DS8000 models: DS8A10, DS8A50, DS8A80 and the family tree

You’re the new engineer at a telecom company. Your manager says “we have a DS8A50, right?” and wants proof before a project of 96 host ports is signed off, so you check the box in the practice shell and then run a small model checker in Python.

Practice shell note: the practice shell is our teaching tool, not IBM software. Real DS CLI output is similar but not identical, the hardware names, serial numbers and location codes are made up for the lab, and lines starting with SIM are practice shell messages.

1Start clean and log in

Open PowerShell in C:\ds8k-lab (or Terminal in ~/ds8k-lab), start the shell with python ds8sim.py, log in with the password you set in Lesson 1 and then reset the lab system.

Run this:

simctl reset

You should see this:

SIM0100I simctl: factory state restored (users and passwords kept; use simctl reset -all to reset them too).

✅ Checkpoint: You are at the dscli> prompt with a clean lab system.

2Read the model code

Run this:

lssi

You should see this:

Date/Time: 24 October 2026 10:45:18 UTC IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.10.348 DS: IBM.2107-78SV001
Name         ID               Storage Unit     Model WWNN             State  ESSNet
====================================================================================
ds8k-g10-lab IBM.2107-78SV001 IBM.2107-78SV000 A05   5005076303FFF0DD Online Enabled

The Model column says A05, and the Engineer’s View table tells you A05 is a DS8A50. A DS8A80 would show A08, and a DS8A10 would show A01 or A00.

✅ Checkpoint: You can say “model A05, so this is a DS8A50” without looking it up.

3See the machine type and memory

Run this:

showsi IBM.2107-78SV001

You should see this (output shortened):

Date/Time: 24 October 2026 10:45:18 UTC IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.10.348 DS: IBM.2107-78SV001
Name             ds8k-g10-lab
desc             SaatVedha practice DS8A50
ID               IBM.2107-78SV001
Storage Unit     IBM.2107-78SV000
Model            A05
WWNN             5005076303FFF0DD
...
NVS Memory       64.0 GB
Cache Memory     832.0 GB
Processor Memory 1015.6 GB
MTS              IBM.5341-78SV000
...

Notice two things here. MTS shows machine type 5341, while the ID you type in commands starts with IBM.2107, and NVS Memory is 64 GB, which is 1/16 of a 1,024 GB system.

✅ Checkpoint: You found 5341 in the MTS line and NVS = 64 GB.

4Count cores and memory per CPC

Run this:

lspnode

You should see this:

Date/Time: 24 October 2026 10:45:18 UTC IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.10.348 DS: IBM.2107-78SV001
ID State  Release Processor       Memory   Location
==============================================================
00 Online R10.1   Power9+ 20-core 512.0 GB U9009.42A.78SV00-P1
01 Online R10.1   Power9+ 20-core 512.0 GB U9009.42A.78SV01-P1

Each line is one CPC (processor node) with 20 cores and 512 GB, so the whole system has 40 cores and 1,024 GB, which matches the smallest DS8A50 memory option.

Remember: lspnode shows numbers per CPC.

✅ Checkpoint: You worked out 40 cores and 1,024 GB for the whole system.

5Count the host adapters you already have

Run this:

lsioenclosure
lshacard

You should see this:

Date/Time: 24 October 2026 10:45:18 UTC IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.10.348 DS: IBM.2107-78SV001
ID                 Frame State  Host adapters Device adapters Location code   S/N
========================================================================================
IBM.1400-1B1-78SV0 1     Online 1             2               U1400.1B1.78SV0 YE10SV0001
IBM.1400-1B2-78SV0 1     Online 1             2               U1400.1B2.78SV0 YE10SV0002
IBM.1400-1B3-78SV0 1     Online 2             0               U1400.1B3.78SV0 YE10SV0003
IBM.1400-1B4-78SV0 1     Online 0             0               U1400.1B4.78SV0 YE10SV0004
Date/Time: 24 October 2026 10:45:18 UTC IBM DSCLI Version: 7.10.10.348 DS: IBM.2107-78SV001
ID                           I/O enclosure      Frame State  Type  Speed   Fibre Channel ports
==========================================================================================
IBM.1400-1B1-78SV0/R-1-P1-C1 IBM.1400-1B1-78SV0 1     Online FC-LW 32 Gb/s 4
IBM.1400-1B2-78SV0/R-1-P1-C3 IBM.1400-1B2-78SV0 1     Online FC-SW 32 Gb/s 4
IBM.1400-1B2-78SV0/R-1-P1-C4 IBM.1400-1B2-78SV0 1     Online FC-SW 32 Gb/s 4
IBM.1400-1B3-78SV0/R-1-P1-C5 IBM.1400-1B3-78SV0 1     Online FC-SW 32 Gb/s 4
(lshacard output shortened: Encryption capable, Location code and S/N columns removed)

Four I/O enclosures (two pairs) and four host adapters with 4 ports each give you 16 ports today. Each enclosure has room for 4 host adapters, so this base frame can take 16 adapters and 64 ports, and enclosure 1B4 doesn’t have any yet.

✅ Checkpoint: You counted 4 host adapters and 16 host ports.

Type quit to leave the shell.

6Build the model checker

Now let a script do this check the way storage teams do: it asks the DS8000 through the DS CLI, reads the answers and does the maths. It runs on your laptop in the lab folder, next to ds8sim.py, and not on the DS8000.

A script can’t answer password prompts, so first save your password in a password file. If security.dat is already in your lab folder from an earlier lesson, skip this command (the shell would say the record already exists).

Run this (PowerShell):

python ds8sim.py -hmc1 10.0.0.1 -user admin -passwd YOURPASSWORD managepwfile -action add -name admin -pw YOURPASSWORD -pwfile security.dat

You should see this:

CMUC00206I managepwfile: Record 10.0.0.1/admin successfully added to password file security.dat.

Then save these eight lines as auto.profile in the same folder. With banner: off, header: on and format: delim, every list comes back as one header row plus comma-separated rows, which Python reads easily, and Implementation Lesson 2 covers profiles in full.

auto.profile:

hmc1: 10.0.0.1
username: admin
pwfile: security.dat
devid: IBM.2107-78SV001
banner: off
header: on
format: delim
delim: ,

Now save this as model_check.py (Notepad is fine; choose “All files” so it doesn’t turn into .txt). It runs lssi, lspnode and lshacard through the profile and adds up both CPCs for you.

The shell can’t show you a DS8A10 or a DS8A80, so the script also has a what-if mode, --plan, where you type the cores and memory per CPC yourself. All its model numbers come from IBM’s model tables.

# model_check.py - SaatVedha DS8000 model checker
# Runs on your workstation or jump server, not on the DS8000.
# It talks to the DS8000 only through the DS CLI (auto.profile: banner off, header on, format delim).
# Numbers come from the IBM Redbook SG24-8559-01 (DS8A00, Release 10.1).
# Usage: python model_check.py [host ports you need]                     reads the box
#        python model_check.py --plan <cores per CPC> <GB memory per CPC> [host ports you need]
import csv, re, subprocess, sys
DSCLI = ["python", "ds8sim.py", "-cfg", "auto.profile"]   # at work: ["dscli", "-cfg", "auto.profile"]

def dscli(*args):
    """Run one DS CLI command and return its rows as dictionaries."""
    out = subprocess.run(DSCLI + list(args), capture_output=True, text=True).stdout
    lines = [l for l in out.splitlines() if l and not l.startswith("SaatVedha") and not l.startswith("CMUC")]
    return list(csv.DictReader(lines))

MODELS = [
    # name,    code,        total cores, total memory options (GB), max host adapters, max frames, max drives
    ("DS8A10", "A00 / A01", 20, [256, 512],         16, 1, 192),
    ("DS8A50", "A05",       40, [1024, 2048, 3584], 32, 2, 384),
    ("DS8A80", "A08",       48, [4864],             32, 2, 384),
]
PORTS_PER_HA = 4

# NVS (protected write cache) per system memory size, from the Redbook model tables.
# Usually 1/16 of memory; the smallest and the two largest sizes are exceptions.
NVS = {256: 16, 512: 32, 1024: 64, 2048: 128, 3584: 192, 4864: 256}

def report(cores, mem, need, have=None):
    for name, code, c, mems, ha_max, frames, drives in MODELS:
        if c == cores and mem in mems:
            print(f"Model          : {name} (model {code})")
            print(f"Cores (2 CPCs) : {cores}")
            print(f"System memory  : {mem} GB")
            print(f"NVS            : {NVS[mem]} GB")
            if have:
                print(f"Host ports now : {have[1]} on {have[0]} adapters (lshacard)")
            print(f"Max host ports : {ha_max * PORTS_PER_HA} ({ha_max} adapters x {PORTS_PER_HA} ports)")
            if frames == 2:
                print(f"  base frame   : {16 * PORTS_PER_HA} (16 adapters); the rest needs the E05 expansion frame")
            print(f"Max flash      : {drives} drives, {frames} frame(s)")
            if need:
                if need <= ha_max * PORTS_PER_HA:
                    print(f"Ports needed   : {need} -> fits")
                else:
                    print(f"Ports needed   : {need} -> does NOT fit. Look at a bigger model.")
            return code
    print(f"No DS8A00 model has {cores} cores with {mem} GB memory.")
    print("Check: lspnode shows cores and memory PER CPC. Type those numbers, not the totals.")

if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == "--plan":
    # What-if mode for a model you don't have: you type the numbers PER CPC.
    if len(sys.argv) < 4:
        print("Usage: python model_check.py --plan <cores per CPC> <GB memory per CPC> [host ports you need]")
        sys.exit(1)
    cores = int(sys.argv[2]) * 2
    mem = int(float(sys.argv[3]) * 2)
    need = int(sys.argv[4]) if len(sys.argv) > 4 else 0
    report(cores, mem, need)
    sys.exit(0)

# Normal mode: read the real box. lspnode gives one row per CPC, so add both rows up.
need = int(sys.argv[1]) if len(sys.argv) > 1 else 0
nodes = dscli("lspnode")
if not nodes:
    print("No answer from the DS CLI. Check auto.profile and the password file.")
    sys.exit(2)
si = dscli("lssi")[0]
cards = dscli("lshacard")
cores = sum(int(re.search(r"(\d+)-core", n["Processor"]).group(1)) for n in nodes)
mem = int(sum(float(n["Memory"].split()[0]) for n in nodes))
print(f"Storage image  : {si['ID']}, model code {si['Model']}, {len(nodes)} CPCs (lssi, lspnode)")
ports = sum(int(c["Fibre Channel ports"]) for c in cards)
code = report(cores, mem, need, have=(len(cards), ports))
if code and si["Model"] not in code:
    print(f"WARNING        : lssi says model {si['Model']}, but cores and memory match {code}. Ask IBM.")

✅ Checkpoint: model_check.py, auto.profile and security.dat sit next to ds8sim.py.

7Check the 96-port project

Give it only the 96 ports the project needs; it reads the cores, memory and adapters from the box itself.

Run this (PowerShell):

python model_check.py 96

You should see this:

Storage image  : IBM.2107-78SV001, model code A05, 2 CPCs (lssi, lspnode)
Model          : DS8A50 (model A05)
Cores (2 CPCs) : 40
System memory  : 1024 GB
NVS            : 64 GB
Host ports now : 16 on 4 adapters (lshacard)
Max host ports : 128 (32 adapters x 4 ports)
  base frame   : 64 (16 adapters); the rest needs the E05 expansion frame
Max flash      : 384 drives, 2 frame(s)
Ports needed   : 96 -> fits

So you get good news and a warning together. A DS8A50 can carry 96 ports, but the base frame stops at 64, and the other 32 ports need 8 more host adapters in an E05 expansion frame with its own I/O enclosures, power and floor space. That means a purchase and a floor plan, not a quick card swap.

At work the same script runs from a jump server with dscli in place of ds8sim.py and one profile per DS8000, so a single command gives you the model and port count of every box you look after.

✅ Checkpoint: You can explain why 96 ports on this box means an expansion frame.