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My NS0-504 Study Notes – 2 SCALABLE SAN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN CREATION

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2. SCALABLE SAN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN CREATION

2.1 Verify and plan for dual power feeds for all components.

  • DUAL is the key word
    • Dual Feeds
    • Dual PDUs
    • Dual Power Supplies
  • Controllers and shelves all have dual power supplies. Power should be plugged into A and B circuits. Each leg of power should be able to handle the load of the entire environment (N+N)
  • Refer to Site Requirements Guide for more information, and power/temp specs.
  • Verify that Controllers/Shelves were ordered with the proper plug style for your nation/voltage/outlet.  (For example NEMA L5-20  vs IEC c13-c14. See common cable types here. )

2.2 Be able to create cabinet diagrams or be able to read and interpret a cabinet diagram. Diagrams should include the cabinet’s storage systems and switches with all connections shown.

  • Core info
    • Rack Location
    • Cabinet U positions of servers
    • Switch Placement
  • Utilize Visio or NetApp Synergy to mock of the layout and available space.
  • If they show exact ports to exact switches, keep an eye on what may be trunked, that FC isnt plugged into the wrong ports, etc.

 

2.3 Create a connectivity diagram. Be able to read and interpret a connectivity diagram.

  • Fibre Channel
    • Port names/Locations
      • Initiator vs Target port setting
      • FC vs UTA
    • FC Switch port connectivity
      • WWPN
      • Port Locations
      • Host name, Zone name, Aliases
  • IP
    • Switch name / port
    • VLANs
    • Trunks / LACP
    • VIF names
  • See section 3 for more detailed information

 

2.4 Plan storage controller configuration.

  •  Important details
    • Cluster naming, automatic node names vs manually “renamed”
    • SVMs youll need, protocols they will use
    • DNS Server, default domains

2.5 Plan host configuration.

  • Protocols needed?
  • Multipathing software installed?
  • Snapdrive and Host Utilities installed (FC or iSCSI)?
  • Verify paths
  • HBAnywhere (Emulex) or SANsurfer (Qlogic) for FC installed?

2.6 Create a Snapshot plan.

  • What’s the customers RPO (Recovery Point Objective)?
    • It is the maximum tolerable period in which data might be lost from an IT service due to a major incident. The RPO gives systems designers a limit to work to. (Wikipedia)
  • What’s the customers RTO (Recovery Time Objective)?
    • The targeted duration of time and a service level within which a business process must be restored after a disaster (or disruption) in order to avoid unacceptable consequences associated with a break in business continuity. (Wikipedia)
  • Expected Space Reservations needed?
    • What’s the expected rate of change?  Plan for the needed space withing the volumes for this X the number of snapshots

 

2.7 Plan Ethernet switch configuration.

  • Remember- at least 2 different types of switches
    • Management
      • Flat lights out management switch config. Single vlan. (See section 3 for example)
    • Cluster Interconnect
      • These have specific configurations based on the number of cluster nodes. (See section 3 for example)
    • Data (management may be on these normal switches)
      • VLANs needed?  Any routing?
        • iSCSI
        • NFS
        • Management / iLO?
        • User desktops
        • Servers (Web/App/DB tiers)
      • MTU?
        • Jumbo: 9000 MTU?  (needed for FCoE)
        • Normal: 1500 MTU?
      • QoS?

 

2.8 Plan zoning configuration.

2.9 Plan iSCSI configuration.

  •  Gather all IQNs, which iGroups will they belong to?
  • Add multiple IP addresses, one for each LIF to the discovery and static bindings
  • Enable MCS (Multiple Connections per Session)
  • iSCSI boot from SAN needed? (May influence dynamic vs static persistence in iSCSI discovery, and also host LUN IDs used)
  • Use VLANs to ISOLATE Traffic!
  • CHAP or IPSEC needed?

 

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