HPE0-V27 HPE Edge-to-Cloud Solutions Questions and Answers

Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is a protocol that allows Fibre Channel traffic to be encapsulated and transported over an Ethernet network. FCoE enables the convergence of storage and data networks, reducing the number of cables, switches, and adapters required for a dedicated lossless fabric. FCoE also preserves the features and benefits of Fibre Channel, such as high performance, reliability, security, and management. FCoE requires Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS) and Priority-based Flow Control (PFC) to ensure lossless and low-latency transmission of storage traffic over Ethernet. HPE Aruba Ethernet-based storage fabrics support FCoE and provide cloud-like scalability and simplicity for data-driven applications1. References: Advanced HPE Edge-to-Cloud Solutions, Rev. 22.31 (0001196323) H61Z2S, HPE Aruba Ethernet-based storage fabrics bring cloud-like scalability to data-driven applications

HPE Virtual Connect is a technology that simplifies the management of server connections by reducing cables and network devices. It also enables dynamic allocation of network bandwidth and flexible assignment of network identities to servers. HPE Virtual Connect can help customers reduce the storage and network cabling within their datacenter by creating a virtualized pool of network resources that can be shared by multiple servers. HPE Virtual Connect works with HPE BladeSystem and HPE Synergy servers, as well as HPE storage solutions such as HPE Nimble Storage and HPE 3PAR StoreServ. HPE Virtual Connect supports Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and iSCSI protocols, and integrates with HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform for a consistent cloud experience. Therefore, the correct answer is D. HPE Virtual Connect. References: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/storage/microsoft.html

https://www.hpe.com/in/en/greenlake.html

HPE GreenLake Data Protection is a cloud service that provides backup and recovery solutions for hybrid cloud environments. It enables customers to protect their data from edge to cloud, with rapid recovery on premises or low-cost archiving in the cloud. It also offers ransomware protection, data mobility, and data analytics capabilities1.

Two of the components that are part of HPE GreenLake Data Protection are:

• Disaster recovery: HPE GreenLake Data Protection offers disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) based on Zerto, a leading platform for cloud data management and protection2. DRaaS enables customers to replicate and recover their data and applications across different sites, regions, or clouds in minutes, with minimal data loss and downtime. DRaaS also provides orchestration, automation, and testing tools to simplify and streamline the disaster recovery process2.
• Azure blob backup: HPE GreenLake Data Protection supports Azure blob backup, which allows customers to backup their data to Azure Blob Storage, a scalable and cost-effective cloud storage service3. Azure blob backup can be used for long-term retention, compliance, or archival purposes, as well as for restoring data to Azure or on-premises environments. Azure blob backup also leverages deduplication, compression, and encryption technologies to optimize the backup performance and security3.

The other options, such as application mobility, CSI plugin, and object gateway, are not components of HPE GreenLake Data Protection. Application mobility is a feature of Zerto that enables customers to migrate their applications across different platforms, such as VMware, Hyper-V, AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, without disruption or data loss4. CSI plugin is a container storage interface plugin that enables customers to provision and manage persistent storage for their containerized applications using HPE storage solutions. Object gateway is a component of HPE Ezmeral Data Fabric, a data platform that provides a unified and secure data layer for analytics, AI, and cloud-native applications.

References:

• 1: HPE GreenLake for Data Protection
• 2: HPE GreenLake for Disaster Recovery
• 3: HPE StoreOnce Cloud Bank Storage
• 4: Zerto Application Mobility
• : [HPE CSI Driver for Kubernetes]
• : [HPE Ezmeral Data Fabric]

HPE Solutions for Qumulo is a file data platform that provides scalable, secure, and cost-effective storage for unstructured data, such as GIS video files. HPE Solutions for Qumulo supports SMB file shares and can handle various file sizes and types with high performance and efficiency. HPE Solutions for Qumulo also offers data protection, encryption, and replication features to ensure long-term data retention and durability. HPE Solutions for Qumulo can easily grow with the customer’s data needs, as it supports up to 64 nodes per cluster and up to 1.6PB of usable capacity per 4U node12. References: HPE Solutions for Qumulo | HPE Store US, HPE Solutions for Qumulo - Data Sheet

HPE GreenLake is a pay-per-use IT model that delivers on-demand capacity and planning, combining the agility and economics of public cloud with the security and performance of on-premises IT. It helps customers improve their liquidity by avoiding large upfront capital expenditures and paying only for what they use. This frees up cash flow and enables them to invest in other strategic initiatives. According to an IDC study, customers using HPE GreenLake Management Services reported a 27% lower three-year cost of operations and a 287% five-year return on investment1. References:

• HPE GreenLake cloud platform
• The Business Value of HPE GreenLake Management Services
• HPE Expands Pay-Per-Use IT to Key Business Workloads
• Three Financial Benefits of Using HPE Greenlake

HPE StoreOnce demonstration license is a temporary license that enables StoreOnce Catalyst and Replication features for 90 days. However, due to legal restrictions in some countries, the encryption feature is excluded from the demonstration license. Encryption is a feature that protects data at rest on StoreOnce systems by using AES-256 encryption algorithm. To use encryption, a separate license must be purchased and applied to the StoreOnce system. Encryption is not available in the following countries: Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela. References: Licensing problems | HPE StoreOnce 2xxx -5xxx System User Guide for StoreOnce software version 3.18.x, HPE StoreOnce Networking Licenses | HPE Store US

HPE Cloud Bank Storage is a feature of HPE StoreOnce Systems that enables cost-effective and secure long-term retention of backup data in the cloud. It integrates with HPE GreenLake backup solutions to provide a flexible and scalable cloud storage option for customers who want to optimize their backup costs and simplify their operations. HPE Cloud Bank Storage supports multiple cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Scality. It also provides deduplication, encryption, and compression to reduce the storage footprint and bandwidth consumption of backup data. HPE Cloud Bank Storage is compatible with various backup applications, such as Commvault, Data Protector, and Veeam. References: HPE GreenLake - Edge-to-cloud platform | HPE, Edge to Cloud | HPE GreenLake | HPE EUROPE - Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Edge-to-Cloud Data Protection: HPE + Veeam Solutions, HPE Edge-to-Cloud Solutions | H61X1S - Hewlett Packard Enterprise

• HPE Solutions for Scalitv RING is a software-defined storage solution that provides cloud storage on-premises with data capacity from terabytes to exabytes in a single name space1.
• HPE Solutions for Scalitv RING supports multiple single- and geo-dispersed data configurations, including erasure coding across sites, which enables high availability and durability of data across different locations1.
• HPE Solutions for Scalitv RING offers a native S3 API and file protocols, such as NFS and SMB, that provide connection to most business applications and cloud-native workloads1.
• HPE Solutions for Scalitv RING also provides built-in ransomware protection, federated data management, and flexible deployment options, such as HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform1.
• HPE Solutions for Scalitv ARTESCA is a lightweight solution optimized for S3 access from cloud-native applications, but it does not support geo-dispersed data configurations or file protocols2.
• HPE Solutions for Qumulo is a file data platform that provides real-time visibility, scale, and control of data across on-premises and cloud environments, but it does not support object storage or erasure coding across sites3.
• HPE Solutions for Cohesity is a data management platform that simplifies backup, recovery, and data protection across hybrid cloud environments, but it does not support petabyte-scale or geo-dispersed object storage4.

The references are:

1: HPE Solutions with Scality 2: HPE Solutions for Scality ARTESCA 3: HPE Solutions for Qumulo 4: HPE Solutions for Cohesity

HPE SimpliVity is a hyperconverged infrastructure solution that combines compute, storage, networking, and data services in a single appliance1. HPE SimpliVity clusters are groups of HPE SimpliVity nodes that share the same federation and data center2. HPE SimpliVity clusters can be expanded by adding new nodes to increase the capacity and performance of the cluster3.

However, adding new nodes with newer generation Intel CPUs to an existing HPE SimpliVity cluster may cause compatibility issues for vMotion, the VMware technology that enables live migration of virtual machines between hosts4. vMotion requires that the source and destination hosts have compatible CPUs, meaning that they support thesame set of CPU features4. If the new nodes have different or additional CPU features than the existing nodes, vMotion may fail or be restricted4.

To facilitate adding the new hosts to the cluster, one possible solution is to enable Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) on the cluster5. EVC is a feature of VMware vSphere that ensures vMotion compatibility for the hosts in a cluster that are running different CPU generations5. EVC masks the CPU features that are not common among all hosts in the cluster, so that all hosts present the same CPU feature set to the virtual machines5. This way, vMotion can be performed without CPU compatibility errors5.

To enable EVC on the cluster, the following steps are required5:

• Power off all virtual machines in the cluster, or migrate them to another cluster.
• Edit the cluster settings and select the EVC mode that corresponds to the baseline CPU feature set for the cluster. The EVC mode must be equivalent to or a subset of the feature set of the host with the smallest feature set in the cluster.
• Add the new hosts to the cluster and verify that they are compatible with the EVC mode.
• Power on the virtual machines in the cluster, or migrate them back from another cluster.

By enabling EVC, the cluster can benefit from the improved vMotion compatibility and flexibility of adding new hosts with newer generation Intel CPUs. However, enabling EVC also has some limitations and trade-offs, such as5:

• EVC does not allow vMotion between hosts with different CPU vendors, such as AMD and Intel.
• EVC does not prevent vMotion from failing for other reasons, such as network or storage incompatibility.
• EVC may prevent virtual machines from accessing some CPU features that are available on newer hosts, but not on older hosts.
• EVC may not work with some applications that do not follow the CPU vendor recommended methods of feature detection.

Therefore, enabling EVC should be carefully planned and tested before adding the new hosts to the cluster.

References:

• 1: HPE SimpliVity
• 2: HPE SimpliVity User Guide
• 3: HPE SimpliVity Expansion Installation and Startup Service
• 4: VMware EVC and CPU Compatibility FAQ
• 5: About Enhanced vMotion Compatibility

When proposing a storage expansion solution to a customer Fibre Channel array, it is important to consider the current and future workloads that will use the array, as well as the performance bottlenecks that may affect the array’s efficiency and availability. These two factors will help determine the optimal size, type, and configuration of the storage expansion, as well as the potential impact on the existing Fibre Channel network and the customer’s business objectives.

C. Other workloads that are planned to be added to this array. This point is relevant because adding new workloads to the array will increase the demand for storage capacity and performance, which may require additional disks, controllers, or ports. The type and characteristics of the new workloads, such as their I/O patterns, data protection requirements, and service level agreements, will also influence the design of the storage expansion solution. For example, if the new workloads are I/O intensive or require high availability, the storage expansion solution may need to include solid-state drives (SSDs), RAID levels, or replication features that can meet those needs.

E. Performance bottlenecks in the current solution. This point is relevant because identifying and resolving the performance bottlenecks in the current solution will help improve the efficiency and utilization of the existing storage resources, as well as prevent potential issues in the expanded solution. Performance bottlenecks can occur at different layers of the storage solution, such as the disk, controller, switch, or host. Some common causes of performance bottlenecks are disk contention, controller overload, port congestion, or host configuration. To diagnose and mitigate the performance bottlenecks, the storage administrator can use tools such as HPE InfoSight, HPE 3PAR System Reporter, or HPE Command View EVA to monitor and analyze the performance metrics, such as IOPS, throughput, latency, queue depth, or utilization, of the storage components.

A. VLAN and Spanning Tree configuration. This point is not relevant because VLAN and Spanning Tree are Ethernet network concepts that do not apply to Fibre Channel networks. Fibre Channel networks use different protocols and mechanisms to segment and manage the network traffic, such as zones, virtual SANs (VSANs), or fabric services.

B. The UPS model that is currently in use. This point is not relevant because the UPS model that is currently in use does not directly affect the storage expansion solution. The UPS model is a power backup device that provides uninterrupted power supply to the storage devices in case of a power outage. The UPS model may have some implications on the power consumption and availability of the storage devices, but it is not a critical factor in the design of the storage expansion solution.

D. Current Ethernet network topology. This point is not relevant because the current Ethernet network topology does not directly affect the storage expansion solution. The Ethernet network topology is the physical and logical layout of the Ethernet network devices, such as switches, routers, or firewalls, that connect the hosts to the storage devices. The Ethernet network topology may have some implications on the network performance and availability of the storage devices, but it is not a critical factor in the design of the storage expansion solution. References:

• HPE Edge-to-Cloud Solutions | H61X1S
• HPE Edge-to-Cloud Transformation Program | HPE
• HPE Digital Learner for HPE Edge-to-Cloud Content Pack
• IT Resource Library - Technology Business Research | HPE
• Dell PowerVault MD3 Fibre Channel Array Series
• Enabling Cisco HyperFlex Systems to Coexist with Fibre Channel Shared Storage - Cisco
• Announcing Fibre Channel Advancements in FlashArray - Pure Storage Blog
• Purity ActiveCluster over Fibre Channel - Pure Storage
• Fiber Channel Storage Area Network - Techopedia

 To add HPE GreenLake for Block Storage to an existing HPE GreenLake account, you need to provide some basic information to the wizard-driven application in HPE GreenLake Central. According to the HPE GreenLake for Block Storage Getting Started Guide1, you need to enter the following information:

• Site contact info: This includes the name, email, and phone number of the person who will be the primary contact for the site where the block storage service will be deployed. This is required to ensure smooth communication and coordination between HPE and the customer.
• Subscription term: This is the duration of the contract for the block storage service, which can range from 12 to 60 months. This is required to calculate the monthly billing and the minimum committed capacity for the service.

The other options are not required for the wizard. Reserved capacity is the amount of storage capacity that the customer wants to reserve for future use, which can be adjusted later. HPE customer ID is a unique identifier for the customer, which is already associated with the existing HPE GreenLake account. Datacenter address is the physical location of the datacenter where the block storage service will be deployed, which is already known to HPE from the previous HPE GreenLake service. References:

• HPE GreenLake for Block Storage Getting Started Guide
• HPE GreenLake for Block Storage planning overview

The HPE Apollo 6500 Gen10 Plus is a high-performance computing platform that supports up to 16 GPUs and 2 CPUs in a 4U chassis, providing an 8:1 GPU to CPU ratio. This platform is ideal for NLP applications that require massive parallel processing and high-speed data transfer between GPUs and CPUs. The HPE Apollo 6500 Gen10 Plus supports Nvidia L40 GPUs, which are optimized for NLP workloads and deliver up to 10x faster performance than previous generations. The HPE Apollo 6500 Gen10 Plus also offers flexible configuration options, advanced cooling and power efficiency, and comprehensive management and security features. References: HPE Apollo 6500 Gen10 Plus System, HPE Apollo 6500 Gen10 Plus Data sheet, NVIDIA Teams With HPE to Take AI From Edge to Cloud

• Customers looking to unlock agility and collapse data management silos. = Alletra
• Customers looking to run apps and collapse infrastructure management silos. = SimpliVity
• Customers looking to run apps and build a resilient enterprise. = Zerto

• Alletra: Alletra is a data services platform that offers cloud-native data management and storage solutions for various workloads and applications. It can help customers unlock agility and collapse data management silos, by enabling them to provision, monitor, and optimize their data services from a single cloud console, and to integrate with various cloud providers and services12.
• SimpliVity: SimpliVity is a hyperconverged infrastructure solution that combines compute, storage, networking, and data protection in a single appliance. It can help customers run apps and collapse infrastructure management silos, by simplifying and streamlining their IT operations, reducing costs and complexity, and improving efficiency and performance34.
• Zerto: Zerto is a data protection and disaster recovery solution that offers continuous data replication, backup, and recovery for various workloads and applications. It can help customers run apps and build a resilient enterprise, by enhancing their data availability, security, and compliance, and by enabling them to recover from any disruption or failure in minutes5 .

The Welcome Center is a web-based portal that provides customers with a guided and simplified experience for setting up and managing their HPE Alletra 9000 storage systems. The Welcome Center helps customers to plan and prepare for the hardware installation, enable cloud management, discover and initialize the storage system, and access additional resources and support. The Welcome Center also provides a checklist of the tasks and requirements for each step of the implementation process, such as network configuration, site preparation, cabling, and power. By using the Welcome Center, customers can ensure that their site is readyfor the implementation and avoid any potential issues or delays. References: https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=a00113699en_us &docLocale=en_US

HPE Solutions for Scality Artesca is a lightweight, cloud-native object storage platform that supports S3 bucket storage for modern applications. It is designed to run on Kubernetes and bare metal servers, and can be deployed on a single node or scaled out to petabytes. It offers high performance, durability, and federated data management across edge, core, and cloud environments. It also has a low total cost of ownership and a flexible consumption model with HPE GreenLake. Compared to the other options, HPE Solutions for Scality Artesca has the smallest physical footprint and the most portability and scalability for S3 bucket storage requirements. References:

• HPE Object Based Storage for Scality Solutions
• HPE and Scality ARTESCA deliver best edge-to-cloud-to-core data management experience for AI/ML
• HPE Solutions with Scality
• Scality and Hewlett Packard Enterprise unveil ARTESCA: lightweight, true enterprise-grade, cloud-native object storage software for Kubernetes
• Scality and HPE Launch Object Storage Software for Kubernetes

• Cloud-based Automated Infrastructure Operations (AIOps) platform that applies advanced machine learning to transform how infrastructure is managed and supported. = InfoSight
• Designed to seamlessly work with ethernet switches by optimizing interoperability and improving the performance across a wide variety of virtualized, hyperconverged (HCI), and HPE compute and storage environments. = Aruba Fabric Composer
• Network management platform for all NX-OS-enabled deployments, spanning new fabric architectures, and storage networking deployments of the HPE C-Series switches. = DCNM
• Provides insight across the storage network through diagnostic, monitoring, and management technology of the HPE B-Series switches. = Fabric Vision

• InfoSight: InfoSight is a cloud-based Automated Infrastructure Operations (AIOps) platform that applies advanced machine learning to transform how infrastructure is managed and supported. It can monitor and optimize the performance, health, and utilization of HPE’s storage, servers, and networking solutions, and provide insights and recommendations to enhance the efficiency and reliability of the infrastructure12.
• Aruba Fabric Composer: Aruba Fabric Composer is a software-defined networking solution that is designed to seamlessly work with ethernet switches by optimizing interoperability and improving the performance across a wide variety of virtualized, hyperconverged (HCI), and HPE compute and storage environments. It can simplify and automate the network configuration, management, and troubleshooting, and provide visibility and analytics to optimize the network performance and availability3 .
• DCNM: Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) is a network management platform for all NX-OS-enabled deployments, spanning new fabric architectures, and storage networking deployments of the HPE C-Series switches. It can provide centralized control,automation, and visibility for the data center network, and support various features, such as fabric discovery, provisioning, monitoring, troubleshooting, and backup and restore .
• Fabric Vision: Fabric Vision is a technology that provides insight across the storage network through diagnostic, monitoring, and management technology of the HPE B-Series switches. It can enhance the network performance, availability, and security, and reduce the operational costs and complexity. It can also support various features, such as Fabric Performance Impact (FPI) Monitoring, ClearLink Diagnostics, Flow Vision, and Monitoring and Alerting Policy Suite (MAPS) .

 A proof of concept (POC) is a demonstration of the feasibility and value of a proposed solution in a real-world scenario. It helps the customer to evaluate the solution before committing to a full-scale deployment. A POC agreement is a document that defines the scope, objectives, roles, responsibilities, and expectations of both parties involved in the POC. According to the HPE Edge-to-Cloud Solutions course1, a POC agreement should include the following elements:

• Success criteria: This is a set of measurable and achievable outcomes that indicate the POC has met the customer’s requirements and expectations. It should be aligned with the customer’s business goals and pain points, and reflect the key benefits and differentiators of the solution. For example, the success criteria could be based on performance, scalability, availability, security, cost, or user satisfaction metrics.
• Estimated timeline: This is a realistic and agreed-upon schedule for the POC, including the start and end dates, milestones, deliverables, and feedback sessions. It should account for the time needed for planning, preparation, installation, configuration, testing, validation, and evaluation of the solution. It should also specify the duration and terms of the POC, such as the number of users, devices, or data involved, and the ownership and disposition of the equipment and software after the POC.

The other options are not essential for a POC agreement. A production bill of materials is a list of the components and quantities needed for the final deployment of the solution, which is not relevant for a POC. A production site survey is an assessment of the physical and environmental conditions of the customer’s site, which may not be necessary for a POC, especially if it is conducted remotely or in a lab. A 24/7 support is a service level agreement that guarantees the availability and responsiveness of the technical support team, which may not be feasible or required for a POC. References:

• HPE Edge-to-Cloud Solutions course
• HPE Proof of Concept Program
• How to Run a Successful Proof of Concept

 HPE SmartCID is a tool that enables you to document the customer requirements and attach them to the order for HPE Synergy solutions. HPE SmartCID allows you to capture the configuration details, such as the frame layout, the compute modules, the interconnect modules, the storage options, the network settings, and the firmware versions, and generate a configuration file that can be used for factory pre-installation and pre-configuration. HPE SmartCID also validates the configuration for compatibility and compliance with HPE best practices and provides a graphical representation of the solution design. HPE SmartCID can help you reduce the cost and time for installation and configuration and ensure a consistent and error-free deployment across multiple sites. References: HPE SmartCID User Guide, HPE Synergy 12000 Frame Setup and Installation Guide, HPE Factory Express Integration Services