04/19/23 01:13 1

Brocade SAN Health Analysis Report

By

Xinyu Zhang

Jennifer Carlson

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Purpose

Introduction to SAN Health

Key differentiators

Report content analysis

Previous efforts

Recommendations

Topics

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Purpose of the Analysis

Understand the Brocade SAN Health tool and the reports

generated by this tool

Evaluate if a tool based on EFCM could be competitive

Summarize analysis in PowerPoint (this doc) and deliver

formal analysis in Word with more details

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What is Brocade SAN Health?

Free data capture and reporting tool downloaded from Brocade website

Works on both Brocade and McDATA SAN

No performance data gathered from McDATA SAN

Non-disruptive to data traffic

Works with Windows Scheduler to run automatically

Max 68 switch in one report

Capture maximum of 48 hours of performance data

Takes about 15 min for a user to configure the tool to capture data for a small fabric (depends on size of SAN, etc.)

Takes 8 to 48 hours to generate a report (depends on job queue at Brocade, etc.)

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Testimony and Task Flow

User downloads the free SAN Health toolfrom Brocade website

User installs SAN Health and enters the IP addresses for discovery

User emails .BSH file to Brocade or Uploads file to a web server

Brocade reporting engine generates the reports, uploads them to a web server,

and notifies the user

User follows the link and retrieves the report from the web server

“We rely on weekly SAN Health reports from Brocade to track our SAN configuration and usage…

SAN Health is indispensable in reporting to my management on the state of the storage network, and it helps us anticipate SAN-related issues before they become problems."

--Baptist Memorial

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Flexibility to Customize Reports

Best practice checkup

Communication

settings

Command selection

Nickname mapping

Report scalability

Diagram format

Security

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SAN Health Reports - Excel

Consist of a cover sheet, table of contents, introduction,

summary, topology diagram, recommendations, then report

contents Organized by SAN summary,

fabric details, then switch

details

Performance graph by switch

Hidden data sheets for

customized reports

Color coded data for alerts

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SAN Health Reports - Visio

Custom Properties window similar to the EFCM

Properties dialogs (for devices and links, not ports

or fabrics)

Multi-line identifiers similar to the flyovers Color-coded

links for link

types and

performance

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How did We Evaluate an EFCM Based Response?

EFCM was not designed to compete with SAN Health EFCM is a comprehensive management tool for element

management, configuration, and continuous monitoring

SAN Health is a reporting tool to make a snap shot of a

network for further analysis

Compare how a user accomplishes the same task

using the different tools and data availability in the

reports Not a comparison of EFCM and SAN Health

Differentiations focused on a particular task

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Key Differentiators

EFCM SAN Health

Support Cisco and

QLogic

Runs on more platforms

Real-time monitoring

Infinite performance

capturing

Centralized nickname

store

Immediate report

generation

Unique data:

Congestion, Security,

and Historical

Performance

Single comprehensive report

Firmware and other

compatibility checks

Excel/Visio output customizable

No cost

Ease-of-use for generating

check

Unique data: Switch Sensor

Data, Configuration Policy

Alerts, I/O Parameters

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Using Brocade SAN Health report data as a measure found

~65% available in EFCM user interface or reports

22% in Database Export

+31% in User Interface and Reports

+12% in Element Manager Data Collections

~35% not available in EFCM

Use EFCM database export as a measure

33% available in SAN Health report

67% not available in SAN Health report

Report Content Comparisons

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SAN Health has (examples only):

Marginal status of switch, power supplies, fans, temperature sensors, etc.

Fan out ratio, long distance mode, ISL bandwidth utilization

Zone database usage, un-zoned ports/nicknames

I/O parameters (data field size, error detect time, etc.)

Alert policy thresholds

EFCM DB export has (examples):

Historical performance data

LUN related data: LUN, LUN binding, LUN masking, host LUNs

Host and storage data, host to HBA mapping

WWN zoning and fabric address zoning information

mSAN and SAN router data

Report Content Comparisons EFCM Database Export

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Not available in DB export (examples only):

SAN Health EFCM

License information PFE Key dialog of each Element Manager, Security

Center

Visio topology diagram and

properties

Connectivity map and Connectivity XML export,

product tree and topology

Port usage by disk, tape,

host, ISL, and free Fabric Ports report

SNMP settings Discovery Setup

Access control list Security Center

Average and max

performance

Performance graph and continuous performance

data export

Report Content Comparisons EFCM UI and Reports

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Report Content ComparisonNot All Data Created Equal

Previous portion of the analysis identified and

counted data missing from SAN Health and EFCM

components

However the value for our customers of each type

of report content is expected to vary greatly

Having an understanding of the value of each type

of content should help prioritize future

development efforts

Summary of value of content is being gathered but

summary not available yet

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Previous Analysis Efforts

Similar effort led by CTO office joined by Software Development, Marketing, Solutions Consulting, and Professional Services

SANplicity (Marketing)

Report comparison (SC)

Export to database analysis (CTO)

Phases estimate (Software Dev)

Specification (CTO)

Emails

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Previous Analysis Summary

SAN Health Check in GDI Manager Analyzed data availability

Recommended: Enhancing export capability of EFCM

Collecting data from database export, EFCM server, and devices

Building our own centralized reporting engine

SANplicity and Backup/Restore Utilities SANplicity and Backup/Restore are current McDATA products

Possible solutions: Collect switch data currently used for switch configuration backup and

generate reports

Include port diagnostic data then generate reports for trouble shooting purposes

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RecommendationsDesign Goals

Line up with marketing strategy Equivalent is not enough, we need to be better

Comprehensive reports make SAN managers look smart to their

management and generates loyalty to McDATA

Easy to use

Line up with service strategy Shorten the initial efforts for an engagement

Collect an inventory of customer data (shared goal with

marketing)

Be powerful, provide more useful data than Brocade

Low design and development cost and fast turn around -

take advantage of current EFCM structure

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Design Options

Packaging Take advantage of EFCM infra-structure

Provide more data by enhancing export capability (email/database)

Support the discovery of legacy EFCM/SANav installations

Provide a optimized version of client with discovery and export only

Deployment Deliver to user with an optimized client for free

Deliver to user with a trial license key (fully loaded client)

Reporting Generate reports from a 3rd party reporting tool using predefined templates

Automate comprehensive report generation

Modify the topology XML export to allow Visio to open the files

Check against best practice policies and alert violations

By McDATA or by customer

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RecommendationsTask Flow

Download and install EFCMDiscovery Setup

After running EFCM for a while, export SAN file

email or FTP to McDATA, encrypted

Import SAN file then export it to database

Generate reports using pre-configured report templates

Receive the reports

Free optimized EFCM available for download

McDATA TasksUser Tasks

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McDATA Advantage Proposed Design

Proposed EFCM

advantage

Current SAN Health

Advantage

Support Cisco and QLogic

Runs on more platforms

Real-time monitoring

Infinite performance

capturing

Centralized nickname store

Immediate report

generation

Unique data: Congestion,

Security, and Historical

Performance

Single comprehensive

report

Firmware and other

compatibility checks

Excel/Visio output

customizable

No cost

Ease-of-use for generating

check

Unique data: Switch Sensor

Data, Configuration Policy

Alerts, I/O Parameters