Test 000-087: IBM System x Technical Expert V6

1. Evaluate and Establish Customer Environment and Plans

1. Evaluate and document current customer environment (i.e. equipment, software, staff usage, satisfaction, need for change and growth) including power, network, storage, SAN, back up, and rack space
2. Describe System x and BladeCenter family, features, architectural advantages relevant to customer environment and plans. Contrast with current customer environment and competitive offerings at a level consistent with the customer audience. These features include:
   1. Current and commonly occurring previous versions of BladeCente, Intelligent Cluster, iDataPlex, and System x
   2. Current and commonly occurring previous competitive x86 and Unix servers
   3. Related software and middleware
   4. Energy efficiency (i.e. power consumption, cooling)
   5. Consolidation and virtualization
   6. Storage products and storage management options including backup procedures
   7. I/O options
   8. Systems management
   9. Third party products
   10. Memory configurations for best performance or price
   11. Internal BladeCenter and System x architecture
   12. Current customer network and storage switch infrastructure
3. Competitive issues
4. Solve customer business problems using tools, methods, resources and processes including:
   1. Benchmarks
   2. Capacity planning tools
   3. Financial modeling tools
   4. Consolidation tools
   5. TechLine
   6. Physical planning tools
   7. Configuration tools

2. Solution Elements

1. Describe virtualization and relate to customer requirements including VMware, Xen, and HyperV. Discuss options and advise customer.
2. Describe networking concepts and apply to customer requirements, including adapting to existing networks. Describe devices, and typical implementations. Perform basic design, basic integration, and limited implementation. Relate virtual networking to physical networking.
3. Describe Storage Subsystems, plan implementation, and guide installation. Relate IBM storage offerings with typically encountered competitive and previous IBM devices. Advise customers which IBM Storage solutions best meet their requirements.
4. Discuss SAP, Oracle and other specific solutions and relate to customer requirements. Identify resources required for detailed configuration and implementation.

4. Installation and Post Install Support

1. Network and storage switch configuration
2. Describe tuning options for best performance
3. Review and establish customer support plan
4. Ensure implementation plan is executed per requirements, and the customer expectations have been met

3. Apply Information / Installation Planning / Migration Considerations

1. Create an accurate solution including hardware, software, and services based upon the needs and expectations of the customer.
2. Identify areas of risk related to the implementation plan. Discuss these with the customer, Business Partner, the IBM team, and other relevant parties.
3. Create an implementation plan with the customer considering:
   1. Server consolidation tools (i.e. - CDAT (has this been replaced?), Capacity Planner, TCO Studies, Alinean)
   2. Operating system installation - Server Proven
   3. Use of typical tools (i.e. - COG)
   4. Chassis management tools (AMM, IMM)
   5. Planning issues (i.e. HVAC, Security, Networking, Operations, Storage, space, power and cooling, skills assessment and education, TDA when used)
   6. System, network and storage management tools (i.e. Blade Open Fabric Manager (BOFM), Systems Director, Tivoli, VMware, etc.) Discuss typical tools, and have experience implementing selected features.
   7. Data or SAN migration
   8. Change and configuration management

1. Describe virtualization and relate to customer requirements including VMware, Xen, and HyperV. Discuss options and advise customer.
2. Describe networking concepts and apply to customer requirements, including adapting to existing networks. Describe devices, and typical implementations. Perform basic design, basic integration, and limited implementation. Relate virtual networking to physical networking.
3. Describe Storage Subsystems, plan implementation, and guide installation. Relate IBM storage offerings with typically encountered competitive and previous IBM devices. Advise customers which IBM Storage solutions best meet their requirements.
4. Discuss SAP, Oracle and other specific solutions and relate to customer requirements. Identify resources required for detailed configuration and implementation.