HCSA-Presales-Storage V4.0 Questions and Answers
Which is the DR management software provided by Huawei?
Options:
SystemReporter
DeviceManager
BCManager
eService
Answer:
CExplanation:
Huawei OceanStor BCManager (Business Continuity Manager) is the dedicated software suite designed for managing disaster recovery and backup environments. While other tools perform different functions, BCManager is specifically engineered to orchestrate the entire DR lifecycle:
Management (eReplication):This component manages disaster recovery for various applications (like databases and VMs). It automates the recovery process, performs DR drills without interrupting services, and visualizes the DR topology.
Backup (eBackup):This component handles the backup of virtualized environments.
In contrast,DeviceManager (Option B)is the on-box management tool for single-array configuration.SystemReporter (Option A)is used for performance analysis and reporting.eService (Option D)is a cloud-based proactive monitoring and maintenance platform. Therefore, BCManager is the correct choice for specialized DR management.
What will RAID 6 (7+2) change into after dynamic reconstruction of OceanStor Dorado if one SSD failed in a 9-SSD storage pool?
Options:
RAID 6 (6+2)
RAID 5 (5+1)
RAID 6 (7+1)
RAID 6 (5+2)
Answer:
AExplanation:
Huawei OceanStor Dorado utilizes RAID 2.0+ block virtualization technology, which supports Dynamic RAID Reconstruction. In a traditional RAID environment, if a disk fails, the RAID group continues to operate in a "degraded" mode until the disk is replaced. However, in Dorado's RAID 2.0+, the system uses a distributed spare space policy where spare capacity is spread across all disks in the pool.
When one SSD fails in a storage pool originally configured with RAID 6 (7 data chunks + 2 parity chunks), the system identifies that it no longer has enough physical disks to maintain a 7+2 stripe width. To maintain the same level of protection (dual parity) while utilizing the remaining 8 disks, the system dynamically adjusts the RAID policy for new writes and reconstructed data toRAID 6 (6+2). This ensures that the data remains protected by two parity chunks even with a reduced disk count. This "shrinkage" of the stripe width allows the system to remain in a "healthy" protected state rather than staying in "degraded" mode indefinitely.
Which are the SAN types classified by architecture? (Select all that apply)
Options:
IP SAN
Distributed SAN
FC SAN
Centralized SAN
Answer:
B, DExplanation:
When classifying storage by its underlying architecture rather than its transmission protocol, Huawei distinguishes between two main structures. Centralized SAN (Option D) refers to the traditional controller-based array, such as the OceanStor Dorado or OceanStor Hybrid series. In this architecture, all storage resources are managed by a centralized pair or cluster of controllers within a single enclosure system. This provides high stability and specialized data services but has physical limits on the number of controllers and disks it can scale to.
Distributed SAN (Option B), such as theOceanStor Pacific(formerly FusionStorage), utilizes a scale-out architecture. It aggregates the local storage of multiple standard x86 or ARM servers into a massive, unified virtual storage pool. This architecture eliminates the bottlenecks of centralized controllers, allowing for near-infinite scalability in both performance and capacity by simply adding more nodes. WhileIP SANandFC SANare valid terms, they classify storage by thenetwork protocolused (Ethernet/IP vs. Fibre Channel) rather than the organizational architecture of the storage system itself.
With adaptive data locality rearrangement on writes, the data dispersion is calculated in real time when backup data is written and data distribution on disks is adjusted. During backup data recovery, only a few sequential reads are required, improving HDD recovery performance.
Options:
TRUE
FALSE
Answer:
AExplanation:
The statement accurately describes Huawei’s Adaptive Data Locality Rearrangement technology used in OceanProtect systems. Backup data is often deduplicated and compressed, which traditionally leads to high data fragmentation (dispersion) across physical disks. When it comes time to recover that data, the disk heads on an HDD would normally have to perform thousands of "seek" operations to find the scattered blocks, resulting in very slow recovery speeds.
Huawei solves this by calculating the data dispersion in real-time during the write process. The system intelligently rearranges and groups related data blocks together on the disk media. Because the data is stored in a physically optimized, sequential manner, the recovery process can utilizesequential readsrather than random reads. This allows OceanProtect to deliver recovery performance that is significantly higher than traditional backup appliances, ensuring that businesses can restore services rapidly after an outage or data loss event.
What are the characteristics of DAS? (Select all that apply)
Options:
Connects to servers without using network devices.
Used for block storage services.
Directly connects to servers.
Used for file storage services.
Answer:
A, B, CExplanation:
Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) is a traditional storage architecture where storage devices are connected directly to a host server. Huawei documentation defines the following key characteristics:
Direct Connection (Option C):DAS connects to the server via internal or external interfaces such as SATA, SAS, or SCSI, rather than through a storage network.
No Network Devices (Option A):Because it is a 1-to-1 connection, it does not require Fibre Channel switches or Ethernet switches to facilitate the link between the host and the storage. This makes it simple and cost-effective for small-scale deployments.
Block Storage Services (Option B):Like a SAN, DAS provides block-level access. The server’s operating system manages the file system (NTFS, EXT4, etc.) directly on the provided blocks.
While a server attached to DAS can share its files over a network (becoming a file server), the DAS itself is not a "File Storage Service" (Option D). In Huawei’s hierarchy, file services are the domain ofNAS (Network Attached Storage), which provides shared access to files via protocols like CIFS/SMB or NFS.
Which of the following are differences between scale-out storage and array storage? (Select all that apply)
Options:
Large volume: 10 PB or more data
Performance: IOPS
Performance: TB-level bandwidth
Elastic scalability: thousands of nodes
Answer:
A, C, DExplanation:
Huawei distinguishes Scale-out Storage (OceanStor Pacific) from traditional Array Storage (Centralized SAN/NAS) based on its ability to handle the "Yottabyte Era" requirements of mass data.
Large Volume (Option A):While traditional arrays are limited by the number of controllers and disk enclosures they can address, scale-out storage is designed to aggregate thousands of nodes into a single global namespace, easily managing 10 PB or even EB-level data volumes.
TB-level Bandwidth (Option C):Distributed storage excels at throughput. By utilizing a high-speed interconnected network (InfiniBand or RoCE) and parallel access protocols like DPC, a scale-out cluster can deliver aggregate bandwidth in the range of TB/s, which is critical for HPC and big data analytics.
Elastic Scalability (Option D):Traditional arrays typically scale out to a few dozen controllers. OceanStor Pacific can scale out to 4,096 nodes in a single cluster, providing linear growth in both performance and capacity as nodes are added.
Performance in IOPS (Option B)is not adifferencein the sense that both systems provide IOPS; however, centralized all-flash arrays (Dorado) are often superior for low-latency, high-IOPS structured databases, whereas scale-out storage is primarily defined by its massive bandwidth and capacity scalability.
Controllers on the new-gen OceanStor hybrid flash storage are interconnected using RDMA.
Options:
TRUE
FALSE
Answer:
AExplanation:
This statement is true as it describes a core architectural component of the Huawei SmartMatrix fully-interconnected design. In the new-generation OceanStor hybrid flash systems, multiple controllers within a cluster must communicate at extremely high speeds to synchronize cache data and manage metadata across the entire storage pool.
To achieve the low latency required for these operations, Huawei utilizesRDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access)for controller interconnection. RDMA allows one controller to access the memory of another controller directly, bypassing the operating system's kernel and reducing CPU overhead. This high-speed back-end interconnection (often operating at 100 Gbps or higher) ensures that data can be mirrored between controllers almost instantaneously, which is critical for supporting symmetric active-active services and maintaining 99.9999% availability. By using RDMA, Huawei can deliver "flash-like" performance even in hybrid arrays by ensuring that the architectural bottlenecks of traditional controller communication are eliminated.
Which of the following is NOT a capability of Huawei OceanStor Pacific scale-out storage that ensures always-on services?
Options:
SAN and NAS integrated active-active
Fast failover within 10s upon a node fault
Multi-replica cross-site and multi-active (HyperGeoMetro)
Cross-site EC multi-active (HyperGeoEC)
Answer:
AExplanation:
Huawei OceanStor Pacific is a distributed scale-out storage system optimized for mass unstructured data (File, Object, HDFS). While it provides robust "always-on" service capabilities, Option A is incorrect as it refers to a specific feature of centralized unified storage arrays like the OceanStor Dorado series. OceanStor Dorado is marketed as providing the industry's only "Active-active solution for SAN and NAS" within a centralized architecture.
In contrast, OceanStor Pacific ensures service continuity through distributed mechanisms:
Fast Failover (Option B):Technologies such as multi-module concurrent service takeover enable services on a faulty node to be taken over within 10 seconds, minimizing RTO.
HyperGeoMetro (Option C):This feature provides multi-replica cross-site active-active protection for object storage, allowing data to be accessed and modified at multiple sites simultaneously.
HyperGeoEC (Option D): This is a cross-site Erasure Coding (EC) multi-active solution that provides high reliability and space utilization for large-scale deployments.
Because OceanStor Pacific is designed for distributed unstructured workloads rather than integrated SAN/NAS block-and-file convergence in the traditional sense, Option A is the outlier.
RAID 0 is actually a mirroring technology.
Options:
TRUE
FALSE
Answer:
BExplanation:
This statement is false because RAID 0 and Mirroring (RAID 1) are fundamentally different concepts in Huawei storage technology. As defined in the Huawei technical manual, RAID 0 is "Striping." It breaks data into chunks and spreads them across multiple disks to increase performance. It has no redundancy.
"Mirroring" is the terminology specifically used for RAID 1. In a RAID 1 configuration, the system writes the exact same data to two separate physical disks simultaneously. This creates a 100% redundant copy (a mirror). If one disk fails, the other continues to provide data, ensuring zero downtime and no data loss. Huawei'sRAID 2.0+ virtualization technologycan implement striping and mirroring across different "chunks" or "extents" within a storage pool, but it maintains the technical distinction: RAID 0 is for performance through striping, while mirroring is for reliability through duplication. Therefore, characterizing RAID 0 as a mirroring technology is a technical inaccuracy.
Which of the following technologies are used in the OceanProtect ransomware protection solution to prevent data tampering and deletion? (Select all that apply)
Options:
Secure snapshot
Air Gap
WORM
Detection and analysis
Answer:
A, B, CExplanation:
Huawei OceanProtect provides a multi-layered defense to ensure that backup data remains immutable and protected from ransomware attacks. To specifically prevent data tampering and deletion, the following technologies are employed:
WORM (Write Once, Read Many) (Option C):This technology ensures that once data is written to the backup storage, it cannot be modified or deleted by any user (including administrators) until the specified retention period has expired.
Secure Snapshot (Option A):These snapshots are protected by a "read-only" attribute and a retention lock. Unlike standard snapshots, secure snapshots cannot be deleted manually before they expire, providing a reliable point-in-time recovery source even if the primary backup is targeted.
Air Gap (Option B):By physically or logically isolating a copy of the data in an "Air Gap" zone that is disconnected from the network most of the time, Huawei ensures that the data is unreachable for tampering or deletion by attackers who have gained access to the production network.
Detection and analysis (Option D)is part of the solution, but its purpose is toidentifyan ongoing attack or infected files, rather than physically preventing the tampering or deletion of the data itself.
By deploying an object storage gateway based on the existing SAN or NAS storage, the S3 object storage service can be quickly provided. This is the mainstream delivery mode in the future.
Options:
TRUE
FALSE
Answer:
BExplanation:
While it is technically possible to use a gateway to provide object interfaces over traditional storage, Huawei documentation explicitly states that this is not the mainstream delivery mode for the future of cloud-native data. Traditional SAN or NAS architectures are built on hierarchical file systems or block volumes, which face significant metadata performance bottlenecks and scalability limits when forced to handle billions of objects.
The "mainstream" and recommended approach by Huawei isNative Object Storage, such as that found in theOceanStor Pacificseries. Native object storage is built on a flat architecture from the ground up, allowing for massive horizontal scalability, a global namespace, and superior metadata handling through distributed indexing. Using a gateway is considered a legacy transition method or a "bridge" solution, but it lacks the efficiency, performance, and durability required for modern big data, AI, and cloud-native applications that natively use the S3 protocol.
When user A modifies a file in the NAS system, which of the following operations can user B perform on the file?
Options:
File deletion
File reading
File modification
File renaming
Answer:
BExplanation:
In Huawei OceanStor NAS systems, data consistency and integrity are maintained through a mechanism known as File Locking. When User A opens a file for modification (a write operation), the storage system applies a "Write Lock" or an "Exclusive Lock" to that specific file. This lock prevents other users from performing any actions that would alter the file's metadata or content, as these concurrent changes would lead to data corruption or "lost updates".
Consequently,File deletion (Option A),File modification (Option C), andFile renaming (Option D)are all blocked because they require write-level access or changes to the file system's directory structure that conflict with the active lock held by User A. However,File reading (Option B)is generally permitted unless User A has specifically requested an exclusive lock that bars all access. In standard CIFS/SMB and NFS configurations used by Huawei, multiple users can read a file while one user is writing, ensuring that information remains accessible without compromising the integrity of the file being updated.
Which of the following OceanProtect features greatly improves backup performance and reduces backup time? (Select all that apply)
Options:
Source deduplication
Media deduplication and compression
Secure snapshot
Adaptive data locality rearrangement
Answer:
A, DExplanation:
Huawei OceanProtect incorporates specialized algorithms to achieve industry-leading backup and recovery speeds. Source deduplication (Option A) is a primary performance driver because it filters out redundant data at the source, ensuring that only new data blocks are transmitted, which directly reduces the time required to complete a backup job.
Adaptive data locality rearrangement (Option D)is a unique feature that optimizes how data is written to and read from the physical disks within the OceanProtect array. During the backup process, the system calculates data dispersion in real-time and arranges data blocks on the disks to ensure they are stored sequentially. This is critical because it allows for high-speed sequential reads duringdata recovery, significantly improving the performance of HDDs which typically struggle with random I/O. While media deduplication (Option B) and secure snapshots (Option C) are essential for storage efficiency and security, they are not the primary features credited with the raw performance "leap" in backup and recovery speed.
Which statements are incorrect about remote replication and HyperMetro features of storage systems? (Select all that apply)
Options:
Asynchronous remote replication has no limit on the distance.
HyperMetro and synchronous remote replication technologies can implement automatic switchover upon a storage system fault.
Synchronous remote replication and HyperMetro technologies require that the distance does not exceed 300 km.
Both LUNs in a remote replication pair can provide services for servers.
Answer:
B, DExplanation:
According to Huawei’s BCManager and HyperReplication guides, "incorrect" statements must be identified to understand the distinction between disaster recovery (DR) and active-active solutions. Option B is incorrect because while HyperMetro supports automatic transparent failover (zero RTO) using a Quorum Server, standard synchronous remote replication typically requires manual intervention or third-party management software to trigger a switchover when the primary site fails. In synchronous replication, the secondary LUN is usually in a read-only state and cannot take over automatically without administrative action.
Option D is incorrectbecause it describes an "Active-Active" state. In a standard Remote Replication pair, only the primary LUN is accessible for host I/O (Read/Write), while the secondary LUN is locked to maintain data consistency. Only theHyperMetrofeature allows both LUNs in the pair to provide simultaneous read and write services to application servers across different sites. Regarding distance, while asynchronous replication is physically less constrained, synchronous and HyperMetro technologies are strictly limited by latency (typically requiring round-trip time <10ms and distance within 100km to 300km depending on the specific product line) to avoid severe application performance degradation.
What are the main application scenarios for SAN storage? (Select all that apply)
Options:
Big data storage
VMware virtualization
Database
Mass file sharing
Answer:
B, CExplanation:
Storage Area Network (SAN) storage is designed to provide block-level data access to servers, appearing to the operating system as a locally attached hard drive. Huawei OceanStor SAN solutions (both FC-SAN and IP-SAN) are optimized for high-performance, low-latency applications.
Databases (Option C), such as Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2, are primary use cases for SAN storage because they require high IOPS and low latency for transactional processing. The block-level access allows the database management system to have granular control over data placement and caching.VMware virtualization (Option B)is another core scenario. SANs provide the shared storage necessary for advanced features like VMotion, High Availability (HA), and Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS). In these environments, multiple ESXi hosts connect to a centralized SAN to access VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) volumes. While Option A (Big Data) and Option D (File Sharing) often use Distributed Storage (OceanStor Pacific) or NAS, the high-concurrency, structured nature of Databases and Virtualization makes them the definitive scenarios for SAN.
SCSI applies to SAN storage with HDDs, and NVMe applies to all-flash SAN storage.
Options:
TRUE
FALSE
Answer:
AExplanation:
This statement reflects the architectural evolution of Huawei OceanStor systems. The Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) protocol was designed decades ago for mechanical drives (HDDs). It uses a single command queue with a depth of 32 commands, which was sufficient for the physical limitations of rotating platters and moving heads.
In contrast,Non-Volatile Memory express (NVMe)was designed specifically for flash media. It replaces the legacy SCSI stack to eliminate bottlenecks. NVMe supports up to 64,000 queues, each with 64,000 commands, allowing for massive parallelism. Huawei OceanStor Dorado (All-Flash) systems utilizeEnd-to-End NVMe(from the SSD to the controller, and from the controller to the host via NVMe-oF) to achieve microsecond-level latency. While modern flash arrays can still use SCSI (via FC or iSCSI) for compatibility, the full performance potential of an all-flash array is only realized through NVMe. Therefore, in modern storage design, SCSI is the legacy standard for HDDs/Hybrid arrays, while NVMe is the optimized standard for All-Flash arrays.
The recovery time objective (RTO) in a DR system refers to the time to which the system and data must be recovered after a disaster occurs.
Options:
TRUE
FALSE
Answer:
BExplanation:
This statement is false because it confuses RTO (Recovery Time Objective) with RPO (Recovery Point Objective). In Huawei’s Disaster Recovery (DR) documentation, these two metrics are defined as follows:
RPO (Recovery Point Objective):Refers to the maximum amount of data loss an organization can tolerate, measured in time. It indicates the "point in time" to which data must be recovered (e.g., "we can only lose 1 hour of data").
RTO (Recovery Time Objective):Refers to the duration of time within which a business process must be restored after a disaster. It measures how long the system can be down before the business is significantly impacted (e.g., "the system must be back online within 4 hours").
The question describes the "point in time" (RPO) but labels it as RTO. In a high-availability solution likeHyperMetro, the RTO and RPO are both theoretically zero, meaning no data loss and no downtime.
Compared with HDDs, SSDs have high I/O performance and low latency.
Options:
TRUE
FALSE
Answer:
AExplanation:
According to Huawei’s technical documentation on storage media, Solid State Drives (SSDs) fundamentally differ from Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) in their physical construction and data access methods. HDDs rely on mechanical components, including rotating platters and moving read/write heads. This mechanical nature introduces "rotational latency" and "seek time," which inherently limit the number of Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS).
In contrast, Huawei’s OceanStor SSDs utilize flash memory chips (NAND Flash) and a high-performance controller. Because there are no moving parts, the "seek time" is eliminated, allowing for near-instantaneous data access. This results in significantly higher random IOPS and much lower latency (often measured in microseconds rather than milliseconds). Furthermore, Huawei’sFlashLink® technologyfurther optimizes the collaboration between the storage controller and the SSDs, ensuring that even as the drive fills up, the performance remains consistent and the latency remains low. Therefore, in any performance-oriented storage environment, SSDs are the preferred choice over traditional HDDs.