Networking
True/False: iSCSI and FC (Fibre Channel) can connect to network-attached storage (NAS).
False
True/False: A server is a computer
True
True/False: Nutanix is hardware-agnostic
True
What is the minimum Flash storage percent a Dynamic Pool needs to be created?
10%
True/False: PowerStore offers RAID 6 level of drive protection (2 drive failure)
True: PowerStore by default offers single drive protection (RAID 5), but can have double drive protection enabled if need be
A customer said they have 16GB speeds running in their datacenter. What protocol do they have?
Fibre Channel
True/False: clustering multiple new storage arrays is scaling up
Clustering multiple arrays is scaling up and out
Scale up: add drives
Scale out: add appliances/nodes
What is Nutanix's user interface called?
Prism
How many drives can a Unity XT 480 base enclosure hold?
25 (Same for all Unity models)
True/False: the PowerStore 9000T is our current, top-of-the-line array in the PowerStore family
False: the 9200T is the most premium, current PowerStore array. The 9000T is the premium, Gen 1 PowerStore T model.
If SFP+ is 10GbE fiber optic, what is the designation for 25GbE?
SFP28
Give 3 differences between hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs)
HDD: spinning drive that physically writes data to a magnetic plate
SSD: writes data via electromagnetic signals
SSDs have no moving parts
SSDs produce faster reads and writes, and furthermore, faster performance
SSDs are more reliable and has a longer life span than HDDs
SSDs are more expensive than HDDs
What is the difference between the XC Core and the XC Plus nodes?
XC Core is hardware, but XC Plus is the hardware and Nutanix licensing all in one node.
What is the smallest SED drive available on the Unity? (either Flash or HDD)
None! The Unity uses specialized encryption hardware and does not use SED drives at all
What is the minimum speed requirement for a PowerStore BaseT management switch?
1GbE
Is iSCSI a lossless or lossy networking protocol?
For 50 Bonus points: Name a lossless protocol
iSCSI is lossy.
Lossy protocols allow for data packets to be lost or interrupted during data transmission; Fibre Channel protocols are lossless, and require all data to arrive intact and in sequence to be properly understood
What are the differences between thick and thin storage provisioning for volumes?
Thin provisioning grows into the maximum reserved capacity gradually
Thick provisioning reserves the specified capacity as soon as it is requested
4 part question:
1. What is the file collect in LO called?
2. What is the server comparison tool called?
3. Does LO show the provisioned resources for each VM?
4. A customer wants to make sure that their data is safe when they run an LO collect. What can we do for them?
1. Dossier Collect
2. Server KPI comparison tool
3. Yes
4. We can get an NDA signed
True/False: 400GB FAST Cache hot spare SSDs can be used as hot spares for 400GB Flash SSDs that are part of the main storage pool
True: these drives are the same, and can be utilized by either tier if a failure in either of them occurs; it then becomes a part of FAST cache or the main storage pool
Give 4 new features of PowerStore Prime
Sync Replication
Metro Sync w/Witness
Flexible QLC
Data-in-place upgrades
5:1 DRR Guarantee
Name each of the following cables:
BaseT/cat6, OM4/patch, twinax/DAC
5 part question:
1. Minimum number of drives possible in RAID5
2. What RAID type is a PowerVault ADAPT configuration in?
3. Which storage appliances have single drive add ons possible?
4. Minimum number of drives in an ADAPT configuration
5. Can customers add drives individually in a traditional storage array? If No, what increments can they add in?
1. 4- RAID5(2+1)
2. RAID6
3. PV (in ADAPT), Unity, PS, VxRail
4. 12
5. No, they have to add in RAID width increments
What are the three kinds of licenses and three kinds of levels Nutanix provides?
NCI: Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure
NCM: Nutanix Cloud Manager
NCP: Nutanix Cloud Platform
Either in Starter, Pro, or Ultimate
4 part question:
1. True/False: the Compellent is the predecessor to the Unity XT
2. What are 2 types of storage pools in a Unity called?
3. Does a DIP Upgrade work from a 380 to a 480
4. How many drives can I fit in a Unity 2.5" DAE
BONUS (for 50 points): Can I make a Unity380 into a DAS with SAS connections?
1. False: the EMC VNX preceded the Unity family.
"The EMC VNX series is a family of unified, hybrid flash storage arrays that combine block-based and file-based storage solutions in a single platform."
2. Dynamic and Traditional
3. No
4. 25
BONUS: Nope, for SAS at least a 480 is needed
What is storage tiering? What is it like in PowerStore?
Tiering is a system/method of assigning data to various types of storage media (e.g. SSD, SAS, NL-SAS) based on a range of requirements for cost, availability, performance, and recovery.
PowerStore has no tiering because there is only one type of storage media supported (NVMe SSDs)!