This multi-week HPE1-H05 study plan is designed to guide you from foundational understanding to full practical readiness for the HPE1-H05 exam. It progresses systematically through assessment, architecture design, implementation, disaster recovery, and hands-on operational tasks, ensuring that each week builds directly upon the previous one. By combining structured topic learning with scenario-based practice, Pomodoro-driven focus sessions, and spaced-repetition reviews, the program develops both depth of knowledge and operational fluency. By the end of the plan, you will not only understand the concepts behind modern HPE compute and storage solutions, but you will also be fully prepared to execute real-world tasks under exam-like conditions.
WEEK 1 — ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING
Purpose of Week 1:
Build a deep and practical understanding of how to evaluate business requirements, analyze technical needs, perform workload profiling, conduct capacity planning, and document constraints.
All tasks follow Pomodoro learning (4–6 Pomodoros/day) and Ebbinghaus spaced review.
WEEK 1 OBJECTIVES
By the end of Week 1, you should be able to:
Interpret business requirements and translate them into technical criteria.
Identify technical workload characteristics and their key performance metrics.
Perform workload profiling and extract peak/average metrics.
Calculate compute, storage, and network capacity based on real workload inputs.
Identify constraints and risks that influence design decisions.
Produce professional documentation used in solution design.
DAILY STRUCTURE FOR THE WEEK
Pomodoro routine:
• 25 minutes focused study + 5 minutes break
• Every 4 Pomodoros → 20–30 minute rest
Ebbinghaus review routine:
• Review material from the previous day (1 Pomodoro)
• Review material from 3 days ago (1 Pomodoro)
• Longer interval review appears later in the week
DAY 1 — INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING
Learning objectives:
• Understand the complete structure of assessment and planning.
• Learn the purpose of each of the five major components.
• Build the conceptual framework for the week.
Pomodoro 1 — Read the framework
• Study the five parts: business requirements, technical requirements, profiling, capacity planning, risks.
• Write a 120–150 word explanation of why proper assessment affects long-term architecture success.
Pomodoro 2 — Create a visual mind map
• Draw a full process map showing: inputs, assessment activities, decision points, and outputs.
• Highlight how profiling results flow into capacity planning.
Pomodoro 3 — Business requirements first overview
• Learn definitions and roles of: business goals, compliance requirements, cost model, procurement constraints, growth projection.
• Write two concrete examples for each category.
Pomodoro 4 — Scenario interpretation
• Read a fictional company description.
• Extract mandatory vs optional requirements.
• Identify constraints (e.g., downtime windows).
• Note dependencies between requirement types.
Review schedule:
• Review Day 1 content during Day 2.
DAY 2 — BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS IN DEPTH
Learning objectives:
• Master all business requirement categories.
• Learn to translate business language into measurable technical impact.
• Build a reusable requirement extraction checklist.
Pomodoro 1 — Deep study of requirement categories
• Study business outcome demands, compliance laws (GDPR/HIPAA/PCI), CAPEX vs OPEX, critical process identification, budget constraints, long-term planning.
• Build a table containing: definition, example, technical implication, risk if misunderstood.
Pomodoro 2 — Build a requirement extraction checklist
Checklist must include:
• Core questions for stakeholders
• Identification of hidden priorities
• Requirement classification rules (critical / important / optional)
• Validation steps to eliminate assumption errors
Pomodoro 3 — Apply the checklist to a scenario
• Extract all business requirements from a text scenario.
• Categorize and prioritize each requirement.
• Identify potential negative consequences if misinterpreted.
Pomodoro 4 — Ebbinghaus review of Day 1
• Review mind map, summary, scenario notes.
• Revise unclear parts and refine structure.
Review schedule:
• Review Day 2 during Day 3
• Review Day 1 again during Day 4
DAY 3 — TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Learning objectives:
• Understand workload types and technical drivers.
• Learn performance indicators in depth.
• Map workloads to availability and security needs.
Pomodoro 1 — Study workload types
• Document CPU, memory, storage, and network patterns for OLTP, OLAP, VDI, backup/archive, virtualization clusters, containers.
• Write one-paragraph explanation for each workload.
Pomodoro 2 — Performance requirements
• Study IOPS and read/write ratio importance.
• Understand latency budgets and throughput behavior.
• Learn block size effects.
• Build a table comparing performance metrics across at least five workloads.
Pomodoro 3 — Availability and security
• Study SLA definitions (99.9 vs 99.99).
• Understand failover expectations.
• Study RBAC, AD/LDAP integration, encryption at rest/in transit, segmentation.
• Build a matrix linking workload → availability → security requirement.
Pomodoro 4 — Ebbinghaus review of Day 2
• Review extraction checklist, tables, and notes.
• Improve clarity and completeness.
Review schedule:
• Review Day 3 on Day 4
• Review Day 1 again on Day 4 (3-day interval)
DAY 4 — WORKLOAD PROFILING
Learning objectives:
• Learn how to perform profiling measurements.
• Understand metric interpretation and how profiling influences architecture.
Pomodoro 1 — Profiling fundamentals
Study:
• Baseline metrics
• Peak vs average
• Sequential vs random I/O
• Read/write ratio
• Hot working set estimation
Create a complete profiling metric checklist.
Pomodoro 2 — Analyze a sample dataset
Using a sample dataset:
• Identify peak factor
• Identify working set
• Determine random vs sequential workload type
• Identify performance bottlenecks in graphs or tables
Pomodoro 3 — Mapping profiling results to design choices
• Link results to RAID selection, disk tier choice, CPU count, memory allocation, network throughput needs.
• Build a one-page “Profiling → Design Decision” mapping.
Pomodoro 4 — Ebbinghaus review
• Review Day 1 content (3-day interval)
• Review Day 3 content (1-day interval)
Review schedule:
• Review Day 2 again on Day 5 (3-day interval)
DAY 5 — CAPACITY PLANNING
Learning objectives:
• Perform compute, storage, and network sizing.
• Translate profiling into numerical capacity requirements.
• Build reusable capacity planning documents.
Pomodoro 1 — Compute capacity planning
Study and apply:
• CPU core calculations
• Overcommit ratios for virtualization
• Memory sizing and NUMA alignment
Create a complete sizing sheet for a 50-VM environment.
Pomodoro 2 — Storage capacity planning
Study:
• RAW vs usable vs effective capacity
• RAID overhead
• Thin provisioning and deduplication
• Growth projections
Build a spreadsheet for at least two storage pools with RAID comparison.
Pomodoro 3 — Network capacity planning
Study:
• Production bandwidth
• Replication requirements
• Backup traffic impact
• vMotion/Live Migration needs
Create a multi-network bandwidth allocation plan.
Pomodoro 4 — Ebbinghaus review
• Review Day 2 (3-day interval)
• Review Day 4 (1-day interval)
DAY 6 — SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND KNOWLEDGE RECONSTRUCTION
Learning objectives:
• Consolidate all concepts learned during Week 1
• Transform fragmented knowledge into a connected structure
• Strengthen memory using spaced repetition
• Ensure full comprehension of the Assessment and Planning workflow
Day 6 does not introduce new content. It focuses on reinforcement, correction of misunderstandings, and integration of all earlier concepts into long-term memory.
Pomodoro 1 — Review Day 1 and Day 2
• Re-read your Week 1 mind map
• Revisit business requirements (objectives, compliance, growth, cost models)
• Examine your Requirement Extraction Checklist
• Add missing items and refine unclear definitions
• Verify that each requirement type corresponds to specific architectural implications
Pomodoro 2 — Review Day 3 (Technical Requirements)
• Re-read workload categories: DB, OLTP, OLAP, VDI, containers, backup
• Review IOPS, latency, throughput, and block size impacts
• Review availability and security requirement matrices
• Write short two-sentence summaries for each workload (key technical traits)
Pomodoro 3 — Review Day 4 (Workload Profiling)
• Read profiling checklist again
• Re-examine your sample dataset analysis
• Highlight any unclear profiling metrics
• Rewrite the profiling workflow in a step-by-step process description
Pomodoro 4 — Review Day 5 (Capacity Planning)
• Revisit compute sizing rules: CPU, overcommit, memory, NUMA alignment
• Revisit storage sizing: raw vs usable, RAID overhead, thin provisioning
• Revisit network sizing: production, replication, backup, migration traffic
• Consolidate your sizing spreadsheet into a clean final version
Pomodoro 5 — Integrate all Week 1 knowledge into a single workflow
Task: Convert all Week 1 content into a unified Assessment and Planning process description.
Include:
• Business requirement intake
• Technical requirement analysis
• Profiling and baseline collection
• Capacity planning (compute, storage, network)
• Output: full assessment documentation
Write a 150–200 word explanation synthesizing the entire process in your own words.
Pomodoro 6 (optional but recommended) — Self-testing
• Write at least ten self-test questions (example: “How does read/write ratio impact RAID choice?”)
• Answer each question without notes
• Identify weak areas and flag them for Week 2 review
DAY 7 — PRACTICAL APPLICATION AND SCENARIO TRAINING
Learning objectives:
• Apply Week 1 theory in a realistic scenario
• Conduct a complete assessment from start to finish
• Strengthen ability to extract, analyze, profile, and size workloads
• Produce a small but complete Assessment Document
Day 7 is dedicated to practical, scenario-based training.
Pomodoro 1 — Scenario reading and requirement extraction
• Create or obtain a fictional company scenario
Example: A company wants to virtualize 20 physical servers and consolidate them into a two-node virtualization cluster with compliance constraints and a limited budget
• Extract the following:
Business requirements
Constraints
Mandatory vs optional items
• Compare with your extraction checklist from Day 2 and refine if needed
Pomodoro 2 — Technical requirements analysis
• Identify workload categories in the scenario (DB, ERP, VDI, backup, etc.)
• For each workload, document:
Performance needs (IOPS, latency, throughput)
Availability levels required
Security requirements
• Produce a Technical Requirements Summary table
Pomodoro 3 — Profiling simulation
• Define simulated baseline metrics for each workload
Examples:
Database: 5000 IOPS, 70/30 read/write, 1 ms latency target
VDI: random I/O, latency-sensitive
• Identify peak vs average behavior
• Determine which workloads are performance-driven vs capacity-driven
Pomodoro 4 — Capacity sizing
• Perform compute sizing based on your profiling results
vCPU count
Memory requirements
NUMA considerations
• Perform storage sizingRequired raw and usable capacity
RAID or erasure coding options
• Perform network sizingProduction traffic
Storage or SAN traffic
Migration and backup traffic
Produce a complete Sizing Summary document
Pomodoro 5 — Risk and constraint analysis
• List all operational, technical, and environmental constraints
• Identify at least five potential risks, such as:
Migration failure risk
SLA violation risk
Storage performance bottleneck
Network congestion
• Write a mitigation plan for each risk (one to two sentences)
Pomodoro 6 — Produce a final Assessment Document
Deliverable should include:
• Business Requirements Summary
• Technical Requirements Summary
• Profiling Summary
• Capacity Planning Summary
• Constraints and Risks
• Final recommendations for design phase
Week 2 — Solution Design and Architecture
Purpose:
Week 2 focuses on transforming the assessment results from Week 1 into a complete infrastructure architecture. You will learn how to design compute, storage, network, security, and management architectures for real workloads.
Week 2 Objectives:
• Understand multiple architecture models and their appropriate usage • Design compute clusters with redundancy and workload alignment • Architect storage systems including protocols, protection methods, and tiers • Build network and SAN connectivity designs • Create security and management integrations • Produce architecture documentation and diagrams
Day 1 — High-Level Architecture Models
Learning objectives:
• Understand differences across 3-tier, converged, hyperconverged, and multi-site architectures
• Connect Week 1 assessment outputs to architecture selection
Pomodoro 1 — Study architecture patterns
• Read about four architecture patterns: 3-tier, CI, HCI, multi-site
• Understand typical use cases, strengths, weaknesses, and operating models
• Write a short explanation of when each pattern is appropriate
Pomodoro 2 — Build comparison matrix
Create a table comparing:
• Architecture type
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Scalability
• Operational complexity
• Cost behavior
• Suitable workloads
Pomodoro 3 — Draw high-level diagrams
• Draw simplified logical diagrams for all four architecture patterns
• Label compute, network, storage layers, and management components
• Note how business requirements (Week 1) influence the chosen pattern
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review the relationship between Week 1 outputs and architectural selection
• Correct any gaps between requirement interpretation and architecture placement
Day 2 — Compute Architecture
Learning objectives:
• Understand compute node roles, redundancy models, and cluster design
• Learn how to size compute resources with failover in mind
Pomodoro 1 — Study compute roles and placement
Topics include:
• Virtualization hosts
• Database nodes
• Management appliances
• Edge vs core placement
Document when each role is needed and its impact on design.
Pomodoro 2 — Redundancy and cluster design
Study:
• N+1, N+2 redundancy
• Failover scenarios
• Admission control
• Cluster minimums and quorum
Write a fault-domain description covering racks, rooms, and sites.
Pomodoro 3 — Compute sizing integration
• Combine Week 1 compute sizing with redundancy requirements
• Allocate overhead for cluster services
• Adjust workload placement based on NUMA boundaries
Produce a Compute Architecture Summary.
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review Day 1 material
• Re-check workload profiling from Week 1 to confirm alignment with compute design
Day 3 — Storage Architecture
Learning objectives:
• Understand storage tiers, protocols, RAID/EC, and volume design
• Map workloads to appropriate storage layouts
Pomodoro 1 — Study storage tiers and pool design
• Performance tier (NVMe, SSD)
• Capacity tier
• Archive tier
• Auto-tiering behaviors
Create a table mapping workload → recommended tier.
Pomodoro 2 — Study storage protocols
• FC, iSCSI, NVMe-oF (block)
• NFS, SMB (file)
• S3-compatible (object)
Document advantages, common use cases, and constraints.
Pomodoro 3 — Data layout and protection
Study:
• RAID 1, 5, 6, 10 and erasure coding
• Pool design
• Thin provisioning
• Deduplication and compression
Create a protection decision document explaining when to use each method.
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review capacity planning from Week 1
• Reconcile profiling-driven IOPS/latency needs with storage design choices
Day 4 — Network and SAN Design
Learning objectives:
• Design segmented networks with redundancy
• Understand SAN fabrics, zoning, and multipathing
Pomodoro 1 — Network design fundamentals
• Study VLAN segmentation for management, storage, backup, vMotion, production
• Learn NIC teaming, LACP, and switch redundancy
• Map each traffic type to appropriate VLANs
Write a Network Segmentation Summary.
Pomodoro 2 — SAN design
• Study dual-fabric SAN architectures
• Learn zoning structure: aliases, zones, zonesets
• Understand multipath I/O path policies
Produce a SAN Connectivity Table.
Pomodoro 3 — Integration exercise
• Combine compute cluster → storage pool → network layer
• Document VLANs, link types, SAN zones, and path count
• Produce a Network and SAN Integration Summary
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review storage architecture from Day 3
• Review performance requirements from Week 1
Day 5 — Security Architecture
Learning objectives:
• Learn identity, access, encryption, and compliance integration
• Add security layers to compute, storage, and network designs
Pomodoro 1 — Access control
• Study RBAC models
• Understand AD/LDAP integration
• Learn least-privilege design principles
Make a role-to-permission table.
Pomodoro 2 — Data protection and compliance
• Study encryption at rest
• Study encryption in transit
• Learn audit and log retention requirements
Create a Compliance Controls Checklist.
Pomodoro 3 — Integrating security into architecture
• Apply RBAC, encryption, and segmentation into each layer
• Add security components to previous diagrams
Produce a Security Architecture Summary.
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review business requirements from Week 1
• Verify that security design meets regulatory needs
Day 6 — Management and Monitoring Architecture
Learning objectives:
• Learn monitoring placement, HA design for management tools, and automation integration
Pomodoro 1 — Centralized management planning
Study:
• Monitoring tool placement
• High-availability requirements
• Management network isolation
Draw a Management Architecture Diagram.
Pomodoro 2 — Templates and profiles
Study:
• Server profiles
• Firmware baselines
• Configuration templates
Write a lifecycle management strategy.
Pomodoro 3 — Integration with external systems
Study:
• Backup platform integration
• CMDB and ITSM integration
• Automation tools such as Ansible and PowerShell
Write an Integration Summary.
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review security architecture from Day 5
• Review Week 1 systematic review notes
Day 7 — Full Architecture Scenario
Learning objectives:
• Convert assessment inputs into a complete infrastructure design
• Validate architecture decisions across all layers
Pomodoro 1 — Read and analyze scenario
• Read a fictional customer scenario describing workloads, constraints, and business goals
• Extract all requirements and classify them
• Identify design-impacting constraints
Pomodoro 2 — High-level architecture selection
• Choose between 3-tier, CI, HCI, or multi-site
• Justify why this architecture meets requirements
• Draw the logical architecture layout
Pomodoro 3 — Component-level architecture
Design the following:
• Compute cluster architecture
• Storage architecture with protocols and RAID/EC
• Network and SAN layout
• Security integration
Document failover, performance targets, and dependencies.
Pomodoro 4 — Produce final architecture document
Include:
• High-level architecture description
• Compute design
• Storage design
• Network and SAN design
• Security architecture
• Management and monitoring components
• Mapping from Week 1 assessment outputs to Week 2 design choices
Week 3 — Configuration and Implementation
Purpose:
Week 3 focuses on translating architecture into real implementation activities.
You will learn how to plan deployments, configure compute, storage, and network components, perform virtualization setup, and validate final systems before handover.
Week 3 Objectives:
• Understand implementation roadmaps and sequencing • Learn compute hardware configuration, firmware baselines, and OS/hypervisor installation • Configure storage arrays, pools, volumes, LUNs, shares, and object storage • Configure network and SAN components for functional connectivity • Deploy virtualization clusters and workloads • Validate performance, availability, and correctness of the environment
Day 1 — Implementation Roadmap and Change Management
Learning objectives:
• Understand proper sequencing of deployment
• Learn how to plan maintenance windows, cutovers, and risk management
• Prepare documentation for controlled implementation
Pomodoro 1 — Study implementation sequencing
Topics:
• Network first
• Storage second
• Compute and hypervisor third
• Virtualization services fourth
• Workloads last
Write an explanation of why sequence impacts stability and troubleshooting.
Pomodoro 2 — Maintenance windows and downtime planning
• Study how to define acceptable outage duration
• Learn methods for zero-downtime or low-downtime cutovers
• Create a sample maintenance window plan including timeline and fallback steps
Pomodoro 3 — Change management process
• Study RFC structure and requirements
• Learn risk analysis methods
• Write a complete change request for one example implementation task
• Document a rollback plan in case the change fails
Pomodoro 4 — Stakeholder communication
• Identify the roles involved in implementation
• Write a communication template for notifying system owners, end users, and managers
• Review completed documents to ensure clarity and completeness
Day 2 — Compute Configuration
Learning objectives:
• Understand physical hardware setup
• Learn BIOS/UEFI settings optimization
• Perform OS or hypervisor installation using automated tools
Pomodoro 1 — Hardware preparation
Study:
• Rack mounting
• Proper cable routing
• Dual PDU power connection
• Power budgeting
Document a hardware checklist for physical deployment.
Pomodoro 2 — Firmware and baseline configuration
• Study the importance of consistent firmware levels
• Learn how to use vendor tools to apply baselines
• Create a firmware tracking sheet listing component versions
Pomodoro 3 — BIOS and UEFI tuning
Study:
• Virtualization support options
• Power profiles (performance vs balanced)
• NUMA settings
• Boot mode choices
Apply these settings to a written configuration profile.
Pomodoro 4 — OS and hypervisor installation
• Study PXE, Kickstart, unattended installation, and template-based deployment
• Document partitioning schemes
• Identify required drivers and guest agents
Produce an installation workflow guide.
Day 3 — Storage Configuration
Learning objectives:
• Configure arrays, pools, RAID, LUNs, file shares, and object stores
• Understand thin provisioning, deduplication, and compression
• Map storage resources to hosts or clusters
Pomodoro 1 — Array initialization
Study:
• Disk grouping rules
• RAID or erasure coding configuration
• Tier creation
Document a pool creation procedure for both performance and capacity pools.
Pomodoro 2 — LUN and volume configuration
• Study volume creation practices
• Learn masking and mapping to host groups
• Configure thin provisioning and data reduction options
Create a LUN allocation matrix mapping workloads → volumes.
Pomodoro 3 — File and object storage configuration
• Study NFS and SMB share creation
• Understand permission models
• Learn object bucket configuration with lifecycle policies
Write configuration examples for each type: block, file, object.
Pomodoro 4 — Storage environment validation
• Document tests: connectivity, multipathing, performance sampling
• Write a validation checklist for storage deployment
Day 4 — Network and SAN Configuration
Learning objectives:
• Configure core networking for compute and storage
• Build SAN zones, ISLs, and multipath configurations
• Validate connectivity end-to-end
Pomodoro 1 — Network configuration
Study:
• VLAN assignment
• Trunk vs access ports
• IP addressing plan
• Jumbo frames use
Document a network configuration plan for all VLANs and IP ranges.
Pomodoro 2 — NIC bonding and teaming
• Learn LACP, active/standby, active/active configurations
• Map bonding types to workloads
Produce a NIC teaming guide.
Pomodoro 3 — SAN configuration
Study:
• FC zoning design
• Zone creation and activation
• ISL trunking
• iSCSI target portals and CHAP authentication
Write a SAN configuration sequence from zoning to host login.
Pomodoro 4 — Network and SAN validation
• Test ping, MTU settings, MPIO paths
• Write troubleshooting steps for typical misconfigurations
Day 5 — Virtualization and Workload Configuration
Learning objectives:
• Deploy and configure virtualization clusters
• Map datastores, networks, and HA/DRS settings
• Deploy workloads using templates with proper sizing
Pomodoro 1 — Virtualization platform setup
Study:
• Cluster creation
• Resource pools
• Datastore mapping
• HA and DRS settings
Document a virtualization cluster build guide.
Pomodoro 2 — VM template creation
• Study golden images
• Learn custom specification creation
• Document template standards (software versions, tools installed)
Pomodoro 3 — Workload deployment
• Practice sizing VMs for CPU, memory, and NUMA alignment
• Plan disk placement for performance-critical workloads
• Produce a workload deployment workflow
Pomodoro 4 — Upgrade and lifecycle operations
• Study patching strategies
• Learn rolling upgrade procedures
• Document upgrade steps for hosts and VMs
Day 6 — Validation and Testing
Learning objectives:
• Validate correctness, performance, and redundancy
• Simulate failures to confirm high availability
• Review implementation quality
Pomodoro 1 — Connectivity validation
• Test IP reachability
• Test DNS, NTP, LDAP connectivity
• Validate hypervisor access to storage
Create a connectivity validation checklist.
Pomodoro 2 — Performance validation
• Measure IOPS, throughput, and latency
• Compare results to Week 1 profiling expectations
• Document discrepancies and analysis
Pomodoro 3 — Failover testing
• Simulate NIC failure
• Simulate storage path failure
• Simulate node failure in a virtualization cluster
Record observed behavior and compare with design expectations.
Pomodoro 4 — Final validation summary
• Consolidate all validation results
• Identify configuration issues and prepare correction actions
Day 7 — Documentation and Handover
Learning objectives:
• Produce complete implementation documentation
• Prepare handover materials for operations staff
• Finalize Week 3 deliverables
Pomodoro 1 — As-built documentation
Write:
• Final compute configuration
• Storage pool and LUN mapping
• Network and VLAN configuration
• Virtualization cluster configuration
• Security and RBAC configuration
Pomodoro 2 — SOP and runbook creation
• Create Standard Operating Procedures for daily tasks
• Write runbooks for: restart, failover, storage expansion, VM deployment
Pomodoro 3 — Operations handover
• Prepare training notes for admins
• Summarize the environment’s architecture, configuration, and constraints
• Prepare a questions-and-answer list for the operations team
Pomodoro 4 — Week 3 review
• Review all tasks from Week 3
• Validate your knowledge using a self-assessment checklist
• Identify knowledge gaps to be addressed in Week 4
Week 4 — Disaster Recovery and Advising
Purpose:
Week 4 focuses on building the ability to design, validate, and advise on disaster recovery (DR) strategies.
This includes backup architectures, replication types, runbooks, compliance alignment, and practical failover testing.
Week 4 Objectives:
• Understand RPO/RTO and map workloads to DR tiers • Design backup strategies and retention models • Configure replication and data mobility solutions • Build comprehensive DR runbooks • Perform DR testing, validation, and reporting • Advise stakeholders on DR trade-offs, compliance, and governance
Day 1 — DR Concepts, RPO/RTO, and Strategy
Learning objectives:
• Understand the core principles of DR
• Translate business requirements into DR policies
• Learn different DR topology types
Pomodoro 1 — Study RPO and RTO fundamentals
• Review definitions of RPO and RTO
• Analyze impact of RPO on data loss tolerance
• Analyze impact of RTO on downtime tolerance
• Map example workloads to appropriate tiers (Tier 0, Tier 1, Tier 2)
Pomodoro 2 — Study DR topologies
• Backup-only DR
• Active-passive DR
• Active-active and stretched clusters
• Understand latency constraints for synchronous vs asynchronous DR
Write a DR topology selection guide.
Pomodoro 3 — Strategy mapping
• Take a sample environment and classify each workload into DR tiers
• Determine which DR topology fits each workload
• Document reasons for each mapping decision
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review Week 3 end-of-week documents
• Ensure DR expectations align with previous architecture decisions
Day 2 — Backup and Restore Architecture
Learning objectives:
• Understand full, differential, and incremental backups
• Learn how backup frequency and retention policies are built
• Understand backup destinations and their trade-offs
Pomodoro 1 — Study backup strategy types
• Full backups
• Incremental backups
• Differential backups
• Backup scheduling and performance windows
Create a strategy comparison table.
Pomodoro 2 — Backup targets
• Study disk-based backup appliances
• Study tape-based archival models
• Study cloud backup targets
Document pros, cons, and cost behavior.
Pomodoro 3 — Application-consistent backups
• Understand VSS
• Database quiescing
• Storage snapshot integration
• Catalog design for rapid restores
Write examples for each backup type and consistency method.
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review DR strategy from Day 1
• Align backup strategy with RPO requirements
Day 3 — Replication and Data Mobility
Learning objectives:
• Understand snapshot, clones, and replication
• Learn synchronous and asynchronous replication
• Understand multi-target replication and cross-cloud DR
Pomodoro 1 — Local protection mechanisms
• Study snapshots and how they differ from clones
• Understand copy-on-write vs redirect-on-write
• Document snapshot retention best practices
Pomodoro 2 — Remote replication
• Study synchronous replication requirements
• Study asynchronous replication behavior
• Understand typical inter-site bandwidth needs
Create a replication decision matrix.
Pomodoro 3 — Cross-platform and cloud DR
• Study hybrid cloud replication
• Understand cloud object storage as a DR target
• Explore lift-and-shift or cloud-based recovery workflows
Document a cross-cloud DR example workflow.
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review storage configuration principles from Week 3
• Ensure replication design aligns with capacity and performance limitations
Day 4 — DR Runbooks and Procedures
Learning objectives:
• Write clear and complete DR runbooks
• Define roles and responsibilities
• Build communication plans for DR events
Pomodoro 1 — Write DR runbook structure
Include:
• Scope
• Preconditions
• Trigger conditions
• Step-by-step failover and failback instructions
• Validation checks
• Dependencies
Create a template to use for all workloads.
Pomodoro 2 — Role and responsibility assignment
• Define DR roles
• Assign tasks to each role
• Write a responsibilities summary for:
DR lead
Infrastructure admin
App owner
Communications lead
Pomodoro 3 — Communication plans
• Draft internal notification templates
• Draft external or customer-facing updates
• Include escalation paths and approval steps
Document a complete communication workflow.
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review runbook flow
• Validate clarity, remove ambiguity, and correct missing steps
Day 5 — DR Testing and Validation
Learning objectives:
• Understand DR drills and testing types
• Learn how to execute partial and full failovers
• Document test results and improvements
Pomodoro 1 — Study DR test models
• Tabletop exercises
• Partial failovers
• Full failovers
• Isolated test networks
Document when each test model is appropriate.
Pomodoro 2 — Design a DR test plan
• Write test scope
• Identify workloads to test
• Determine expected results and success criteria
• Prepare a checklist for test execution
Pomodoro 3 — Execute simulated tests (paper-based)
• Simulate failover steps
• Identify potential points of failure
• Compare expected vs actual behavior (conceptually)
Write a Post-Test Analysis Report.
Pomodoro 4 — Improvement planning
• Identify gaps from the test
• Write corrective actions
• Update DR runbook accordingly
Day 6 — Advisory, Governance, and Compliance
Learning objectives:
• Learn how to advise stakeholders on DR trade-offs
• Understand cost, complexity, and regulatory considerations
• Integrate policies and compliance with DR strategy
Pomodoro 1 — Advising on trade-offs
Study:
• Cost of low RPO
• Complexity of multi-site active-active design
• Business tolerance for downtime
Write advisory guidelines with examples.
Pomodoro 2 — Policy and compliance integration
• Study GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS DR-related requirements
• Learn data residency and sovereignty considerations
• Document compliance checkpoints for DR solutions
Pomodoro 3 — Governance model
• Design a governance framework including:
DR ownership
Review frequency
Documentation audits
Change control
Write a Governance Summary.
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review Week 4 content
• Ensure alignment with Week 1 business and technical requirements
Day 7 — Full DR Scenario and Final Documentation
Learning objectives:
• Apply all DR concepts to a realistic scenario
• Produce a complete DR strategy and runbook set
• Prepare advisory recommendations for stakeholders
Pomodoro 1 — Scenario interpretation
• Read a full environment scenario describing workloads, business priorities, and compliance needs
• Extract DR tiers and constraints
• Identify RPO and RTO requirements clearly
Pomodoro 2 — DR design
• Select replication type
• Design backup strategy
• Choose DR topology
• Document full DR architecture for the environment
Pomodoro 3 — Runbook creation
• Write a detailed failover procedure
• Write a failback procedure
• Include validation, communication, and recovery steps
Produce a complete DR Runbook.
Pomodoro 4 — Final DR package
Create the final deliverables:
• DR architecture document
• Backup and retention strategy
• Replication strategy
• Runbook set
• Advisory and governance summary
Week 5 — Hands-On Practical Tasks (Simulated Scenarios)
Purpose:
Week 5 develops your ability to perform real hands-on tasks similar to HPE1-H05 scenarios.
You will practice interpreting scenarios, executing configuration tasks, troubleshooting, validating, and documenting results.
Week 5 Objectives:
• Interpret scenario information accurately • Extract requirements and identify core tasks • Build and configure servers, storage, networks, and virtualization components • Troubleshoot connectivity, performance, and configuration issues • Perform migration tasks • Validate, document, and manage time under exam-like conditions
Day 1 — Scenario Interpretation and Requirements Extraction
Learning objectives:
• Learn to read scenario text, diagrams, logs, and tickets
• Distinguish required tasks from optional suggestions
• Practice prioritizing tasks under constraints
Pomodoro 1 — Study scenario interpretation techniques
• Learn how to analyze diagrams and topology maps
• Study how to extract requirements from emails, logs, and helpdesk tickets
• Practice identifying what the scenario truly asks for
Pomodoro 2 — Requirement extraction practice
• Take a fictional scenario
• Extract tasks into: must-do, optional, dependencies, risks
• Document gaps or missing information you would request in real deployment
Pomodoro 3 — Prioritization exercise
• Rank tasks by urgency: data integrity first, critical workloads second
• Note which actions must never be taken without validation
• Create a priority matrix for typical exam tasks
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review the scenario results
• Check clarity, correctness, and completeness
Day 2 — Build and Configure Tasks
Learning objectives:
• Practice core build activities similar to those required in the exam
• Execute procedural tasks step-by-step on paper or in a lab environment
Pomodoro 1 — Server and profile configuration
• Write steps for creating server profiles
• Include BIOS settings, firmware, boot order, NIC configuration
• Assign profiles to hardware or virtual nodes
Pomodoro 2 — OS and hypervisor deployment
• Write the workflow for installing a hypervisor
• Include PXE/Kickstart or template usage
• Document post-install verification steps
Pomodoro 3 — Storage creation tasks
• Practice creating pools, volumes, LUNs, or shares
• Write full command or GUI step sequence
• Map volumes to hosts or clusters
Pomodoro 4 — SAN and connectivity tasks
• Write zoning steps: aliases, zones, activation
• Document iSCSI target discovery and CHAP configuration
• Describe multipath testing workflow
Day 3 — Integration Tasks
Learning objectives:
• Practice connecting compute, storage, and network components
• Test multipathing and directory integration
Pomodoro 1 — Host-to-storage integration
• Write steps to verify block storage connectivity
• Document expected multipath states for 2-path, 4-path, or 8-path setups
• Practice identifying incorrect zoning via symptoms
Pomodoro 2 — Directory service integration
• Write steps for AD/LDAP integration
• Document RBAC mapping to infrastructure roles
• Practice troubleshooting authentication issues
Pomodoro 3 — Backup and monitoring integration
• Write steps to register hosts in the backup system
• Document snapshot policies
• Integrate monitoring tools and verify visibility
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review integration tasks
• Identify common errors and correction strategies
Day 4 — Troubleshooting Tasks
Learning objectives:
• Practice analyzing connectivity issues
• Learn performance troubleshooting
• Diagnose hardware or configuration failures
Pomodoro 1 — Connectivity troubleshooting
• Practice identifying causes of “host cannot see LUN”
• Write a checklist for testing paths, zoning, VLANs, MTU, and routing
• Document update steps for fixing typical misconfigurations
Pomodoro 2 — Performance troubleshooting
• Interpret high latency graphs
• Identify slow disk response, queue depth issues, congestion
• Map symptoms to root causes: storage tier, RAID, network, CPU ready time
Pomodoro 3 — Hardware fault analysis
• Learn signs of failed disks, controllers, fans, or nodes
• Write escalation and replacement procedures
• Document how to preserve service continuity during repairs
Pomodoro 4 — Misconfiguration detection
• Practice reading configs to spot incorrect IPs, VLANs, zoning, boot settings
• Write a misconfiguration detection guide
Day 5 — Migration Tasks
Learning objectives:
• Practice migrating workloads between storage arrays or compute clusters
• Understand low-downtime migration planning
Pomodoro 1 — Data migration steps
• Write steps for array-to-array migration
• Document snapshot, clone, and replication-assisted migration workflows
Pomodoro 2 — Workload migration
• Write Storage vMotion or equivalent migration steps
• Document CPU/memory considerations
• Write downtime-minimization strategies
Pomodoro 3 — Migration validation
• Validate migrated workloads
• Test performance on new arrays
• Confirm pathing, replication, and backup resume properly
Pomodoro 4 — Migration risk planning
• Write risks and mitigation steps for migration scenarios
• Document rollback plans for each risk
Day 6 — Verification and Documentation
Learning objectives:
• Validate that scenario tasks are executed correctly
• Document results and ensure compliance with requirements
Pomodoro 1 — Verification techniques
• Write scripts or steps to confirm configuration correctness
• Validate availability, redundancy, performance, and connectivity
Pomodoro 2 — Scenario validation practice
• Perform paper-based validation on a mock scenario
• Identify missing or incorrect configurations
• Update runbooks based on findings
Pomodoro 3 — Documentation quality
• Write documentation with clear steps, assumptions, and parameters
• Ensure reproducibility and audit readiness
Pomodoro 4 — Review
• Review all validation notes
• Confirm readiness for Week 7 final exam-style practice
Day 7 — Full Practical Scenario
Learning objectives:
• Execute an end-to-end practical scenario
• Test all capabilities learned in Weeks 1–5
• Produce final documentation
Pomodoro 1 — Scenario reading and breakdown
• Read the full scenario
• Extract tasks, requirements, constraints
• Build a prioritized action plan
Pomodoro 2 — Execute tasks
• Perform build, configuration, integration, troubleshooting, and migration steps on paper or lab
• Document each step in detail
Pomodoro 3 — Validate and analyze
• Validate environment
• Identify errors or incomplete steps
• Produce a correction plan
Pomodoro 4 — Final scenario documentation
• Write a complete scenario report including:
Requirements
Tasks performed
Config applied
Issues found
Validation results
Final recommendations
Week 6 — Full Mock Exam Week
Purpose:
Week 6 is dedicated entirely to simulating the HPE1-H05 practical exam environment.
You will rehearse all stages: requirement extraction, design, configuration, troubleshooting, and documentation.
This is a high-intensity practice week that integrates all knowledge from Weeks 1–5.
Week 6 Objectives:
• Practice full exam scenario handling from start to finish • Strengthen speed, accuracy, and decision-making under time constraints • Improve troubleshooting efficiency and documentation quality • Identify weak areas and reinforce them through targeted review • Build confidence for the real exam
Day 1 — Exam Simulation Fundamentals and Environment Setup
Learning objectives:
• Understand how to simulate an exam environment
• Learn to manage time, prioritize tasks, and control stress
• Prepare tools, templates, and checklists
Pomodoro 1 — Study exam-style workflow
• Review the typical workflow of a hands-on exam
• Understand how scenarios are structured
• Learn how scoring usually rewards successful task completion, clarity, and correctness
Pomodoro 2 — Build exam templates
Create templates for:
• Requirement extraction
• Architecture summary
• Implementation steps
• Troubleshooting checklists
• Final documentation report
Pomodoro 3 — Time-management strategy
• Define task blocks (for example: 10 min analysis, 15–20 min task execution)
• Establish a rule for when to stop and re-evaluate if stuck
• Create a personal timing guideline to follow during the mock exam
Pomodoro 4 — Dry-run preparation
• Prepare a workspace or notepad
• Set up a timer
• Gather all checklists produced in Weeks 1–5
Day 2 — Mock Exam Scenario 1 (Assessment + Architecture)
Learning objectives:
• Execute the first half of a full exam scenario
• Practice interpreting requirements and creating architecture
Pomodoro 1 — Scenario reading and extraction
• Read the mock scenario
• Extract business and technical requirements
• Identify constraints, risks, and dependencies
• Prioritize tasks to align with business impact
Pomodoro 2 — Architecture planning
• Select the appropriate architecture model
• Map workloads to tiers, storage types, and networks
• Write a high-level architecture outline
Pomodoro 3 — Component design
• Draft compute, storage, network, and security architecture
• Write notes for each decision with justification
Pomodoro 4 — Review and refine
• Re-read all outputs
• Ensure requirement-to-design alignment
• Identify any gaps or missing assumptions
Day 3 — Mock Exam Scenario 2 (Configuration and Implementation)
Learning objectives:
• Execute full configuration tasks under time pressure
• Practice following implementation sequences
Pomodoro 1 — Compute configuration
• Perform hardware setup steps on paper
• Document firmware baseline, BIOS tuning, hypervisor installation
• Map hosts into a cluster configuration
Pomodoro 2 — Storage configuration
• Create storage pools and LUNs
• Apply RAID or erasure coding
• Map volumes to hosts and configure multipathing
Pomodoro 3 — Network and SAN configuration
• Assign VLANs
• Create zones and activate zonesets
• Document NIC teaming and MTU configuration
Pomodoro 4 — Validation
• Test IP reachability, storage visibility, path redundancy
• Document validation results and corrections
Day 4 — Mock Exam Scenario 3 (Troubleshooting and Recovery)
Learning objectives:
• Practice interpreting faults and resolving issues quickly
• Learn how to document root cause and resolution
Pomodoro 1 — Connectivity troubleshooting
• Diagnose missing LUN visibility
• Check zoning, VLANs, and path states
• Document the root cause and fix steps
Pomodoro 2 — Performance troubleshooting
• Interpret IOPS, latency, and throughput issues
• Identify bottlenecks in compute, storage, or network
• Produce a short performance optimization plan
Pomodoro 3 — Failure simulation
• Simulate node, controller, or disk failures
• Write the recovery steps
• Evaluate system behavior during failover events
Pomodoro 4 — Troubleshooting summary
• Consolidate findings
• Write a troubleshooting reference sheet for future use
Day 5 — Full-Length Mock Exam
Learning objectives:
• Complete a full exam simulation end-to-end without interruption
• Practice strict time management and task clarity
Pomodoro 1 — Requirements and design
• Read the full scenario
• Extract requirements
• Create a complete architecture plan
Pomodoro 2 — Implementation tasks
• Execute compute, storage, and network configuration tasks
• Follow proper sequences and note all parameters
Pomodoro 3 — Troubleshooting tasks
• Resolve predefined faults presented in the scenario
• Document root cause and resolution
Pomodoro 4 — Final documentation
• Compile a final report including:
Requirements summary
Architecture summary
Tasks executed
Issues found
Final environment state
Recommendations
Day 6 — Review and Weak Area Reinforcement
Learning objectives:
• Identify deficiencies from the mock exam
• Reinforce weak topics with targeted practice
Pomodoro 1 — Review mock exam output
• Read through your Day 5 outputs
• Identify mistakes, incomplete documentation, or inaccurate assumptions
Pomodoro 2 — Technical reinforcement
• Re-study the weakest area (compute, storage, network, DR, or troubleshooting)
• Write a corrective checklist for future attempts
Pomodoro 3 — Scenario-based reinforcement
• Redo one failed or incomplete section of the mock exam
• Ensure improved speed and accuracy
Pomodoro 4 — Knowledge consolidation
• Write a reflection summary explaining what was learned this week
• List specific improvements for the final week
Day 7 — Final Mock Exam with Performance Targets
Learning objectives:
• Perform a second full exam simulation with stricter timing
• Ensure readiness for real exam conditions
Pomodoro 1 — Scenario interpretation
• Read a new scenario
• Extract tasks rapidly
• Build an action plan within a fixed time window
Pomodoro 2 — Full hands-on execution
• Perform design, configuration, integration, and troubleshooting tasks
• Follow the timing rules you established earlier
• Document each step as you go
Pomodoro 3 — Validation and error correction
• Validate the final environment
• Evaluate issues
• Apply corrections efficiently
Pomodoro 4 — Final documentation
• Produce a complete exam-style report
• Compare final results to performance targets
• Determine readiness level for the real certification exam