Test 000-955: High Volume Storage Fundamentals V2

Note: This test will be withdrawn on Jun 30 2013.
The replacement test is: (000-455) High Volume Storage Fundamentals V3

The High Volume Storage Fundamentals Specialist is highly skilled in System x and BladeCenter technical support as well as storage systems options for System x customers.  The successful candidate will have proven skills in IBM x86 servers, and will serve as a consultant with customers and other System x technical and sales experts.  

Information Gathering and Needs Analysis (15%)

1. Determine the customer's current infrastructure including hardware, software, and service agreements (implementation, support)
2. Understand the customer's problem/business driver, and develop an appropriate storage solution to meet the customer's service level agreement
3. Identify the customer's requirements as determined by budget, capacity, performance and/or projected growth
4. Consider the proposed storage solution and how it will impact the customer's current and future backup, recovery and archive plans
5. Justify the proposed solution based on overall value

Sales Process, Tools, and Resources (25%)

1. Understand the value of and the ability to leverage appropriate tools and resources, e.g., System Storage Executive Briefing Center, System Storage Interoperability Center, System Storage Solution Center, Business Partner Innovation Center (BPIC), IBM Techline, IBM Innovation Center, PartnerWorld/SSI, IBM Redbooks/Redpapers, FAQs, TechDocs, White Papers, Storage Manager simulator, Competeline, RTS Supportline
2. Identify key extended IBM team resources to help design a solution
3. Describe the purpose of and when to use sizing and sales tools, e.g., TCOnow!, Alinean, Storage Manager/Simulator, SSCT, eConfig, BladeCenter and System x Power Configurator, IBM Power Calculator Tool
4. Describe and contrast competitive features, form, and function, e.g., EMC, HDS, HP, Dell/EqualLogic, NetApp, Quantum
5. Determine when and how to correctly utilize the Technical Delivery Assessment (TDA) process

Solution Design (some Implementation Assistance) (27%)

1. Select the product that best meets customer needs
2. Describe advanced disk functions, e.g., FlashCopy, Volume Copy, Enhanced Remote Mirroring, encryption, and apply to meet customer needs
3. Describe advanced tape functions including encryption, compression, WORM, and apply to meet customer needs
4. Distinguish the key architectural and component differences of entry storage products, e.g., DS3500, DCS3700, LTO tape
5. Consider server and storage virtualization/consolidation, and impact on storage performance, e.g., SVC
6. Generatl knowledge of systems management, e.g., IBM Systems Director, Tivoli Storage Productivity Center for Disk Midrange Edition
7. Fundamental knowledge of IBM Systems Software, e.g., FlashCopy Manager, Tivoli Storage Manager, Continuous Data Protection (CDP), IBM System Storage Data Center Fabric Manager (DCFM)

Storage Fundamentals (35%)

1. Differentiate the types and lengths of cables and when they would be used
2. Differentiate types of hard drives that can be used in the storage system
3. Differentiate connectivity methods, e.g., DAS, SAS, CIFS, NFS, iSCSI, http, Fibre Channel, FCoE, switches, pass-thru modules, BladeCenter switch modules
4. Differentiate Fibre Channel, CNA, FCoE, and iSCSI protocols
5. Differentiate RAID levels
6. General knowledge of IOPS and MB/s as it relates to storage
7. Describe storage partitioning and thin partitioning
8. Describe drive sparing and redundancy
9. Diifferentiate NAS and SAN
10. General knowledge of SAN terminology, e.g., zoning, capabilities of full fabric
11. General knowledge of LTO, version compatibility, drives and cartridges
12. General knowledge of tape backup schedules and methodology