Free EMC D-XTR-DY-A-24 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers

Backup Policy and XtremIO Virtual Copy: The system administrator needs to ensure that the backup policy using XtremIO Virtual Copy (XVC) can store the required read-only copies without exceeding the storage limits.

Calculating Days of Storage:

500 production volumes are backed up 4 times a day.

Total copies created per day: 500 volumes * 4 backups/day = 2000 copies/day.

Assuming the array can store a specific number of copies before older ones are deleted, let's determine the duration:

Duration Calculation:

If the array can store copies for 5 days, it can handle: 2000 copies/day * 5 days = 10,000 copies.

Thus, the array can store the backup copies for 5 days before the original backups are deleted to make space for new ones.

References:

Dell XtremIO 6.x User Guide

XtremIO Virtual Copy and Protection Copies Features

Dell XtremIO Deployment Services

When adding a user account in the XtremIO X2 XMS, the required information includes a unique user name, account type, and e-mail notification settings. Here’s a detailed explanation:

Unique User Name: A unique identifier for the user account. This is essential to distinguish between different users and manage permissions accordingly.

Account Type: Specifies the level of access or role assigned to the user account, such as administrator, viewer, or custom roles with specific privileges.

E-mail Notification: Configuration settings for sending alerts and notifications to the user’s e-mail address. This is important for monitoring and managing the system effectively.

When initializing an XtremIO cluster for the first time using the create-cluster command, it is essential to provide the cluster's unique identifier, known as the cluster-psnt (Product Serial Number Tag). This parameter ensures that the system can accurately identify and manage the cluster throughout its operational lifecycle. Other parameters, such as hw-package, profile, and package, may be relevant in different contexts, but the cluster-psnt is a mandatory parameter for initial cluster creation.

References:

Dell XtremIO Deployment and Learning Course Materials

XtremIO X2 Installation and Setup Guide

Leaving one rack unit open at the bottom of a rack containing an XtremIO X2 is a practice recommended for allowing more efficient cooling. This space acts as a buffer zone, helping to facilitate better airflow and prevent the recirculation of hot air within the rack. It is a part of thermal management strategies in data centers to optimize the cooling systems, which are crucial for maintaining the performance and longevity of the equipment1.

The Dell Best Practices Guide for Rack Enclosures emphasizes the importance of proper cooling and airflow management within rack enclosures. It suggests that efficient cooling can help reduce inefficiencies at the rack level and is essential for maintaining the necessary thermal environment for rack-mounted equipment1. While the guide does not explicitly mention leaving a rack unit open at the bottom, the principle of optimizing airflow for cooling purposes is consistent with the practice.

In the event of a power failure, the XtremIO X2 system’s NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) card will initiate the discharging of the SuperCapacitor (SuperCap). The SuperCap is designed to provide enough power to the NVRAM card to allow it to write any data in transit to a non-volatile storage medium, ensuring data integrity and preventing loss1. This process is a critical part of the XtremIO X2’s data protection mechanism during unexpected power interruptions.

The XMCLI command show-ssds is used to display information about the SSDs in the XtremIO system. This command includes details about the encryption capabilities of the DAE (Disk Array Enclosure) drives, allowing administrators to verify if the drives are capable of encryption and ensuring that the data is secure.

References:

Dell XtremIO Deployment and Learning Course Materials

XtremIO X2 Command Line Interface Guide

When deploying Connect Home using FTPS at a customer site, the TCP ports that must be open between the XtremIO Management Server (XMS) and the Dell Technologies FTP server are 989 and 990. These ports are typically used for FTPS to secure the control channel (port 989) and the data channel (port 990).

The process for configuring these ports is as follows:

Identify FTPS Requirements: Understand that FTPS requires specific ports for secure communication. Port 989 is used for the FTPS control connection, and port 990 is used for the data transfer.

Configure Firewall Settings: On the customer’s firewall, configure the settings to allow outbound connections on ports 989 and 990 to the Dell Technologies FTP server.

Verify Connectivity: After configuring the firewall, verify that the XMS can establish a connection to the Dell Technologies FTP server over these ports.

Test Connect Home Functionality: Use the Connect Home feature to ensure that the XMS can communicate securely with the Dell Technologies FTP server using FTPS.

Consult Official Documentation: For detailed instructions and best practices, refer to the official Dell XtremIO Deploy Achievement document1. This document provides comprehensive guidance on all aspects of setting up and managing XtremIO systems, including the deployment of Connect Home using FTPS.

By following these steps and referring to the official documentation, you can ensure that the necessary ports are open for the Connect Home feature to function correctly in an XtremIO deployment.

In XtremIO, snapshots are created efficiently using metadata rather than duplicating the actual data blocks. When a snapshot is made, it initially shares the same data blocks as its ancestor. When the first write occurs to a block in a snapshot, it triggers a Copy-On-First-Write (COFW) operation. This means the original data block is copied to a new location to preserve the integrity of the snapshot, ensuring that each snapshot reflects the data state at the moment of its creation.

This COFW operation ensures that the data remains consistent and unchanged for each snapshot, while allowing new writes to occur without impacting the original data or other snapshots. As a result, the first write to each snapshot impacts its ancestor by triggering a COFW operation.

References:

Dell XtremIO Deployment and Learning Course Materials

User ID Requirement: The installation of the XtremApp code requires specific user permissions.

xinstall User: The xinstall user ID has the necessary permissions to perform installations and modifications on the XtremIO XMS and Storage Controllers.

Installation Process: Using the xinstall user ensures that the process is completed without permission issues.

References:

Dell XtremIO Installation Guide

Dell XtremIO User Management Guide

Understanding XtremIO X1 DAE Power Cables: The Disk Array Enclosure (DAE) power cables are critical components in ensuring that the storage system remains operational. Removing these cables disconnects power to the DAE, which should only be done under specific circumstances.

Scenarios for Power Cable Removal:

Normal Shutdown Procedure: In a normal shutdown, the system is powered down gracefully using management interfaces and proper shutdown commands. Physical removal of power cables is typically not part of this process.

Shutdown after Initial Installation: After the initial installation, the system is powered on and configured. A shutdown would again follow a graceful procedure and not involve removing power cables unless there's a specific issue.

Shutdown due to Power Loss: In the event of power loss, the system would already be down, and there would be no need to remove the power cables as the system has lost power.

Emergency Shutdown Procedure: In an emergency, where the system must be immediately powered down to protect data or hardware, it may be necessary to remove the power cables quickly.

Best Practices and Safety:

Removing power cables as part of an emergency shutdown is typically a last resort measure when immediate power disconnection is required to prevent damage or ensure safety.

Following manufacturer guidelines for emergency shutdown ensures that the system is protected and can be safely restarted when the emergency is resolved.

References:

Dell XtremIO Safety and Emergency Procedures

Dell XtremIO Deployment Services

XtremIO X1 User and Maintenance Guide