Is It Easy To Expand An IBM DRAID Set? And Why It Should Matter To You…

In the second video of a brand new series of technical updates entitled “Chilli Chat”, we asked Steve Horobin to run through how we go about extending existing DRAID arrays using IBM’s Spectrum Virtualize Software.  We also want to explain the benefits of this feature and how it can be put to good use when budgeting and forecasting spend.

Increasingly we see our budgets tightened and we are asked to do more with a little less money.  The IBM dynamic DRAID expansion feature is a tool that can be put to best use in these circumstances, matching capacity growth to business need and avoiding excessive cost.  Purchase what you need today and then budget for incremental increases over the life of the asset.

The current storage environment is extremely competitive, we are all making a case for why you should invest in any given brand.  When it comes to decision making it will be the finer details that swing decisions from one vendor to the next and we think this is certainly one for consideration.  Almost half the existing storage competitors will not allow you to add a single drive to an existing enclosure or RAID array.  You will be forced, in extreme cases, to purchase and additional 24 drives to satisfy growth you did not expect.  So, you either over estimate your initial requirements (spending more money than you need to) or pay the penalty of the cost of multiple drives in the future (delivering a lot more capacity than is actually needed). 

With IBM FlashSystems you can purchase what you need today and then budget for incremental increases over the life of the asset. 

Watch the video below as Steve Horobin discusses how IBM DRAID Expansion gives you the ability for you to dynamically add one or more drives and increase the component count of an existing in use DRAID array.