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CompTIA® Server+ : Purpose Of External Storage Technologies , It Environment

3.4 Summarize the purpose of external storage technologies

Fiber channel

  • N_Port stands for Node Port and located at the termination (Node) end.

  • F_Port stands for Fabric Port and is located at the switch end.

Fiber Channel supports three (3) topologies:

  • Point-to-Point:The Point-to-Point connection is the simplest of the three topologies with two N_Ports (such as a Host and RAID system) connected. This topology has limited applications with no expansion capabilities but can serve as a high-speed interface between two points over long distances. The communication is full duplex so a 1 gigabit/sec link delivers 200MB/s of dedicated bandwidth. Point-to-Point configuration costs relatively less due to simplicity of architecture

  • Arbitrated Loop: Fiber Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) provides a low cost alternative that allows multiple connections without the aid of a switch. Here, L_Port can be connected to any loop with each port sharing the bandwidth. The connection is half-duplex which means once a port arbitrates and gains access to the loop, transmission of information is in one direction only. This effectively opens a point-to-point connection utilizing 1/2 of the available loop bandwidth.

  • Switched Fabric and Loop: The Fiber Channel Switch is analogous to the Router in networking, managing connections, routing requests to the proper ports, and allowing characteristics to be set on each port. A switch will also automatically configure the port for point-to-point (F_Port) or loop operation (FL_Port).

iSCSI

  • iSCSI is Internet SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), an Internet Protocol (IP)-based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities. By carrying SCSI commands over IP networks, iSCSI is used to facilitate data transfers over intranets and to manage storage over long distances. Because of the ubiquity of IP networks, iSCSI can be used to transmit data over local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), or the Internet and can enable location-independent data storage and retrieval.

The following are true about Serial ATA (SATA):

  • Serial ATA (SATA) transfers data in a half-duplex channel at 1.5 Gbps With SATA II, introduced in 2003, speed was increased to 3 Gbps.

  • SATA drops the master/slave shared bus of Parallel ATA, giving each device a dedicated cable and dedicated bandwidth.

  • SATA allows hot swapping, whereas Parallel ATA does not.

  • SATA cables use 7-pin, and can be up to 1 m (39 in) long, PATA ribbon cables, in comparison, carry either 40- or 80-conductor wires and are limited to .46 m (18 in) in length.

  • SATA drives may be plugged into Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) controllers and communicate on the same physical cable as native SAS disks.

  • The power connector for SATA is completely different from that of PATA. While SATA uses 15-pin connector, PATA uses 4-pin Molex connector. Note that multiple pins are used for carrying same voltage in SATA.

4. IT Environment

4.1Write, utilize and maintain documentation, diagrams and procedures

Document server baseline (before and after service)

  • Building a baseline of performance data is an important part of any Server management function.

  • The baseline shows records the performance under certain normal load conditions. The data can be used as a yardstick for measuring the impact of configuration changes or for capacity planning. It includes measurements for resources like Processors, Memory, Network, Storage.

  • Baseline is usually taken when server is having maximum activity and is running normally.

  • Each time service is performed baseline should be taken before and after to compare if the server has slowed down or is not working as expected.

4.2 Given a scenario, explain the purpose of the following industry best practices

HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. HAVAC is used for environmental conditioning of large computer rooms. Designer will take care of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning of the facility. Preventing fire is done by fire extinguishers, and are not necessarily a part of HVAC. Similarly, EMI shielding and physical security are not part of HVAc.

4.3 Determine an appropriate physical environment for the server location

Remember the following points with respect to the server room maintenance:

  • Limit access to the server room � The access to the server room should be limited to few people such as systems administrators, and Backup operators who need access for performing their duties. Others such as common users, and visitors should be restricted from entering the server room. The access can be restricted by using lock and key.

  • Regulate the server room environments as applicable. The server room environmental conditions such as humidity, and temperature must be regulated as required based on the vendors recommendations.
    Do not allow dust to enter the server room. The server room should be maintained dust free. This will eliminate lot of potential problems that may result in storage media corruption, hardware failure, etc.

  • Use UPS: It is highly recommended to use UPS for server backup. If the mains fail or if there are any temporary power blockage, you need time to save the contents in the temporary memory to the disk and also to shut down the server if required. Note that the UPS must be able to provide a runtime that is at least sufficient to backup the cache, and for proper shutdown. Also, if the server services are required without interruption, procure a backup generator.

  • ESD protection: If you intend to do any diagnostics or card level repairs in the server room, ensure that the place is free from static electricity. Static electricity may easily damage memory and other cards if handled with bare hands without proper ESD protection. Keep the backup tapes (at least weekly/monthly full backups) away from the server room at a different safe and secure place.

All the following parameters need to be taken care of while choosing the Server room.

  • Temperature / Humidity: Usually air-conditioned environment is suitable for the server room.

  • Anti Static precaution: Precaution need to be taken to prevent static electricity build up in your server room This can be done by choosing proper chairs/ tables, floor mats, and other anti static material.

  • The power supply need to be very conditioned. UPS of appropriate rating is a good choice.

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