LANDMARK EARTH ENGINEERED APPLIANCE

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1 WHITE PAPER Modern Computing for Today s E&P Industry LANDMARK EARTH ENGINEERED APPLIANCE Landmark

2 Modern Computing for Today s E&P Industry LANDMARK EARTH ENGINEERED APPLIANCE Author Contributors Andy Anglin Landmark Lapi Dixit and David Holmes EMC Corp. Deploying and managing petrotechnical applications are costly, and require a significant commitment of skilled personnel. Selecting, procuring, and installing the information technology (IT) infrastructure to support these applications takes months to commission. Success in this complex process often depends on reducing expenses, reducing project risks, and avoiding costly delays. Achieving these efficiencies increasingly demands a migration from traditional data centers to private clouds where a virtualized infrastructure provides the necessary orchestration and automation. The Landmark Earth engineered appliance streamlines this move with a unique converged architecture comprising pre-optimized and pre-configured hardware integrated with a full scope of exploration and production (E&P) software. JOURNEY TO THE PRIVATE CLOUD In the 1990s, client/server architecture became the predominant way in which applications were designed. This architecture divides information processing between a client (who provides the user interface and some or all application processing) and a server (which typically provides high-volume storage capacity and heavy data crunching). The client/server design continues to be used today, but it imposes some challenges from an IT perspective. It is often difficult to maintain, since there are usually several client machines for every server, and each must be updated with every new release. In addition, since it affects all connected clients, OFFICE DATA CENTER the tight coupling between the client machine and its server can pose problems when IT personnel need to take down a server for maintenance. Hardware utilization is also poor because the client machines required for each user are often inactive. The needs for greater agility in the deployment of new technology, and for better resource utilization and reduced capital costs, are leading the migration to virtualized data centers. Virtualization creates multiple logical devices from one physical device, with each virtual machine (VM) operated in a similar fashion to an independent physical server. Typically, each VM is provided with a set of virtual hardware, where the operating system and applications can be installed as if it were a physical server. Virtualization has the advantage of reducing the number of physical servers to be supported and improving system utilization. But server virtualization poses its own problems that increase administration burdens and slow deployment of new technology. The development of reference architectures that define standards for hardware and software configuration has improved consistency across global assets. However, procuring and configuring the individual IT resources have remained manual processes. To address this inefficiency, companies are transitioning to a converged infrastructure (CI), which combines storage, computing, networking, and graphics that are managed as a unified asset. This accelerates technology deployment, optimizes system usage, and reduces downtime, while at the same time lowering manpower requirements. LANDMARK EARTH ENGINEERED APPLIANCE FOR E&P GRAPHICS COMPUTE Workstations Figure 1 Client/server architecture LOCAL NETWORK STORAGE The Landmark Earth engineered appliance is a combination of a converged infrastructure, the E&P Blueprint software application, and automated updates. The Landmark Earth appliance is unique in that it is engineered specifically for E&P and built on EMC Corp. s industry-leading converged infrastructure. The appliance is optimally sized and configured for E&P workloads, from interpretation workflows on 3D environments to information management and production optimization workflows. It is preinstalled with the DecisionSpace software suite of advanced solutions for geosciences, well engineering, and production and, because it is an open system, it easily accommodates applications from E&P companies and other vendors. 2

3 Thin Client Virtual Desktops LAN/WAN Lifecycle Solutions E&P BLUEPRINT SOFTWARE Converged Infrastructure DecisionSpace Platform and Applications Automated Updates Delivering RELIABILITY PERFORMANCE AGILITY REDUCED TIME TO VALUE SUSTAINABILITY Figure 2 Landmark Earth engineered appliance ACCELERATE TIME TO VALUE FOR E&P USERS The need to support end-user workflows has increased the demand on IT organizations to quickly adopt new technology. The Landmark Earth appliance speeds this adoption process with integrated applications pre-loaded on the IT infrastructure. Without the Landmark Earth appliance, each IT component must be sized, procured, assembled, and tested in order to deploy new technology. This process has many drawbacks: it is time-consuming, prone to errors, and requires many people with specialized skills. Additionally, applications from multiple vendors must then be installed, tuned, and tested before they are made available to the users. Deployment of new software or major releases requires that the process must start again. In addition, problems that arise anywhere in this approach are typically difficult to troubleshoot what appear to be software issues may actually be problems with the network, compute servers, or other system components. Deploying the Landmark Earth appliance is simple by contrast. The Landmark Earth appliance is configured and tested before it is delivered to the customer. It also provides a single hardware and software system management dashboard for appliance administration and application launching. Since the Landmark Earth appliance is delivered as an integrated IT stack, initial and new software releases require less time and fewer staff to test and implement. As a result, technical users benefit sooner from the advances offered by the latest technology. THE E&P BLUEPRINT SOFTWARE APPLICATION DIFFERENTIATES LANDMARK EARTH The E&P Blueprint application is central to the deployment of software on the Landmark Earth appliance s converged infrastructure. It describes how Landmark software is distributed on VMs and guides installations from other vendors and E&P companies. For example, E&P Blueprint software applies special considerations to 3D applications, which require highperformance graphics cards and memory. In this CI environment, the distribution of application software across VMs maximizes hardware utilization and provides important functionality for Traditional Approach (Months) Size for Applications Procure, Assemble, Install, Configure Hardware Install and Configure Test and Tune LIVE Network Storage Compute Network Storage Compute All Software Everything Landmark Earth Engineered Appliance (Days) Install Configure Test LIVE Figure 3 Rapid deployment and automated updates 3

4 quicker deployment and updating. User files, such as data and session files that must persist between releases, are separate from the application software. The E&P Blueprint application enables automated updates for DecisionSpace software releases and patches. The ongoing support to keep software and infrastructure evergreen requires a significant effort. Updates must be carefully planned to ensure that they are compatible with other components in the environment and do not affect business schedules. With the Landmark Earth appliance, petrotechnical software and underlying infrastructure updates are packaged together, thus dramatically streamlining the update process. User workflow disruption is avoided with easily scheduled updates of DecisionSpace applications and Landmark Earth VMs. SCALABLE PLATFORM FOR ALL SIZES OF COMPANIES Landmark Earth configurations provide the flexibility to meet current needs and to scale easily as demands change. Scaling traditional IT resources requires careful planning to ensure that each component is scaled proportionally. It is a time-consuming and error-prone process to ensure that all systems work together efficiently without over-building some components. In contrast, in a converged infrastructure system, integrated storage, computing, and networking can be scaled linearly to thousands of concurrent users. REDUCE TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP The purchase cost of a converged infrastructure is comparable to the cost of the individual components. This is particularly true when considering the tendency to over-provide hardware to reduce later rebalancing when new capabilities are needed. However, the upfront cost is not the main factor when considering the Landmark Earth engineered appliance. IT simplification Workstation 21% Savings Reference Architecture 37% Savings Converged Infrastructure 50% Savings Landmark Earth Appliance Figure 4 Total cost of ownership (TCO) improvement with the Landmark Earth engineered appliance Total Operations Cost Total Deployment Cost Total Acquisition Cost is the most compelling rationale for moving to a converged infrastructure. Companies deploying converged infrastructure have realized improved IT staff efficiency and better IT resource utilization. IT staff have been freed to do more strategic IT innovation that supported the business goals. The ongoing staff time reduction can contribute to a significant decrease in the overall total cost of ownership (TCO). EMC Corp. estimates that a converged infrastructure achieves a 37 percent savings over traditional workstation deployments. But that is not the whole story. TCO is further reduced by the inclusion of the pre-installed E&P Blueprint application and automated updates. This configuration leads to a major decrease in TCO by as much as 50 percent. The Landmark Earth appliance is configured and tested prior to delivery, and provides a single hardware and software system management dashboard for appliance administration and application launching. IT agility throughout the life of the asset is achieved with the Landmark Earth appliance s repeatable processes for upgrading the hardware and software environment. INTEGRATES WITH YOUR CURRENT IT ENVIRONMENT The Landmark Earth appliance s converged infrastructure supplies a complete environment that includes computing, storage, and networking. It also offers options for leveraging existing investments. For example, the Landmark Earth appliance can be integrated with existing storage devices, thus eliminating the need to move massive amounts of data or replace valuable resources. SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE The Landmark Earth engineered appliance is optimized for Landmark software solutions to ensure high performance. Rigorous testing on 2D and 3D workflows shows that the Landmark Earth appliance delivers up to five times the performance of the traditional high-end desktop workstations found in typical client/ server deployments. Applications from other E&P vendors can be added to the Landmark Earth appliance with similar performance results. In addition, the appliance can be scaled to the needs of any size company without changing the performance. Users are more productive. More efficient evaluation and analysis means that more alternatives can be investigated, thus increasing decision success and minimizing lost opportunity cost. SINGLE-POINT SUPPORT When troubleshooting client/server problems, it is often difficult to know the source of an issue. Difficulty experienced in one part of the infrastructure often masquerades as a problem 4

5 in the software. This is particularly true in instances of poor performance. Troubleshooting the source of the problem and its resolution may require the attention of multiple people in an organization and sometimes multiple vendors. With the Landmark Earth engineered appliance, a single support call resolves the problem, no matter where the issue resides. Troubleshooting is enhanced by using a duplicate system to replicate the user s specific problems. SUMMARY E&P companies face significant challenges in deploying and updating petrotechnical applications. The time required to deploy and update these applications, along with associated costs, is driving changes in the way that data centers operate. These changes involve a move away from traditional client/server architectures to a converged infrastructure that minimizes or eliminates many of these complex efficiency challenges. However, a converged infrastructure does not cover the entire spectrum of E&P requirements. Covering the entire spectrum requires an end-to-end solution that provides the latest science in a timely and cost-effective manner. The Landmark Earth appliance provides the full solution with the only engineered appliance developed specifically for the demands of E&P companies. Optimized and tuned for Landmark applications, and open for easy implementation of user and thirdparty applications, the Landmark Earth appliance the high levels of performance required by nimble, resource-constrained E&P companies. The result is a dramatic improvement in time to value, TCO, and application performance, which all must be achieved in order to succeed in today s challenging marketplace. Powering the E&P Cloud Landmark.Solutions H / Halliburton. All Rights Reserved. Sales of Halliburton products and services will be in accord solely with the terms and conditions contained in the contract between Halliburton and the customer that is applicable to the sale.