Implementing Advanced Cisco Storage Networking Solutions

Course description
IASNS is a 5-day lecture/lab course that provides learners with advanced skills in implementing and troubleshooting Cisco MDS 9000 storage networks.

This course focuses on advanced storage networking topics, including building virtual SAN fabrics, managing heterogeneous SAN fabrics, implementing advanced SAN security configuring SAN management services, and configuring iSCSI services. A significant portion of the course is devoted troubleshooting and hands-on exercises.


Learning objectives
After you complete this course, you will be able to:

• Configure advanced fabric services, including CFS and DDAS
• Configure VSAN domain IDs and FCID persistence
• Implement inter-VSAN routing (IVR)
• Configure per-VSAN FSPF routing and QoS to prioritize application data flows
• Configure switch interoperability modes
• Configure a management infrastructure
• Monitor switch health and SAN traffic profiles
• Configure AAA services
• Configure port and fabric security
• Capture and view FC protocol traces using SPAN and RSPAN
• Troubleshoot physical port issues
• Troubleshoot Generation-2 hardware
• Troubleshoot Fx_Port errors
• Troubleshoot fabric services issues
• Troubleshoot Fabric Manager and Device Manager
• Define iSCSI concepts and terms
• Implement iSCSI-to-FC connectivity
• Explain iSCSI HA and security options
• Configure iSCSI server load balancing (iSLB)

Who should attend
This course provides in-depth technical training for system engineers, network engineers, and field engineers who need to deploy, configure, and manage MDS 9000 Series switches.


Recommended prerequisites

• Implementing Cisco Storage Networking Solutions (ICSNS)

Course outline
Module 1: Building Enterprise SAN Fabrics
Lesson 1: Configuring Advanced Fabric Services

• Cisco Fabric Services
• Cisco Fabric Services Architecture
• Cisco Fabric Services Applications
• Configuring Cisco Fabric Services
• CFS Regions
• Basic Zoning
• Enhanced Zoning
• Broadcast Zoning
• LUN Zoning
• Read-Only Zones

Lesson 2: Implementing Virtual Fabric Addressing

• VSAN Internal Implementation
• Dynamic Port VSAN Membership
• Domain ID Assignment
• Configuring the Principal Switch Priority
• CFS Distribution of Allowed Domain ID Lists
• FCID Assignment
• NPIV
• Distributed Device Alias Services
• Recommended Practices

Lesson 3: Implementing Inter-VSAN Routing

• IVR Overview
• IVR Capabilities
• IVR Implementation
• Configuring IVR
• Configuring IVR with NAT and Auto
• IVR Zones and Zone Sets
• Verifying the IVR Configuration
• Fabric Manager IVR Zone Wizard
• FSPF and IVR
• IVR Recommended Practices

Lesson 4: Tuning Fabric Performance

• Implementing Traffic Engineering
• Virtual Output Queues
• Configuring QoS
• Configuring FCC
• QoS Behavior with Generation 1 and 2 Switching Modules
• Zone-Based QoS

Lesson 5: Building Heterogeneous Fabrics

• Overview of Switch Interoperability
• Standard Interoperability Mode
• Brocade Native Interoperability Mode
• McData Native Interoperability Mode
• VSANs and Interoperability
• Domain ID Assignment

Module 2: Implementing Management and Security Services
Lesson 1: Management Infrastructure Implementation

• Command Line Interface Commands
• Command Line Interface Variables and Aliases
• Fabric Management Server
• Fabric Management Server Configuration
• Overlay VSANs
• Fabric-Device Management Interface Implementation
• Cisco Discovery Protocol
• CiscoWorks Resource Manager Essentials Implementation

Lesson 2: Monitoring Health and Performance

• System Message Logging
• Onboard Failure Logging
• Command Scheduler
• RMON
• Performance Manager
• Traffic Analyzer
• Recommended Practices

Lesson 3: Configuring AAA Services

• AAA Solutions and Services
• Authentication Process
• Implementing AAA Services
• AAA Service Options
• Distributing AAA Configurations
• Configuring NTP

Lesson 4: Implementing Port and Fabric Security

• Port Security Features
• Enabling Port Security
• Distributing Port Security
• Fabric Binding for Fibre Channel
• DH-CHAP Overview
• Configuring DH-CHAP
• Overview of IP ACLs
• Configuring IP ACLs

Module 3: Advanced Troubleshooting
Lesson 1: Basic Troubleshooting Tools Review

• Troubleshooting Methodology
• Monitoring Ports
• Cisco Fabric Manager Tools
• Using FC Ping and FC Trace
• Monitoring Processes and CPUs

Lesson 2: Capturing Protocol Traces

• SPAN Overview
• RSPAN Overview
• Implementing RSPAN
• Configuring a PAA
• Troubleshooting a PAA
• The Cisco Fabric Analyzer
• Overview of Wireshark
• Using Wireshark Filters

Lesson 3: Using Physical Port Diagnostics

• Troubleshooting Process
• Troubleshooting Port States
• Troubleshooting a Flapping Port
• Configuring Beacon Mode
• Online Health Management System
• SFP Diagnostics
• Displaying RIB and FIB Information

Lesson 4: Troubleshooting Generation 1 and Generation 2 Hardware

• Verifying Port Index Allocation
• Verifying Bandwidth Utilization
• Troubleshooting Supervisor Upgrades

Lesson 5: Troubleshooting Fx_Port Issues

• Overview of Symptoms
• Verifying Device Registration
• Troubleshooting VSAN Assignment
• Troubleshooting FCID Assignment

Lesson 6: Troubleshooting the Data Path

• Overview of Symptoms
• xE_Port Isolation
• Troubleshooting PortChannels
• VSAN and Zoning Issues
• Domain Manager Issues
• FSPF Issues
• Troubleshooting Interoperability
• FCIP Issues

Lesson 7: Troubleshooting Fabric Manager and Device Manager

• Fabric Manager Installation Issues
• Java Issues
• SNMP Issues
• Clearing the Management Database

Module 4: Implementing iSCSI
Lesson 1: iSCSI Protocol Overview

• iSCSI Protocol Overview
• iSCSI Specifications
• iSCSI Packet Format
• The SCSI Architectural Model
• iSCSI Naming Schemes
• iSCSI Command Sequences
• The iSCSI Login process
• iSCSI Implementation on the IPS Modules

Lesson 2: Basic iSCSI Configuration

• FC-to-iSCSI Routing Overview
• Overview of Initial Configuration Steps
• Configuring Gigabit Ethernet Interfaces
• Enabling Dynamic Target Importing
• Enabling Dynamic Initiator Discovery
• Installing the Windows iSCSI Driver
• Verifying the Configuration

Lesson 3: iSCSI Implementation Options

• iSCSI High Availability
• iSCSI Security
• iSCSI ACLs, CHAP, and IPSec

Lesson 4: iSCSI Server Load Balancing

• Configuring iSLB Features and Prerequisites
• Configuring iSLB Initiators and Targets
• Configuring Load Balancing using VRRP
• Distributing iSLB Configurations

Course labs
Lab 1: Using Advanced Fabric Services
Lab 2: Implementing IVR
Lab 3: Implementing Management VSANs
Lab 4: Monitoring Health and Performance
Lab 5: Configuring AAA Services
Lab 6: Implementing Fabric and Port Security
Lab 7: Using RSPAN and the Cisco Fabric Analyzer
Lab 8: Using Port and Host Diagnostics
Lab 9: Challenge Lab
Lab 10: Deploying an iSCSI SAN
Lab 11: Configuring iSLB