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IBM FlashSystem 820 and IBM FlashSystem 720

To achieve a competitive advantage in a world of 24×7 continuous operations, organizations need to perform more frequent and complex analytics on vast volumes of data—including varying types of big data—and they cannot afford downtime. IBM flash storage offerings provide extreme IOPS and microsecond latency performance to turbocharge these new IT infrastructures. When compared to equivalent disk systems, IBM flash storage solutions deliver 6.7 times more capacity in a single rack, 19 times more cost efficiency in dollars/per IOPS, and are 115 times more energy efficient.1

IBM FlashSystem™ 820 and IBM FlashSystem 720 are designed to speed up the performance of multiple enterprise-class applications, including OLTP and OLAP databases, virtual desktop infrastructures, technical computing applications and cloud-scale infrastructures. These IBM systems deliver extreme performance per gigabyte, so organizations can quickly uncover business insights using traditional data analytics as well as new, big-data technologies. In addition, FlashSystem 820 and FlashSystem 720 eliminate storage bottlenecks with IBM MicroLatency™—that is, less than 100-microsecond access times—to enable faster decision making. With these low latencies, the storage disk layer can operate at speeds comparable to those of the CPUs, DRAM, networks and buses in the I/O data path.

 

Feature
Benefits
IBM Variable Stripe RAID technology
  • Maintains performance while enhancing reliability without sacrificing usable capacity
“No-single-point-of-failure” architecture
  • Delivers enterprise-class reliability and efficiency for the most demanding data centers
Superior flash media technology
  • Offers capacity coupled to performance via eMLC flash, or extreme performance via SLC flash
2D RAID technology, hot-swappable flash modules and redundant components with built-in battery backup
  • Help boost data availability and IT productivity

Datasheet

 IBM FlashSystem 820 and IBM FlashSystem 720 at a glance*
Series
IBM FlashSystem 820
IBM FlashSystem 720
Model
9831-AE2
9831-AS2
Flash type
eMLC
SLC
 
10 TB
20 TB
5 TB
10 TB
Usable capacity (terabyte [TB]/ tebibyte [TiB])
12.4 TB/11.3 TiB
24.7 TB/22.5 TiB
6.2 TB/5.6 TiB
12.4 TB/11.3 TiB
Usable capacity RAID 5 (TB/TiB)
10.3 TB/9.4 TiB
20.6 TB/18.8 TiB
5.2 TB/4.7 TiB
10.3 TB/9.4 TiB
Raw maximum capacity (TB/TiB)
16.5 TB/15 TiB
33 TB/30 TiB
8.3 TB/7.5 TiB
16.5 TB/15 TiB
 Minimum latency
Write
25 µs
25 µs
Read
110 µs
100 µs
Read (from host)
160 µs
145 µs
 Maximum IOPS 4KB
100% read
525k
525k
Mixed 70/30% read/write
430k
450k
100% write
280k
400k
 Maximum bandwidth 256 KB
Read
3.3 GB/s (Fibre Channel)
5 GB/s (InfiniBand)
3.3 GB/s (Fibre Channel)
5 GB/s (InfiniBand)
Write
2.8 GB/s (Fibre Channel)
2.8 GB/s (InfiniBand)
3.3 GB/s (Fibre Channel)
4 GB/s (InfiniBand)
Power
300 Watts
350 Watts
Cooling
1023 BTU/hr.
1194 BTU/hr.
Reliability
High-availability hardware configuration
 
Two-dimensional flash RAID
  • Module-level Variable Stripe RAID
  • System-level RAID 5 across modules
Hot-swappable flash modulesRedundant interfaces
Redundant, hot-swappable power supplies
Redundant management control ports
N+1 batteries
2n fans
Supported RAID levels 0, 5
Connectivity options 4 x 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel
4 x 40 Gb/s QDR InfiniBand
Client operating system support For a current list of platforms supported, please visit the IBM System Storage Interoperation Center
Maximum volume support (LUNs) 1,024
Management interfaces Web, SSH, Telnet
Enclosure dimensions (H x W x D) 1U x 432 mm x 638 mm (1U x 17 in. x 25 in.)
Weight 13.3 kg / 29.3 lb
Environmental requirements 10°C – 35°C (50°F – 95°F) operating temperature at -30.5 m – 300 m (-100 ft – 984.25 ft) altitude-10°C – 50°C (14°F – 122°F) non-operational20% – 80% RH operating10% – 90% RH non-operational 0.1g rms operational vibration0.8g rms operational shock3.5g 3ms half-sine pulse vertical non-operational
Regulatory compliance Safety: IEC/EN 60950, CB Certificate, UL60950-1 CAN/CSA-C22.2 No.60950-1, CE Mark
Emissions Class A: EN55022/CISPR 22, FCC Part 15 Class A, ICES-003 Issue 4 Class A

* Performance specifications based on fully configured system