Architect and position XtremIO and X2 all-flash solutions — hardware architecture, host configurations, data replication, PoC management, deduplication, and performance design for customer environments.
Architect XtremIO X2 solutions — operations and management, host configurations, data replication, and positioning all-flash arrays for customer environments.
Module 01
XtremIO and X2 Operations and Management
›XtremIO X2 hardware and software components — Storage Controllers (X-Brick), InfiniBand fabric, DAE enclosures, BBU/SuperCap protection; differences between XtremIO gen-1 and X2 gen-2
›Architectural differences between XtremIO and X2 — X2 uses NVMe SSDs, improved NVRAM, larger capacity per X-Brick; scale-out by adding X-Bricks to cluster; architectural advantages of X2 for VDI and database workloads
›XtremIO X2 Management Server (XMS) — XMS deployment options (physical appliance or virtual appliance); XMS GUI and CLI management; REST API for automation; multi-cluster management from single XMS
›Managing XtremIO X2 — GUI: navigate dashboards, provision volumes, manage hosts, monitor performance; CLI: xcli commands for scripting; create and manage iGroups, volumes, and snapshots
›NVRAM data protection — NVRAM role as write buffer; battery-backed (BBU) vs. SuperCap protection; NVRAM destaging to SSD on normal operation vs. power failure path; implications for XtremIO data integrity guarantee
›Multi-cluster XtremIO X2 management — manage multiple X2 clusters from one XMS; cluster comparison in GUI; performance and capacity views per cluster
Module 02
Host Configurations in XtremIO and X2 Environments
›ESXi host configuration — VMware VAAI support with XtremIO (hardware offload for clone, zero, compare-and-swap); VASA for storage policy management; vSphere vVols design considerations with XtremIO X2
›Microsoft Windows host configuration — Windows MPIO configuration for XtremIO; disk policy settings; Disk Performance counters; reclamation (UNMAP/TRIM) support; Windows Server 2016/2019 specific settings
›Linux host configuration — DM-Multipath path grouping; queue_depth and path selector settings; udev rules for XtremIO volumes; filesystem alignment; UNMAP support for thin provisioning
›Additional OS configurations — Sun Solaris MPxIO settings for XtremIO; IBM AIX MPIO and Persistent Reserve; HP-UX native multipath; cross-platform host best practices summary
Module 03
XtremIO X2 Data Replication
›XtremIO X2 Snapshots — snapshot architecture: space-efficient, writeable, instant creation; snapshot sets for consistency groups; snapshot refresh, restore, and deletion; snapshot limits per cluster; use cases: dev/test, backup, VDI linked clones
›RecoverPoint integration — RecoverPoint for local protection (CDP continuous data protection) with XtremIO X2 splitter; CRR (continuous remote replication) for DR; CLR (continuous local replication); recovery points and journals; RPA cluster sizing for XtremIO workloads
›Performance overview and architecture — XtremIO X2 latency architecture: consistent sub-1ms read and write; XDP (XtremIO Data Protection) for cross-cluster erasure coding; RAID protection within X-Brick; scaling performance linearly by adding X-Bricks
›Environmental and host tools — XtremIO performance statistics (IOPS, throughput, latency) via XMS; ESXi performance charts; benchmarking tools (FIO, IOmeter) for PoC validation; XtremIO sizing calculator
›XtremIO support structure — Tech Support page navigation; compatibility matrices (E-Lab Advisor); documentation portal; ESRS remote support connectivity; support escalation path for hardware and software issues
›XtremIO X2 PoC management — PoC planning: customer environment prerequisites; access to XMS Simulator for pre-PoC demos; PoC test plan design; success criteria definition; post-PoC report and sizing recommendation
Module 04
Positioning XtremIO and X2
›All-Flash Array benefits — compare XtremIO X2 AFA vs. hybrid array: consistent low latency, higher IOPS density, lower rack footprint, simpler management; TCO comparison including floor space and power
›XMS Simulator usage — when to use XMS Simulator (pre-sales demos, training, lab): simulate XtremIO GUI without physical hardware; demo use cases: volume provisioning, snapshot creation, performance dashboards
›Post-processing operations — how XtremIO deduplication works: global inline content-addressable storage (CAS); compression algorithms; combined data reduction ratios; implications for effective capacity planning
›XDP performance demonstration — demonstrate XDP cross-cluster erasure coding for data protection without full RAID overhead; performance implications of XDP; XDP vs. synchronous replication trade-offs
›XtremIO X2 advanced data services — deduplication (always-on, global, inline); compression (inline, lossless); encryption at rest (D@RE with key management); thin provisioning with automatic reclamation; how these affect effective capacity
Earn the D-XTR-DS-A-24 Dell Proven Professional certification and validate your expertise in architecting and positioning XtremIO X2 all-flash solutions for enterprise customers.