8.1.9 Corporate and Datacenter Networks

Which of the following BEST defines a SAN? - A block-level storage network - A Core layer switch - A top-of-rack switch - A mid-tier speed switch

A block-level storage network A storage attached network (SAN) is a block-level storage solution built for speed and ease of sharing. A top-of-rack switch connects devices to a network. A mid-tier speed switch is also known as a Distribution or Aggregation layer switch. A Core layer switch is the backbone of a three-tier data center.

What are the three layers of an SDN? - Software, Management, and Construction - Application, Control, and Infrastructure - Physical, Control, and Virtualized - SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS

Application, Control, and Infrastructure The three layers of an SDN are the Application, Control, and Infrastructure layers. The control plane deals with software and management. Physical is not correct since the top layer deals with applications, and virtualized is an incorrect term for infrastructure, as some components may be physical. SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS are cloud service models.

Within an SDN, what is commonly referred to as the brains? - Fabric - Initiators - Controllers - Hosts

Controllers Controllers are what operate at the control plane and run an SDN. An initiator is a client that sends iSCSI commands to storage devices within the SAN. Hosts can refer to many items, such as servers that allow access to the SAN. Fabric is a layer within a SAN.

Brett has been tasked with creating a new SAN. The company currently has Gigabit internet, and his CTO wants to use Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) in the SAN. Brett tells the CTO that this will not work. Which of the following BEST describes the problem? - Fibre Channel over Ethernet requires 10 Gigabit internet. - Fibre Channel over Ethernet is still only conceptual. - Fibre Channel over Ethernet requires all new, specialized equipment. - Fibre Channel over Ethernet is slower than iSCSI.

Fibre Channel over Ethernet requires 10 Gigabit internet. The problem is that FCoE requires 10 Gigabit internet. FCoE is no longer conceptual; it is a current, in-use solution. FCoE provides faster speeds and lower latency than iSCSI. FCoE uses standard switches and physical connectors.

What BEST describes the designed purpose of InfiniBand? - High-performance supercomputers - Unlimited 10 Gigabit internet - Cloud platforms - Jumbo frames

High-performance supercomputers InfiniBand was designed for high-performance supercomputers. Jumbo frames refer to payload sizes that surpass the IEEE MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit). Unlimited 10 Gigabit internet is managed via advanced cables and network appliances. Cloud platforms are the level of service that cloud customers use.

Which of the following are the components of a SAN? - Hosts, storage, and SAN fabric - Access switches, SAN fabric, and hosts - Distribution switches, targets, and SAN fabric - SAN fabric, core switches, and the initiator

Hosts, storage, and SAN fabric Storage attached networks have hosts (hypervisors), storage on the target servers, and SAN fabric that consists of the cabling. Access switches are part of the data center architecture. All SAN storage devices are called targets. Hosts are servers that have a hypervisor installed. SAN fabric consists of the cabling and networking hardware that provides the connectivity between host components and storage components. Distribution layer switches are mid-tier speed switches. Core layer switches are large modular appliances. The servers that connect to the shared storage device are called initiators.

Which option BEST describes the third layer in the SDN architecture? - Control - Application - Infrastructure - Management

Infrastructure The third layer of SDN is the Infrastructure, or Physical, layer. This is where the network hardware is located. The Control layer is the second layer and functions as the brains of the network. The Application layer is the first layer and contains the applications needed to program and monitor the network. The management plane is the interface that admins use to set network parameters.

You manage a network with three dedicated storage devices, as shown in the diagram. Users on the network see only a single file server. Which network-based storage technology is being used? - NAS with clustering - iSCSI SAN with clustering - Fibre Channel SAN - NAS

NAS with clustering A NAS device is an appliance that's dedicated to file storage. With clustering, multiple NAS devices are grouped together to provide a degree of fault tolerance. To users on the network, the cluster appears as a single file server. Without clustering, the NAS devices would appear as three separate file servers. Because client devices are connected directly to the switch, it cannot be an iSCSI or Fiber Channel SAN implementation. iSCSI and Fibre Channel SANs both use special switches to create the SAN fabric that client systems are not connected to directly.

Match the SAN technology on the left with it's specialization on the right. (Items may be once, used more that once or not at all.) iSCSI FC FCoE infiniband No specialized hardware, but requires specialized knowledge. Requires specialized hardware and knowledge.

iSCSI - No specialized hardware or knowledge. FC - Requires specialized hardware and knowledge. FCoE - No specialized hardware, but requires specialized knowledge. infiniband - Requires specialized hardware and knowledge.

You are in the process of configuring an iSCSI storage area network (SAN) for your network. You want to configure a Windows Server system to connect to an iSCSI target defined on a different server system. You also need to define iSCSI security settings, including CHAP and IPsec. Which tool should you use? - iSCSI Initiator - iSCSI option under File and Storage Services in Server Manager - Multipath I/O - Internet Storage Name Service

iSCSI Initiator Run the iSCSI Initiator to connect to an iSCSI target defined somewhere on the SAN fabric. You can also use this utility to define iSCSI security settings, including CHAP and IPsec. Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) servers provide discoverability and zoning for SAN resources. Multipath I/O (MPIO) provides support for a storage device's multiple data paths. Use the iSCSI option under File and Storage Services in Server Manager to define an iSCSI target on a server.