Catalogue · IBM
IBM FlashSystem C300
Midrange · all-flash · dual controller - Capacity-optimized QLC all-flash FlashSystem that replaces HDD arrays for backup, archive, media streaming and DR copies. Holds 3.3 PB raw in 2U.
| Platform | |
|---|---|
| OEM | IBM |
| Family | FlashSystem |
| Class | Midrange |
| Architecture | Dual controller (HA pair) |
| Status | Current |
| Released | n/a |
| Operating system | IBM Storage Virtualize 9.1 |
| Controllers | 2 |
| Nodes | n/a |
| Cache / memory | 512 GB |
| Availability | 99.9999% |
| Capacity and media | |
| Media | All-flash |
| Drive types | NVMe SSD, QLC NVMe |
| Drive note | IBM FlashCore Modules (NVMe, QLC). IBM lists 52.8 TB and 105.6 TB module capacities for the C300. IBM sources disagree on the module generation: the family page footnote says FCM4, while the datasheet FCM5 table lists the C300. |
| Flash drive sizes | 52.8, 105.6 TB |
| HDD sizes | n/a |
| Maximum drives | 32 |
| Controller enclosure | 2U, 32 drive bays |
| Expansion | None (the portfolio datasheet lists no expansion models) |
| Raw capacity | 3.3 PB |
| Cluster maximum | n/a |
| Effective maximum | 11.8 PB |
| Data reduction | 11.8 PBe effective in a 2U enclosure; IBM does not state the ratio. A FlashSystem grid of 32 C300s reaches 377 PBe. |
| Protection | n/a |
| Protection note | IBM Storage Virtualize Distributed RAID. The cited pages give no RAID levels for the C300 itself. |
| Performance and connectivity | |
| Maximum IOPS | 2,600,000 |
| Maximum throughput | 37 GB/s |
| Latency | 1,000 µs |
| Conditions | Machine type 5202, model C30 (32-drive), fixed configuration with up to 3.3 PB raw per system. IOPS is 4K read hit and bandwidth is 256K read miss (portfolio datasheet). Read response time is 1-2 ms (family page). The 83M IOPS and 16 TB memory on the C300 product page are FlashSystem-grid figures for 32 systems. The grid reaches 736 GB/s reads and holds up to 1,024 FCMs. |
| Protocols | Fibre Channel, NVMe over FC, iSCSI, NVMe over TCP |
| Fibre Channel | 64 Gb |
| Ethernet | 100 GbE |
| Host ports | 16 |
| Limits | |
| Volumes / LUNs | n/a |
| File systems | n/a |
| Snapshots | n/a |
| Management and support | |
| Management | IBM Storage Virtualize GUI/CLI, IBM Storage Insights |
| Power | n/a |
| Positioned for | Backup target, Archive, Media & entertainment |
| Warranty | One-year 9x5 standard; IBM Storage Expert Care Basic, Advanced or Premium (1-5 years) |
| Design terms | Storage pool (data reduction pool) · Volume · Host cluster · Policy-based replication |
| Data services | |
✓ Deduplication
✓ Compression
✓ Thin provisioning
✓ Snapshots
✓ Clones
✓ Asynchronous replication
? Synchronous replication
✓ Active-active / metro
✓ Encryption at rest
✓ Immutable snapshots
✓ Ransomware detection
? Quality of service
✓ Automated tiering
? Cloud tiering
? VMware vVols
? Kubernetes CSI
✕ Native file services
✕ Native object (S3)
? Non-disruptive upgrades
✓ Scale-out
✓ stated by the OEM · ✕ not offered · ? not stated | |
| Source | |
| Product page | https://www.ibm.com/products/flashsystem-c300 |
| Datasheet | https://www.ibm.com/downloads/documents/us-en/1443d5c92f402c02 |