IBM Flex System Storage Expansion Node
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Figure 4. Flash-backed cache module, power module, and power cable
The following license-only Features on Demand upgrades are available;
RAID 6 Upgrade (90Y4410)
Adds support for RAID 6 and RAID 60. This is a Feature on Demand license.
Performance Upgrade (90Y4412)
The Performance Upgrade for IBM Flex System (implemented using the LSI MegaRAID FastPath
software) provides high performance I/O acceleration for SSD-based virtual drives by using an
extremely low latency I/O path to increase the maximum I/O per second (IOPS) capability of the
controller. This feature boosts the performance of applications with a highly random data storage
access pattern, such as transactional databases. Part number 90Y4412 is a Feature on Demand
license.
SSD Caching Enabler for traditional hard drives (90Y4447)
The SSD Caching Enabler for IBM Flex System (implemented using the LSI MegaRAID CacheCade
Pro 2.0) is designed to accelerate the performance of hard disk drive (HDD) arrays with only an
incremental investment in solid-state drive (SSD) technology. The feature enables the SSDs to be
configured as a dedicated cache to help maximize the I/O performance for transaction-intensive
applications, such as databases and web serving. The feature tracks data storage access patterns
and identifies the most frequently accessed data. The hot data is then automatically stored on the
SSDs that are assigned as a dedicated cache pool on the ServeRAID controller. Part number
90Y4447 is a Feature on Demand license. This feature requires that at least one SSD drive is
installed.
FoD upgrades are system -wide: The FoD upgrades are the same ones as used with the ServeRAD
M5115 available for use internally in the x220 and x240 compute nodes. If you have an M5115 installed in
the attached compute node and have installed any of these upgrades, the upgrades will automatically be
activated on the LSI controller in the Storage Expansion Node. You do not need to purchase the FoD
upgrades separately for the expansion node.
LED indicators
The Storage Expansion Node has a number of LEDs on the lower right front for identification and status
purposes, as shown in Figure 5.
