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This IBM® Redbooks® publication describes several of the preferred practices and describes the performance gains that can be achieved by implementing the IBM SAN Volume Controller powered by IBM Spectrum® Virtualize V8.4. These practices are based on field experience.

This book highlights configuration guidelines and preferred practices for the storage area network (SAN) topology, clustered system, back-end storage, storage pools, and managed disks, volumes, Remote Copy services, and hosts. Then, it provides performance guidelines for IBM SAN Volume Controller, back-end storage, and applications.

It explains how you can optimize disk performance with the IBM System Storage Easy Tier® function. It also provides preferred practices for monitoring, maintaining, and troubleshooting IBM SAN Volume Controller.

This book is intended for experienced storage, SAN, and IBM SAN Volume Controller administrators and technicians. Understanding this book requires advanced knowledge of the IBM SAN Volume Controller, IBM FlashSystem, and SAN environments.

Table of Contents

  1. Front cover
  2. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  3. Preface
    1. Authors
    2. Now you can become a published author, too!
    3. Comments welcome
    4. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks
  4. Chapter 1. IBM SAN Volume Controller introduction
    1. 1.1 Benefits of using IBM Spectrum Virtualize
    2. 1.2 IBM SAN Volume Controller supported product range
    3. 1.2.1 New in Spectrum Virtualize v8.4
    4. 1.2.2 Supported products
    5. 1.2.3 IBM SAN Volume Controller high-level features
    6. 1.3 IBM SAN Volume Controller product range
    7. 1.4 Advanced functions for data reduction
    8. 1.4.1 Data Reduction Pools
    9. 1.4.2 Deduplication
    10. 1.4.3 Thin provisioning
    11. 1.4.4 Thin-provisioned flash copies
    12. 1.5 Advanced software features
    13. 1.5.1 Data migration
    14. 1.5.2 Copy services
    15. 1.5.3 Easy Tier
    16. 1.5.4 External virtualization
    17. 1.5.5 Enhanced stretch cluster
    18. 1.5.6 IBM HyperSwap
    19. 1.5.7 Licensing
  5. Chapter 2. Storage area network
    1. 2.1 SAN topology general guidelines
    2. 2.1.1 SAN performance and scalability
    3. 2.1.2 ISL considerations
    4. 2.2 SAN topology-specific guidelines
    5. 2.2.1 Single switch SAN Volume Controller SANs
    6. 2.2.2 Basic core-edge topology
    7. 2.2.3 Edge-core-edge topology
    8. 2.2.4 Full mesh topology
    9. 2.2.5 IBM Spectrum Virtualize as a SAN bridge
    10. 2.2.6 Device placement
    11. 2.3 SAN Volume Controller ports
    12. 2.3.1 Slots and ports identification
    13. 2.3.2 Port naming and distribution
    14. 2.4 Zoning
    15. 2.4.1 Types of zoning
    16. 2.4.2 Prezoning tips and shortcuts
    17. 2.4.3 SAN Volume Controller internode communications zones
    18. 2.4.4 SAN Volume Controller storage zones
    19. 2.4.5 SAN Volume Controller host zones
    20. 2.4.6 Hot Spare Node zoning considerations
    21. 2.4.7 Zoning with multiple SAN Volume Controller clustered systems
    22. 2.4.8 Split storage subsystem configurations
    23. 2.5 Distance extension for Remote Copy services
    24. 2.5.1 Optical multiplexors
    25. 2.5.2 Long-distance SFPs or XFPs
    26. 2.5.3 Fibre Channel over IP
    27. 2.5.4 SAN extension with Business Continuity configurations
    28. 2.5.5 Native IP replication
    29. 2.6 Tape and disk traffic that share the SAN
    30. 2.7 Switch interoperability
  6. Chapter 3. Storage back-end
    1. 3.1 General considerations for managing external storage
    2. 3.1.1 Storage controller path selection
    3. 3.1.2 Guidelines for creating optimal back-end configuration
    4. 3.1.3 Considerations for compressing and deduplicating back-end
    5. 3.2 Controller-specific considerations
    6. 3.2.1 Considerations for DS8000 series
    7. 3.2.2 IBM XIV Storage System considerations
    8. 3.2.3 IBM FlashSystem A9000/A9000R considerations
    9. 3.2.4 FlashSystem 5000, 5100, 7200, 9100, and 9200 considerations
    10. 3.2.5 IBM FlashSystem 900 considerations
    11. 3.2.6 Path considerations for third-party storage with EMC VMAX and Hitachi Data Systems
    12. 3.3 Quorum disks
  7. Chapter 4. Storage pools
    1. 4.1 Introduction to pools
    2. 4.1.1 Standard pool
    3. 4.1.2 Data reduction pools
    4. 4.1.3 Standard pools versus DRPs
    5. 4.1.4 Data reduction estimation tools
    6. 4.1.5 Understanding capacity use in a DRP
    7. 4.2 Storage pool planning considerations
    8. 4.2.1 Planning for availability
    9. 4.2.2 Planning for performance
    10. 4.2.3 Planning for capacity
    11. 4.2.4 Extent size considerations
    12. 4.2.5 External pools
    13. 4.3 Data reduction pool best practices
    14. 4.3.1 Data reduction pools with IBM FlashSystem NVMe attached drives
    15. 4.3.2 DRP and external storage considerations
    16. 4.3.3 Data reduction pools and VMware vVols
    17. 4.3.4 Data reduction pool configuration limits
    18. 4.3.5 DRP provisioning considerations
    19. 4.3.6 Standard and DRP pools coexistence
    20. 4.3.7 Data migration with DRP
    21. 4.4 Operations with storage pools
    22. 4.4.1 Creating data reduction pools
    23. 4.4.2 Adding external MDisks to storage pools
    24. 4.4.3 Renaming MDisks
    25. 4.4.4 Removing MDisks from storage pools
    26. 4.4.5 Remapping-managed MDisks
    27. 4.4.6 Controlling extent allocation order for volume creation
    28. 4.5 Considerations when using encryption
    29. 4.5.1 General considerations
    30. 4.5.2 Hardware and software encryption
    31. 4.5.3 Encryption at rest with USB keys
    32. 4.5.4 Encryption at rest with key servers
    33. 4.6 Easy Tier, tiered, and balanced storage pools
    34. 4.6.1 Easy Tier concepts
    35. 4.6.2 Easy Tier definitions
    36. 4.6.3 Easy Tier operating modes
    37. 4.6.4 MDisk tier types
    38. 4.6.5 Changing the tier type of an MDisk
    39. 4.6.6 Easy Tier overload protection
    40. 4.6.7 Removing an MDisk from an Easy Tier pool
    41. 4.6.8 Easy Tier implementation considerations
    42. 4.6.9 Easy Tier settings
    43. 4.6.10 Monitoring Easy Tier using the GUI
  8. Chapter 5. Volumes
    1. 5.1 Overview of volumes
    2. 5.2 Guidance for creating volumes
    3. 5.3 Thin-provisioned volumes
    4. 5.3.1 Compressed volumes
    5. 5.3.2 Deduplicated volumes
    6. 5.3.3 Thin provisioning considerations
    7. 5.3.4 Limits on virtual capacity of thin-provisioned volumes
    8. 5.4 Mirrored volumes
    9. 5.4.1 Write fast failovers
    10. 5.4.2 Read fast failovers
    11. 5.4.3 Maintaining data integrity of mirrored volumes
    12. 5.5 HyperSwap volumes
    13. 5.6 VMware virtual volumes
    14. 5.7 Cloud volumes
    15. 5.7.1 Transparent cloud tiering configuration limitations and rules
    16. 5.7.2 Restoring to the production volume
    17. 5.7.3 Restore to a new volume
    18. 5.8 Volume migration
    19. 5.8.1 Image-type to striped-type volume migration
    20. 5.8.2 Migrating to image-type volume
    21. 5.8.3 Migrating with volume mirroring
    22. 5.8.4 Migration from standard pools to Data Reduction Pools
    23. 5.9 Preferred paths to a volume
    24. 5.10 Moving a volume between I/O groups and nodes
    25. 5.10.1 Changing the preferred node of a volume within an I/O group
    26. 5.10.2 Moving a volume between I/O groups
    27. 5.11 Volume throttling
    28. 5.12 Volume cache mode
    29. 5.13 Other considerations
    30. 5.13.1 Volume protection
    31. 5.13.2 Volume resizing
    32. 5.13.3 Migrating from Fibre Channel connections to RDMA over Ethernet connections between nodes
  9. Chapter 6. Copy services
    1. 6.1 Introduction to copy services
    2. 6.1.1 FlashCopy
    3. 6.1.2 Metro Mirror and Global Mirror
    4. 6.1.3 Volume Mirroring
    5. 6.2 FlashCopy
    6. 6.2.1 FlashCopy use cases
    7. 6.2.2 FlashCopy capabilities overview
    8. 6.2.3 FlashCopy functional overview
    9. 6.2.4 FlashCopy planning considerations
    10. 6.3 Remote Copy services
    11. 6.3.1 Remote copy use cases
    12. 6.3.2 Remote copy functional overview
    13. 6.3.3 Remote copy network planning
    14. 6.3.4 Remote copy services planning
    15. 6.3.5 Multiple site remote copy
    16. 6.3.6 1920 error
    17. 6.4 Native IP replication
    18. 6.4.1 Native IP replication technology
    19. 6.4.2 IP partnership limitations
    20. 6.4.3 VLAN support
    21. 6.4.4 IP compression
    22. 6.4.5 Remote copy groups
    23. 6.4.6 Supported configuration examples
    24. 6.4.7 Native IP replication performance consideration
    25. 6.5 Volume Mirroring
    26. 6.5.1 Read and write operations
    27. 6.5.2 Volume mirroring use cases
    28. 6.5.3 Mirrored volume components
    29. 6.5.4 Volume Mirroring synchronization options
    30. 6.5.5 Volume Mirroring performance considerations
    31. 6.5.6 Bitmap space for out-of-sync volume copies
  10. Chapter 7. Business continuity
    1. 7.1 Business continuity topologies
    2. 7.1.1 Business continuity with Stretched Cluster
    3. 7.1.2 Business continuity with Enhanced Stretched Cluster
    4. 7.1.3 Business continuity with HyperSwap
    5. 7.2 Third site and IP quorum
    6. 7.2.1 Quorum modes
    7. 7.3 HyperSwap Volumes
    8. 7.4 Comparison of business continuity solutions
    9. 7.4.1 Other considerations and general recommendations
  11. Chapter 8. Hosts
    1. 8.1 General configuration guidelines
    2. 8.1.1 Number of paths
    3. 8.1.2 Host ports
    4. 8.1.3 Port masking
    5. 8.1.4 N-port ID virtualization
    6. 8.1.5 Host to I/O group mapping
    7. 8.1.6 Volume size as opposed to quantity
    8. 8.1.7 Host volume mapping
    9. 8.1.8 Server adapter layout
    10. 8.1.9 Host status improvements
    11. 8.1.10 Considerations for NVMe over Fibre Channel host attachments
    12. 8.1.11 Considerations for iSER host attachments
    13. 8.2 Host pathing
    14. 8.2.1 Path selection
    15. 8.3 I/O queues
    16. 8.3.1 Queue depths
    17. 8.4 Host clusters
    18. 8.4.1 Persistent reservations
    19. 8.4.2 Clearing reserves
    20. 8.5 AIX hosts
    21. 8.5.1 Multipathing support
    22. 8.5.2 Configuration recommendations for AIX
    23. 8.6 Virtual I/O server hosts
    24. 8.6.1 Multipathing support
    25. 8.6.2 Physical and logical volumes
    26. 8.6.3 Identifying a disk for use as a virtual SCSI disk
    27. 8.7 Windows hosts
    28. 8.7.1 Multipathing support
    29. 8.7.2 Windows configuration
    30. 8.8 Linux hosts
    31. 8.9 Oracle Solaris hosts
    32. 8.9.1 Solaris MPxIO
    33. 8.9.2 Symantec Veritas Volume Manager
    34. 8.9.3 DMP multipathing
    35. 8.10 VMware server hosts
    36. 8.10.1 Configuring VMware
    37. 8.10.2 Multipathing configuration maximums
  12. Chapter 9. Monitoring
    1. 9.1 Generic monitoring
    2. 9.1.1 Monitoring with the GUI
    3. 9.1.2 Monitoring using quotas and alert
    4. 9.2 Performance monitoring
    5. 9.2.1 Performance monitoring with the GUI
    6. 9.2.2 Performance monitoring with IBM Spectrum Control
    7. 9.2.3 Performance monitoring with IBM Storage Insights
    8. 9.3 Capacity metrics for block storage systems
    9. 9.3.1 Storage system capacity metrics
    10. 9.3.2 Pool capacity metrics
    11. 9.3.3 Volume capacity metrics
    12. 9.4 Creating alerts for IBM Spectrum Control and IBM Storage Insights
    13. 9.4.1 Alert examples
    14. 9.4.2 Alert to monitor back-end capacity: Physical allocation
    15. 9.5 Important metrics
    16. 9.6 Performance support package
    17. 9.7 Metro and Global Mirror monitoring with IBM Copy Services Manager and scripts
    18. 9.7.1 Monitoring MM and GM with scripts
    19. 9.8 Monitoring Tier1 SSD
  13. Chapter 10. Maintenance
    1. 10.1 User interfaces
    2. 10.1.1 Management GUI
    3. 10.1.2 Service Assistant Tool GUI
    4. 10.1.3 Command-line interface
    5. 10.2 Users and groups
    6. 10.3 Volumes
    7. 10.4 Hosts
    8. 10.5 Software updates
    9. 10.5.1 Determining the target software level
    10. 10.5.2 Obtaining software packages
    11. 10.5.3 Hardware considerations
    12. 10.5.4 Update sequence
    13. 10.5.5 SAN fabrics preparation
    14. 10.5.6 Storage controllers preparation
    15. 10.5.7 Hosts preparation
    16. 10.5.8 Copy services considerations
    17. 10.5.9 Running the Upgrade Test Utility
    18. 10.5.10 Updating software
    19. 10.6 Drive firmware updates
    20. 10.7 SAN modifications
    21. 10.7.1 Cross-referencing WWPN
    22. 10.7.2 Cross-referencing LUN ID
    23. 10.8 Server HBA replacement
    24. 10.9 Hardware upgrades
    25. 10.9.1 Adding nodes
    26. 10.9.2 Upgrading nodes in a cluster
    27. 10.9.3 Moving to a new IBM SAN Volume Controller cluster
    28. 10.9.4 Splitting an IBM SAN Volume Controller cluster
    29. 10.9.5 Adding expansion enclosures
    30. 10.9.6 Removing expansion enclosures
    31. 10.10 I/O Throttling
    32. 10.10.1 I/O throttling overview
    33. 10.10.2 I/O throttling on front-end I/O control
    34. 10.10.3 I/O Throttling on back-end I/O control
    35. 10.10.4 Overall benefits of using I/O throttling
    36. 10.10.5 I/O throttling considerations
    37. 10.10.6 Configuring I/O throttling using the CLI
    38. 10.10.7 Configuring I/O throttling using the GUI
    39. 10.10.8 Creating a volume throttle
    40. 10.10.9 Creating a host throttle
    41. 10.10.10 Creating a host cluster throttle
    42. 10.10.11 Creating a storage pool throttle
    43. 10.10.12 Creating an offload throttle
    44. 10.11 Automation
    45. 10.11.1 Red Hat Ansible
    46. 10.11.2 RESTful API
    47. 10.12 Documenting IBM SAN Volume Controller and SAN environment
    48. 10.12.1 Naming conventions
    49. 10.12.2 SAN fabric documentation
    50. 10.12.3 IBM SAN Volume Controller documentation
    51. 10.12.4 Storage documentation
    52. 10.12.5 Technical support information
    53. 10.12.6 Tracking incident and change tickets
    54. 10.12.7 Automated support data collection
    55. 10.12.8 Subscribing to IBM SAN Volume Controller support
  14. Chapter 11. Troubleshooting and diagnostics
    1. 11.1 Starting troubleshooting
    2. 11.1.1 Using the GUI
    3. 11.1.2 Recommended actions and fix procedure
    4. 11.2 Diagnostic data collection
    5. 11.2.1 Collecting data from IBM Spectrum Virtualize
    6. 11.2.2 Host multipath software data collection
    7. 11.2.3 Additional data collection
    8. 11.3 Common problems and isolation techniques
    9. 11.3.1 Host problems
    10. 11.3.2 SAN problems
    11. 11.3.3 Storage subsystem problems
    12. 11.3.4 Native IP replication problems
    13. 11.3.5 Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) based Clustering
    14. 11.3.6 Advanced Copy services problems
    15. 11.3.7 Health status during upgrade
    16. 11.3.8 Managing physical capacity of over provisioned storage controllers
    17. 11.4 Remote Support Assistance
    18. 11.5 Call Home Connect Cloud and Health Checker feature
    19. 11.5.1 Health Checker
    20. 11.6 IBM Storage Insights
    21. 11.6.1 Storage Insights Customer Dashboard
    22. 11.6.2 Customized dashboards to monitor your storage
    23. 11.6.3 Creating support tickets
    24. 11.6.4 Updating support tickets
    25. 11.6.5 SI Advisor
  15. Chapter 12. IBM Real-time Compression
    1. 12.1 Evaluating compression savings by using Comprestimator
    2. 12.2 Evaluating workload by using Disk Magic
    3. 12.3 Verifying available CPU resources
    4. 12.4 Configuring a balanced system
    5. 12.5 Standard benchmark tools
    6. 12.6 Compression with FlashCopy
    7. 12.7 Compression with Easy Tier
    8. 12.8 Compression on the backend
    9. 12.9 Migrating generic volumes
    10. 12.10 Converting RtC volumes to DRP compression
  16. Chapter 13. Best practices for Spectrum Virtualize for Public Cloud in IBM Cloud
    1. 13.1 Base architecture
    2. 13.2 Networking
    3. 13.2.1 Node networking
    4. 13.3 Hosts
    5. 13.4 Storage
    6. 13.4.1 Discovery and access
    7. 13.4.2 EasyTier considerations
    8. 13.5 Replication
  17. Chapter 14. Best practices for Spectrum Virtualize for Public Cloud in AWS
    1. 14.1 Base architecture
    2. 14.2 System resources
    3. 14.3 Back-end storage
    4. 14.4 Replication considerations
  18. Appendix A. IBM i considerations
    1. IBM i Storage management
    2. Single-level storage
    3. IBM i response time
    4. Planning for IBM i storage capacity
    5. Storage connection to IBM i
    6. Setting attributes in VIOS
    7. Disk drives for IBM i
    8. Defining LUNs for IBM i
    9. Data layout
    10. Fibre Channel adapters in IBM i and VIOS
    11. Zoning SAN switches
    12. IBM i Multipath
    13. Booting from SAN
    14. IBM i mirroring
    15. Copy services considerations
    16. IBM SAN Volume Controller stretched cluster
    17. DB2 mirroring for IBM i
  19. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks
    2. Online resources
    3. Help from IBM
  20. Back cover
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