IBM Storage FlashSystem
Updated October 03, 2025

IBM Storage FlashSystem

Marcel Huisman | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Modules Used

  • IBM Flashsystem 5000

Overall Satisfaction with IBM Storage FlashSystem

We use IBM Storage FlashSystem for our SAP Environment running on AIX. All logical partitions are connected through fiber channel to our IBM Power systems. For this environment we needed fast, so high performance storage with the least amount of administrative overhead.

Pros

  • Easy management
  • Intuitive webinterface
  • High performance
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Interface could be faster
  • Flashcopy is complicated
  • Higher deduplication ratio
  • Less administrative overhead for administrators
  • Better database performance
  • Reduction off total storage costs
For us, the most valuable capabilities of the IBM Storage FlashSystem is the exceptional high perfomance with low latency and fast acces of our fiber channel luns. For anyone who needs fast response times, the IBM Storage FlashSystem is the one you need. We have several AIX fiber channel luns running on these IBM Storage FlashSystems. Installation and management of these systems is very easy.
With other Storage system we needed a thirdparty company to install and configure the systems. For the IBM Storage FlashSystem it very easy to do yourself. So we order, instal and deploy, configure and directly create the luns you need. These IBM Storage FlashSystems allow me to quick deploy Fiber Channel luns for my IBM AIX machines. I have never used other systems where this was so easy.
IBM Storage FlashSystem outshines Dell EqualLogic PS Series with its high performance, data protection, and energy efficiency. IBM Storage FlashSystem's high-speed all-flash storage ensures faster response time and so lower latency. Its robust security features, including immutable snapshots and flexible replication, offer enhanced data protection. We are already very low in the powerconsumption in our datacenters, the IBM Storage FlashSystem's helps to reduce power consumption and our overall datacenter costs.

Do you think IBM Storage FlashSystem delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with IBM Storage FlashSystem's feature set?

Yes

Did IBM Storage FlashSystem live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of IBM Storage FlashSystem go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy IBM Storage FlashSystem again?

Yes

IBM Storage FlashSystem is best used for workloads which require fast performing storage. Well suited for database servers like IBM DB2 for SAP Servers running on AIX or Suse Linux Enterprise Server. DB2 needs high performance disks with low latency.

IBM Storage FlashSystem Feature Ratings

Enterprise Flash Array Storage
8.4
Flash Array Performance
8
Flash Array Integration
Not Rated
Data Compression
7
Non-Intrusive Upgrades
10
Simplicity
9
Power Savings
8

Scalability and Accessibility

At G-Star, the data modeling feature in IBM Storage FlashSystem has proven quite useful, particularly when we’re planning future capacity or assessing the impact of new workloads. It allows us to model data growth trends, simulate performance under different usage scenarios, and make informed decisions before investing in additional storage or rebalancing workloads. This predictive insight has helped us avoid overprovisioning and ensured that our storage infrastructure scales smoothly with business demand.
We have not integrated IBM Storage with other products
We do not use this.
Except for the update process, I rate IBM Storage FlashSystem a 9 out of 10 for overall usability because it strikes a very good balance between performance, manageability, and reliability — all of which are critical for us at G-Star. The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, even when managing complex storage environments with multiple arrays. Day-to-day operations like provisioning, monitoring, and snapshot management are straightforward, and the system integrates smoothly with our existing infrastructure.
Not using Cognos

Using IBM Storage FlashSystem

25 - At G-Star, IBM Storage FlashSystem is primarily used by a focused group within our infrastructure and SAP teams. Roughly a dozen people across IT operations, system administration, and application support. The platform underpins our SAP environment, so the main users are those responsible for managing the SAP landscape, database performance, and underlying infrastructure.
This includes our Unix and storage administrators, SAP Basis team, and parts of the business applications team who rely on the system’s performance and reliability to keep core business processes, like logistics, finance, and supply chain, running smoothly. In other words, while the direct user group is relatively small, the impact of FlashSystem spans critical business functions company-wide.
1 - At G-Star, I am the sole administrator responsible for supporting IBM Storage FlashSystem on an ongoing basis. Despite that, the platform is very straightforward to manage day-to-day, tasks like provisioning, monitoring, performance tuning, and firmware updates are easy to handle without requiring a large team.
  • Easy to manage
  • Reliable
  • Support from the vendor
  • Scaling up fast
  • Adding new systems
  • Same as we do now use it for our AIX Partitions on IBM Power
We’re unlikely to renew our use of IBM Storage FlashSystem, not because of any shortcomings with the product itself, but simply because it serves a very specific role in our environment, supporting our SAP landscape. For other workloads and broader storage needs, we rely on different platforms that are a better fit for those use cases.
The FlashSystem has performed reliably in its role, but since our future storage strategy involves consolidating platforms and aligning with solutions that cover a wider range of requirements, we don’t plan to renew it as part of that transition.

IBM Storage FlashSystem Support

ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Good followup
Knowledgeable team
Problems get solved
Kept well informed
No escalation required
Immediate help available
Support understands my problem
Support cares about my success
Quick Initial Response
None
Yes, we purchased premium support for IBM Storage FlashSystem because it underpins our critical SAP environment, where uptime, reliability, and rapid issue resolution are essential. Having direct access to expert support gives us additional confidence that any potential issues can be addressed quickly, minimizing risk to our core business operations. The proactive support and faster response times that come with the premium tier are well worth the investment in such a mission-critical part of our infrastructure.
One example that really stood out was during a planned SAP maintenance window where we were upgrading part of our infrastructure. During pre-checks, we noticed unusual latency on one of the FlashSystem volumes that could have impacted our SAP production environment if left unresolved. I opened a support ticket with IBM and was immediately connected with a senior storage specialist who took ownership of the case.
Within an hour, they had remotely analyzed the system, identified a misconfigured host I/O setting that was contributing to the latency, and guided me through the steps to correct it, all before the maintenance window even started. They also provided a detailed follow-up report with recommendations to prevent similar issues in the future.
That proactive, expert-level support gave us complete confidence going into the maintenance and ensured there was zero downtime for our SAP environment. It’s a good example of why we value having premium support in place.
I would rate the overall support for IBM Storage FlashSystem with a 10. The response times have consistently been fast, and the support engineers always come prepared with relevant questions and practical solutions. They demonstrate a deep understanding of the product and our use case, which means issues are typically resolved quickly and without unnecessary back-and-forth. This level of support has been especially valuable for our SAP environment, where uptime and quick resolution are critical.

IBM Storage FlashSystem Reliability

IBM Flashsystems is always available for me, it is fiberchannel storage without the fuzz of what iscsi brings. It is a very reliable storage system, I have almost never issues with this system. The only things which go wrong are the updates because the old updates which have been staged on the disks are not properly cleaned in my opinion.
Performance in our SAP Environment was needed and IBM Storage FlashSystem helped us achieve this. It resulted is higher response times for our SAP users. Also SAP uses DB2 databases and logfiles are sometimes increasing. This system lets me easily add extra disks and and remove them the they are not needed anymore.

Comments

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