Process Automation With VMware

Transcription

1 Prcess Autmatin With VMware Intelligent Service Autmatin fr Real and Virtual Envirnments Intrductin This Whitepaper describes hw the UC4 platfrm integrates with the VMware vsphere Server and the VMware vcenter Server. With this integratin, UC4 Sftware has enabled custmers t manage VMware tasks such as Deply Virtual Machines, Pwer ON/Off, Create Snapsht, and thers. Using the UC4 platfrm as the central administratin tl, VMware tasks can nw be part f the IT prcesses and part f the IT Husekeeping strategy. Tday s Situatin... 2 Challenges fr IT... 2 Impact n the Data Center Envirnment... 2 Slutin fr VMware... 3 Benefits f the UC4 Platfrm... 4 Differentiatrs t VMware Management Prducts... 4 Cnclusin... 4 Cpyright 2009 UC4 Sftware GmbH (UC4), all rights reserved. The materials in this publicatin are prtected by cpyright and/r ther intellectual prperty laws. Any unauthrized use f the materials in this publicatin can result in an infringement f these laws. Unless expressly permitted, the cpying f infrmatin r dcuments frm this publicatin, in any frm, withut the prir written permissin f UC4 is prhibited. UC4 Sftware is member f the VMware Technlgy Alliance Partner Prgram 1

2 Tday s Situatin VMware envirnments have a lt f IT infrastructure challenges: Increases in Cmplexity Staffing Issues Increased Management Requirements Sftware Cmpliance Issues Cnfiguratin Management Prblems Security and Risk Expsure Uncntrlled Csts Service and Perfrmance Prblems Lack f Qualified Persnnel Internal Management Issues Lack f Skills Skill Requirements Errr Handling Mre Platfrms Different Vendrs Rare Specialists in the Market Lack f Skills Cmplex Envirnments Organizatins ften implement virtualizatin with VMware as an integral part f a cnslidatin prject f physical servers in an attempt t gain cst reductins. Buzzwrds like Green IT, time-based cntrl, event-based management, applicatin virtualizatin, Dynamic prvisining are additinal tpics in the virtual envirnment market, and there are real business advantages fr autmatin f IT prcesses, integratin, and rchestratin in these areas. VMware, the market leader in virtualizatin, prvides several management integratin tls (e.g. VMware vcenter Orchestratr) t reach high level f rchestratin. Challenges fr IT VMware autmates and rchestrates nly the areas cntrlled by the VMware virtual envirnment. There are n management capabilities f IT prcesses between real and virtual envirnments. IT prcesses are still running separately in real and virtual envirnments, s integratin int enterprise wide prcesses nly with VMware Management Tls is nt pssible. Dependencies between standard applicatins, databases, platfrms and legacy applicatins are nt slved with VMware tls. Impact n the Data Center Envirnment Lack f VMware integratin int enterprise-wide prcesses has the fllwing impacts: IT prcesses run with manual interventin. Risk that prcesses are nt running crrectly, run ut-f-time, r withut errr handling is increased. N definitin f what t run and where t run. Cmpliance n IT prcesses des nt exist. N supprt fr Enterprise Wrklads. N integratin int existing Data Center and RunBk Autmatin (IT-Husekeeping). 2

3 Slutin fr VMware The mst effective way t integrate VMware int the IT prcesses is the integratin int an enterprise- wide autmatin tl. The UC4 Wrklad Autmatin Suite ffers a Virtual Envirnment Management Integratin based n a UC4 Agent fr VMware which enables cmpanies t manage all tasks in the real and virtual wrld within, arund and beynd VMware. Within VMware Autmatin f virtual machines and hypervisrs. Autmatin f platfrms in the virtual machines. Table 1: Categries f integrated tasks Cntrl: Backup : Prvisining: Perfrmance Mnitring: Query Pwer State Pwer Virtual Machine On Pwer Virtual Machine Off Suspend Virtual Machine Reset Virtual Machine Rebt Virtual Machine Shutdwn Virtual Machine Standby Virtual Machine Pwer Dwn Hst t Standby Pwer Dwn Hst Rebt Hst Enter Maintenance Exit Maintenance Migrate (VMtin) Add / remve Virtual Nic Add / remve Virtual Switch Add / remve Virtual Switch Prt Grup Create Snapsht Rename Object ( e.g. Snapsht ) Remve Snapsht Remve all Snapshts Revert t Snapsht Revert t Current Snapsht Mark as Template Deply Virtual Machine Rename Object ( e.g. Virtual Machine ) Delete Virtual Machine Recnfigure Virtual Machine Obtain perfrmance data 3

4 Arund VMware Integratin int existing IT Husekeeping prcesses Backup Acceleratin with end-t-end management f backups. Event Based Handling wrks with events (errrs, warnings and threshlds) t handle tday s manual interventins autmatically. Enfrce Prcess Dependencies tasks in the RunBk have dependencies which need manual interventin. Beynd VMware: Integratin f applicatins (SAP, Oracle, DWH, Legacy Mainframe Applicatins) running in real and virtual envirnments. Integratin f platfrms (Mainframe, Unix, NSK ) running in real envirnments r different virtual envirnments ( Slaris, AIX, HP-UX ). Benefits f the UC4 Platfrm Cntrl Businesses need the right resurces at the right time. VMware ften has t deal with running Virtual Machines that are nt used anymre such as server yu dn t need fr the night time. UC4 can use VMware functins such as Pwer On/Off, Standby and suspend t shutdwn virtual machines unless there are IT prcesses dependent n these virtual machines. This slutin benefits the business by nt nly reducing resurces (Green IT), it is als has license advantages allwing t explit these licenses fr ther virtual machines. Backup VMware Virtual Machines need the same backup as real envirnments. Often there is a need fr snapshts f virtual machines dependent n the running prcesses e.g. Batchjb run, Database peratin. If the snapshts are dne withut a dependency check f the running prcesses, Snapshts culd be incnsistent. The UC4 platfrm is the right tl fr a backup strategy and fr the check f the dependencies n the prcess level crss bth envirnments e.g. Integratins with TSM. It is easy t integrate backups and snapshts at the right time with UC4 because f time-based, event-based, and calendar-based initiatin ptins. Prvisining Businesses are using the prvisining ptins f VMware fr creating and clning virtual machines t get the right resurces at the right time. The mst difficult questin fr VMware Administratrs is when is the right time t clne virtual machines. The right time is always befre the need is identified in the IT prcess. Mnth-End Clse prcesses run at the end f the mnth. That des nt always mean the last wrking day f the mnth. This is the time when there is a need fr additinal resurces. The need depends n the status f the running prcess. One example is a data warehuse data uplad with an ETL Tl. This prcess will wait fr cmpletin f the data uplad and then cntinue with the next steps in the wrkflw. This culd be the same time every mnth, but prcesses in Data Center have always been created manually. T remediate the issue dynamically yu can prvisin virtual machines when the running IT prcesses in Data Center require them. On tp f the Prvisining ptin there is always a need fr mre resurces during utilizatin peaks. UC4 enables yu t use the perfrmance data lw level frm the VMware vcenter server (Perfrmance Mnitring) r 4

5 predictive n a high level with the UC4 Decisin slutin (Perfrmance f the Applicatin n the virtual machine) t migrate virtual machines with VMtin r add mre CPU and/r memry t yur virtual machines. Differentiatrs t VMware Management Prducts VMware vcenter Lifecycle Manager Descriptin f VMware: Lifecycle Manager allws administratrs t manage interactins thrughut the entire lifecycle f a virtual machine, frm establishing plicies fr virtual machines r ruting requests and apprvals, t tracking and archiving virtual machines, all thrugh an easy-t-use brwser interface. Integratin f UC4 Wrklad Autmatin Suite int virtual envirnments prvides additinal functinality such as autmatin f creatin, clning and deplyment f virtual machines as part f the IT prcess based n time r events. VMware vcenter Lab Manager Descriptin f VMware: Create and manage a library f cmmnly used cnfiguratins and dynamically prvisin them in secnds with a simple muse click. UC4 autmates these needs with the pwer f an Enterprise Autmatin Slutin. VMware vcenter Stage Manager Descriptin f VMware: Visualize, streamline and autmate the prcess f rlling new and updated IT services int prductin with VMware Stage Manager. The integratin f VMware with UC4 Wrklad Autmatin Suite strengthens the change management prcess. Develpment tasks can easily migrated t an Integratin/QA and Prductin envirnment using the UC4 Multi-Client capabilities which enable the 3-Tier mdel n ne r mre UC4 Autmatin Engines. VMware vcenter Orchestratr Descriptin f VMware: VMware vcenter Orchestratr prvides ut f the bx wrkflws that can help administratrs autmate existing manual tasks. Adminstratrs can utilize sample wrkflws frm VMware vcenter Orchestratr s wrkflw library and prvide a blueprint fr creating additinal wrkflws. Frm a UC4 perspective this is a gd tl t get rid f all the scripts and bring the tasks under GUI cntrl and in a wrkflw. This tl des nt cver the dependencies f the prcesses what runs n tp f the virtual machines, s Snapshts culd be nt cnsistent when prcesses runs at the time f the Snapsht wrkflw f VMware vcenter Orchestratr. Cnclusin VMware and the UC4 platfrm cmplement each ther as slutins fr the real and virtual wrld. Virtual Envirnment Management needs mre than a virtual envirnment view. Integratin f real envirnments and applicatins is still a key part f the success f data centers. T integrate bth wrlds is still an area f cncern fr IT departments. The virtualizatin market is just beginning t realize the benefits f virtualizatin with cnslidatin prjects currently underway. The real pwer f virtualizatin will be in the area f applicatin virtualizatin. UC4 Intelligent Service Autmatin ffers a cmplete slutin fr enterprise-wide prcesses and IT husekeeping autmatin. The strengths f batch jb scheduling, data center autmatin, applicatin integratin, and management services are nw available fr virtual envirnments. With the cmbinatin f the strengths f VMware and UC4, yu are clser t the gal f the Dynamic Data Center. 5

6 ABOUT UC4 SOFTWARE UC4 Sftware is a leading glbal prvider f wrklad autmatin, jb scheduling and IT prcess ptimizatin slutins that ensure cre business prcesses and enterprise infrmatin systems run faster, mre accurately and withut interruptin. Mre than 1,600 cmpanies wrldwide have successfully enhanced applicatin prcessing perfrmance and imprved IT efficiency using UC4 s business acceleratin slutins. Custmers include American Suzuki Mtr Crpratin, Cadbury, ebay, Eastman Kdak, General Electric, Mattel, McGraw Hill, Panasnic, Rbert Bsch, Sun Micrsystems, Symantec, T-Systems and Verizn. CONTACT UC4 SOFTWARE In the US at (877) (tll-free) In Eurpe at [email protected] 6