IBM Storwize V5020 2078-224 Storage System

IBM Storwize V5020 2078-224 | 24-Bay SFF SAS Storage, 16Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gb Ethernet, 12Gb SAS and IBM Spectrum Virtualize

The IBM Storwize V5020 2078-224 is a 2U, 24-bay small-form-factor enterprise storage system designed for IBM Power Systems, IBM i, AIX, Linux, VMware, database, virtualization and general-purpose SAN workloads. The 2078-224 is a second generation IBM Storwize V5000 storage system that includes dual active-active node canisters, SAS flash and hard-disk storage, IBM Spectrum Virtualize software and multiple host-connectivity options. The Storwize V5020 can be custom configured, and 2078-224 features can be purchased separately for upgrading an existing system. All IBM Storwize systems and parts include warranty and support.

The Storwize V5020 2078-224 provides more functionality than the V5010, including hardware-assisted encryption, while retaining a flexible architecture that can mix enterprise SAS SSDs, 10K SAS drives and Nearline SAS capacity storage. The IBM V5020 is a midrange system model that sits between the entry V5010 and higher-performance IBM V5030 2072-324 storage system. The 2078-224 specifically identifies the 24-slot 2.5-inch SFF control enclosure with a three-year original IBM warranty. The corresponding one-year-warranty model is 2077-224.

IBM Storwize V5020 2078-224 Specifications

IBM Storwize V5020 Performance Specifications

The V5020 was designed as the midrange performance model of the second-generation Storwize V5000 family. IBM published different performance results depending on whether the backend storage was configured with SSDs or 15K SAS hard drives.

IBM Storwize V5020 Capacity and Maximums

The 2078-224 contains 24 internal SFF drive positions but can scale substantially through supported SAS expansion enclosures.

IBM's configuration limits changed over the supported lifetime of the system. Earlier V7.6 configurations documented approximately 264 drives, while later V7.8-supported configurations increased the V5010/V5020 family limit to approximately 392 drives. Production configurations should therefore be validated against the exact software release installed on the system.

IBM Storwize V5020 Cache Upgrade

The V5020 is configured with 16GB total base cache and supports an upgrade to 32GB total system cache.

IBM's installation documentation specifically identifies a 16GB cache memory upgrade for Storwize V5020.

IBM Storwize V5020 Connectivity

The V5020 provides both standard and optional host-interface choices, allowing the system to support Fibre Channel, iSCSI, FCoE and direct SAS host attachment.

IBM requires matching optional host-interface adapter configurations in the two node canisters.

IBM Storwize V5020 Host Interface Parts

IBM used common Storwize V5000-family adapters and optics across multiple generations. Relevant service part numbers include:

IBM Storwize V5020 Expansion Enclosures

The V5020 supports both 12-bay LFF and 24-bay SFF second-generation Storwize V5000 expansion enclosures.

The V5020 can support up to 10 standard expansion enclosures. IBM later added support for high-density expansion configurations at applicable software levels.

IBM Storwize High-Density 5U92 Expansion

At supported Spectrum Virtualize levels, Storwize V5000 Gen2 systems can use high-density 92-drive SAS expansion enclosures. These enclosures can contain both SAS hard drives and SAS flash drives.

Representative supported 5U92 drive FRUs include:

IBM Storwize V5020 Flash Drive Feature Codes

For the 2078 three-year-warranty machine type, IBM used specific feature-code variants for supported high-density Tier 1 flash drives.

IBM used different feature codes for otherwise similar drives depending on whether the storage system was a 2077 one-year-warranty or 2078 three-year-warranty machine type.

Storwize V5020 Internal SAS Storage

The 2078-224 uses 2.5-inch dual-port SAS storage rather than NVMe. Depending on software level and drive qualification, the system can use enterprise SAS flash drives, performance SAS HDDs and Nearline SAS storage.

RAID and Distributed RAID

IBM Spectrum Virtualize supports both traditional RAID and Distributed RAID on the Storwize V5020 at applicable software levels.

IBM Storwize V5020 Encryption

Encryption is one of the functional differences between the V5020 and entry-level V5010. IBM implemented V5020 encryption using Intel AES-NI processor instructions rather than requiring special self-encrypting drives for all configurations.

Encryption can protect data stored on internal disks or flash media, subject to the system's licensing and key-management configuration.

Easy Tier

IBM Easy Tier can move frequently accessed data between different storage tiers according to workload activity. A V5020 can therefore combine:

• High-performance SAS flash
• 10K or 15K SAS hard drives
• High-capacity Nearline SAS storage

This allows organizations to balance application performance and storage cost within a common pool.

IBM Spectrum Virtualize Features

The V5020 uses the same IBM storage virtualization architecture that became the foundation of later IBM FlashSystem products.

Supported functions include, depending on software level and licensing:

• Thin provisioning
• FlashCopy snapshots
• Easy Tier
• Internal storage virtualization
• Remote Mirror
• Metro Mirror
• Global Mirror
• Encryption
• Distributed RAID
• Data Reduction Pools at later supported software levels
• IP-based replication
• REST API and automation

Storwize V5020 vs. V5010 and V5030

IBM Storwize V5020 for IBM Power Systems

The Storwize V5020 was widely used as shared SAN storage for IBM Power Systems running IBM i, AIX and Linux.

IBM's external-storage support documentation added V5010, V5020 and V5030 support for IBM i environments in 2016.

Common workloads include:

• IBM i and Db2 for i
• AIX applications
• Oracle Database
• SAP
• ERP workloads
• VMware
• Server consolidation
• Development and test systems
• Backup repositories
• Disaster recovery

IBM Storwize V5020 Lifecycle

IBM Storwize V5020 2078-224 Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IBM Storwize V5020 2078-224?

The 2078-224 is the 24-bay SFF, three-year-warranty control enclosure version of the second-generation IBM Storwize V5020.

How many drives fit in a 2078-224?

The control enclosure contains 24 internal 2.5-inch SFF SAS drive bays.

How much cache does the V5020 have?

The V5020 provides 16GB standard system cache and supports a maximum of 32GB.

What is the maximum number of drives supported?

At later supported Spectrum Virtualize levels, IBM documented up to approximately 392 drives for the V5020.

Does the Storwize V5020 support Fibre Channel?

Yes. An optional four-port 16Gb Fibre Channel adapter can be installed in each node canister, providing up to eight FC ports per control enclosure.

Does the V5020 support 10Gb Ethernet?

Yes. IBM offered a four-port 10Gb Ethernet adapter supporting iSCSI and FCoE.

Does the V5020 support SAS host attachment?

Yes. 12Gb SAS host attachment is standard, with additional SAS adapter options available.

Does the Storwize V5020 support NVMe?

No. The 2078-224 is a SAS-based Storwize platform and does not use NVMe FlashCore Modules or NVMe SSDs.

Does the V5020 support encryption?

Yes. Encryption is one of the major features distinguishing the V5020 from the V5010.

Does the V5020 support compression?

The V5020 does not include the same Real-Time Compression capability associated with the V5030. Later Spectrum Virtualize features and Data Reduction Pool capabilities should be evaluated according to the exact installed software level.

What software versions support the V5020?

IBM documentation states that Spectrum Virtualize V8.3 and later do not support Storwize V5010 or V5020. V8.2.x is therefore the final major supported software family.

When did IBM support end?

IBM lists December 31, 2023 as the standard End of Support date for the Storwize V5020.

IBM Storwize V5020 2078-224 Summary

The IBM Storwize V5020 2078-224 is a 2U, 24-bay SFF enterprise storage system that combines dual active-active controllers, up to 32GB cache, SAS SSD and HDD storage, encryption and IBM Spectrum Virtualize data services.

The platform supports 1Gb iSCSI and 12Gb SAS as standard, with optional 16Gb Fibre Channel and 10Gb Ethernet / FCoE connectivity. Published performance reaches approximately 123,000 4K random-read IOPS, 55,000 mixed 70/30 IOPS and 6.7 GB/s sequential read bandwidth in qualifying SSD configurations.

At later supported software levels, the V5020 can scale to approximately 392 drives, 4,096 volumes and 256TB individual volumes. Expansion is provided through Storwize V5000 Gen2 SAS expansion enclosures, including 12-bay LFF, 24-bay SFF and supported high-density storage configurations.

Because the V5020 is a SAS-based platform, IBM FlashCore Modules and NVMe drives used in later FlashSystem products are not compatible. Existing owners should verify machine type, software level, drive FRU and adapter configuration carefully when ordering replacement or expansion hardware.