Course Overview
Storage Networking Fundamentals is a comprehensive overview of storage technologies that also provides insights on designing and running SAN and NAS implementations. Storage networking has become an essential ingredient in Internet information infrastructures. Becoming competent in this new and important technology area requires a sound understanding of storage technologies and principles. Storage Networking Fundamentals gives you an in-depth look into the most important storage technologies.
Course Content
Overview of the Storage Market
- Overview of the storage marketplace
- Information strategies and their impact on business
- IT strategies to address scalability, performance, availability and management
- Applications that are driving the need for a storage strategy
- Value propositions of network storage strategies to achieve TCO and ROI goals and objectives
Introduction to Storage Area Networking (SAN)
- Strengths and weaknesses of Direct Attached Storage (DAS)
- Alternatives for storage architectures - SAN and NAS technologies
- Components that make up SAN customer solutions
- Companies that shape the network storage marketplace
Fiber Channel for Network Storage Architectures
- Overview of Fiber Channel technology (features, benefits and value propositions)
- Addressing the relationship of Fiber Channel to network storage (SAN and NAS)
- Historical perspective and current market requirements for various Fiber Channel topologies (Pt to Pt, Loop, Switch)
- Fiber Channel topology choices addressing strength and limitation of each approach
- Mapping customer objectives to different Fiber Channel architectures
- Configuration alternatives with various network storage components (cable plants, connector types, HBAs, hubs, switches, bridges, gateways, management)
- SAN component purchase criteria
- Alternatives for SAN today and the future (FC, iSCSI, InfiniBand)
SAN Applications & Enterprise Strategies
- The key SAN `Killer Applications` and their value propositions
- Specific SAN Applications for various line of business segments
- Economic value [TCO, ROI techniques] of SAN solutions
- Understanding how to exploit new opportunities in the global marketplace
- Marketplace success stories - through network storage implementations
- Overview of how SANs integrate with LAN/MAN/WAN network models
- Case Studies of customer environments
Consulting and Best Practices Techniques
- Best Practices considerations for success with SAN
- Life cycle management of SAN success (assessment, design, test, deployment, maintenance)
- Criteria to evaluate SAN products from various competitors
Planning for SAN and Future Directions
- The state of the SAN industry today
- Industry organizations for Fiber Channel and SAN standards, support and promotion
- The state SAN interoperability and other issues with SAN environments
- The future directions and roadmap for Fiber Channel and SAN technologies