Requirements analysis - Determine the customer's technical issues and potential limitations (e.g., Identify the customer's existing strategic I/T plans relevant to tape storage and identify any storage technology preferences and/or assumptions that the customer has)
- Determine the tape storage requirements, including: performance, capacity, reliability, availability, scalability, connectivity, and storage management
- Evaluate the current environment, including identification of data requirements, backup/restore/archive requirements, disaster recovery (e.g., offsite storage), currently installed products/vendors, operational processes and procedures, host/Connection types, network types, applications
- Utilize analysis tools including gathering input data, running appropriate tools, and interpreting results
Solution architecture design - Evaluate potential competitive strategies and solutions
- Identify IBM Competitive Advantages
- Analyze the Potential Consideration Options
- Consider variables affecting the solution configuration, including: tape solution components (e.g., cache, adapters, availability, connectivity, performance, capacity, media, software, tape automation), hosts (e.g., type, connections, slots, adapters, software), connection protocols (e.g., ESCON, FICON, SCSI, Fibre Channel), networks, environmentals, solution migration requirements, and customer technical skills
- Recommend the most appropriate solution and justify it
- Articulate technical benefits of proposed (alternative) solutions in business terms that a non-technical person can understand
- Validate that the tape solution meets application storage requirements (e.g., review with peers or product experts, benchmark when critical to close the deal)
- Locate and use tools and resources as appropriate to support the creation and design of tape solutions
- key IBM and Distributor resources to help resolve technical issues
- appropriate IBM publications (e.g., White Papers, SAPR Guides, RedBooks, product literature, application briefs)
- non-IBM industry and technical resources (e.g., System design textbooks, user groups)
- appropriate IBM support tools (e.g., Global PartnerInfo, presentations, benchmarks, configurators, CompeteLine, competition website, sales manuals, competency center website, ConsultLine, SupportLine)
- Recommend alternative solutions as appropriate (e.g., in response to customer objections, budgetary constraints)
Planning and installation - Review environmental requirements (e.g., power, cooling, floor space, loading dock access) with the customer
- Review software prerequisites and track software readiness
- Conduct a technical audit of logical and physical configuration and document the configuration (e.g., control units, drives, slots, virtual drives, etc.)
- Validate the installation details of the solution with the customer (e.g., review cabling, adapters, media, labels)
- Assess the impact of the installation (new install or existing/upgrade) on the production environment
- Create and execute a detailed implementation plan (e.g., operating system customization, tape management system considerations, media labeling)
- Implement the solution (e.g., create an implementation schedule for the installation with the customer, monitor resources for the installation, validate completion of the installation)
- Assist the customer in managing the effects of the migration on the production environment (e.g, hardware, back-up window, disaster recovery)
Post installation support - Identify the severity of the problems and the impact of problems on business
- Suggest appropriate action to the customer
- Escalate critical situations as appropriate and followup through resolution
- Describe performance characteristics of a variety of applications
4E. Describe performance characteriscs of host/device interface architecture, for example, SCSI, Fibre Channel, ESCON, FICON)- Determine and resolve performance bottlenecks
- Understand scalability of tape solutions
- Understand feature options
- Understand cost options
- Identify alternative upgrade options
- Consider migration implications
- Identify customer skill needs and recommend appropriate technical training
- Deliver informal customer training seminars, product updates, and conference calls, as needed
Tape products and storage management - Understand and articulate the functionality of the IBM System Storage TS7700 Virtualization Engine components (e.g., cache, 3592 drives, host connections, high availability options and Advanced Policy Management).
- Describe the technical benefits and differentiating features of Automated Tape Libraries
- Describe the technical benefits and differentiating features of Tape Drive Products
5D. Describe the technical benefits and differentiating features of software solution / tape management systems (e.g., Tivoli Storage Manager, RMM, CA-1, DFSMS-MVS, OpenTech Systems, BRMS)- Identify how IBM enterprise tape solutions meet the following technical requirements of the customer
- Disaster recovery and business continuance
- High availability
- Data management (e.g., HSM, backup/restore, archive)
- Storage sharing
- Data sharing
- Storage consolidation
- Application testing
- Performance
- Manage enterprise storage resources, including Capacity Planning, Asset Management, Security Management, Media Management / Migration, Configuration Management, Performance, Data Sharing, and Problem Determination
- Understand the impact of IBM and non-IBM host system platforms on enterprise tape solutions (e.g., connectivity, software, performance, applications)
- Understand and articulate the functionality of tape characteristics, for example: tape recording technologies and automated tape libraries
- Describe the technical benefits and differentiating features of IBM System Storage TS7700 Virtualization Engine in a single cluster or grid configuration.
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