FlashArray: ActiveCluster MS Visio Concept/PreSales/Documentation Template
Updated: Jul 11, 2021
[ NOTE: machine translation with the help of DeepL translator without additional proofreading and spell checking ]
VisioCafe provided updated Visio stencils for Pure Storage storage systems on July 9, 2021. Newly included in the available updated stencil version are:
FlashArray //C
DirectFlashModule //C (DFMc)
DirectMemoryModule (DMM)
The application examples (below) and their sample images have not been updated!
↓ following text is identical to the article from June 2019 ↓
With each well-prepared solution design, the readiness to perform and the impression of the partner and its project solution on the customer falls. Normally, a pitch of the solution has already been made - but this is usually only superficial and only serves to generate leads, followed by a survey/small inventory of the relevant existing infrastructure components and a joint definition of the customer requirement.
Ideally, a concept consists of an introduction, the solution presentation (manufacturer presentation incl. differentiation from competitor products), a detailed sizing, a compact architecture visualization and the offer.
What advantages does this offer me? I could already observe several times that the customer already makes a preferred partner/product choice here. It is always worthwhile to spend a certain amount of time here in advance, this shows professionalism and profound knowledge in dealing with the offered solution. A differentiation and added value compared to the competitors already takes place here. Simple or even superficial project offers do not leave a good impression on the customer!
Their concept confirmed our first impression ... we felt directly in the right place ... the simplicity of the implemented systems and their performance confirmed the predicted performance values in the bidding phase ... one of the simplest IT projects in the company's history - customer ANONYMOUS after project completion > by mail to Marcel Düssil - Q1/19
From experience, I take between 4-8 hours to work out the concept, depending on the scope of the project. To shorten this work a little bit and to start a successful Pure Storage ActiveCluster project, I would like to provide my created Microsoft Visio templates including the Pure Storage Stencils from visiocafe.com for download in this blog.
Of course, after a little revision of the templates, they can be used for other concepts (not ActiveCluster) as well.
The visualizations created in PreSales can also be used for PostSales installation documentation after successful project acquisition.
ATTENTION: the copyrights of the stencils belong to the creator - visiocafe.com
The templates
The templates were created by myself. The rights of the files are owned by Marcel Düssil - PUREFLASH.blog, but they can be used and edited freely.
Template 1: Pure Storage ActiveCluster Infrastructure Overview
A simple overall view of the system configuration and future infrastructure convinces of the simplicity of the solution. This template maps a highly available infrastructure to two distributed data centers. In this scenario (most commonly found in Germany), an ActiveCluster has been visualized. The mediator can be freely selected.
Vorlage 2: Pure Storage FlashArray-Konfiguration
This Visio template is for displaying a FlashArray hardware configuration with all configurable components. The controllers are freely modifiable (e. g. HBAs). The customer now sees his offered system almost "live", as it could be found in his operation.
Template 3: Pure Storage Stencils by visiocafe
VisioCafe provides various Microsoft Visio stencils for different systems in the IT industry on their website. For Pure Storage, these were last updated on May 15, 2018 - at the time of blog creation.
The stencils include a wide variety of components and modules such as NV-RAMs, HBAs, ... a visualized Flash system can thus be modified as desired according to available stencils.
Download
To download the files you have to register for free in the exclusive PUREFLASH.blog area. In the near future more features will be available and files will be shared here. So it's worth to register: to the exclusive area
More info - Links
All officially published setting options in the GUI but also CLI can be read via the "on-board" user guides of the Pure Storage systems.
Click on "Help" in the Purity main menu.
The User Guide is structured like the main menu and can be opened downwards. A search function is also integrated - within here you can also search for keywords.
WEB: Pure Storage (Pure1) support portal - Ticket system and support *(requires registered FlashSystems)
PHONE: Pure Storage phone support: GER - (+49) (0)800 7239467; INTERNATIONAL - (+1) 650 7294088
WEB: Pure Storage OFFICIAL blog