EMC Education Services

Storage Technology Foundations

Course Outline

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to Data Storage technology fundamentals.

Participants will gain knowledge of the core logical and physical components that make up a Storage
Systems Infrastructure. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to the following themes:
• The explosion in demand from businesses for highly available and secure access to data.
• The Storage systems and infrastructure architectures and solutions available to support
business needs.
• The complexities and challenges in managing storage infrastructures.

The course consists of the following sections and modules within. The approximate time allocated to
each Section is shown in parentheses.

Section 1 - The Complexity of Information Management ( 2 - 3 hours )

Module 1.1 - Meeting Today’s Data Storage Needs

• Data creation and the amount of data being created
• Value of data to business
• Challenges in data storage and data management
• List the solutions available for data storage

Module 1.2 – Data Storage Solutions

• Different media and available solutions to address data storage.
• Describe the role of each solution relative to data storage needs.
• Advantages of disk arrays.
• Define a Direct Attached Storage ( DAS ) environment.
• Define a Storage Area Network ( SAN ) environment.
• Define a Network Attached Storage ( NAS ) environment.

Module 1.3 – Data Center Infrastructure

• List the core elements of a Data Center infrastructure.
• Describe the role of each element in support business activities.
• Requirements for storage systems to optimally support business.
• Describe the challenges and activities in managing storage systems in a data center.

Section 2 - Storage Systems Architecture ( 6- 8 hours )

Module 2.1 – The Host Environment

• List the hardware and software components of the host environment.
o Logical components, file systems, volume management, Host Bus Adapters
• Define the key protocols and concepts used by each component.
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Storage Technology Foundations

Course Outline

Module 2.2 – Connectivity

• Describe the physical components of a connectivity environment.
o Bus technologies, cables, ports
• Define the logical components of a connectivity environment.

Module 2.3 – Physical Disks

• Describe the major physical components of a disk drive and functionality.
• Define the logical constructs of a physical disk.
• Define the access characteristics for disk drives and performance implications.
• Define the logical partitioning of physical drives.

Module 2.4 – RAID Arrays

• Define the concept of RAID and components
• Review and understand the common RAID levels.
o RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 3, RAID 4, RAID 5, RAID 0+1, RAID 1+0

Module 2.5 – Disk Storage Systems

• List the benefits of and components of an intelligent storage system
• Compare and contrast integrated and modular storage systems.
• Define how a storage system handles data flow.
• Describe the logical elements of an intelligent storage system.
• Cache Structure and data flow through cache, cache alogrithms

Section 3 - Introduction to Networked Storage ( 10 - 12 hours )

Module 3.1 – Storage Networking Overview

• Describe the evolution of networked storage.
• Compare common storage networking options.

Module 3.2 – Direct Attached Storage

• Describe the benefits of a DAS based storage strategy.
• Provide an overview of the physical and logical elements of DAS.
• Define the connectivity options for DAS and distinguish between IDE, ATA and SCSI
protocols.
• Describe the I/O flow in a DAS environment.
• List DAS management considerations given a particular environment.
• Describe a typical environment that would benefit from a DAS based solution.

Module 3.3 - Network Attached Storage

• Describe the benefits of a NAS based storage strategy.
• Provide an overview of the physical and logical elements of a NAS.
• Describe the connectivity options for NAS.
• List common NAS topologies.
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Storage Technology Foundations

Course Outline

• Compare and contrast connectivity devices.

• Describe the I/O flow in a NAS environment.
• List NAS management considerations given a particular environment.
• Describe a typical environment that would benefit from a NAS based solution

Module 3.4 – . – Storage Area Networks

• Describe the benefits of a SAN based storage strategy.
• Provide an overview of the physical and logical elements of a SAN.
• Describe the connectivity options for SAN.
• List common SAN topologies.
• Compare and contrast connectivity devices.
• Overview the Fibre Channel log-in process.
• Describe the I/O flow in a SAN environment.
• List SAN management considerations given a particular environment.
• Describe a typical environment that would benefit from a SAN based solution.

Module 3.5 – IP SAN

• Describe the benefits of an IP based storage strategy.
• Provide an overview of the physical and logical elements of an IP SAN.
• Describe the connectivity options for IP SAN.
• List common IP SAN topologies.
• Compare and contrast connectivity devices.
• Describe the I/O flow in an IP SAN environment.
• List IP SAN management considerations given a particular environment.
• Describe a typical environment that would benefit from an IP SAN based solution.

Module 3.6 – Content Addressable Storage (CAS)

• Describe the benefits of a CAS based storage strategy.
• Provide an overview of the physical and logical elements of CAS.
• Define the connectivity options for CAS.
• Define the I/O flow in a CAS environment.
• Describe a typical environment that would benefit from a CAS solution.

Section 4 – Information Availability ( 10 hours )

Module 4.1 – Business Continuity Overview

• List reasons for planned and unplanned outages
• Describe the impact of downtime
• Differentiate between Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR)
• Define Information Availability and its importance to the business
• Define RTO, RPO, and RGO
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Storage Technology Foundations

Course Outline

Module 4.2 – Back Up and Recovery

• Planning for Back Up and Recovery, Back Up and Recovery Strategies
• How a backup works, business and data decisions
• Database backup methods, Back Up Topologies for LAN and SAN based backups, .

Module 4.3 – Business Continuity Local

• Describe potential areas of information vulnerability within a data center.
• List the local information availability technologies within the data center.
• Identify the appropriate local information availability technology based on criteria

Module 4.4 – Business Continuity Remote

• Describe potential areas of information vulnerability between local and remote data
centers.
• List the remote information availability technologies between local and remote data
centers.
• Identify the appropriate remote information availability technology based on criteria.

Module 4.5 – Disaster Recovery

• Define a disaster.
• Define general planning considerations for DR.
• Define information availability planning considerations for DR.
• Identify the appropriate recovery strategy based on a given set of conditions.

Section 5 – Managing and Monitoring ( 4- 6 hours )

Module 5.1 – Monitoring In the Data Center

• Define areas to monitor.
• Define industry standards.
• List key metrics for systems and components within the data center.

Module 5.2 – Management in the Data Center

• Define key management tasks.
• Choose appropriate tool based on management activity.