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    • Expansions for FlashSystems 9500

    Expansions for FlashSystems 9500

    The IBM FlashSystem 9500 supports SAS-based expansion enclosures for scalable capacity beyond the 48 NVMe drives in the 4U control enclosure. These expansions use 12 Gbps SAS connectivity and support SAS flash SSDs (no FCMs allowed in expansions) for tiered storage with IBM Easy Tier. Available in SFF (2U24) and LFF/HD (5U92) configurations, they enable hybrid all-flash setups with DRAID formatting for data protection and efficiency. Attachment requires SAS Enclosure Attachment adapters (e.g., feature code AHBA or equivalent) in the control enclosure. Each control enclosure supports up to two SAS chains with chain weight limits (max weight 3 per chain: AFF = 1, A9F = 2.5), allowing combinations like three AFF or one A9F per chain. Up to six expansions per control enclosure pair in some configs for added capacity.

    Key Features

    • SAS 12 Gbps dual-port connectivity for reliable, high-throughput expansion.
    • Support for SAS flash SSDs in tiered pools (Easy Tier automated tiering with control enclosure NVMe).
    • Intermixing of expansion models (SFF AFF and LFF/HD A9F) subject to chain weight and IBM guidelines.
    • High-density options maximize drives per rack space.
    • Hot-swappable components with redundancy for high availability.
    • Integrated with IBM Storage Virtualize for virtualization, data reduction, replication, and cybersecurity.

    Technical Specifications

    • Interface: 12 Gbps SAS (dual redundant paths).
    • Form Factors:
      • AFF: 2U SFF (24 x 2.5-inch SAS drives).
      • A9F: 5U HD/LFF (92 x 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch in carriers SAS drives).
    • RAID: DRAID 1 or DRAID 6 (DRAID 6 recommended).
    • Chain Limits: Max chain weight 3 per SAS chain (e.g., 3 x AFF or 1 x A9F); up to two chains per control enclosure.
    • Maximum Drives:
      • AFF: 24 per enclosure; up to 72 per chain (3 enclosures).
      • A9F: 92 per enclosure; up to 92 per chain (1 enclosure).
    • Power/Cooling: Redundant supplies and fans aligned with control enclosure standards.

    Available Configurations

    Models available (SAS expansion enclosures):

     
     
    Model Description Form Factor Drive Bays Max Drives per Enclosure Max per Chain (approx.) Chain Weight Example Use
    4666-AFF / 4983-AFF FlashSystem SFF SAS Expansion Enclosure 2U SFF 24 x 2.5-inch SAS 24 72 (3 enclosures) 1 Performance-oriented flash tiers
    4666-A9F / 4983-A9F FlashSystem HD/LFF SAS Expansion Enclosure 5U HD 92 x 3.5-inch (or 2.5-in carriers) SAS 92 92 (1 enclosure) 2.5 Maximum density all-flash capacity
     

    Note: No mixing of 2U and 5U on the same SAS chain in some guidelines. Drives are SAS flash SSDs only (e.g., capacities up to 30.72 TB, similar to other FlashSystem expansions); specific feature codes configured at order time. No FCM support in expansions.

    Compatibility

    • Designed for IBM FlashSystem 9500 control enclosures (e.g., 4666-AH8, 4983-AH8, 4666-UH8).
    • Requires SAS Enclosure Attachment adapter (e.g., AHBA feature code) in control enclosure for SAS expansion support.
    • Supports intermixing AFF and A9F models across chains (not within same chain for mixed form factors in some cases).
    • Compatible with IBM Storage Virtualize (8.5+ or later recommended) for Easy Tier, virtualization, tiering, compression (on flash), deduplication, and advanced features.
    • Integrates with environments like VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, Red Hat OpenShift, Kubernetes via control enclosure protocols.
    • Expansion enclosures attach via SAS cables to control enclosure SAS ports; no host-direct SAS.
    • No intermixing with incompatible or older expansion types.
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