Hana on IBM FlashSystems

As data volumes increase, so do the requirements for data storage and data backup. A functioning IT infrastructure is a key factor in determining how flexibly the company can respond to new IT challenges on the one hand, and how business-critical data can be stored securely and easily retrieved on the other, and restored if necessary. Whether it's a single site or a high-availability data center - today's business-critical applications, such as SAP applications, need fast, secure and scalable storage that grows with the dynamic requirements of the business, is adaptable and ready for any eventuality.

Capacity and safety

Data storage has to do with performance, capacity and security requirements. SAP managers in particular should review their storage strategy, especially companies that want to switch to Hana. The infrastructure requirements here are significant, as Hana demands both high transfer performance and large data storage capacity with low latency. This platform runs mission-critical enterprise applications such as ERP, CRM and SCM that demand reliable performance. The security aspect of storage systems and the technology used is also important, as these applications usually process sensitive customer and company information that should not fall into the wrong hands.

Current storage strategies can be optimized through the use of flash. Flash storage is now cheaper, more space efficient and more flexible than spinning spindles, so a storage solution the size of a family pizza can replace entire closets of legacy storage systems. IBM has various products to offer in its portfolio of storage solutions, which can cover almost any use case with firmware codes hardened for years, features compatible with medium-sized businesses and enterprises as well as sophisticated management and analysis functions.

The FlashSystem 5200 product line, which is offered with a height of only one unit and up to 760 terabytes on the basis of the FlashCore technology developed by IBM, represents the entry point. What makes IBM FlashCore technology with real-time compression so interesting for many companies compared to classic SSDs?

Using original IBM Flashcore Modules (FCM) with the accelerating NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) connection, the physical storage capacity is up to 50 terabytes. The storage is housed in an enclosure that is only one height unit high. The usable storage capacity can of course also be expanded using modern data reduction technologies (such as compression or deduplication). All in all, this is a space-saving storage system with extremely low heat generation and the option of connecting further expansion units for scaling.

In direct comparison to the predecessor model, the base price of the Flash System 5200 is on average 20 percent lower, although the system offers more performance as well as maximum capacity and also comes with cloud-based performance management and direct support connection. Storage virtualization has been present in all Storwize and Flash System storage systems at IBM for many years and has been consistently developed further. Here, too, the full performance of Spectrum Virtualize can already be accessed ex works without any further virtualization appliances.

You save connection ports and use a comprehensive feature set that is unparalleled on the market. In an extremely compact design compared to competing storage systems, IBM delivers 66 percent more peak performance than with the previous flash system and the maximum data throughput is 40 percent higher than with the predecessor in the full configuration stage. With consistent implementation of an IBM high availability design based on Spectrum Vir-tualize and Hyperswap, 99.9999 percent availability can be realized.

Virtualization and Cloud

The IBM Spectrum Virtualize integrated in the flash system and its cloud connectivity options are the supporting building blocks in a hybrid or cloud solution. Due to the growing importance of cloud and the need of many customers to be able to adapt the storage of data to the respective mix of on-premises, hybrid and cloud scenarios, today's storage concepts often consist of a combination of the built-in features of the storage systems as well as further software components, which together result in a best-of-breed solution for the respective customer requirement case.

For IT efficiency and business continuity, a stable and high-performance storage platform is key. At the same time, it can be easily integrated into an existing infrastructure and can be optimized through consolidation. Thus, there is more reliability and flexibility - from classic ERP/ECC 6.0 to SAP S/4 Hana, which can also be used for a hybrid cloud, among other things. Enterprises better achieve their non-SAP, SAP and Hana performance goals with system-wide low latency and instant access to enterprise data. Few infrastructure solutions provide the exceptional performance and resiliency demanded by SAP applications. Adding to all the technical facts and characteristics described, the aforementioned flash storage family is certified for SAP and Hana and provides the ability to deliver a high-performance, scalable, and highly available environment. 

Disaster Recovery

A storage strategy alone is not enough; companies should also have tailor-made IT security concepts for their data. In the worst case, disruptions in IT can shut down the entire operation, which can cause major economic damage. In addition to high availability and 24×7 operation, disaster recovery and the organizational as well as technical measures required for it are among the most demanding disciplines in the IT business, as companies have to react and function to unplanned scenarios under high time pressure. On the one hand, the customer needs protection of his business data against data loss (due to maloperation, malfunction or encryption) and, on the other hand, preparation for the disaster case.

Here, there are different requirements in terms of security, costs and accessibility of the data. Cloud-based scenarios have therefore become an important design criterion in the development of suitable solutions. Only if current copies of data from data backup, for example, can be used in a mobile manner and moved beyond the boundaries of the company's own data center can a customer exploit the full flexibility of the existing operating models and, if necessary, make use of a cloud-based variant for the respective IT service.

For most enterprises, the data protection solution should not only be the insurance for the "what-if", but in addition cover the path to a cloud migration or the quick response to spontaneous DevOps requirements. Companies using Hana depend on finding the right supporting architecture and being able to adapt the platform as quickly as possible, with changing workflow, compliance and quality requirements - so they should use DevOps. This simplifies and speeds up the development and testing of applications.

A central component of every company is IT - it forms the basis for almost all business processes. Corporate data, its storage and its backup are of utmost importance and should not be underestimated. A viable concept with quality, security and scalability that fits individual business requirements needs a partner who has experience in dealing with this technology.