The SAN ‘Bandwagon’ – Storage Area Network certifications

By Robin Agrawal

These are designed to introduce technologies like SAN products, topology, and terminology associated with storage networking. It introduces current concepts, terminology, and standards associated with networked storage: storage area networks (SANs), network attached storage (NAS), and internet (iSCSI). It explains what you probably already have installed in your enterprise so that documentation and information resources for your installation will make sense.

Skills and knowledge related to various networked forms of storage such as Storage Area Networks (SAN), and Network-Attached Storage (NAS) are gaining demand in today’s workplace, and that IT professionals interested in data centres or network backbone related positions are likely to need strong storage chops to do their jobs.

If you are looking for storage area network (SAN) certification to do troubleshooting and diagnostics, you would want to pursue a more hands-on and in-depth focused storage training and certification. On the other hand, knowing how to use a protocol analyzer makes for good conversation in some circles, but it may be too in-depth for other job functions.

There are many different options to pursue depending on where you want to go with your career, including vendor-specific and technology-neutral training from industry and private groups.

For example, if you want to leverage your experience with Brocade and EMC, then certifications from those vendors would be an option. If you are looking for more broad and generic certification and qualifications, then the various SNIA certification and qualification programs are made for you.

There are some vendor-neutral certifications available—particularly those from the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA)—while there are also numerous vendor-specific certifications available from vendors that offer storage systems and solutions, including Cisco, Brocade, EMC, Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), HP, IBM, NetApp, Sun/Oracle, and many others.

The SNIA credentials provide an excellent entry point into the world of storage design, implementation, and management, while the vendor-specific programs tend to match up with what active IT professionals interact with in the work place for current employees (or what they’d like to interact with for future or prospective employers). And with CompTIA partnering with SNIA to introduce a Storage+ credential in 2012 (current candidates can get similar coverage and scope from the SNIA Storage Foundations class but without a separate exam and credential in the meantime) there’ll be a high-quality entry-point level storage certification to add to this mix soon.

How’s a storage-minded IT professional supposed to pick a winner here?

Certain well-known certifications can help, so I describe those in the sections that follow. Read on, to find more.

BROCADE Certifications

Brocade has been running a top-notch certification program for about a decade, and in October 2011, issued its 20,000th certification credential.

The Brocade Certified Network Engineer (BCNE) is an intermediate level Brocade credential (Premier Level in Brocade terminology) that enjoys broad recognition in the industry, and recognises individuals who understand how to administer Brocade hardware and software, including all components of a storage area network, using Brocade management tools and consoles.

Brocade recommends that prospective BCNE candidates first earn their Brocade Certified Fabric Professional credential before attempting to pass this exam, but it is not a strict pre-requisite. This exam also counts as an elective towards the senior-level SNIA Certified Storage Networking Expert credential. Brocade provides BCNE candidates with a knowledge assessment tool and a “Nutshell Study Guide” but also recommends its CNE 200-BLS course, “Brocade Certified Network Engineer Blended Learning Solution”, for preparation.

 There are no books or exam crams available for this topic, but Brocade publishes objectives, a self-assessment, a study guide, and offers a course as well. BCNE class is a 4-day instructor led course available through Brocade authorised training partners. It costs $2,640 in the US, 2,495€ in the EU, and commensurate amounts in local currencies elsewhere, where available. Currently a “bridge promotion” is available to holders of the CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE credential whereby they can take a class for $99, then take the BCNE exam to acquire Brocade expertise.

Exam topics for BCNE:

• Layer 1/Hardware Concepts
• Brocade Hardware Platforms
• Layer 2 Switching and Protocols
• General Layer 2/ Layer 3 Concepts
• Routing Concepts
• Access Control List (ACL) Concepts
• Quality of Service (QoS) Concepts
• Network Security, Management and Monitoring
• Troubleshooting

 Each certification has a proctored test administered by Pearson VUE and to schedule an exam visit their Web site.

CISCO Certifications

When it comes to anything related to networks, CISCO is one name which seems omnipresent.

The Cisco Data Centre Storage Networking Design Specialist certification validates an individual's ability to select and integrate Cisco storage products in order to design a highly scalable, efficient, high-performing storage networking solution based on converged architecture. Cisco Data Centre Storage Networking Design Specialist professionals understand how to utilise and employ the features and benefits of the Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Director and Multilayer Fabric Switches to create a highly available storage network design. In addition, this certification covers the use of Cisco NX-OS and provides a technology overview of Cisco Unified Fabric, Cisco Nexus, and Cisco Unified Computing System products. It is designed to give students a firm understanding of how to design a Storage Area Network (SAN) around Cisco FC switches and Directors in the MDS and Nexus series products.

And because Cisco recommends the Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) credential as a pre-requisite (for which in turn the CCNA is recommended), I’m comfortable positioning this as a mid-range Cisco credential on par with the CCNP or CCDP.

Cisco also offers numerous other related certifications of potential value to readers interested in storage certification. Of these, the CCIE Storage Networking is probably the most senior, the best-recognized and the most germane. And while it is a difficult and demanding credential to earn, it comes with a terrific pay-off for its holders.

Exam Topics:

The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be included in the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam.

• Perform a needs analysis that identifies the appropriate Storage Networking topology, protocols, and transport to meet customer's requirements
• Identify the interoperability requirements of a customer's SAN
• Design a solution that addresses a customer's SAN requirements
• Design appropriate IP configurations for a SAN solution

The best way to prepare for the certification is to take the Cisco-approved training. Courses listed are offered by Cisco Learning Partners-the only authorized source for Cisco IT training delivered exclusively by Certified Cisco Instructors like by HBF Networks Pvt Ltd. in Bangalore, India.

A variety of Cisco Press titles may be available for this exam. These titles can be purchased through the Cisco Marketplace Bookstore, directly from Cisco Press.

EMC Certifications

EMC has one of the longest-standing and best-recognised certification programs for storage, in keeping with its long presence and excellent recognition as a leading provider of storage solutions of all kinds. The SAN track covers a number of specialties or platforms at the Associate, Specialist, and Expert levels, as the following diagram illustrates.

For most EMCSA candidates, their work begins with the associate level Information Storage and Management exam (E20-001). This qualifies candidates for associate level status in all specialty tracks. Each of the individual specialties has its own track exam.

Although the EMC offerings cover a broad range of platforms and systems, entry into EMCSA is easy because the E20-001 foundations exam leads to all destinations. At the specialty level, a different exam applies to each niche.

What will you learn?

• Fully leverage EMC technology capabilities
• Advise other IT staff on the effective integration of EMC
• Participate in storage decision making processes

There’s a reasonably strong market for EMC books, practice tests, and study materials (particularly for the E20-001 storage foundations exam). Search your favourite online books engine by exam ID to find one for yourself.

SNIA Certifications

SNIA Certified Storage Professional (SNIA), or the Storage Networking Industry Association, is the big mover and shaker for the entire storage market, and brings together all of the major and most of the minor technology players and providers in this important IT niche.

This group’s self-professed vision is to “lead the storage industry worldwide in promoting standards, technologies, and education services to empower organisations in the management of information.” SNIA certifications are available at professional, engineer, architect and expert levels.

The base-level SNIA certification is the SNIA Certified Storage Professional (SCSP) credential; and it once used to be organization’s most popular offering.

But with the launch of the new CompTIA Storage+ Powered by SNIA credential on January 18th, 2012, the SNIA SNCP Foundations exam (S10–101) was withdrawn.

Those who currently hold the Storage Professional credential can be assured that SNIA will continue to recognise the credential for a period of three years and will expire December 31, 2014. At any time you are encouraged to refresh your credential on the new CompTIA Storage+ powered by SNIA exam.

CompTIA Storage+ Powered by SNIA exam (SGO-001):

• 100 questions, 90 minutes.
• Passing score: 72%,Storage+ credential expires after three years*
• Cost, Vendor: $264 in USA, approx. 14000 INR in India, Vendor being Pearson VUE.
• Exam offered from January 18, 2012

* Previous SCSP credential expires December 31, 2014.

This vendor-neutral credential seeks to lay the foundation for IT the practitioner who wishes to work with storage technologies on the job (the more senior level credential ratchets up the skills and knowledge into design, deployment, troubleshooting, and implementation areas).

There isn’t much material available from 3rd parties (some out-of-print books, and a handful of practice tests, primarily) but SNIA provides pointers to lots of information, and the exam objectives also include a lengthy and detailed reading list.

More advanced SNIA certifications are also quite popular in the storage niche. While it’s typical for more senior IT professionals to earn one or more vendor-specific storage credentials, it’s also both typical and desirable for them to earn higher-level SNIA credentials as they advance up the career ladder as well.

The SNIA Storage Networking Certification Program (SNCP) provides a strong foundation of vendor-neutral, systems-level credentials that integrate with and complement individual vendor certifications. The structure of the SNCP has been enhanced to reflect the advancement and growth of storage networking technologies over the past few years, and to provide for expanded offerings in the future. Through evolving and enhancing the SNCP, the SNIA is establishing a uniform standard by which individual knowledge and skill sets can be judged.

• Validate your skills and knowledge
• Gain peer recognition
• Make yourself more valuable to your company
• Target and build upon the skills you have as an industry professional

Oracle (SUN) Certifications

In the wake of its acquisition by Oracle in April, 2009, a great many bits and pieces of technology have devolved into the various Oracle University offerings. Below are the five Sun- and storage-related credentials:

• Pillar Axiom 600 Storage Systems Certified Implementation Specialist
• StorageTek Tape Libraries Certified Implementation Specialist
• Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage Systems Certified Implementation Specialist
• Sun Storage 6000 Arrays Certified Implementation Specialist
• Sun Flash Storage Certified Implementation Specialist

Each of these credentials targets a different storage or library system, and each requires a single certification exam.

Although Oracle requires certification candidates in many of its topic areas to take official curriculum courses to earn related credentials, these holdovers from the Sun program still require only taking the exam to earn certification.

Little or no aftermarket materials are available, but Oracle University offers objectives, sample questions, reading lists, and courses for each exam topic.

Oracle’s commanding database presence, and SUN’s frequent presence in datacentres and cloud-based computing operations mean that Sun storage technologies are in reasonably wide distribution and use. Candidates should let their current (or targeted) work environments drive which specific individual storage certifications they pursue.

IBM Certifications

The IBM Total Storage Professional Certification Program offers a business solution for skilled technical professionals seeking to demonstrate their expertise. It is designed to validate an individual's skills and demonstrate an individual's proficiency in the latest IBM technology and solutions. It helps to make certain that an individual has the capability to perform role-related tasks and activities at a specified level of competence.

The program is beneficial for individuals who wish to validate their skills, as well as for companies that wish to ensure certain performance levels for their employees. In most geographies certification, IBM TotalStorage Certification is a requirement for Business Partners.

The target audience for certification includes employees working for IBM Business Partner firms, as well as employees of IBM customers, IBM storage specialists, and consultants who sell, support, and service IBM storage products. Certification is associated with an individual, not a company or organization.

General Prerequisite:

• SAN overview and standards
• Introduction to Fibre Channel
• IBM SAN products and other fabric services
• SAN virtualization
• SAN management

The current portfolio of certification offerings includes:

• IBM Certified Specialist - High End Tape Solutions
  (Requires Passing Test 275, High End Tape Solutions Exam, Version 1)
• IBM Certified Specialist - High End Disk Solutions
  (Requires Passing Test 276 High End Disk Solutions Exam, Version 2)
  IBM Certified Specialist - Open System Storage Solutions
  (Requires Passing Test 277, Open Systems Storage Solutions Exam, Version 1)
• IBM Certified Specialist - Storage Sales
  (Requires Passing Test 278, Storage Sales, Version 4)
• IBM Certified Specialist - TotalStorage Networking Solutions
  (Requires Passing Test 279, TotalStorage Networking Solutions, Version 2)

The good enough self-study material is easily available on IBM’s own website.

Beyond the top ones mentioned in this article, there are lots of other certification programs that can help to further the careers and professional development of IT professionals who work in the networked storage arena. In particular, credentials from Red Hat (Certified Data Center Specialist, or RHCDS), Hitachi Data Systems or HDS (Certified Storage Manager), HP, Veritas, and Isilon are known for their worth among professionals.

NOTE: These certifications should not be attempted by freshers or college going students. It is only meant for professionals who are in the storage and networking domain.

For further curiosity or queries on SAN, ask or post on Shiksha now!!

About the author:

 Robin Agrawal is a Chief Solution Designer working at AT&T USA. He is also a Shiksha expert.