IBM FlashSystem 5030 / 5100 support dates
| Milestone | Date | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Availability (FS5030 2072-3H2/3H4/V12/V24 and FS5100 2077/2078-4H4, 2078-UHB) | 6 March 2020 | Vendor-publishedLetters 120-010 (FS5030) and 120-009 (FS5100). | IBM FlashSystem 5030 LFF Control Enclosure (2072-3H2) (IBM Product lifecycle) |
| No longer available for order, Withdrawn from Market (FS5030 LFF 2072-3H2 / V12) | 9 February 2021 | Vendor-publishedLetter 921-036. | IBM FlashSystem 5030 LFF Control Enclosure (2072-3H2) (IBM Product lifecycle) |
| No longer available for order, Withdrawn from Market (FS5030 SFF 2072-3H4 / V24) | 10 April 2021 | Vendor-publishedLetter 921-036. | IBM FlashSystem 5030 SFF Control Enclosure (2072-3H4) (IBM Product lifecycle) |
| Transition to End of Support Services (IBM lifecycle wording; per AD25-1133 a change to Hardware Service Extension), FS5030 control enclosures 2072-3H2 / 3H4 / V12 / V24 | 31 December 2026 | Vendor-publishedLetter AD25-1133. All four MTM pages show this date (last updated 13-Feb-2026). | IBM FlashSystem 5030 SFF Control Enclosure (2072-3H4) (IBM Product lifecycle) |
| No longer available for order, Withdrawn from Market (FS5100 2077-4H4) | 13 April 2021 | Vendor-publishedLetter 921-038. | IBM FlashSystem 5100 NVMe Control Enclosure (2077-4H4) (IBM Product lifecycle) |
| No longer available for order, Withdrawn from Market (FS5100 2078-4H4 and 2078-UHB) | 9 October 2021 | Vendor-publishedLetter 921-038. | IBM FlashSystem 5100 NVMe Control Enclosure (2078-4H4) (IBM Product lifecycle) |
| Transition to End of Support Services (IBM lifecycle wording; per AD25-1133 a change to Hardware Service Extension), FS5100 control enclosures 2077-4H4, 2078-4H4, 2078-UHB | 31 December 2026 | Vendor-publishedLetter AD25-1133. | IBM FlashSystem 5100 NVMe Control Enclosure (2078-4H4) (IBM Product lifecycle) |
| Transition to End of Support Services (IBM lifecycle wording; per AD25-1133 a change to Hardware Service Extension), FS5100 expansion enclosures 2077/2078-12G, -24G, -92G | 31 December 2026 | Vendor-publishedLetter AD25-1133. Withdrawn from market under letter 922-043: 12-Apr-2022 for 2077-12G, 2078-12G and 2078-92G; 16-Jul-2022 for 2077-24G, 2078-24G and 2077-92G. | IBM FlashSystem 5100 SFF Expansion Enclosure (2077-24G) (IBM Product lifecycle) |
| Change of support level from standard maintenance to Hardware Service Extension, letter AD25-1133 (2072-2H2/2H4/3H2/3H4/U12/U24/V12/V24; 2077/2078-4H4; 2078-UHB; 2077/2078-12G/24G/92G) | 31 December 2026 | Vendor-publishedLetter AD25-1133, published 15 July 2025. The letter lists the 2072 entries as 'IBM FlashSystem 5030 and 5010'. It is a change of support level, not a withdrawal of all service. No end date for Hardware Service Extension is stated. | IBM AD25-1133 Change of service support level and select service withdrawals |
| Transition to End of Support Services (FlashSystem 5000 expansion enclosures 2072-12G / 24G / 92G used with the FS5030) | — | Not yet announcedSCOPE: the 2072 expansion pages (last updated 16-Feb-2026) show only a GA date of 06-Mar-2020, with no withdrawal or end-of-support date. AD25-1133 does not list 2072-12G/24G/92G. | IBM FlashSystem 5000 LFF Expansion Enclosure (2072-12G) (IBM Product lifecycle) |
Where the IBM FlashSystem 5030 / 5100 stands today
As of 8 October 2026 standard maintenance still applies. AD25-1133, published on 15 July 2025, changes the support level rather than withdrawing all service: at the end of the contract term after 31 December 2026, 'either a client's contract will autorenew at Hardware Service Extension, or a client without autorenewal provisions may renew support by purchasing Hardware Service Extension without lapse in coverage', and remote and break/fix on-site support continue. It covers the FS5030 control enclosures (2072-3H2, 3H4, V12 and V24), the FS5100 control enclosures (2077-4H4, 2078-4H4 and 2078-UHB) and the FS5100 expansions, and sets no end date for Hardware Service Extension. Both models reached general availability on 6 March 2020 and were withdrawn from market during 2021.
Because IBM dates each machine type-model separately, a mixed estate needs checking enclosure by enclosure. Read the MTM from each label, for example 2072-3H4 or 2078-4H4, search IBM Product Lifecycle, and remember IBM's note that 'Announcement letter dates are US only'. FS5100 shelves (2077/2078-12G, 24G and 92G, withdrawn from market in 2022) move with their controllers on 31 December 2026. An FS5030 shelf from the FlashSystem 5000 range (2072-12G, 24G or 92G) is not in AD25-1133, and its lifecycle page shows only a GA date of 6 March 2020, with no withdrawal or end-of-support date announced.
IBM publishes one date per machine type-model. Read the MTM from the enclosure label (for example 2072-3H4 or 2078-4H4) and search for it in IBM Product Lifecycle at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/lifecycle/. Look up every expansion enclosure separately: FS5100 2077/2078-xxG expansions move to Hardware Service Extension on 31-Dec-2026, but FS5000 2072-xxG expansions have no date. The lifecycle pages note that 'Announcement letter dates are US only'.
What still works after IBM support ends
From 31 December 2026, Hardware Service Extension is IBM's offer for these arrays, and its scope is narrow: remote and on-site break/fix only, with no new machine code, security fixes, engineering change management or preventive service. IBM's terms (Z126-8668-07, section 9.3) make on-site repair conditional on repair parts and skilled resources being available, and let IBM pull HWSE from any machine at 30 days' written notice. Neither those terms nor AD25-1133 gives an end date, maximum term or price, so those are questions for IBM.
The code ceiling is fixed. IBM's interoperability matrix (modified 7 April 2026) sets 8.2.1.7 as the minimum for both; the FS5030 (2072-3H2/3H4) tops out at 8.4.0.x with 8 GB of memory or 8.5.0.x with more than 8 GB, the FS5100 (4H4, plus FS5100F and utility models including the UHB) at 8.5.0.x, and the 2072 and 2077/2078 expansions stop short of V8.5.1. For the FS5100's Spectrum Virtualize 8.5.0 (PID 5639-SV9), IBM's lifecycle gives 'Transition to Extended/Sustained or End of Support' on 31 December 2026 and completion of extended availability on 31 December 2028. Fix Central downloads depend on warranty or an IBM hardware maintenance service agreement, subject to some exceptions.
- Code ceilings in IBM's FlashSystem 5000-family hardware interoperability matrix (modified 07-Apr-2026). FS5030 2072-3H2/3H4: minimum 8.2.1.7, maximum 8.4.0.x with 8 GB memory or 8.5.0.x with more than 8 GB. FS5100 2077/2078-4H4 and FS5100F/utility models including 2078-UHB: minimum 8.2.1.7, maximum 8.5.0.x. The 2072 and 2077/2078 expansion enclosures are not supported on V8.5.1 or later. (ibm.com)
- From 31-Dec-2026 (AD25-1133), 'these machines will no longer benefit from development of any new machine code updates, patches, or fixes (including those designed to address security), engineering change management, or preventive service.' (ibm.com)
- IBM Fix Central: 'Machine Code updates for Power Systems and System Storage are available for IBM machines that are under warranty or an IBM hardware maintenance service agreement. Some exceptions apply.' Whether these machine types are among the exceptions could not be checked without signing in. (ibm.com)
Vendor support you can still buy
- IBM Hardware Service Extension (HWSE), from 31-Dec-2026 — Per AD25-1133, contracts autorenew at HWSE, or HWSE can be bought without a lapse. It provides remote and on-site break/fix only, with no new machine code, security fixes, engineering change management or preventive service. No end date is stated, and IBM may withdraw HWSE on 30 days' notice (terms Z126-8668-07 s.9.3). Confirm price and availability with IBM. (ibm.com)
What a maintenance contract needs to cover on the IBM FlashSystem 5030 / 5100
Both arrays are single 2U enclosures, with different internals. The FS5030 has two node canisters with a six-core processor each and 32 GB of cache (16 GB per canister), optionally 64 GB, which deduplication and compression require. It holds 12 x 3.5-inch LFF SAS drives (3H2) or 24 x 2.5-inch SFF SAS drives (3H4), runs on 100-240 V AC or -48 V DC supplies, and has 10 Gb copper iSCSI as standard, with optional 16 Gb FC, 12 Gb SAS, 10 Gb optical or 25 Gb iSCSI, plus a 12 Gb SAS expansion port.
The FS5100 is an NVMe system: each of its two canisters has an 8-core processor with hardware compression acceleration, cache is 64 GB as standard (32 GB per canister) or 192-576 GB per system as an option, and it takes up to 24 x 2.5-inch NVMe drives, whether FlashCore Modules, NVMe SSDs or SCM. Eight 10 GbE iSCSI ports are standard, with optional 16/32 Gb FC with FC-NVMe and 25 GbE iSCSI/iSER; its SAS expansions are the 2U 12G and 24G and the 5U 92G, and the 2078-UHB matches the 4H4 physically and functionally. Each enclosure's MTM, cache, drives and host cards feed storage and SAN maintenance or the maintenance coverage builder.
| Specification | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | FlashSystem 5010, 5030 and 5100 are each a single 2U enclosure. The FS5100 control enclosure is a 2U 19-inch rack-mount unit. | redbooks.ibm.com |
| FS5030 controllers / cache | Two node canisters, each with a six-core processor. 32 GB cache (16 GB per canister), optionally 64 GB. Deduplication and compression require 64 GB. | redbooks.ibm.com |
| FS5030 drive bays / power / ports | 12 x 3.5-inch LFF SAS slots (3H2) or 24 x 2.5-inch SFF SAS slots (3H4). 100-240 V AC or -48 V DC supplies. 10 Gb iSCSI (copper) standard; optional 16 Gb FC, 12 Gb SAS, 10 Gb optical or 25 Gb iSCSI. 12 Gb SAS expansion port. | redbooks.ibm.com |
| FS5100 controllers / cache | Two node canisters, each with an 8-core processor and hardware compression acceleration. 64 GB cache standard (32 GB per canister), optionally 192-576 GB per system. | redbooks.ibm.com |
| FS5100 drives / protocols | Up to 24 x 2.5-inch NVMe drives (FlashCore Modules, NVMe SSDs or SCM). Eight 10 GbE iSCSI ports standard. Optional 16/32 Gb FC with FC-NVMe and 25 GbE iSCSI/iSER. | redbooks.ibm.com |
| FS5100 expansion | Model 4H4 attaches 12G (2U, 12-drive), 24G (2U, 24-drive) and 92G (5U, 92-drive) SAS expansions. Intermix with existing Storwize V5000/V5100 12F/24F/92F expansions is supported. The 2078-UHB utility model is physically and functionally identical to the 4H4. | redbooks.ibm.com |
Extend or refresh the IBM FlashSystem 5030 / 5100?
Until 31 December 2026 the arrays remain on IBM standard maintenance, the window in which to settle on a final code level. After that, keeping an FS5030 or FS5100 is reasonable for workloads that can stay on 8.5.0.x (8.4.0.x on an FS5030 with 8 GB of memory) without further security fixes. The choice is then IBM's HWSE, on the conditions set out above, or third-party hardware break-fix support, which usually covers diagnosis, replacement parts and engineers but does not produce new IBM code.
Refresh is the better course where the arrays hold data that needs continuing security patches. IBM names the FlashSystem 5015 and 5045 (4680-2P2, 2P4, 3P2 and 3P4) as the 'Recommended replacement' for the FS5030, and the FlashSystem 5300 (4662-7H2) for the FS5100; IBM's lifecycle page for the FS5300, last revised on 2 March 2026, gives its withdrawal from market as 30 June 2026, so check IBM's current range before settling on it.
- IBM's lifecycle entry for 'IBM Spectrum Virtualize Software for FlashSystem 5100' version 8.5.0 (PID 5639-SV9): withdrawn from market 12-Aug-2025; 'Transition to Extended/Sustained or End of Support' 31-Dec-2026; 'Completion of Extended, Sustained, Extension availability' 31-Dec-2028. 8.5.0.x is the highest code the FS5100 accepts. No FS5030-specific Spectrum Virtualize lifecycle entry was found. (ibm.com)
- Per AD25-1133, at the end of the contract term after 31-Dec-2026, 'either a client's contract will autorenew at Hardware Service Extension, or a client without autorenewal provisions may renew support by purchasing Hardware Service Extension without lapse in coverage'. Remote and break/fix on-site support continue. (ibm.com)
- IBM's TLS terms (Z126-8668-07, section 9.3 'Hardware Service Extension') say on-site repair is 'subject to the availability of repair parts and skilled resources', and that IBM 'may withdraw HWSE for any Machine on 30 days' written notice'. (ibm.com)
- For the FS5100, IBM's lifecycle pages name FlashSystem 5300 (4662-7H2) as 'Recommended replacement'. The FS5300's own lifecycle page (last updated 02-Mar-2026) shows it withdrawn from market on 30-Jun-2026. (ibm.com)
- SCOPE: an FS5030 shelf (2072-12G/24G/92G FlashSystem 5000 expansion) has no IBM end-of-support date, while the FS5030 controller moves to Hardware Service Extension on 31-Dec-2026. A mixed estate needs dates per enclosure. (ibm.com)
Keep your IBM FlashSystem 5030 / 5100 covered
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Related models
By product line, the FS5030 and FS5100 come after the Storwize V5000 Gen2, V5000E and V5100, an inference from the line rather than an IBM statement. Shelves are where the lines meet in practice: according to IBM's Redbook, an FS5100 Model 4H4 can run existing Storwize V5000 and V5100 12F, 24F and 92F expansions alongside its own, which matters to owners of the Storwize V5000 Gen2 weighing a move that keeps their drawers. The Storwize V7000 Gen2 and Gen2+ are covered separately in this series.
- IBM Storwize V5000 Gen2 (V5010 / V5020 / V5030) end of lifePast the vendor’s last date of support
- IBM Storwize V7000 Gen2 / Gen2+ end of lifePast the vendor’s last date of support
Look up another model in the storage end-of-life checker, or read what third-party maintenance covers.
Questions people ask about the IBM FlashSystem 5030 / 5100
When does IBM support end for the FlashSystem 5100?
IBM letter AD25-1133 moves the FS5100 control enclosures (2077-4H4, 2078-4H4 and 2078-UHB) and their 12G, 24G and 92G expansions from standard maintenance to Hardware Service Extension on 31 December 2026. IBM's lifecycle pages call that date 'Transition to End of Support Services'. Until then standard maintenance applies.
What happens to a FlashSystem 5030 after 31 December 2026?
Its control enclosures move to Hardware Service Extension: a contract autorenews at that level, or a client without autorenewal provisions can buy it without a lapse in coverage, and remote and on-site break/fix continue. From then IBM develops no new machine code, patches or fixes for them, security fixes among them, and it may withdraw HWSE on 30 days' written notice.
Do FS5030 expansion enclosures have an end-of-support date?
IBM has not announced one. The FlashSystem 5000 expansions used with the FS5030 (2072-12G, 24G and 92G) are not listed in AD25-1133, and their lifecycle pages show only a GA date of 6 March 2020. Check each shelf's MTM separately from the controller's.
What is the highest code a FlashSystem 5100 can run?
IBM's interoperability matrix gives 8.5.0.x as the maximum for the FS5100, with 8.2.1.7 as the minimum. IBM's lifecycle for the FS5100's Spectrum Virtualize 8.5.0 shows 'Transition to Extended/Sustained or End of Support' on 31 December 2026 and completion of extended availability on 31 December 2028.
What replaced the FlashSystem 5030 and 5100?
For the FS5030, IBM's lifecycle pages name the FlashSystem 5015 and 5045 (4680-2P2, 2P4, 3P2 and 3P4); for the FS5100, the FlashSystem 5300 (4662-7H2). According to its lifecycle page, the FS5300 was itself withdrawn from market on 30 June 2026.
Sources
Every date, rule and specification above was checked against these on 8 October 2026 by an independent verification pass. Vendors revise lifecycle notices; this page is re-checked by 8 January 2027.
- IBM FlashSystem 5030 LFF Control Enclosure (2072-3H2) (IBM Product lifecycle) — ibm.com
- IBM FlashSystem 5030 SFF Control Enclosure (2072-3H4) (IBM Product lifecycle) — ibm.com
- IBM FlashSystem 5100 NVMe Control Enclosure (2077-4H4) (IBM Product lifecycle) — ibm.com
- IBM FlashSystem 5100 NVMe Control Enclosure (2078-4H4) (IBM Product lifecycle) — ibm.com
- IBM FlashSystem 5100 SFF Expansion Enclosure (2077-24G) (IBM Product lifecycle) — ibm.com
- IBM AD25-1133 Change of service support level and select service withdrawals — ibm.com
- IBM FlashSystem 5000 LFF Expansion Enclosure (2072-12G) (IBM Product lifecycle) — ibm.com
- ibm.com — ibm.com
- ibm.com — ibm.com
- redbooks.ibm.com — redbooks.ibm.com
- redbooks.ibm.com — redbooks.ibm.com
- ibm.com — ibm.com
- ibm.com — ibm.com
- ibm.com — ibm.com
- ibm.com — ibm.com
Last reviewed 7 October 2026. Lifecycle dates for the IBM FlashSystem 5030 / 5100 are re-verified against IBM's own notices at each review; a date a vendor has not published is never filled in.