VMware Technology Overview Leverage Nextiva Video Management Solution with VMware Virtualization Technology
Table of Contents Overview... 2 Seamless Integration within the IT Infrastructure... 2 Support for VMware ESX Server in Nextiva... 3 VMware Scenario 1: Nextiva Master Server Deployment with Four Servers... 4 Scenario 2: Nextiva Master Server Deployment with Recorder Servers... 5 Technical Considerations and Best Practices... 6 Minimum Requirements... 6 Best Practices... 7 Performance... 7 The Industry s Most Comprehensive Networked Video Portfolio... 8 Unauthorized use, duplication, or modification of this document in whole or in part without the written consent of Verint Systems Inc. is strictly prohibited. By providing this document, Verint Systems Inc. is not making any representations regarding the correctness or completeness of its contents and reserves the right to alter this document at any time without notice. Features listed in this document are subject to change. Please contact Verint for current product features and specifications. All marks referenced herein with the or TM symbol are registered trademarks or trademarks of Verint Systems Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. 2010 Verint Systems Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
About Verint Video Intelligence Solutions Verint Video Intelligence Solutions is the leading global provider of networked video solutions that enhance the security of people, property and assets. Verint s award-winning Nextiva portfolio includes video management software, integrated analytics, encoders and IP cameras, and intelligent DVRs for use in a variety of vertical market environments. Open standards based and IT friendly, Verint solutions help organizations leverage their existing video investments and place IP video within the reach of virtually every organization. About Verint Systems Verint Systems Inc. is a global leader in Actionable Intelligence solutions and value-added services. More than 10,000 organizations in over 150 countries use our workforce optimization and security intelligence solutions to improve enterprise performance and make the world a safer place. For more information, visit www.verint.com. Page 1
Overview In recent years, companies have been investigating ways to optimize IT resources and reduce IT footprint. In response to this growing demand, organizations like VMware created virtualization solutions, such as the VMware ESX Server, that integrate with innovative solutions from industry-leading partners to deliver a more efficient, controlled and flexible IT environment. The VMware ESX Server solution provides organizations with the ability to create a virtual computer system that operates on a single physical machine, also known as the host computer. The host computer runs an operating program that emulates the hardware for each virtual machine. This virtual system provides a virtual memory, hard disk, network adapter and CD/DVD ROM to each of the virtual machines. With this configuration, guest applications can run on the virtual computers as if they were running on the physical hardware. This document offers an overview of the support for VMware ESX Server in Nextiva Video Management solution and describes the technical considerations required for organizations running Nextiva under a VMware platform. Seamless Integration within the IT Infrastructure Nextiva is a comprehensive, enterprise-class video management platform with a flexible, open architecture. Built on a non-proprietary, industry-standard platform, Nextiva Video Management is designed to integrate seamlessly with new or emerging IT infrastructures. Many video management systems today often reside within an enterprise IT infrastructure. As such, like other enterprise technologies, they must meet stringent IT requirements in terms of scalability, reliability and cost effectiveness. Nextiva s support for VMware adequately addresses these requirements - enabling organizations to reap the benefits of a virtualized infrastructure while gaining unparalleled scalability and reliability in a state-of-the-art video management solution. Verint s customers running Nextiva under a VMware environment have the following advantages: Fewer hardware components Reduced overhead Optimized IT infrastructure Lower total cost of ownership Faster deployment Page 2
Support for VMware ESX Server in Nextiva Verint has introduced support for VMware in Nextiva 6.0 in order to help customers further optimize their Nextiva investment. Verint customers running Nextiva in a virtual infrastructure are able to share the resources of a single server across multiple computers in the network. As the diagram below illustrates, virtualization can be extended to an entire network. This permits one computer to replace multiple computers; thereby enabling organizations to save money due to a reduction in physical infrastructure, energy consumption and resource management. Virtualization of a corporate network. Page 3
VMware Scenario 1: Nextiva Master Server Deployment with Four Servers The following sample configuration scenario serves to illustrate the benefits of deploying Nextiva in a virtual environment by comparing the number of hardware components required with and without the VMware solution. In this example, the deployment includes the Nextiva Master server, two recording servers and one ESM server. As can be seen in the table below, only one virtual machine is required to run four Nextiva applications. Thus, virtualization not only helps speed deployment and reduce costs due to fewer physical servers to manage, it can provide for potential future savings on electricity, heating and cooling. Nextiva Servers Total Number of Servers Required Without VMware Total Number of Servers Required With VMware Master Server 1 1 Recorder Server 1 1 Recorder Server 2 1 ESM Server 1 Running Nextiva under VMware also helps eliminate many physical limitations by providing a simple model for allocating storage space to the individual virtual machines. As illustrated by the next diagram, Nextiva can leverage the storage resources already available in a virtual infrastructure, thereby eliminating the need for dedicated storage devices. Storage allocation in a virtual infrastructure. Page 4
Scenario 2: Nextiva Master Server Deployment with Recorder Servers The following sample configuration scenario further highlights the benefits of deploying Nextiva in a virtual environment. Unlike the first scenario, however, this scenario compares the number of hardware components required to deploy a Nextiva Master server and four recording servers with and without the VMware solution. As can be seen in the table and illustration below, the Nextiva Master server is installed on a stand-alone server whereas the four recorders are installed on the virtual VMware server, reducing the number of servers from five to two. Similar to scenario one, this enables organizations to rapidly deploy Nextiva and considerably reduce both hardware and operational expenditures due to the reduction in physical servers required. Nextiva Servers Total Number of Servers Required Without VMware Total Number of Servers Required With VMware Master Server 1 1 Recorder Server 1 1 1 Recorder Server 2 1 Recorder Server 3 1 Recorder Server 4 1 Nextiva Master Server Deployment with Recorder Servers. Page 5
Technical Considerations and Best Practices When Nextiva is running in a VMware ESX environment, the minimum aggregated hardware requirements of both technologies must be respected. For details, please refer to the Nextiva System Planning Guide. The following sections cover the minimum requirements, best practices and performance considerations for effectively running Nextiva under a VMware environment. Minimum Requirements In order to run Nextiva applications on a virtual machine, the physical server platform must adhere to the following minimum requirements and system specifications: Components Minimum Specifications Comments Processors, Memory and Networking Single Xeon 54xx, 55xx or 74xx with 4GB of RAM Two Gigabit Ethernet port One dedicated Gigabit Ethernet port for the ESX Console One dedicated Gigabit Ethernet port for the VM traffic Dual Xeon 54xx, 55xx or 74xx with 8GB of RAM Three Gigabit Ethernet ports One dedicated Gigabit Ethernet port for the ESX Console Two dedicated Gigabit Ethernet port for the VM traffic Quad Xeon 74xx with 16GB of RAM Five Gigabit Ethernet ports One dedicated Gigabit Ethernet port for the ESX Console Four dedicated Gigabit Ethernet port for the VM traffic Up to 2 VM Up to 4 VM Up to 8 VM Storage Adapter SCSI, iscsi, SAS, and Fiber Channel. VMware-certified Storage A Minimum of 80 GB of un-partitioned disk space for each VM Mandatory: SAN storage (FC or iscsi) Recommended: A Minimum of 4Gbps FC SAN recommended Datastore Video Storage Page 6
Best Practices Even though virtualization is a growing trend, it involves a sophisticated IT network infrastructure. Given this fact, it is highly recommended that the servers, storage adaptors, and other hardware planned for use with a Nextiva/VMware implementation are officially validated by VMware. In addition, the ESX Host Server or any other resources such as SAN or FC should be installed by a VMware-certified technician. For a list of supported hardware for VMware, please consult: http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php Performance Although virtualization is a proven technology, it is highly recommended that implementations meet with the minimum specifications for both VMware and Nextiva. Because an ESX Host Server may not have an abundance of hardware resources and virtual machines available, performance can be at risk. It is essential to consider the Ready Time factor - the time a virtual machine must wait in a ready-to-run state - before it can be scheduled on a CPU. In order to minimize the Ready Time on a Nextiva system, proper management and allocation of hardware resources is critical. Page 7
The Industry s Most Comprehensive Networked Video Portfolio Intelligent Edge Devices Decoders and encoders IP and megapixel cameras Wireless transmitters, repeaters, bridges, and access points Network video recorders for large, geographically distributed video operations Integrated, on-board video analytics Video Management Software Automated video system health monitoring and diagnostics Policy-based event notification, video distribution, and process activation Virtual matrix Live and recorded video viewing with an interactive map of facility layouts and camera locations Investigation management for collecting case-related audio, video, and data Vertical Market Suites Retail, banking, mass transportation, enterprise, education, government, critical infrastructure, homeland security, transportation networks Integrated Video Analytics Camera tampering, wrong direction, perimeter intrusion, loitering, objects left behind or removed, traffic analysis, & more Comprehensive Service and Support Staffed by experts in Nextiva deployment & operation Comprehensive warranty support Live technical support Web-based resources Advanced replacements On-site installation services Project management Integration engineering services Professional services Page 8