10.1 Easy Tier 10.1.1 Easy Tier concepts IBM Spectrum Virtualize includes the IBM System Storage Easy Tier function. It enables  automated subvolume data placement throughout different storage tiers, and automatically  moves extents within the same storage tier to intelligently align the system with current  workload requirements. It also optimizes the use of Flash drives or flash arrays. Many applications exhibit a significant skew in the distribution of I/O workload: a small fraction  of the storage is responsible for a disproportionately large fraction of the total I/O workload of  an environment.  Easy Tier acts to identify this skew and to automatically place data to take advantage of it. By  moving the “hottest” data onto the fastest tier of storage, the workload on the remainder of the  storage is significantly reduced. By servicing most of the application workload from the fastest  storage, Easy Tier acts to accelerate application performance, and increase overall server  utilization. This can reduce costs in servers and application licenses.  Note:  Easy Tier is a licensed function, but it is included in base code. No actions are  required to activate the Easy Tier license on IBM Storwize V7000. Easy Tier is a performance optimization function that automatically migrates (or moves)  extents that belong to a volume between different storage tiers, based on their I/O load.  Movement of the extents is online and unnoticed from the host point of view. As a result of  extent movement, the volume no longer has all its data in one tier, but rather in two or three  tiers, and each tier provides optimal performance for the extent, as shown in Figure 10-1.  Easy Tier monitors the I/O activity and latency of the extents on all Easy Tier enabled storage  pools. Based on the performance log, it creates an extent migration plan and  promotes (moves) high activity or hot extents to a higher disk tier within the same storage pool. It also  demotes  extents whose activity dropped off, or cooled, by moving them from a higher disk tier  MDisk back to a lower tier MDisk.  Figure 10-1 Easy Tier 404  Implementing the IBM Storwize V7000 with IBM Spectrum Virtualize V8.2.1