Test 113: IBM Systems Storage Solution Design Entry/Midrange for DS series v1

1. Requirements Analysis

1. Identify customers IT hardware, application and services requirements
2. Identify customer's environmental/physical requirements
3. Understand the impact of disk-drive technology, RAID levels and disk configuration in a current customer's environment (host types, OSes, applications) and how they meet customer expectations for capacity, performance and RAS
4. Evaluate the customer's strategic plans for migration, tiering and consolidation
5. Evaluate the customer's current capacity and environment, including identification of currently installed products and vendors
6. Determine the current and future disk requirements of applications related to performance, capacity, availability, scalability, connectivity and business continuance
7. Determine the current and future disk requirements in regards to infrastructure, RAID, virtualization, partitioning and interfacing solution that will meet the customer needs
8. Understand the customers copy service requirements
9. Understand the customers performance requirements

2. Storage Architecture

1. Identify hardware features and functions of each of the DS3000 series products
2. Identify hardware features and functions of each of the DS4000 series products
3. Identify hardware features and functions of each of the DS5000 series products
4. Understand interoperability in a multi-vendor SAN environment
5. Identify software features and functions of Storage Manager
6. Identify Dynamic features available on the DS3000, DS4000, and DS5000 series
7. Identify the premium features and BC/DR capabilities of the DS3000, DS4000 and DS5000 series.
8. Demonstrate how the functionality of Storage Manager is beneficial to a customer's requirements.
9. Leverage IBM's Information Infrastructure strategy, including the three core technology innovations (Virtualization, Archive and Retention, and Security)
10. Determine how IBM DS300, DS4000, DS5000 System Storage solutions meet Disaster Recovery needs.
11. Determine how IBM DS300, DS4000, DS5000 System Storage solutions meet Energy Efficiency needs.
12. Determine the business justification to create and design storage solutions that meet customer needs.
13. Demo the Storage manager for the DS3/4/5K

3. Solution Design and Development

1. Identify the appropriate products, connections, drive types and features that will meet the customer needs
2. Identify tiered storage opportunities- ensuring growth in both primary and backup storage needs
3. Identify when IBM SAN Volume Controller can simplify the management of a multi-tiered storage infrastructure
4. Identify when combining tape and disk in networked storage solutions can meet customer needs
5. Use configuration tools as appropriate (Disk Magic, Capacity Magic, configurators, Sizers, etc). (Disk Magic does not support the DS3000 and Capacity Magic does not suppfor DS3/4/5K)
6. Analyze potential configuration options for the DS3000, DS4000 and DS5000 series
7. Configure the customer infrastructure for integration and future growth
8. Configure the solution considering the disk attributes, server, environment, migration, host-device interfaces and future technologies: Includes interoperability review
9. Plan a solution layout, including number of switches, paths, zones, number of ports, cabling, redundancy, and multipathing
10. Develop and document the most appropriate backup solution
11. Understand the performance differences in the DS3K, DS4K, DS5K products, drive typesw and implications of each drive type on applications that will be using them
12. Describe RSM capabilities and benefits

4. Solution Planning and Implementation Support

1. Identify IBM documentation sources available to check/find supported solution components
2. Configure systemwide settings of the subsystem using the CLI and/or the Enterprise Management Window (EMW) including e-mail alerts, SNMP and SMTP
3. Identify IBM software levels and required maintenance
4. Identify professional services required for the implementation of the solution and installation roles and responsibilities (customer, IBM, BP)
5. Identify environmental requirements (power, cooling, floor space, floor loading, dock access) with the customer.
6. Identify "call home" features and capabilities. Or E-Mail home (RSM)
7. Validate that the disk solution meets application requirements (eg review with peers or product experts, model or benchmark)
8. Setup/perform a proof of Concept, TDA (Previously SAR) or demonstration for a proposed solution
9. Review installation details of the solution (cabling, switches, HBA's adapters, disk layout)
10. Plan for the zoning, multipathing, migration, backup, recovery, replication and archival of the installation
11. Aappropriate tools for problem and performance diagnosis
12. Assess the impact of the solutions (new install or existing/upgrade) on the production environment, including the effect on existing applications and hardware, migration and backup window
13. Assess the customer knowledge and skills and recommend appropriate technical training
14. Describe performance characteristics of various applications, RAID levels, disk products, and disk drives