This workshop provides an in-depth understanding of the design and technology behind the IBM's BladeCenter systems and components, with main focus on the blades and modules available for the different IBM BladeCenter chassis. The course presents a detailed technical introduction to the different blade servers with major point to newest UEFI servers, HX5 blade, BladeCenter Open Fabric Manager (BOFM) configuration, CNA and Virtual Fabric technologies. In addition course introduces storage connectivity options in Blade environment with configuration of internal BladeCenter S storage by using SAS Connectivity Module and SAS RAID Module (both available in the class) and different BladeCenter external storage options (SAS, iSCSI, FC and FCoE). Labs cover different chassis configurations using the AMM, I/O Module (Ethernet Switch VLAN, FC Switch Zoning), steps for connecting external SAS, iSCSI and FC Storage with local Storage HW available in the class, booting from SAN, Open Fabric Manager (BOFM) preparation, installation and configuration for building »Hot-Spare blade«, configuration of CNA adapters to connect blade server with external storage using FCoE by using 10Gb Ethernet Switch and Virtual Fabric Extension Module (HW available in the class) and IBM Systems Director 6.3 cooperation with Blade environment.