IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 Enterprise Storage System

IBM FlashSystem 5030 | 2072-3H2 | 12-Bay LFF SAS Storage System

The IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 is a 2U enterprise storage system designed for IBM Power Systems, IBM i, AIX, Linux, virtualization, database and general-purpose business workloads. The 2072-3H2 is the 12-drive Large Form Factor (LFF) version of the FlashSystem 5030 control enclosure. The IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 system combines two active node canisters, 32GB standard cache expandable to 64GB, SAS HDD and flash storage, integrated network connectivity and optional Fibre Channel, Ethernet and SAS host interfaces. Capacity can be expanded using IBM FlashSystem 5000 12-drive, 24-drive and 92-drive SAS expansion enclosures.

IBM Spectrum Virtualize, subsequently renamed IBM Storage Virtualize, provides enterprise storage services including virtualization, thin provisioning, Data Reduction Pools, compression, deduplication, FlashCopy, replication, Easy Tier and encryption, depending upon the installed software and licensed features.

IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 Specifications

IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 vs. 2072-3H4

The primary physical difference between the two FlashSystem 5030 control enclosures is the drive form factor. The 2072-3H2 is designed around LFF storage, while the 2072-3H4 provides 24 SFF drive positions.

IBM FlashSystem 5030 Cache Upgrade

The FlashSystem 5030 provides 16GB of memory in each node canister as its base configuration, giving the system 32GB total memory/cache. IBM supports increasing each node canister to 32GB, producing a maximum of 64GB per I/O group.

IBM requires equal memory configurations in both node canisters. The additional memory option must therefore be installed symmetrically across the two nodes.

IBM FlashSystem 5030 Connectivity Options

The 2072-3H2 supports multiple host-interface technologies, allowing the same storage platform to be used with Fibre Channel, Ethernet/iSCSI and SAS-attached hosts.

Fibre Channel SFP Options

25Gb Ethernet Transceivers

IBM FlashSystem 5030 Expansion Enclosures

The 2072-3H2 can expand beyond its 12 internal drive positions using SAS-connected FlashSystem 5000 expansion enclosures. IBM's interoperability documentation identifies the 12G/F12, 24G/F24 and 92G/F92 families as supported with FlashSystem 5030 through applicable Storage Virtualize releases.

IBM SAS Expansion Cable Part Numbers

IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 LFF Drives

The 3H2 control enclosure is particularly useful where storage capacity and cost per terabyte are important because its 12 LFF drive positions support high-capacity Nearline SAS disks as well as supported enterprise SAS media.

NVMe FlashCore Module Compatibility

This distinction is important when sourcing replacement or upgrade drives. A drive advertised for an NVMe-based FlashSystem 5100, 5200, 7200, 7300, 9200 or 9500 should not be assumed to operate in a FlashSystem 5030.

Other IBM FlashSystem 5030 Replacement Parts

IBM FlashSystem 5030 Storage Features

The value of the FlashSystem 5030 extends beyond the physical drives. IBM Spectrum Virtualize provides a common enterprise storage software layer with functions that can include:

• Thin provisioning
• Data Reduction Pools
• Compression
• Deduplication
• FlashCopy
• Remote replication
• Easy Tier
• Encryption
• External storage virtualization
• Online data migration
• RAID and Distributed RAID

Easy Tier and Hybrid Storage

The 2072-3H2 is especially useful as a hybrid storage platform because its LFF capacity drives can be combined with flash storage elsewhere in the supported storage configuration.

IBM Easy Tier can automatically identify frequently accessed data and move appropriate extents to higher-performance storage tiers, allowing administrators to balance performance and capacity without manually relocating application volumes.

External Storage Virtualization

IBM Spectrum Virtualize allows supported external storage systems to be virtualized behind the FlashSystem 5030. This can simplify migration from older storage arrays and allows selected IBM storage services to be applied to supported externally virtualized capacity.

FlashSystem 5030 Expansion Capacity

The 2072-3H2 is not limited to the twelve drives in its control enclosure. IBM supports both standard-density and high-density SAS expansion enclosures.

At applicable software levels, IBM documents FlashSystem 5000 configurations with up to 10 standard 2U expansion enclosures or four 5U high-density expansion enclosures per controller. Exact maximum drive counts depend upon the mixture of expansion enclosures and system configuration.

IBM FlashSystem 5030 Software Support

IBM Spectrum Virtualize / Storage Virtualize 8.4 is the final major software release family for the original FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 and 2072-3H4 controllers.

IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 Lifecycle

Typical FlashSystem 5030 Workloads

• IBM i storage
• AIX storage
• Linux on IBM Power Systems
• VMware environments
• Microsoft Hyper-V
• Oracle databases
• Microsoft SQL Server
• ERP applications
• File and application storage
• High-capacity enterprise storage
• Hybrid flash and HDD storage
• Backup and recovery repositories
• External storage virtualization

IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2?

The 2072-3H2 is the 12-bay LFF version of the IBM FlashSystem 5030 control enclosure. It is a 2U dual-node enterprise SAS storage system.

What is the difference between the 2072-3H2 and 2072-3H4?

The 2072-3H2 provides 12 LFF drive positions, while the 2072-3H4 provides 24 SFF drive positions. Both belong to the same FlashSystem 5030 controller generation.

Does the 2072-3H2 support NVMe FlashCore Modules?

No. The FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 is a SAS-based system and does not support NVMe FlashCore Modules.

Does the FlashSystem 5030 support NVMe SSDs?

No. Internal storage for the 2072-3H2 is SAS-based. Supported SAS flash storage can be used, but it should not be confused with NVMe SSD or FlashCore technology.

How much cache does the FlashSystem 5030 support?

The FlashSystem 5030 has 32GB total base memory/cache and supports a maximum of 64GB total, or 32GB per node canister.

What Fibre Channel adapters are supported?

IBM service documentation identifies the 01EJ187 16Gb four-port Fibre Channel adapter and 01YM898 32Gb four-port Fibre Channel adapter as applicable to the FlashSystem 5030.

Does the FlashSystem 5030 support 25Gb Ethernet?

Yes. Supported hardware includes the 01LJ588 25Gb RoCE and 01LJ589 25Gb iWARP two-port Ethernet adapters.

Which expansion enclosures are supported?

Supported families include 2072-12G/F12, 2072-24G/F24 and 2072-92G/F92 expansion enclosures, along with earlier compatible E12/E24/E92 families at applicable software levels.

What is the final major Storage Virtualize release?

IBM Storage Virtualize 8.4 is the final major software family for the original FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 controller.

When does IBM support end for the 2072-3H2?

IBM lists December 31, 2026 as the standard End of Support date for the FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2.

IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 Summary

The IBM FlashSystem 5030 2072-3H2 provides a flexible 2U enterprise storage platform with 12 LFF drive bays, dual active node canisters, up to 64GB cache and support for Fibre Channel, Ethernet, SAS and multiple FlashSystem 5000 expansion-enclosure configurations.

The 3H2 is particularly appropriate for configurations requiring high-capacity LFF SAS drives, while supported SAS flash and IBM Easy Tier provide options for improving application performance. IBM Spectrum Virtualize adds enterprise functions including thin provisioning, data reduction, FlashCopy, replication, encryption, Easy Tier and external storage virtualization.

For existing systems, replacement and upgrade components should be selected specifically for the SAS-based FlashSystem 5030 architecture. NVMe SSDs and IBM FlashCore Modules are not compatible with the 2072-3H2.