vstart 50 VMware vsphere Solution Specification Release 1.3 for 12 th Generation Servers Dell Virtualization Solutions Engineering Revision: A00 March 2012
THIS WHITE PAPER IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND MAY CONTAIN TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND TECHNICAL INACCURACIES. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. 2012 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. For more information, contact Dell. Dell, the DELL logo, PowerConnect, PowerEdge, OpenManage and EqualLogic are trademarks of Dell Inc. Microsoft and Windows Server are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel. VMware, vsphere, ESXi, and vcenter are registered trademarks or trademarks (the "Marks") of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own. March 2012 Page ii
Contents 1 Introduction... 2 2 Audience... 2 3 Specifications... 3 3.1 Solution Summary... 3 3.2 Solution Options... 4 4 Component Details... 5 4.1 Hypervisor Server Configuration... 5 4.2 Storage Configuration... 5 4.3 Management Server... 6 4.4 Network Switches... 7 4.5 Software and Services... 8 4.6 Rack Infrastructure Components... 8 5 Licensing Requirements... 9 5.1 VMware ESXi... 9 5.2 VMware vcenter Server... 9 6 Solution Capacity and Sizing... 10 7 Cooling, Power, and Weight Requirements... 11 Tables Table 1. Solution Summary... 3 Table 2. Hypervisor Server Configuration... 5 Table 3. Storage Configuration... 5 Table 4. Management Server Configuration... 6 Table 5. PowerConnect Switch Configuration... 7 Table 6. Software and Services... 8 Table 7. Other Components... 8 Table 8. Default Solution Capacity for vstart 50... 10 Table 9. vstart 50 Cooling, Power, and Weight Requirements... 11 Page 1
1 Introduction The vstart solution is a virtualization infrastructure solution that has been designed and validated by Dell Engineering. It is delivered racked, cabled, and ready to be integrated into your datacenter. The vstart 50 VMware vsphere configuration includes Dell TM PowerEdge TM R620 servers running VMware ESXi, Dell EqualLogic TM PS4100X iscsi storage, Dell PowerConnect TM switches, and a Dell PowerEdge R410 server that manages the solution by hosting VMware vcenter Server and Dell management tools. The configurations also include Dell Management and Dell EqualLogic Host Integration Tools for VMware Edition (HIT/VE) Plug-ins for VMware vcenter Server. VMware ESXi versions 4.1 Update 2 and 5.0 are both supported. The solution can either be configured with PowerConnect 7024 or PowerConnect 6224 switches. The following documents are provided to describe the various aspects of the solution. vstart 50 VMware vsphere Solution Overview Provides a solution overview, including various components, and how it is delivered. vstart 50 VMware vsphere Solution Specification (this document) Provides a detailed specification of various components included in the solution. vstart 50 VMware vsphere Solution Design Guide Provides a detailed architectural solution design. For Dell Sales and Services teams, the latest versions of these documents are available at the internal vstart Web portal. Customers can contact their Dell Sales teams to get the latest version. 2 Audience Customers, including IT administrators and IT managers, who have purchased or are planning to purchase a vstart configuration can use this document to understand the component details of the solution. Page 2
3 Specifications 3.1 Solution Summary The following table summarizes the components for the vstart 50 configuration. Storage expansion options are available for customers who require additional storage capacity, throughput, or bandwidth. As such, the EqualLogic PS4100X quantities will increment by one if the storage expansion option is selected. The solution with one additional storage array is called vstart 50+. For more information about the storage expansion option, please consult with your Dell Sales representative. Table 1. Solution Summary vstart 50 Configuration Component Quantity Hypervisor Servers PowerEdge R620 Servers 2 Hypervisor VMware ESXi 2 Storage Device EqualLogic PS4100X 1 + (1 optional storage expansion) Ethernet Switch PowerConnect 7024 or 6224 Switch RPU RPS-720/RPS-600 1 Management Server (optional) PowerEdge R410 Server 1 Management Server OS Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Standard Edition Rack Dell 2420 Rack Enclosure 1 Equipment Shelf Rack Equipment Shelf for Switches KMM (optional) Dell 1U KMM Console 1 UPS (optional) Dell UPS R3750 2 PDU Dell PDU 24A, 208V 2 4 1 1 Page 3
3.2 Solution Options In addition to the above default configuration, certain components can be changed based upon customer requirements. The components that can be changed are: Storage Expansion: A Storage Expansion option is available for customers who require additional storage capacity, throughput, or bandwidth. As such, the EqualLogic PS4100X quantities will increment by one if the Storage Expansion option is selected, as noted in Table 1 above, increasing the vstart 50 PS4100X quantity to two. For more information about the Storage Expansion option and the PS4100 array type options, consult with your Dell Sales representative. Storage Model: Flexible options are available that can be implemented to meet customer s storage capacity and performance requirements. With EqualLogic 5.1 firmware, storage tiering enables customers to deploy high performance arrays along with higher capacity but lower performing arrays. This model helps customers lock on the array solution and price point that makes sense for their workload profiles and business needs. As such, vstart 50 supports a variety of PS4100 array combinations within the limits that the vstart rack space and power provide. Consult with your Dell Sales representative for more details. Switch: The default switch is the PowerConnect 7024. The 7024 provides additional connectivity and performance enhancements and features as compared to the 6224 series switch. Both switch models, however, are supported in the solution. More details about the 7024 and 6224 are provided below in Section 4.4. RPS: The Redundant Power Supply provides an additional set of power supplies beyond those in the switches. While the LAN and SAN switches are fully redundant, the RPS is available for customers who wish to implement redundant switch level power supplies. UPS: The Dell R3750 is the default UPS for the vstart 50 solution. However, if customers have datacenter level or similar UPS, sufficient existing power in adjacent racks, or an existing preferred rack level UPS solution, then the vstart solution can accommodate. Consult with your Dell Sales representative early in the vstart evaluation process to ensure that all datacenter level power requirements, options, and questions are explored. Management Server: The R410 management server, as noted below in Section 4.3, runs vcenter Server, Dell OpenManage Server Administrator and SAN HQ, in addition to performing other out-of-band management duties for idracs, switches, and storage. For customers who already have an existing vcenter server, or don t require a management server in the vstart rack, the R410 based management server is optional. Page 4
4 Component Details 4.1 Hypervisor Server Configuration Dell PowerEdge R620 servers host ESXi servers that comprise the ESXi cluster. Table 2 below shows the R620 server hardware configuration details. Table 2. Component Processor Memory RAID Controller SD Module Network Controller Hypervisor Server Configuration Details Two Intel Xeon E5-2660 (2.2 Ghz and 8 core) 64GB (8 x 8GB) 1333 MHz RDIMMS None Redundant SD module for ESXi Broadcom 5720 Quad Port 1Gb rndc Broadcom 5719 Quad Port 1Gb PCI-e Hypervisor Out-of-band Management VMware ESXi Embedded idrac 7 Enterprise 4.2 Storage Configuration Dell EqualLogic PS4100X iscsi SAN is used for hosting the storage. Below are the PS4100X hardware configuration details. For detailed information, refer to the EqualLogic PS4100X user guide. Table 3. Component Storage Controllers Storage Chassis Drive Capacity System Capacity Storage Configuration Details Dual Controllers 24 hot-pluggable 2.5 hard disk drives 300GB 2.5 10K RPM SAS drive 7.2TB using (24) 300GB SAS disk drives Page 5
4.3 Management Server A Dell PowerEdge R410 server is used as a management server to manage the ESXi servers, switches and storage. Below are the hardware configuration details of the R410 server. Table 4. Management Server Configuration Components Processor Memory RAID Controller Intel Xeon E5620, 2.4GHz, 12MB Cache, Turbo, Hyper Threading, 1066MHz FSB 8GB (2 x 4 GB) RDIMMS SAS 6iR Network Controller Broadcom 5716 Embedded Dual Port 1Gb Ethernet Controller Broadcom 5709 Dual Port 1Gb Network Controller Operating System Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Standard Edition Management idrac6 Enterprise Dell EqualLogic SAN HeadQuarters (SAN HQ) VMware vcenter Server OpenManage Server Administrator Page 6
4.4 Network Switches Dell PowerConnect 7024 or 6224 Ethernet Switches are used for connecting the servers and storage in the rack. Below are the switch hardware configuration details. Table 5. PowerConnect Switch Configuration PC7024 Details Switch Capability Performance PC6224 Switch Capability Performance 24 10/100/1000 BASE-T auto-sensing Gigabit Ethernet Switching ports. Dedicated 64 Gbps Stacking interface per LAN switch. Dedicated 10Gb/Stacking Module per SAN switch (used for dedicated iscsi inter switch traffic). Switch Fabric Capacity up to 224 Gb/s per switch. Forwarding rate up to 160 Mbps. Details 24 10/100/1000 BASE-T auto-sensing Gigabit Ethernet Switching ports. One 48 Gbps Stacking module per LAN switch. Dedicated 10Gbps CX-4 module per SAN switch (used for dedicated iscsi inter switch traffic). Switch Fabric Capacity up to 184 Gb/s per switch. Forwarding rate up to 95 Mbps. Page 7
4.5 Software and Services Below listed software and services are provided as part of the vstart configurations. Table 6. Software and Services Software Component Support Services Configuration and Deployment services Details Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vcenter, Dell EqualLogic HIT/VE Plug-In for VMware vcenter. Dell ProSupport, Next Business Day part replacement on servers, storage arrays and switches. Installation of populated rack (servers, storage, network, UPS), Installation and/or configuration of VMware ESXi, VMware vcenter Server, Dell OpenManage, Dell Management Plugin for VMware vcenter, Dell EqualLogic HIT/VE Plug-In for VMware vcenter, and SAN HQ. 4.6 Rack Infrastructure Components The rack infrastructure hardware listed in Table 7 is provided as part of the vstart configurations. Table 7. Other Components Component Rack KMM UPS PDU RPS Details Dell PowerEdge 2420 Rack 24U Enclosure with Doors and Side Panels. Dell 1U KMM Console with Touchpad Keyboard and 17 LCD, Rapid Rails. R3750 High Efficiency On-Line Double Conversion, 5 minutes run time, 200/208, 1 Phase VAC, C19(2) 2 NEMA L6-20R, 1 NEMA L6-30R 9, Input Plug L6-30P. 21U, 1 Phase, 24 Amp cont., 208 volt in/out, 5.0 KW cont., C13 (14) C19 (2) outlet summary, L6-30 input plug. Dell 1U PowerConnect RPS-600 or RPS-720 Redundant for 4 PowerConnect Switches Note: PDUs and UPS(s) listed in Table 7 are listed specifically for the solution available in the USA. Customers should work with their Dell Sales representative and order the PDUs and UPS(s) as required by their specific region s power requirements. Page 8
5 Licensing Requirements This section covers licensing requirements needed for the components provided as part of the vstart 50 solution. 5.1 VMware ESXi Dell PowerEdge R620 servers in each configuration come with VMware ESXi trial license. The trial license is valid for only 60 days. The solution requires, at the minimum, VMware vsphere Enterprise license to take advantage of all the supported features of the vstart solution. 5.2 VMware vcenter Server The Dell PowerEdge R410 management server will be installed with a VMware vcenter Server trial license. The trial license is valid for only 60 days. The solution requires, at the minimum, a VMware vcenter Server Standard license to take advantage of all the supported features of the vstart solution. Refer to the vstart 50 Solution Overview for a list of features supported by the vstart solution. Note: Within 60 days of beginning the trial license, customers should contact their Dell Sales Representative and upgrade to the required licenses mentioned above for ESXi and vcenter Server. Also customers have an option to include the licenses at the time of order. For more information on the vsphere Editions, refer to the following VMware website: https://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/buy/editions_comparison.html. Page 9
6 Solution Capacity and Sizing The table below provides detailed hardware capacity information for the vstart 50 configuration. It s important to note that the nature of the workloads running within the VMs will affect the performance and will ultimately determine the overall number of VMs that can be deployed within the ESXi cluster. With the available CPU, memory, network, and storage resources as shown in Table 8 below, the vstart 50 configuration is ideally suited for workloads that are CPU and memory centric, or have a light to moderate IO profile. Accordingly, higher VM densities can be achieved with light-io workloads such as web or application servers. Due to the nature of the random and heavier IO workload profiles typically associated with applications like database, mail, and fileservers, the vstart configurations will support lower VM densities when running VMs with heavy-io centric workload profiles. Table 8. Default Solution Capacity for vstart 50 Component vstart 50 Configuration Number of ESXi Servers 2 Compute Capacity (total number of processor cores) Memory Capacity Storage Capacity Number of drives Network Capacity 32 cores 128 GB 7.2 Terabyte raw capacity 24 x 10K 300GB SAS drives 4Gb LAN and 4Gb SAN per Hypervisor Host For customers with heavier IO centric workload profiles or those who need additional storage capacity, the storage expansion modules for vstart 50 are available. Please note that increasing the number of storage arrays by one for a vstart does not mean that the number of VMs can be linearly increased as well. If a workload s profile is such that the base vstart storage array configurations are nearing or at their capacity to handle additional IOPS, the additional storage expansion array should be used to address any IO latency or capacity issues first. Only after IO latencies and other quality of service variables are satisfied, should consideration be given to increasing the number of VMs that are hosted by the additional arrays. Additionally, factors such as growth of existing VMs, addition of new VMs, extra capacity for high availability or fault tolerance, quality of service (QoS) requirements and service level agreements (SLAs) for end users and customers, and host or infrastructure maintenance should be considered, and may impact the number of VMs a given configuration can support. For more information on virtualization and infrastructure sizing recommendations, consult with your Dell Services representative, or refer to VMware and EqualLogic documentation. Page 10
7 Cooling, Power, and Weight Requirements This section provides power, cooling, and weight requirements for the solution. Power values provided in the table are estimated maximum power values for the solution based on Dell Labs measurements. Actual power, cooling, and weight will vary based on configuration, workload, and Data Center Environment. PDUs and UPS(s) utilized in this paper are specifically for the solution available in the USA. Consult with your Dell Sales and Services representatives for further details. Table 9. vstart 50 Cooling, Power, and Weight Requirements Solutions Power (max watts) Cooling (BTU/hr) Weight (kg) vstart 50 no UPS 2455 8377 236 with R3750 UPS 2830 9656 301 vstart 50+ no UPS 3155 10765 268 with R3750 UPS 3530 12045 334 Page 11