IBM TotalStorage EXP5000 Expansion Shelf

IBM TotalStorage EXP5000 Expansion Shelf

As a mid-range disk expansion unit, the IBM TotalStorage EXP5000 offers many options for small, medium and large businesses alike depending upon their storage requirements. Designed to work with the IBM TotalStorage DS5000 series, up to 28 EXP5000 expansion units can be added to the DS5000 disk storage systems. Each IBM EXP5000 expansion shelf can be equipped with up to 16 disk drives, which allows for a total disk drive capacity of 448 drives. As a result, IBM EXP5000 expansion shelves can provide up to 268.5 Terabytes (TB) of storage when using Fibre Channel (FC) enhanced disk drive modules (E-DIMMS) or up to 896 Terabytes (TB)of storage when using Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) disk drives. In addition to FC and SATA E-DIMMs, the EXP 5000 expansion unit also supports Solid State Drives (SSDs) depending on the controller firmware of the DS5000 disk storage system model.

Not only adding massive disk drive storage capacity, the IBM TotalStorage DS5000 expansion unit also adds enhanced performance and reliability to the DS5000 disk storage systems. This is because the IBM EXP5000 expansion shelves are attached to the DS5000 systems by means of redundant, high-speed 4 Gigabits per second (Gbps) FC disk expansion ports. Furthermore, EXP5000 storage expansion enclosures also support redundant, dual drive channel/loop configurations with the DS5000 storage systems as well as other EXP5000 expansion enclosures. Now featuring optional Encryption Capable FC disk drives, these disks provide IBM EXP5000’s with another layer of data protection since they reduce the risk of comprised data even when the storage media is physically removed from the DS5000. Other advantages of EXP5000 expansion units include continual and reliable service as well as easy replacement with hot-swappable components.