IBM and StorageTek Unveil Major Improvements for IBM RAMAC Virtual Array

Strategic Insights -

IBM and StorageTek have announced plans to significantly improve the performance and functionality of the IBM RAMAC Virtual Array (RVA), a high-end storage system, in 1999. The enhancements will provide significant benefits to customers, including improved OLTP response time, increased storage capacity, and the ability to meet the demands of ever-increasing business application workloads. The planned developments will also increase the effective size of cache from 4GB to 6GB, improve storage management, and enhance the use of SnapShot software.

Key Takeaways:

  • The IBM RAMAC Virtual Array will experience a significant performance boost, with planned improvements providing four times the number of addressable volumes, increasing from 256 to 1024.
  • The enhancements will enable customers to maintain mission-critical, on-line transaction processing (OLTP) response time and meet the demands of ever-increasing business application workloads.
  • The planned introduction of 3390-9 device emulation will enable customers to further leverage their use of SnapShot software and increase storage capacity for the RVA.
  • The number of addressable volumes will be increased from 256 to 1024, allowing customers to more fully exploit the use of SnapShot for further business advantage.
  • The effective size of cache will be increased from 4GB to 6GB, and faster microprocessors will be introduced to improve storage management.
  • Nearly every customer of the almost 6,000 installed RVAs worldwide today has the need to exploit functional enhancements planned for delivery early next year, according to IBM market projections.
  • An independent survey indicates that more than 50% of SnapShot users have already increased their online windows by four or more hours a day.
  • The improvements will strengthen the business advantages that the virtual architecture and SnapShot provide to the Enterprise user, with a reported 20% increase in online processing time for all business applications every day.

Statistics:

  • 6,000: the number of installed RVAs worldwide today.
  • 4GB: the current effective size of cache.
  • 6GB: the planned increase in effective size of cache.
  • 1024: the planned increase in number of addressable volumes.
  • 4: the number of hours a day that online windows have been increased by more than 50% of SnapShot users.
  • 20%: the percentage increase in online processing time for all business applications every day.

Sources:

  • (1) IBM RAMAC SnapShot White Paper, Evaluator Group, Inc., Colorado, September, 1997.
  • StorageTek official website: http://www.storagetek.com
  • IBM official website: http://www.ibm/storage