IBM FlashSystem 5100 2077-4H4 NVMe Storage System

The IBM FlashSystem 5100 FS5100 2077-4H4 is a 2U enterprise NVMe storage system designed for high-performance databases, server virtualization, IBM Power Systems, application consolidation and hybrid storage environments. The IBM FS5100 2077-4H4 combines IBM Storage Virtualize software, IBM FlashCore technology and NVMe storage with the ability to attach SAS expansion enclosures for additional flash or hard-disk capacity. The IBM FlashSystem 5100 control enclosure provides 24 front-accessible 2.5-inch NVMe drive bays. The IBM FlashSystems bays can support IBM FlashCore Modules, industry-standard enterprise NVMe flash drives and supported Storage Class Memory devices. When additional storage is required, the system can attach 12 Gb SAS expansion enclosures including the 2077-12G, 2077-24G and 2077-92G.

The IBM FlashSystem architecture allows the 2077-4H4 to be configured as a high-performance all-NVMe array or as a hybrid storage system combining internal NVMe media with externally attached SAS flash drives and HDDs.

IBM FlashSystem 5100 2077-4H4 Specifications

IBM FlashSystem 5100 Capabilities

The FlashSystem 5100 was designed as an enterprise storage platform rather than simply a collection of SSDs. IBM Storage Virtualize provides advanced storage services across the internal NVMe media and attached SAS storage.

Capabilities include:

• End-to-end NVMe internal storage for latency-sensitive applications.
• IBM FlashCore Modules with hardware-assisted inline compression.
• Industry-standard NVMe SSD support.
• Storage Class Memory support for very low-latency tiers.
• Hybrid storage support using external SAS HDD and SAS flash expansion.
• Distributed RAID for improved rebuild performance and resiliency.
• Thin provisioning.
• IBM Easy Tier automatic data placement.
• FlashCopy snapshots and clones.
• Remote replication.
• Data reduction including compression and deduplication where supported.
• Storage virtualization of supported external storage.
• IBM Storage Insights integration.
• Safeguarded Copy support at applicable software and licensing levels.
• Support for IBM i, AIX, Linux, VMware, Microsoft and database workloads.

Related IBM FlashSystem 5100 Models

The 2077-4H4 belongs to the FlashSystem 5100 NVMe family. Related IBM models include:

View IBM FlashSystem models and parts

IBM FlashSystem 5100 Internal NVMe Storage

The 2077-4H4 supports three principal classes of internal NVMe storage:

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

The maximum of 24 internal NVMe drives applies across the installed drive features.

IBM FlashCore Module Options for 2077-4H4

IBM offered both first-generation and second-generation FlashCore Modules during the lifecycle of the FlashSystem 5100.

FCM1 FlashCore Modules

FCM2 FlashCore Modules

IBM's service documentation identifies the second-generation FlashCore Modules as:

• 02YC416 – 4.8TB usable / 21.99TB effective
• 02YC417 – 9.6TB usable / 21.99TB effective
• 02YC418 – 19.2TB usable / 43.98TB effective
• 02YC419 – 38.4TB usable / 87.96TB effective

The effective-capacity figures are IBM published data-reduction references rather than guaranteed RAID-usable capacity.

IBM AES Feature Codes and Related FlashSystem Feature Codes

The AES feature-code family identifies FlashCore Modules configured for the FlashSystem 5100. IBM used related feature prefixes for the same FlashCore capacities on other FlashSystem platforms.

The feature code is machine-family specific. The physical service FRU may be common to several FlashSystem families, so administrators should verify both the feature code and the installed FRU before purchasing a replacement.

IBM Industry-Standard NVMe Drives

The 2077-4H4 also supports IBM-qualified industry-standard enterprise NVMe flash drives.

Storage Class Memory Options

IBM also supported NVMe Storage Class Memory devices in the 2077-4H4. SCM provides an extremely low-latency storage tier and can be used independently or with IBM Easy Tier.

IBM FlashSystem 5100 Expansion Enclosures

The 2077-4H4 can attach external SAS expansion enclosures when configured for hybrid storage.

Expansion compatibility depends on IBM Storage Virtualize software level. IBM interoperability documentation shows support for 12G, 24G, 92G and the related F-generation expansion enclosures through the applicable FlashSystem 5100 software releases.

2077-24G SFF Expansion Drive Options

The 2077-24G contains 24 2.5-inch SAS drive positions. IBM's FlashSystem 5100 announcement identifies the following drive features.

SFF SAS HDD Options

2077-24G SAS Flash Options

IBM feature codes identify configurable drive options, while the physical service FRU may vary by manufacturing generation or replacement history. The actual installed FRU should be checked before ordering replacement media.

2077-12G LFF Expansion Drive Options

The 2077-12G is intended primarily for capacity-oriented 3.5-inch SAS HDD storage. IBM documents the FlashSystem 5100 family as supporting LFF Nearline SAS capacities including 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB and 14TB, with later software levels also supporting higher capacities in the expansion family.

The exact feature code used for an LFF drive can differ by enclosure generation and ordering period, so the machine type/model and installed FRU should both be verified when purchasing replacements.

2077-92G High-Density Expansion

The 2077-92G is a 5U high-density SAS enclosure capable of holding up to 92 drives. It supports both HDD and SAS flash media and is designed for configurations requiring very high storage density.

2077-92G HDD Feature Codes and Part Numbers

2077-92G Flash Feature Codes and Part Numbers

Internal NVMe vs. SAS Expansion Storage

IBM FlashSystem 5100 Host Connectivity

Depending on installed adapters, the 2077-4H4 supports enterprise SAN and Ethernet connectivity including:

• 16 Gb Fibre Channel
• 32 Gb Fibre Channel
• FC-NVMe
• 10 Gb Ethernet
• 25 Gb Ethernet
• iSCSI
• iSER using supported Ethernet adapters

Representative IBM hardware includes:

• 03GH233 – quad-port Fibre Channel adapter
• 03JK176 – quad-port 32 Gb Fibre Channel adapter
• 03JK182 – Fibre Channel adapter
• 01FT777 – 25 Gb SFP28
• 01YM285 – 25 Gb Ethernet adapter
• 02PX560 – 32 Gb Fibre Channel long-wave SFP

IBM FlashSystem 5100 Performance and Scalability

The FlashSystem 5100 was positioned as an enterprise NVMe platform capable of supporting highly transactional workloads while also scaling into large hybrid configurations.

Published platform specifications include:

• Up to approximately 900,000 IOPS depending on workload and configuration.
• Latency capable of dropping below 70 microseconds for appropriate NVMe configurations.
• Up to approximately 15 GB/s bandwidth depending on configuration.
• Up to 576GB of cache per system.
• Up to 760 drives per system.
• Up to 1,520 drives in a clustered system.

IBM Storage Virtualize Software

The 2077-4H4 runs IBM Storage Virtualize, historically branded Spectrum Virtualize. The software provides a common storage-services layer across IBM FlashCore Modules, NVMe SSDs, SCM and attached SAS storage.

Key functions include:

• Storage pools
• Thin provisioning
• Data reduction
• Easy Tier
• FlashCopy
• Remote Copy
• Volume mirroring
• Distributed RAID
• External storage virtualization
• IBM Storage Insights integration
• Safeguarded Copy at supported software levels

Typical IBM FlashSystem 5100 Workloads

The 2077-4H4 is well suited to applications requiring consistent enterprise storage performance and advanced data services.

• IBM i and Db2 for i
• AIX applications
• Linux on IBM Power
• Oracle Database
• Microsoft SQL Server
• SAP and ERP systems
• VMware environments
• Microsoft Hyper-V
• Server and storage consolidation
• High-availability application environments
• PowerHA environments
• Analytics workloads
• Database acceleration
• Disaster recovery

Selecting Replacement Drives for a 2077-4H4

IBM feature codes and physical service part numbers should not be treated as permanently interchangeable identifiers. Before sourcing a replacement drive, verify:

• Machine type/model – 2077-4H4
• Control or expansion enclosure model
• Drive feature code
• Installed IBM FRU/service part number
• Drive technology – FCM, NVMe SSD, SCM, SAS SSD or SAS HDD
• Capacity
• FlashCore generation where applicable
• Firmware level
• IBM Storage Virtualize software level
• Existing RAID or Distributed RAID configuration

This is particularly important because several FlashSystem generations use the same nominal drive capacities under different IBM feature codes and service FRU revisions.

Related IBM FlashSystem Products

• IBM FlashSystem Systems, Drives and Parts
• IBM 02YC416 4.8TB NVMe FlashCore Module
• IBM 02YC417 9.6TB NVMe FlashCore Module
• IBM 02YC419 38.4TB NVMe FlashCore Module
• IBM 01YM585 800GB NVMe Flash Drive
• IBM 01YM587 3.84TB NVMe Flash Drive
• IBM 01YM588 7.68TB NVMe Flash Drive
• IBM FlashSystem 5200
• IBM FlashSystem 7200

IBM FlashSystem 5100 2077-4H4 Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IBM FlashSystem 5100 2077-4H4?

The 2077-4H4 is a 2U IBM FlashSystem 5100 NVMe control enclosure with 24 internal 2.5-inch NVMe-capable bays and support for IBM FlashCore Modules, industry-standard NVMe SSDs and Storage Class Memory.

How many internal drives does the 2077-4H4 support?

The control enclosure supports up to 24 internal NVMe devices.

Which FlashCore Modules are supported?

The 2077-4H4 supports first-generation features AES1, AES2 and AES3 and second-generation FCM2 features AES5, AES6, AES7 and AES8 at supported software levels.

What is the largest FlashCore Module for the FlashSystem 5100?

The largest FCM2 option is AES8 38.4TB, associated with IBM service part 02YC419 and the 38.4TB FCM2 hardware family.

What industry-standard NVMe drives are supported?

IBM documents AET1 800GB, AET2 1.92TB, AET3 3.84TB, AET4 7.68TB and AET5 15.36TB NVMe flash drives.

Does FlashSystem 5100 support Storage Class Memory?

Yes. Supported SCM feature capacities include 375GB, 750GB, 800GB and 1.6TB.

Can the 2077-4H4 use hard drives?

Not in the internal NVMe control enclosure. SAS HDDs can be used through supported external SAS expansion enclosures.

Which expansion enclosures are supported?

The FlashSystem 5100 family supports 12-bay LFF, 24-bay SFF and 92-drive high-density SAS expansion, including the 2077-12G, 2077-24G and 2077-92G families at supported Storage Virtualize levels.

What drives are supported in the 2077-24G?

The 2077-24G supports 900GB, 1.2TB, 1.8TB and 2.4TB 10K SAS HDDs, 2TB Nearline SAS HDDs and SAS flash capacities ranging from lower-capacity enterprise SSDs through 30.72TB.

What drives are supported in the 2077-92G?

The 2077-92G supports SAS HDDs and SAS flash drives, including 600GB 15K, 1.2TB and 1.8TB 10K HDDs, Nearline SAS HDDs from 6TB upward and Tier 0/Tier 1 flash drives including 1.6TB, 3.2TB, 1.92TB, 3.84TB, 7.68TB and 15.36TB.

Is AES8 the same hardware family as ADS8, AGS8 and AHS8?

Yes. These feature codes identify the corresponding 38.4TB FCM2 option in different FlashSystem machine families. The machine-specific feature code should still be distinguished from the physical FRU.

What is the difference between AES8 and 02YC419?

AES8 is the FlashSystem 5100 configurable feature code for the 38.4TB FCM2 option. 02YC419 is an IBM-documented physical service FRU for the 38.4TB FCM2 hardware.

Does the 2077-4H4 support NVMe over Fibre Channel?

Yes. The platform supports FC-NVMe with compatible Fibre Channel adapters and software levels.

Can the FlashSystem 5100 virtualize external storage?

Yes. IBM Storage Virtualize allows the FlashSystem 5100 to provide supported storage services across compatible externally virtualized storage systems.

What operating systems can use FlashSystem 5100?

The FlashSystem 5100 is commonly used with IBM i, AIX, Linux, VMware, Microsoft Windows, Oracle, SAP and other enterprise host environments subject to IBM interoperability requirements.

IBM FlashSystem 5100 2077-4H4 Summary

The IBM FlashSystem 5100 2077-4H4 combines 24 internal NVMe drive positions with IBM FlashCore technology, enterprise NVMe SSDs, Storage Class Memory and IBM Storage Virtualize data services in a compact 2U enterprise storage platform.

Internal storage options include FCM1 and FCM2 FlashCore Modules up to 38.4TB, industry-standard NVMe SSDs up to 15.36TB and supported SCM devices. For larger hybrid configurations, the system can attach 12 Gb SAS expansion enclosures including 2077-12G, 2077-24G and 2077-92G.

The 24G expansion family supports 10K and Nearline SAS HDDs plus SAS flash up to 30.72TB, while the 92G provides up to 92 drive positions for high-density HDD and flash configurations.

When purchasing upgrades or replacement drives, always verify the machine type/model, feature code, IBM service FRU, drive generation, capacity, firmware and Storage Virtualize software level. IBM feature codes identify configurable options, while the physical replacement FRU can span more than one FlashSystem platform or manufacturing revision.

View IBM FlashSystem systems, drives, FlashCore Modules and replacement parts