It is possible, though unlikely, that an operation does not complete
because of an operation timeout. In this case, no entry is made in the log.

The audit log entry includes the following information:

򐂰 A log of users that connect or disconnect to the storage manager.
򐂰 A log of user password and user access violations.
򐂰 Many commands that create, remove, or modify the logical configuration, including the
command parameters and user ID.
򐂰 A log of commands that modify SFI and storage facility settings, including the command
parameters and user ID.
򐂰 A log of CS commands, including command parameters and users.

Note: IBM Copy Services Manager commands are not supported.

Audit logs are automatically trimmed (first in, first out (FIFO)) by the subsystem so that they
do not use more than 50 MB of disk storage.

12.11 Using IBM Storage Insights

You can take advantage of more functions that are offered by IBM Storage Insights for Call
Home and for events and notifications logging to improve the user experience with DS8A00.

12.11.1 IBM Storage Insights

IBM Storage Insights provides an unparalleled level of visibility across your storage
environment to help you manage complex storage infrastructures and make cost-saving
decisions. It combines IBM data management leadership with proprietary analytics from
IBM Research. As a cloud-based service, it enables you to deploy quickly and save storage
administration time while optimizing your storage. It also helps automate aspects of the
support process to enable faster resolution of issues.

428 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 With the following editions, you can select the capabilities that serve your needs best:
򐂰 IBM Storage Insights
IBM Storage Insights provides a unified view of a storage environment with a diagnostic
events feed, an integrated support experience, and key capacity and performance metrics.
IBM Storage Insights is available at no cost to owners of IBM block storage systems who
sign up for it.
򐂰 IBM Storage Insights Pro
The capacity-based, subscription version is called IBM Storage Insights Pro and includes
all the features of IBM Storage Insights plus all functions that you expect from a storage
resource management tool, such as more comprehensive views of the performance,
capacity, and health of storage resources. It also helps you reduce storage costs and
optimize your data center by providing features like intelligent capacity planning, storage
reclamation, storage tiering, and advanced performance metrics. The storage systems
that you can monitor are expanded to include IBM file, object, software-defined storage
(SDS) systems, and non-IBM block and file storage systems.

Combining features such as Call Home, data collectors, a streamlined ticketing process, and
proactive support, the problem resolution gains speed so that the stability, capacity, and
performance of the DS8A00 can be managed more efficiently.

If a problem occurs, you receive help promptly through the unified support experience by
completing the following tasks:
򐂰 Open IBM Support tickets for a resource and automatically add a log package to the ticket.
򐂰 Update tickets with a new log package.
򐂰 View the ticket history of open and closed tickets for a device.

A lightweight data collector is installed in your data center to stream performance, capacity,
asset, and configuration metadata to your IBM Cloud instance.

The metadata flows in one direction, that is, from your data center to IBM Cloud over HTTPS.
In IBM Cloud, your metadata is protected by physical, organizational, access, and security
controls.

12.11.2 Getting started with IBM Storage Insights

To start using IBM Storage Insights, complete the following steps:
1. Sign up for IBM Storage Insights at IBM Storage Insights registration and then complete
the following steps:
a. Wait for an IBM representative to contact you to get you started, which should occur
within 24 hours.
b. When you register, specify an owner for IBM Storage Insights. The owner manages
access for other users and acts as the main contact.
c. You receive a Welcome email when IBM Storage Insights is ready. The email contains
a direct link to your dashboard.
2. Install a data collector in your data center to stream performance, capacity, and
configuration metadata about storage systems to IBM Storage Insights. Select
Configuration Data Collectors, click Deploy Data Collectors, and get started, as shown
in Figure 12-15 on page 430:
a. Choose your preferred OS to download the data collector (Windows, Linux, or AIX).

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 429

 b. Extract the contents of the data collector file on to the virtual machine (VM) or server
where you want it to run. At least 1 GB of RAM and 3 GB of disk space are required.
c. Run installDataCollectorService.sh (Linux or AIX) or
installDataCollectorService.bat (Windows).

Figure 12-15 Deploy Data Collector

Figure 12-16 on page 431 shows a system overview where you can access tickets details and
the actions that you can take to manage tickets.

An example of an IBM Storage Insights Pro resources view is the detailed volume information
that is shown in Figure 12-17 on page 431.

Note: If you do not have an IBMid yet, go to IBM and register.

By using IBM Storage Insights, IBM Remote Support personnel can collect log packages from
a device. By default, this feature is not enabled. After the device is added, you must enable
the option for IBM Support to collect logs from the device.

430 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Figure 12-16 System overview

Figure 12-17 IBM Spectrum Insights Pro volume details

To enable this option for IBM Support, select Configuration → Settings → IBM Support
Log Permission, and then select Edit (Figure 12-18 on page 432).

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 431

 Figure 12-18 IBM Storage Insights: Log Permissions

For more information, see IBM Storage Insights documentation.

12.11.3 Case interaction with IBM Storage Insights

With IBM Storage Insights, a customer can interact and manage each case that any of their
DS8000 storage systems opened. By using this tool, you can do the following tasks:
򐂰 Create IBM Support tickets.
򐂰 Update tickets with new log packages or leave a note for IBM Support personnel.
򐂰 View open tickets or the ticket history for each storage system.
򐂰 Interact with the Call Home notifications for each system.

Creating an IBM Support ticket

To create an IBM Support ticket, complete the following steps:
1. Go to the storage system Overview page and select Actions, as shown in Figure 12-19.
Select Create/Update Ticket.

Figure 12-19 IBM Storage Insights: Overview window

432 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

2. A new window opens with two options from which to select. Click Create Ticket, as shown
in Figure 12-20.

Figure 12-20 IBM Storage Insights: Create Ticket

Figure 12-21 shows the process of collecting the needed ticket information, which includes
the details of the DS8000 storage system.

Figure 12-21 IBM Storage Insights: Collecting ticket information

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 433

 3. In Figure 12-21 on page 433, click Next. In the window that opens, you describe the
reason for opening the ticket with IBM. The mandatory field for the summary is limited to
72 characters. Figure 12-22 shows an optional field that you can use to provide more
details.

Figure 12-22 IBM Storage Insights: Ticket summary

4. Click Next. In the window that is shown in Figure 12-23, select the severity of the ticket.

Figure 12-23 IBM Storage Insights: Severity level

434 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

5. In the window that is shown in Figure 12-24, select either Software/I don’t know or
Hardware, depending on whether you have a hardware problem or a software problem.

Figure 12-24 IBM Storage Insights: Select problem type

6. Review and verify the details of the IBM ticket that you are about to open, as shown in
Figure 12-25. Provide the name of the contact person, along with a valid contact phone
number and email address.

Figure 12-25 IBM Storage Insights: Review the ticket

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 435

 Updating IBM tickets
Whenever a customer must update a case or wants to add more data to an existing ticket,
they can do that task from IBM Storage Insights by completing the following steps:
1. Go to the Overview page for the storage system and select Actions, and then select
Create/Update Ticket, as shown in Figure 12-19 on page 432.
2. In the window that is shown in Figure 12-26, click Update Ticket.

Figure 12-26 IBM Storage Insights: Update Ticket

3. In the window that is shown in Figure 12-27, you can either select one of the open tickets
for this machine or type in the ticket number manually.
.

Figure 12-27 IBM Storage Insights: Ticket number

436 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

4. An automatic process begins after you select the ticket number, which generates a log
package.
5. In the window that is shown in Figure 12-28, you can leave a message for the IBM Support
personnel working on the ticket. Also, you can attach any files that are related to the ticket.

Figure 12-28 IBM Storage Insights: Ticket update and attachment

6. In the window that is shown in Figure 12-29, you see a summary of the update that is
about to be left in to the ticket. To complete the process, click Update Ticket.

Figure 12-29 IBM Storage Insights: Update summary

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 437

12.11.4 IBM Storage Insights: Alert Policies
One of the many features that IBM Storage Insights provides to you is setting Alert Policies for
your devices. This function notifies you about certain conditions on a device when that
condition is met.

To set alert policies, select Configuration → Alert Policies, as shown in Figure 12-30.

Figure 12-30 IBM Storage Insights: Alert Policies

There are many predefined default policies, but you can also create a policy by selecting
Create Policy. This action opens a window where you define the policy name, and select the
policy type and type of storage system, as shown in Figure 12-31.

Figure 12-31 IBM Storage Insights: Create Policy

Select Create, and the policy is created. Then, define the alert definitions and save the
changes, as shown in Figure 12-32 on page 439.

438 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 Figure 12-32 IBM Storage Insights: Alert Definitions

12.12 IBM Call Home Connect Cloud

IBM Call Home Connect Cloud is an application that enhances your experience in managing
your IBM systems products. It replaces the IBM Call Home Web service.

Some of the benefits of the application are as follows:

򐂰 A single place to manage your assets
򐂰 Access to warranty and maintenance information
򐂰 Real-time updates and notifications
򐂰 Offline mode
򐂰 Access to product-specific tools
򐂰 Software and firmware recommendations

For more information, see

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/introducing-call-home-connect-cloud and
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6612751.

IBM Call Home Connect Anywhere

IBM Call Home Connect Anywhere is a mobile application in either Google Play (Android) or
the Apple App Store that helps you to monitor your IBM devices from anywhere. Using the
application, you can stay informed about any alerts or cases. You can check your device’s
details, warranty, and contract status.

To work with the application, you must first register for IBM Call Home Connect Cloud. After
you can access your IBM Call Home Connect Cloud at
https://www.ibm.com/support/call-home-connect/cloud/
register each of your IBM assets by providing its machine type, model, serial number,
customer number, and country code. After you complete this task for each device, you can
see them in the mobile application.

For more information, see https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6562485.

Chapter 12. Monitoring and support 439

 Figure 12-33 shows an example for having various DS8000s enlisted, the product details for a
DS8A50 and an active DS8A50 ticket that is visible on an Apple iOS mobile device when
using the IBM Call Home Connect Anywhere application.

Figure 12-33 IBM Call Home Connect Anywhere: iOS mobile device showing DS8000s and a DS8A50
ticket

440 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

Abbreviations and acronyms
AC active DRP disaster recovery planning
ACK acknowledgment DSFA data storage feature activation
AIXPCM AIX Multipath I/O Path Control DSNI DS Network Interface
Module
DVE Dynamic Volume Expansion
AMP Adaptive Multi-stream Prefetching
DVR Dynamic Volume Relocation
ANSI American National Standards
DWDM dense wavelength division
Institute
multiplexing
AOS Assist On-site
EAM extent allocation method
API application programming interface
EAV extended address volume
ASIC application-specific integrated
ECC error correction code
circuit
eDRAM embedded dynamic random access
ATS Atomic Test and Set
memory
BF Base Function
EGP Exterior Gateway Protocol
BOS base operating system
EKM Encryption Key Manager
BPM Backup Power Module
EOS end of service
BTU British thermal unit
EPOW emergency power-off warning
CA certificate authority
ER Energy Report
CCL concurrent code load
ESE extent space efficient
CDA Code Distribution and Activation
ESM Enclosure Service Module
CEC Central Electronics Complex
FB Fixed-Block
CIM Common Information Model
FC Fibre Channel
CKD Count Key Data
FC-AL Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop
CMA cable management arm
FCIC Fibre Channel Interface Card
CPC central processor complex
FCP Fibre Channel Protocol
CRC cyclic redundancy check
FDE Full Disk Encryption
CS Copy Services
FEC Forward Error Correction
CSI Container Storage Interface
FFDC first-failure data capture
CSR certificate signing request
FICON Fibre Channel connection
CSV comma-separated values
FIDR FICON Dynamic Routing
CUADD control unit address
FPCCL fast path concurrent code load
CUIR control-unit initiated reconfiguration
FQDN fully qualified domain name
DA device adapter
FRU field-replaceable unit
DC-UPS direct current uninterruptible power
FSP flexible service processor
supply
GC Global Copy
DDM disk drive module
GFC gigabit Fibre Channel
DIF Data Integrity Field
GiB gibibyte
DIMM dual inline memory module
GM Global Mirror
DMA direct memory access
HA high availability
DPR Dynamic Path Reconnect
HBA host bus adapter
DPS Dynamic Path Selection
HCD hardware configuration definition
DR disaster recovery
HDD hard disk drive

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. 441

HMC Hardware Management Console MIPS million instructions per second
HMT Heat Map Transfer MM Metro Mirror
HMTU Heat Map Transfer Utility MPIO multipath I/O
HPFE High-Performance Flash Enclosure MRPD machine-reported product data
I2C Inter-Integrated Circuit MSDSM Microsoft Device Specific Module
IBM International Business Machines MTM machine type and model
Corporation MTMM Multiple-target Metro Mirror
IBM ESSNI Enterprise Storage Server Network NMP Native Multipathing Plug-in
Interface
NTP Network Time Protocol
IBM SSR IBM Systems Service
Representative NVDIMM non-volatile dual inline memory
module
ICS Install Corrective Service
NVS non-volatile storage
IML initial microcode load
OCP Red Hat OpenShift Container
IOCDS input/output configuration data set Platform
IODF input/output definition file ODD OnDemand Data Dump
IOPS I/O operations per second OEL Operating Environment License
iPDU intelligent Power Distribution Unit OID object identifier
IPSec Internet Protocol Security OS operating system
IRR instruction retry and recovery PAV parallel access volume
ISL inter-switch link PCIe Peripheral Component Interconnect
IWC Intelligent Write Caching Express
JCL Job Control Language PCN Power Control Network
JVM Java virtual machine PFA predictive failure analysis
KMIP Key Management Interoperability PFE Product Field Engineer
Protocol PHYP Power9 IBM PowerVM Hypervisor
kW kilowatt PKCS Public-Key Cryptography Standard
LAN local area network PLD power line disturbance
LBA logical block address POST power-on self-test
LCP Logical Corruption Protection PPRC Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy
LCU logical control unit PSU power supply unit
LD logical device PTC point-in-time copy
LDAP Lightweight Directory Access PTF Program Temporary Fix
Protocol
QoS quality of service
LIC Licensed Internal Code
RAID redundant array of independent
LMC Licensed Machine Code disks
LPAR logical partition RAS reliability, availability, and
LSS logical subsystem serviceability
LUN logical unit number RC reference code
LW longwave RCD register clock driver
MBps megabytes per second RCL Remote Code Load
MC Management Console RDP Read Diagnostic Parameters
ME Management Enclosure REST Representational State Transfer
MGM Metro/Global Mirror RMZ Remote Mirror for z/OS
MIB Management Information Base RPC Remote Procedure Call
MiB mebibyte RPCC rack power control card

442 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

RPM revolutions per minute TCO total cost of ownership
RPQ Request for Price Quotation TCT Transparent Cloud Tiering
RSC Remote Support Center TLS Transport Layer Security
RSCN registered state change notification TSO Time Sharing Option
SAM storage allocation method UA unit address
SAN storage area network UCB unit control block
SARC Sequential Adaptive Replacement UPS uninterruptible power supply
Cache URI Unified Resource Identifier
SCM single-chip module VAAI vStorage APIs for Array Integration
SCORE Storage Customer Opportunity VM virtual machine
Request
VPN virtual private network
SCSI Small Computer System Interface
WLM Workload Manager
SDD Subsystem Device Driver
WUI Web User Interface
SDDDSM Subsystem Device Driver Device
Specific Module WWNN worldwide node name

SDDPCM Subsystem Device Driver Path WWPN worldwide port name

Control Module zDDB z/OS Distributed Data Backup
SDM System Data Mover zGM z/OS Global Mirror
SDO Secure Data Overwrite zHL zHyperLink
SDS software-defined storage zHPF High-Performance FICON for IBM Z
SES Small Computer System Interface zsS Z Synergy Services
Enclosure Services
SFF small form factor
SFI storage facility image
SFP small form-factor pluggable
SFP+ small form-factor pluggable plus
SIM service information message
SLB segment lookaside buffer
SMP symmetric multiprocessor
SMT simultaneous multithreading
SNMP Simple Network Management
Protocol
SOI Silicon-On-Insulator
SPOF single point of failure
SR suspension reason
SRA Storage Replication Adapter
SRC system reference code
SSD solid-state drive
SSH Secure Shell
SSIC System Storage Interoperation
Center
SSID subsystem identifier
SSL Secure Sockets Layer
SSO single sign-on
SW shortwave
TCE Translation Control Entry

Abbreviations and acronyms 443

444 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
Related publications

The publications that are listed in this section are considered suitable for a more detailed
description of the topics that are covered in this book.

IBM Redbooks
The following IBM Redbooks publications provide more information about the topics in this
document. Some publications that are referenced in this list might be available in softcopy
only.
򐂰 Best Practices for DS8000 and z/OS HyperSwap with Copy Services Manager,
SG24-8431
򐂰 DS8000 Cascading FlashCopy Design and Scenarios, REDP-5463
򐂰 DS8000 Global Mirror Best Practices, REDP-5246
򐂰 Exploring the DS8870 RESTful API Implementation, REDP-5187
򐂰 Getting Started with IBM zHyperLink for z/OS, REDP-5493
򐂰 Getting Started with IBM Z Cyber Vault, SG24-8511
򐂰 Getting started with z/OS Container Extensions and Docker, SG24-8457
򐂰 IBM Assist On-site for Storage Overview, REDP-4889
򐂰 IBM DS8000 Copy Services, SG24-8367
򐂰 IBM DS8000 Easy Tier, REDP-4667
򐂰 IBM DS8000 Encryption for Data at Rest, Transparent Cloud Tiering, and Endpoint
Security, REDP-4500
򐂰 IBM DS8000 and IBM Z Synergy, REDP-5186
򐂰 IBM DS8000 Safeguarded Copy, REDP-5506
򐂰 IBM DS8000 and Transparent Cloud Tiering, SG24-8381
򐂰 IBM DS8870 and NIST SP 800-131a Compliance, REDP-5069
򐂰 IBM DS8000 Thin Provisioning, REDP-5343
򐂰 IBM DS8900F Performance Best Practices and Monitoring, SG24-8501
򐂰 IBM DS8900F Product Guide Release 9.3, REDP-5554
򐂰 IBM DS8910F Model 993 Rack-Mounted Storage System, REDP-5566
򐂰 IBM Fibre Channel Endpoint Security for IBM DS8900F and IBM Z, SG24-8455
򐂰 IBM FlashCore Module (FCM) Product Guide, REDP-5725
򐂰 IBM Power Systems S922, S914, and S924 Technical Overview and Introduction
Featuring PCIe Gen 4 Technology, REDP-5595
򐂰 IBM Storage DS8900F Architecture and Implementation, SG24-8456
򐂰 IBM System Storage DS8000: Remote Pair FlashCopy (Preserve Mirror), REDP-4504
򐂰 IBM System Storage DS8000: z/OS Distributed Data Backup, REDP-4701
򐂰 IBM z16 Technical Introduction, SG24-8950

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2024. All rights reserved. 445

 򐂰 IBM z16 (3931) Technical Guide, SG24-8951
򐂰 IBM z16 A02 and IBM z16 AGZ Technical Guide, SG24-8952
򐂰 IBM z16 Configuration Setup, SG24-8960
򐂰 IBM Z Connectivity Handbook, SG24-5444
򐂰 LDAP Authentication for IBM Storage DS8000 Systems, REDP-5460

You can search for, view, download, or order these documents and other Redbooks,
Redpapers, web docs, drafts, and additional materials at the following website:
ibm.com/redbooks

Other publications
These publications are also relevant as further information sources:
򐂰 IBM Storage DS8000 10.0 Introduction and Planning Guide, G10-I53-00
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/SSY1BJD_10.0/G10-I53-00.pdf
򐂰 IBM DS8000 Series Command-Line Interface User’s Guide, SC27-9562
򐂰 IBM Storage DS8000 10.0 Host Systems Attachment Guide, SC27-9563
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/SSY1BJD_10.0/sc27956302.pdf
򐂰 RESTful API Guide, SC27-9823

Online resources
These websites are also relevant as further information sources:
򐂰 DS8000 IBM Documentation:
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/ds8000-10th-generation/10.0
򐂰 DS8000 Series Copy Services Fibre Channel Extension Support Matrix:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ds8000-series-copy-services-fibre-channel-ext
ension-support-matrix
򐂰 IBM Fix Central:
https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/selectFixes?parent=Enterprise%20Stor
age%20Servers&product=ibm/Storage_Disk/DS8A00&release=All&platform=All&function
=all
򐂰 IBM System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC) for DS8000:
https://www.ibm.com/systems/support/storage/ssic/
򐂰 IBM DS8000 Code Recommendations:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ds8000-code-recommendation
򐂰 DS8000 Code Bundle Information (includes Release Notes):
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7174030
򐂰 DS8000 Host Adapter Configuration Guidelines:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ds8000-host-adapter-configuration-guidelines

446 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide

 򐂰 DS8000 Service R10.x (available via IBM-ID login):
https://ibmdocs-test.dcs.ibm.com/docs/en/ds8000-s/10.x
򐂰 IBM Remote Code Load:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-remote-code-load

Help from IBM

IBM Support and downloads
ibm.com/support

IBM Global Services

ibm.com/services

IBM Training and Skills

ibm.com/training

Related publications 447

448 IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide
 SG24-8559-00
IBM Storage DS8A00 Architecture and Implementation Guide ISBN
(0.5” spine)
0.475”<->0.873”
250 <-> 459 pages
Back cover

SG24-8559-00

ISBN 0738461903

Printed in U.S.A.

®
ibm.com/redbooks