Customer Reviews

Building SANs with Brocade Fabric Switches

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This book is a primer for passing BCFP and BCSD. It contains very useful information and very readable. With this book and the references below, I was 80% ready for the BCSD exam, the other 20% being work experience.

The other references are from www.BrocadeConnect.com (free access with a sign-in account) :
Home > Technical Resource Center > Documentation Library > Technical "How To" Guides >
The main reference:
* Brocade SilkWorm Design, Deployment, and Management Guide Version 3.0 (PDF, 7.26 MB)

And for those short on experience, it will be useful to comb thru:
# Brocade Guide to Understanding Zoning (PDF, 301.81 KB)
# Brocade PortlogDump Reference Guide Version 1.0 (PDF, 1.71 MB)
# Brocade SilkWorm Multiprotocol Router SAN Design Guide Version 1.0 (PDF, 9.83 MB)
# Cable Management Guidelines Version 1.0 (PDF, 1.49 MB)
# Fabric Watch Guidelines Version 1.0 (PDF, 925.01 KB)
# LAN Guidelines For Brocade SilkWorm Switches (PDF, 920.8 KB)
# Long-distance Technologies for Storage Area Networks Version 2.0 (PDF, 130.1 KB)
# SAN Migration Guide Version 1.1 (PDF, 2.63 MB)
# SAN Security Best Practices Guide (PDF, 6.84 MB)

Having gone thru the experience of going in blindly for the BCSD exam, I thought I would help the initiated by providing more info:
1) There are 65 questions, to be completed within 90 minutes. Honestly I barely have time to finish all. Tip is to skip those you are unsure and return later.
2) The question's format consists of multiple choices, multiple answers, exhibits to click on.
3) I believe you need 70% to pass, at least for my case.
The 4 Sections examined are:
* Define SAN requirements/Interview End User
* Create a successful SAN design to suite requirements
* Implement SAN solutions
* Understand Impact of a SAN design upon Management

Wish y'all all the best :-)

This is by far the best book available on SAN design, and it is the only book that goes into specifics on configuring Brocade products, which is incredibly importnat considering their products are the most common. I found the generic SAN stuff increbibly useful and the Brocade specific stuff invaluable. I'm not sure what the 1-star reviews are about. I guess those guys know everything.

All of our field engineers carry a copy of this book. It is straightforward and is really the only resource out there other than the documentation and the Brocade web site.

I just finished reading this book, and I highly recommend it for anyone doing SAN design or implementation. The book clearly explains all of the different topology options and details all of the complexities of the insallations and provides an entire chapter on toubleshooting (incredibly useful).

I have two other generic books on SANs---pretty good books that lack in certain areas. I find that this book covers all areas and since it also has Brocade-specific coverage, it's the best of the lot. I could have saved some money on the others if I bought this one first. Ebay here I come...

If you are looking for product information (older since this book was published a while ago), OK this will do but you've got to pull the info you need out of this book.

I have read every SAN book out there and am working on one of my own (watch for a new book from O'Reilly later this year/ early next), and this particular book gets my highest recommendation. Yes, there is a strong bias toward Brocade equipment, but most SANs are based on Brocade switches and Brocade is leading many aspects of the fibre channel switching market. The most unique feature of this book is the fibre channel troubleshooting section. The only critique I can offer is that SANs are not just about fibre channel switching. There is a lot to understand about software applications, the sub-components of the SAN, storage devices, the role of NAS and alternative file serving technologies on the SAN, etc. Some of these topics are mentioned, but not really addressed at a meaningful level. However, to be fair to the authors, the book does not promise a comprehensive overview of SANs and it fully delivers on the promise of the title. In short, this is the only book I have read that offers specific meaningful advice on the implementation and management of a SAN. It will be essential reading in my company.

If you are looking for new SAN technology, this is not your book, because the technology that this book is talking is about 2002.
Technology is changing every day, so this is a very old book.

easy read; range of coverage is wide and details are also good.
somewhat boring at times , but that's how the whole topic is.

This book has no real value-add as a book to keep in one's library. Its filled with content any mid-level engineer already knows or can figure out on their own. It goes into no low-level detail of the switch hardware or software design in anyway. The topic on SAN Design was written semi-technical in a sense the *ONLY* design considerations are "two tier", "three tier", "star" ... sounds like old network design concepts from a 1991 Cisco press book on LAN Switches.

Go to the book store and just flip through this book, if you're familiar with networking and storage already, this book is of no use, if you're someone with absolutely zero knowledge of SANs and Brocade, get this book at a "dummies" book and don't rely on it to pass interviews per se.