User Guide

SSD Read Cache: An extension of the controller's cache to improve performance of read-centric
workloads
Rapid RAID Rebuild: Helps significantly decrease the time to recover lost data by only rebuilding the
stripe where the corruption occurred, not the empty space or other stripes
Snapshots: Enables creation of copies of data for backup, parallel processing, testing, and
development, and have the copies available almost immediately. Base software supports up to 128
snapshot targets per system.
The ThinkSystem DS4200 capabilities can be expanded with optional licensed functions.
Optional licensed functions include:
Intelligent Real-time Tiering for SSDs: The SSD tiering upgrade option allows the use of SSDs as
read and write storage in the hybrid HDD and SSD storage configurations. Also, this option makes it
easy and economical to deploy hybrid storage by dynamically moving frequently accessed data to
SSDs in the system, resulting in flash drive performance without manually creating and managing
storage tier policies.
Snapshots upgrade: The snapshot upgrade options increase the supported number of snapshot
targets to 512 or 1024 per system.
Asynchronous Replication: The asynchronous replication feature provides storage system-based
data replication between primary (local) and secondary (remote) systems by using asynchronous data
transfers over IP (iSCSI) or Fibre Channel communication links. The secondary system can be a
replication target for up to four primary systems.
The replication is performed manually or at predetermined schedule with at least 60 minutes between
consecutive runs. For ultimate flexibility, DS4200 asynchronous replication interoperates with the
ThinkSystem DS2200 and DS6200, as well as Lenovo Storage S2200 and S3200.
The asynchronous replication option must be acquired (or licensed) for both primary and secondary
systems.
The following table lists the Feature on Demand (FoD) upgrades for the ThinkSystem DS4200 to enable
optional software features. Each optional DS4200 function is licensed on a per-system basis and covers both
controller enclosure and all attached expansion units.
Table 11. Optional software features
Description
Part
number
Feature
code
512 Snapshot Upgrade License 01GV559 AWGM
1024 Snapshot Upgrade License 01GV560 AWGN
SSD Data Tiering License 01GV561 AWGP
Asynchronous Replication License 01GV562 AWGQ
Configuration notes:
The SSD Data Tiering Upgrade option is not required for all flash array configurations (a storage
system with SSDs only; no HDDs installed) and for hybrid configurations (a storage system with SSDs
and HDDs) in which SSDs are used exclusively for SDD read cache; however, it is required for any
other hybrid configuration (a storage system with SSDs and HDDs) even when the SSD storage tiering
is not used.
Asynchronous Replication requires an FC/iSCSI Controller-based DS4200 storage unit.
Software maintenance for standard software features is included in the ThinkSystem DS4200 base warranty
and optional warranty extensions, which provides 3-year software support with the option to extend it up to 5
years in 1-year or 2-year increments (see
Warranty services and upgrades for details).
Lenovo ThinkSystem DS4200 Storage Array (withdrawn product) 18