IBM FlashSystem 9600 FS9600 5078-A40
IBM FlashSystem 9600 FS9600 5078-A40
IBM FlashSystem 9600 FS9600 5078-A40 provides enterprise NVMe storage for large databases, consolidated applications and demanding mixed workloads. It delivers up to 6.3 million 4K read-hit IOPS and 86 GB/s bandwidth in a compact 2U enclosure. The IBM FlashSystem 9600 Model 5078-A40 combines fifth-generation IBM FlashCore Modules with IBM Storage Virtualize management and data protection. IBM publishes effective capacity of up to 11.8 PBe per IBM FS9600 5078-A40 enclosure, but is subject to specific workload data-reduction assumptions.
Contact Midland Information Systems at (888) 682-5335 for configurations and quotes, or use the IBM FlashSystem 9600 FS9600 5078-A40 request quote feature on teh product page. All IBM FlashSystems and IBM FlashSystem features and parts in include warranty and support.
IBM FlashSystem 9600 Performance Specifications
| Specification | Published single-enclosure maximum |
|---|---|
| IOPS | 6.3 million, 4K read hit |
| Read bandwidth | 86 GB/s |
| Read response time | Less than 50 microseconds |
| Raw capacity | Approximately 3.3 PB |
| Effective capacity | Up to 11.8 PBe |
| I/O ports | Up to 32 |
These are separate published maximums, not guaranteed simultaneous results. Application performance depends on I/O size, read/write mix, cache behavior, data services and host connections. Raw capacity measures installed media. Usable capacity accounts for protection and system overhead. Effective capacity incorporates data reduction and depends on the data being stored.
5078-A40 Hardware Overview
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Machine type and model | 5078-A40 |
| Rack height | 2U |
| Internal drive slots | 32 |
| Processors | Two AMD EPYC processors |
| Processor cores | 48 per processor, 96 total |
| Memory options | 1.5 TB or 3 TB |
| Maximum I/O ports | 32 |
| SAS expansion models | Not Applicable |
The system’s processor and memory resources support storage processing and data services. Select the configuration around application demand, capacity growth and recovery requirements.
FlashCore Module 5 Capacities
IBM FlashCore Module 5 provides the flash storage technology used by the current FlashSystem 9600 platform.
| FCM5 capacity option | Nominal raw capacity per module |
|---|---|
| Small | 6.6 TB |
| Medium | 13.2 TB |
| Large | 26.4 TB |
| Extra large | 52.8 TB |
| Highest-capacity option | 105.6 TB |
A fully populated enclosure contains up to 32 modules. Thirty-two 105.6 TB modules total 3,379.2 TB nominal raw capacity, calculated before RAID and system overhead. Capacity selection should account for usable storage, growth, protection overhead and data compressibility.
Fibre Channel and Ethernet Connectivity
| Connection option | Supported speeds | Host protocols |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre Channel | 32 or 64 Gb/s | Fibre Channel and NVMe/FC |
| High-speed Ethernet | 40 or 100 Gb/s | iSCSI and NVMe/TCP |
| Ethernet | 10 or 25 Gb/s | iSCSI and NVMe/TCP |
Connectivity is configured through optional adapters, with up to 32 I/O ports per enclosure. Actual combinations depend on adapter selection, optics and cabling. Interface speeds are measured in gigabits per second, while system bandwidth is measured in gigabytes per second.
Snapshots, FlashCopy and Host Limits
| Function | FS9600 maximum |
|---|---|
| Snapshots per system | 64,999 |
| Snapshot policies per system | 128 |
| Safeguarded policies per system | 32 |
| FlashCopy mappings per system | 15,864 |
| FlashCopy consistency groups | 500 |
| FlashCopy mappings per consistency group | 512 |
| FlashCopy targets per source | 256 |
| Hosts per system | 2,048 |
| Total NVMe-over-Fabrics hosts | 256 |
These are software configuration ceilings. Snapshot retention also depends on available capacity, change rate, volume configuration and applicable memory limits.
Expansion and FlashSystem Grid Scalability
FlashSystem 9600 expands internally through its 32 drive slots. IBM lists no SAS expansion enclosure models for the 5078-A40. Plan additional scale through supported systems and FlashSystem grid rather than assuming FlashSystem 9500 expansion shelves are compatible.
| Grid specification | Published aggregate maximum |
|---|---|
| Effective capacity | 377 PBe |
| Read bandwidth | 2,752 GB/s |
| I/O ports | 1,024 |
These figures describe combined grid resources, not one enclosure’s performance or a single application’s throughput.
Cyber Resilience and Recovery Planning
IBM positions FlashSystem 9600 and FCM5 around integrated threat detection and storage resilience. These capabilities should be configured alongside a tested recovery plan, appropriate access controls and backup protection. Snapshot count alone does not establish recovery readiness. Define retention, recovery points, recovery-time requirements and validation procedures around the applications the storage supports.
Request a FlashSystem 9600 Configuration Review
Call Midland Information Systems at (888) 682-5335 to discuss an IBM FlashSystem 9600 FS9600 5078-A40 configuration.
Provide:
Required usable capacity and expected growth.
Workload IOPS, bandwidth and response-time targets.
Current storage, host operating systems and virtualization platforms.
Fibre Channel or Ethernet connection requirements.
Snapshot retention, replication and recovery objectives.
Existing software, service and support requirements.
Midland can use these details to review the proposed storage configuration and identify compatibility questions before purchase.
