Huawei HCIA-Storage study plan

Define the layers of a modern ICT infrastructure stack (compute, storage, network, virtualization) and state the function of each layer in your own words

Compare DAS, NAS, and SAN by connection method, typical latency, sharing model, and common use case, and record the comparison in a table

Explain RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 by describing how each distributes data and parity and what failure each tolerates

Identify the physical and logical components of a disk array (controller, enclosure, disk, LUN, RAID group) and trace how a write travels from host to disk

Describe the read/write path of a SAN and explain where FC, iSCSI, and FCoE differ in encapsulation and transport

Map common storage interfaces (SAS, SATA, NVMe, FC) to their typical deployment tier and bandwidth class

Explain how a storage array provides high availability through dual controllers, multipathing, and cache mirroring

Diagnose three given failure scenarios (single disk loss, controller loss, path loss) and predict the resulting host-visible behavior

Describe the function of each hardware component inside a storage system (controller, cache, BBU, power, fan, expansion port) and the consequence of its failure

Explain how cache read and write policies (write-back, write-through, prefetch) affect performance and data safety

Compare SSD and HDD characteristics including wear, IOPS, and suitability for tiering

Interpret basic performance counters (IOPS, throughput, latency, queue depth) and explain how each is affected by RAID level and cache policy

Explain how storage software features (snapshot, clone, replication, thin provisioning) are implemented and what resource each consumes

Differentiate synchronous from asynchronous replication by RPO, RTO, and bandwidth requirements

Configure, on paper or in a simulator, a LUN with thin provisioning and a snapshot policy, and justify each parameter choice

Calculate usable capacity for a given disk count, RAID level, and hot-spare requirement, showing your arithmetic

Define cloud computing service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and deployment models, and place storage services in each model

Explain the characteristics of block, file, and object storage services in a cloud context and match each to a workload

Describe the concepts of virtualization, resource pooling, and elasticity, and explain how they change storage provisioning

Compare backup, snapshot, and replication as data protection mechanisms in a cloud environment, stating RPO and RTO for each

Explain the purpose of a cloud management platform and how it abstracts compute, storage, and network resources

Describe how storage is provisioned and attached to a virtual machine, including the lifecycle from creation to deletion

Identify the security and access-control concepts relevant to cloud storage (tenancy isolation, authentication, authorization, encryption at rest and in transit)

Outline a migration plan for moving an on-premises workload to cloud storage, naming the risks and the validation steps

Describe the phases of a storage project lifecycle from requirements gathering through design, implementation, and handover

Identify the questions to ask in requirements gathering (capacity growth, performance target, RPO/RTO, budget, compliance) and why each matters

Explain how scope, schedule, and risk are managed in an infrastructure project and give one example of a scope creep risk

List the contents of a typical acceptance test plan and explain how acceptance criteria are agreed before implementation

Consolidate all four domains into a single concept map linking hardware, software features, cloud services, and project phases

Answer practice questions across all domains under timed conditions and record your score per domain

Review every missed question and write the underlying concept and the correct reasoning for each

Recite from memory the key comparisons (RAID levels, replication modes, storage service types) without notes