1

Hi everyone!

I’m excited to be part of this group. I currently administer HPE MSA SANs and manage a client setup with clustered servers connected to MSA storage. I’m comfortable managing the SAN environment, but I’d really like to build a deeper understanding of storage from the ground up — from zero to hero.

One area I’m particularly interested in is initial SAN configuration, including zoning, LUN mapping, switch configuration, etc. In our setup, I’ve noticed they’re using Netgear switches as SAN switches, and I’d like to learn the proper way to configure them in a storage environment.

Could anyone guide me or recommend resources, labs, or learning paths to truly understand SAN storage — especially HPE MSA and switch integration? Any tips, courses, books, or hands-on labs would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

6 Spice ups
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It might be worth trying to get hold of some old, used kit on eBay and get some hands-on, you can always resell them later or give them to a local recycling company if you only paid minimal for them.

There are virtual SANs out there, such as Vendors > StarWind virtual SAN, but this wont cover all of the things you mentioned, it will however give you experience of other SANs.

You can use a free version to get you started.

SANs also vary in complexities, setup, configuration, updating and so on.

2 Spice ups
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I would usually think HPe or Dell etc usually have lots of sales sessions and/or training sessions for Enterprise IT persons (usually via the Enterprise Sales Reps).

But if you are from a customer point of view, there can be way too much to learn with very little time and very little practise as customers do not need to configure or set up the SAN more than a few times in the beginning (especially if there is a POC). Else you only set up once every 3yrs or 5yrs when you change or do a hardware refresh.

I would not even get refurbished sets as what you are getting is either already or going to be obsolete…for some storage from HPe or IBM, you may need active support else some features maybe turned off, unlike Dell EQL storage where all features are out of the box…then you need the servers as well…

The main concepts like LUNs or Volumes (depending on which brand) or RAID levels or redundant controllers are quite similar (across most storage) with 3 main connectivity method of iSCSI, FC and eSAS (or eSATA)…the eSAS (or eSATA) actually in a way converts the SAN to a Direct attached storage DAS for some storage.

So I would learn the concepts rather than the specific method as names, GUI and terms may change but the concepts almost always remain…

1 Spice up
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For getting deeper into SAN and HPE MSA, I’d recommend starting with the HPE MSA manuals and official documentation – that’s a great place to learn about configuration, zoning, and LUN mapping.

For hands-on learning, try setting up a lab environment or use simulators like GNS3 to practice SAN setups. Also, check out courses on platforms like Pluralsight or Udemy for more in-depth guides.

Books like “Storage Networking Protocols” by Marc Farley can also give you a solid foundation in SAN storage. Lastly, the HPE and Spiceworks communities are full of admins who share tips, so keep asking questions here as well!

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Thanks

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I will do that.