Implementing Cisco Storage Solutions Power Workshop (ICSSPW)

Customer Employee Channel Partners/Resellers

In order to fully benefit from this course, the learner is expected to have previously obtained a basic understanding of data storage hardware components and protocols, including SCSI and Fibre Channel.

Given a detailed Fibre Channel SAN design specification, the learner will be able to implement a SAN with multiple virtual fabrics using the full range of features and capabilities provided by the Cisco MDS platform, so that the SAN demonstrates high availability, scalability, performance, and interoperability. Given a detailed set of Fibre Channel SAN requirements, the learner will be able to configure and troubleshoot several FC-SAN fabric features for example: manage the switch Domain IDs, FCIDs and Zonesets, control and tune Build Fabrics, Fabric Reconfiguration and Fabric Zoneset Merge parameters, enable Inter-VSAN routing, enable MDS interoperability mode of operation, deploy fabric management infrastructure, enable performance management and security services on the Cisco MDS platform.

Given a set of performance parameters, the learner will be able to properly configure FC traffic engineering features: FSPF routing equal cost multipathing, load balancing features, rate limiting, Fibre Channel Congestion Control (FCC) and QoS features available on the MDS switches.

Learner will learn the MDS internal generation 1 and generation 2 line card and MDS architecture along with the Virtual Output Queues implemenatation, the foundation of the MDS non-blocking internal architecture. This provides the learner with the ability to properly provision the fabric bandwidth offered by FC ports, FCIP tunnels and iSCSI portals.

Given a set of observable symptoms on a Fibre Channel SAN, the learner will be able to diagnose and correct software configuration issues and inoperable hardware components, so that the problems are resolved with minimal disruption to the SAN environment. The learner will be able to setup performance statistics and analysis using SPAN/RSPAN, PAA, Traffica anlyzer, Performance Manager, Syslog, Accounting, SNMP, RMON and Callhome features. Several troubleshooting scenarios will be discussed throughout this course in order to be able to troubleshoot the SAN from the physical up to the application layer. Given a set of requirements for an FCIP and iSCSI implementation, the learner will be able to identify and configure the appropriate FCIP and iSCSI features to meet the SAN requirements.

This course enables the student to implement advanced Cisco MDS 9000 technologies and features that apply primarily to enterprise SANs, and troubleshoot common SAN problems and configuration errors. This course merges ICSNS and IASNS, including updates for SAN-OS 3.0. SAN-OS 3.2 features are not discussed here.

The course outline is as follows:

Module 1: MDS Plaftofrm Overview

Module 2: Implementing Virtual Fabrics and IVR Services Module 3: Implementing Management and Security Services Module 4: MDS SAN Traffic Engineering Features Module 5: Implementing FCIP

Module 6: Advanced Troubleshooting Features and Scenarios

Appendix FC Protocol Implementing iSCSI