Version 12.3.1 IBM FlashSystem A9000R€¦ · IBM FlashSystem A9000R is a high-end, all-flash...

IBM FlashSystem A9000RVersion 12.3.1

Release Notes

IBM

Fourth Edition (November 2019)

This edition applies to IBM FlashSystem® A9000R version 12.3.1. Newer document editions may be issued for the sameproduct version in order to add missing information, update information, or amend typographical errors. The edition isreset to 'First Edition' for every new product version.© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2016, 2019.US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract withIBM Corp.

Contents

Overview...............................................................................................................1

What's new in version 12.3.1................................................................................. 3

Hot upgrade from earlier versions.......................................................................... 5

Management and solutions.................................................................................... 7

Change log............................................................................................................ 9Version 12.3.1 (January 2019)....................................................................................................................9Version 12.3.0.a (November 2018)...........................................................................................................10Version 12.3.0 (November 2018)..............................................................................................................10

Fixes and features of earlier versions................................................................... 15

Limitations.......................................................................................................... 17

Known issues...................................................................................................... 19

Known interoperability issues..............................................................................25

Related information and publications...................................................................27

Getting information, help, and service..................................................................29

Notices................................................................................................................31Trademarks................................................................................................................................................ 32

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iv

OverviewIBM FlashSystem A9000R is a high-end, all-flash storage system that delivers ultra-fast storage togetherwith mission-critical features, including data reduction by compression and inline deduplication, smartscaling, distributed data, automatic load balancing, and a multitude of advanced enterprise-class featuresand capabilities.

As a pre-integrated rack offering, IBM FlashSystem A9000R comprises grid controllers and flashenclosures that are interconnected by integrated InfiniBand switches, forming a scale-out grid fabric thatdelivers exceptional IOPS performance.

In its core architecture, IBM FlashSystem A9000R utilizes IBM FlashCore® technology together with IBM®

MicroLatency® modules, providing high density, low latency, and storage reliability. In addition, IBMFlashSystem Enhanced Endurance Technology reduces flash disk wearout and ensures long-termdurability of the flash storage components, even under heavy workloads.

IBM FlashSystem A9000R is ideal for large enterprises that rely on fast, redundant, and high-capacitydata storage, offering high service levels for dynamic workloads and easy hyper-scaling, while supportingmulti-tenant environments, flexible consumption models, and robust cloud automation and integrationcapabilities. IBM FlashSystem A9000R offers data protection through advanced remote mirroring,including synchronous mirroring, asynchronous mirroring, and HyperSwap® high availability throughactive-active pairing. It also helps protect data with encryption and a range of data security features.

For more detailed information about IBM FlashSystem A9000R, refer to its user documentation andonline information.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2016, 2019 1

2 IBM FlashSystem A9000R: Release Notes

What's new in version 12.3.1Software version 12.3.1 introduces support for deduplication-aware capacity management, and enablesnon-disruptive expansion of the new minimal rack configuration that was introduced together withsoftware version 12.3.0. Version 12.3.1 also resolves miscellaneous issues.

General availability (eGA) date: 23 January 2019

Deduplication-aware capacity management

Deduplication-aware capacity management is a capacity management enhancement that reports actualand more granular estimates of physical and reclaimable capacity per volume, as well as estimates ofdeduplication and compression ratios. This enhancement drills into vast amounts of metadata, andanalyzes it without any performance impact, using advanced heuristics that are proven to produceaccurate estimates.

Using statistical data analysis, the deduplication-aware capacity management calculations compile theinformation of all the volumes on a system and calculates the unique and attributed capacity per volume.

For more information about deduplication-aware capacity management, refer to the IBM Hyper-ScaleManager documentation and relevant IBM Redbooks® publication.

Hardware expansion of the new entry-level rack configuration

Starting from software version 12.3.1, the new entry-level configuration of FlashSystem A9000R that wasintroduced together with version 12.3.0 can be expanded non-disruptively with more grid controllers andflash enclosures up to the maximum configuration of the rack.

For more information, refer to the FlashSystem A9000R Product Overview and Deployment Guidepublications.

Miscellaneous resolved issues

For information about the resolved issues in version 12.3.1, see “Change log” on page 9.



Hot upgrade from earlier versionsSoftware version 12.3.1 supports direct non-disruptive upgrade (hot upgrade) of IBM FlashSystemA9000R from the following versions.

• 12.3.0.a• 12.2.0, 12.2.0.a, 12.2.0.b, 12.2.1, 12.2.1.a, 12.2.1.a-1, 12.2.1.a-2, 12.2.1.b, 12.2.1.b-1, 12.2.1.b-2• 12.1.0, 12.1.0.a, 12.1.0.b, 12.1.0.d, 12.1.0.e• 12.0.3, 12.0.3.b

Note: These hot upgrade paths are valid for the time of the general availability (eGA) date of version12.3.1. However, hot upgrade from additional earlier versions could be supported later on. For up-to-date information, contact IBM Support.

The upgrade procedure must be performed by an authorized IBM service technician.

Prior to initiating software upgrade, consult with IBM Support regarding the required time allocation andexpected duration of the upgrade procedure.

Note: The system e-license may automatically prompt in the management GUI upon the first post-upgrade operation, if the e-license was updated since it was last accepted. In such a case, the new e-license must be accepted before any GUI operation can be performed.



Management and solutionsIBM FlashSystem A9000R version 12.3.1 can be managed and monitored with IBM Hyper-Scale Managerversion 5.5.1 or later.

IBM Hyper-Scale Manager version 5.5.1 provides an advanced web-based graphical user interface (GUI)from which one or more IBM Spectrum Accelerate family systems can be managed and monitored in realtime from a web browser.

Note: Versions of IBM Hyper-Scale Manager earlier than 5.5.1 are not fully supported and must beupgraded to 5.5.1 or later.

IBM FlashSystem A9000R can also be managed from its command-line interface (CLI) or throughrepresentational state transfer (REST) application programming interfaces (APIs).

IBM FlashSystem A9000R customers are entitled to free use of IBM Hyper-Scale Manager, which can beobtained at any time from the IBM Fix Central website (www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral).

IBM Spectrum Accelerate Family HyperSwap Quorum Witness

The HyperSwap functionality feature in IBM FlashSystem A9000R version 12.3.1 is supported by IBMSpectrum Accelerate Family HyperSwap Quorum Witness version 1.0.1 or later.

To significantly improve the transparent failover and facilitate the constant coordination between twoIBM FlashSystem A9000R or A9000 storage systems in a HyperSwap solution, an independent QuorumWitness software component is preferably installed at a separate site (third failure domain).

Note: Newer versions of the Quorum Witness software may be released independently to better supportor enhance the HyperSwap operation. For more information, see the latest Quorum Witness releasenotes and user guide.

IBM Spectrum Connect

IBM FlashSystem A9000R version 12.3.1 is supported by IBM Spectrum Connect (formerly IBM SpectrumControl Base Edition) version 3.6.0 or later, which provides the following platform integration tools.

• IBM Storage Provider for VMware VASA• IBM Storage Enhancements for VMware vSphere Web Client• IBM Storage Plug-in for VMware vRealize Orchestrator• IBM Storage Management Pack for VMware vRealize Operations Manager• IBM Storage Automation Plug-in for Microsoft PowerShell• IBM Storage Enabler for Containers

For more information, see IBM Spectrum Connect on IBM Knowledge Center (www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SS6JWS), and the IBM Spectrum Connect marketing page (www.ibm.com/us-en/marketplace/spectrum-connect).

IBM FlashSystem A9000R customers are entitled to free use of IBM Spectrum Connect, which can beobtained at any time from either the IBM Hyper-Scale Manager software package or from the IBM FixCentral website (www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral).

Available cloud storage solutions

IBM FlashSystem A9000R version 12.3.1 can be integrated with various independent software vendor(ISV) platform, application, virtualization, and cloud environments.


http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral

http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SS6JWS

https://www.ibm.com/us-en/marketplace/spectrum-connect



To facilitate this integration, IBM provides the following software solutions, also referred to as cloudstorage solutions.

Cloud storage solution Version Compatibility note

IBM Storage Host Attachment Kit 2.9.0 or later For use with IBM AIX®, Linux (Red HatEnterprise Linux; SUSE Linux EnterpriseServer), and Microsoft Windows Serverhosts.

IBM Storage Driver for OpenStack 2.3.0 or later For use with OpenStack Cinder(OpenStack Block Storage) nodes

IBM Storage Management Pack forMicrosoft System Center OperationsManager (SCOM)

2.7.0 or later

IBM Spectrum Accelerate FamilyProvider for Microsoft Windows VolumeShadow Copy Service (VSS)

2.10.0 or later

IBM Spectrum Accelerate Family StorageReplication Adapter (SRA)

3.0.1 or later For use with VMware Site RecoveryManager 5.1–5.8 or 6.x. Requires the useof synchronous or asynchronous remotemirroring.

IBM FlashSystem A9000R customers are entitled to free use of the IBM cloud storage solutions, whichcan be obtained at any time from the IBM Fix Central website (www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral).

For more information about the available cloud storage solutions for IBM FlashSystem A9000R, see the'Platform and application integration' section in the IBM FlashSystem A9000R space on IBMKnowledge Center (www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/STJKN5).



http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/STJKN5


Change logThis change log summarizes the enhancements and fixes in the different 12.3.x code level versions ofIBM FlashSystem A9000R.

Note: New functional features of these versions are only briefly summarized. For a detailed summary ofthe new functional features of a specific version, refer to the 'What's new' section of its release notes.

Version 12.3.1 (January 2019)Software version 12.3.1 of IBM FlashSystem A9000 introduces deduplication-aware capacitymanagement (available via IBM Hyper-Scale Manager 5.5.1 or later) and enables the expansion of thenew minimal rack configuration that was introduced with version 12.3.0.

Version 12.3.1 also resolves the following issues.

Ticket ID Description

SYS-310338 Fixed: In rare cases, for a system with encryption enabled:

1. During a replacement procedure of a malfunctioning MicroLatency module,the procedure might fail and the new MicroLatency module might stay offline,thus compromising the system redundancy.

2. During firmware upgrade of the flash enclosure, the procedure might halt andthe flash enclosure upgrade can not complete.

In both of the cases described above, a maintenance window might have to bescheduled for a complete restart of the system.

Severity: HIPER

Affected versions: 12.2.0 or later

SYS-309744 Fixed: In rare cases, if the InfiniBand interconnect fabric of an A9000R systembecomes overloaded, an InfiniBand switch port might go offline for a shortperiod and then get back online. If at the same time, another issue such as aport failure causes the grid controller to be connected to the InfiniBand fabricvia a single InfiniBand link, the grid controller might fail. If at the same timeadditional grid controllers fail, hosts could lose access to the storage system.

Severity: High Impact

Affected versions: 12.0.0

SYS-310091 Fixed: In rare cases, a flash RAID controller malfunction and a particular writeerror might cause MicroLatency modules on the flash enclosure to fail, leadingto loss of access to the storage system.



SYS-308309 Fixed: In rare cases, a replacement of a flash canister in the storage systemmight cause performance degradation.

Severity: Moderate




SYS-309381 Fixed: In rare cases, an InfiniBand interconnect issue might lead toperformance degradation.

Severity: Moderate


SYS-311260 Fixed: If performance classes are used, the I/O bandwidth allocation that isassociated with some performance classes might be incorrectly calculated. Thiscould lead to incorrect performance limits for hosts or volumes.

Severity: Moderate


SYS-311325 Fixed: If the size of a written volume and its snapshots is larger than the totalvolume size, the vol_list CLI command shows only the volume total size,without the size of the volume snapshots.

Severity: Service


Version 12.3.0.a (November 2018)Software version 12.3.0.a of IBM FlashSystem A9000R resolved the following issues.


SYS-309775 Fixed: In rare cases, after software upgrade on a system of model 425, thesystem might experience growing latencies in I/O operations, until all hosts loseaccess to the storage system.

Severity: HIPER

Affected versions: 12.3.0

SYS-310311 Fixed: In rare cases, systems that are using snapshots or asynchronous remotemirroring might disconnect when a volume deletion operation is performed. Insuch a case, the DATA_REDUCTION_TIER_BECOMING_OFFLINE event islogged.



Version 12.3.0 (November 2018)Software version 12.3.0 of IBM FlashSystem A9000R added the following functional features.

• Multi-site high availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR).• Removal of storage pool size limitation (was 1 PB).• Monitor internal/external latency at the system level.• Pending deletion indication.• Option for using a longer user password of up to 64 characters.• Option for acquiring a new entry-level configuration of one flash enclosure and three grid controllers,

reducing the initial minimum capacity by nearly 50%. The expansion option for the new minimal rack


configuration (adding grid controllers and flash enclosures) is to be enabled by a future softwareversion.

Version 12.3.0 also resolves the following issues.


SYS-307098 Fixed: In a HyperSwap setup with an active SCSI reservation, if only a subset ofthe host ports that are defined on the System holding the Primary volume, isdefined on the System which holds the Secondary volume, the latter systemmight not conform to the SCSI reservation. As a result, the Secondary volumemight be read by another host; and after a HyperSwap failover, the new Primaryvolume (former Secondary volume) might be written to by another host. Thisviolation of SCSI reservation will be undetected.

Severity: HIPER


SYS-305091 Fixed: In rare cases, using the io_pause CLI command might cause loss ofaccess to the storage system.



SYS-305121 Fixed: When using IBM Hyper-Scale Mobility and the volume migration is inProxy state, a broken link to the destination system might cause hosts to loseaccess to one or more of the Proxy-state interface modules.



SYS-306086 Fixed: When most of the physical memory of the storage system is occupied bydifferent operation processes, deleting a significant amount of obsolete dataand then restarting I/O operations before the data garbage collection processhas completed - might result in loss of access of hosts to the storage system.



SYS-306139 Fixed: Before a hot upgrade, all primary HyperSwap volumes must bedeactivated in order to make the secondary volumes unavailable. Otherwiselocal I/O operations during the hot upgrade will be blocked.



SYS-306457 Fixed: In rare cases, the data redistribution after the addition of a grid elementmight fail due to a data transfer error. If this occurs, hot upgrade of the storagesystem software will not be possible.



SYS-306775 Fixed: The iSCSI port driver might crash when invalid data length is specified ina read or write I/O command, causing loss of access of all iSCSI hosts to thestorage system.



Change log 11


SYS-307118 Fixed: In rare cases, a HyperSwap relation might get disconnected when tryingto synchronize SCSI registrations between the Primary and the Secondarysystems.



SYS-307426 Fixed: In a HyperSwap relation, a host issuing a LUN reset task might causefailure of all subsequent reservation operations, causing the HyperSwap relationto break.



SYS-307626 Fixed: In rare cases, a storage system might fail to isolate a failing component,but wrongly detect that the component is successfully isolated. This mightresult in hosts losing access to the storage system, or in data unavailability.


Affected versions: 12.0.0.a or later

SYS-307715 Fixed: In rare cases, when hosts are connected to the storage system via iSCSI,a Send Targets request (sent from a host) might cause a loss of access for allhosts connected to the storage system.



SYS-307743 Fixed: In rare cases, after the recovery of a failed software component, theconnectivity to a remote mirroring target might not be restored.



SYS-307087 Fixed: Common security issues.

For more information about these security issues, see CVE-2016-3672,CVE-2017-9725, CVE-2017-12190, CVE-2017-14140, CVE-2017-15126,CVE-2017-17449, CVE-2017-17558, CVE-2017-18017, and CVE-2018-6927on the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) information website(cve.mitre.org).



SYS-307854 Fixed: In rare cases, after performing hot upgrade while using Fibre Channel(FC) connectivity, the FC driver process might crash and then restartautomatically. In some system or host configurations, this might result in hostslosing access to the storage system.




https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2016-3672










SYS-307987 Fixed: In rare cases, when using asynchronous mirroring, specific writesequences (writes of 0) combined with a mirror deactivation procedure mayresult in loss of access upon re-activation. On even rarer occasions, loss of datacan occur.



SYS-308098 Fixed: In rare cases, if the hot upgrade of a storage system that is usingencryption is canceled, an internal component failure might trigger anemergency shutdown procedure, following by loss of access by hosts to thestorage system.



SYS-304905 Fixed: When performing a system wipe-out operation and then disabling thesystem's data encryption (for example, for the purpose of moving the systemoff-premise), the system performs several emergency shutdowns before theencryption disabling is completed.

Severity: Moderate


SYS-306078 Fixed: In rare cases, I/O operations might be rejected due to an IOPS orbandwidth limit of a QoS performance class, even though these I/O operationsare not subject to any QoS performance class limitation.

Severity: Moderate


SYS-306353 Fixed: Mirrored volumes that are not part of a consistency group (CG) cannotbenefit from the 12.2.0 software enhancements that allow configuring an RPOof 1 minute and mirroring interval of 20 seconds.

Severity: Moderate


SYS-306627 Fixed: In rare cases, after a hot upgrade of a Primary system in a HyperSwaprelationship over Fibre Channel (FC) connectivity, the FC driver process mightcrash and then restart automatically, causing temporary HyperSwapconnectivity disconnection.

Severity: Moderate


SYS-307815 Fixed: In rare cases, a particular sequence of read and write I/O operationsmight cause performance degradation.

Severity: Moderate


Change log 13


SYS-307088 Fixed: In rare cases, the size of the volume in the data migration source mightbe incorrectly reported when using the dm_define or the dm_activate CLIcommands. If this occurs, data migration cannot be performed.

Severity: Moderate

Affected versions: 12.0.3.b or later

SYS-307675 Fixed: In rare cases, internal disconnections between a grid controller and theflash enclosure might increase the latency. If this occurs, theIO_TOOK_TOO_LONG event is logged.

Severity: Moderate


SYS-280653 Fixed: Some CLI commands might hang when storage pools are being cleanedfrom snapshots.

Severity: Service


SYS-305312 Fixed: When using HyperSwap, the HA_MASTER_UNAVAILABLE andHA_MASTER_AVAILABLE system events are not logged for all volumes andconsistency groups after a system reboot followed by disconnection from thepeer system. As a result, incorrect values are shown when using the ha_listcommand as long as the disconnection continues.

Severity: Service


SYS-305901 Fixed: In rare cases, after a reboot or software upgrade of the storage system,the output of the fan_list CLI command might list fans as failed, even thoughthe fans are fully operational.

Severity: Service


SYS-307419 Fixed: If the storage system stores secondary HyperSwap volumes, hot upgradeof this storage system might fail if the HyperSwap relation is not disabledbeforehand.

Severity: Service


SYS-306886 Fixed: In the output of the ipinterface_list_ports CLI command, all iSCSIports might be listed with the Link Up status, even though some ports have noconnectivity.

Severity: Low



Fixes and features of earlier versionsIBM FlashSystem A9000R version 12.3.1 includes all the features and fixes that were provided inprevious 12.0.x, 12.1.x, and 12.2.x versions.

To obtain information regarding previously introduced FlashSystem A9000R features or issues that wereresolved in previous versions, see FlashSystem A9000R on IBM Knowledge Center (www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/STJKN5).


https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/STJKN5


LimitationsAs opposed to known issues, limitations are functionality restrictions that are part of the predefinedsystem design and capabilities in a particular version.

Synchronous mirroring limitations

Use of synchronous remote mirroring is subject to the following limitation:

• The reported size of data written on the master volume and slave volume does not match. Zero datawrites are not counted for the slave volume. However, this discrepancy is by design and no actual datais lost.

Limitations with IBM SAN Volume Controller

When using IBM FlashSystem A9000R as the back-end storage of IBM SAN Volume Controller, the IBMFlashSystem A9000R system is not aware of user data that is deleted or migrated on the front-end SANVolume Controller. In addition, the IBM FlashSystem A9000R physical capacity usage is not monitored bythe front-end IBM SAN Volume Controller.

As a result, the IBM FlashSystem A9000R system cannot regularly reclaim freed capacity, and over time itmay unexpectedly for the storage administrator run out of physical storage space.

To mitigate this limitation, when using IBM FlashSystem A9000R as a back-end storage of an IBM SANVolume Controller, administrators are strongly advised to:

• Closely monitor the IBM FlashSystem A9000 physical capacity using IBM Hyper-Scale Manager or IBMExtended Command-Line Interface (XCLI) Utility.

• Keep track of IBM FlashSystem A9000R capacity-related events.• Upgrade to software version 8.1 or later of IBM SAN Volume Controller.



Known issuesThis section details the known issues in IBM FlashSystem A9000R version 12.3.1, along with possiblesolutions or workarounds (if available).

The following severity levels apply to known issues:

• HIPER – High Impact Pervasive. A critical issue that IBM has either fixed or plans to fix promptly.Requires immediate customer attention or code upgrade.

• High Impact – Potentially irrecoverable error that might impact data or access to data in rare cases orspecific situations/configurations.

• Moderate – Limited functionality issue and/or performance issue with a noticeable effect.• Service – Non-disruptive recoverable error that can be resolved through a workaround.• Low – Low-impact usability issue.

Important:

• The issues listed below apply to version 12.3.1 or earlier versions. As long as a newer version hasnot yet been released, a newer release notes edition for version 12.3.1 might be issued to provide amore updated list of known issues and workarounds.

• When a newer version is released for general availability, the release notes of version 12.3.1 will nolonger be updated. Accordingly, check the release notes of the newer version to learn whether anynewly discovered issues affect version 12.3.1 or whether the newer version resolves any of the issueslisted below.

Ticket ID SeverityAffectedversions Description

SYS-305091 High Impact 12.0.0or later

In rare cases, using the io_pause command might cause lossof access to the storage system.

Note: Starting from version 12.2.1, this CLI command isdisabled until a fix for this issue becomes available.

Workaround: No workaround is currently available.


When using IBM Hyper-Scale Mobility and the volume migrationis in Proxy state, a broken link to the destination system mightcause hosts to lose access to one or more of the Proxy-stateinterface modules.



When the storage system enters an out-of-physical-space stateand the SYSTEM_OUT_OF_PHYSICAL_SPACE event is logged,freeing up physical space will allow the storage system toreturn to normal operation. However, in rare cases, the storagesystem might enter the same state again, even if there is somefree space available.

Workaround: Contact IBM Support.


When an encrypted storage system is powered up, it may enterthe maintenance state due to an issue in the encryption keymanagement mechanism.





In rare cases, when using the mirror_delete CLI commandtogether with the force_on_slave=yes parameter on anasynchronous mirroring relation or a Multisite HA DR relation,while the volume is part of an active consistency group (CG),any asynchronous mirror volumes will not be updated, andmiscellaneous management operations might fail and need tobe retried.


SYS-282831 Moderate 12.0.2or later

Performance improvements that were introduced in version12.0.2 cannot be applied on data that was written to the systemprior to upgrading to version 12.0.2.

Workaround: When experiencing performance issues with datathat was written to the system prior to upgrading to version12.0.2, contact IBM Support.


When unmapping a migrated volume (with IBM Hyper-ScaleMobility) or a HyperSwap volume from a cluster, a delay of thehost I/O response might be experienced, ranging from 20 to170 milliseconds.



Using the IBM Hyper-Scale mobility (volume migration) featurebetween XIV® Gen3 systems and FlashSystem A9000 orA9000R systems is not supported during the hot upgrade ofFlashSystem A9000 or A9000R.



When performing a system wipe-out operation and thendisabling the system's data encryption (for example, for thepurpose of moving the system), the system performs severalemergency shutdowns before the encryption disabling iscompleted.

Workaround: Manually restart the system and allow thedecryption process to complete.


In a HyperSwap relation, when a remote system target isdeleted and then redefined, creating new HyperSwap relationson this target system is not possible.

Workaround: To avoid this issue, prior to redefining a deletedtarget system:

1. Create a new remote target with the same number of FCports as in the deleted system.

2. Restart the FC ports of the new remote target system andmake sure that all HyperSwap volumes on the remote targetsystem are disconnected.

3. Redefine the deleted target system and then define theprevious HyperSwap relation.




In a HyperSwap configuration, attaching a Quorum Witness to adomain is not possible.



If the storage system is has reached its maximum storagecapacity, performance for user reads and remote mirroringmight be degraded.


SYS-279815 Service 12.0.0or later

If a MicroLatency module is pulled out of the flash enclosurewhen the enclosure's internal redundancy state is either'Synching' or 'Degraded', the management GUI indicates thatthe card has a spare, even if no spare is available.

Workaround: Use the flash_card_list CLI command todisplay the correct status of spares.


Some CLI commands might hang when storage pools are beingcleaned from snapshots.

Workaround: In such a case, wait until the command is carriedout.


Data migration over Fibre Channel (FC) does not work if thenumber of LUNs per host exceeds 255.

Workaround: To resolve this issue, use 255 or less LUNs perhost.


Enabling encryption of a flash enclosure that contains a failedflash canister could lead to partial encryption of the flashenclosure, or to complete encryption failure.

Workaround: To avoid this issue, before enabling encryption,verify that no flash enclosure contains a failed canister.Otherwise, contact IBM Support.


When setting up LDAP authentication, entering the storagesystem password is required, but this requirement is notenforced. This could lead to LDAP authentication failure if thepassword is not provided.

Workaround: To avoid this issue, always make sure to providethe storage system password in order to allow access to thestorage system.

Known issues 21



An attempt to deactivate a Quorum Witness might render theQuorum Witness unresponsive, and remain in the Deactivatingstate without timing out (see also SYS-285120 below).

Workaround: To resolve this issue, proceed as follows in IBMHyper-Scale Manager:

1. Remove the current Quorum Witness configuration.

This action disassociates the Quorum Witness from theconnected system(s).

2. Define a new Quorum Witness and make sure that thecorrect port is used.

3. Activate the newly defined Quorum Witness.4. Connect the system(s), that were previously using the

removed Quorum Witness, to the newly defined QuorumWitness.


When connecting a system to a Quorum Witness, the QuorumWitness might become unresponsive, and remain in theActivating state without timing out.

Workaround: To resolve this issue, proceed as follows in IBMHyper-Scale Manager:

1. Deactivate the Quorum Witness. Note that the QuorumWitness state changes to Deactivating and remainsDeactivating without timing out (see also SYS-284512above).

2. Remove the current Quorum Witness configuration.

This action disassociates the Quorum Witness from thesystem(s).

3. Define a new Quorum Witness and make sure that thecorrect port is used.

4. Activate the newly defined Quorum Witness.5. Connect the system(s), that were previously using the

removed Quorum Witness, to the newly defined QuorumWitness.


When an IBM Support technician is removing a canister fromthe flash enclosure for maintenance purposes, multiple eventsofPOD_IB_LINK_DETECTION_LINK_PERSISTENTLY_DISCONNECTED might be unnecessarily emitted.

These events can be safely ignored.


When the CLI command reservation_key_list is appliedto the entire system, the command output displays themaximum of 512 keys, even if the factual number of keys isgreater. However, when applied to a volume,reservation_key_list outputs the entire key list.

Workaround: Apply the command reservation_key_listper volume.




In rare cases, the ha_create command might fail.

Workaround: Retry the operation.


If there are more than 200 volumes in a HyperSwap relationand a failover takes place, some of theHA_AUTOMATIC_FAILOVER_SUCCESFUL events might be lost.This does not affect the actual failover.



When removing a target port and adding it back within less than3 seconds, the high availability state for HyperSwap volumes isinsufficient, and aTARGET_CONNECTIVITY_HA_INSUFFICIENT event is issued.



When using HyperSwap, the HA_MASTER_UNAVAILABLE andHA_MASTER_AVAILABLE system events are not logged for allvolumes and consistency groups after a system reboot followedby disconnection from the peer system. As a result, incorrectvalues are shown when using the ha_list command as long asthe disconnection continues.

Workaround: Wait until the high availability connection to thepeer system is reestablished. The correct information will thenbe displayed.


When using IBM Hyper-Scale Mobility and aborting (witholvm_abort) a migration process that is currently in Proxystate, the remote volume remains in locked read-only state.

Workaround: Use the vol_unlock command to unlock thevolume state.


Manually created snapshots that have a reserved name prefixprevent the automatic creation of additional snapshots.

Workaround: Delete and do not manually create snapshotsthat have a reserved name prefix.


The switch_mgmt_ip_list CLI command does not workwhen using the additional switch argument for displaying themanagement IP address of a specific InfiniBand switch.

Workaround: Use the switch_mgmt_ip_list commandwithout the switch argument. This will display themanagement IP addresses of all InfiniBand switches.


In some cases of desynchronization in the phase-out process ofa grid element, the node_failed and taken_over eventscould be recorded. This does not impact any critical systemoperation.


Known issues 23


SYS-310343 Service The status of the backup battery unit (BBU) in the flashenclosure might be shown as failed while it is still operatingnormally. If this occurs, contact IBM Support.



In rare cases, when adding a volume to a consistency group(CG) with the cg_add_vol command, the operation might failwith the event MIRROR_LAST_SYNC_TIMES_DIFFER recorded.

Workaround: To avoid this issue, retry the cg_add_volcommand after the mirroring synchronization is completed.


In rare cases, the Fibre Channel (FC) driver might crash andthen immediately be restarted automatically. In such a case,the FC_LINK_IS_NOW_UP event is logged.


SYS-276870 Low 12.0.0or later

When a grid controller is replaced, or whenever the system isundergoing a software initiation process, data reduction savingstatistics could be temporarily inaccurate. The statisticsaccuracy is regained as data is being accessed and processedagain.

This issue has a noticeable effect only when 1 TB or less hasbeen written to the system.



In rare cases, the process of enabling encryption may notcomplete successfully due to a timeout. If this occurs, thesystem emits the ENCRYPT_ENABLE_NOT_COMPLETED eventwith all the relevant details.

Workaround: Retry activating encryption.


By design, an attempt to set up IBM Hyper-Scale Mobility, whena volume with the same name as the source volume alreadyexists at the destination system, fails due to an illegal volumename. However, the emitted return code(REMOTE_VOLUME_NOT_APPLICABLE_FOR_OLVM) provides awrong reason for the failure.



In the output of the ipinterface_list_ports CLIcommand, all iSCSI ports might be listed with the Link Upstatus, even though some ports have no connectivity.



Known interoperability issuesThis section describes known issues or limitations that could arise when using IBM FlashSystem A9000Rin conjunction with other components in the production environment, such as hardware switches, hostbus adapters (HBAs), other IBM products, or different software platforms such as operating systems,clustering solutions, virtual machine servers, multipathing solutions, and other third-party components.



Failover of a Windows Server 2008 or 2008 R2 cluster groupresults in a stop error on the new active node. This could occurwhen using these Windows Server versions with HyperSwapvolumes. No hotfix is currently available.

Workaround: Refer to IBM Support guidelines for WindowsServer 2008 and 2008 R2 as described in IBM Technote#S1010299.


The HyperSwap feature is not compatible with VMware ESXi 6.0Update 2 or earlier.

Workaround: Use ESXi 6.0 Update 3 or later.


Veritas Dynamic Multi-Pathing (DMP) in any configuration doesnot support HyperSwap volumes.



http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ssg1S1010299

http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ssg1S1010299


Related information and publicationsYou can find additional information and publications related to IBM FlashSystem A9000R on the followinginformation sources.

• IBM Flash Storage marketing website (ibm.com®/systems/storage/flash)• IBM FlashSystem A9000R on IBM Knowledge Center (ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/STJKN5)• IBM FlashSystem A9000 on IBM Knowledge Center (ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/STJKMM)• IBM Hyper-Scale Manager on IBM Knowledge Center (ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSUMNQ)• IBM Storage Redbooks website (redbooks.ibm.com/portals/storage)


http://www.ibm.com/systems/storage/flash/


http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/STJKMM

http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSUMNQ

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/portals/storage


Getting information, help, and service

If you need help, service, technical assistance, or want more information about IBM products, you canfind various sources to assist you. You can view the following websites to get information about IBMproducts and services and to find the latest technical information and support.

• IBM website (ibm.com)• IBM Support Portal website (ibm.com/storage/support)• IBM Directory of Worldwide Contacts website (ibm.com/planetwide)• IBM service requests and PMRs (ibm.com/support/servicerequest/Home.action)

Use the Directory of Worldwide Contacts to find the appropriate phone number for initiating voice callsupport. Voice calls arrive to Level 1 or Front Line Support.


http://www.ibm.com

http://www.ibm.com/storage/support

http://www.ibm.com/planetwide

http://www.ibm.com/support/servicerequest/Home.action


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The licensed program described in this document and all licensed material available for it are provided byIBM under terms of the IBM Customer Agreement, IBM International Program License Agreement or anyequivalent agreement between us.

The performance data discussed herein is presented as derived under specific operating conditions.Actual results may vary.

Information concerning non-IBM products was obtained from the suppliers of those products, theirpublished announcements or other publicly available sources. IBM has not tested those products andcannot confirm the accuracy of performance, compatibility or any other claims related to non-IBMproducts. Questions on the capabilities of non-IBM products should be addressed to the suppliers ofthose products.

All statements regarding IBM's future direction or intent are subject to change or withdrawal withoutnotice, and represent goals and objectives only.

TrademarksIBM, IBM FlashSystem, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks or registered trademarks ofInternational Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.

Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBMtrademarks is available on the Copyright and trademark information website (ibm.com/legal/us/en/copytrade.shtml).

HP, HP-UX, and HP UNIX are trademarks or registered trademarks of Hewlett Packard Company in theUnited States, other countries, or both.

Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, and the Windows logo are trademarks or registered trademarks ofMicrosoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Oracle and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.

VMware, ESX, ESXi, vSphere, vCenter, and vCloud are trademarks or registered trademarks of VMwareCorporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

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