About this Course

The goal of this course is to evaluate the FlexPod solution design process in regards to the contemporary data center challenges. The course provides a comprehensive understanding of the reconnaissance and analytics to assess computing solution performance characteristics and requirements. In addition this course will describe the hardware components of the FlexPod and the process for selecting proper hardware for a given set of requirements.

Audience Profile

The primary audience for this course is as follows:

• This course is designed for post-sales audiences and is aimed at channel partners, customer network engineers and administrators whose interest is focused around designing a scalable infrastructure with the FlexPod.

The secondary audience for this course is as follows:

• There is no secondary audience for this course.

At Course Completion

Upon completing this course, the learner will be able to meet these overall objectives:

• Describe the FlexPod data center solutions and architecture
• Identify FlexPod workload sizing and technical specifications
• Describe the FlexPod deployment and management strategies

Course Outline

Module 1: FlexPod Data Center Solutions and Architecture

• Describe data center elements
• Identify data center business challenges
• Identify data center environmental challenges
• Identify data center technical challenges
• Describe the data center consolidation trend
• Describe the FlexPod solution
• Identify the benefits of FlexPod
• Describe FlexPod platforms
• Describe FlexPod validated and supported designs
• Identify the supported Cisco UCS components
• Identify the supported Cisco Nexus switch components
• Identify the supported NetApp storage components

Module 2: FlexPod Workload Sizing and Technical Specifications

• Describe FlexPod performance characteristics
• Describe server virtualization performance characteristics
• Describe desktop virtualization performance characteristics
• Describe reconnaissance and analysis tools
• Describe the process for deploying analysis tools
• Configure the Microsoft MAP Toolkit
• Identify FlexPod Design components
• Describe FlexPod Sizing considerations
• Employ Cisco UCS Application Sizer
• Employ Cisco UCS VXI Resource Comparison tool
• Describe NetApp Solution Builder Sizing tool

Module 3: FlexPod Deployment and Management Strategies

• Describe key FlexPod LAN features
• Describe key FlexPod SAN features
• Identify FlexPod server provisioning features
• List FlexPod high availability features
• Describe supported FlexPod SAN features
• Describe FlexPod virtual storage tiering features
• Identify Cisco FlexPod validated designs
• Identify FlexPod data center with VMware vSphere 5.1
• Identify FlexPod data center with VMware vSphere 5.1 with Cisco Nexus 7000
• Identify FlexPod data center with Microsoft Private Cloud Enterprise Design Guide
• Identify FlexPod Select with Cloudera’s Distribution including Apache Hadoop (CDH)
• Identify FlexPod Cisco Nexus 7000 and NetApp MetroCluster for multisite deployment
• Identify data center operations and management challenges
• Describe FlexPod validated management solutions
• Describe Cisco UCS Director turnkey solutions
• Identify Cisco UCS Director management types
• Describe Cisco UCS Director automation
• Describe self-service provisioning and reporting
• Identify the customer challenges and goals
• Describe the workload analysis
• Describe the component selection process
• Review the selected component
• Analyze the solution

Labs

Lab 2-1: Analyze the Existing Computing Solution
Lab 3-1: Review Cisco Nexus 5548 LAN FlexPod base Configuration
Lab 3-2: Review NetApp FlexPod base Configuration
Lab 3-3: Review Cisco UCS B-Series Configuration
Lab 3-4: Explore Cisco UCS Director FlexPod configuration