EMC Dell VPLEX Deploy Achievement D-VPX-DY-A-24 Exam Dumps: Updated Questions & Answers (October 2025)

When using VPLEX Metro, the supported round trip time (RTT) between clusters is a crucial factor for optimal performance. The RTT is the time it takes for a signal to travel from one cluster to another and back again.

RTT Importance: The RTT affects how quickly data can be synchronized between the two clusters. A lower RTT means faster synchronization, which is essential for maintaining the high availability and data consistency that VPLEX Metro is designed to provide1.

Supported RTT: The supported network round trip latency for VPLEX Metro is up to 5 ms. This is the maximum latency that allows the system to perform optimally without significant performance degradation1.

Performance Considerations: If the inter-cluster FC/IP WAN network experiences congestion, it can result in an increased RTT, which may cause performance issues. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the network infrastructure supports the required RTT1.

Best Practices: Dell EMC recommends keeping the RTT as low as possible, ideally around 1 ms for a campus-wide network, to provide the best performance. However, VPLEX Metro can support RTTs up to 5 ms under optimal conditions1.

Monitoring and Management: It’s important to monitor the RTT regularly and manage the network to avoid congestion. Tools and techniques should be in place to measure and maintain the RTT within the supported range1.

In summary, the supported round trip time between clusters when using VPLEX Metro is 5 ms. This parameter is critical for ensuring that the VPLEX Metro operates within the designed performance specifications.

When VPLEX Metro is added to an existing HP OpenView network monitoring environment and only the remote VPLEX cluster is reporting performance statistics, the likely cause is a misconfiguration of the SNMP agent on the local VPLEX cluster management server.

SNMP Agent Configuration: The SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) agent on the VPLEX management server must be correctly configured to communicate with the HP OpenView monitoring system. If the local cluster’s SNMP agent is misconfigured, it may not report performance statistics correctly1.

Troubleshooting Steps: To resolve this issue, the following steps should be taken:

Verify the SNMP configuration on the local VPLEX cluster management server.

Check for any discrepancies in the SNMP version, community strings, and allowed hosts between the local and remote clusters.

Ensure that the SNMP service is running and properly configured to send traps and fetches to the HP OpenView system1.

Firewall and Network Checks: Although TCP Port 443 is important for secure communications, it is not typically used for SNMP, which usually operates over UDP ports 161 and 162. Therefore, a blockage of TCP Port 443 would not directly affect SNMP reporting1.

HP OpenView Compatibility: While HP OpenView running SNMP version 2C could potentially cause issues with performance statistic reporting, if the remote cluster is reporting correctly, it suggests that the version of SNMP is not the issue in this case1.

VPLEX Witness Configuration: The VPLEX Witness is not directly involved in the reporting of performance statistics to HP OpenView, so a misconfiguration of the VPLEX Witness’s SNMP agent would not cause this specific issue1.

In summary, the cause of the issue where only the remote VPLEX cluster is reporting performance statistics to HP OpenView is likely due to a misconfigured SNMP agent on the local VPLEX cluster management server.

For zoning FC WAN COM ports on a VPLEX Metro, the requirement is that each WAN COM port in the local cluster must be zoned to all WAN COM ports in the remote cluster. This setup ensures that there is a redundant network capability where each director on one cluster communicates with all the directors on the other site, even in the event of a fabric or network failure1.

Zoning Configuration: The zoning needs to be fixed such that all A2-FC00 only see (are zoned with) remote A2-FC00 ports, and similarly for A2-FC01 with A2-FC01, and so on for all WAN COM ports1.

Redundant Network: This zoning configuration provides a redundant network capability, which is essential for maintaining communication between the two VPLEX clusters in a Metro configuration1.

Fabric Separation: The FC WAN COM ports will be connected to dual separate backbone fabrics or networks that span two sites, allowing for data flow between the two VPLEX clusters without requiring a merged fabric between the two sites1.

Best Practices: For configuring FC WAN COM ports, it is recommended to refer to the “Implementation and Planning Best Practices for EMC VPLEX Technical Notes” provided by Dell1.

In summary, the requirement for zoning FC WAN COM ports on a VPLEX Metro is to ensure that each WAN COM port in the local cluster is zoned to all WAN COM ports in the remote cluster, providing a robust and fault-tolerant communication network.

To increase data protection by converting a local RAID-0 virtual volume to a distributed virtual volume, the recommended method is to create a corresponding device on the remote cluster and then attach it as a mirror to the existing local device. This process effectively creates a distributed virtual volume that spans across both clusters.

Create a Device on the Remote Cluster: Start by creating a new device on the remote VPLEX cluster. This device should be of the same size as the local RAID-0 virtual volume and should not have a virtual volume associated with it1.

Attach as a Mirror: Once the remote device is created, attach it as a mirror to the local RAID-0 virtual volume. This operation is performed using the VPLEX CLI and will begin the process of mirroring the data from the local device to the remote device1.

Synchronization: After attaching the remote device as a mirror, the VPLEX system will synchronize the data between the local and remote devices. This ensures that both devices have identical data and are in a consistent state1.

Distributed Virtual Volume: Once the synchronization is complete, the local and remote devices together form a distributed virtual volume. This volume now has increased data protection because it is distributed across two different clusters1.

Verification: Verify that the distributed virtual volume is functioning correctly by checking its status and ensuring that it is accessible from both clusters1.

Best Practices: It is important to follow the best practices for creating and managing distributed virtual volumes as outlined in the Dell VPLEX Deploy Achievement documents. This includes proper planning, execution, and verification of the mirroring process1.

In summary, the recommended method to change a local RAID-0 virtual volume to a distributed virtual volume is to create a corresponding device on the remote cluster and attach it as a mirror, thereby forming a distributed virtual volume with increased data protection.

The correct order of steps to create and operate a custom monitor is:

Determine the type and frequency of statistics to collect.

Create a monitor.

Add one or more sinks to the monitor.

Collect statistics.

Gather monitoring files, or monitor output from the console.

To create and operate a custom monitor within the Dell VPLEX environment, follow these steps:

Determine the Type and Frequency of Statistics to Collect: Identify what statistics are relevant for your monitoring purposes and how frequently they should be collected. This will depend on the specific needs of your environment and the performance metrics you wish to track.

Create a Monitor: Using the VPLEX CLI or Unisphere for VPLEX, create a new monitor instance. Configure the monitor with the types of statistics you determined in the previous step.

Add One or More Sinks to the Monitor: Sinks are the destinations where the collected statistics will be sent. These could be files, databases, or external systems. Set up one or more sinks in the monitor configuration to ensure that the data is stored or transmitted as needed.

Collect Statistics: Start the monitor to begin collecting statistics. The monitor will gather data from the VPLEX system according to the type and frequency settings you have specified.

Gather Monitoring Files, or Monitor Output from the Console: After the statistics have been collected, retrieve the monitoring files from the specified sinks, or view the output directly from the console if real-time monitoring is configured.

These steps are based on the standard procedures for setting up and managing custom monitors in a Dell VPLEX environment, as detailed in the Dell EMC VPLEX documentation. By following these steps, you can effectively monitor the performance and health of your VPLEX system.

When troubleshooting performance issues on a Microsoft SQL Server application hosted on a VPLEX virtual volume, adjusting the data mobility job transfer rate can have a significant impact on the application’s performance. A higher transfer rate can help improve performance by allowing data to be moved more quickly, reducing the impact on the application’s I/O operations.

Assessing Current Performance: The current transfer rate of 32 MB may be insufficient for the workload of the SQL Server application, leading to performance issues1.

Recommended Transfer Rate: Increasing the transfer rate to 120 MB can help alleviate these performance issues by accelerating the data mobility process, thus minimizing the time during which the SQL Server application’s performance is impacted1.

Implementing the Change: To change the transfer rate, the administrator would use the VPLEX CLI to adjust the settings for the data mobility jB. This involves modifying the transfer rate parameter to the new value of 120 MB1.

Monitoring the Impact: After making the change, it’s important to monitor the SQL Server application’s performance to ensure that the new transfer rate is having the desired effect and not causing any additional issues1.

Best Practices: It is recommended to follow best practices for data mobility and performance tuning as outlined in the Dell VPLEX documentation, which includes considering the impact of data mobility jobs on application performance1.

In summary, changing the data mobility job transfer rate to 120 MB is recommended to help improve the performance of the Microsoft SQL Server application hosted on a VPLEX virtual volume.

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When configuring a VPLEX Metro cluster, especially for a company planning to create distributed volumes with a large amount of storage like 200 TB, it is essential to adhere to EMC best practices for the size of logging volumes.

Purpose of Logging Volumes: Logging volumes in VPLEX are used to store write logs that ensure data integrity and consistency across distributed volumes. These logs play a critical role during recovery processes1.

Size Considerations: The size of the logging volumes should be proportional to the amount of active data being written to ensure that all write operations are captured in the logs. For 200 TB of distributed storage, a minimum size of 10 GB for each logging volume is recommended to handle the logging requirements1.

Configuration: The logging volumes should be configured on each cluster to provide redundancy and high availability. This means that both clusters in a VPLEX Metro configuration should have logging volumes of at least the minimum recommended size1.

Best Practices: EMC best practices suggest that the logging volume should be sized appropriately to support the operational workload and to ensure that there is sufficient space to capture all write operations without any loss of data1.

Verification and Monitoring: After setting up the logging volumes, it is important to monitor their utilization to ensure they are functioning correctly and to adjust their size if necessary based on the actual workload1.

In summary, consistent with EMC best practices, the minimum size for logging volumes at each cluster in a VPLEX Metro cluster being installed for creating distributed volumes with 200 TB of storage should be 10 GB. This size ensures that the logging volumes can adequately support the write logging requirements for the amount of storage being used.

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The VPLEX VS6 improves internal cluster I/O over the VS2 by utilizing 40 Gbps InfiniBand Local COM connections. This enhancement significantly increases the internal bandwidth available for communication between directors within a VPLEX cluster.

InfiniBand Technology: InfiniBand is a high-speed networking technology that provides substantial bandwidth and low latency. By using 40 Gbps InfiniBand connections, the VS6 directors can communicate more data at faster rates compared to the older VS2 hardware1.

Increased I/O Performance: The increased bandwidth from the 40 Gbps InfiniBand connections allows for higher I/O performance, which is particularly beneficial for workloads that require fast data transfer rates and low response times1.

Scalability: The VS6’s improved internal cluster I/O capabilities also contribute to its scalability, supporting larger configurations and more volumes, which is essential for growing enterprise environments1.

Optimized for All-Flash Storage: The VS6 is optimized for all-flash storage, providing 2X IOPS at one-third the latency compared to the VS2, which is a direct result of the improved internal cluster I/O capabilities1.

Future-Ready Infrastructure: The adoption of 40 Gbps InfiniBand Local COM connections positions the VS6 as a future-ready infrastructure that can handle the increasing demands of modern data centers1.

In summary, the VPLEX VS6’s use of 40 Gbps InfiniBand Local COM connections is a key factor in its improved internal cluster I/O performance over the VS2, offering higher bandwidth and lower latency for demanding enterprise applications.

When a storage administrator notices slow command responses after deploying VPLEX Witness and wants to investigate potential network latency or routing issues between the VPLEX Cluster Witness and the VPLEX directors, the vpn status command is used. This command checks the status of the VPN tunnels that facilitate secure communication between the management servers and the Cluster Witness Server.

Command Execution: The administrator should execute the vpn status command in the VPLEX CLI. This command will provide information about the state of the VPN tunnels1.

Interpreting Results: The output from the vpn status command will indicate whether the IPsec VPN tunnels are up and if the remote management servers are reachable. It will show the status of connectivity with both the management servers and the Cluster Witness Server1.

VPN Tunnel Status: The command will show the status of the VPN tunnel between the management servers, which is crucial for the clusters to communicate and operate as a metro system1.

Cluster Witness Server Connectivity: Additionally, the command will verify the VPN status between the management server and the Cluster Witness Server, ensuring that the witness can monitor the health and status of the clusters1.

Troubleshooting: If the vpn status command indicates that the remote management IP is not reachable, further troubleshooting will be required to establish connectivity. This may involve checking network configurations, firewall settings, and ensuring that the VPN services are running properly1.

In summary, the vpn status command is used to determine if there is an issue with network latency or routing that needs further investigation, providing a quick and effective way to verify management connectivity between VPLEX clusters after deploying VPLEX Witness.

To create a distributed device from specified local devices in a Dell VPLEX environment, the command used is ds dd create. This command is part of the VPLEX CLI and stands for “distributed storage - distributed device create”.

Identify Local Devices: Before creating a distributed device, you need to identify the local devices that will be part of the distributed device. These are typically volumes that are already provisioned and claimed by the VPLEX system1.

Use the ds dd create Command: Execute the ds dd create command in the VPLEX CLI, specifying the local devices that you want to include in the distributed device. The syntax for the command includes the names of the local devices and the name you want to assign to the distributed device1.

Command Execution: The command will initiate the creation of the distributed device, which involves pairing the specified local devices across the VPLEX clusters to create a single distributed volume that spans both clusters1.

Verification: After running the command, verify that the distributed device has been created successfully by using the ll /distributed-storage/distributed-devices/ command, which lists all the distributed devices in the system1.

Best Practices: It is important to follow the best practices for creating distributed devices as outlined in the Dell VPLEX Deploy Achievement documents. This includes ensuring that the local devices are properly configured and that the VPLEX clusters are in a healthy state before creating the distributed device1.

In summary, the ds dd create command is used to create a distributed device from specified local devices in a Dell VPLEX environment. This command is a fundamental part of managing distributed storage within VPLEX and is essential for achieving high availability and data mobility across clusters.