text: **3.1 General planning rules**
  
  **Important:**At the time of this writing, the statements that are provided in this book are 
  accurate but can change. Always verify any statements that are made in this book with the 
  IBM Storwize V7000 supported hardware list, device driver, firmware, and recommended 
  software levels information that are available at the following websites: 
  
  (cid:2) Support Information for Storwize V7000 
  (cid:2) IBM System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC) 
  
  To maximize the benefit that is realized from the Storwize V7000, pre-installation planning 
  must include several important steps. These steps ensure that the Storwize V7000 provides 
  the best possible performance, reliability, and ease of management for your application 
  needs. The correct configuration also helps minimize downtime by avoiding changes to the 
  Storwize V7000 and the storage area network (SAN) environment to meet future growth 
  needs. 
  
  This book is*not*intended to provide in-depth information about the described topics. For an 
  enhanced analysis of advanced topics, see IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller and 
  Storwize V7000 Best Practices and Performance Guidelines, SG24-7521. 