HP StoreFabric B-Series Switch Administration

Course overview

This course provides a comprehensive understanding of everyday administration within an HP B-series SAN solution covering technologies and concepts. Students gain experience needed to tackle the challenges of working in enterprise class SAN environments. Additional study may be required for BCFA certification, please refer to the Brocade Study Guide for Exam. The course is 60 percent lecture and 40 percent hands-on labs using HP servers.

Prerequisites

• Basic technical understanding of networking and storage, concepts and terminology
• Experience managing Windows or UNIX systems
• Recommended free web-based training: SAN Fundamentals WBT (U5527AAE)

Audience

Technical professionals seeking a learning path that includes both conceptual knowledge of Fibre Channel SAN technologies and experience in HP B-series SAN environments.

Ways to save

Course objectives

At the conclusion of this course you should be able to:

• Describe features and functionality of the switch hardware
• List the steps for port initialization
• Recall different commands to display PWWN, NWWN, and PID addresses
• Perform an out of box initial configuration
• Perform common administrative tasks
• Identify exchange based routing
• Manage Inter Switch Link (ISL)
• Implement zoning using the CLI syntax
• Activate and deactivate a default zone
• Identify when a long distance license is required
• Backup and manage configuration files
• Create a diagram of a fabric using collected data

Next steps

• HP StoreFabric B-series Switch Professional (HK911S)

Benefits to you

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the day to day tasks managing an HP B-series SAN environment, technologies and the experience needed to tackle the challenges of working with SAN solutions

Course outline

Brocade Switches

• Brocade fibre channel switch family
• Features and functionality of the switch hardware
• Different Brocade FC HBAs
• Brocade CNAs
• Different types of fibre optic cable and SFPs

Fibre Channel Theory

• Fibre channel networking model
• Different class of service
• Frame structure
• WWN format
• Steps for port initialization
• Node and port types
• Fabric services well-known addresses
• Commands to display PWWN, NWWN, and PID addresses
• NPIV implementation and support

Installation and Configuration

• Out of box initial configuration
• Initial security configuration
• Checking switch status
• Important fabric parameters
• Common administrative tasks
• Supported interopmode functionality

Brocade FCP Routing

• Principle switch role
• Port-based routing
• Exchange-based routing
• Dynamic Load Sharing (DLS)
• In-Order Delivery (IOD)
• Inter Switch Link (ISL)
• Trunking benefits

Zoning

• Basic concepts associated with zoning
• Zoning using the CLI syntax
• How to check the maximum size of a zoning database
• Activate and deactivate a default zone
• Hardware and session enforcement differences
• Issues when adding a switch to an existing fabric with zoning enabled
• Best practices when implementing a zone

Long Distance Connectivity

• Use and effects of buffer credits on distance and speed
• Long distance modes, settings, and supported distances for Brocade switches using v6.3.0
• When a long distance license is required
• Use of long wave SFPs
• Limitations of long distance connection when using trunking
• Long distance commands

Administration - Firmware

• Interfaces and management tools to manage Brocade switches and fabrics
• Using DCFM, Web Tools, and Telnet/SSH/HTTP/SSL/SNMP
• Host Connectivity Manager (HCM) to manage Brocade HBAs
• Backup and manage configuration files
• Firmware upgrade steps

Basic Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting techniques
• Data gathering process
• How to create a diagram of a fabric using collected data
• Common SAN problems
• Switch and Field Replaceable Units (FRU) status
• Useful Brocade documentation