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Designing Cisco Storage Networking Solutions (DCSNS) v3.2 5 Days Lecture/lab
Course outline

Module 1: MDS 9000 Platform Overview

Lesson 1: MDS 9000 Platform Components

  • The MDS 9000 Platform
  • MDS 9000 Supervisor Modules
  • Oversubscription
  • MDS 9000 Modules
  • Installation Guidelines
  • Configuring Power Supplies

Lesson 2: Intelligent Network Services

  • VSAN Overview
  • DPVM Overview
  • Multiprotocol Support
  • High Availability Features
  • Traffic Engineering Features
  • Security Features

Lesson 3: Integrated Management

  • Command Line Interface
  • Cisco Fabric Manager
  • Cisco Device Manager
  • Fabric Manager Server
  • Performance Manager and Traffic Analyzer
  • License Packages

Lesson 4: Initial Switch Configuration

  • System Memory Areas
  • Boot Sequence
  • Initial Setup
  • Installing Fabric Manager

Lesson 5: System Architecture

  • Crossbar and Supervisor Module Architecture
  • MDS Line Card Module Architectures
  • Virtual Output Queues
  • Port Bandwidth Reservation
  • Exercise: Selecting the Optimum Line Card

Module 2: Designing SAN Fabrics

Lesson 1: SAN Design Overview

  • The SAN Design Methodology
  • Small and Midrange Deployments
  • Enterprise Data Center Deployments

Lesson 2: Application Architecture

  • Application Architecture Tiers
  • Presentation Tier Design
  • Application Tier Design
  • Storage Tier Design
  • High-Performance Computing

Lesson 3: Designing Host Connectivity

  • Applications and Latency
  • Measuring IOPS
  • Host I/O Throughput
  • Selecting the Optimum Port Type
  • Exercise: Calculating Host I/O Requirements

Lesson 4: Designing Storage Connectivity

  • Array Architecture Overview
  • RAID Overview
  • Selecting the Optimum Port Type
  • LUN Masking on the Array
  • LUN Mapping on the Host
  • Single Initiator Zoning
  • LUN Zoning
  • SAN Device Virtualization
  • RSCN Issues

Lesson 5: Building the SAN

  • Fabric Design Considerations
  • Collapsed Core Architecture
  • Core-Edge Fabrics
  • PortChannels
  • Selecting the Correct Switch Port Type

Lesson 6: Redundant Fabric Design

  • Redundancy and High Availability
  • Redundant Fabrics
  • Load Balancing Methods
  • Calculating Throughput
  • Restricted Bandwidth
  • Virtual Fabrics

Lesson 7: Simplifying Device Management

  • FCID Assignment
  • Distributed Device Alias Services
  • CFS Infrastructure

Module 3: Consolidating Storage in the Data Center

Lesson 1: Consolidating Storage in the Data Center

  • The Benefits of Consolidation
  • Server Virtualization
  • Network Consolidation
  • Storage Consolidation
  • Storage Virtualization
  • FAIS Overview
  • Snapshots and Replication
  • Array Based Replication
  • SANTap Overview
  • Backup Overview
  • NASB Overview

Lesson 2: Designing Interoperable SANs

  • Interoperability Modes
  • MultiVendor SANs
  • Data Migration
  • Migrating from Brocade and McDATA Fabrics

Lesson 3: iSCSI Host Usage

  • Addressing Midrange Application Requirements
  • iSCSI Overview
  • iSCSI Performance
  • When to Deploy iSCSI
  • Native iSCSI Deployment
  • iSCSI Gateways
  • iSCSI Gateway Function
  • MDS 9000 iSCSI Options
  • MDS 9000 iSCSI High-Availability

Module 4: Securing the SAN

Lesson 1: Securing the SAN Fabric

  • Discussion: How Secure is a SAN?
  • Loss of Privacy
  • AAA Overview
  • SAN Vulnerabilities-Data Theft and Integrity
  • Zoning Overview
  • LUN Masking and LUN Zoning
  • Impersonation
  • Denial of Service

Module 5: Designing SAN Extension Solutions

Lesson 1: Analyzing Business Objectives

  • RTO and RPO
  • Recovery Methods
  • Synchronous and Asynchronous Replication
  • The RDBMS Recovery process
  • Latency and Distance Limitations
  • Snapshots and Continuous Data Protection

Lesson 2: Connecting SANs with Optical Networks

  • Dark Fiber
  • DWDM
  • CWDM
  • SONET and SDH
  • ONS 15454 MSTP

Lesson 3: Connecting SANs with IP Networks

  • FCIP Protocol Overview
  • FCIP Specifications
  • FCIP Topologies
  • Comparing SAN Extension Solutions
  • Exercise: Selecting an Appropriate Platform

Lesson 4: Improving Performance, Availability, and Security

  • Protecting Remote SANs with IVR
  • Planning for High Availability
  • High Availability Solutions
  • Performance Overview
  • Buffer Credit Overview
  • Credits and Buffers
  • Exercise: Calculating Buffer Credits
  • FC Write Acceleration
  • TCP Performance Tuning
  • Encrypting Data
  • FCIP Write Acceleration
  • FCIP Tape Acceleration
  • FCIP Tape Read Acceleration
  • FCIP Compression
  • Encrypting Data in Transit
  • Exercise: Calculating WAN Throughput

Appendix A: SCSI Overview

  • SCSI Protocol
  • SCSI Addressing
  • SCSI Architecture Model
  • SCSI Commands
  • Building an I/O Request
  • Error Handling

Appendix B: Fibre Channel Overview

  • Fibre Channel Topologies
  • Fibre Channel Ports
  • Cisco MDS Ports
  • FC Layers
  • FC Frame Structure
  • FC Data Constructs
  • FC Flow Control
  • Allocating Buffer Credits
  • FC Addressing
  • Fibre Channel Login
  • Zoning Overview
  • Fabric Services
  • Well-Known Addresses
  • FSPF Routing
  • FC Error Handling

Appendix C: MDS 9000 Hardware Installation Reference

  • Installation Guidelines
  • Cabinet and Rack Options
  • Configuring Power Supplies
  • Installing Fan Modules
  • Supervisor and Line Card Modules Installation
Course labs

Lab 1-1: Initial Switch Configuration
Lab 1-2: Accessing Fibre Channel-Attached Disks
Case Study 2-1: Designing a Fibre Channel SAN
Case Study 3-1: Designing an Enterprise SAN
Lab 5-1: Configuring High-Availability SAN Extension
Lab 5-2: Configuring IVR for SAN Extension
Case Study 5-1: Designing SAN Extension Solutions


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