science

IBM XIV Storage System

IBM XIV Storage System is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand IBM XIV Storage System rather than just read about it. In short: The IBM XIV Storage System was a line of cabinet-size disk storage servers. The system is a collection of modules, each of which is an independent computer with its own memory, interconnections, disk drives, and other subcomponents, laid out in a grid and connected together in parallel using either InfiniBand (third generation systems) or Ethernet (second generation systems) connections.

Key takeaways

IBM XIV Storage System belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect IBM XIV Storage System to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of IBM XIV Storage System from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The IBM XIV Storage System was a line of cabinet-size disk storage servers. The system is a collection of modules, each of which is an independent computer with its own memory, interconnections, disk drives, and other subcomponents, laid out in a grid and connected together in parallel using either InfiniBand (third generation systems) or Ethernet (second generation systems) connections. Each module has an x86 CPU and runs a software platform consisting largely of a modified Linux kernel and other open source software.

Description Traditional storage systems distribute a volume across a subset of disk drives in a clustered fashion. The XIV storage system distributes volumes across all modules in 1 MiB chunks (partitions) so that all of the modules' resources are used evenly. For robustness, each logical partition is stored in at least two copies on separate modules, so that if a part of a disk drive, an entire disk drive, or an entire module fails, the data is still available. One can increase the system storage capacity by adding additional modules. When one adds a module, the system automatically redistributes previously stored data to make optimal use of its I/O capacity. Depending on the model and disk type chosen when the machine is ordered, one system can be configured for storage capacity from 27 TB to 324 TB. The XIV software features include remote mirroring, thin provisioning, quality of service controls, LDAP authentication support, VMware support, differential, writable snapshots, online volume migration between two XIV systems and encryption protecting data at rest. The IBM XIV management GUI is a software package that can be installed on operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac OS. An XIV Mobile Dashboard available for Android or iOS.

History The IBM XIV Storage System was developed in 2002 by an Israeli start-up company funded and headed by engineer and businessman Moshe Yanai. They delivered their first system to a customer in 2005. Their product was called Nextra. In December 2007, the IBM Corporation acquired XIV, renaming the product the IBM XIV Storage System. The first IBM version of the product was launched publicly on September 8, 2008. Unofficially within IBM this product is called Generation 2 of the XIV. The differences between Gen1 and Gen2 were not architectural, they were mainly physical. New disks were introduced, new controllers, new interconnects, improved management, additional software functions. In September 2011, IBM announced larger disk drives, changing the inter-connectivity layer to use InfiniBand rather than Ethernet. In 2012-2013 IBM added the support of SSD devices and 10GbE host connectivity.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with IBM XIV Storage System

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what IBM XIV Storage System claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to IBM XIV Storage System before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about IBM XIV Storage System ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of IBM XIV Storage System

In research: IBM XIV Storage System appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses IBM XIV Storage System in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: IBM XIV Storage System is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Data storage, IBM storage servers, Israeli inventions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for IBM XIV Storage System outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study IBM XIV Storage System in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what IBM XIV Storage System means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain IBM XIV Storage System out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is IBM XIV Storage System in simple terms?

Why does IBM XIV Storage System matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study IBM XIV Storage System?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on IBM XIV Storage System.