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Introduction to SAN

H41BQAAE

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

    Course ID

    H41BQAAE

    Duration

    2 days

    Format

    eLearning

    Overview

    This course is designed for new or entry-level SAN administrators, offering an overview of general SAN technologies. It provides a comprehensive understanding of everyday administration within an HPE SAN solution, covering a broad range of technologies and concepts such as Fibre Channel (FC), iSCSI, and NVMe-oF. It discusses basics and building blocks of FC and IP-SAN, as well as the role of SAN-enabled hosts and disk targets. Other topics include SAN management, basic SAN security, and performance aspects of SAN as well as a long-distance connectivity overview.

    NOTE: Introduction to SAN eLearning has two components and provides options normally unavailable with an instructor-led course:

    • 1. You have a year of access to the eLearning portion of the training so that you may repeat sections for reinforcement. Take this training at your own pace and on your own schedule.
    • 2. Hands-on practice through HPE Virtual Labs (HPE vLabs) You have two consecutive days of access to HPE Virtual Labs to run the labs associated with this course.

    Course ID

    H41BQAAE

    Duration

    2 days

    Format

    eLearning

    Audience

    This course is ideal for new or entry-level technical professionals seeking a learning path that includes conceptual knowledge of SAN technologies.

    Prerequisites

    Before attending this course, you should have:

    • Basic technical understanding of concepts and terminology related to networking and storage
    • Basic experience in managing Windows systems

    Objectives

    • After completing this course, you should be able to: Define a storage area network (SAN)
    • Describe SAN benefits
    • Discuss data access methods
    • Identify SAN hardware components
    • Describe HPE Storage Networking elements and benefits
    • Recall the format of a WWN
    • Explain Fibre Channel (FC) terminology and port types
    • Describe FC topologies
    • Identify FC addressing
    • List the steps for port initialization
    • Identify the node and port types
    • Describe the role of Simple Name Service
    • Describe concepts associated with zoning
    • Explain the data center bridging (DCB) standard
    • Describe the Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) standard
    • Discuss the Non-Volatile Memory Express over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) standard, types, and building blocks
    • Discuss host connectivity
    • Discuss N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) support and products based on it
    • Explain the function of multipathing and load balancing
    • Discuss the need for SAN management
    • Discuss technologies driving SAN management
    • Describe HPE SAN management today
    • Discuss SAN extension technologies and implementations
    • Explain the use and effects of buffer (BB) credits on distance and speed
    • Describe approaches to planning security in a SAN
    • Outline the core components for securing a SAN
    • Outline topology choices and design considerations
    • Describe SAN performance factors
    • Identify levels of high availability in SAN architecture
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    Course outline

    Module 0: Course Overview


    • Course topics

    Module 1: SAN Introduction

    • What is a SAN?
    • HPE Storage Networking: Enables systems for critical workloads
    • Business continuance
    • High availability
    • Server and storage consolidation
    • Centralized management
    • Basic methods of storage connectivity
    • SAN considerations
    • DAS versus NAS versus SAN
    • SAN components
    • HPE Storage Networking: Hardware positioning
    • Fibre Channel and Ethernet—Decoded and positioned

    Module 2: Fibre Channel

    • Fibre channel introduction
    • World Wide Name (WWN)
    • Nodes, ports, and links
    • SAN topologies
    • Fibre Channel port types
    • Fibre Channel addressing
    • Basic Fibre Channel services –Simple Name Service –Zoning
    • Fabric segmentation
    • Fibre Channel networking products portfolios

    Module 3: iSCSI

    • Overview of iSCSI protocol
    • iSCSI maps SCSI onto a network
    • iSCSI stack
    • iSCSI initiators
    • iSCSI target discovery
    • iSCSI operations
    • iSCSI authentication
    • Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS)
    • iSCSI advantages and disadvantages
    • M-series switches

    Module 4: Module Title

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    Module 5: NVMe-oF

    • Data center bridging (DCB)
      • Data Center Bridging vs other technologies
      • Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA)
    • Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
      • FCoE integrated with FC SAN fabric
      • FCoE encapsulation
      • Converged network adapters
    • Non-Volatile Memory Express over Fabrics (NVMe-oF)
      • What is NVME?
      • Why NVMe over fabrics
      • NVMe based storage end-to-end
      • NVMe over the network-Fabric transport options
      • Deciding between the NVMe-oF options

    Module 5: Host

    • Host role within the SAN
    • Host and adapters
    • N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) overview
    • HPE Virtual Connect
    • Boot from SAN
    • Host preparation and install
    • Multipath concepts and load balancing

    Module 6: SAN Management

    • SAN management categories
    • B-series SAN management interfaces and tools
      • Web tools
      • SANnav management software
      • C-Series/Cisco Data Center Network Manager
      • HPE GreenLake for Storage Fabric Management
    • Management protocols and APIs
    • Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
    • REST(ful) AP

    Module 7: Long Distance Connectivity

    • Why extend the SAN?
    • SAN extension technologies
    • Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) options
    • Fibre Channel over SONET/SDH
    • Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP)
    • IP network considerations
    • FCIP security and encryption
    • Buffer-to-buffer flow control

    Module 8: SAN Security

    • Basic security model
    • Attacks and exposures
    • Mitigation of risk
    • Storage security model
      • Data access
      • Management security
    • B-Series fabric security access control lists
      • SCC
      • DCC
      • FCS
      • IP Filter
    • B-Series role-based access control (RBAC)
    • B-Series authentication options
    • Data path and management path security summary

    Module 9: SAN Design

    • Topologies
      • HPE standard supported SAN topologies
      • Design using HPE supported SAN topologies
        • Single-switch fabric
        • Cascaded fabric
        • Ring fabric
        • Meshed fabric
        • Core-edge fabric
    • Performance
      • Topology data access usage
      • ISL oversubscription
      • ISL bandwidth aggregation
      • Hop latency
      • Device attachment points
      • Performance guidelines within the SAN
      • Backup performance considerations
    • Availability levels
    • Single Point of Connectivity Knowledge
    • HPE SAN Design Reference Guide
    • Infrastructure documentation

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    Explore our simplified purchase options, including HPE Education Services – Learning Credits.

    Lab outline

    Lab 2: Switch Exploration

    • Connecting to a fabric switch using Web Tools
    • Exploring main Web Tools sections
    • CLI basics
    • Basic switch status commands
    • Viewing port status
    • Enabling/disabling the switch
    • Enabling/disabling a port
    • Changing the switch Domain ID
    • Backing up system configuration setting

    Lab 3: Nimble-based iSCSI Configuration

    • Provisioning storage
    • Presenting storage
    • Connecting to a volume
    • Windows preparation and mounting the volume

    Lab 4: Administration and Configuration

    • Identifying port types
    • Viewing port configuration
    • Persistent port disabling
    • Configuring a port name
    • Denying F-port mode

    Lab 5: Host Preparation and Storage Allocation

    • HBA management via QConverge Console CLI
    • Host verification in SSMC
    • Volume provisioning
    • Disk discovery

    Lab 6: Fabric Zoning

    • Clearing the zoning configurations
    • Setting default zone
    • Configuring WWN zoning via CLI and Web Tools

    Lab 8: Basic Security Administration and Configuration

    • Creating user accounts
    • Working with user privileges
    • Testing the effect of RBAC

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