VegaStream Tutorial - The Advantages & Disadvantages of Using Virtual Machines

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1 Getting Started with Server Virtualization HAROLD READ VIRTUALIZATION PRACTICE M AN AGER H T T P : / / W W W. A L L I N. C O M A L L I N C O N S U LT I N G S A L E A L L I N. C O M

2 Agenda Overview Getting Started Challenges Potential Pitfalls Resources 2

3 Overview - Virtualization Concepts Thin layer Between HW & OS (iceberg) Eliminates OS/HW dependencies Virtual Machines are files 3

4 Overview Solutions Top Three Virtualization Solutions VMware vsphere Microsoft Hyper-V Citrix XenServer 4

5 Overview Advantages Flexibility Rapid provisioning, Templates Reduced HW dependencies, easily add capacity Workload balancing Move VMs from host to host Reliability - Improved Disaster Recovery High Availability and Fault Tolerant capabilities Reduce number & types of servers Reduced capital & operating expense Create pools of resources 5

6 Overview Rapid Provisioning Before Server Virtualization Procure hardware Configure hardware Install OS Configure OS & Tools Assign IP Address Configure Network After Server Virtualization hrs of work Deploy from Template Power on VM <1 hour of work Provisioning time reduced to minutes instead of days or weeks 6

7 Overview Limitations Introduces overhead Not good for high bandwidth & low latency applications Does not support unique hardware i.e. FAX card Need compatible CPUs to use VM migration Intel VT FlexMigration mitigates this 7

8 Getting Started Virtualization is a Journey, not a "project" A fundamental shift in datacenter operations Four Maturity Stages (Forrester Research) Acclimation familiarization, low hanging fruit Strategic Consolidation virtual first, remaining servers Process Improvement Integrating new capabilities Pooling & Automation processes -> policies Don t try to do it all at once 8

9 Getting Started - Planning Make Detailed Plan(s) System focus vs. Individual Server focus VM application behavior affects other VMs Include sections for: Implementation, P2V, Validation & Management Consider Application Availability Requirements Business Continuity Requirements Revised Backup Strategy Security Impact 9

10 Getting Started - Planning Consider. Control access (e. g. failure from network change example) Impact on Staff & Organization Create/update standards, processes, policies Training Train the right people, limit access Stakeholder & Management Buy-In & Input Set Expectations Rethink Disaster Recovery New Opportunities New Risks 10

11 Getting Started - Planning Inventory Current Applications Identify virtualization candidates Note dependencies CPU & Memory utilization I/O performance requirements Compute Load Static or variable 3 rd party license & support 11

12 Getting Started - Education Evaluate Free Virtualization Software Get hands on experience with products and tools Evaluate & Compare Features and Cost Starter Kits Management Tools & Integration Train Key Staff Techs Management e.g. drive by deployment 12

13 Getting Started Infrastructure Design Overview Centralized Storage New Servers More memory, network ports e.g. Ports 2-DMZ, 2-Prod, 2-VMotion, 4-Storage (2 bonded) 64 bit required Host Sizing Guidelines Load host CPU to 60% Load memory to 90% Design In Fault Tolerance Multiple paths to network and storage 13

14 Getting Started Network Design Overview 14

15 Challenges Storage and Networking Biggest Pain Points Migration from Local to Centralized Storage Do not undersize Snapshots and templates Greater demand for VMs Sufficient IOPs & bandwidth Network Planning for VMs Bandwidth Redundancy Connectivity & Isolation 15

16 Challenges, contd. Virtual Machine Sprawl New VM request policy License issues New Management Techniques & Tools Decoupling of applications - servers Naming Conventions 16

17 Potential Pitfalls Insufficient Planning - 5 Ps Don t wait for all the kinks to be worked out Don t skimp on training Don t overlook importance of hardware You can never have enough memory or storage Do 1 thing at a time e.g. Don t change IP addresses or system names when doing P2V Understand virt & 3 rd party vendor support 17

18 Resources Dell Virtualization Advisor - c20382db1cd0&c=us&l=en&cs=555 SearchServerVirtualization.com - InfoWorld - Virtualization Daily - XenServer Blogs - VMware VMTN Blog - Microsoft Virtualization Team Blog - VMware User Groups (VMUGs)- Security Compliance in a Virtual World - Servers, Virtualization & Storage

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