Solution Guide: Brocade Server lication Optimization for a Scalable Oracle Environment Optimize the performance and scalability of Oracle applications and databases running Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL) and Oracle VM (OVM) with Brocade adapters and switches using Server lication Optimization (SAO).
CONTENTS Introduction... 3 Adaptive Networking... 4 SAO Key Features... 4 Traffic Prioritization...4 Virtualization...4 Simplified Management...4 Solution Advantages... 5 How Oracle VM and Brocade QoS Work Together... 6 Technical Benefits of Oracle VM... 6 Brocade End-to-End Advantage... 7 Conclusion... 7 Brocade Server lication Optimization for a Scalable Oracle Environment 2 of 7
INTRODUCTION All organizations are facing the challenges of a rapidly expanding data center: increased operating costs, inefficient resource utilization, and exploding physical plant. Virtualization alleviates many of these pain points, but it puts an even greater demand on your data center IT infrastructure as you now have physical and virtualized access points and connections that need to be effectively managed. Oracle VM is a server virtualization software that fully supports both Oracle and non-oracle applications. It offers a scalable, lowcost server virtualization, which is three times more efficient than existing server virtualization products from other vendors. Brocade, the world leader in shared storage technology in the data center, is working with Oracle to support Oracle VM so that server administrators can manage their workloads more efficiently and run more applications across a shared network. Server lication Optimization (SAO), when deployed with Brocade Fibre Channel (FC) Host Bus Adapters (HBAs), optimizes overall application and Virtual Machine (VM) performance by extending Brocade Virtual Channel technology to the server infrastructure. SAO enables application scaling by allowing specific traffic flows to be configured, prioritized, and optimized throughout the data center. What is NPIV? N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) is an extension to the Fibre Channel standard that allows multiple N_Port IDs to share a single physical server port. Each physical Fibre Channel port in a fabric has a World Wide Port Name (WWPN) assigned to it by the equipment manufacturer, which uniquely identifies the port. Multiple FC initiators can occupy a single physical port, which can then register multiple WWPNs with the fabric, easing hardware requirements in a virtual Storage Area Network (SAN) design. Highlights of the solution include: Oracle VM, server virtualization software fully supports both Oracle and non-oracle applications. Oracle VM offers scalable, low-cost server virtualization is three times more efficient than existing server virtualization products from other vendors. SAO enables heterogeneous applications or VMs to share a single Brocade FC adapter by ensuring endto-end application-oriented Quality of Service (QoS) This solution enables more VMs per server by providing VM-level traffic isolation and prioritization, enabling customers to increase server consolidation ratios Integrated with standards-based FC NPIV and requires no re-architecture of the storage fabrics in OEL and OVM environments. This solution demonstrates the integration between Oracle and Brocade products for the virtualized data center, the keystone for the next-generation data center. Brocade Server lication Optimization for a Scalable Oracle Environment 3 of 7
ADAPTIVE NETWORKING Adaptive Networking is an advanced data center fabric technology and an integral component of the Brocade data center fabric. An increasing number of enterprise fabrics have collapsed server-to-storage, server-to-server, and storage-to-storage connectivity onto a common network connecting virtualized devices. Adaptive Networking services use deep network intelligence to anticipate congestion and to dynamically make adjustments in the fabric, so that application traffic continues to flow. Adaptive Networking services with the following capabilities were introduced in Brocade fabrics with the release of Fabric (F) 6.0.0. Special QoS zones have assigned priorities (Low, Medium, and High), as shown in Figure 1. These priorities are used when congestion occurs to prioritize traffic monitoring, improving application performance. As part of the Brocade SAO technology platform, Brocade HBAs lay the foundation for extending fabric intelligence to servers, VMs, applications, and services, enabling end-to-end storage network management. By installing Brocade HBAs with an SAO license on the fabric, organizations have the foundation to leverage NPIV and maintain QoS from the virtual port throughout the fabric. SAO is enabled via software licensing on Brocade switches and directors and is deployed along with Brocade FC adapters to help IT organizations more easily manage true end-to-end SAN services across next-generation data centers. SAO KEY FEATURES Key features of the Server lication Optimization, shown in Figure 1, include traffic prioritization, virtualization, and simplified management. Traffic Prioritization VM or application-aware resource prioritization from the server access through the data center fabric Easy, policy-based configuration with three priority levels: high, medium and low Dedicated hardware-based Virtual Channels per virtual port for flexible allocation of resources Virtualization Allows for scaling of VMs per physical server by providing fine-grain controls on a per-vm basis Enables traffic isolation and latency association, helping define Service Level Agreements (SLAs) on a per-vm basis Eases integration of tiered storage to server applications Simplified Management Centralized policy management of server ports and data center fabric via Brocade Data Center Fabric Manager (DCFM ) End-to-end flow based statistics allows for application performance monitoring, diagnostics, and trouble shooting Brocade Server lication Optimization for a Scalable Oracle Environment 4 of 7
Oracle VMs Oracle VMs Oracle VMs V_Port with NPIV3 (Low) V_Port with NPIV2 (Med) V_Port with NPIV1 (High) Storage Area Network Brocade HBA Physical port WWN Brocade FC Switch Storage Array Brocade DCX Backbone Figure 1. QoS extended from server to storage SOLUTION ADVANTAGES Movement toward data center virtualization brings its own challenges as outlined earlier. There are several advantages of this solution that help overcome these challenges: Using Brocade Adaptive Networking services, Oracle workload priorities are reflected end-to-end in the data center, which allows server administrators to better manage network performance. With 8 Gbps performance, more applications and database instances can be consolidated onto the physical infrastructure, resulting in improved Return On Investment (ROI). Even with an increased number of applications and databases, management is simplified using NPIV ports to associate specific applications with the storage they access. Brocade Server lication Optimization for a Scalable Oracle Environment 5 of 7
HOW ORACLE VM AND BROCADE Q WORK TOGETHER The following high-level steps demonstrate how Oracle VM migrates workload QoS into the fabric: 1. NPIV ports, each with a World Wide Virtual Name (WWVN) are created when VMs are created in Oracle VM. 2. Oracle VM stores the WWVN and a workflow priority with each VM. 3. The Oracle VM priority is associated with the Brocade Adaptive Networking QoS level. 4. When the Oracle VM migrates, the QoS and WWVN parameters associated with that VM are also migrated and maintained. These parameters are part of what Brocade calls this the VM personality profile. TECHNICAL BENEFITS OF ORACLE VM Oracle VM provisions a working environment or application quickly, enabling faster time to market and revenue. Oracle VM can easily manage the complete lifecycle of VMs, including creation, customization, sharing, management, and deployment in a hosted infrastructure. Specific capabilities include: 3x greater efficiency than current x86-based server virtualization products Server consolidation and better utilization of physical servers The ability to move VMs from one physical host to another without reconfiguration Centrally managed resources and an easy-to-use interface Load balancing to fully utilize resources Easy template creation, even from scratch No special software required, just a standard Web browser The benefits to your organization include: Investment protection with deployed FC switching infrastructure Improved ROI and lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) through lower price, consolidated support costs, and savings from space, cooling, and power efficiencies High-performance server virtualization capable of handling production environments Combined benefits of grid computing and server virtualization Risk mitigation with full indemnification from Oracle Simplified server installation from a single CD, installed and configured quickly and easily Faster deployment through pre-configured VM templates of Oracle Database and Oracle Enterprise Linux For more information about Oracle VM, visit www.oracle.com/virtualization. Brocade Server lication Optimization for a Scalable Oracle Environment 6 of 7
BROCADE END-TO-END ADVANTAGE Brocade s product offerings include hardware and software: 4 Gbps and 8 Gbps SAN platforms (Brocade DCX Backbone, directors, switches, and embedded switches) Brocade 415/425 and 815/825 Fibre Channel HBAs Brocade DCFM, a comprehensive network management application that enables integrated management of data center fabrics Brocade Host Connectivity Manager (HCM) for Brocade FC HBAs Brocade technologies that enable and support the virtualized data center include: Monitoring and diagnostics in Brocade Fabric (F) Performance and scalability in Brocade proprietary ASICs Adaptive Networking services with QoS capabilities enabled by F and our own centralized fabric management applications Workload mobility via individual profiles that move with VMs when they are migrated across servers, including associations with an NPIV port, QoS priority, and rule-based SLA assignment For more information about this solution, contact a Brocade sales partner or visit www.brocade.com. CONCLUSION The Brocade Data Center Fabric architecture, deployed with Oracle VM running on data center servers, integrates support for Brocade products with Oracle virtualization technologies to unify the overall management of the physical and virtualized data center. Brocade and Oracle together offer companies a data-centric, end-to-end solution that helps them harness, manage, and deploy a virtualized data center. 2009 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 09/09 GA-SG-224-00 Brocade, the B-wing symbol, BigIron, DCX, Fabric, FastIron, IronPoint, IronShield, IronView, IronWare, JetCore, NetIron, SecureIron, ServerIron, StorageX, and TurboIron are registered trademarks, and DCFM, SAN Health, and Extraordinary Networks are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used to identify, products or services of their respective owners. Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or implied, concerning any equipment, equipment feature, or service offered or to be offered by Brocade. Brocade reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no responsibility for its use. This informational document describes features that may not be currently available. Contact a Brocade sales office for information on feature and product availability. Export of technical data contained in this document may require an export license from the United States government. Brocade Server lication Optimization for a Scalable Oracle Environment 7 of 7