IBM AGS8 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2 FCM2 02YC419 03GH472

The IBM AGS8 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2 (FCM2) feature is used in IBM FlashSystem 5200 storage systems and has 02YC419 and 03GH472 part numbers. The IBM AGS8 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2 (FCM2) feature provides 38.4TB usable and 87.96TB effective capacity. IBM FlashCore firmware documentation states the 02YC419 and 03GH472 FlashCore Module uses the second-generation FCM 2_x firmware. The same IBM 38.4TB FlashCore Module FCM2 product is supported on other IBM FlashSystem models with IBM AES8 feature code on IBM FlashSystem 5100 FS5100 2078-4H4 and 2077-4H4, IBM ADS8 on IBM FlashSystem 7200 FS7200 4664-824 and 2076-824, and IBM AHS8 on IBM FlashSystem 9200 FS9200 systems. Although these NVMe FlashCore Modules are identical, the feature codes identify the configurable option for a particular FlashSystem machine family.

IBM AGS8 38.4TB FlashCore Module Specifications

What Is the IBM AGS8 FlashCore Module?

The IBM AGS8 is an enterprise NVMe FlashCore Module designed specifically for IBM FlashSystem storage. Unlike a conventional enterprise NVMe SSD, a FlashCore Module combines NAND flash storage with IBM-developed hardware, firmware, compression, encryption and flash-management technology.

The FlashSystem 5200 FCM2 feature family consists of:

• AGS5 – 4.8TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2
• AGS6 – 9.6TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2
• AGS7 – 19.2TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2
• AGS8 – 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2

AGS8 is the highest-capacity FlashCore Module in the original FCM2 family supported by the FlashSystem 5200.

IBM AGS8 Capabilities

• 38.4TB usable capacity per FlashCore Module.
• 87.96TB IBM-published effective capacity.
• Enterprise NVMe storage architecture.
• PCIe Gen 3 connectivity.
• Hardware-based inline compression.
• Self-encrypting FlashCore technology.
• T10-DIF data-integrity protection.
• IBM-developed flash-management technology.
• High IOPS and low-latency storage performance.
• Integration with IBM Storage Virtualize.
• Distributed RAID support.
• Hot-swappable front-accessible storage architecture.

IBM AGS8 Supported FlashSystem Models

IBM's FlashSystem 5200 sales documentation explicitly lists AGS8 for the following machine type/models:

IBM's current hardware documentation also includes machine type 4662-Y12 within the broader FlashSystem 5200 control-enclosure architecture. However, the original IBM AGS8 ordering documentation explicitly identifies 4662-6H2 and 4662-UH6. For this reason, AGS8 should not automatically be advertised as a Y12 ordering feature without checking the exact machine configuration and IBM service history.

FlashSystem 5200 Internal NVMe Architecture

The IBM FlashSystem 5200 control enclosure provides 12 internal NVMe drive positions. Depending on the machine configuration and IBM Storage Virtualize level, these positions support:

• IBM FlashCore Modules
• Industry-standard NVMe SSDs
• Storage Class Memory drives

The 12 internal positions are separate from the external SAS storage provided by FlashSystem 5200 expansion enclosures.

IBM 02YC419 and 03GH472 Part Numbers

The feature code and physical part number should be distinguished when sourcing FlashSystem replacements.

AGS8 is the system configuration feature; 02YC419 and 03GH472 identify physical hardware within the corresponding 38.4TB FCM2 service-part family.

AGS8, AES8, ADS8 and AHS8 Feature Code Relationship

IBM uses different feature-code prefixes for the same FCM2 capacity depending on the target FlashSystem platform.

38.4TB FCM2 Cross-Platform Mapping

The common hardware relationship does not mean that AES8, AGS8, ADS8 and AHS8 can be substituted as ordering feature codes. The feature code remains specific to the target IBM machine family.

Complete IBM FCM2 Feature-Code Matrix

Other FCM2 Sizes for FlashSystem 5200

IBM FCM2 Part Number Family

IBM's current FlashCore Module firmware documentation identifies the following FCM2 part-number families:

IBM AGS8 RAID Configuration

IBM's FlashSystem 5200 Product Guide specifies the following requirements for FlashCore Module arrays:

• A minimum of six FlashCore Modules.
• Distributed RAID 6 is recommended.
• Distributed RAID 5 is supported.
• FlashCore Modules within the same RAID array must be the same capacity.

AGS8 Capacity Examples

These values represent nominal installed FlashCore capacity before Distributed RAID parity, rebuild space, metadata and other system overhead.

Other NVMe Storage Supported by FlashSystem 5200

FlashSystem 5200 is not limited to FCM2. IBM documents support for FlashCore Modules, industry-standard NVMe SSDs and Storage Class Memory devices.

Industry-Standard NVMe SSD Features

Storage Class Memory Features

FlashSystem 5200 Expansion Enclosures

The FlashSystem 5200 can attach external SAS expansion enclosures to provide additional flash or HDD capacity. IBM currently identifies the following expansion models:

AGS8 Does Not Install in FlashSystem Expansion Enclosures

AGS8 is an internal NVMe FlashCore Module. It installs in one of the 12 NVMe positions in a FlashSystem 5200 control enclosure.

The 4662-12G, 4662-24G and 4662-92G expansion enclosures use SAS-attached drives. AGS8, 02YC419 and 03GH472 should therefore not be described as expansion-enclosure drives.

4662-24G Supported SAS Drives

The 4662-24G provides 24 SFF SAS positions. IBM currently documents support for:

• 900GB, 1.2TB, 1.8TB and 2.4TB 10K SAS HDDs
• 2TB 7.2K Nearline SAS HDD
• 800GB SAS flash
• 1.92TB SAS flash
• 3.84TB SAS flash
• 7.68TB SAS flash
• 15.36TB SAS flash
• 30.72TB SAS flash

4662-12G Supported Drives

The 4662-12G is a 2U12 capacity-oriented SAS expansion enclosure. Current IBM documentation supports:

• 900GB, 1.2TB, 1.8TB and 2.4TB 10K SAS HDDs
• 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 16TB and 18TB 7.2K Nearline SAS HDDs

Feature codes and service FRUs vary by drive generation and carrier. Verify the installed drive and machine configuration before ordering replacements.

4662-92G Supported Drives

The 4662-92G high-density enclosure supports up to 92 SAS drives and currently supports:

• 1.2TB, 1.8TB and 2.4TB 10K SAS HDDs
• 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 16TB and 18TB Nearline SAS HDDs
• 1.92TB, 3.84TB, 7.68TB, 15.36TB and 30.72TB SAS flash

AGS8 vs. AGSD FCM3

The AGS8 should not be confused with the newer AGSD. Both provide 38.4TB of nominal FlashCore capacity, but they are different FlashCore generations.

AGS8 vs. AGSH FCM4

IBM later introduced the AGSH 38.4TB FlashCore Module 4 for qualifying FlashSystem 5200 configurations.

A capacity match alone is therefore insufficient for determining replacement compatibility.

How to Identify the Correct AGS8 Replacement

Before purchasing or installing a replacement AGS8, verify:

• Machine type/model – typically 4662-6H2 or 4662-UH6.
• IBM feature code – AGS8.
• Installed service FRU – such as 02YC419.
• Additional hardware part number – such as 03GH472 where applicable.
• Capacity – 38.4TB.
• FlashCore generation – FCM2.
• FCM firmware level.
• IBM Storage Virtualize software level.
• Distributed RAID configuration.
• Capacity and generation of the other FCMs in the target array.

Typical IBM AGS8 Workloads

• IBM i and Db2 for i
• AIX enterprise applications
• Linux on IBM Power
• Oracle Database
• Microsoft SQL Server
• SAP and ERP applications
• VMware virtualization
• High-density database storage
• Application consolidation
• Transactional systems
• Analytics
• Cloud and private-cloud infrastructure
• Business continuity and disaster recovery

Related IBM FlashSystem Products and Parts

• IBM 02YC419 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2
• IBM 02YC416 4.8TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2
• IBM 02YC417 9.6TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2
• IBM 02YC418 19.2TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2
• IBM ADS8 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2
• IBM AGSD 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 3
• IBM FlashSystem 5200 4662-6H2
• IBM FlashSystem 5200 4662-UH6
• IBM FlashSystem Systems, FlashCore Modules, Drives and Parts

IBM AGS8 Frequently Asked Questions

What is IBM AGS8?

AGS8 is IBM's machine-specific feature code for a 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2 configured for IBM FlashSystem 5200.

Which systems support AGS8?

IBM's FlashSystem 5200 sales documentation explicitly identifies 4662-6H2 and 4662-UH6 as AGS8-supported machine type/models.

What IBM part number corresponds to AGS8?

IBM documents 02YC419 as a 38.4TB usable / 87.96TB effective FCM2. IBM FlashCore firmware documentation also identifies 03GH472 as a 38.4TB FCM2 part number.

Is AGS8 the same as 02YC419?

Not exactly. AGS8 is the machine-specific IBM configuration feature code, while 02YC419 is an IBM service FRU identifying the physical 38.4TB FCM2 hardware.

Is AGS8 the same hardware family as ADS8?

Yes. AGS8 and ADS8 correspond to the same 38.4TB FCM2 capacity and service-part family. AGS8 is the FlashSystem 5200 feature designation, while ADS8 identifies the corresponding option for FlashSystem 7200.

Is AGS8 the same as AES8?

AES8 and AGS8 identify corresponding 38.4TB FCM2 configurations on different IBM platforms. AES8 is associated with FlashSystem 5100 and AGS8 with FlashSystem 5200.

Is AGS8 the same as AHS8?

AHS8 identifies the corresponding 38.4TB FCM2 option in the FlashSystem 9200 machine family. Both belong to the same FCM2 capacity class, but the feature codes are machine-specific.

How many AGS8 modules can FlashSystem 5200 hold?

The FlashSystem 5200 control enclosure contains 12 internal NVMe positions. IBM's AGS8 sales feature documentation specifies a maximum quantity of 12 across the applicable internal NVMe drive features.

What is the minimum number of FlashCore Modules in an array?

IBM specifies a six-drive minimum for FlashCore Module arrays.

What RAID does IBM recommend?

IBM recommends Distributed RAID 6. Distributed RAID 5 is also supported for the FCM2 configuration.

Can different FCM capacities be mixed in the same array?

No. IBM specifies that FlashCore Modules within the same RAID array must be the same capacity.

Can AGS8 be installed in a 4662-24G expansion enclosure?

No. AGS8 is an NVMe FlashCore Module for the internal FlashSystem 5200 control enclosure. The 4662-24G uses SAS-attached HDDs and SAS flash drives.

Which expansion enclosures are supported by FlashSystem 5200?

IBM documents 4662-12G, 4662-24G and 4662-92G SAS expansion enclosures for FlashSystem 5200.

What is the difference between AGS8 and AGSD?

Both provide 38.4TB of FlashCore capacity, but AGS8 is FCM2 while AGSD is FCM3. They use different FlashCore generations, firmware families and service FRUs.

What is the difference between AGS8 and AGSH?

AGS8 is a second-generation FCM2, while AGSH is the corresponding 38.4TB FlashCore Module 4 feature. FCM4 adds newer PCIe and computational-storage functionality.

What firmware family identifies FCM2?

IBM FlashCore firmware documentation identifies the AGS8-associated 02YC419 and 03GH472 hardware as using the 2_x firmware family.

What is the effective capacity of AGS8?

IBM identifies 02YC419 as providing 38.4TB usable and 87.96TB effective capacity. Effective capacity depends on data-reduction assumptions and should not be treated as guaranteed physical usable capacity.

IBM AGS8 38.4TB FCM2 Summary

The IBM AGS8 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2 is the highest-capacity FCM2 feature originally documented for IBM FlashSystem 5200 models 4662-6H2 and 4662-UH6.

IBM service documentation identifies 02YC419 as the 38.4TB usable / 87.96TB effective FCM2 service hardware, while IBM FlashCore firmware documentation additionally identifies 03GH472 as a 38.4TB FCM2 part using the second-generation 2_x firmware family.

The corresponding 38.4TB FCM2 technology is represented by AES8 on FlashSystem 5100, AGS8 on FlashSystem 5200, ADS8 on FlashSystem 7200 and AHS8 on FlashSystem 9200. The feature code remains machine-specific even when the underlying service-part family is shared.

AGS8 installs only in the internal NVMe control enclosure. It does not install in the 4662-12G, 4662-24G or 4662-92G SAS expansion enclosures.

For upgrade or replacement work, verify the machine type/model, AGS8 feature code, IBM service FRU, FCM generation, firmware level, Storage Virtualize level and Distributed RAID configuration before purchasing a replacement module.

View IBM 02YC419 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module 2

View IBM FlashSystem 5200 4662-6H2 systems, upgrades and parts

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