Cloud Sure - Virtual Machines

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1 Cloud Sure - Virtual Machines

2 Maximize your IT network The use of Virtualization is an area where Cloud Computing really does come into its own and arguably one of the most exciting directions in the IT industry today. The benefits that organizations experience through embracing the Cloud make this an attractive option. These benefits can be broadly grouped into three main areas: Reduction in Costs Increased Resilience Improved Flexibility Reduction in Costs Physical servers can be a very expensive way to deliver services. That s because traditionally a single server runs a single operating system which in turn runs its own individual applications. Each server requires its own separate power source, takes up physical space, requires cooling, maintenance and repair or replacement as necessary. Under normal circumstances, each server is only utilizing around 5-15% of its maximum capacity. That s a lot of hardware, expensive to both purchase and maintain, standing idle for the vast majority of the time. Drawbacks of traditional servers include: Only 5-15% utilization Must be specified for maximum potential demand Must be specified for maximum potential redundancy Expensive to upgrade Ongoing repair and maintenance Slow to configure Slow to order Ties up capital Requires power and cooling With a Virtualized server, a virtualization layer known as a hypervisor is applied. This supports multiple operating systems which in turn run their own applications. The hypervisor effectively manages the allocation of CPU, memory and hard disk resources to the various operating systems as required, ensuring capacity is provided where and when it s needed. In a virtualized server, utilization can easily reach 60-80%, with values of over 90% not uncommon. With Virtual Machines, users have the ability to flex resources up and down as necessary, rather than having to commit server resources up front. The benefits of virtualization are clear.

3 Increased Resilience From the outset, the Cloud Sure service from iomart was designed as a high availability platform: Engineered with no single point of failure Built on Tier 1 technology from VMware, Dell, HP, Cisco and EMC Guaranteed Service Level Agreement 100% availability on all infrastructure 24/7/365 Technical Support staffed by qualified and skilled experts ISO 9001 and accredited Zero downtime maintenance VMWare Platform iomart has partnered with VMware, the global leader in virtualization technology to deliver an exceptional, market leading and highly available service. The VMware platform has been developed from the outset to deliver outstanding reliability and the iomart environment is structured to ensure that there is no single point of failure. Not only does this cover the connectivity, power and servers but also the data held on our servers. Due to the architecture of the platform, a Cloud server is inherently more resilient than an equivalent physical server and due to our wholly owned network of data centers and enterprise grade infrastructure, our service delivers a significantly improved overall performance. In the event that a physical server fails all the virtual machines provisioned on that physical server are automatically restarted on another server and as all physical machines are attached to our enterprise SAN, data continuity is ensured.

4 Infrastructure The Virtual Machine servers are hosted within iomart s Tier 3 data center network, consisting of a network of data centers around the UK, connected by a 40GB dark fiber network. Service Levels & Security As well as the backing of an unparalleled physical infrastructure of data centers and a fiber network, the Virtual Machine service from iomart is fully managed and supported 24/7, 365 days a year, by a dedicated and highly trained team of technicians and developers. As a Managed Cluster, strictly controlled and fully managed, the Virtual Machine platform is as secure and resilient as possible, with continual improvements being made as they become available. The risks associated with public platforms such as unauthorized access, malware infection or loss of confidential information are significantly reduced or completely eliminated with our solution.

5 Hardware Scalability, efficiency, and simplicity are three challenges that are a constant in the storage industry. Storage systems need to provide scalability, extreme efficiency, and a simple, intuitive user interface. The Virtual Machine network we offer includes EMC VMAX SANs - the newest technology available - to optimize the cloud storage environment. The use of Intel processors provides faster clock speeds and more cores to handle the daily demands of storage I/O. Increased memory capacity, the use of Flash drives in FAST VP (fully automated Storage Tiering for Virtual Pools), FAST CACHE (acceleration via array cache expansion), a new 6 Gb/s x 2 lanes SAS back end and denser disk enclosures all help provide optimal scalability and efficiency. Improved Flexibility Virtual Machines provide significant economic and environmental benefits to an organization. Managed through our simple User Interface Allows users to create and manage Virtual Machines Provides the flexibility to meet demand VMs can be based on templates Supports Cloud, Hybrid or Private models

6 Virtual Machines provide significant economic benefits to an organization, as well as environmental. It allows system administrators to have a much greater overview of their network and administer or distribute the computing resource available. In addition, virtualization provides users with some key functional benefits: Run historic applications should the organization have an application that was originally designed for an older version of Windows and doesn t operate correctly in the latest version, a VM can be spun up with that old version, the application installed and used to its full potential. Create images of the VM taking an image of the VM is essentially making a copy of that VM and its entire operating system and applications that can subsequently be reverted to should there be any harmful changes made to the VM e.g. infection with a virus. Test Software, Upgrades or New Configurations an extension of creating images, users can quickly and easily spin up a complete copy of their VM which they can then use to test any changes or updates for unexpected effects prior to installing on their main or real server. Benefit from cutting edge enterprise -class solutions the combined advantages of virtualization through the Cloud provides many SMEs with the opportunity to benefit from technology and solutions that they may not previously have been able to access. With reduced capital costs and the availability of industry leading technology, it s never been easier for organizations to set up and manage their IT infrastructure. Key Features & Benefits Secure and accredited UK data center network and infrastructure Cost moves from CAPEX to OPEX Full control through the simple online Control Panel Easily reconfigurable to cope with fluctuations in demand Simple server configuration CPU, RAM and storage Clone servers to create new environments Leased line and VPN connectivity for remote access is available Architected from industry leading hardware Cisco, EMC, HP and VMware Improve business continuity Instant provisioning Fully flexible Maximize capacity High availability Environmentally greener IT services Integration with iomart Cloud Backup solution Supported Operating Systems Linux Windows For further details visit or info@iomart.com Images for illustrative purposes only. iomart. All other trade and service marks are acknowledged. Lister Pavilion, Kelvin Campus, West of Scotland Science Park, Glasgow, G20 0SP