This IBM® RedpaperTM publication describes the concepts and functions of IBM System Storage® Easy Tier®, and explains its practical use with the IBM DS8000® series and License Machine Code 7.9.0.xxx (also known as R9.0).. Easy Tier is designed to automate data placement throughout the storage system disks pool. It enables the system to (automatically and without disruption to applications) relocate data (at the extent level) across up to three drive tiers. The process is fully automated. Easy Tier also automatically rebalances extents among ranks within the same tier, removing workload skew between ranks, even within homogeneous and single-tier extent pools. Easy Tier supports a Manual Mode that enables you to relocate full volumes. Manual Mode also enables you to merge extent pools and offers a rank depopulation function. Easy Tier fully supports thin-provisioned Extent Space Efficient fixed block (FB) and count key data (CKD) volumes in Manual Mode and Automatic Mode. Easy Tier also supports extent pools with small extents (16 MiB extents for FB pools and 21 cylinders extents for CKD pools). Easy Tier also supports high-performance and high-capacity flash drives in the High-performance flash enclosure, and it enables additional user controls at the pool and volume levels. This paper is aimed at those professionals who want to understand the Easy Tier concept and its underlying design. It also provides guidance and practical illustrations for users who want to use the Easy Tier Manual Mode capabilities. Easy Tier includes additional capabilities to further enhance your storage performance automatically: Easy Tier Application, and Easy Tier Heat Map Transfer.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication describes the concepts, architecture, and implementation of the IBM Storage DS8900F family. The book provides reference information to assist readers who need to plan for, install, and configure the DS8900F systems. This edition applies to DS8900F systems with IBM Storage DS8000® Licensed Machine Code (LMC) 7.9.30 (bundle version 89.30.xx.x), referred to as Release 9.3. The DS8900F systems are all-flash exclusively, and they are offered as three classes: DS8980F: Analytic Class: The DS8980F Analytic Class offers best performance for organizations that want to expand their workload possibilities to artificial intelligence (AI), Business Intelligence (BI), and machine learning (ML). IBM DS8950F: Agility Class: The Agility Class consolidates all your mission-critical workloads for IBM Z®, IBM LinuxONE, IBM Power, and distributed environments under a single all-flash storage solution. IBM DS8910F: Flexibility Class: The Flexibility Class reduces complexity while addressing various workloads at the lowest DS8900F family entry cost. The DS8900F architecture relies on powerful IBM POWER9TM 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) Gen2. Like its predecessors, the DS8900F supports advanced disaster recovery (DR) solutions, business continuity solutions, and thin provisioning.

This IBM® RedpaperTM publication describes the IBM DS8880 High-Performance Enclosure (HPFE) Gen2 architecture and configuration, as of DS8900 Release 9.1. The IBM® DS8000® High-Performance Flash Enclosure Gen2 (HPFE Gen2) is a 2U storage enclosure that is installed in pairs in DS8900F and DS8880 models. The flash enclosure and Flash RAID adapters are installed in pairs. Each storage enclosure pair can support 16, 32, or 48 encryption-capable flash drives (2.5-inch, 63.5 mm form factor).

IBM Z® has a close and unique relationship to its storage. Over the years, improvements to the IBM zSystems® processors and storage software, the disk storage systems, and their communication architecture consistently reinforced this synergy. This IBM® RedpaperTM publication summarizes and highlights the various aspects, advanced functions, and technologies that are often pioneered by IBM and make IBM Z and IBM DS8000® products an ideal combination. This paper is intended for users who have some familiarity with IBM Z and the IBM DS8000 series and want a condensed but comprehensive overview of the synergy items up to the IBM z16 server with IBM z/OS® V2.5 and the IBM DS8900 Release 9.3 firmware.

The world's most successful banks run on IBM®, and increasingly IBM LinuxONE. Temenos, the global leader in banking software, has worked alongside IBM for many years on banking deployments of all sizes. This book marks an important milestone in that partnership. Temenos on IBM LinuxONE Best Practices Guide shows financial organizations how they can combine the power and flexibility of the Temenos solution with the IBM platform that is purpose built for the digital revolution.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication is intended for individuals who want to maximize the performance of their DS8900 storage systems and investigate the planning and monitoring tools that are available.