Release Note for systems built with IBM Spectrum Virtualize

This is the release note for the 8.4.2 release and details the issues resolved in all Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs) between 8.4.2.0 and 8.4.2.1. This document will be updated with additional information whenever a PTF is released.

Note: This release is a Non-Long Term Support (Non-LTS) release. Non-LTS code levels are not intended to receive any PTFs. If issues are encountered the only resolution is likely to be upgrade to a later LTS or Non-LTS release.

For details of the new Continuous Development release strategy refer to the Spectrum Virtualize Family of Products Upgrade Planning page.

This document was last updated on 15 June 2023.

  1. New Features
  2. Known Issues and Restrictions
  3. Issues Resolved
    1. Security Issues Resolved
    2. APARs Resolved
  4. Useful Links

Note: Detailed build version numbers are included in the Update Matrices in the Useful Links section.


1. New Features

The following new features have been introduced in the 8.4.2 release:

2. Known Issues and Restrictions

Note: The following functionality has been removed in the 8.4.2 release:

Note: For clarity, the terms "node" and "canister" are used interchangeably.
Details Introduced

8.4.2.0 introduces Ethernet Portsets, which changes the way IP addresses are configured.

The CIM (Common Information Model) interface can no longer configure IP addresses, and the CSI and Cinder interfaces require an ifix to work correctly. Scripts that use the CLI or REST API may also require changes.

The System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) management pack does not support monitoring of iSCSI port information at 8.4.2.

Refer to this page for details.

This is a known issue that may be lifted in a future release.

 8.4.2.0

Customers using Microsoft Offload Data Transfer (ODX) should not upgrade to v8.4.2.

This issue may be resolved by a future release.

 8.4.2.0

Customers using Spectrum Control v5.4.3 or earlier may notice that IP port status is incorrectly shown as "Unconfigured".

This issue will be resolved by a future release of Spectrum Control.

 8.4.2.0

There is an existing limit on the number of files that can be returned by the CLI of approximately 780 entries. In many configurations this limit is of no concern. However, due to a problem with hot-spare node IO stats files, 8-node clusters with many hardware upgrades or multiple spare nodes may see up to 900 IO stats files. As a consequence the data collector for Storage Insights and Spectrum Control cannot list or download the required set of performance statistics data. The result is that there are many gaps in the performance data, leading to errors with the performance monitoring tools and a lack of performance history.

The workaround is to remove the files associated with spare nodes or previously/updated hardware using the cleardumps command (or to cleardumps the entire iostats directory).

This is a known issue that will be lifted in a future release. The fix can be tracked using APAR HU02403.

 8.4.0.0

Systems, with NPIV enabled, presenting storage to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) or Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) hosts running the ibmvfc driver on IBM Power can experience path loss or read-only file system events.

This is cause by issues within the ibmvfc driver and VIOS code.

Refer to this troubleshooting page for more information.

 n/a
If an update stalls or fails then contact IBM Support for further assistance n/a
The following restrictions were valid but have now been lifted

The CLI command 'lsportip' was removed in 8.4.2.0 and replaced with a new command 'lsip'. This will impact interoperability with any tools that rely on lsportip.

This change prevents Veeam from working correctly with Spectrum Virtualize systems running 8.4.2 or higher, until Veeam release a new version.

This issue has now been resolved as Veeam Backup and Replication Version 12 no longer has this restriction

 8.4.2.0

3. Issues Resolved

This release contains all of the fixes included in the 8.4.1.0 release, plus the following additional fixes.

A release may contain fixes for security issues, fixes for APARs or both. Consult both tables below to understand the complete set of fixes included in the release.

3.1 Security Issues Resolved

Security issues are documented using a reference number provided by "Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures" (CVE).
CVE Identifier Link for additional Information Resolved in
CVE-2021-42340 6541270 8.4.2.1
CVE-2021-29873 6497111 8.4.2.0
CVE-2020-10732 6497113 8.4.2.0
CVE-2020-10774 6497113 8.4.2.0
CVE-2021-33037 6497115 8.4.2.0

3.2 APARs Resolved

Show details for all APARs
APAR Affected Products Severity Description Resolved in Feature Tags
HU02418 All HIPER During a DRAID array rebuild data can be written to an incorrect location. For more details refer to this Flash (show details)
Symptom Data Integrity Loss
Environment Systems running v8.3.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.1 Distributed RAID, RAID
HU02406 All Critical An interoperability issue between Cisco NX-OS firmware and the Spectrum Virtualize Fibre Channel driver can cause a node warmstart on NPIV failback (for example during an upgrade) with the potential for a loss of access. For more details refer to this Flash (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems using NPIV that are connected to Cisco SAN equipment running NX-OS 8.4(2c) or later
Trigger Initiate an NPIV failback operation by, for example, performing an upgrade
Workaround Disable NPIV (which will require any hot spare nodes to be removed first)
8.4.2.1 Interoperability
HU02421 All Critical A logic fault in the socket communication sub-system can cause multiple node warmstarts when more than 8 external clients attempt to connect. It is possible for this to lead to a loss of access (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.4.2.0
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.1 Reliability Availability Serviceability
HU02430 All Critical Expanding or shrinking the real size of FlashCopy target volumes can cause recurring node warmstarts and may cause nodes to revert to candidate state (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.4.2.0 using FlashCopy
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.1 FlashCopy
HU02435 All Critical The removal of deduplicated volumes can cause repeated node warmstarts and the possibility of offline Data Reduction Pools (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.4.2.0 using DRP
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.1 Data Reduction Pools
HU02441 & HU02486 All Critical Safeguarded Copy with DRP can cause node warmstarts and mdisk timeouts (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.4.2 or later using Safeguarded Copy with DRP
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.1 Data Reduction Pools, Safeguarded Copy
HU02296 All HIPER The zero page functionality can become corrupt causing a volume to be initialised with non-zero data (show details)
Symptom Data Integrity Loss
Environment Systems running v8.2.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Storage Virtualisation
HU02384 SVC HIPER An inter-node message queue can become stalled, leading to an I/O timeout warmstart, and temporary loss of access (show details)
Symptom Offline Volumes
Environment SVC systems using SV1 model nodes running v8.3.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Reliability Availability Serviceability
DT112601 All Critical Deleting image mode mounted source volume while migration is ongoing could trigger Tier 2 recovery (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.3.1 or later
Trigger Delete the source volume when migration progress is showing 0%
Workaround Wait for lsmigrate progress to report a non-zero progress value before issuing a volume delete
8.4.2.0 Storage Virtualization
HU02217 All Critical Incomplete re-synchronisation following a Tier 3 recovery can lead to RAID inconsistencies (show details)
Symptom Data Integrity Loss
Environment Systems that have just experienced a Tier 3 recovery
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 RAID
HU02295 SVC Critical When upgrading from v8.2.1 or v8.3, in the presence of hot spare nodes, an issue with the handling of node metadata may cause a Tier 2 recovery (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment SVC systems running v8.2.1 or v8.3 with Hot Spare Node
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 System Update
HU02309 All Critical Due to a change in how FlashCopy and remote copy interact, multiple warmstarts may occur with the possibility of lease expiries (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems using GMCV
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Global Mirror with Change Volumes
HU02328 FS9200, FS9100, FS7200, FS5100, V7000, V5100 Critical Due to an issue with the handling of NVMe registration keys, changing the node WWNN in an active system will cause a lease expiry (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems with NVMe drives
Trigger Change a node WWNN in an active system
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 NVMe
HU02349 All Critical Using an incorrect FlashCopy consistency group id to stop consistency group will result in T2 recovery if the incorrect id is >501 (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.3.1 or later using FlashCopy
Trigger Stop FlashCopy consistency group using an incorrect id of >501
Workaround Exercise greater care when stopping FlashCopy consistency groups where the id >501
8.4.2.0 FlashCopy
HU02368 All Critical When consistency groups from code levels prior to v8.3 are carried through to v8.3 or later then there can be multiple node warmstarts with the possibility of a loss of access (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.3 or later using HyperSwap
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 HyperSwap
HU02373 All Critical An incorrect compression flag in metadata can take a DRP offline (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.3.1 or later using Data Reduction Pools and Remote Copy
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Data Reduction Pools
HU02378 All Critical Multiple maximum replication delay events and Remote Copy relationship restarts can cause multiple node warmstarts with the possibility of a loss of access (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.2.1 using remote copy
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Global Mirror, Global Mirror with Change Volumes, Metro Mirror
HU02393 All Critical Automatic resize of compressed/thin volumes may fail causing warmstarts on both nodes in an I/O group (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Storage Virtualisation
HU02397 All Critical A Data Reduction Pool, with deduplication enabled, can retain some stale state after deletion and recreation. This has no immediate effect. However if later on a node goes offline this condition can cause the pool to be taken offline (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.1.3 or later using Data Reduction Pools
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Data Reduction Pools
HU02410 SVC Critical A timing window issue in the transition to a spare node can cause a cluster-wide Tier 2 recovery (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment SVC systems running v8.1 or later with Hot Spare Nodes
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Hot Spare Node
HU02414 All Critical Under specific sequence and timing of circumstances the garbage collection process can timeout and take a pool offline temporarily (show details)
Symptom Loss of Access to Data
Environment Systems running v8.3 or later using Data Reduction Pools
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Data Reduction Pools
HU02423 All Critical Volume copies may be taken offline even though there is sufficient free capacity (show details)
Symptom Offline Volumes
Environment Systems using Data Reduction Pools
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Data Reduction Pools
HU02088 All High Importance There can be multiple node warmstarts when no mailservers are configured (show details)
Symptom Multiple Node Warmstarts
Environment Systems running v8.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround Configure a mailserver
8.4.2.0 System Monitoring
HU02127 All High Importance 32Gbps FC ports will auto-negotiate to 8Gbps, if they are connected to a 16Gbps Cisco switch port (show details)
Symptom Degraded Operation
Environment Systems running v8.3 or later with 32Gbps HBAs connecting to 16Gbps Cisco switch ports
Trigger Use auto-negotiate default on switch port
Workaround Manually set the switch port as an F-port operating at 16Gbps
8.4.2.0 Performance
HU02273 All High Importance When write I/O workload to a HyperSwap volume site reaches a certain thresholds, the system should switch the primary and secondary copies. There are circumstances where this will not happen (show details)
Symptom Degraded Operation
Environment Systems running v8.1 or later using HyperSwap
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 HyperSwap
HU02297 All High Importance Error handling for a failing backend controller can lead to multiple warmstarts (show details)
Symptom Multiple Node Warmstarts
Environment Systems attached to faulty backend controllers
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Backend Storage
HU02345 All High Importance When connectivity to nodes in a local or remote cluster is lost, inflight IO can become stuck in an aborting state, consuming system resources and potentially adversely impacting performance (show details)
Symptom Performance
Environment Systems using remote copy
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 HyperSwap, Metro Mirror
HU02388 V5000, FS5000 High Importance GUI can hang randomly due to an out of memory issue after running any task (show details)
Symptom Degraded Operation
Environment Storwize V5000E and FlashSystem 5000 systems running v8.2.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Graphical User Interface
HU02422 All High Importance GUI performance can be degraded when displaying large numbers of volumes or other objects (show details)
Symptom Degraded Operation
Environment Systems running v8.3.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Graphical User Interface
IT40370 FS5200 High Importance An issue in the PCI fault recovery mechanism may cause a node to constantly reboot (show details)
Symptom Multiple Node Warmstarts
Environment FlashSystem 5200 systems
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Reliability Availability Serviceability
HU02171 All Suggested The timezone for Iceland is set incorrectly (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems using the Icelandic timezone
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Support Data Collection
HU02174 All Suggested A timing window issue related to remote copy memory allocation can result in a node warmstart (show details)
Symptom Single Node Warmstart
Environment Systems using remote copy
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Global Mirror, Global Mirror with Change Volumes, Metro Mirror
HU02243 All Suggested DMP for 1670 event (replace CMOS) will shutdown a node without confirmation from user (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems with expired CMOS batteries
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 GUI Fix Procedure
HU02263 All Suggested The pool properties dialog in the GUI displays thin-provisioning savings, compression savings and total savings. In Data Reduction Pools, the thin-provisioning savings displayed are actually the total savings instead of the thin-provisioning savings only (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems running v8.2.1 or later using Data Reduction Pools
Trigger None
Workaround Subtract compression savings from thin-provisioning savings to get the actual number
8.4.2.0 Data Reduction Pools
HU02274 All Suggested Due to a timing issue in how events are handled an active quorum loss and re-acquisition cycle can be triggered with a 3124 error (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems running v8.3.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Quorum
HU02306 All Suggested An offline host port can still be shown as active in lsfabric and the associated host can be shown as online despite being offline (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems running v8.3 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Hosts
HU02346 All Suggested A mismatch between LBA stored by snapshot and disk allocator processes in the thin-provisioning component may cause a single node warmstart (show details)
Symptom Single Node Warmstart
Environment Systems running v8.3.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Thin Provisioning
HU02366 All Suggested Slow internal resource reclamation by the RAID component can cause a node warmstart (show details)
Symptom Single Node Warmstart
Environment Systems running v8.2.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 RAID
HU02367 All Suggested An issue with how RAID handles drive failures may lead to a node warmstart (show details)
Symptom Single Node Warmstart
Environment All systems
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 RAID
HU02381 All Suggested When the proxy server password is changed to one with more than 40 characters the config node will warmstart (show details)
Symptom Single Node Warmstart
Environment Systems using the system-wide web proxy server
Trigger Use chproxy CLI command to change password to one with >40 characters
Workaround Use a proxy password of <40 characters
8.4.2.0 Command Line Interface
HU02382 FS9200, FS9100, FS7200, FS5100, V7000, V5100 Suggested A complex interaction of tasks, including drive firmware cleanup and syslog reconfiguration, can cause a 10 second delay when each node unpends (eg during an upgrade) (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems running v8.2.1 or later that have a remote syslog server configured
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 System Update
HU02383 FS9200, FS9100, FS7200, FS5100, V7000 Suggested An additional 20 second IO delay can occur when a system update commits (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems running v8.2.1 or later that have a remote syslog server configured
Trigger None
Workaround Remove remote syslog servers from the configuration to reduce the additional delay to 10 seconds. It is not possible to completely eliminate the delay using a workaround
8.4.2.0 System Update
HU02385 All Suggested Unexpected emails from Inventory Script can be found on mailserver (show details)
Symptom None
Environment All systems
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 System Monitoring
HU02386 FS9200, FS9100, FS7200, FS5100, V7000 Suggested Enclosure fault LED can remain on due to race condition when location LED state is changed (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems running v8.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 System Monitoring
HU02405 FS5200 Suggested An issue in the zero detection of the new Message Passing (MP) functionality can cause thin volumes to allocate space when writing zeros (show details)
Symptom None
Environment FlashSystem 5200 systems
Trigger None
Workaround When writing zeros from a host, always submit IO to the preferred node
8.4.2.0 Message Passing
HU02411 FS9200, FS9100, FS7200, FS5100, V7000, V5100 Suggested An issue in the NVMe drive presence checking can result in a node warmstart (show details)
Symptom Single Node Warmstart
Environment Systems with NVMe drives
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 NVMe
HU02419 All Suggested During creation of a drive FRU id the resulting unique number can contain a space character which can lead to CLI commands, that return this value, presenting it as a truncated string (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems running v8.3.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Command Line Interface, Drives
HU02425 All Suggested An issue in the handling of internal messages, when the system has a high IO workload to two or more different FlashCopy maps in the same dependency chain, can result in incorrect counters. The node will warmstart to clear this condition. (show details)
Symptom Single Node Warmstart
Environment Systems using FlashCopy
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 FlashCopy
HU02426 All Suggested Where an email server accepts the STARTTLS command during the initial handshake if TLS v1.2 is disables or not supported then the system will be unable to send email alerts (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems running v8.4 or later connecting to a mail server that does not support/enable TLS v1.2
Trigger TLS v1.2 not supported or enabled on mail server
Workaround Enable TLS v1.2 on mail server if available
8.4.2.0 System Monitoring
IT33996 All Suggested An issue in RAID where unreserved resources fail to be freed up can result in a node warmstart (show details)
Symptom Single Node Warmstart
Environment Systems running v8.3.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 RAID
IT34958 All Suggested During a system update a node returning to the cluster, after upgrade, may warmstart (show details)
Symptom Single Node Warmstart
Environment Systems running v8.2.1 or later
Trigger None
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 System Update
IT37654 All Suggested When creating a new encrypted array the CMMVC8534E error (Node has insufficient entropy to generate key material) can appear preventing array creation (show details)
Symptom Configuration
Environment Systems using encryption
Trigger None
Workaround Power cycle the affected node
8.4.2.0 Encryption
IT38858 All Suggested Unable to resume Enable USB Encryption wizard via the GUI. The GUI will display error CMMVC9231E (show details)
Symptom None
Environment Systems running v8.4 or later
Trigger Close/refresh browser before wizard is complete
Workaround None
8.4.2.0 Graphical User Interface

4. Useful Links

Description Link
Support Websites
Update Matrices, including detailed build version
Support Information pages providing links to the following information:
  • Interoperability information
  • Product documentation
  • Limitations and restrictions, including maximum configuration limits
Spectrum Virtualize Family of Products Inter-System Metro Mirror and Global Mirror Compatibility Cross Reference
Software Upgrade Test Utility
Software Upgrade Planning