DESIGNING &

DEPLOYING SERVER
& STORAGE
SOLUTIONS FOR
SMALL AND MEDIUM
BUSINESS


Introducti on to
the Bri dge
Curri cul um

Bridge Curriculum Introduction Page 1

About this Bridge Curriculum
HP Accredited Technical Associate Certification Bridge Curriculum for exam:

HP4-A03: Designing & Deploying Server & Storage Solutions

The HP ATA Designing & Deploying Server & Storage Solutions exam validates
foundation-level knowledge of server & storage technologies, solutions,
administration, and optimization and knowledge about Linux and Microsoft
Windows Server operating systems.
Bridge Curriculum Description
This HP Accredited Technical Associate (ATA) Certification Bridge
Curriculum consists of 18 lessons that cover the concepts addressed in the
HP ATA Certification Exam HP4-A03: Designing & Deploying Server &
Storage Solutions. The course serves as a resource and guide for educators
to supplement existing server and storage courses.
This Bridge Curriculum:
o Is intended to supplement existing academic courses
o Does not provide complete coverage of underlying concepts
o Is based on the objective domain of exam HP4-A03
Each lesson, including activities, can be delivered in a 50 to 60 minute
class period.
The materials for each lesson include:
o An Instructor Guide (IG) for the educator
o A Microsoft PowerPoint presentation
o An Activity description for the students
o An Activity Solution description for the educator
Audience
The audience for this course includes students who plan to earn an ATA
certification. These certifications are the first step toward a productive career in
IT. ATA certifications provide the practical skills necessary to design and deploy
a complete, end-to-end IT solution for small businesses. This includes both
working with the technology and applying that technology to achieve defined
strategic business objectives. ATA certifications are designed for anyone seeking
practical experience to supplement their academic study in IT or to enhance their
IT career.


Bridge Curriculum Introduction Page 2

Candidates for exam HP4-A03 should have knowledge of and hands-on
experience with:
HP server & storage technologies
HP server & storage solutions
HP server & storage administration and troubleshooting
HP server & storage optimization
Linux and Microsoft Windows Server operating systems
Student Prerequisites
Students who take an ATA exam should have completed an academic course
that addresses the objectives defined for the exam.

Students who take exam HP4-A03 should prepare for the exam by gaining
experience with HP server and storage solutions either during a course of study
or during on-the-job training.
Educator Preparation
An educator should prepare to deliver the bridge curriculum for exam HP4-A03
by:
Reviewing the objectives and materials for each lesson.
Reviewing the description of each student activity and the corresponding
solution.
Performing each student activity.
Identifying and preparing to deliver the key concepts that are covered in
each lesson.
Reviewing the additional resources listed in the Instructor Guide for each
lesson.
The files for each lesson are delivered in a compressed file (.zip). The naming
convention for the files is as follows:

HPSS indicates the HP Server & Storage Solutions exam
BC indicates bridge curriculum
Lxx indicates Lesson number xx
rev1 indicates the revision number
ppt indicates the PowerPoint show
ig indicates the Instructor Guide
sa indicates the Student Activities
aa indicates the Student Activities Answers

Bridge Curriculum Introduction Page 3


For example, the file names for Lesson 02 are:

HPSSBCL02rev1.zip compressed file that contains the following lesson 02
components:
HPSSBCpptL02rev1 The PowerPoint show (ppt)
HPSSBCigL02rev1 the Instructor Guide (ig)
HPSSBCsaL02rev1 the Student Activities (sa)
HPSSBCaaL02rev1 the Student Activity Answers (aa)
Exam HP4-A03 (Designing & Deploying Server & Storage
Solutions) Objective Domain
The lessons in this bridge curriculum reinforce content addressed in these exam
objectives:

1 Explain and recognize industry standard server technologies and their
implications on customer needs
1.1 Describe various types of Server Applications and their functionality
1.2 Identify and describe the common industry OS and application solutions
stacks currently supported by x86/x64 systems
1.3 Describe the architecture elements of industry standard operating
systems
1.4 Describe the common components of data centers
2 Recognize and describe HP and industry standard server products and
solutions
2.1 Describe health and fault management tools and technologies
2.2 Describe the features and options of various rack series
2.3 Identify and describe Power protection and power management
2.4 Identify and describe network options
2.5 Identify and describe storage options
2.6 Identify and describe standard management solutions for
Windows/Linux on x86 and/or x64
2.7 Identify and describe the use and benefits of vendor management
utilities such as HP SIM management
3 Plan and design server and storage solutions for SMB customers
3.1 Design, size and validate the solution
4 Install, configure, and upgrade server and storage solutions (including

Bridge Curriculum Introduction Page 4

both rack-mount and blade systems) for SMB customers
4.1 Verify the physical installation (setup diagram/specification based on the
customer/presales design)
4.2 Install server supported operating system
4.3 Install and configure management software
4.4 Validate, test and document the solution
5 Performance-tune and optimize server and storage solutions for SMB
customers
5.1 Determine whether performance is optimal; Identify and resolve
bottlenecks and tune the system
5.2 Check for known performance issues
6 Troubleshoot and perform repair/replacement procedures for server and
storage solutions for SMB customers
6.1 Troubleshoot common server and storage issues using the HP 6-step
troubleshooting methodology
7 Administer and operate server and storage solutions for SMB customers
7.1 Perform system upgrades
7.2 Design and implement the appropriate fault management solution
Course Outline
The course outline for this bridge curriculum is:
Lesson 1: Types of Servers
Network infrastructure servers
File and print servers
FTP servers
Web servers
Proxy servers
Database servers
Messaging servers
Authentication servers
Terminal servers
Virtual server host


Bridge Curriculum Introduction Page 5

Lesson 2: Data Center Components
Server form factors
Cabling management
Physical layout requirements
Physical security
Lights-Out Technology
Lesson 3: Designing Storage
Types of storage
SmartArrays
Hardware RAID
Attachment technologies
Disk technologies
Designing storage
Creating volumes and LUNs
Lesson 4: Power and Cooling
Power protection options
Cooling management technologies'
HP design tools
Lesson 5: Installing a Rack-mount Server
Safe installation guidelines
Installing rack options
Rack-mounted server installation
System Maintenance Menu
ROM-Based Setup Utility
Lesson 6: Windows Servers
Windows Server
Windows solution stacks
Windows Small Business Server
Licensing
Lesson 7: Installing and Configuring Windows Server
Installation
HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM)
TCP/IP settings
Domain membership
Server roles

Bridge Curriculum Introduction Page 6

Lesson 8: Windows Architecture
Processes and threads
Multithreading
Ssytem services
Registry
Hard disk partitioning
File systems
Software RAID
Lesson 9: Management Software
System Management Homepage (SMH)
HP Systems Insight Manager (HP SIM)
Lesson 10: Installing a BladeSystem
BladeSystem cClass Components
BladeSystem management options
BladeSystem enclosures
Installation procedures
Lesson 11: Installing External Storage
Drive enclosures
Installing a drive
Installing SAS controllers
Preparing the server
Connecting cables
Powering on and verifying installation
Lesson 12: Networking Options
Network adapter selection
Multifunction network adapters
Blade interconnects
Lesson 13: Business Continuity and Availability
Assessing business continuity and availability requirements
Clustering
Virtualization
Network Adapter Teaming
Memory protection
Power



Bridge Curriculum Introduction Page 7

Lesson 14: Backup and Recovery
Assessing backup requirements
Types of backup
Backup devices and media
Backup schedules
Advanced backup technologies
Lesson 15: Linux Operating System
Linux Overview
Open source solution stacks
Linux installation
HP Management software for Linux
Configuring Linux
Lesson 16: Optimizing Performance
Performance optimization overview
Monitoring performance with Windows tools
Monitoring performance with Linux tools
Monitoring performance with Insight Control
Lesson 17: Troubleshooting
Collecting information
Evaluating information to identify the subsystem causing the problem
Developing an optimized action plan
Executing the action plan
Determining whether the problem is solved
Implementing preventive measures
Lesson 18: Upgrading a Server
Hardware upgrades
Firmware upgrades
RAID migrations
Software updates