IBM Spectrum Scale Reviews

Vendor: IBM

4.3 out of 5

12 reviews
100% willing to recommend

353 followers

What is IBM Spectrum Scale?

IBM Spectrum Scale is a cluster file system that provides concurrent access to a single file system or set of file systems from multiple nodes. The nodes can be SAN attached, network attached, a mixture of SAN attached and network attached, or in a shared nothing cluster configuration. This enables access to this common set of data to support a scale-out solution or to provide a high availability platform. IBM Spectrum Scale has many features beyond common data access including data replication, policy based storage management, and multi-site operations. You can create a cluster of AIX nodes, Linux nodes, Windows server nodes, or a mix of all three. IBM Spectrum Scale can run on virtualized instances providing common data access in environments, leverage logical partitioning, or other hypervisors. Multiple IBM Spectrum Scale clusters can share data within a location or across wide area network (WAN) connections.

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IBM Spectrum Scale is the #3 ranked solution in top Cloud Software Defined Storage solutions and #7 ranked solution in top Software Defined Storage (SDS) solutions. PeerSpot users give IBM Spectrum Scale an average rating of 8.6 out of 10. IBM Spectrum Scale is most commonly compared to Red Hat Ceph Storage: IBM Spectrum Scale vs Red Hat Ceph Storage. IBM Spectrum Scale is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 68% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 21% of all views.

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Featured IBM Spectrum Scale reviews

Bernd Stroehle.

Enterprise Architect at kosakya

I find IBM Spectrum Scale to be an excellent product known for its fast parallel file system. It achieved the best results when integrated with IBM hardware. Even though it is complex, it provided significant performance advantages in large-scale data management. Its fault tolerance mechanisms and integration capabilities make it popular for extensive AI initiatives and data processing tasks for organizations like Daimler Benz and Bosch.

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JanithRanasinghe

Depute CIO at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees

We are using GPFS Scale for parallel file access. It's primarily for file management We use GPFS Scale for parallel file access, the file management, and it's an essential part of our operations. It's the only feature we are using since we have not explored other options. I wish there were some…

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Janith Ranasinghe

Senior Manager - IT at LankaClear

The profile share is a valuable feature. We only use the parallel file system at my company I rate this solution a nine out of ten. I believe there is no graphic user interface, so they should include it. We have been using this solution since 2014, and it is deployed on-premises. It is stable…

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IBM Spectrum Scale mindshare

Product category:

As of March 2025, the mindshare of IBM Spectrum Scale in the Software Defined Storage (SDS) category stands at 4.7%, down from 7.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Software Defined Storage (SDS)

PeerAnalyst reports based on IBM Spectrum Scale reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Software Defined Storage (SDS)	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM Spectrum Scale vs StarWind Virtual SAN	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM Spectrum Scale vs Red Hat Ceph Storage	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM Spectrum Scale vs Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)	Mar 4, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Red Hat Ceph Storage	4.1	20.3%	81%	25 interviews Add to research
Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)	4.3	5.8%	94%	197 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

IBM Spectrum Scale's most valuable features include high availability, reduced overhead, ease of use, and seamless capacity handling. Its fast parallel file system supports multiple platforms and virtualized storage resources. Users appreciate its scalability, stability, and integration capabilities, beneficial for large-scale data management and AI initiatives. GPFS monitoring, fault tolerance, and performance outdo NFS and NAS, facilitating efficient operations at organizations like Daimler Benz and Bosch, with notable speed and pricing advantages over competitors.

"I rate this product ten out of ten."
"I find IBM Spectrum Scale to be an excellent product known for its fast parallel file system."
"We use GPFS Scale for parallel file access, the file management, and it's an essential part of our operations."

Room for Improvement

IBM Spectrum Scale requires improvement in encryption metrics and integration with high availability systems. Users face difficulties with block storage provision, initial setup, and the pricing complexity. Improved scalability, flexibility, and a graphical user interface for deployment would enhance user experience. Clarity in instructions and example configurations can streamline setup, while fault tolerance and erasure coding need enhancement. Integration with other vendors is necessary to simplify operations and expand its functionality.

"The initial setup is complex, especially if trying to avoid erasure coding, as it requires more discs. Avoiding erasure coding can significantly increase costs."
"There can be improvements in fault tolerance and making erasure coding faster."
"I wish there were some graphical user interface to access the GPFS file system creation and monitoring."

Pricing

IBM Spectrum Scale's pricing and licensing is perceived as complex, often based on storage usage, processing cores, or server counts. Many users acknowledge it as costly, yet feature-rich and reliable. Enterprise users frequently hold agreements that offset list prices, and some find it competitive compared to alternatives. Various users mention deploying solutions like Excelero to optimize costs, highlighting a strategic effort to balance investment and performance demands.

"The solution is costly but reliable."
"The licensing model is complex and depends on factors such as the number of processing cores and the amount of storage."
"The licensing is based on the number of terabytes."

Popular Use Cases

IBM Spectrum Scale is utilized for data management across multiple systems, supporting shared file systems and distributed file environments. It facilitates file sharing among Linux, AIX, and Windows platforms, enhances data processing in projects like finance data warehousing, and serves virtualization, data restoration, and NFS exports. Organizations employ it for SAS, business lines, DR failover in data centers, storage monitoring, parallel file systems, and performance improvements, accommodating numerous nodes and thousands of users.

Service and Support

User experiences with IBM customer service indicate positive feedback. Technical personnel often communicate with IBM, receiving effective assistance for user issues. Support is described as knowledgeable, responsive, and helpful, offering quick problem resolution and accommodating gestures like demo software access. While some users rarely engage with IBM, reports suggest swift help during emergencies and a strong customer service reputation, particularly in complex projects, like those with a leading German bank.

Deployment

Several users describe IBM Spectrum Scale's initial setup as complex, especially for large clusters requiring preparation and documentation. Some find it straightforward with familiarity, while Red Hat implementation presents challenges. Deployment duration varies from a few days to a month, often depending on external factors like customer meetings. Vendor support simplifies the process for some. Installation phases include quick setup followed by a longer testing period, influenced by factors like network advisor deployment and avoidance of erasure coding.

Scalability

IBM Spectrum Scale demonstrates impressive scalability, though some users believe it has reached its growth potential. It allows expansion by adding more storage and servers, supporting a wide range of clients from small businesses to large banks. Users highlight its robustness, unmatched by other systems like NFS or HACMP. Despite requiring substantial resources, it is praised for resilience during network interruptions, with scalability consistently rated highly across varied deployments.

Stability

IBM Spectrum Scale is generally stable, with users noting reliability and minimal issues. Upgradability presents challenges, as updates require time for each node. Despite occasional server problems, the cluster design prevents significant disruptions. Many users describe it as incredibly stable, with no turmoil experienced even with intense workloads. Ratings are high, with some users giving it a perfect score. Erasure coding could pose minor slowdowns, but stability remains strong.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our IBM Spectrum Scale Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.