IBM FlashSystem 9200 FS9200 9846-AG8 NVMe Enterprise Storage System

The IBM FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 is a high-performance, enterprise-class all-flash NVMe storage system designed for business-critical databases, virtualization, analytics, artificial intelligence, private cloud, IBM Power Systems and other latency-sensitive workloads. The IBM FS9200 9846-AG8 FlashSystem control enclosure combines IBM Storage Virtualize, with IBM FlashCore technology and a fully NVMe-enabled 2U storage architecture. The IBM FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 provides 24 front-accessible NVMe drive positions, redundant node canisters, redundant power supplies, high-speed Fibre Channel and Ethernet connectivity, IBM FlashCore Module support, industry-standard NVMe SSD support and Storage Class Memory options. Capacity can be expanded beyond the control enclosure through supported 9846-AFF 2U24 all-flash SAS expansion enclosures and 9846-A9F 5U92 high-density all-flash SAS expansion enclosures.

The IBM FlashSystem 9200 was designed as IBM's high-end distributed FlashSystem platform for workloads requiring extremely low latency, high IOPS, large bandwidth and enterprise storage services such as replication, thin provisioning, snapshots, deduplication, compression, encryption and external storage virtualization. Other IBM FlashSystems in the FS9200 Family include the 9848-AG8 and 4666-AG8.

IBM FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 Key Specifications

• Machine Type and Model: 9846-AG8
• Product: IBM FlashSystem 9200
• Form Factor: 2U rack-mounted NVMe control enclosure
• Warranty: One-year IBM warranty configuration
• Minimum Original Software Level: IBM Spectrum Virtualize 8.3.1
• Internal Drive Positions: 24 dual-port NVMe-capable drive slots
• Node Canisters: Two active-active redundant node canisters
• Power Supplies: Two redundant hot-swappable power supplies
• Internal Storage: IBM FlashCore Modules, industry-standard NVMe SSDs and supported Storage Class Memory
• External Expansion: 9846-AFF 2U24 and 9846-A9F 5U92 all-flash SAS expansion enclosures
• Scale-Out: Up to four FlashSystem 9200 control enclosures can operate as one clustered system
• Host Connectivity: Fibre Channel, NVMe over Fibre Channel, iSCSI and applicable RDMA Ethernet options
• Storage Software: IBM Storage Virtualize / IBM Spectrum Virtualize

IBM FlashSystem 9200 Performance

The IBM FlashSystem 9200 was one of IBM's highest-performance distributed storage platforms of its generation. IBM published system-level performance of up to approximately 4.5 million 4K read-hit IOPS from a single FlashSystem 9200 control enclosure. IBM also published minimum read latency below approximately 70 microseconds under applicable test conditions, making the IBM FS9200 suitable for workloads where storage response time directly affects database transaction rates, application response time or virtualization performance. For large-block sequential workloads, IBM published bandwidth of up to approximately 45 GB per second per control enclosure.

A four-control-enclosure clustered IBM FlashSystem 9200 configuration could scale aggregate published performance to approximately:

• 18 million IOPS
• 180 GB per second aggregate bandwidth

These figures are complete-system performance ratings. The actual performance of a customer configuration depends on drive type, RAID layout, host adapters, workload characteristics, compression ratio, host connectivity, software level and system configuration.

FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 Internal NVMe Maximums

The 9846-AG8 provides 24 internal NVMe drive positions. These positions can be populated with compatible IBM FlashCore Modules, industry-standard NVMe flash drives or supported Storage Class Memory devices according to IBM configuration rules. Using the largest original FCM2 capacity, twenty-four 38.4TB FlashCore Modules provide: 24 × 38.4TB = 921.6TB of nominal installed FlashCore Module capacity. This number represents nominal installed flash capacity and should not be confused with IBM published usable capacity after RAID or with effective capacity after compression. IBM's original product publications also cited approximately 806TB usable in a 2U FlashSystem 9200 configuration using the highest-capacity FCM2 technology and applicable RAID assumptions.

IBM FlashCore Module 2 Options for FlashSystem 9200

The FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 supports IBM FlashCore Module 2 devices. FlashCore Modules combine NVMe flash storage with IBM hardware acceleration and inline compression.

AHS5 – 4.8TB IBM FlashCore Module 2

Feature code AHS5 identifies the 4.8TB FCM2 option for FlashSystem 9200.

• Usable module capacity: 4.8TB
• IBM maximum effective capacity: approximately 21.99TB
• Primary service FRU: 02YC416
• Additional IBM FCM2 service-family part: 03GH469

AHS6 – 9.6TB IBM FlashCore Module 2

Feature code AHS6 identifies the 9.6TB FCM2 option.

• Usable module capacity: 9.6TB
• IBM maximum effective capacity: approximately 21.99TB
• Primary service FRU: 02YC417
• Additional IBM FCM2 service-family part: 03GH470

The AHS5 and AHS6 can have the same IBM published maximum effective capacity because the maximum effective figure is constrained by the FlashCore Module's metadata architecture rather than by a fixed compression multiplier applied to raw capacity.

AHS7 – 19.2TB IBM FlashCore Module 2

• Feature code: AHS7
• Usable module capacity: 19.2TB
• IBM maximum effective capacity: approximately 43.98TB
• Primary service FRU: 02YC418
• Additional IBM FCM2 service-family part: 03GH471

AHS8 – 38.4TB IBM FlashCore Module 2

• Feature code: AHS8
• Usable module capacity: 38.4TB
• IBM maximum effective capacity: approximately 87.96TB
• Primary service FRU: 02YC419
• Additional IBM FCM2 service-family part: 03GH472

FlashCore Module RAID Requirements

IBM configuration guidance for FlashSystem 9200 FlashCore Modules generally uses a minimum of six FCMs in an array.

• Distributed RAID 6 is IBM's recommended protection level for many FCM configurations.
• Distributed RAID 5 is also supported where applicable.
• FlashCore Modules within the same RAID array must use the same capacity.
• Industry-standard NVMe SSDs and FlashCore Modules are separate drive classes and should not be treated as interchangeable members of the same RAID array.

Industry-Standard NVMe SSD Options

The FlashSystem 9200 also supports IBM-qualified industry-standard NVMe SSDs. Unlike FlashCore Modules, these drives do not contain IBM FlashCore hardware compression.

AHT1 – 800GB NVMe Flash Drive

• Feature code: AHT1
• Capacity: 800GB
• Primary later IBM FRU: 01YM585
• Technology: IBM-qualified enterprise NVMe SSD
• Installation: FlashSystem 9200 control enclosure only

AHT2 – 1.92TB NVMe Flash Drive

• Feature code: AHT2
• Capacity: 1.92TB
• IBM service FRU: 01YM586

AHT3 – 3.84TB NVMe Flash Drive

• Feature code: AHT3
• Capacity: 3.84TB
• IBM service FRU: 01YM587

AHT4 – 7.68TB NVMe Flash Drive

• Feature code: AHT4
• Capacity: 7.68TB
• IBM service FRU: 01YM588

AHT5 – 15.36TB NVMe Flash Drive

• Feature code: AHT5
• Capacity: 15.36TB
• IBM service FRU: 01YM589

Maximum Capacity Using Industry-Standard NVMe Drives

If all 24 internal positions were populated with 15.36TB industry-standard NVMe SSDs, the nominal installed capacity would be:

24 × 15.36TB = 368.64TB nominal flash capacity.

Actual usable capacity is lower after RAID protection, distributed spare capacity, metadata and formatting.

IBM Storage Class Memory Options

The original FlashSystem 9200 platform also supports low-latency Storage Class Memory devices. SCM was designed for extremely latency-sensitive workloads and metadata-intensive applications.

AHTA – 375GB Storage Class Memory

• Feature code: AHTA
• Capacity: 375GB
• IBM service FRU: 02PX477

AHTB – 750GB Storage Class Memory

• Feature code: AHTB
• Capacity: 750GB
• IBM service FRU: 02PX478

AHTE – 800GB Storage Class Memory

• Feature code: AHTE
• Capacity: 800GB
• IBM service FRU: 02PX482

AHTF – 1.6TB Storage Class Memory

• Feature code: AHTF
• Capacity: 1.6TB
• IBM service FRU: 02PX483

FlashSystem 9200 Expansion Enclosures

The IBM FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 can scale beyond its internal NVMe capacity through supported all-flash SAS expansion enclosures.

The original 9846 family supports two primary expansion formats:

• IBM 9846-AFF – 2U, 24-drive all-flash SAS expansion enclosure
• IBM 9846-A9F – 5U, 92-drive high-density all-flash SAS expansion enclosure

The corresponding 9848-AFF and 9848-A9F models use the same basic storage architecture with different warranty terms. Later FlashSystem 9200 Expert Care systems introduced corresponding 4666-AFF and 4666-A9F expansion models.

Maximum Expansion Enclosure Combinations

IBM limits each FlashSystem 9200 SAS expansion chain to approximately 20U of expansion enclosure space.

Supported enclosure combinations per SAS chain include:

• Ten 2U24 AFF enclosures and no 5U92 enclosure
• One 5U92 A9F enclosure plus up to seven 2U24 AFF enclosures
• Two 5U92 A9F enclosures plus up to five 2U24 AFF enclosures
• Three 5U92 A9F enclosures plus up to two 2U24 AFF enclosures
• Four 5U92 A9F enclosures with no 2U24 enclosure

IBM documentation also describes overall FlashSystem 9200 scalability of up to approximately 760 SAS expansion drives per control enclosure, depending on enclosure type and configuration.

IBM 9846-AFF 2U24 Expansion Drive Options

The 9846-AFF is a 2U all-flash SAS expansion enclosure with 24 SFF drive positions.

The original FlashSystem 9200 Product Guide lists the following principal AFF feature codes.

AH2A – 1.92TB SAS Flash Drive

• Feature code: AH2A
• Capacity: 1.92TB
• Interface: 12Gb SAS
• Associated IBM service FRUs: 01EJ803 / 01EJ808

AH2B – 3.84TB SAS Flash Drive

• Feature code: AH2B
• Capacity: 3.84TB
• Associated IBM service FRUs: 01EJ961 / 01EJ966

AH2C – 7.68TB SAS Flash Drive

• Feature code: AH2C
• Capacity: 7.68TB
• Associated IBM service FRUs: 01LJ382 / 01LJ391

AH2D – 15.36TB SAS Flash Drive

• Feature code: AH2D
• Capacity: 15.36TB
• Associated IBM service FRUs: 01LJ385 / 01LJ393

AH2E – 30.72TB SAS Flash Drive

The 30.72TB option was added to the continuing AFF expansion family after the original 2020 product-guide configuration.

• Feature code: AH2E
• Capacity: 30.72TB
• IBM service FRU: 02PX474

Maximum 9846-AFF Capacity

A fully populated 24-drive AFF enclosure using 30.72TB SAS flash drives provides:

24 × 30.72TB = 737.28TB nominal installed flash capacity per 2U24 expansion enclosure.

IBM 9846-A9F 5U92 Expansion Drive Options

The 9846-A9F is IBM's high-density 5U all-flash SAS expansion enclosure with up to 92 drive positions.

AH7J – 1.92TB SAS Flash Drive

• Feature code: AH7J
• Capacity: 1.92TB
• IBM service FRU: 01LJ075

AH7K – 3.84TB SAS Flash Drive

• Feature code: AH7K
• Capacity: 3.84TB
• IBM service FRU: 01LJ076

AH7L – 7.68TB SAS Flash Drive

• Feature code: AH7L
• Capacity: 7.68TB
• IBM service FRU: 01LJ077

AH7M – 15.36TB SAS Flash Drive

• Feature code: AH7M
• Capacity: 15.36TB
• IBM service FRU: 01LJ078

AH7N – 30.72TB SAS Flash Drive

IBM's later/current expansion documentation supports 30.72TB flash in the A9F expansion family. Because service FRUs can vary by machine generation and installed hardware revision, verify the exact 30.72TB A9F replacement FRU against the enclosure serial number and IBM service records before ordering.

• Feature code: AH7N
• Capacity: 30.72TB
• Service FRU: Verify against installed 9846-A9F hardware and IBM service documentation

Maximum 9846-A9F Capacity

A fully populated 92-drive A9F enclosure using 30.72TB drives provides:

92 × 30.72TB = 2,826.24TB, or approximately 2.83PB of nominal installed flash capacity per 5U92 enclosure.

Internal NVMe Drives vs. Expansion SAS Drives

The distinction between FlashSystem 9200 internal drives and expansion drives is important when ordering replacement hardware.

AHS5, AHS6, AHS7 and AHS8 FlashCore Modules are internal NVMe control-enclosure devices.

AHT1 through AHT5 industry-standard NVMe SSDs are also internal control-enclosure devices.

AHTA, AHTB, AHTE and AHTF Storage Class Memory devices are internal NVMe devices.

They do not install in the 9846-AFF or 9846-A9F SAS expansion enclosures.

The AFF and A9F expansion enclosures require IBM-supported 12Gb SAS flash drives such as the AH2x and AH7x families.

FlashSystem 9200 SAS Expansion Attachment

The FlashSystem 9200 uses a dedicated SAS expansion adapter configuration to attach external AFF and A9F expansion enclosures.

• Feature AHBA identifies the pair of four-port 12Gb SAS expansion adapters used to attach supported FlashSystem 9200 expansion enclosures.
• IBM service documentation identifies 01YM338 as a 12Gb SAS adapter used in the control enclosure.

FlashSystem 9200 Host Connectivity

The FlashSystem 9200 supports multiple enterprise host-interface options, allowing the system to connect to IBM Power Systems, x86 servers, VMware environments, databases and private-cloud infrastructure.

Depending on configuration, a control enclosure can support:

• Up to approximately 24 × 16Gb Fibre Channel ports
• Up to approximately 24 × 32Gb Fibre Channel ports
• Fibre Channel Protocol storage
• NVMe over Fibre Channel
• 10Gb Ethernet iSCSI
• Up to approximately 12 × 25Gb Ethernet ports
• iSCSI
• iSER
• RoCE and applicable RDMA connectivity

FlashSystem 9200 System Memory

The FlashSystem 9200 was available with multiple system memory/cache configurations.

• Base configuration: approximately 256GB total system memory across the two node canisters
• Intermediate configuration: approximately 768GB total
• Maximum configuration: approximately 1,536GB or 1.5TB total system memory/cache

More memory can improve caching, metadata handling, virtualization and data-services performance in large or heavily consolidated environments.

IBM Storage Virtualize Capabilities

The FlashSystem 9200 includes IBM's enterprise storage virtualization software stack, providing capabilities beyond basic flash storage.

• Thin provisioning
• FlashCopy snapshots and clones
• Data reduction pools
• Software-based compression
• Deduplication
• IBM FlashCore hardware compression when FCMs are used
• Distributed RAID
• Encryption
• Remote replication
• Metro Mirror
• Global Mirror
• HyperSwap high availability
• External storage virtualization
• Easy Tier
• REST API integration
• Ansible automation
• VMware integration
• Container Storage Interface integration
• IBM Storage Insights integration

External Storage Virtualization

One of the important capabilities of FlashSystem 9200 is the ability to virtualize supported external storage behind the FlashSystem controllers.

This allows organizations to apply IBM Storage Virtualize functions such as migration, replication, thin provisioning, snapshots and centralized storage management to supported external arrays.

This capability can be especially valuable during storage migrations because workloads can be moved to FlashSystem 9200 while reducing application disruption.

FlashSystem 9200 Availability and Resiliency

The 9846-AG8 uses a redundant active-active architecture designed for enterprise availability.

• Two redundant node canisters
• Redundant power supplies
• Dual-port NVMe drives
• Multiple host adapters
• Distributed RAID protection
• Non-disruptive maintenance capabilities where supported
• Remote replication
• HyperSwap high availability
• Clustered control-enclosure support

FlashSystem 9200 Scale-Out Architecture

FlashSystem 9200 can scale beyond a single control enclosure by clustering multiple FlashSystem 9200 systems.

IBM supports up to four FlashSystem 9200 control enclosures in a clustered system, allowing organizations to scale capacity, IOPS, bandwidth, ports and workload consolidation.

A four-control-enclosure cluster can provide up to approximately:

• 96 internal NVMe drive positions
• 18 million aggregate IOPS under IBM published test conditions
• 180 GB/s aggregate bandwidth

Maximum FlashSystem 9200 Capacity

Capacity depends on whether the configuration uses internal FCMs, internal industry NVMe SSDs, external AFF enclosures or external A9F high-density expansion.

IBM's product-generation materials published capacity scaling into the multi-petabyte range, including approximately:

• Up to 806TB usable in a 2U control enclosure using high-capacity FCM2 configurations and IBM's published RAID assumptions
• More than 1.6PB effective capacity in 2U using the applicable compression assumption
• Approximately 3.2PB usable within an 8U configuration in IBM's original product positioning
• Up to approximately 15.8PB effective under IBM's higher compression assumptions
• Up to approximately 32PB raw expansion scalability in IBM's product-generation published limits

These IBM published capacity figures use different definitions of usable, raw and effective capacity. They should not be treated as interchangeable values.

FlashSystem 9200 and IBM Power Systems

The FlashSystem 9200 is well suited for IBM Power Systems environments running IBM i, AIX and Linux.

Common applications include:

• IBM Db2 for i
• IBM Db2 on AIX
• SAP
• Oracle Database
• ERP applications
• High-volume transaction processing
• Virtualized PowerVM environments
• Analytics workloads
• AI and machine-learning data
• High-availability and disaster-recovery storage

The low latency and high bandwidth of NVMe storage can reduce storage-related application bottlenecks while Storage Virtualize provides enterprise data-protection and migration capabilities.

IBM FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 Use Cases

The 9846-AG8 is particularly well suited for:

• Mission-critical enterprise databases
• IBM Power Systems storage consolidation
• Large VMware environments
• Oracle and SAP databases
• High-volume transaction systems
• Real-time analytics
• AI and machine learning
• Private cloud infrastructure
• Storage virtualization
• Data-center consolidation
• Low-latency applications
• Business continuity
• Disaster recovery
• Large-scale flash storage replacement projects

Replacing Drives in a FlashSystem 9200

Before replacing a FlashSystem 9200 drive, verify the complete IBM hardware relationship rather than relying on capacity alone.

Recommended verification sequence:

• Machine type and model: for example 9846-AG8
• Drive feature code: AHS8, AHT4, AH2C, AH7M or another installed feature
• Drive technology: FCM2, industry NVMe, SCM or SAS flash
• Capacity
• Existing IBM FRU or service part number
• Firmware level
• IBM Storage Virtualize software level
• Array type and RAID level
• Expansion enclosure MTM if applicable

IBM feature codes and physical FRU numbers are related but are not the same thing. A feature code identifies an option in a system configuration, while the FRU identifies the physical service-replacement component.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is IBM FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8?

The IBM FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 is a 2U enterprise all-flash NVMe storage control enclosure with 24 internal NVMe positions, two redundant node canisters, IBM Storage Virtualize software and support for IBM FlashCore Modules, industry-standard NVMe SSDs, Storage Class Memory and external all-flash SAS expansion.

How many drives does a FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 support internally?

The 9846-AG8 supports up to 24 internal NVMe drives in the control enclosure.

What are the FlashCore Module feature codes for FlashSystem 9200?

The original FCM2 feature codes are AHS5 for 4.8TB, AHS6 for 9.6TB, AHS7 for 19.2TB and AHS8 for 38.4TB.

What are the industry-standard NVMe feature codes?

The industry-standard NVMe drive feature codes are AHT1 for 800GB, AHT2 for 1.92TB, AHT3 for 3.84TB, AHT4 for 7.68TB and AHT5 for 15.36TB.

What Storage Class Memory drives are supported?

The original FlashSystem 9200 supports AHTA 375GB, AHTB 750GB, AHTE 800GB and AHTF 1.6TB Storage Class Memory options.

Which expansion enclosures are supported by 9846-AG8?

The original 9846-AG8 supports the 9846-AFF 2U24 all-flash SAS expansion enclosure and 9846-A9F 5U92 high-density all-flash SAS expansion enclosure.

What drives are supported in the 9846-AFF expansion?

The AFF family supports 1.92TB, 3.84TB, 7.68TB, 15.36TB and later 30.72TB SAS flash drives under the AH2A through AH2E feature family.

What drives are supported in the 9846-A9F expansion?

The A9F family supports 1.92TB, 3.84TB, 7.68TB, 15.36TB and later 30.72TB high-density SAS flash drives under the AH7J through AH7N feature family.

Can an AHT1 or AHS8 be installed in an AFF expansion enclosure?

No. AHT-series industry NVMe drives and AHS-series FlashCore Modules install in the FlashSystem 9200 NVMe control enclosure. AFF and A9F expansion enclosures require supported SAS flash drives.

What is the maximum FlashSystem 9200 performance?

IBM published performance of up to approximately 4.5 million IOPS, 45GB/s bandwidth and latency below approximately 70 microseconds for a single FlashSystem 9200 control enclosure under applicable test conditions.

How many FlashSystem 9200 systems can be clustered?

Up to four FlashSystem 9200 control enclosures can be clustered into one system, providing up to approximately 18 million aggregate IOPS and 180GB/s of aggregate bandwidth under IBM published test conditions.

What is the largest internal FlashCore Module?

The largest FCM2 option for the original 9846-AG8 is the AHS8 38.4TB FlashCore Module 2, associated with IBM service FRU 02YC419.

What is the maximum nominal internal FCM capacity?

Twenty-four 38.4TB FCM2 modules provide 921.6TB nominal installed FlashCore Module capacity. IBM's published usable capacity is lower because usable capacity includes RAID and system overhead.

IBM FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 Summary

The IBM FlashSystem 9200 9846-AG8 is a high-performance enterprise NVMe storage platform capable of supporting demanding databases, IBM Power Systems, virtualization, AI, analytics and cloud workloads.

Its 2U control enclosure provides 24 internal NVMe positions and supports AHS5 through AHS8 FlashCore Module 2 drives, AHT1 through AHT5 industry-standard NVMe SSDs and AHTA, AHTB, AHTE and AHTF Storage Class Memory devices.

External capacity is provided by 9846-AFF 2U24 and 9846-A9F 5U92 all-flash SAS expansion enclosures using the AH2A-AH2E and AH7J-AH7N drive families.

With published system performance of up to approximately 4.5 million IOPS, 45GB/s bandwidth and sub-70-microsecond latency, plus IBM Storage Virtualize capabilities such as replication, compression, deduplication, snapshots, external virtualization and HyperSwap, FlashSystem 9200 remains a powerful enterprise storage platform for existing installations and the secondary equipment market.

Related IBM FlashSystem Parts and Upgrades

• IBM AHT1 800GB NVMe Flash Drive
• IBM 02YC416 4.8TB FlashCore Module 2
• IBM 02YC417 9.6TB FlashCore Module 2
• IBM 02YC418 19.2TB FlashCore Module 2
• IBM 02YC419 38.4TB FlashCore Module 2
• IBM 01YM587 3.84TB NVMe Flash Drive
• IBM 01YM588 7.68TB NVMe Flash Drive
• IBM 02PX477 375GB NVMe Storage Class Memory
• IBM 02PX478 750GB NVMe Storage Class Memory
• IBM FlashSystem Systems, Drives, FlashCore Modules and Upgrades