By Chris Lyon, President, FCIA and Business Development Manager, Americas, Amphenol ICC
Fibre Channel has come a long way since it was first approved as an ANSI standard in 1994 to become the trusted and reliable networking solution it is today that delivers the efficiency and speed necessary for storage to be networked and shared across multiple hosts. Yet even as innovation in the protocol continues, many of the universities no longer teach the basic fundamentals of Fibre Channel in their engineering programs since they consider the technology mature.
With Fibre Channel expected to continue its growth, that’s creating a challenge for young engineers being trained in the field that need beginner-level courses or professionals wanting advanced courses to achieve a deeper level of technical understanding in the subject. Network administrators, storage area network (SAN) managers and directors of infrastructure programs, seek greater knowledge of how Fibre Channel works so they can troubleshoot faster and make better technical decisions. Technical marketing personnel from companies that sell Fibre Channel also benefit from having a better foundational understanding of the subject beyond technical specifications. And with the increasing adoption of the NVMe over Fibre Channel technology to help realize the benefits of flash-based storage at a much larger scale, the need goes beyond professionals involved in SANs.
The lack of training at the academic level has led to a number of companies active in the Fibre Channel industry to step up and fill the void. The good news is the companies that do offer training, do it really well. They have a vested interest in expanding the knowledge of their own staffs as well as the pool of available talent for future hire. These companies offer a plethora of classes, everything from Fibre Channel basics, to instructions on how to become a Fibre Channel-based SAN administrator. Some companies even offer training to their customers to keep them up-to-date on the latest information on their specific Fibre Channel products.
Fibre Channel Industry Association (FCIA) members that offer Fibre Channel courses include:
Austin Labs
A subsidiary of Teledyne LeCroy, Austin Labs offers a full line of in-person and online instructor-led advanced Fibre Channel protocol training courses. All classes are instructor-led and guide students through the protocol specifications while using hands-on labs with trace analysis to help students discover how the protocol is implemented.
Find Austin Labs courses at: teledynelecroy.com/services/austinlabs-training.aspx.
Brocade
Brocade has over 70 free online classes available within its learning portal. Classes include everything from an introduction to Fibre Channel, product training, Fibre Channel protocols and Fabric OS features, to troubleshooting Brocade Fibre Channel fabrics. The company also offers free certification and accreditation-style knowledge assessment exams within its learning portal. The exams are intended to validate a person’s Brocade Fibre Channel competency and are on par with Brocade’s earlier certifications and accreditations without the need for a proctored environment while still providing a permanent transcript and downloadable certificates.
Find Brocade courses at: www.broadcom.com/support/education/brocade/courses.
Cisco
Cisco skills and certifications are some of the most sought after for professionals who work in technology. Networks and organizational infrastructures are evolving into complex solutions intended to support increasingly sophisticated business functions. The courses that Cisco offers to help trainees set up and manage the systems that serve as the backbone of an organization’s day-to-day operations and communications include: Understanding Networking Fundamentals, Storage Area Networking Fundamentals and Network Administrator Essentials.
Find Cisco courses at: www.globalknowledge.com/us-en/search/?f=course&q=Fibre+Channel.
HPE
With decades of experience, HPE is a global leader in delivering innovative online (both live and on-demand) and in-person training. The company meets the needs of organizations and individuals through flexible continuous learning options, a broad catalog of course offerings and world-class instructors. HPE storage training is dedicated to mastering HPE-specific products and provides the skills needed to optimize a storage solution, keeping a business agile and responsive. HPE covers topics such as: Storage Capabilities, How to Ensure High-Speed Data Access, and How to Eliminate Downtime. HPE also offers a Master Accredited Solutions Expert (ASE) credential that has technical skills in advanced enterprise solutions combined with IT business acumen.
Find HPE Storage courses at: education.hpe.com/ww/en/training/portfolio/storage.html.
Another rich resource for keeping up-to-date on the capabilities and latest features of Fibre Channel is the Fibre Channel Industry Association (FCIA) itself. Anyone can access the FCIA BrightTALK or YouTube channel that contains educational webcasts from some of the top experts in the industry. To keep abreast of the upcoming webcasts, follow FCIA on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter or visit the FCIA web page at fibrechannel.org. If you have suggestions for future webcast topics, please email office@fibrechannel.org. We’d love to hear from you!
