Storage area networks (SANs) have the ability to save a
company money, hasten backups and help consolidate the data center.
But, a SAN is not to be left alone. It's a complex growing,
breathing entity that constantly needs to be tweaked and
upgraded.
So what is SAN School? If this is the first time you are asking
yourself, "What's a SAN?" -- SAN School is for you. If you are
implementing your first SAN and need implementation and migration
help -- SAN School is for you. If you are far along in the SAN
process and need to extend your SANs or connect SAN islands -- SAN
School is for you. The authors of "Storage Area Networks for
dummies",
Christopher Poelker and Alex Nikitin, are your SAN School
professors. In each of these 20-minute lessons they'll walk you
through what a SAN is, all the way through connecting those last
nodes for optimal performance. School is in session -- enjoy!
Part I: The storage area network
Lesson 1: The Storage area network
Do you need a SAN? Lesson one explores what a SAN is, the basic
benefits of a SAN and which applications are best suited for a
SAN.
Listen to
Lesson 1
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
Get "extra help" -- your
Lesson One questions answered.
Lesson 2: SAN building blocks
Now that you know why you may need a SAN, this lesson explains the
parts of a SAN. Chris also talks about modular versus monolithic,
enterprise versus departmental, a look at RAID levels and
LUNs.
Listen to
Lesson 2
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
Get "extra help" -- your
Lesson Two questions answered.
Lesson 3: What makes a SAN go
Understanding the performance aspects of a SAN can help you begin
to see where the benefits lie. This lesson is devoted to the inner
workings of a SAN, such as latency issues, Fibre Channel protocols,
WWN and how the SAN fabric works.
Listen to
Lesson 3
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
Lesson 4: What makes a SAN stop
Because SANs need to be tailored to one's environment, choosing the
right gear can make all of the difference between a successful SAN
and a dud. Take preventive steps to make sure your SAN isn't doomed
from the design. This lesson looks at avoiding poor SAN design and
choosing the right hardware and software for the job.
Listen to
Lesson 4
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
***TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF PART 1 -- TAKE OUR
QUIZ***
Once you've viewed lessons 1-4, test your skills by taking the
SAN School Quiz
Part II: Designing and building a SAN
Lesson 5: SAN loops and the SAN fabric
This lesson aims to help you design your SAN for maximum
performance and availability. It uncovers SAN network topology,
designing for high availability, zoning basics and using
fault-tolerant connections.<
Listen to
Lesson 5
Get the worksheet, follow along with classLesson 6: Disaster recovery planning
Many IT folks implementing SANs are using them for backup. This
lesson delves into disaster recovery planning and the costs
associated with downtime, how to use a SAN for recovery and
choosing a remote site. It also looks at remote copy techniques,
using clusters and the importance of testing your plans.
Listen to
Lesson 6
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
Lesson 7: Putting it all together
If you are ready to implement your SAN, this lesson is for you. The
lesson covers how to choose which applications/servers belong in
your SAN, installing HBAs, loading firmware, starting drivers,
setting the topology, testing for connectivity and zone
types.
Listen to
Lesson 7
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
***TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF PART 2 -- TAKE OUR
QUIZ***
Once you've viewed lessons 5-7, test your skills by taking the
SAN School Quiz
Part III: Using advanced SAN features
Lesson 8: Tying your SANs together
To create a full scale network you will probably have to tie your
SANs together. Lesson 8 of SearchStorage.com's "SAN School" looks
at how to extend the SAN, connectivity between SANs and SAN
islands, IP storage, virtualization (in-band, out-of-band) and
SW/HW pooling.
Listen to
Lesson 8
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
Lesson 9: SAN backup, The killer app
The killer app for implementing a SAN has been and will continue to
be backup. In lesson nine of SearchStorage.com's "SAN School",
professor Christopher Poelker discusses the merits of backup over
the SAN. Chris will discuss the options associated with SAN backup
including backups over a dedicated LAN, tiered backups, LAN-less
backup, serverless backup and more. He'll also touch upon snapshots
and give you exact formulas to calculate backup window. This lesson
also offers tips and tricks on how to find and rectify backup
bottlenecks.
Listen to
Lesson 9
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
Lesson 10: Booting into your SAN
Why should you boot from a SAN? In lesson ten of
SearchStorage.com's "SAN School" Christopher Poelker gives you a
number of different reasons why booting from a SAN is beneficial.
Chris also looks at which HBAs are available and might be the right
fit for your organization. This lesson also walks you through the
nine step process for booting a SAN -- complete with code and
screen shots.
Listen to
Lesson 10
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
Lesson 11: Using point-in-time copies
What are point-in-time copies? What types of point-in-time copies
are there? Lesson 11 of SearchStorage.com's SAN School dissects
point-in-time copies and snapshots. Co-author of "Storage Area
Networks for Dummies" Alex Nikitin explores some real world
examples of where point-in-time copies should be used -- and how.
He'll also show you the process for setting up the most efficient
point-in-time copy environment.
Listen to
Lesson 11
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
***TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF PART III -- TAKE OUR
QUIZ***
Once you've viewed lessons 8-11, test your skills by taking the
SAN School Quiz
Part IV: SAN management and
troubleshooting
Lesson 12: Approaches to SAN management
There are lots of management considerations you need to be aware of
when running your SANs. Who is in charge of the SAN, how to
properly document your cables, managing tools and fabrics. This is
a top down look at SAN management.
Listen to
Lesson 12
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
Lesson 13: Storage Outsourcing
Trusting your mission-critical data to a third party provider isn't
a decision you can take lightly. In Lesson 13 of
SearchStorage.com's "SAN School" Alex Nikitin takes a look at your
primary SAN management options. One, to completely manage all of
your data in-house. Two, to completely outsource all of your data.
And, three, to use consultant or vendor partners to accomplish data
management. Alex states the pros and cons of each method.
Listen to
Lesson 13
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
Lesson 14: Troubleshooting your SAN
"If anything can go wrong, it will." We all know this to be
Murphy's Law -- and when it comes to SANs it applies 100%. At some
point, trouble will arise with your storage area network. Here to
help diagnose the problems that you may want to look for first is
co-author of "SAN for Dummies" Alex Nikitin. Alex helps you check
for connectivity problems, using system error logs and using switch
logging.
Listen to
Lesson 14
Get the worksheet, follow along with class
***TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF PART IV -- TAKE OUR
QUIZ***
Once you've viewed lessons 12-14, test your skills by taking the
SAN School quiz, part four
Want more in-depth SAN information? Purchase
Storage Area Networks For Dummies today .